For the past 400 years, our village has cut all ties with the outside world.
We remain totally self-sustained.
The Summer Solstice Festival is to welcome the souls of our ancestors who return in summer.
It's a festival to pray for a good harvest.
It will start tomorrow at dawn and end at nightfall.
I hope you all will be able to stay until then.
Look at those rose windows and that tower.
It looks like the drawings of mid-century churches.
Hey, this wall is pretty cool, too.
That well looks ancient.
What are you doing?
What's going on?!
There are wolves.
There are wild wolves living on these mountains.
Aren't the villagers here the real wolves?
What are you talking about?
We are humans.
Even if we're different from those outsiders.
Welcome back.
You resemble Cordelia exactly.
I was only a child at the time, but I can still remember it clearly.
Harminia...
The sinful Cordelia...
She brought an irremovable curse upon this house and this village.
Harminia!
Pardon me.
What's her problem?
The incident occurred in Elder Theodore's study.
Episode 7
A Divine Revelation is Given at the Summer Solstice Festival
If I remember correctly, the maid in the study at midnight was Cordelia. She was only fifteen years old at the time.
She was in the habit of changing the water in the jug.
On that day, she went in at midnight like she always had.
How do you know it was precisely midnight?
I and others saw Cordelia opening the lock and entering the room.
At that moment, I remember checking my pocket watch for the time.
However, for some reason, the people with me had a different opinion on the time.
Cordelia came dashing out with a loud scream soon after entering the study.
I rushed over to Elder Theodore with the utmost haste, but he had already been stabbed with a knife and killed.
I have no clue why, but the floor was littered with gold coins.
Gold coins?
Yes. Though this village does not use them,
it was Elder Theodore's hobby to collect them.
Following that, Cordelia suffered from a high fever and was unable to leave her bed.
After waiting for her fever to go down, I did my duty as the new village elder.
I banished her from this village.
Banished?
That's right.
We gave her one gold coin and a trunk to carry her things,
before raising the drawbridge and letting her go.
She had never set foot outside the village and knew nothing of the outside world.
We questioned whether she would be able to survive.
How cruel.
Criminals must be dealt with.
If they are not, disaster will strike this village.
But now, that very girl's daughter is here with us.
Victorica! Are you taking a walk?
We just got here.
Come on, Victorica.
Out for a stroll?
Yes.
I'm Elder Sergius's assistant, Ambrose.
I was just wondering why your skin and hair are different colors.
Though I'm aware that people from the outside world are not all blond.
Victorica, help me out here.
I'd like for you to take me somewhere.
Certainly. Please don't hesitate to ask.
In exchange, may I continue to touch this man?
As you please.
Thank you. So, where would you like to go?
Take me to the house where Cordelia lived.
This is it.
I see.
I'll be leaving now.
You're leaving?
As expected, if he knew we wanted to come here, he wouldn't have guided us.
Victorica?
Come help me with this.
O-Okay...
This is...
But it's empty.
No.
That photo... Is that Cordelia?
And the baby is me.
But wasn't Cordelia banished when she was fifteen?
Someone came here and took something that was left here,
and in its stead, left this photo of Cordelia as an adult.
Where is the chaos leading me?
Theodore... This is the previous village chief's grave.
You can't do that, Victorica.
You're going to suffer divine retribution.
"I am not guilty. C."
Cordelia?
This was written by Cordelia!
Mother was wrongly banished from the village for a crime she didn't commit.
Where is the one responsible for this?
Victorica!
Kujou...
Run!
Kujou?
That's not laughter.
Those are... They're the same as Victorica's...
And the shape of the eyes...
Thank goodness we made it.
Were those wolves?
How was the phone call?
Oh, it's just you.
What is it?
Mildred?
If you were able to make a phone call, there must be electricity.
That's right. Didn't the Chief say that they were totally self-sufficient here?
I also felt that something was amiss.
So I asked that maid.
It appears they have a sponsor.
A sponsor?
What was his name again?
Bryan?
Oh, right! It's a man named Bryan Roscoe.
Bryan Roscoe...
Apparently he was originally born here but left the village in order to live in the outside world.
He donated a large sum of money about 10 years ago.
10 years ago, huh? I see.
I'm sick of playing card games already.
I think we should check out the church.
But there are wolves about.
Wolves? The scary old man will scare those pests away, won't he?
Come on, let's go.
It's all tangled up again. The number of strings and frills on this thing makes me dizzy.
Say, Victorica.
Bryan Roscoe, who came here ten years ago...
Why did he come back to this village?
Why? He probably came to install electricity, right?
If it was 10 years ago, that should have been right around the time the last Great War took place.
Don't you think it would be a little reckless to travel deep into the mountains to install electricity at a time like that?
Also, that photo was taken approximately 10 years ago.
Coming!
I've brought you hot water for your bath. Please use cold water to adjust the temperature.
There's a bath?!
Victorica, just call for me if you need anything.
I'll be right here.
Victorica?
Oh, how I love the bath!
It's so warm and cozy!
Good grief. She's just singing.
It looks like the old Victorica is finally back.
I should rest up myself.
Wh-What's this?
Victorica, are you okay in there?
She's not answering.
Victorica!
What's the matter, Kujou?
You're making a racket.
Victorica.
This is...
Someone is trying to scare me away from the village.
Let's leave, then! There's something ominous about this place.
It's dangerous!
I'm not going anywhere.
Victorica.
You will protect me, won't you?
That goes without saying.
Then I have nothing to worry about.
These are quite the red turnips.
This float belongs to the Winter Army.
The Winter Army?
That's right. All the men in the village square right now...
...will split up to form the Summer Army and Winter Army for a mock battle.
The Summer Army has to defeat the commander of the Winter Army, the Man of the Winter,
and burn him along with the float.
Those who seek to defame this village should scram!
What's this now? She's been possessed by her superstition.
This place sure is gloomy. Isn't that right, guys?
Stop it. We can't have them asking us to leave now.
I'm very sorry! This fellow here is always causing a fuss wherever we go.
Why don't we go back to our room for a while?
He was making quite the ruckus in the church last night, as well.
All in full view of the villagers.
He took a decorative antique vase and threw it into the basin of holy water.
It made quite the splash.
Why would he do such a thing?
I wouldn't understand the words of a drunkard.
He just laughed it off and said, "All this junk can't be this precious!"
Even though they would've been really happy had it been something old.
Here, I brought you some festival food.
One, two!
What's that?
Ouch.
Ow!
What's this?
Isn't that Alan there?
After all that, it looks like he's still interested in the festival.
What exactly are these supposed to symbolize?
Isn't that Ambrose? He looks cool.
Man of the Winter, burn and disappear!
What's that?
The mannequin! It's...
Make way!
Bring water!
Alan?
A-Alan...
This was an accident. He wanted to interfere with the festivities and swapped himself with the mannequin.
Such a rude guest.
How can that be?
Elder Sergius, that's not possible.
When the maidens were throwing the hazelnuts, I saw this young man walk by.
There were far too many people in the square for him to be able to swap the mannequin.
Talking too much is a sign of stupidity.
My apologies.
The Summer Solstice Festival cannot be stopped.
If you'll excuse me, there's a ceremony I must attend at the Church.
Hey! Wait!
Hey!
They're still continuing the festival even after somebody died.
It looks like this really is a strange village.
Don't you think so, Victorica?
Victorica?
You will protect me, won't you?
Kazuya, are you here to ask about your future as well?
My future?
With the Summer Army victorious and a bountiful harvest ensured, Mass will be held into the evening.
Churches are portals to the nether.
They are portals through which our ancestors may come home to see our bountiful harvest.
But first, after the spirits of our ancestors have reached us,
they speak and answer the children's questions through the mouth of the elder.
Kazuya, since you're already here, why don't you try it?
Wa-Wait! I'm just looking for Victorica.
Wa-Wait! Ambrose!
Who are you?
I was just looking for Victorica.
Then you may rest at ease.
That girl is different from you.
So, what is it that you wish to ask?
Actually, I have this friend...
Can I really always be with Victorica from here on?
You will not die together. Years from now, this world will be shaken by a strong gale.
Your bodies are light. The gale will surely separate you both.
But fear not! Your hearts will never be apart.
Our hearts? Does that mean...?
Next!
We will be separated...
Victorica!
You came here, too?
Wh-What did you ask?
I asked if I would grow.
Grow? What do you mean?
My height.
Your height?!
What's with you?!
You have no idea what I just—
Oh, never mind!
Why are you so angry?
I can't believe you left without saying a word.
Where were you?
I was in the study.
Mother...
The sinful Cordelia!
Elder Theodore had a dagger thrust through his back just like that.
Even the design of the dagger is etched into my mind!
Elder Theodore was an adult. Cordelia was but a 15-year-old girl.
Their heights were very different.
Precisely. It's impossible for a child that cannot even reach his back
to stab him in it to the hilt with a dagger.
That sinful Cordelia with her tainted soul... But what if... No...
There is another suspect. You're thinking it too, aren't you?
The Fountain of Wisdom has just enlightened me. All the pieces of chaos have been reconstructed!
Reconstructed? Then you must know who the real murderer is!
Even if I do, I've no means to prove it.
Are the wolves coming?
I don't care if someone dies or how many wolves come.
I will not allow the Summer Solstice Festival to be canceled!
We're going with them!
Victorica!
I can't hear the wolves anymore.
Over there!
No! Don't shoot!
I got one, Ambrose!
This makes two victims now, Kujou.
The crimes of the present shine brightly,
bringing the crimes of the past to light.
I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this.
Next Episode
Howling Echoes from the Kingdom of the Past