Zeroth Directive

Archive II

Diamante often omits the most unremarkable yet crucial parts of the trick when he tells his stories, i.e. his agility and delicate Originium Arts. Those who use the same type of Arts undoubtedly appreciate the precision behind the phrase 'influence the perception of a gem by adjusting the refraction of light,' as well as his familiarity with the nature of gems. His light-based Arts are expressed in a variety of ways in his unpredictable actions. All of this implies that Diamante should be a talented caster, well-versed in the systematic Arts education of Leithanien. During entrance testing, however, he tested only average in Arts, and his theoretical knowledge was equivalent to Leithanien's secondary education at best. Diamante has admitted that his diverse use of Arts is based mostly on his unique weapon, a wand that reacts with gems of different types, turning the energy that he generates into more effective Arts. He brought out a set of test tubes that he carried in his briefcase—swearing that he did not steal the gemstone roughs within, which were purchased at a bargain—and demonstrated how his Arts could create various effects, from corroding metal to obscuring vision, through a variety of different mediums. He has worked closely with Engineering to conduct further research into the wand. Testing indicates that it only worked its magic in the hands of Diamante; to others, it is merely an ordinary Arts Unit of below-average efficiency. Yet Diamante adamantly denies that the weapon was made for him, nor could he supply any information on who made it and where it came from. Though it is clear that the former is a question he cannot answer, while the latter is one that he merely chooses not to. 'If none of my Leithanian colleagues are around, then let me just say it straight: I don't think there's much point in reverse-engineering this. It could well be just another one of their shiny toys—I mean, creations lacking in versatility. Still, I did look up some old academic journals, and found references to it in a publication ten years ago. 'It seems that what Diamante has provided is a prototype rather than a finished work. The date on record, if accurate, indicates that the creator passed away before he could complete it. 'I could not bring myself to tell him this conclusion. He seemed to have a hard time accepting the fact that the wand only worked its magic in his hand. It almost seemed like he wanted to be free of it. 'He may have obtained it by chance, but as a matter of fact, he also completed it by chance.' - Engineering Department audio log

Archive III

It began six months ago. A few days after one of Diamante's heists, a Grinden newspaper published an article dissecting his methods. While heavily flawed, the message between the lines was clear: The author knew his identity, and whether he went public with it or not depended on whether Diamante cooperated. The following day, he received a blank letter at his workshop. Diamante had spent enough time in noble circles to understand the meaning of the threat, and knew he had no choice but to follow the instructions. He received no further letters, but commentaries from his counterpart appeared in local newspapers from time to time. For those not in the know, he seemed to be accepting the anonymous challenges time after time, proving the challenger wrong with every success, but Diamante knew that the man behind the article was not his adversary, but the mastermind behind his heists, and there would come a day when the rug was pulled from under his feet. The story of Diamante, the gem thief, ended when he attempted to steal Vizegraf Quinn's diamond necklace. In an uncharacteristically sloppy performance, he allowed the Gendarmerie to track the trail of stolen goods to his workshop, where he was ambushed the night he was expecting the stolen item to arrive. Caught off guard, he was injured by the Gendarmerie. He managed to escape, but had to leave behind the briefcase that stored the stolen diamond necklace, which was recovered by the Gendarmerie. According to Diamante's account, with nowhere to run, he turned to Rhodes Island, which took him in and saved his life simply because he was Infected. As for why the necklace in the briefcase turned out to be a fake, or how what he left in the briefcase and workshop together revealed an altogether different crime—one leading to a high-ranking noble who often published music commentaries in the papers—Diamante claimed ignorance. Meanwhile, the operator who first welcomed Diamante to a Rhodes Island branch a hundred kilometers from Grinden reported that it was the second time he had seen him. The first was when the operator visited Vizegraf Quinn as the representative of Rhodes Island, requesting truthful reports about Infections in the Vizegraf's manors and workshops; there he encountered the gem appraiser in front of the parlor. The second was when Diamante visited the branch himself, wounded and exhausted, his right arm limp from being hit by Arts. The first thing Diamante did when the operator opened the door was take out a thick stack of reports. 'We don't set barriers for patients in need of treatment. We don't want to encourage the idea that patients must come bearing gifts, and we certainly don't want to encourage anyone to intentionally harm themselves and get sick in order to gain an opportunity for treatment. But I can understand why Diamante did it. He had placed all his hopes in us.' Having analyzed Diamante's latent risk, we believe that he will not pose a risk to Rhodes Island as long as he is not sent back to Leithanien. However, he has apparently not abandoned the life of a gem thief, as is evident from his use of Diamante as his code name, and has said, after explaining his methods in detail, that 'It's okay, I'm not explaining the trick I'll use next time.'

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Diamante

Archive I

Promotion record

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Archive II

Archive III

Archive IV