Chapter 54: The Wheel of History
The promotion of "Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!" went smoothly, and soon, discussions about the movie spread throughout the major cities of the southern region. Due to the Adventure Guild's outdoor screenings in several cities with local theaters for their own benefit, traditional theaters completely severed ties with the Southern Adventurer's Guild, resorting to various underhanded tactics which were apparent to the discerning eye. However, in the tide of changing times, their efforts were futile, and they could only watch as their clientele was drawn away by the emerging film industry. The income of major theater troupes in the southern region plummeted significantly in a short period.
The only silver lining for them was that some old aristocrats couldn't endorse films, viewing them as something for commoners, thus upholding their pride as nobles and siding with the theaters. Though not outright suppressing the film industry, their stance was clearly against its prosperity.
Despite the suppression by many old aristocrats, films still penetrated the view of the masses in the southern region. Even in the most remote villages, young people could be seen discussing this interesting new medium.
In this scenario, what the Southern Adventurer's Guild hoped for most happened – a massive increase in the number of adventurers. With such a surge in numbers, the Southern Adventurer's Guild rose from being the guild with the fewest adventurers to the one with the most. While their quality might not match that of other regions, for the southern region, the quantity of adventurers was key.
With these significant changes taking place in the south, even if transportation in this world was underdeveloped and information spread slowly, news about films and "Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!" began to spread beyond just the southern region.
...
Mage Tower, Top Floor.
An elderly man sat slowly in the room at the top of the Tower of Knowledge, facing a relatively young figure, Roy, whom Durin had met before – the chief mage under the Southern Grand Duke, and a grand mage second only to Durin.
Facing the elderly man in front of him, even Roy dared not entertain further thoughts. He sat respectfully and said, "Master Hohenheim, this is the imaging crystal invented by Junior Durin. I used a portion of the Southern Duke's authority to finally obtain a sample from the Southern Adventurer's Guild."
With that, he placed a moderately sized magic crystal on the table between them and infused it with magic.
Soon, a lifelike image appeared on the nearby wall, depicting scenes from "Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!"
"This..."
Seeing this scene, the elderly man's eyes widened in surprise. Even Hohenheim, as the administrator of the Mage Tower, the Dean of the Imperial Mage Academy, and now a top-tier sage, showed astonishment. He reached out and touched the inconspicuous imaging crystal, but the image on the wall continued to play regardless of his contact.
"This is the imaging crystal, invented by Junior Durin, capable of projecting images. Apart from this, it's said that there are complementary instruments for recording images. As you can see, the entire southern region has been buzzing about this invention of Junior Durin, and it's expected that this phenomenon will spread to the capital soon."
With Roy's explanation, Hohenheim finally understood the significance of this technology. After some thought, he furrowed his brow and said, "How do you think the Empire will view this?"
"Although this technology has only been used by Junior Durin for making movies, if the Empire finds out, they will likely immediately consider its potential applications in various fields, especially in military and espionage. They will definitely try to obtain it, and if Junior Durin refuses, there might even be threats of confinement."
Roy spoke frankly about his views, and Hohenheim made a similar judgment. After all, in recent years, tensions between the Empire and neighboring countries had escalated, and any means to increase military strength would be pursued relentlessly. Once this technology for recording images was discovered, there was no doubt it would be coveted, with Durin himself being the primary target.
"That kid never liked listening to me. He had a bright future ahead inheriting everything from me, could have become a grand sage even with his mediocre magical aptitude. Instead, he didn't focus on his magical abilities but enjoyed dabbling in alchemy..."
Seemingly recalling the frustrating events from before, Hohenheim's expression soured, while Roy continued to goad, "I remember when you drove him away back then, you locked yourself up in this tower without food or drink for days. You couldn't bear to part with Durin. You shouldn't have let him go from the beginning."
"Hmph, who said I couldn't bear to part with that brat?! Even if I never find an heir in my lifetime, I won't actively call him back!!"
"Yes, yes. So, what should we do now? At least I'm here to suppress it for now, and the news hasn't spread to the capital yet. But if the Empire finds out about Durin's invention of the recording device and imaging crystal, they'll definitely try to obtain it first. With Durin's temperament, I doubt he'll readily hand it over."
Hearing Roy's words, Hohenheim furrowed his brow. He glanced at the imaging crystal once more before saying, "That kid, before he left, he lectured at the Grand Auditorium about how alchemy was the future, how alchemical magic was the driving force of progress. I was disdainful at the time. I expelled him to make him face reality. But now, he's actually produced results. I can't even find a reason to refute him."
"So what now?"
Roy looked puzzled, knowing his teacher wouldn't make redundant remarks without reason.
As expected, with a determined tone, Hohenheim said, "In any case, the Mage Tower must fully stand behind that kid this time. As for what he chooses to do, whether to hand over the technology or do something else, it's up to him. Also, who is the current administrator of the Alchemy Tower?"
"I believe it's Scar. His brother was originally your disciple, if I recall correctly."
"Ah, I see. Then inform him. From today, the Alchemy Tower will no longer be a subsidiary branch of the Mage Tower. It will be an independent tower for alchemists. Alchemical magic will become a separate discipline, admitting students through formal channels like all other magical studies. The alchemical magic technology will also become part of magical history. The person who invents alchemical magic will qualify for the honor of having their name engraved on the Mage's Monument."
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