Chapter 73: Auditions for "Fate Zero" Begin
Early the next morning, Durin designated the Edward Tavern as the location for recruiting actors.
Due to the lengthy plot and grand scenes of "Fate Zero," Durin didn't restrict the number of auditions at all. It was a matter of whoever wanted to audition could do so.
As for who provided the audition candidates, there was no doubt it was Banil, who frantically contacted every old theater troupe he could reach, and General Wilhelm, who hurriedly returned to the Imperial Army last night.
Indeed, because General Wilhelm wanted to repay the headless knight's kindness, he readily accepted the task when he learned that Durin needed actors for the new movie and returned to the capital to find people.
With this, Durin, who was originally worried about whether Banil would provide actors suitable for playing Heroic Spirits, now felt slightly more at ease. He began auditioning the candidates recommended by Banil.
After a morning of auditions, roughly eliminating about two theater groups' worth of people, Durin did manage to incorporate quite a few theater actors recommended by Banil.
Seeing the acting skills of these people during auditions, Durin finally started to feel like he was making a movie. Previously, he was lucky to make those two movies. If the roles weren't adventurers, even with hypnosis magic, it would have been difficult for ordinary people to get into character. However, the professionalism of these theater-trained actors was completely different. At least their acting skills were top-notch.
Of course, Durin couldn't bring himself to tell them that most of their roles in the movie would be extras after they succeeded in auditions.
"Banil, do you have more candidates?"
Although he had brought in a group of people, according to Durin's script, the number of actors needed for this movie was still not enough.
At the same time, the main cast for this movie hadn't been fully finalized yet. Although General Wilhelm would try to solve the issue of actors for the Heroic Spirits, the fate of the magicians, who were the main characters in the movie, was still uncertain.
The main reason for this was that most famous theater actors were women. These women may be beautiful, but Durin was making "Fate Zero," not "Love Live"!
In "Fate Zero," there were only a handful of major female characters in total. So, no matter how confident those actresses were in their acting skills, if their appearance didn't match, Durin wasn't interested.
In this situation, as Durin unconsciously reached the last theater troupe during the selection process, he began to entertain the idea of giving up and returning to the Adventurer's Guild to recruit people. After all, there were only so many theater troupes in the South, and most of them had been driven away by the film industry. At present, finding people willing to play minor roles was already pushing the limits.
However, just the thought of the rough and tough members of the Adventurer's Guild playing the mysterious and elegant magicians made Durin's mouth twitch involuntarily.
"Is this all the people we have? Are male theater actors really this scarce?"
Durin looked at his notebook, which still had a few lead roles yet to be filled, with a helpless expression.
To this, Banil awkwardly chuckled, "There's no way around it. To be honest, Director Durin, as a noble yourself, you should also understand the essence of the theater industry. In reality, most nobles aren't really interested in watching theater performances per se. What truly interests them are the actors performing in the theater. In such circumstances, you probably understand why there are so many female actresses, right? Compared to a lifetime of acting, what most of them truly desire is to catch the eye of a noble and marry into a wealthy family. That's why we see this situation where most theater actors are women."
"Huh, I had no idea..."
Durin couldn't help but show a disgusted expression upon learning about this aspect of the industry. After all, he had often heard of scandals in the entertainment industry in his past life. He didn't expect to encounter such things even after crossing over to this world.
Seeing Durin's attitude, Banil hurriedly added, "Of course, although I used to enjoy such matters, it wasn't until I watched Director Durin's movies that I realized how captivating stories portrayed through performances could be. Your movies, Director Durin, are destined to change this era!"
"Alright, alright, enough flattery. Are there more people left?"
Although he had learned about the inner workings of the theater troupe, Durin still didn't have any other methods to find actors. So, he could only look for usable talents among these actors from a bygone era.
Ultimately, this was also an act of kindness on his part. After all, if he didn't absorb these theater actors, when the movies really became popular, most of these theater actors would probably be left out in the cold. For these theater actors, participating in this audition was their last chance to board the Noah's Ark sailing through the tide of the times.
Upon hearing Durin's words, Banil quickly checked the list of theater troupes coming for auditions, then spoke up, "There's one last troupe, they're called Snowflake... Wait, Snowflake? How come they're here..."
"What's the matter?"
Durin couldn't help but ask at Banil's puzzled expression, to which the latter silently replied, "Snowflake Theater Troupe is actually quite famous in the South. Unlike other troupes that rely on beautiful leading ladies to attract audiences, this troupe has outstanding plays and scripts. It's even said that all the plays they perform are written and directed by their manager. Because of their intriguing stories, they are beloved by the common folk, making them a rare reputable troupe amidst the chaos of the theater world."
"Isn't that a good thing? Why do you look so troubled?"
Seeing Durin's confusion, Banil awkwardly explained, "Well, actually, Snowflake Theater Troupe has always had a low reputation among the nobility. They don't have beautiful dancers, and the only beautiful leading lady reportedly became the manager's wife. This upset many noble young men who pursued her. Consequently, for a long time, the nobility in the South resisted this unconventional troupe, even slandering them for malicious marketing. However, due to Snowflake's strong performance abilities, they managed to establish themselves in the South with the support of the common people. I thought such an idealistic and determined troupe would have left the South because of the emergence of movies, but I never expected them to be willing to participate in the movie auditions..."
"Moreover, although I also hope to have such a talented troupe participate in the movie auditions, I'm worried it might provoke the displeasure of the Southern nobility... After all, their attitude towards us has been quite poor lately. They're practically on the verge of openly banding together to resist the development of the film industry..."
Upon hearing Banil's words, Durin decisively shook his head, "So what if we don't invite such a capable troupe? Will the nobles come to support our movie? In the end, as long as our movie is good enough, they will eventually become followers of the 'True Fragrance Cult.' Until then, we just need to silently focus on our work."
"I see. Well said, Director Durin. By the way, what's the 'True Fragrance Cult'?"
"Uh, never mind. Let's just call them over first and then we'll talk."
After hearing Banil's words, Durin, who initially didn't think much of it, suddenly became interested in this independent-minded theater troupe. Therefore, he immediately instructed Banil to invite them over.
As the gate slowly creaked open, Banil returned, accompanied by an unassuming middle-aged man and several figures that immediately drew attention.
"Excuse me, I'm Chase, the manager of the Snowflake Theater Troupe. These are members of my troupe. Do you need us to introduce ourselves?"
After speaking, Chase's gaze settled on the seemingly ordinary young man in front of him. Through Banil's introduction, he already knew that this young man was the one who created the groundbreaking films that changed the era!
In response, Durin, who had already assessed the troupe members, smiled and said, "No need, let's start the audition directly."
...
Lyra held the position of vice commander in the Imperial Knights, a fortunate individual among the few who gained recognition and promotion within the military, thanks to her prowess as a Sword Soul.
Despite many skilled individuals in the Imperial Knights, some failed to receive promotions due to a lack of achievements. These individuals possessed either strength or status. However, the current commander of the Imperial Knights, Wilcliff, was a true anomaly. He didn't consider talents or lineage but relied solely on his own judgment to select talents.
Indeed, his judgment was accurate. At least, compared to previous cohorts, the current Imperial Knights were undoubtedly the strongest. Whether it was their overall abilities or military discipline, it was all due to his efforts, which is why the current Emperor allowed him to reform the military.
For Lyra, Commander Wilcliff was her true benefactor. After all, women joining the military were not highly regarded, even though there were no laws prohibiting women from joining the military in the Empire. Women's status in the military was lower than men's. If it weren't for Commander Wilcliff, who maintained rationality and fairness, Lyra wouldn't have been able to reach her current position despite her talent and skills.
After finishing a day of training, Lyra was about to tidy up her belongings and inspect military discipline while the Commander was absent. However, before she could leave her resting room, the assembly command sounded from the training ground not far away.
"???"
Knowing that Lyra, the vice commander of the Imperial Knights who was supposed to accompany the Imperial General to the South, looked puzzled, her tuft of hair on her head jumped as she didn't know who was sounding the assembly call. She immediately grabbed her weapon and rushed to the training ground. Soon, familiar faces appeared before her.
"Um, Commander? And General? Why are you back so soon?"
Upon Lyra's confusion, the commander could only show a helpless expression and gestured for General Wilhelm to speak first.
Feeling puzzled, Lyra wanted to inquire about the situation. However, knowing that she must follow discipline in the presence of her superiors, she promptly returned to her position and assembled the knights who had hurriedly arrived after hearing the assembly call.
Soon, with all the knights assembled on the training ground and nodded approvingly, General Wilhelm slowly approached.
As the knights present wondered what remarkable event the most powerful and respected general in the Empire was going to announce here, some began to whisper.
"Why did the General call us to assemble?"
"I don't know, but didn't the General recently go to the South due to issues between the Empire and the Orc Kingdom? From his appearance, could it be that war is truly about to begin?"
"Really? Is it finally time for me to achieve greatness?"
"Don't be naive. I heard those orcs naturally possess special powers. Even the Swordmaster of the human race would find it difficult to gain any advantage against a fully armed orc warrior. Instead of achieving greatness, you should first consider whether you can survive the war..."
Various whispers spread across the training ground.
Meanwhile, General Wilhelm, with a calm expression, stood slightly on the raised platform in front of the training ground and then, facing the knights' expectant and somewhat fearful gazes, he quietly spoke, "I know you are all elite knights of the Empire, with the courage to sacrifice yourselves for the Empire, so..."
"Is it coming?" "War?!" "The Orc Kingdom?" "Achievements!" "Returning home to get married!!" "Getting married after achieving greatness!"
At the moment when Wilhelm's words came out, the knights present had already speculated on all possible scenarios that would happen next. Some even began to think about how they would return to their hometowns in glory after achieving greatness...
In response, General Wilhelm, with a slightly stiff expression, cleared his throat a couple of times and, ensuring his pronunciation was as clear as possible, slowly spoke up, "Among you, is there anyone skilled in acting?"
"..."
"?!?!?!"
Completely caught off guard by General Wilhelm's unexpected question, the knights were momentarily stunned in place, as if witnessing a sudden U-turn on a straight road.
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