Chapter 81: Filming at the Einzbern Castle
The Chaotic Realm, amidst unknown mountain ranges.
As it is an uncharted territory, there are no maps north of the Northern Region. To find a specific location, one must rely entirely on memory. As mentioned earlier, being the far north, this area is perpetually covered in blizzards, even in spring, emitting a cold that is difficult for the living to withstand.
At the top of the mountains exists a forest that stubbornly thrives in this harsh cold, with a castle deep within. At this moment, within the castle nestled among the mountains, some figures are engaged in a filmmaking endeavor.
...
Jubstacheit von Einzbern, commonly known as the Old Man Acht, waits in front of the altar for Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel.
As the man in a pitch-black coat and the woman in a snow-white gown arrive, the old man adjusts his long white beard and fixes his deep-set eyes, which show no signs of aging, firmly on Emiya Kiritsugu before speaking, "The Holy Relic that has long been explored in Cornelius is finally in our hands today."
Pointing to the pitch-black long box on the altar, he continues, "With this as a medium, we should be able to summon the strongest Servant known in the 'Saber' class. Emiya Kiritsugu, remember, this is the greatest assistance Einzbern can offer you."
"Thank you sincerely, esteemed patriarch."
Upon hearing the old man's words, Emiya Kiritsugu maintains an expressionless demeanor and then bows deeply.
This is the fourth transfer ceremony of the participants from the Einzbern family in the Holy Grail War. After Emiya Kiritsugu receives the Holy Relic of the Saber-class Servant, he, representing the Einzbern, will be the assassin of magi from other families, despite not being a member of the Einzbern family.
"Irisviel, how is the 'Vessel'?"
The patriarch shifts his gaze from Emiya Kiritsugu to Irisviel, who is also kneeling beside him with the same respectful posture.
In response to his inquiry, the silver-haired beauty smiles and says, "There are no issues. It should function normally once we arrive in Fuyuki."
Upon hearing the words that sound like a declaration of war, the patriarch's eyes gleam brightly, and he nods solemnly, "This time... none of them shall escape. Hunt down all other six Servants, and achieve the Third Magic—the Cup of Heaven."
"Yes, sir."
"Yes, sir."
The magician and his homunculus wife, who are one and the same, both nod heavily in response to the patriarch's unequivocal words.
....
To capture the preparations of each Master before the Holy Grail War, Durin spent the past month traveling with the Snowflake Theater troupe and other actors to various filming locations. After wrapping up the other shoots, the final and most challenging scene—the preparation of the Einzbern family's participants—began.
Although they wasted a considerable amount of time reaching the castle deep within the chaotic realm, the result of their efforts left Durin very satisfied. Having such a magnificent building as a backdrop would add weight to the opening scenes of the "Fate/Zero" movie. It justified spending so much time in the extreme northern Chaotic Realm.
Calculating the time spent from departing the Northern Region to reaching the Chaotic Realm, today seemed to be the Emperor's birthday. Although Durin had entrusted everything to Scar to handle, he still had some concerns about whether Scar could successfully fulfill his request. However, without a doubt, as long as the plan proceeded smoothly, Scar would contact him afterward. For now, Durin just needed to patiently wait.
"It's strange. I feel like there's something watching us in this castle."
As the actress playing Saber, Lyra had been by Durin's side as her scenes hadn't come up yet. Upon hearing her, Durin replied nonchalantly, "This is a castle beyond understanding, home to witches and monsters. Even with Beldia guarding it, I wouldn't be surprised if some fearless witches or even soul-eating beasts lurked inside."
"... "
Seemingly taken aback by Durin's words, Lyra's expression changed, and at almost the same time, Beldia, who had returned from patrol, overheard their conversation and said, "I suspect there are still some unclean things lingering in this castle. But I'm not familiar with this sort of thing. I should have brought Wiz along."
"Whatever. Regardless of what shows up, Beldia, you'll carry the burden first, and then I'll teleport everyone away."
Durin's words were devoid of any emotion, but they represented the best survival strategy in the Chaotic Realm. However, his remarks left Lyra quite dissatisfied. As a knight, she immediately retorted, "Director Durin, are you planning to abandon Mr. Beldia? I won't do something as disgraceful."
"Alright, then I'll leave you and Mr. Beldia behind, and let you be devoured until not a trace of your soul remains, alright?"
"Director Durin, you're being sophistical..."
Honestly, Durin was truly impressed by this girl. How hadn't she figured out that Beldia was a genuine headless knight by now? All the signs of their arrival in the Chaotic Realm had already revealed this. It would have been understandable if ordinary actors hadn't paid much attention, but she was the vice captain of the Knights Order!
In any case, although Lyra sometimes left Durin speechless, when it came to playing the role of Saber, there was no one better suited than her. At least Durin truly didn't believe he could find another person who looked and acted so much like Saber, Artoria Pendragon.
While they discussed the eerie situation of the castle, the actors in the distance were once again ready. It was safe to say that Chase was indeed a professional theater manager. Many tasks that Durin would have had to personally oversee had become hands-off with Chase's assistance. Now, Durin only needed to provide on-site guidance during the actual filming.
In this regard, Durin didn't have many thoughts. After all, he knew that Chase wanted to learn filmmaking techniques from him, and he didn't mind sharing his skills. So, when faced with Chase's actions, he simply allowed him to proceed as he wished.
For him, as long as Chase didn't mess up when playing the role of Emiya Kiritsugu, everything else didn't matter.
As the filming resumed, Durin accurately followed the script to complete the subsequent scenes, including the interactions between Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel about the Servants, and the discussions between Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel about Kirei Kotomine.
Finally, the highlight of this shoot—the preparation for summoning the Heroic Spirits—began.
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