Chapter 103: The Premiere of "Fate Zero" (3)
As "Fate/Zero" progressed, several Servants made their appearances one after another, and the audience in the Norsrick Cinema found themselves re-engaged with the movie experience. Witnessing the special effects of Servant summoning alone was worth it for them.
What surprised the audience the most was the character development of these Servants. Each Servant described in the plot had their own unique personality, appealing to various tastes among the audience. Whether it was the seemingly cute yet regal Saber, the Rider who declared, "Escaping in the darkness is just a thief's flight, but departing triumphantly with songs of victory is the plunder of a King Of Conquerors," or the extremely domineering Archer who proclaimed, "You have no right to look at me; insects should act like insects, staring only at the ground, and then die," they all garnered a group of fans. This allowed the audience, initially frustrated by the lengthy plot between magicians, to once again find points of interest that kept them engaged.
Even Durin was surprised to hear that some audience members liked Caster, who massacred children upon first appearance, and a certain acrobatic assassin. He didn't know what to say. Truly, there are all kinds of people in the world.
In conclusion, although this unique ensemble experience initially received a lot of criticism, leaving the audience accustomed to protagonist-centered films like "Konosuba God Blessing on this Wonderful World!" and "Goblin Slayer" feeling uncomfortable, as the plot developed, they gradually immersed themselves in the atmosphere of the movie and gained their own perspectives on enjoying the film, immersing themselves in this fresh experience.
...
"Escaping in the darkness is just a thief's flight, but departing triumphantly with songs of victory is the plunder of a King Of Conquerors... What an interesting character. This King Of Conquerors must have been a beloved monarch in his lifetime. Although he looks rugged, there's no doubt he was a capable leader with the heart of a tiger and the delicacy of a rose. I really want to exchange ideas on governance with him. Although if there really was such a domineering ruler, I'm most concerned whether our empire would be attacked by him."
Hearing the words spoken by the emperor behind him, Durin suddenly realized that he had just depicted a bunch of kings fighting each other in front of the current emperor. He couldn't help but show a subtle expression.
Even more subtle were the actors playing the Servants sitting in the back rows. Although they were deeply invested in their acting during filming, upon watching the movie again afterward, their only thought was wishing to die, feeling extremely ashamed.
Especially the actor portraying the King of Conquerors, upon hearing the emperor's evaluation, felt as though cold sweat was about to overwhelm him...
On the other hand, General Wilhelm, who had recommended these actors to Durin, didn't conflate the actors with their characters. He simply remarked, "Indeed, this is an ambitious and capable King of Conquerors. With such a ruler, the people would surely hold their country dear, and the soldiers under such leadership would unleash their full potential, becoming an unbeatable army."
Durin, sitting up front, couldn't help but wipe away his cold sweat helplessly upon hearing such high praise for the King of Conquerors. After all, openly praising another king in front of the current emperor could potentially lead to trouble...
However, when it came to familiarity with the current emperor, no one could match the general who had been by the emperor's side since his youth. So, his confident praise was probably because he was sure that Emperor Hubbard wouldn't be angry about it.
Sure enough, upon hearing his words, His Majesty the Emperor couldn't help but jokingly remark, "Well, who says I'm not an ambitious emperor? If I had the ambition of this King of Conquerors back then, perhaps the neighboring Orc Kingdom and several other duchies would already be part of our kingdom."
"But your approach isn't wrong either. Peace is hard-won, as long as we don't neglect the necessity of the military because of peace, then long-lasting peace is indeed more suitable for the country's development."
The words of the two old men revealed the hardships of past years, and the scene gradually shifted to the Einzbern Castle. This time, it mainly depicted the magicians of the Einzbern clan and the girl serving as Saber.
As for this particular Heroic Spirit, described in the viewing guide as also being a king...
"No, can this indecisive girl actually become a king? This country seems rather lackluster."
Upon hearing the emperor's words, Durin sitting in the front added, "In the setting, this Saber always appeared before the people in a male form, and no one realized she was a girl."
"No one realized? That's truly regrettable. It seems that the citizens of that country not only have malfunctioning brains but also extremely poor eyesight..."
"..."
"By the way, Baron Durin, do you plan to film the stories of these Heroic Spirits' lives next? To be honest, I'm quite curious. Just the information provided in the movie is insufficient for a complete understanding."
Upon hearing the sudden request from His Majesty the Emperor, Durin quickly responded, "I plan to release a more comprehensive 'Fate/Zero' setting collection later on. It will explain most of the settings in the story that couldn't be fully described in the movie due to narrative constraints. Additionally, it will include complete descriptions of the Heroic Spirits in their lifetimes. Also, there will be a segment in the movie later on describing a dialogue between several kings who have transcended history, which should temporarily satisfy Your Majesty's expectations."
"Oh! That sounds truly exciting!"
Durin didn't expect the emperor to show such great interest. Feeling the pressure mounting, he watched as the scene in the movie shifted to the summoning of Caster, the Heroic Spirit by Ryuunosuke.
Initially, due to Ryuunosuke's portrayal as a murderous psychopath, the audience had already braced themselves for the cruel death of the captured boy.
However, as Caster was successfully summoned, his initial behavior gave the audience hope, making them believe that this seemingly grotesque Caster was also a Heroic Spirit worthy of justice. However...
Moments before the boy could escape, he was brutally torn apart and killed by Caster, who smiled and said to Ryuunosuke:
"Terror has its freshness... In the continuous fear of humanity, emotions gradually die. True terror isn't about static, unchanging elements but rather dynamic ones— the transition from hope to despair, the terror of that moment. What do you think? The taste of this fresh terror and death."
"COOL! Awesome! So COOL!"
Two murderous psychopaths appreciated each other's sentiments. Honestly, for most audiences with normal sensibilities, this plotline was quite difficult to accept. Although they were prepared for similar scenes in movies, the actual occurrence still elicited adverse reactions from some female viewers.
In response, General Wilhelm commented:
"If Wilcliff saw such a scumbag in real life, he would probably chase him to the ends of the earth just to kill him. These kinds of murderers who have lost their moral compass are nothing but the dregs of the empire."
Hearing his words, Durin, who had already heard various similar dialogues around him, couldn't help but reluctantly provide a slight spoiler, "Well, although Caster is portrayed this way, he did have a sense of justice in his lifetime. Additionally, there's a concept of compatibility in Heroic Spirit summoning. Without a Holy Grail as the catalyst, generally, a summoned entity will align with the personality of the Master."
"Oh, there's such a setting? That's an interesting concept, indeed. It makes one want to experience Heroic Spirit summoning without a Holy Grail in real life."
"Perhaps you'll have the opportunity in the future."
In response to the emperor's words, Durin only offered a mysterious smile and refrained from speaking further.
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