Chapter 112: The End of "Fate/Zero" Chapter One (Part 2)
Just like at the Norsrick Cinema, the entire Imperial Mage Academy was filled with cries of despair as the movie ended.
Nearly everyone was lamenting, "How could it end like this?" and "I'll die without more Fate!" Meanwhile, some mages who had gleaned deeper insights from the story were engaging in discussions as the ending credits rolled.
"Do you think there's more to come? It feels like a lot of things are still unresolved."
"Of course there's more. My only concern is when the next part will be released."
"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to the battles between these Servants. Personally, I think the King of Conquerors will win."
"What? Why do you think the King of Conquerors will win? I think the King Of Heroes has a good chance too."
"I feel like the Holy Grail itself is more of a conspiracy. But someone is definitely going to win and obtain it."
"By the way, the monster that appeared at the end looked like a projection, but is it possible to actually summon something like that? It would require an enormous amount of magical power."
"..."
Before these discussions could go any further, the teaser for "Fate/Zero" Chapter Two provided some reassurance. Suddenly, all the mages at the Imperial Mage Academy were eagerly discussing "Fate/Zero" and the movie itself. After all, most of them had never seen any movie before today.
Faced with this new and uniquely fascinating technology, even these mages couldn't contain their curiosity and began to speculate about the identity of the creator. The long list of credits at the end, prominently featuring the name Durin Edward, had already revealed the director. While Durin might not be well-known elsewhere, within the Mage Tower, any seasoned student was familiar with his legendary reputation.
At this moment, as they learned that Durin Edward was the mind behind the film, tales of his exploits spread like wildfire across the grand square.
The Mage Tower.
As the teaser ended, the gathered archmages also breathed a collective sigh of relief, suddenly realizing that they had been so excited over a fictional story. For these individuals, who typically preferred to spend their lives immersed in magical research within their labs, this kind of anticipation for an external phenomenon was a unique experience. They could hardly believe that even they, known for their extreme rationality, could feel such emotions.
Even when they replayed the film's plot in their minds, they couldn't pinpoint the exact source of their emotional responses. The only clear understanding was that the emotional impact of movies was undeniable. This was evident from the behavior of the mages in the grand square; it was highly unusual for typically composed mages to display such unrestrained reactions.
"Sigh, it seems we've truly been outdone," remarked Dean Hohenheim. This brought the archmages back to reality, and they quickly understood why Hohenheim had said this.
Clearly, the fact that Durin, once expelled from the Mage Tower for advancing alchemy, had now created a film that garnered so much acclaim from mages was a stark slap in the face for those who had made that decision. Expelling such a talented mage from their sacred institution was not a decision made by the dean alone. Back then, it was a collective decision made through a voting process in the great hall, where all the archmages and grand mages had concluded that Durin Edward should be expelled from the Imperial Mage Academy and stripped of his status as an imperial mage for promoting theories that contradicted those of Archmage Roland.
In truth, if it weren't for Durin's intervention, the meeting would have been to discuss whether the Alchemy Tower and the field of magical alchemy should be abolished. Durin's bold actions delayed the meeting and ultimately led to the revival of the Magical Alchemy Academy. Otherwise, the Alchemy Tower would have become a historical relic years ago, and magical alchemy would have been an unmarked grave on the path of human magical exploration.
"Honestly… if someone had told me years ago that so many mages and ordinary people would go crazy over a technological innovation from magical alchemy, I wouldn't have believed it. But here we are, and I have nothing more to say. Decide what to do next among yourselves. I'm old and can't keep up with the times. My only wish now is to complete my final research."
"I find the concept of the artificial humans in the movie quite fascinating. However, I don't understand what materials could be used to create such realistic constructs. Silicone, perhaps?"
"Your thoughts are dangerous…"
"Enough. All I want to do now is watch more Fate. I'll head back to meditate and reflect on it first."
As one of the archmages concluded with these words and silently teleported away, the other archmages followed suit, leaving one after another.
In the end, only the archmage specializing in soul studies remained, along with Dean Hohenheim. The soul scholar spoke to the dean, "Regarding the theory of origins, this movie has given me some new insights. Though I'm uncertain if it will lead to a breakthrough, I am deeply grateful to Durin for this spark of inspiration. I suspect he must have had guidance from a knowledgeable source to come up with such concepts. Even a brief understanding of this would be beneficial. Dean, could you arrange for me to meet with him?"
Hohenheim, momentarily surprised by the usually solitary archmage's request, quickly replied, "Durin will return to the tower soon to help establish the new alchemy branch. I'll remind you when he arrives and arrange a meeting for you."
"Much appreciated."
With these words, the archmage seemed in a hurry and promptly left the scene.
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