Chapter 126: Preparations Before the Premiere
One month had passed in this world, roughly equivalent to mid-July by the lunar calendar, when Durin finally returned to the Alchemy Tower of the Imperial Mage Academy after resolving a series of troublesome matters. The Alchemy Tower had visibly transformed during this time; its exterior was much cleaner, and the atmosphere inside buzzed with activity. However, compared to the neighboring Mage Tower, which exuded luxury and grandeur, the Alchemy Tower remained a modest magical institution.
The most notable change from a month ago was the enormous magic array engraved on the top of the tower, visible from afar. While not everyone understood the intricate workings of this complex magic array, every mage recognized its sophistication.
In reality, despite its complexity, the magic array was designed following Durin's programming and nested concepts. Once the clear methodology was established, the creation of this seemingly complex magic array was merely a matter of time.
"I always thought about transitioning directly from wired to wireless television, but seeing it completed is truly awe-inspiring..."
Indeed, in the realm of magic, known here as the illogical logic of magic, the invention of television had once again demonstrated its power. Layered with nested spells, the magic array established an invisible connection, acting as a signal tower. Building upon the previously designed video calling foundation, all that was needed was to 'plug in' an 'antenna' capable of receiving signals from the signal tower to complete the prototype of television.
Ultimately, although Magical Alchemy was a newly emerging discipline, human research in other magical fields had already reached astonishing heights. Using a modern analogy, it was akin to a civilization that had not yet invented the telephone but had already developed nuclear bombs.
In this scenario, even though Magical Alchemy was just starting out, advancements in other scientific disciplines could complement it, allowing it to break through research barriers at an almost unfair pace. Credit was also due to a certain elderly dean who, by joining the study of Magical Alchemy and taking a leading role, expedited the completion of the 'signal tower.' Without their involvement, it might have taken much longer to achieve.
"How does it feel to have a magic array of at least quasi-fifth rank over your head?" Durin teased, to which Scar, sporting dark circles under his eyes, replied wearily, "Who told you to install this thing on top of the tower?"
"For the convenience of magic power transmission, the higher, the better, right? If you don't like it, you can ask the people from the Mage Tower to dismantle their protective sixth-rank magic array on top. It's not like there are any fools around nowadays who would dare to attack the place with the largest gathering of mages."
"... "
Unwilling to banter further with Durin, although visibly fatigued, Scar's spirits were evidently still high. Naturally so, as the unprecedented large-scale project in the field of Magical Alchemy had been successfully completed. Even if he dropped dead on the spot now, Scar would feel no regrets in meeting his brother in the afterlife, proudly detailing the current state of Magical Alchemy. He knew all of this was brought about by the young man standing before him.
"Alright, stop staring. Let's go inside first. By the way, have you already applied for the patent for the television? How did the old folks react?" Durin asked.
"Yeah, it's done. Since the dean himself was involved in the patent this time, it came through easily. As for the other mages, it seems not all of them understand the utility of television, so not everyone has embraced this new thing..."
"I see. No worries. Since Kara no Kyoukai will be exclusively broadcast on television, as long as we spice it up a bit, can these mages resist tuning in? By the way, how are the preparations for the Magic TV station?"
"Testing has been completed. It works perfectly. Due to the unique nature of the teleportation array, the magical signal transmission range is even sufficient to cover the entire empire. However, the farther from the empire, the more magical energy it consumes. We haven't conducted enough experiments yet to determine the exact degree of variation."
"I see..."
With that, the two entered the Alchemy Tower and arrived directly at the top floor through the teleportation array. Compared to Scar's previously chaotic private office, this area had now been completely transformed into a communal office space for the television station. Students of Magical Alchemy bustled about, while several grand mages, including Dean Hohenheim, fine-tuned various aspects of the central, enormous magic array. Although these seemingly insignificant actions greatly influenced the operation of the entire magic array, it was primarily due to Dean Hohenheim's sixth-rank mastery that many of these details were even discernible to Durin.
"Heh, you're finally back, kid. So, how's the new film coming along?" Upon seeing Durin, Dean Hohenheim immediately inquired. After a moment of confusion, Durin learned that Rosa and Stitch had let slip some details, resulting in many of the grand mages, including the dean, having some knowledge of the new movie's content. Despite the inadvertent spoilers, the amount was minimal and included intriguing plot elements. Consequently, the entire Mage Tower was eagerly anticipating the premiere of Kara no Kyoukai. Unfortunately, most of them were unaware it would be broadcast on television, or else these mages would likely have been clamoring to file patents themselves.
"Ahem. Anyway, the film is done filming, and once you guys finish preparing, we'll figure out the premiere date. Before that, we need to do some promotion," Durin remarked.
"But didn't you say this was just a test, so it would only be shown at the Imperial Mage Academy?" Hohenheim asked, surprised.
To this, Durin exchanged a knowing smile with Scar beside him before answering, "Yes, that was the plan. However, this is not just a test for magical television. We'll also be testing our first quasi-magical alchemy tool."
"What do you mean, a magical alchemy tool?" Hohenheim inquired with growing curiosity.
Durin smiled as he pulled out a peculiar, pitch-black ore from his hand. "When the dwarven merchants' caravan came by recently, they brought the batch of mana stones I requested. These stones contain magic power that regular mages can't extract. In the empire, there hasn't been much demand for them, but for us magical alchemists, these are worth more than gold. This is a genuinely groundbreaking new energy source that can change the world!"
"Mana stones..." Hohenheim sighed deeply, understanding Durin's intentions. "Energy... I see. Unexpectedly, at my age, I can still witness a day when the world undergoes such change. Whether this is good or bad... remains to be seen."
With Durin handing the mana stone to Scar, humanity's first true magical alchemy tool—the 'television'—officially began production.
.....
When Durin returned to Norsrick after settling matters at the Imperial Mage Academy, Banil happened to seek him out. Knowing the purpose of the visit, Durin wasted no time in asking, "Has the plan for purchasing and constructing the tavern in Norsrick been completed?"
Banil, confident in his reply, said, "It's done. Director Durin, Director Durin, your zoning for the area was perfect. With enough funds, I managed to complete the tavern purchase in just three days. The construction of the new tavern began a week ago and should be finished in a few days."
"Good. Currently, we only have a hundred units of the first batch of televisions for sale, fifty of which are for samples. The remaining fifty units, along with a certain amount of imaging crystals, will be sold. Have you contacted the merchants interested in this?" Durin inquired.
"Of course. These merchants have been eyeing the imaging crystals for a while now, but I held off due to your instructions against promoting pirated versions. Once I announced they were available for sale, they pounced on the opportunity like starving wolves," Banil replied confidently.
"Excellent. As long as someone is willing to take them, that's all we need. As for selecting the buyers, that's up to you, Banil. The proceeds from this part will be directly invested in the production and promotion of the tavern. Our goal is to ensure that every town in the southern regions has enough taverns equipped to watch television by the end of this year."
"Absolutely. I'll give it my all!"
In spite of the formalities, Banil clearly took this matter to heart. Initially, he couldn't grasp the significance of Durin's project involving television taverns, especially since it seemed less profitable than films. However, after Durin explained and painted a grand future vision, the viscount became the forefront advocate for promoting television taverns. He was even willing to finance the project himself, though the critical issues were more technical than financial, limiting the rollout to Norsrick for initial trials.
"Alright, preparations at the Imperial Mage Academy are set. Once Norsrick completes its basic promotion and readiness, our new film will officially begin screening," Durin announced.
The benefits of meticulously timing the filming of "Kara no Kyokai " were now becoming evident. The subsequent preparations were smoothly falling into place. However, Durin realized a mistake: whether it was the previous film, the telephone, or now television, their names were borrowed from Earth. In the Earth, the names were determined by the nature of the energy itself. Technically, in this world, films, phones, and television should be called "magishadow," "magiphone," and "magivision." Due to habit, Durin decided not to correct this naming inconsistency, as most people were unlikely to notice or care about such details.
Ultimately, if the test screenings at the Imperial Mage Academy and Norsrick were successful, Durin could proceed with promoting television across the realm. This would pave the way for future endeavors like producing anime and live-action adaptations, expanding the audience's enjoyment beyond traditional film formats.
Thus, under Durin's eager anticipation, the television tavern in Norsrick completed its foundational construction. While its appearance resembled any other tavern in town, the centerpiece was a peculiar box adorned with inscrutable runic patterns beneath and a faintly shimmering light, connected to a black mana stone. For ordinary folk, magic symbolized something incomprehensible and inaccessible. Despite their curiosity, most onlookers hesitated to approach or inquire about this intricate magical device, simply glancing from afar before moving on.
Compared to the desolate scene at the television tavern in Norsrick, the televisions placed in the halls of the Imperial Mage Academy immediately captured the attention of all student mages. They had been aware of the activities at the Alchemy Tower earlier, but as non-alchemists, they couldn't visit to see what was happening.
At this moment, as the results finally began to manifest, a group of students grew increasingly curious about this new device's purpose. Especially those familiar with magic arrays and runes were astounded by the numerous intricate magic arrays engraved within the small space. These mages without a foundation in alchemy couldn't comprehend how so many magic arrays were embedded into such a confined area.
Overall, once everything was ready, under the command of Durin from the television station atop the Alchemy Tower, the promotion of this new era of viewing officially began.
In fact, earlier on, Durin had already instructed Banil to promote the television in Norsrick. Compared to the diverse crowd in Norsrick, promoting at the Imperial Mage Academy was relatively easy. After all, for these bored and curious students, even bringing in an entertainer to perform a rap would likely attract a crowd.
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