Chapter 153: The Influence of Kara no Kyokai (2)
"This... Did you write this script, Senior Durin? Is this for your next film?"
Gebrun was completely taken aback by the contents of the script. His hands trembled slightly as he held it, and it took him a while to regain his composure.
On the other hand, his junior, Chris, was also stunned by the richness of the content packed into such a small script. Her expression subtly shifted as she read.
During this time, Durin simply maintained a smile, patiently waiting for the two to finish reading the entire script.
After a long pause, Gebrun finally reached the last page of the thin booklet. However, when the story abruptly ended, his face was filled with disbelief.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"What about the rest?"
"I haven't written it yet."
"Are you kidding me?!"
As Gebrun, who was technically Durin's senior but in reality much older, let out a curse, Durin simply smiled calmly and explained:
"This time, Steins;Gate is going to be produced as a full-length film. Winter is coming soon, and the Empire's Frost Festival is a multi-day event celebrated across the entire Empire. I plan to take advantage of this festival to launch a new event called the Frost Film Festival. We'll be screening the fourth installment of Kara no Kyokai, the second chapter of Fate/Zero, the first season of KonoSuba TV series, and this new movie, Steins;Gate. It'll bring some excitement to the winter for our audience."
"Holy...!"
This time, not only Gebrun, but even Chris and the student council members who had been eavesdropping from afar, all exclaimed in shock.
No one had expected Durin to drop such a massive surprise. It was like he had just thrown a depth charge into a group of film enthusiasts, leaving everyone reeling and unable to process what they had just heard.
But Durin paid no attention to their astonishment and continued in a calm tone:
"Steins;Gate is a massive story. Even if I compress the plot as much as possible, considering the average length of a film, I still had to cut some parts. Ultimately, I decided to split the script into two parts, titled Steins;Gate: The Butterfly Effect of Fate and Steins;Gate: The Boundary of Time Reversal. If the response is good, I might even produce an additional special edition. But that's something to consider later."
"This..."
Realizing that the script he had just read was only the beginning, Gebrun took a deep breath and asked:
"Durin, are you recruiting actors?"
"Yes, and right now, the lead roles for both the male and female protagonists are still open. What do you think? Interested? As a perk for the actors, you'll get to see the rest of the story first!"
"..."
At Durin's words, any hesitation Gebrun had instantly vanished. He immediately grabbed Chris by the arm and shouted enthusiastically:
"Chris! Let's audition together!"
In response, the red-haired girl decisively said:
"I don't think so. I don't need the credits, and I can't act anyway."
Chris's refusal was firm, and despite Gebrun's persistent attempts to persuade her, she remained unmoved. Seeing this, Durin quietly pulled her aside and whispered something in her ear.
A few moments later, when the two returned, Chris was blushing and nodded in agreement.
"I'm in."
"Huh? Why did you change your mind?" Gebrun asked, bewildered.
Chris shot him an annoyed glare and replied, "None of your business!"
"???"
As the two fell into an awkward silence, Durin, brimming with excitement, began making preparations for the new film.
At the same time, the student council president, White, sidled up to Durin and asked, "Senior Durin, what did you say to her just now?"
Durin merely smiled mysteriously and said nothing. After all, he couldn't very well admit that he'd just told Chris that the lead characters in Steins;Gate had a kissing scene during the filming. He had initially mentioned it just to test the waters, never expecting her to take the bait so easily.
Durin couldn't help but feel pleased with himself, thinking his ability to read people was getting sharper by the day.
...
While Durin was busy recruiting actors for Steins;Gate, back at the Edward Tavern, Juno had just finished writing a letter and was preparing to send it via carrier pigeon to the Orc Kingdom.
Juno was a huge fan of Kara no Kyokai, having watched the show for two consecutive days. However, she couldn't quite explain why she liked it so much—she just found it incredibly captivating, especially the flashy battles.
But what troubled her most was that, compared to previous films, she had no idea how to evaluate this installment of Kara no Kyokai. Even after racking her brain, she couldn't grasp the deeper meanings behind the film.
In the end, Juno decided to write down a complete summary of the three episodes that had aired so far and send it to the Orc Kingdom's prophet.
In her view, even though she couldn't fully comprehend the film's complex themes, the prophet, as the Orc Kingdom's most advanced magic practitioner, would surely uncover the hidden messages within the movie.
As Juno finished preparing the letter and headed downstairs, she found Beldia and Wiz chatting in the tavern. When Wiz saw her, he immediately rushed over to complain:
"Juno, I asked you to keep the accounts yesterday, didn't I? It's not my fault we lost money this time! Please help me explain to Mr. Beldia!"
Seeing Wiz's teary expression, Juno suddenly remembered that she was supposed to handle the accounts. She had intended to take care of it after watching Kara no Kyokai, but the film had been so engrossing that she ended up watching it for two straight days without a second thought.
Juno immediately bowed her head and said, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I'll do whatever it takes to make up for it—dock my pay, increase my work hours, anything—just please don't fire me!"
"Uh, it's not that serious..." Wiz replied awkwardly, seeing how shaken Juno was.
Beldia, who had already cooled down, also didn't press the issue further.
Seeing that no one was blaming her, Juno sighed in relief. Though she wanted to make amends somehow, she was in a hurry to send the letter. After offering another apologetic bow, she quickly left the scene.
"She really doesn't seem like a bad person," Wiz commented, while Beldia remained silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
To them, as long as this beast girl didn't do anything harmful to humans, they wouldn't take action against her. But if she ever harbored ill intentions, the four undead in this tavern were far from defenseless.
In fact, the Edward Tavern's military strength was, in many ways, the pinnacle of the entire southern region.
Meanwhile, Juno eagerly released the pigeon carrying her letter, excited to see what the prophet of the Orc Kingdom would think of the film.
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