Chapter 182: Steins;Gate Part 1: The Flutter of Fate's Butterfly
"You're here, Wilhelm, along with the members of the knight order."
Upon seeing the many familiar faces, Beldia, who was seated, promptly greeted them.
However, he immediately noticed the unfamiliar elderly man and young girl alongside Wilhelm, prompting him to ask in confusion:
"Who might these two be?"
Before Wilhelm could respond, coughing slightly in an attempt to speak, Emperor Hubbard took it upon himself to introduce the newcomers, saying:
"Hello, everyone. I am an ordinary noble from the capital and an old acquaintance of General Wilhelm and Baron Durin. I heard about the film's excellence from Baron Durin, so I decided to come all the way from the capital with my young daughter to see it."
"I see."
Upon hearing Emperor Hubbard's explanation, everyone nodded in understanding. After all, the influence of films had already extended beyond the southern region and reached various parts of the empire, attracting visitors from the other three regions and the capital who specifically journeyed south to enjoy them.
At this moment, only Wilhelm and the members of the knight order appeared slightly stiff, but understanding the emperor's desire to keep his identity hidden, they refrained from commenting.
"So this is the tavern where Baron Edward Durin's film studio is located? It seems quite unassuming."
Emperor Hubbard initially made this polite observation.
However, his expression turned somewhat stiff when he saw Beldia, Saiki, and the peculiar Laetitia, who didn't quite appear normal.
Fortunately, the seasoned emperor maintained his composure, showing no signs of discomfort as he remarked:
"Are these people the staff of the film studio? They certainly look…"
Unable to find the right words, Emperor Hubbard gave an awkward smile.
Unaware of his true identity, the studio staff interacted with him in their own quirky ways.
Beldia habitually offered him a drink in his role as the bartender, even passing it to the underage Princess Amy, causing General Wilhelm's eyebrows to twitch. However, he ultimately didn't intervene, possibly afraid to do so.
Helena sidled up to Princess Amy to engage in some whispered conversation.
While Saiki and Laetitia didn't seem particularly interested, they occasionally exchanged a few words with His Majesty the Emperor.
Aya was set to perform a talent show but was promptly knocked down by Zat.
Despite this being his first experience of the Edward Tavern's warm hospitality, Emperor Hubbard displayed no dissatisfaction; instead, he quickly blended in.
This left the surrounding knights speechless, unsure of what to say.
As for Winry and Chase, the only ones who sensed something off about the situation, they found Emperor Hubbard increasingly familiar. However, being lifelong residents of the southern region who had never visited the capital, it was perfectly reasonable that they did not recognize the empire's emperor.
....
While the Edward Tavern was bustling with the royal greeting of the emperor and princess, the orc prophet and Juno were in a hotel they had temporarily found, discussing matters related to the films they had viewed earlier and meticulously recording everything they had observed.
Although the orc prophet had learned that human films were made purely for entertainment, he remained skeptical of this notion.
From his perspective, whether it was a movie or television, any medium presented in such a tangible form must be underpinned by a substantial reality and logical framework.
The depiction of war strategies and the summoning of heroic spirits in "Fate/Zero," and the exploration of soul concepts and Mystic Eyes in "The Garden of Sinners," emitted strong warnings to him. He couldn't simply view these films as mere entertainment.
As the orc prophet organized his notes on the movies, Juno asked in confusion:
"Prophet, why did you agree to cooperate with the Empire's emperor? Isn't that risky and likely to expose us?"
The orc prophet replied calmly:
"I believe that coordinating with the Empire's Emperor will better facilitate our investigation into the truth behind these films. After all, if such movies were produced, it likely involved the tacit approval of the highest echelons of human society. Their attitudes might reveal hidden truths."
"I see, as expected of you, Prophet!"
Juno expressed admiration, acknowledging that despite having been embedded at the Edward Tavern for some time, she hadn't obtained crucial internal intelligence. In contrast, the orc prophet seemed to glean critical insights swiftly, highlighting a stark difference in their espionage capabilities.
However, the orc prophet did not become conceited from Juno's praise. He was equally perplexed by his decision to agree.
Ideally, if maintaining anonymity was paramount, the instinctive response should have been to refuse.
Yet, he agreed and instinctively felt a strange sense of kinship with the human emperor who discussed films with him, a sentiment he couldn't rationalize.
Thus, he resolved to remain vigilant and hoped the afternoon film would yield even more valuable intelligence.
....
Imperial Mage Academy.
After Durin painstakingly explained the various details of "Fate/Zero" and "The Garden of Sinners" to the numerous archmages, and promised never to cut off at critical plot points again, the afternoon had arrived.
According to the previously arranged schedule for the Frost Film Festival, the screening of "Steins;Gate" was next on the agenda.
"Is there a new movie to watch?"
Seeing the excitement on the face of Archmage Warton, Durin calmly replied:
"I've already informed the student council. The process remains unchanged this afternoon; the next movie will be shown in the plaza under the Shadow Barrier."
"Oh, oh, how exciting!"
As he observed the smiles on the faces of the archmages, Durin, relieved that he could finally leave, made his way to the television station nearby.
With most students eager to watch the movie, the free labor from the Alchemical Magic Department had disappeared, leaving only Scar to keep the station running.
Naturally, since it was a magical creation, the television station operated fully automatically and didn't require much human intervention.
Scar stayed there purely as a safeguard, ensuring that nothing affected the broadcast.
"Hey, Scar, still tinkering around here? There's a new movie this afternoon, care to join me?"
In response to Durin's invitation, Scar maintained his stern expression and calmly replied:
"You go ahead. I need to keep an eye on the station here. If the Alchemical Array has issues, countless viewers won't be able to see anything."
Hearing Scar's nearly stubborn response, Durin didn't press the matter further and simply laughed it off:
"Come on, today's broadcast has already wrapped up, hasn't it? There's nothing new scheduled for the afternoon. Plus, this new film is quite remarkable and promises to be eye-opening for us mages. What do you say, join me for a watch?"
"This…"
Faced with Durin's enthusiastic invitation, Scar eventually nodded in agreement, deciding to join him as they left the Alchemical Tower together.
....
Norsrick.
After the morning screening ended, many audience members went home for lunch and then braved the cold to wait at the theater's entrance.
Additionally, since there was no television broadcast in the afternoon, those who would normally head to the television taverns instead crowded in front of the theater.
Fortunately, earlier on, Durin had instructed Viscount Banil to ensure that enough cinemas were established in the southern region, no matter the cost, even if it resulted in a surplus.
As a result, the theaters managed to accommodate the crowds without any sold-out shows or ticket scarcity.
Any emerging ticket scalpers were immediately quashed through the combined efforts of Viscount Banil and the southern soldiers, implementing strict consequences that effectively discouraged others from attempting such schemes.
As they waited to enter, all the audience members enthusiastically chatted in line.
"Oh! Finally, a new movie to watch!"
"Steins;Gate Part 1: The Flutter of Fate's Butterfly. What's this movie about?"
"Honestly, I've been looking forward to this new film since yesterday. I think it'll be another blockbuster like Fate/Zero!"
"Not necessarily. Fate/Zero hasn't even finished yet. I doubt Director Durin would rush to release another epic of that scale. It might be another adventure theme like Goblin Slayer!"
"We've already had two adventure-themed films. While there might be more in the future, I expect those would air on TV instead, as the cinematic atmosphere isn't as fitting as that of a television tavern."
"Yes, exactly. I think it could be a suspenseful film similar to The Garden of Sinners. That kind of movie is best experienced on the big screen."
"Anyway, let's wait and see the content. We can only hope it meets our expectations!"
As the audience buzzed with anticipation, adventurers Joseph and Sam were also among the crowd, eagerly awaiting the movie to start.
"Thanks for lending me the money; otherwise, I would have had to use my meal budget for the ticket."
"Heh, don't mention it. All I want now is to watch the new movie to soothe my heart, which has been pained by the frequent cliffhangers in Fate/Zero and The Garden of Sinners."
Their exchange exemplified the overall excitement.
Meanwhile, not far from them, the orc prophet and Juno also arrived at the scene and successfully joined up with Emperor Hubbard and his entourage.
During the lead-up to the movie opening, everyone was animatedly discussing and clearly looking forward to Durin's new film, eager to see what unknown genre he had ventured into!
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