The promotion for KonoSuba (Blessings to This Wonderful World) progressed smoothly, quickly spreading across major cities in the Southern Territory.
Due to the Adventurer's Guild's efforts to show the movie in outdoor venues within cities with local theaters, traditional theaters, in a bid to protect their own interests, openly broke ties with the Southern Adventurer's Guild.
The dirty tricks and sabotage were obvious, but even in the face of such tactics, they were powerless against the tide of change.
They could only watch as their audiences flocked to the emerging film industry.
Traditional theater revenues took a significant hit within a short time.
For these theater groups, the only silver lining came from a few old aristocrats.
These nobles could not bring themselves to appreciate something accessible to commoners and stood with the theaters, though they stopped short of directly opposing the film industry.
Their stance made it clear that they were uninterested in the flourishing of cinema.
Despite the old powers' suppression, cinema made its way into the public consciousness of the Southern Territory.
Even in the most remote villages, young people were discussing this exciting new medium.
The Southern Adventurer's Guild's most anticipated outcome was now in full effect: a massive surge in adventurer recruits.
With the rapid increase in numbers, the Southern Guild, once the smallest, became the largest in terms of adventurer population.
Although it still couldn't compete in terms of quality, what mattered to the Southern Guild was sheer numbers.
As these massive changes took place in the South, news of films and KonoSuba spread far beyond the region, despite the world's underdeveloped transportation and slow communication systems.
...
At the top floor of the Mage's Tower, an old man sat quietly in his room.
Across from him sat a relatively young figure, Roy, the chief mage under the Southern Duke, and second only to Edward in magical prowess.
Even someone like Roy remained respectful in the presence of the old man.
"Master Hohenheim, this is a sample of the imaging crystal Edward invented. I used my authority under the Southern Duke to secure it from the Southern Adventurer's Guild," Roy said, placing a modestly sized magical crystal between them.
He then channeled magic into the crystal, and soon, vivid images from KonoSuba were projected onto the wall.
"This...," Hohenheim's eyes, which had been half-closed in thought, suddenly widened.
Despite being the administrator of the Mage's Tower and the head of the Empire's Mage Academy, the top-tier sage showed genuine astonishment.
He reached out to touch the crystal, but the projection remained unaffected.
Roy explained, "This is the imaging crystal that Edward invented. It can project recorded images like this. As you can see, it's caused a huge sensation in the Southern Territory. I suspect the news will soon reach the Imperial Capital as well."
Hohenheim pondered this, his brow furrowing. "And how do you think the Empire will respond?"
"This technology is only being used for films right now, but once the Empire learns about it, they'll immediately think of its applications in military and intelligence operations. If Edward refuses to hand over the technology, he might even face the threat of confinement."
Hohenheim silently nodded, arriving at a similar conclusion.
Given the Empire's increasing tensions with neighboring countries, they would stop at nothing to gain military advantages.
A technology that could record and project images would undoubtedly be coveted, and Edward, the inventor, would be at the center of it.
"That boy never listened to me. He had a bright future ahead, inheriting everything from me. But instead of focusing on his magical abilities, which could easily make him a great sage, he indulged in alchemy…," Hohenheim grumbled, recalling old frustrations.
Roy, sensing an opportunity, added fuel to the fire.
"I remember when you expelled Edward from the academy. You were so upset you locked yourself in this tower for days. If you didn't care about him so much, you wouldn't have let him go."
"Who said I cared about that brat?! I'll never call him back, even if it means going without a successor for the rest of my life!"
"Yes, yes. But what do we do now? For the time being, I can keep the news from reaching the capital too quickly. But if the Empire finds out about Edward's recording devices and imaging crystals, they'll definitely try to get their hands on them. And knowing Edward, I doubt he'll just hand it over."
Hohenheim frowned, looking at the imaging crystal again.
After a long pause, he sighed and said, "That boy once gave a lecture about alchemy being the future. He claimed that magic-alchemy would be the driving force of progress. I dismissed him back then and even expelled him to make him face reality. But now, he's actually proven me wrong. I can't even find a reason to argue."
"So... what are you going to do?" Roy asked, confused. His master rarely spoke without purpose.
With a tone of finality, Hohenheim said, "The Mage's Tower must fully support that boy from now on. Whatever Edward decides—whether he hands over the technology or keeps it to himself—it'll be his choice. Also, who's currently in charge of the Alchemist's Tower?"
"I believe it's Ska, the younger brother of one of your former disciples."
"Good. Inform him that from today, the Alchemist's Tower will no longer be a subsidiary of the Mage's Tower. It will be an independent institution. Magic-alchemy will now be recognized as its own discipline, equal to other branches of magic. The techniques Edward has invented will become part of magical history, and his name will be engraved on the Mage's Monument."
Roy's eyes widened in surprise at this monumental decision.
It was clear that the wheels of history were now turning, and the magic world would never be the same.
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