A month had passed, and while the calendar of this world differed from that of Edward's previous world, the equivalent was mid-July. After wrapping up a series of troublesome matters, Edward finally returned to the Alchemy Tower at the Imperial Mage Academy.
The tower had undergone significant changes since his last visit. Its exterior was now noticeably cleaner, and its halls bustled with activity. However, compared to the grandeur and scale of the neighboring Mage Tower, the Alchemy Tower still lacked the refinement and resources to be considered a proper organization of mages.
The most striking change was the enormous magic array inscribed at the top of the tower. Even from a distance, its intricate design drew the attention of any passing mage. While most could not comprehend its purpose, its complexity was evident to all.
In truth, despite its intricate appearance, the magic array was a product of Edward's programming principles and nesting concepts. Once a clear plan was laid out, constructing the array was merely a matter of time and effort.
"Even though I expected we'd transition from wired to wireless, seeing it in action is still astonishing," Edward remarked.
Indeed, the illogical yet wondrous nature of magic in this world once again demonstrated its capabilities. The layered and nested magic array had created an invisible network field, functioning as a signal tower. By attaching an "antenna" capable of receiving signals to the previously designed video communication devices, the prototype for magical television was complete.
Though magitech alchemy was a fledgling field, humanity's advanced understanding of other magical disciplines accelerated its development. To use a modern analogy, it was like a civilization skipping the invention of telephones and directly creating nuclear technology.
In this context, even as a nascent discipline, magitech alchemy was bolstered by knowledge from other magical fields, allowing it to achieve breakthroughs at an unprecedented pace. Much credit was due to the involvement of the academy's esteemed Administrator. Without his leadership and expertise, completing the "signal tower" might have taken much longer.
"So, how does it feel to work under a near-tier-five magic array looming over your head?" Edward teased.
Ska, with dark circles under his eyes, replied wearily, "Who told you to put this thing at the top of the tower?"
"For better mana transmission. The higher, the better. If you don't like it, you could always ask the Mage Tower to dismantle their tier-six defensive magic array. Not like anyone's foolish enough to attack the place housing the highest concentration of mages in the empire."
"..."
Too tired to argue, Ska showed his fatigue but remained energized by his enthusiasm. As a rare major project for magitech alchemy, its completion alone was enough for Ska to feel his life's work was fulfilled. Even if he were to collapse and die now, he could proudly tell his brother in the afterlife about the field's current progress—all thanks to Edward.
"Alright, let's go in," Edward said. "By the way, have you filed the patent for the television yet? What's the reaction from the higher-ups?"
"Yes, the patent is secured. Since the Administrator personally participated, approval was a breeze. As for other mages, many still don't understand what television is for, so not all have accepted it."
"That's fine. Once The Garden of Sinners airs as a TV exclusive, just a bit of hype will have them hooked. How's the preparation for the magical broadcasting station?"
"It's ready. We've run tests, and it works perfectly. Thanks to the unique nature of teleportation arrays, the mana signal can cover the entire empire. However, the further from the empire's core, the higher the mana consumption. We haven't conducted enough experiments to fully understand the fluctuation range."
"I see..."
The two entered the Alchemy Tower and took a teleportation array to the top floor. The area had transformed from Ska's previously chaotic private office into a shared workspace for the broadcasting station. Students of magitech alchemy bustled about, while several archmages, including Administrator Hohenheim, meticulously fine-tuned the massive central magic array.
Though these adjustments seemed trivial, they greatly influenced the array's performance. Without the Administrator's immense spiritual power as an Arch Mage, many details would have gone unnoticed, even by Edward.
"Ha, so you've finally come back, kid. How's the new movie coming along?"
The moment Edward arrived, Administrator Hohenheim wasted no time asking this question. A bit perplexed at first, Edward soon learned that Rosa and Streige had let slip some details about the new film. As a result, many of the grand mages, including the Administrator, were already aware of some aspects of The Garden of Sinners. Despite the minor spoilers, the intriguing tidbits only fueled their anticipation for its release. What they didn't yet realize, however, was that the movie would be broadcast exclusively via television. Otherwise, these mages would likely have scrambled to file patents of their own.
"Ahem, well, the filming's done," Edward said. "The release date will be decided once your preparations here are finished. Before that, we'll also need to do some promotions."
"Wait, didn't you say this was just a test and that the broadcast would only be within the Imperial Mage Academy?" Hohenheim asked in surprise.
Edward exchanged a knowing glance with Ska before the latter answered, "Indeed, but that's only to test the magical aspects of the television. Besides that, we'll also be conducting the first trial of our proto-magitech device."
"What do you mean by 'magitech device'? Are you talking about..."
Edward pulled out a peculiar, jet-black mineral from his pocket and said with a smile, "When the dwarven kingdom's caravan arrived last time, they brought the batch of magic stones I requested. These stones, rich in mana but impossible for ordinary mages to extract, have always been considered useless in the human empire. But for us magitech alchemists, these are more valuable than gold. They're a revolutionary new energy source capable of changing the world."
"Magic stones..."
Hohenheim stared at the faintly mana-imbued stone in Edward's hand, sighed deeply, and nodded in understanding. "Energy... Energy... I see. Ah, to think that in my twilight years, I'd witness a day when the world undergoes such a transformation. Whether this is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen."
With that, Edward handed the magic stone to Ska. This marked the beginning of the production of humanity's first true magitech device—the television.
<+>
After wrapping up matters at the Imperial Mage Academy, Edward returned to Nosrick City, where he was promptly greeted by Baron Baniel. Without waiting for the latter to speak, Edward cut straight to the point:
"Have the plans to purchase and construct taverns in Nosrick City been completed?"
With confidence, Baniel replied, "Completed, Director Durin. Your regional zoning plan was spot-on. Coupled with sufficient funding, I managed to finish acquiring existing taverns within just three days. As for the new taverns, construction began over a week ago and is on track to be completed in a few days."
"Good. For our first batch of televisions, we only have a hundred units. After reserving fifty as samples, the remaining fifty will be sold along with a supply of Imaging Crystals. Have you contacted merchants interested in these items?"
"Of course. These merchants have been itching to get their hands on Imaging Crystals for some time. But since you strictly prohibited promoting unauthorized versions, I held them back. As soon as I announced that Imaging Crystals were available for sale, they pounced on the opportunity like starving wolves."
"Excellent. As long as someone's willing to take on the orders, I'll leave the selection of partners to you. Revenue from this batch will be reinvested into the construction and promotion of taverns. Our goal is to ensure that every town in the Southern Territory has enough taverns equipped to broadcast television by the end of this year."
"Of course, I'll give it my all!"
Although it sounded like a typical response, Baniel clearly took this project seriously. Initially, he didn't quite understand Edward's vision for these television taverns. They seemed far less profitable than films. However, after Edward laid out a grand vision of a future shaped by this innovation, the baron became the most enthusiastic advocate for the idea. He was so inspired that he even wished to invest his own money into the project. Unfortunately, the bottleneck wasn't financial—it was technical. For now, the television taverns were being piloted in Nosrick City to refine the model before broader implementation.
"Alright, the Imperial Mage Academy is all set. Once Nosrick City wraps up its promotional and preparatory efforts, we'll officially release the new film," Edward announced.
The benefit of meticulously timing the production of The Garden of Sinners became evident as the subsequent preparations flowed smoothly. However, Edward realized he had made a subtle yet consistent mistake: borrowing terminology from another world. Names like "movie," "telephone," and "television" stemmed from the technological context of that world. In this world, they should logically have been named "magic vision," "magic call," and "magic sight," given the energy source behind them. Still, Edward found the new terms too unfamiliar and chose to stick with the old ones, confident that most people wouldn't care about such linguistic details.
If the pilot screenings at the Imperial Mage Academy and in Nosrick City succeeded, Edward could immediately expand the television project. This would pave the way for future ventures like live-action adaptations of animated works without being restricted to theatrical releases. It would also provide audiences with a variety of viewing options.
Soon enough, the television taverns in Nosrick City were ready for their debut. Designed to resemble traditional taverns, these establishments featured a central focal point: a peculiar box adorned with intricate rune patterns. Beneath the box was a glowing base connected to a black mana stone, giving it an enigmatic, magical appearance.
For ordinary citizens, magic symbolized something beyond their understanding and reach. Curiosity aside, they were too intimidated to approach or inquire about this elaborate device. Most glanced at it from afar before walking away, unsure of its purpose.
Meanwhile, at the Imperial Mage Academy, the televisions placed in various halls immediately drew the attention of the student mages. Many had already been aware of the activity at the Alchemy Tower but hadn't been allowed to observe the work firsthand. Now, seeing the finished product for the first time, they grew increasingly intrigued.
Particularly among those who specialized in magical arrays and runes, there was a sense of disbelief. The sheer number of magic circles intricately inscribed within the small device was baffling. Lacking any foundation in magitech alchemy, they couldn't fathom how so many arrays could coexist in such a confined space.
With everything in place, Edward stood at the top of the Alchemy Tower, where the broadcasting station was located. At his signal, the first broadcast of this new era of entertainment began.
In truth, Edward had already instructed Baron Baniel to promote televisions in Nosrick City well in advance. By comparison, the promotional efforts at the Imperial Mage Academy were a breeze. The students, brimming with curiosity and easily bored, were ready to flock to anything novel. Even something as mundane as an artist performing a rap could probably draw a crowd at the academy.
With this, the rollout of a revolutionary way to experience storytelling was officially underway.
<+>
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