Chapter 198: The "Challengers" of the Film Industry
The Frost Film Festival slowly approached its end. This half-month-long celebration, stretching all the way into mid-October, was finally drawing to a close.
Compared to previous years, this year's Frost Festival brought an entirely new kind of experience to the people of the southern territory—something the likes of which had never been seen before.
Even setting aside the spectacle of four films premiering on the very first day, the sheer crowds packing the TV taverns and cinemas every single night said everything that needed to be said.
You could honestly say most of the citizens didn't feel the cold at all this year. On the contrary—they were flushed red from excitement, shouting and debating over ticket reservations and story twists.
Whether it was the films themselves, or the rare joy of watching alongside a full house of strangers and neighbors alike, something had changed. The people were captivated. They had fallen in love—with this strange, glittering new industry, and with all the emotions it stirred in them.
Of course, while the common folk were out enjoying their rare taste of warmth and festivity, for some people, this had been a living nightmare.
Needless to say, those "some people" referred to the Southern nobles whose long-standing interests had been absolutely wrecked by the rise of the film industry.
Especially those who used to make their profits through theaters, cheap storybooks, or even running old-fashioned taverns. Quite a few of them had lost so much money this season, their eyes were practically bruised purple from stress.
Even those who didn't suffer losses couldn't help but seethe in envy at the profits being raked in by the movie theaters and TV taverns.
But alas, due to Edward's strict regulations on who could invest in film and television—along with the official backing of Emperor Hubbard—there were clear, legally enforced protections in place.
The rules made one thing clear: the industry was off-limits. And no matter how eager other nobles were to get a slice of that juicy pie, they had no path forward.
Frustration built. And as it always does, it festered into hatred.
The nobles who had lost out began whispering in corridors and drawing up secret alliances, pooling their influence and looking for any way to bring this upstart industry crashing down.
But their efforts were doomed from the start.
Edward's clever infrastructure and the wildfire spread of open-air cinemas made the system near-impossible to dismantle.
And more importantly, the Southern Territory Grand Duke himself refused to interfere. He didn't support Edward outright—but he didn't help the nobles, either. He simply watched, arms crossed, eyes cold.
One by one, every underhanded tactic the nobles tried ended in failure.
And so, a grim truth began to settle into their hearts:
The film industry had taken root in the South.
And there would be no cutting it out.
It was then that a voice broke the silence—a seasoned theater director and long-time advisor under one of the noble houses.
"If we can't defeat them… why not join them? The Empire's laws protect the industry, yes. We can't steal or copy. But there's nothing stopping us from making a film of our own, is there?"
"Wait… you're right!"
Like thunder cracking across a stormy sky, realization dawned on the crowd of frustrated nobles.
If they couldn't destroy the film industry… why not enter it themselves?
Sure, the equipment was patented by the Mage Tower and came with a steep licensing fee. And yes, they'd need to split profits with cinemas.
But so what? Compared to the massive windfalls they could potentially earn, those expenses were just a drop in the bucket.
Just imagining those profits made several of them unconsciously lick their lips.
After all… they were sums of money they could never have dreamed of touching in the old world.
Of course, you couldn't just "make a movie" with a snap of your fingers. Equipment and logistics aside, there were huge questions:
What kind of story would they tell?
Where would they even find actors?
But the Southern nobles weren't all fools and dandies. Quite a few of them had been secretly studying the movie business for some time now, analyzing it down to the tiniest details—
And some had already started dreaming of striking it rich by making a film of their own.
With the first noble's proposal laid bare, the others quickly rallied in agreement. And just like that, the Southern Nobles' Production Committee was born—its sights set firmly on the movie theaters, intent on barging into the industry and carving out their share of the spoils.
Now, in truth, these nobles were little more than a bunch of clueless fools who barely understood what a "film" even was.
But that didn't matter.
Because in their own minds? They were already halfway through filming their century-defining masterpieces.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Meanwhile—far removed from the clueless flailing of the southern nobility—Edward, completely unaware of their scheming, was hard at work in the Imperial Mage Academy, wrapping up filming on Episode 6 of The Garden of Sinners.
At the same time, he was laying the groundwork for two more major projects: Fate/Zero and Steins;Gate.
Spring still felt a long way off.
But finishing both films in time for a flawless spring release was shaping up to be far more demanding than expected. Every day counted. If he wanted to deliver a perfect finale next year, he would have to push himself harder than ever before.
And just as Edward was preparing to wrap up The Garden of Sinners and shift gears into planning the next two films—
Ska came knocking, his expression brimming with excitement.
"I've done it," he said. "I've completed the prototype for the mobile phone."
Edward raised a brow. "And the call quality?"
"The signal works through the Alchemy Tower's central arcane array. So coverage is limited to the Empire for now. But as long as the magic stone inside the device holds its charge, you can use it as long as you like."
"What about recharging it?"
"Currently, the only option is for a mage to manually recharge the stone."
"…So in other words, it's useless?" Edward sighed.
Though his tone was blunt, he knew full well—this wasn't just some trinket. It was a revolutionary breakthrough.
Even if it still needed a mage to recharge, the magic stone was durable and long-lasting. And with the phone's only function being basic voice communication, a single charge could easily last a commoner several months.
No matter how you looked at it, this was a device that could fundamentally reshape how the world handled communication.
As filming wrapped up and he took a break, Edward sat down with Ska to discuss how they might roll out the phone to the public.
And just as the two were deep in conversation—
A figure appeared, utterly unexpected.
"You're… Roy?"
"Roy Mustan?"
Ska and Edward both froze. They hadn't even heard him approach.
Roy ignored their shock and calmly spoke.
"By order of the Southern Territory Grand Duke, I'm here to deliver a message, Baron Durin. You are formally invited to attend this year's Southern Nobles' Annual Gathering—as the representative of House Durin."
"…The Annual Gathering, huh."
Things were moving even faster than Edward had anticipated.
He paused for a beat—then nodded slowly.
"I understand. I'll be there."
It was clear as day.
Edward had already been planning to meet the man who ruled the entire southern territory.
And when they met, it would be time to talk—seriously and in depth.
<+>
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