The trailer had ended, and Edward, who had long wanted to go back to sleep, was about to leave when he was pulled back by the curious crew from the production company.
Looking at their eager faces—practically begging, "Let us see the script, just a peek, just one little peek"—Edward, as the director, naturally wouldn't do something so unprofessional.
Almost simultaneously as he dragged the production staff away, the audience at the scene erupted into heated discussions.
"That's it?? Wait, what? That's all? Too short!"
"Come on, it's a trailer! How long do you expect it to be?"
"At least thirty minutes, right? Three minutes just doesn't cut it!"
"Oh my god, why do we have to wait two more days for the release? Without Fate/Zero, I'm going to die!!!"
As the trailer for Fate/Zero screened across the nation, all who had seen it fell into a kind of torment, lamenting, "Why is time moving so slowly? Someone, please fast-forward these two days for me!"
For many bored citizens, the next two days would likely be an agonizing wait. Some even regretted coming out to watch the trailer tonight. If they hadn't, they would have been mildly excited at most. Now that they had seen it, the yearning was almost unbearable!
Of course, while many lamented in anguish, a few rational viewers analyzed the trailer alongside the viewing booklet handed out.
"Seven magicians summon seven servants to compete for the Holy Grail, and the winner gets a wish granted. Sounds like a long movie. This one's runtime might break records."
"I'm more interested in the stories of these servants. Although the booklet says they're heroes from another world's history, some of them seem oddly familiar..."
"They must have taken inspiration from somewhere. But who cares? How will I survive the next two days? I don't want to do anything but wait at the theater for ticket sales to open!"
"You can't do that! You'll need energy for the ticket rush. Go home and rest well first..."
"Rest well? Why are you pulling out your blanket?!"
...
As excitement built across the regions for the new film's release, the trailer wasn't limited to the northern and southern territories—it also screened at the main square of the Empire's Magic Academy.
As Edward had stated earlier, Fate/Zero was created to promote the spread of magitech. Thus, under his instructions, the trailer was also played at the Magic Academy, home to the Mage Tower.
Given that the Mage Tower was relatively quiet at this time, the audience mostly consisted of elderly mages who rarely left their studies.
And their feedback?
"Nonsense! What is this absurdity? Summoning historical spirits? I've never heard of such magic!!!"
"Indeed! And a Holy Grail that grants any wish? If such a thing existed, why would anyone bother studying magic?"
"But it's fascinating, isn't it? Magicians teaming up with summoned heroic spirits to compete for this Holy Grail that grants wishes—I haven't been this intrigued by a story in years..."
"Exactly! That Saber girl reminds me of the adjutant I knew on the battlefield in my youth. I even requested for her to become my guardian knight. Ah, how I wish I could return to that age..."
"You dare talk like this? Aren't you afraid your wife will hear and kill you? Don't blame us if you get beaten when you go home..."
At the square, even the elderly Grand Mage, who typically stayed in their labs, gathered to discuss the film excitedly.
To them, the movie's appeal was moderate, but the story Edward crafted intrigued them enough to momentarily set aside their research. They planned to see for themselves what the story was about when the movie premiered in two days.
Meanwhile, the Mage Tower administrator, Hohenheim, stood atop the tower and silently withdrew from the Eagle Eye spell he'd used to watch the trailer.
Turning to Ska beside him, he asked, "Has Edward ever mentioned the plot of this new movie to you? I feel like he's openly declaring war on other disciplines."
Indeed, while other magicians might not notice the subtle hints embedded in Fate/Zero, Hohenheim, who was quite familiar with Edward, didn't miss a thing. He could immediately sense the deeper intentions Edward had for this film. He even began anticipating some intriguing developments in the upcoming academic term.
Ska, who knew Edward's true plans, wiped the cold sweat off his brow. Unwilling to reveal that Edward intended to poach the entire next class of students, he merely half-heartedly replied, "I've glanced at the plot a bit. It's interesting, but it's not enough to sway the rational minds of magicians..."
"Heh, is that so? Look at those old geezers down there. They've already got the movie stuck in their heads. Rationality, my foot! Anyway, I'm washing my hands of this. If anything happens, you deal with it."
"Yes, sir."
Ska dared not argue with the administrator's words. Seeing Hohenheim accidentally break another alchemical array model in his hands, the administrator snapped in frustration, "What's with this thing?! Damn it! When does the magitech course start? I'm ready to enroll!!"
"..."
Ska, who had been tutoring the administrator in basic magitech concepts for days, could only smile bitterly. After briefly explaining some foundational principles, he glanced again at the square, now occupied by only a few elderly mages.
Imagining the lively scenes that would unfold two days later, he couldn't help but smile.
<+>
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