The Frost Festival—the longest-running winter festival in the Empire.
Its origins are now unknown. Perhaps it dates back to a devastating cold disaster that struck during the Empire's founding, or maybe it commemorates the first miracle of the Frost Goddess—
Regardless of its true beginnings, the Frost Festival has now become a national celebration, on par with the Empire's Annual Grand Ceremony.
Of course, this comparison is not about the level of festivities, but rather its duration and reach.
Unlike the New Year's Grand Ceremony, which is focused on the capital, the Frost Festival is celebrated throughout the entire Empire.
From the borderlands to the Imperial Capital, from the four corners of the realm to the royal castle at the Empire's heart, when the Frost Festival arrives, everyone sets aside their work and immerses themselves in the unique atmosphere of winter.
However, due to the extreme cold, most people prefer to stay indoors, avoiding unnecessary outings.
Families, worried that their children might catch a cold and force them to pay for a priest's healing services, strictly forbid them from going outside. As a result, the streets often appear completely deserted.
Thus, compared to the New Year's Grand Ceremony, or even an ordinary festival, the Frost Festival lacks excitement.
With tourism and commerce coming to a complete halt, the Frost Festival is ironically quieter than regular days—truly living up to its name as a festival of "Frost."
In the past, the Frost Festival was more of a cultural tradition than an actual celebration.
People simply stayed home, telling old stories and praying for a bountiful harvest in the coming year.
It was a time of boredom, where people endured the Empire's harshest cold with no sense of true value in the holiday.
But this year's Frost Festival was destined to be different.
. . . . .
In the Southern Territory, about a week before the Frost Festival, cinemas and television taverns began a massive wave of advertisements.
Large banners, printed in bold, eye-catching letters, proclaimed:
"Frost Film Festival! Four incredible films await! Let's ignite our spirits in the cold winter!"
At the same time, the posters for KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!, Fate/Zero, The Garden of Sinners, and Steins;Gate were plastered across the entrances of cinemas and television taverns, drawing the attention of every passerby.
Though the slogan may have seemed a bit corny, the sheer power of these films overshadowed everything else.
The moment people saw the announcement, the entire Southern Territory erupted in excitement.
"No way— it's actually happening!"
"Hell yeah! It's the Frost Film Festival!"
"Finally! I don't have to just sit around at home, bored out of my mind, during the Frost Festival!"
"Nosrick Cinema! The greatest of all time! Director Durin! The greatest of all time!"
"I'M FIRED UP!"
Excited crowds gathered outside the cinemas, some even bringing blankets in preparation to camp out for ticket sales.
Seeing this unexpectedly massive turnout, Viscount Baniel had no choice but to deploy city guards to maintain order. He also officially announced the festival's start date and ticket sales regulations.
But even with these measures in place, the people's enthusiasm could not be contained.
In the end, Baniel gave up on controlling the crowds, leaving only a small squad of soldiers to maintain basic order, while the citizens enthusiastically discussed and hyped up the festival among themselves.
After their initial excitement, the crowd noticed something unusual about the movie lineup.
"Wait a minute— why are only Fate/Zero and this new Steins;Gate movie showing in cinemas? I thought there were supposed to be four films?"
"Ah, didn't you see? Of the four films, two are playing in cinemas, and the other two will be broadcast on TV. The schedules are posted right there!"
"What?! Let me see!"
"Wait, what's going on?! On the day of the Frost Festival, all major cinemas will screen Fate/Zero Chapter 2 in the morning and Steins;Gate in the afternoon, while at the same time, the TV stations will be looping KonoSuba and The Garden of Sinners Chapter 4?!"
"What? Both happening at the same time?! Are they making us choose?!"
"This is cruel! Pure evil!"
"Oh gods, why must you force me to make such an impossible choice?!"
"How am I supposed to decide? Just kill me now!"
Suddenly, cries of distress spread through the crowd. The overwhelming abundance of entertainment was too much for some to handle, leaving them trapped in the agony of too much happiness.
Of course, not everyone felt this way. Some actually appreciated the variety of choices, believing it added to the festive spirit. By splitting the audience between cinemas and television taverns, the risk of overcrowding and ticket shortages—which had caused chaos in past screenings—was significantly reduced.
And in fact, this was exactly Edward's plan from the beginning.
The Frost Film Festival was the first time that movies and television had been broadcast on such a large scale. Edward had been planning this moment for a very, very long time.
In a world starved of entertainment, where the spiritual lives of its people were empty, he sought to reshape it into something closer to his own vision.
After all, this wasn't just about making a couple of movies.
What he aimed to spark was nothing less than a cultural revolution—one that would challenge the very fabric of the world's beliefs and shake the seemingly unshakable rules of society.
To achieve this, he needed more than just a few cinemas.
He needed a complete industry—one that would redefine how people viewed art, storytelling, and entertainment.
The Frost Film Festival was merely the first step in a much grander scheme.
Perhaps this path would be fraught with obstacles.
Perhaps, if he pushed too far, even the Southern Territory, which had so far embraced his work, might turn against him, and everything he had built could come crashing down.
But Edward had already made up his mind.
He had no intention of stopping.
He believed—no, he knew—that whether he succeeded or not, this world would change.
And that change had already begun.
. . . . .
On the eve of the Frost Festival, Edward returned to Nosrick City, to his base of operations—Edward Film Studio.
Inside a nearby tavern, a large group of film crew members, already pumped with excitement, had completely lost focus on their work, too eager for the upcoming premieres.
Standing before them, Edward simply smiled and announced:
"All film productions have been successfully completed! Tomorrow, the Frost Film Festival will proceed without a hitch!"
"OHHHHHHHHH!"
Instantly, the entire tavern erupted in cheers, voices filled with pure joy and unstoppable enthusiasm.
At the same time, all across the Southern Territory, thousands upon thousands of people waited with eager anticipation, counting down the hours until the grand opening of the Frost Film Festival!
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/162522?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/131161767?collection=162522
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