Chapter 181: The End of The Garden of Sinners's Screening! (Part 2)
At the top of the Alchemy Tower.
"So who exactly is this Souren Araya?" Administrator Hohenheim asked, frowning slightly. "From the look of it, he seems to be deliberately stirring up trouble. The issues in the last two episodes all trace back to him."
At his words, the other Arch Mages immediately launched into heated discussion.
"That Souren Araya claims to be a magus, and a powerful one at that. Do you all remember that line from Aozaki Touko? She mentioned a friend of hers, didn't she? I think his name was Souren Araya."
"Oh yeah, she did mention that. Wait, how do you even remember something from so many episodes ago?"
"Ha! You forget you're talking to an Arch Mage. Don't tell me your memory's already gone senile?"
"Oho? Are you trying to pick a fight, old man?"
"Heh. It's true we haven't had a proper sparring match lately, what with all the time spent on these films and alchemic arcanism…"
"Let's take this to the arena, shall we?"
"..."
Seeing the civil discussion teeter on the edge of devolving into a magical duel, Administrator Hohenheim hurriedly intervened.
"Let's not get carried away. The point is, this Souren Araya is likely a major player in the upcoming plot. In fact, the events of the earlier episodes all seem to be tied to him in some way. And considering his connection to Aozaki Touko, he's clearly involved in the deeper threads of the story."
The other Arch Mages nodded in agreement.
After all, the film had made it fairly clear. Whether it was Kirie Fujou or Asagami Fujino, both were influenced—perhaps manipulated—by Souren Araya. He was the common thread behind the tragedy and madness.
And judging by the preview, Episode 5: Paradox Spiral would feature Araya appearing in person—no doubt an explosive episode to come.
Which, of course, led the Arch Mages to vent their pent-up frustration.
"That damned Edward brat… putting a preview like that at the end. What's he playing at? Trying to torture us?"
"Exactly! He's got a real nasty streak, that one. And those scenes he picked—he knew what he was doing! This is betrayal of the highest order!"
"The next time I see him, I swear I'll give him a taste of a sixth-tier forbidden curse!"
"Now now, isn't that going too far?"
"..."
Just as their collective wrath reached a boiling point, the devil himself appeared—Edward, having just escaped from Edward Tavern, arrived at the top of the Alchemy Tower.
"You're all… gathered here?"
The moment the Arch Mages locked eyes on him, Edward's face subtly twitched. Sensing the danger, he instinctively tried to cast a teleportation spell and flee.
But alas, he was facing the most skilled mages alive. Before the spell could even activate, it was shut down by a counterspell more potent than anything Edward could resist.
"Instant cast anti-teleportation magic? Seriously?" Edward groaned, his face turning into a grimace.
The one who cast it, Arch Mage Pollock of the Special Element Branch, smiled pleasantly and said:
"Young man, I've spent my entire life researching the mechanics of teleportation. Don't try to show off in front of me."
"Uh… yeah…"
Realizing that he was dealing with perhaps the world's foremost expert on teleportation, Edward wisely gave up all thoughts of escape.
Privately, however, Pollock was surprised. The sheer speed of Edward's spellcasting had almost slipped past even his own defenses—an alarming level of skill for a mere Grand Mage.
While Pollock marveled at that thought, Edward forced himself to put on a casual smile, stepping forward and saying with mock cheer:
"Well then, Arch Mages, how did you enjoy the screening? Any questions or commentary I can help with?"
When Edward spoke, the eyes of the Arch Mages immediately lit up.
Of course, in order to maintain the dignity befitting Arch Mages, they refrained from bombarding him with overly enthusiastic questions. Instead, they posed inquiries of a more scholarly nature.
Questions such as: How exactly was Saber's Noble Phantasm launched in Fate/Zero? Is it actually feasible to craft aircraft and missiles, such seemingly fantastical tools? And—perhaps most pressingly—when exactly would the next episode of The Garden of Sinners air?
Faced with their barrage of queries, Edward had no choice but to patiently answer them one by one.
After all, he might've been able to put on airs with ordinary people, but each person here was an Arch Mage—mages whose strength far exceeded his own.
Of course, he didn't mention anything about Latisha.
Not because he was worried about her well-being, but rather because he feared these Arch Mages might not survive whatever came next…
Aside from that, he did his best to share all the knowledge he could.
. . . . . . . .
Meanwhile, back in Edward Tavern, the production crew was fuming at Edward's sudden teleportation escape.
"Damn it! His teleportation magic's getting way too polished. That casting speed is insane!" Helena shouted in frustration.
Viz, who also had some magical aptitude, added with a shocked expression, "Yeah… Edward's casting speed has seriously increased lately. I don't have proof, but… could it be that he's already touching the threshold of an ArchMage?"
"What?! You can't be serious!"
Everyone present was stunned by the idea.
They all knew very well—if Edward were to reach the level of an Arch Mage at his current age, it would be a feat of legendary proportions.
He'd become the youngest Arch Mage in history—a title that would follow him for life, and one that no one might surpass for generations to come.
However, not everyone in the tavern was shocked.
Latisha, who was off to the side boredly playing with a wisp of ghostfire, remained completely unmoved.
Clearly, this ultra-tier Arch-Lich couldn't care less about titles like "youngest Arch Mage in history."
—Though it might also be because she was illiterate and didn't really grasp what kind of achievement becoming a Sixth-Rank Arch Mage in one's twenties actually was.
At that moment, Belldia couldn't help asking:
"Latisha, you didn't stop Edward's teleportation magic earlier?"
Latisha tilted her head and responded:
"Huh, so that thing was teleportation magic? I've seen a few people use it before, but I couldn't stop them either. Thinking about it now… makes sense. I never learned that spell, so how could I stop it?"
"Uh…"
The group collectively felt a fresh wave of existential sadness.
Once again, they were reminded of just how tragic illiteracy could be.
Just as everyone was about to continue discussing Edward's great escape, a knock sounded from the tavern door.
During the Frost Film Festival, Edward Tavern had already hung a sign saying it was closed to the public.
So, naturally, everyone was curious about who could be knocking at such a time. In the end, it was Viz who stepped up to open the door.
"Yo. Long time no see, everyone."
The next moment, General Wilhelm stepped in with a smile, followed by his knights—and behind them, the Emperor and Princess Amy.
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