Chapter 199: A New Movie Project!
After delivering the Southern Territory Grand Duke's message, Roy vanished just as mysteriously as he had appeared—just like always.
Watching his retreating figure, Edward couldn't help rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Just who exactly is this mysterious upperclassman of mine…?
The more time passed, the more intrigued he became.
Ska, on the other hand, looked completely different. His expression didn't carry the same curiosity—instead, his eyes brimmed with something much darker. Not caution… but fear.
"You okay?" Edward blinked, puzzled by his reaction.
Snapping out of it, Ska quickly shook his head. "I-It's nothing. Just… that man. There are rumors about him. Scary ones. Honestly, aside from the Arch Mages, everyone in the Academy's terrified of him. I'm one of the braver ones."
"What are you talking about?" Edward frowned. "You mean Roy? Is he really that dangerous?"
"You seriously don't know?" Ska gave him a wary glance. "About the rumors surrounding that military mage?"
"Rumors? But Roy can't be the only one, right? The Empire must have other mages who joined the army."
Edward tilted his head, honestly confused.
After all, while most mages in the Empire disliked the military—many even refused to cooperate—there were always exceptions. And when a full war broke out, even the most reclusive spellcasters would be mobilized under Imperial decree.
Sure, most mages avoided the army, but complete detachment was basically impossible.
Roy had voluntarily enlisted and now served under the Southern Territory Grand Duke. Even so, he still retained his official status as a mage of the Empire—a far better position than Edward himself, who had been unceremoniously expelled from the Mage Tower.
But Ska just gave a helpless sigh.
"Yeah, it's true that most mages just look down on military spellcasters. But Roy isn't just a military mage. He has another identity within the Empire's magical world. A special title…"
He lowered his voice:
"They call him… The Heretic Executioner."
"…Heretic Executioner?" Edward echoed. "That sounds... dramatic."
"It's not just a name. It's a role. He's part of an elite group that hunts down Fallen Mages—the ones who delve too deep into forbidden magic and lose their sanity. He's the guy they send in when things go really bad."
Ska looked grim as he continued.
"For as long as humans have practiced magic, there've always been those who go too far. Even after the Mage Tower was established, we've had to organize large-scale purges of rogue sorcerers. These days, after that infamous conflict a hundred years ago, the number of Fallen Mages has gone down a lot—but they're still out there. And Roy's job… is to erase them."
"I see…" Edward murmured, eyes narrowing slightly. "I didn't know he was involved in something like that."
But despite his surprise, he still couldn't understand Ska's intense fear.
"If that's the case, then he's doing a good thing, isn't he? Why are you so scared of him?"
"That's…" Ska hesitated, then whispered, "Because there's one story in particular. One mission."
Edward felt the air grow colder.
"In one of his operations," Ska said slowly, "he burned down an entire village—hundreds of people lived there. Men, women, children. No one survived."
"…What?" Edward stiffened.
"And that's not even the worst part," Ska continued. "Later investigations found that he could have taken a different approach. He had time. He could've evacuated the civilians. But instead, he wiped out everyone, just to make sure the Fallen Mage didn't escape."
"…So what happened?" Edward asked quietly.
"He was put on trial. The case even made it to the Imperial Court. But thanks to Administrator Hohenheim personally testifying for him, Roy was acquitted. They said it was wartime protocol. Said it was necessary. But the scandal shook the entire Mage Tower to its core."
"Compared to what you went through," Ska added quietly, "the public pressure on him was on a completely different level. Outside the military, there's nowhere left in the Empire that truly accepts him."
"…I see."
Hearing all this, Edward finally had a better grasp of who his senior really was.
Regarding the infamous village massacre, he hadn't been there. He didn't know the full truth.
But deep down, Edward felt that something didn't add up.
Maybe there had been more to that decision—more than the cold facts suggested.
Still, misunderstanding or not, the weight of over a hundred lives lost at Roy's hands was a shadow that would never fully disappear.
. . . . . . . . . . .
After hurrying back from the Imperial Mage Academy to the Durin Family castle, Edward barely had time to breathe before Winry greeted him with urgent news:
The Southern Nobles' Annual Gathering would be held in just one week.
Realizing this, Edward was immediately swept up by Winry, who insisted on helping him review noble etiquette and social protocols.
Although he'd been trained in all of this as a child, it had been years since he last attended a formal aristocratic event—so much of it had to be relearned from scratch.
But beyond etiquette lessons, Edward had more pressing matters to prepare.
The most important of which was the future of the film and television industry in the South.
Up until now, he had never had a serious conversation about that with the Grand Duke himself.
But this upcoming gathering would be the perfect opportunity. He intended to speak with the ruler of the South in depth—one-on-one.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Now back in the familiar halls of the Durin Family castle, free from the relentless pace of filming schedules, Edward finally had room to breathe. He took the chance to sort through his memories and plan ahead.
Though Konosuba Season 2 hadn't started filming yet…
Though Fate/Zero and Steins;Gate still had their second halves left to air…
Though The Garden of Sinners still had several episodes in production…
As a responsible director, Edward knew he couldn't just wait around.
He had to start planning the next big movie, especially if he wanted to be ready for the competitive Spring release season.
The problem?
He had too many options.
With the film industry beginning to stir even in the Imperial capital, and whispers of it expanding across the entire Empire, he couldn't just pick a title he liked.
This next film had to be a flagship. A movie with enough weight and style to carry an entire industry on its back.
It also had to make sense within this world's setting—a story the Empire's citizens could connect with, one that would bridge cultures and resonate with a broader audience.
After much deliberation, Edward narrowed his thoughts to two possible contenders:
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 1 and Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World
Both projects ticked all the right boxes.
But before he could settle on a final decision, a carriage arrived at Durin Family castle.
The Southern Territory Grand Duke's envoy had come.
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