Creating Anime In A Fantasy World

Hearing that The Garden of Sinners was recruiting actors, the performers from the Snow Flower Troupe rushed to the audition site immediately after a brief rest. Clearly, they took this opportunity very seriously. It was no wonder—during the casting for Fate/Zero, although many were recruited, not even half of the troupe managed to get roles. The rest didn’t even qualify for background roles and were relegated to assisting on set.

Now, with news of a new film, their enthusiasm was unprecedented. After all, who wouldn’t want to achieve the same fame and popularity as the main cast of Fate/Zero?

Indeed, Fate/Zero’s release had taken the film’s influence to the next level, with the actors from the Snow Flower Troupe gaining immense attention. Lately, they could hardly go out without being swarmed by fans. If recognized, the streets would become scenes of mass excitement.

Of course, the treatment varied depending on the roles they played. Actors portraying heroic characters like Chase and his wife were often mobbed by fans asking for autographs. Meanwhile, those who played villains like Caster and Ryuunosuke Uryuu were sometimes chased down by people who wanted to “punish” them for their wicked on-screen behavior. These actors had all but given up on going out and, despite being reassured by Edward that fan events would help mitigate the negative effects, their psychological Skas were evident.

Witnessing their fellow Snowflower performers gain such fame and attention, those who hadn’t secured major roles last time were now raring to go for the new film’s auditions. Little did they know, Edward had already used his extraordinary memory as a Grand Mage to pre-select candidates based on the previous auditions!

<+>

A week quickly passed, and when Edward returned to the Mage Tower for his second lecture, the number of senior mages present had noticeably declined. Without a doubt, many had been deterred by the sheer difficulty of learning an entirely new discipline.

Alchemy was fundamentally different from other magical studies. Unlike magic that relied heavily on intuition or innate talent, Alchemy resembled programming from another world. Not only was its foundational knowledge exceptionally tedious, but prospective students also needed to master a completely independent “language” before they could truly begin. Only after learning this language could one wield tools to explore this otherworldly domain.

Faced with this worldview-shattering field of knowledge, most senior mages found it impossible to start over. For them, even accepting that they were no better than apprentices was a daunting realization.

Thus, this time, the audience for Edward’s lecture consisted mainly of true students of Alchemy, a few persistent high-level mages, and a handful of Grand Mages. Among them were the Imperial Mage Academy’s headmaster, Hohenheim, and Rosa and Streige, who had entered into agreements with Edward.

At that moment, as everyone anticipated more thought-provoking insights from Edward, he suddenly shifted from the bold, boastful tone of his last lecture. Calmly, he said, “I assume that, under Deputy Head Ska’s meticulous guidance this past week, you’ve all gained a deeper understanding of Alchemy and its distinct nature compared to other forms of magic?”

“…”

Both the Grand Mages and the ordinary students showed puzzled expressions, unsure of what Edward meant. While they had indeed come to understand the many peculiarities of this discipline over the past week, they couldn’t decipher his intent.

Despite its relatively short history, Alchemy had seen rapid development thanks to the selfless efforts of its pioneering researchers. Systems of knowledge regarding magical arrays and rune selection had long been established. Recently, with Edward’s modern perspective aiding Ska in organizing and refining the field’s foundational knowledge (including Ska’s earlier notes), Edward realized that Alchemy was essentially a form of programming.

The difference was that, in another world, programming relied on computers and binary code, while here it involved fundamental lines and ancient symbols. It was as though this world itself was a massive “computer,” and the act of wielding magic was akin to entering cheat codes on a cosmic keyboard.

After reflecting on this concept, many questions found straightforward answers. For instance, a magic circle could be deconstructed into several components corresponding to its attributes, effects, form, and mana transmission pathways. Combining these components into a magic circle is akin to creating a basic flowchart in programming. The key difference is that while programs execute automatically once input is provided, a magic circle requires external mana to be charged.

In summary, though these concepts are highly complex, Edward’s modern perspective allowed him to analyze and simplify them. It was similar to programming: once you truly grasp the basics, you only need to consider the desired outcome, write the beginning and end, and fill in the process in between.

Even with Edward’s inherent advantage as a modern soul, he didn’t have enough time to decode the countless foundational magic circles that dotted this field. As such, injecting fresh talent into the field of Alchemy was an inevitable step.

With this background, it was easy to imagine the students’ reactions at this moment. Such knowledge, which seemed to overturn the worldview of conventional mages, was implanted into their minds as if it were natural. The soil for their growth in this new knowledge had now been prepared.

“So, since you’ve already grasped the basics of Alchemy, I won’t repeat them. In fact, my purpose in coming here today isn’t just to lecture but to conduct a recruitment among you freshmen,” Edward said.

“Recruitment?”

The students looked at Edward in confusion. Edward simply replied, “Yes. Let me be straightforward—are any of you interested in participating in the preparation of the Empire’s first television station?”

“What? A television station?”

The crowd was visibly stunned, their faces full of curiosity as they stared at Edward. But instead of offering detailed explanations, Edward simply said, “This is a cutting-edge project Ska and I are working on in the field of Alchemy. Those willing to participate will earn course credits and receive a stipend. So, let me ask again—who’s interested?”

This time, the response was a stark contrast to the previous silence. Many students eagerly raised their hands, excited not only about the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology but also about the valuable course credits on offer.

At the back of the room, Hohenheim, after twitching slightly at the lively scene before him, couldn’t help but raise his own hand as well.

<+>

After class, having recruited enough people to establish the television station, Edward walked out of the classroom satisfied. He approached Rosa and Streige, whom he had specifically summoned, and explained the reason for their presence.

“You want us to be actors?”

Rosa looked bewildered. Edward responded calmly, “Yes. Honestly, when I first met you two, I thought you were perfect for two roles in The Garden of Sinners. I’ve already gathered enough lead and supporting actors from the theater trope I know. The only ones missing are you two. Once you’re on board, the filming can begin immediately.”

“Uh… but acting?”

Seeing their hesitation, Edward reassured them, “Don’t worry. As accomplished mages, I’m confident you’ll handle acting just as adeptly. At the very least, give it a try.”

“…”

Understanding Edward’s intentions, Rosa sighed lightly and said, “Fine. Since you’ve helped us so much in the field of Mental and Spiritual Magic, acting in a role shouldn’t be a problem… Right, Streige?”

“Probably… not,” Streige replied reluctantly. Even someone as rigid as him found it hard to refuse after receiving so much assistance. Ultimately, he begrudgingly agreed to Edward’s request.

Pleased, Edward immediately handed over the prepared scripts for the characters “Aozaki Touko” and “Araya Souren,” smiling as he said, “Here are your scripts. Streige, your character, Araya Souren, doesn’t have detailed scenes for now, so you’ll have plenty of preparation time. Rosa, on the other hand, you need to meet me tomorrow in Nosrick to head to the filming location together.”

“Uh… alright,” Rosa replied, still dazed.

Though she had never participated in filming before, her curiosity about the new knowledge introduced in Alchemy—especially movie-making—had been piqued during the lectures.

Now, while acting might seem daunting, the chance to witness a movie production firsthand made it feel like a worthwhile endeavor.