[74] Selection of Emiya Kiritsugu's Candidate
Chapter 74: Selection of Emiya Kiritsugu's Candidate
As Lyra led a group of carefully selected knights by General Wilhelm to the teleportation array in the South, she still felt somewhat bewildered about what was happening. After all, ordinary soldiers usually didn't have the qualifications to use large-scale teleportation arrays. However, due to General Wilhelm's apparent urgency, she had to suppress her curiosity and silently follow the others to the South, a place she had never visited before.
"Why did the General call us here? And why would he even bother opening a large-scale teleportation array for us?!"
A handsome knight proficient in wielding dual pistols questioned Lyra with a hint of curiosity. Lyra knew he was trying to get on her good side, as her beauty naturally attracted admiration from those around her in the military environment. However, Lyra had never entertained such thoughts. Devoting her remaining life to the battlefield was her only desire.
With no extra emotions, Lyra responded indifferently, "I don't know, but since it's the General's request, it must be something urgent."
"Urgent?!"
After thinking for a moment, the knight suggested a possibility, "I've heard rumors of headless knight and lich appearing in the South. Could it be that we were summoned to deal with these dangerous undead?"
"Undead?!"
Suddenly, even Lyra appeared anxious. Coming from the North, she was well aware of the threat posed by the undead. However, it wasn't fear of the undead's abilities that gripped her, but rather excitement at the prospect of finally having the opportunity to earn military merit for the Empire.
In recent years, due to the increasing number of powerful mages in the Empire, coupled with their formidable deterrent force, conflicts with neighboring countries had become increasingly rare. Consequently, the Empire's military forces were often seen as serving a deterrent purpose, or even considered idle. Even Commander Wilcliff's promotion wasn't earned on the battlefield but rather for clearing out monsters along the Empire's major transportation routes.
In this scenario, not only Lyra but also most members of the Imperial Knights felt frustrated by their inability to achieve battlefield glory. Despite being the elite of the Imperial Army, they were now relegated to mere decorations, lacking any practical role. For these young individuals who joined the military seeking recognition and honor, this reality was undeniably harsh.
Hence, upon hearing that they might be facing terrifying undead creatures, Lyra and most others suddenly felt excited, tinged with anticipation.
Soon, as the glow of the teleportation array faded, the large group of knights arrived in Norsrick in batches, greeted by the dimming sky.
Realizing he had wasted too much time, General Wilhelm swiftly gathered everyone and led them to Edward's Tavern, the liveliest spot in present-day Norsrick. They arrived promptly.
"Oh, isn't that Wilhelm? Back already?"
As the tavern door creaked open, the Headless Knight confidently greeted General Wilhelm, who nodded in response, inquiring, "Yes, I used my authority as a general to activate the large-scale teleportation array. Where's Director Durin?"
"He's upstairs. He's been conducting auditions all day, and it seems he's quite satisfied."
"Excellent."
After the Headless Knight swaggered away, leaving only General Wilhelm and his two companions privy to the truth, the other knights burst with excitement!
"Undead?!!!"
"Headless Knight?!!!"
"Good lord..."
"Did the General really greet that Headless Knight? Am I hallucinating?"
...
At this juncture, the group of knights found it hard to believe what they had witnessed. For them, the recent events were even more surreal than seeing Teletubbies and Aliens having tea together.
Similarly, General Wilhelm felt somewhat overwhelmed. Rushing, he suddenly realized he had forgotten how to explain the situation about the undead to his men.
"Pe... Performance, General, that Headless Knight we saw was merely part of a performance, right?!" Lyra spoke up in this awkward moment, "That's why you asked us about performing before summoning us here, isn't it?"
Unexpectedly, this girl, who was groomed by Knight Commander Wilcliff, quickly found a good excuse for herself. Wilhelm.hurriedly nodded, "Yes... that's right, the Headless Knight we saw was just a portrayal. So, there's no need to worry. I called you here this time because I hope you can represent our army in a performance."
With the chaos calming down, General Wilhelm subtly took note of the girl named Lyra, unaware that her instinctive deduction had left a good impression on him.
....
Edward's Studio, second floor.
Seeing the man in front of him had memorized the lines, Durin smiled and said, "Your lines are written on that piece of paper. Please begin."
Upon hearing this, the man standing at a distance composed himself and began:
"What is this? So twisted? So filthy? Is this what Kirei Kotomine is like? Hahaha, impossible, unbelievable! What is this, did my father actually give birth to a dog? Hahaha..."
In just a few minutes, the actor auditioning perfectly portrayed the chaotic and ambiguous nature of Kirei Kotomine, oscillating between good and evil.
Compared to other stage actors, the members of the Snowflake Theater Troupe displayed a chasm-like difference in performance, earning praises even from Banil.
"You're good, you've passed. Just remember to smile more during the performance. Um, not sure what 'smile' means? Anyway, just make it more disgusting."
Hearing Durin's words, the actor portraying Kirei Kotomine felt a bit puzzled, but understanding that he had been selected, he nodded slightly before leaving. Despite his appearance giving no hint of the villainous aura he had just portrayed, he seemed genuinely aloof, leaving one marveling at the terrifying nature of acting.
Meanwhile, as Durin looked at the fully filled actor roster, he couldn't help but marvel at the Snowflake Theater Troupe's prowess. Each member possessed strong individual acting skills, and most of them were male, unlike other troupes with numerous female leads and exaggerated acting styles. They perfectly matched the requirements for the film Durin was planning to make.
Of course, even in such a talented theater troupe, not everyone was naturally suited for film acting. Some actors who couldn't shed their traditional stage performance style, despite Durin's leniency, couldn't pass the audition. After their disappointment, they naturally vented their frustrations to Chase, the troupe's manager.
"The director doesn't understand what acting is all about, Mr. Chase. You know I've been on stage countless times in the troupe, and my performances have been witnessed throughout the Southlands. But that director not only fails to grasp emotional expression, he even dismisses my singing voice, which you once praised!"
Facing the former rising star of the troupe, Chase silently took the script for the role of Kiritsugu Emiya, which had just been distributed to everyone, and said, "Have you read the story script that was distributed before the performance?"
"The story script? What's the point of that? With my talent, even without reading the script, I can perfectly embody any character. Moreover, I've performed countless scripts, even your scripts, Mr. Chase! I can handle them perfectly!"
Seeing the arrogance – or perhaps confidence – in the young man's words, Chase could only sigh inwardly as he took out the script for the first chapter of "Fate Zero" that Durin had just distributed to everyone. He then said, "Since you haven't read it, there's nothing more to say. I know you have great talent in stage acting, but unfortunately, we're in the era of cinema now."
"Um, Mr. Chase?"
"If you want to stay here, then finish reading this first."
To his surprise, the young man displayed a shocked expression, but he also seemed disdainful. After all, as he had just claimed, he considered himself an outstanding stage actor. Therefore, he didn't see any need to listen to the troupe manager, or even respect him. He had never regarded the troupe manager as someone worthy of his respect, especially considering that if it weren't for Chase's unconventional methods, Snowflake's status in the theater world would have been much higher.
Meanwhile, seeing that the young man, whom he had once held in high regard, didn't challenge him again, Chase sighed slightly. Then, after handing over the "Fate Zero" script, he slowly took the role script for Kiritsugu Emiya from the young man's hand.
On the other side, the young man couldn't help but show a surprised expression. After all, the man in front of him, who had always silently served the troupe and never performed on stage, was now walking towards the audition queue.
"Can I try?"
With Chase's words, all the members of Snowflake present showed expressions of astonishment. After all, everyone knew that Chase was only the troupe's manager and scriptwriter, and had never acted in any play.
What did he just say? Is this manager going to perform too?
Suddenly, various murmurs and whispers filled the room, while a lovely woman with beautiful silver hair looked at the man in the distance who hadn't shown such an expression in a long time, and slowly curved her lips into a smile.
Meanwhile, Durin, who had long wanted the troupe manager to try a role, smiled and nodded, gesturing, "Of course, let's begin."
Chase's performance was from the final scene of "Fate Zero," where, after the Holy Grail War, the dying Kiritsugu Emiya has a conversation with his adopted son under the moonlight.
However, since Durin had only provided the story script for the first chapter, most of the subsequent plot had to be improvised by the performers themselves. This was the reason why some actors were lazy to read the story script.
As the troupe's manager, Chase, who had been observing the actors' performances, naturally knew this. So, without delay, he even covered the lines on the character script and began his performance with complete immersion.
"...When I was young, I once dreamed of becoming a righteous companion."
As his words echoed, a sudden silence fell over the room. The actors, who had initially wanted to witness the manager's embarrassment, now wore expressions of disbelief, while Chase's performance continued.
"Yes, it's a bit regretful. Heroes also have time limits. Once they become adults, it's hard to achieve. If only I had realized this sooner."
...
"Yes, it's really helpless."
...
"Yes, ah, if it's like this, I can finally rest."
...
Though the dialogue in this segment was sparse, anyone familiar with film knew that this performance truly tested facial expressions and body language. And if one were to describe Chase's performance, it was nothing short of perfect.
He seemed like a real person who had experienced storms, traumas, and ultimately, fell into silence. He appeared to be someone who had once pursued the elusive, unattainable goals, and eventually succumbed to the idealistic pursuit.
Therefore, after Chase's performance concluded, everyone in the room applauded him, especially the silver-haired beauty who had been watching him closely from the beginning. As she clapped, tears even welled up in her eyes.
"Fantastic performance, Mr. Chase. I thought you were just the manager of this troupe, but it turns out you have the acting skills to match this position. I even feel you're more suitable for the stage than some of the actors in your troupe."
Upon hearing Durin's praise, Chase didn't say anything. He simply asked quietly, "Did I pass?"
"Of course, congratulations, you've passed. Take a break."
Durin's words were filled with joy. After all, his judgment was spot on. The manager of Snowflake Theatre indeed possessed the talent for performing. Though Durin didn't understand why he was content with being behind the scenes rather than on stage, at least for now, he had found the perfect candidate for the role of Kiritsugu Emiya.
As Chase returned to his original position, the young man who had been complaining just moments ago was now engrossed in reading the script Chase had given him.
Judging by the changing expressions on his face, it was evident that he had been completely captivated by the surreal and imaginative story called "Fate Zero."
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