NOVEL NEXT Chapter 77: Could You Perform a Suicide Scene?
The auditions for the heroic spirits proceeded swiftly, as there was no need to consider the troupe itself. Edward mostly chose actors based on appearance, and unless someone’s acting was completely subpar, they generally passed. The actors had also just watched a movie with the general, so they had a basic understanding of what was expected of them.
Though Fate/Zero only had seven heroic spirits, meaning there were just seven roles, in reality, counting a certain Assassin made it so the number of roles was practically unlimited. That’s why Edward had told General Wilhelm to bring as many people as possible. Additionally, since Caster was not portrayed as a warrior, Edward had no plans to cast any of the knights for that role.
At this point, Edward had already confirmed the actors for Saber (Artoria), Archer (Gilgamesh), and Rider (Iskandar). The remaining undecided roles were Lancer (Diarmuid), Berserker (Lancelot), and the Assassin group.
The earlier auditions had been quite easy. Edward had simply scanned the group and found knights with the right appearances. After a quick audition, they were selected without any issues.
And now…
“Next.”
As Edward called out, a handsome knight confidently stepped forward from the crowd. He seemed quite self-assured, and indeed, he was popular within the knight order, a figure who combined both strength and good looks.
“What would you like me to perform?”
Since Edward hadn’t provided the script to the knights, the auditions were purely improvisational. For example, when casting Rider, Edward had asked the actor to act bold and grand in speech, which he did, seemingly playing himself. The Saber audition was even simpler—Edward had merely asked the actor to display some swordsmanship. The person auditioning for the role was Liya, the Vice-Commander of the Imperial Knights, and as a swordmaster, she had passed easily.
The only tricky moment had been during Archer Gilgamesh’s audition. Edward’s only request had been for the actor to laugh heartily, and as long as the laugh was both imposing and infectious, he would pass. This left the actor quite embarrassed at first, as he was known to be mild-mannered and not easily provoked. However, with some hidden talent—or perhaps a latent personality—the knight awkwardly but successfully stepped into the role, surprising his friends.
Now, facing the current knight’s question, Edward calmly said, “Could you perform a suicide scene?”
“Huh…?”
The knight showed a confused expression, thinking he had misheard. But Edward, still smiling, continued, “The Lancer you’re auditioning for is ultimately forced to commit suicide. So, if you want to take the role, I need you to perform a suicide.”
“….”
After realizing Edward wasn’t joking, the knight twitched his mouth and asked, “Uh, are there any other roles?”
“Yes, there’s also a Berserker, who is entirely covered in black armor, and a group of assassins with dark skin. Would you prefer one of those? If so, I can adjust the audition.”
“…..”
“Ah, I’ve died!”
“Too exaggerated. That’s not how you do a suicide. Try again!”
“…..”
“Poof! I’m dead~”
“Too forced. You need to imagine your own spear piercing through your heart, and then release your deepest hatred!”
“…..”
About five minutes later, the knight, who had initially been excited to audition, left the stage looking dazed, as if under a curse. Edward, still smiling, nodded and called out, “Next!”
…
Soon, after all the knights had completed their auditions, Edward turned to General Wilhelm, who looked a bit bewildered, and asked, “Can I keep these knights in the city for now? I’ll need them frequently during filming.”
“Uh, that shouldn’t be a problem. I also need to stay in the Southern Territory for a while,” Wilhelm replied.
Edward nodded in understanding, watching as Belldia, the headless knight, led the knights off for some acting training.
Although Belldia’s own acting skills were mediocre, he had the advantage of prior experience and was now a high-level being. None of the knights would dare challenge him, making him the perfect coach.
However, before letting everyone go, Edward called out to the female knight, Liya.
“Is there something you need, Director Edward?”
Though Liya still found the title “director” a bit strange, she had somewhat come to terms with it after Wilhelm had taken the knights to the cinema to watch KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World.
By the way, after watching KonoSuba, these usually restless knights were now brimming with a “Don’t stop me! I need to go save the world!” kind of energy. Had it not been for the headless knight scaring them senseless as they left the cinema, a good portion of them might have already registered with the Adventurers’ Guild.
Liya, who usually handled the knights’ daily affairs, tried her best to remain rational, though she, too, felt an unusual yearning for adventure after watching the movie—a desire she had never experienced before, apart from her duty to serve the Empire.
“Liya, right? You’re playing the heroic spirit Saber in this film. Since the location for the spirit summoning scene is rather remote, I wanted to explain the situation to you in advance.”
“Remote?” Liya tilted her head in confusion, not understanding why Edward mentioned this.
Edward quickly explained that the filming location for the Einzbern Castle was in the chaos land north of the Northern Territory, meaning they would have to travel there for the shoot.
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Tn: Headless Knight is Belldia by the way, I’m going to refer to him as Headless Knight unless he’s on his horse, which then I would refer to him as Headless Horseman again.