Chapter 155: The Frost Film Festival Announcement!
Filming four movies back-to-back, Edward felt a sense of déjà vu—like cramming for the college entrance exam, staying up late every night just to score a single extra point.
Every day, an overwhelming mountain of tasks piled up, waiting for him to complete.
The first thing he did upon waking up each morning was immediately check his workload report—sifting through an almost dizzying amount of documents just to identify his tasks for the day.
Fortunately, Chase, as a rising director, had gained significant experience from working on Fate/Zero and The Garden of Sinners, helping to shoulder a portion of the burden.
Otherwise, Edward feared he might one day collapse on set from overwork.
To keep all four productions on schedule, he was constantly shuttling between Nosrick City, the Imperial Mage Academy, and Arkans City.
For every crucial step in the filming process, even if he wasn't the primary person in charge, he at least had to oversee it, ensuring the footage met his expectations.
And after all this relentless, sleepless work…
Edward finally collapsed from exhaustion!
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"Where am I?"
Groggily waking up, Edward opened his eyes to find a familiar ceiling above him.
He vaguely recalled that the first time he had transmigrated into this world, this was the very sight that greeted him.
"So, I'm back at the castle?"
Muttering to himself, Edward was just beginning to relax when his eyes suddenly widened in shock. He abruptly sat up in bed.
Looking around in confusion, he muttered in disbelief, "Huh? Isn't this Durin Castle? How did I end up here? Wasn't I just at the Imperial Mage Academy filming Steins;Gate?"
While Edward was still trying to piece things together, struggling to recall what had happened, Winry entered the room carrying a tray of warm food.
The moment she saw him awake, she exclaimed loudly, "Ah! Lord Durin, you're awake? Your body is still weak, please lie back down and rest."
"Rest? Me?"
Forced back into bed under Winry's care, Edward asked in surprise, "Winry, how did I get back here?"
As she gently fed him a spoonful of food, Winry calmly explained, "It was Mr. Roy who brought you back. Apparently, you suddenly collapsed while filming at the Mage Academy. The students called a lecturer, the lecturer called the headmaster, and in the end, the headmaster ordered Mr. Roy to bring you home."
"I collapsed?"
Edward had absolutely no memory of this. It took him a moment to fully register his own weakness.
Thinking back, he realized that for the past two weeks, he had been utterly consumed by filmmaking, leaving no time for himself to rest. He had barely slept two or three hours each night—at this rate, even Ska was living a more human-like existence than him.
Under such conditions, it was hardly surprising that his body had finally given out. Even for a Grand Mage like himself, physical exhaustion had its limits.
Now, fully aware that his collapse was due to sheer exhaustion, Edward instinctively tried to sit up.
There was still so much work to be done on set. Without him, the entire film production process would be disrupted, possibly even halted altogether.
If he wanted to ensure all the films were completed in time for the Frost Festival a month from now, he had to get back to work—so he gritted his teeth and tried to force himself up.
But the moment Winry saw his intentions, her gentle demeanor vanished, replaced with firm determination. She forcefully stopped him and sternly commanded,
"Lord Durin, until your body has fully recovered—please do not leave this room!"
"Don't be like this, Winry. You don't understand how important these movies are to the audience. So many people are eagerly waiting for the sequels. How could I possibly—"
"But, Lord Durin, don't you know how important you are to me?"
"I..."
Edward froze upon hearing Winry's words. He stared blankly at the girl in front of him, who was trying her hardest to hold back her tears but whose eyes were still red with emotion. Only then did he realize just how much his collapse had worried her.
"Winry, I..."
He struggled to find the right words but, in the end, couldn't say anything. He couldn't even muster a simple apology.
After all, he knew very well how much hardship this girl had endured in the castle because of his own recklessness.
The Durin Family was merely a minor noble house in the Southern Territory. No matter how great Edward's personal achievements were, they couldn't change the overall status of his family.
Moreover, the Durin Family had been under even more pressure lately than ever before. The movies Edward created had blocked too many aristocrats' financial interests, drawing the ire of the so-called "upper-class elite." As a result, his family had become a thorn in their side.
The reason why none of this pressure had reached Edward directly was largely because of this seemingly frail girl who had been shielding him from the storm.
What Winry had done for the Durin Family far exceeded the contributions of anyone else in the household.
How could Edward possibly dismiss all the trouble and pressure he had caused her with just a simple "sorry"?
So, when faced with Winry's heartfelt plea, Edward finally nodded and said, "Alright, I'll listen to you. I won't leave until I've fully recovered."
"Really?"
Seeing the tearful smile on Winry's face, as if she still doubted whether he was telling the truth, Edward simply reached out and patted her head. Then, stretching lazily, he lay back down on the bed.
"It's been so long since I've acted like a useless lord. Let me take it easy for a couple of days, okay, Miss Winry?"
Seeing Edward completely embracing his slacker mode, Winry chuckled and nodded.
"Of course, Lord Durin. It would be my honor to serve you."
Thus, for the next two days, Edward completely unplugged from work, throwing all thoughts of filmmaking out of his mind. He spent his time idly tinkering with various old inventions in the castle alongside Winry.
In the process, he even stumbled upon some useful gadgets. While most of them weren't groundbreaking, they would make excellent props for his films.
The rare chance to relax helped clear Edward's mind, making his thoughts sharper and his creativity more fluid.
When he returns to work, he might just be able to come up with even more ideas to make his movies even better.
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Meanwhile, as Edward enjoyed his long-overdue break, an exciting rumor began spreading throughout the major towns of the Southern Territory:
The Frost Film Festival would feature multiple new movie releases all at once!
"Have you heard? Director Durin is planning to release several films during the Frost Festival!"
"No way! That sounds amazing!"
"If it's fake, I hope it's true. If it's true, I hope it's supercharged!"
"Director Durin is a legend!"
The entire Southern Territory erupted with excitement. Countless people were abuzz with discussions about the upcoming films, reaching near-frenzied levels of anticipation.
After such a long wait, their desire for new movies had never been stronger. Now, they were all eagerly awaiting the grand unveiling!
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