Chapter 195: Fate/Zero: Heroic Spirit Compendium (Part 1)
Imperial Mage Academy.
After a brief discussion, the Arch Mages had planned to part ways and return to their own domains. But to their surprise, Edward suddenly appeared, carrying a stack of booklets and calling out:
"What's the rush? I've got some little gifts for you."
"Gifts?"
The Arch Mages exchanged surprised glances as each accepted a copy of the small booklets from Edward's hands.
"Fate/Zero: Heroic Spirit Chronicle and Steins;Gate: Character Anthology?"
"Exactly. These are just the preliminary editions, though. They're not complete—the full content will be released only after both films finish screening. Also, since we printed so many copies, I went ahead and gave one to every student and teacher at the Imperial Mage Academy—for free, of course. Consider it a little student benefit. No need for the Mage Tower to reimburse me."
"Damn, have you lost your mind over money? Even this kind of thing you're trying to profit from?"
"Heh. Only fools don't make money. Sure, I'm not lacking in wealth anymore—but the funds I make still matter. Otherwise, how am I going to make Magitech Alchemy rise to prominence? That stuff burns money—a lot of it!"
At Edward's words, Administrator Hohenheim let out a long sigh and covered his face, as if he didn't want to be associated with this student.
But ultimately, curiosity about the setting materials got the better of him. He, like the other Arch Mages nearby, opened the booklet and began to carefully browse through it.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Out on the plaza.
The students, just finished with the film, were about to disperse when they suddenly saw the members of the student council carrying massive stacks of booklets toward them.
At first, the students were confused—what was this all about? But the moment they saw the cover titles on the booklets, the entire plaza exploded in excitement.
"Holy crap—don't push, don't shove! There's enough for everyone!!"
Student Council President White shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to maintain some order. But it was hopeless—the crowd paid him no attention at all. In seconds, they swarmed forward, scrambling to grab copies.
Some even used magic to cut in line or knock others aside.
Seeing the chaos spiral further out of control, President White and Vice President Diana both sighed helplessly. There was no stopping this madness.
Thankfully, the instructors chatting on the nearby platform saw what was happening and immediately stepped in.
Professor Streige didn't waste a second—he cast a Tier 4 Mindstorm on the spot. The blast rattled everyone's minds with a deafening buzz, and just like that, the entire plaza fell into stunned silence.
"Honestly, what kind of behavior is this? You're embarrassing yourselves as mages."
So saying, Professor Streige casually bent down and scooped up two extra copies of the booklet for himself.
This scene left the students both frustrated and resigned. After all, in the world of mages, power was the ultimate authority. When a Grand Mage spoke, even if you didn't like it, you listened.
With Streige asserting discipline, the other instructors were happy to not have to do any crowd control. Each simply walked over, grabbed two copies of their own, and strolled away with great satisfaction.
Soon enough, order was restored. The students lined up in long, orderly rows and began receiving their own booklets. Each person opened their copy with delight and began poring over the contents.
Meanwhile, members of the Magitech Alchemy Branch, Picole and Dillon, had never joined the rush to begin with. As internal members of the branch, they had already received their copies directly from Ska as part of their internal perks.
"Ohhh~ so that's what their pasts were like…"
Picole flipped through the pages with growing admiration.
Since the Fate/Zero movie was only about two-thirds completed, the booklet's biographical section only included details for three of the already-fallen Servants:
Lancer – Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
Caster – Gilles de Rais
Assassin – Hassan of the Hundred Faces
Even this small sample had already stunned its readers, stirring deep excitement for the full compendium still to come.
In addition to the Heroic Spirits, the compendium also included a brief section at the end dedicated to the Masters. Though far less elaborate than the Servant entries—some, like Ryuunosuke Uryuu, could be summarized in just a few lines—it still offered basic context.
Of course, certain Masters weren't featured at all. Characters like Emiya Kiritsugu, whose full backstory would only be revealed in the upcoming plot, were intentionally omitted. Spoilers were strictly avoided.
Meanwhile, Dillon was engrossed in the Steins;Gate: Character Anthology. The setting notes and timeline breakdowns cleared up a host of lingering questions he'd had while watching the movie.
What stunned him even more, though, was the appendix at the end: it detailed the construction methods for various Magitechs used in the film. These weren't just abstract explanations—they were full-blown instructional guides. It was as if the book were saying:
"If you're interested, you too can recreate these Magitechs."
Even more unbelievable, there were simplified versions meant for ordinary people—items so basic in their alchemic structure that non-mages could assemble them with the right instructions and effort.
Dillon was shaken. His hands itched to return to the Magitech Alchemy Branch and dig through the storage vaults for materials. He was itching to build every last one of these items.
He wasn't alone. Many of the mages present felt the same way. The emotional impact of the films, combined with the grounded practicality of the compendiums, had sparked a genuine interest in Magitech Alchemy like never before.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Inside Edward's Tavern.
Among the crowd that had scrambled to buy the setting booklets, even Emperor Hubbard and the Beastkin Oracle had managed to grab copies. And now, with books in hand, everyone had gone silent for a long while—immersed.
Only after a significant pause did the murmurs of discussion begin.
"So that's how it is… Diarmuid was a noble, loyal knight—fighting for honor, his lord, and his comrades. Who'd have thought he ended up eloping with his master's wife?"
"Right? Even more surprising is that he never once wanted to harm his past comrades. He held on to that sense of loyalty and duty until the very end. But still… stealing someone's wife—that's a line you shouldn't cross. I get why Fionn would have killed him in the end."
"It's kind of poetic, though. As a Heroic Spirit, summoned again in the Holy Grail War, Diarmuid ended up in a situation eerily similar to his past. It's like fate itself cursed him to repeat that story."
"Is this… the Lancer Curse? Good thing our empire doesn't have many lancers. Swordplay's easier to teach and more practical for our troops—most of them are swordsmen anyway."
"Speaking of swordsmen, Saber's not exactly having a good time either."
"Yeah, we still don't know Saber's past. I imagine once the next Fate film releases, we'll finally get the full picture."
"Can't wait for that."
And so, the discussion continued, as more and more pages were turned.
When the group reached the entry on Assassin – Hassan of the Hundred Faces, a collective gasp echoed through the tavern.
No one had expected this: Hassan wasn't a single person at all. He—or rather, they—were a sect of nineteen individuals, all bearing the name Hassan. Each one had taken up the mantle, the mask, the identity.
But even that revelation paled in comparison to what came next.
The entry that shocked everyone to their core—
The background of Caster – Gilles de Rais.
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind paying $5 each month to read till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon[1].
Latest Post In Patreon: Chapter 239: The Premiere of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure! (Part 1)[2]
Link to the chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/138667623?collection=162522[3]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/162522?view=condensed[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/162522?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/138667623?collection=162522
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/138667623?collection=162522
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/162522?view=condensed