I'm Not A Master, I'm A Director
Chapter 426: The Knight King's Little-Known Hobby
For the FGO: Prologue film crew, Sakura couldn't help but feel a bit dissatisfied deep down—because she no longer felt like herself.
It wasn't just the way her older brother treated her. The entire filming environment, with its constant hints and not-so-subtle guidance, seemed to be reshaping her perception of who she was.
The sympathetic looks from certain Chaldea staff members. The detailed medical records that belonged exclusively to Mash Kyrielight. Even the fact that she had to wear a patient's gown for extended periods on set… all of it seemed to be reminding her that she is Mash Kyrielight, an artificial human with only one year left to live.
They had even named the set "Chaldea Human Order Security Organization."
Wasn't that a bit too real? Was all of this really necessary?
This level of meticulous setup subtly pulled everyone into their roles, but it also left Sakura feeling irritated.
A dark thought crossed her mind.
Her brother must think she wasn't gentle enough, so he was deliberately using this method to "brainwash" her into gradually becoming more like that girl named Mash.
"Great figure, gentle personality, hardworking, and a kouhai-type girl who unconditionally supports the male lead… tch. Men really are all pigs. And my brother is the worst of them!"
That said, Sakura couldn't exactly voice her objections. After all, her acting skills weren't exactly strong, so she didn't have much ground to stand on.
Of course, it wouldn't be accurate to say she completely hated this approach.
To some extent, she didn't think this style of acting was entirely a negative experience.
At the very least, Shinji's attitude toward her had become gentler than ever before. It really did feel like he was carefully cherishing a girl whose life was about to come to an end.
—Aside from constantly reminding her that she was Mash Kyrielight.
"Wait… don't tell me this is part of his plan too?"
Convinced she had uncovered the truth, Sakura shot her director brother a suspicious look.
"Don't worry, my dear kouhai."
Sensing her gaze, Shinji finally looked up from the monitor and reassured her during filming, which was rare for him.
"You're a strong girl. Have faith in yourself—and in humanity."
"That's not comforting at all…"
Once again being forced into this role by her brother, Sakura couldn't help but complain.
"Very good." Shinji gave her a thumbs-up. "You're Chaldea's resident straight man. Never forget that."
"Onii-sama, you're absolutely doing this on purpose!"
To Sakura, Shinji now looked like a demon king, forcing her to swallow a pill called Mash Kyrielight. And not only could she not resist, she had to actively cooperate.
"I can't run away. I am Mash Kyrielight, a Heroic Spirit who will save humanity. I have to stay strong!"
She patted her cheeks, steeled her resolve, and stepped back onto the set.
"Better results than I expected," Shinji murmured, stroking his chin. "Does this count as Mash corruption?"
"Master, there's something very wrong with that phrasing. Mash is a strong and admirable girl, how could you describe it as 'corruption'?"
Shinji glanced back at the speaker.
"Why are you still holding Fou? Put it on set already."
"Mm…"
Reluctant to part with the fluffy white creature in her arms, Arturia hesitated for a long moment before finally setting it down.
"Hurry up and connect your mana. We're about to start filming."
Apparently annoyed by her hesitation, Shinji urged her on.
"Fou!"
The white fluffball's eyes flashed with a sharp glint. The next second, it leapt up and delivered a solid kick straight to Shinji's face.
"Ow! Arturia!"
Clutching his cheek—now marked with a tiny black paw print—Shinji didn't even glance at Fou, who strutted proudly onto the set. Instead, he shot a glare at the Knight King.
Arturia smiled sweetly, like a blooming white lotus.
"My apologies, Master. I'm still not used to controlling it."
In a normal film production, a fantastical creature like Fou would either be created with CGI or filmed using puppetry and wires.
But this was an FGO set, centered around magecraft—of course they wouldn't settle for something so low-tech.
The fluffy creature now hopping energetically around the set was actually a custom-made puppet familiar, specially commissioned by Shinji from Medea.
Through magical energy, the user could remotely control it—and even make it speak.
There was no way Shinji would believe Arturia's excuse about "not being used to controlling it."
If that were true, then Fou should've spoken in Arturia's tone just now—instead of making that usual "Fou~" sound.
"My, my~⭐ Shinji really looks miserable."
Seeing the black paw print on Shinji's face, Merlin covered his mouth and chuckled.
"But it's only natural. Even though Medea always keeps a straight face, she's completely defenseless against fluffy little animals. You kept rushing her, so of course she got annoyed."
"Oi, you damn Fou-obsessed idiot, stop enjoying my suffering!" Shinji snapped without the slightest bit of courtesy. "Get back to your position right now, or next time we make a Fou, I'll have Medea use your hair as material!"
"I strongly protest against such concentration-camp-level treatment…"
Sitting on the floor of the set, Charlemagne watched the noisy scene unfold and gave a wry smile.
"I don't mind you guys having fun, but could someone maybe pay attention to me? I've been lying here playing dead this whole time, you know?"
As Shinji kicked Merlin in the backside, he shot back at Charlemagne:
"Heroic Spirits don't get sick anyway. What's wrong with lying there a bit longer?"
Charlemagne's face darkened with exasperation.
"Hey, hey… did I board the wrong ship or something?"
Even though he complained, Shinji quickly got back to work after driving Merlin off.
Today's scene was part of the very beginning of FGO: Prologue—Ritsuka waking up in the hallway after being kicked by Fou, and his first meeting with Mash.
Mash treated Ritsuka with great respect, her gentle voice naturally leaving a good impression.
But Ritsuka was utterly confused by everything in Chaldea. Whether it was Fou or Mash, his reactions were filled with bewilderment. Terms like "spiritron dive" and "Master" made his head spin—he didn't even understand why he was in such a futuristic place to begin with.
And Mash calling him "senpai" only made things worse.
He had just arrived here, so why was he being called the senior?
"Have we met before?" Charlemagne asked helplessly.
Sakura answered firmly, "No. This is our first meeting."
"Then why are you calling me senpai?"
"Th-that's…"
Mash seemed unable to explain.
"…Forget it. It doesn't matter."
Ritsuka smiled and extended his hand. "My name is Fujimaru Ritsuka. I look forward to working with you."
But the girl avoided his hand.
"Likewise," Mash replied, nervously waving both hands. "I'm Mash Kyrielight."
"…Rejected handshake right off the bat, huh…?"
The smile on Ritsuka's face gradually turned a bit awkward.
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"These two are doing pretty well now. Way better than at the start."
Standing beside the monitor, Archer muttered quietly to the silent Shinji.
As Shinji's go-to cameraman, Archer had been around long enough to develop his own sense for acting quality.
Honestly, based on Sakura and Charlemagne's initial performances, he never expected the filming of Prologue to go smoothly.
The male lead had almost zero acting experience, and the female lead's acting was… practically nonexistent.
In Archer's opinion, it would've already been impressive if Sakura could recover her Heaven's Feel-era acting within a week.
Yet after Shinji's immersive method, Sakura had gradually rediscovered her old acting instincts—even if she hadn't been that great to begin with.
But what truly surprised Archer was Charlemagne.
This young Emperor of the Franks was able to portray a teenage boy with remarkable authenticity.
That airheaded confusion, the easygoing nature that drifted with the flow yet held firm convictions at critical moments—many professional actors would struggle to pull it off without overacting.
And yet, Charlemagne handled it effortlessly, as if this was simply who he was.
This opening scene might seem unremarkable, but it was actually a crucial setup for both the story of Prologue and the relationship between Ritsuka and Mash.
In this scene, Ritsuka reaches out his hand—but Mash doesn't take it.
The act of a handshake is a key motif throughout Prologue. It symbolizes Mash's attitude toward Ritsuka.
Over the course of the story, they will attempt to shake hands four times.
Aside from this failed attempt, there are three more to come.
The four handshakes happened at key moments.
The first was after the explosion, when Mash—gravely injured—formed a contract with Ritsuka.
The second was after the Fuyuki Singularity was resolved, when the two were falling, and Ritsuka reached out on his own initiative.
And the third came at the end of the film, when Mash took the initiative to grasp Ritsuka's hand, and the two set off together toward the French Singularity.
Anyone who had read the script carefully would notice immediately that each handshake marked a step forward in the relationship between Mash and Ritsuka.
For the actors, properly conveying the emotions and behavior during each of these moments was the most effective way to help the audience quickly understand the progression of the story.
As for this very first handshake scene—
Charlemagne's performance was flawless.
He perfectly captured Ritsuka's uneasiness as someone completely alone in an unfamiliar place, along with the subtle disappointment of having his handshake rejected by a girl.
It made Archer feel that Shinji's decision this time—his crucial "summon"—was absolutely spot-on. He had chosen a male lead that fit the role perfectly.
"You really can't tell this guy is acting for the first time," Archer said with his arms crossed. "He's already about as good as me."
"Wake up. You're a perpetually back-facing, expressionless guy—what acting skills do you even have?"
"Hey, Shinji… talking like that is going to get you killed someday."
"…Hm?"
Shinji looked up, only to meet Archer's half-smiling gaze.
For some reason, it sent a chill down his spine.
"…Don't tell me, in your timeline…"
Even though he knew full well that he was completely different from the Shinji Matou Archer was referring to, his heart still skipped a beat.