Internet Magic in Fairy Tail

“Yes, dragon summoning magic,” Nate confirmed with a nod.

“Please teach me, Nate-sama!”

Without hesitation, Angel dropped to her knees, bowing in gratitude with flawless posture.

“Don’t thank me just yet. You haven’t accomplished anything, and there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.”

While Nate did consider giving her a black key, now wasn’t the time. A good leader knows how to dangle a carrot to motivate others.

If you make something too easy to get, it often loses its value.

Lucy and Future Lucy were special—they were girlfriends, present and future. Giving them black keys made perfect sense. But Angel? She was just a subordinate who had pledged loyalty. That didn’t warrant such a generous reward yet.

“But I don’t have the Zodiac Keys anymore, and without enough power, how am I supposed to prove myself?” Angel lamented.

“You can buy silver keys.”

“I’m broke.”

“...”

Nate sighed. “Are all dark guild members this poor?”

“My money was confiscated by the council. Nate-sama, please lend me some!”

This girl’s life is tragic, Nate thought, recalling how Angel had been stripped of her Celestial Spirit keys in the Worth Woodsea Forest, then had all her assets seized after her capture.

“Fine. Consider this an advance on your salary.”

Nate pulled out a magical bank card. “There’s one million Jewels on this card. Use it to buy silver keys.”

He paused before adding, “As a Celestial Spirit Mage, you can also invest in some other magic items.”

“Thank you!”

Angel accepted the card with glee, but her expression quickly turned cheeky.

“But… isn’t one million a bit little? How about you advance me half a year’s salary?”

“One million is half a year’s salary.”

“Eh? That little?”

“If you think it’s not enough, you can sell Magic Net Coins. Oh, by the way, you and your group still owe me 1,000 Magic Net Coins each. Don’t forget to pay it back soon.”

Nate waved her off.

Angel reluctantly stood and headed for the door but stopped and turned back.

“Nate-sama, I have a younger sister named Yukino Agria. We got separated when I was taken to the Tower of Heaven. Do you know where she is?”

Nate rolled his eyes. “You could try asking on the forums. Magic Net users know everything.”

“That’s a great idea!”

With a thoughtful nod, Angel finally left the office.

Nate vaguely remembered her sister, Yukino, being a Celestial Spirit Mage who, in the original timeline, would join Sabertooth and compete in the Grand Magic Games seven years later. She was likely only 12 or 13 years old now.

Precht, finishing his meal with elegance, picked up a glass of milk as though it were fine wine.

Nate couldn’t help but think the old man would prefer a bottle of red.

“If she’s looking for a blood relative, there’s a divination magic that could help her.”

“Let her figure it out herself. I’m not her dad; I can’t be taking care of everything.” Nate shook his head.

Precht chuckled, amused at his own change of heart. “There’s a divination magic I know that can pinpoint her location.”

You’ve completely turned into a nice old man, Nate thought, suppressing a laugh.

“Two days from now, the council will launch a raid on Tartaros,” Nate said, changing the subject. “You’re expected to contribute significantly.”

“Is that part of the deal for lifting my sentence?”

“You could say that,” Nate replied. “But don’t kill the demons—capture them alive.”

Nate already had a plan for Tartaros. The demons weren’t just enemies; they were untapped resources. Turning the Tartaros base into a prison and converting the demons into “curse energy generators” would be far more beneficial.

…

Two days later.

In response to the council’s call, five guilds had sent their S-Class mages to join the assault:

Fairy Tail: Erza and Gray

Sabertooth: Minerva

Blue Pegasus: Ichiya

Mermaid Heel: Kagura

Quatro Cerberus: Bacchus

It was a hasty assembly, but these guilds had been the quickest to respond.

In a reception room within the council, the group gathered.

“Long time no see, Erza! I’m here for you, my darling!” Ichiya struck what he thought was a charming pose.

“Stay away from me!” Erza recoiled half a step. “Just seeing your face makes me feel sick.”

Crack.

Ichiya froze as though struck by lightning, his whole demeanor shattering.

Minerva, fanning herself with a graceful smile, added, “Have you ever heard of mirrors? They’re quite useful.”

Poof!

Ichiya fell to his knees, his heavily styled hair wilting.

“You’re being mean!” he groaned. “A man’s strength isn’t in his face!”

Kagura, expressionless, muttered quietly, “At least you’re self-aware…”

Bacchus laughed heartily, patting Ichiya on the back and offering him a flask of alcohol.

“Drink up!”

Ichiya perked up slightly but declined. “No thanks. I can’t risk being impaired during the raid.”

Gray, clearly distracted, muttered, “Why hasn’t Nate shown up yet?”

Just then, the doors swung open, and five familiar figures strode in.

Ichiya’s eyes widened in shock. “The Oración Seis?!”

“Relax,” said Midnight, tapping the council emblem on his chest. “Didn’t you notice our uniforms?”

Ichiya stared, dumbfounded. “You’ve joined the council as an enforcement team?”

“Exactly,” Cobra grinned. “We’re now the Ninth Custody Enforcement Unit, directly under Nate. For this mission, we’re the main force.”

The room quickly descended into bickering, tensions flaring between the newly reformed Oración Seis and the other guild representatives.

“Enough!”

Golden light flashed, and several council members, including Ur and Nate, appeared.

Hands on her hips, Ur scolded, “You’re supposed to be allies in this raid, not fighting amongst yourselves. Calm down!”

With a wave of her hand, the loudest—Racer—was instantly encased in a flawless ice sculpture.@@novelbin@@