Chapter 15 : The council

Dinner with Juvia

Juvia had a small appetite, but most of her attention wasn't on the food. She spent the dinner sneaking glances at Knight, her face often flushing as she seemed to drift into her own little world. It was obvious she was lost in some internal drama, and Knight could tell by her occasional blushing that her thoughts were running wild. Whenever they spoke, she couldn't help but become distracted by his new six-eyed appearance.

Knight noticed her frequent stares and, with a helpless smile, said, "If you want to look, just go ahead."

"Huh?" Juvia turned bright red, quickly lowering her head in embarrassment.

Knight found it amusing. She was so different now compared to when they first met. Back then, the gloomy aura she carried, especially on that rainy day, made her seem distant and unapproachable. Now, she seemed almost shy—charming in her own way.

"Juvia."

"Yes, Lord Knight?" she responded promptly, still using formal language.

"There's no need for the 'Lord.' Just call me Knight," he said, as he pulled a cloth bag from his side and slid it across the table towards her. "Here, these are 400 rings. Do the same as before."

"Are these for the guild as well?" she asked as she carefully took the bag.

"As long as they go to wizards. It doesn't matter which guild," Knight said, not caring about who the rings were sold to.

"Understood. Juvia will complete the task!" she said, her seriousness earning Knight's trust.

Knight smiled. "Why don't you join our guild instead?"

Juvia's heart raced for a moment, but she quickly declined, "No… I'm sorry, Knight. Phantom Lord took me in when no one else would."

Noticing that Juvia wasn't wearing a ring yet, Knight asked, "Why aren't you wearing yours?"

Juvia's eyes softened. "This is the first gift I've ever received… I want to treasure it."

Knight almost sighed, suspecting she might start worshipping the ring like some holy relic. "Put it on, and I'll show you how to use the Internet."

Juvia nodded, and Knight patiently guided her step by step through the magical device's functions. She was astonished, having never encountered such magic before. Soon, the Phantom Guild members began flooding the forum, filling it with all sorts of posts.

Juvia was fascinated. She noticed the friend feature and hesitantly asked, "Can Juvia add you as a friend?"

"Of course," Knight said, chuckling slightly. He was quickly greeted with more friend requests—Lucy, Natsu, and Gray had all added him. He accepted them all before glancing at the time.

"I need to get going or I'll miss the last train. When you sell the rings, bring me the money," Knight said, standing up.

"Got it! Juvia will bring the money to Fairy Tail," she assured him.

"See you next time," Knight said with a smile, hurrying out of the restaurant.

As Juvia stood to follow him, the waiter stepped in her way. "Miss, you haven't paid yet."

…

The next morning, Knight woke up feeling a surge of energy. His magic power had increased significantly overnight.

"Two stars now, huh? I guess upgrading in my sleep isn't so bad," he mused.

He checked the number of registered users—483 people. Juvia had been busy. Knight couldn't help but mentally give her a thumbs up.

After his morning routine, he headed to the guild for breakfast, where he found everyone unusually active.

"Morning, Mira. Morning, Lucy," he greeted, noting the unusual hustle.

"Good morning, Knight," Mirajane replied, her sunny smile brightening the room.

Lucy, meanwhile, was engrossed in the forum, scrolling through posts. "They're arguing with Phantom wizards," she said. "Do you know anything about the sudden influx of people?"

Knight feigned ignorance. "Who knows? Maybe they got lucky and found a bunch of rings."

As they chatted, Knight couldn't help but chuckle at the petty squabbles happening online. Phantom seemed to have the upper hand, simply because they had more people. It was a typical internet spat—pointless but entertaining.

By noon, Makarov approached Knight with a grin. "Knight, I've got something for you. The councilor wants ten rings. Do you have any left?"

"The council?" Knight asked, surprised. It seemed news of the magic Internet had reached high places.

He handed over ten rings to Makarov, and then gave the remaining rings—290 in total—to Mirajane. Keeping a hundred for himself, he added, "Make sure to charge the councilors a good price, President. They're not exactly short on money."

Makarov chuckled, shaking his head at Knight's cunning. "You've got a sharp business sense, kid."

As the old man left, Mirajane looked at the rings in her hand. "Are you really giving these all away?"

Knight smiled, "It's nothing. Just think of it as a gift."

Mirajane's bright eyes sparkled as she smiled back. "Thank you, Knight. I'm sure everyone will appreciate it."

And so, the morning passed—filled with idle chatter, playful quarreling online, and the warm camaraderie of the guild.

Just as Knight was relaxing, a private message appeared, flashing across his vision. It was a friend request from someone unexpected.

However, the person he wanted to add was not [Sigma Man], but the secret boss of the magic world [Voldemort] in the vest.

Applicant: Zikrain.

Message: I am a councilor, one of the Ten Wizard Saints. Let's talk.

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