Chapter 210: Announcement on the Edolas

After returning the previously captured soldiers to Erza, Nate and Erza made their way to the Privy Council—a modest conference room.

Inside, a long table stretched across the room, with individuals from opposing factions seated on either side.

On one side sat the kingdom's representatives: Hughes, the nervous commander of the Third Magic War Division; Byro, a wrinkled advisor with dark circles under his eyes; and his assistant, a young girl who preferred to run around barefoot.

On the opposite side sat Mystogan, Natsu, Wendy, along with Happy and Carla. King Faust lay slumped nearby, still unconscious.

The room remained silent until Nate and "Queen" Erza arrived, followed closely by Panther Lily and Sugarboy, the newly freed commanders of the First and Fourth Magic War Divisions.

"Everyone's here," Nate said bluntly as he took his seat. "So, let's discuss the new ruler."

A *new* ruler?

The kingdom's representatives exchanged confused glances, while Panther Lily and Sugarboy, having just been released, looked utterly bewildered by the situation.

Standing at the far end of the table, Erza confidently declared, "I have reached an agreement with Nate-san. From now on, the Kingdom of Edolas will produce Magic Net rings on our own. With the Magic Net, we can resolve the issue of our world's magic depletion."

"King Faust sought to provoke war between our worlds, driven by unchecked greed and ambition. Such a leader is no longer fit to rule this nation."

Erza raised her head, her gaze sweeping over her comrades with commanding intensity. "I will take up the crown and lead our people forward. Does anyone object?"

Happy whispered nervously to Natsu, "Even in this world, Erza is still Erza—she's terrifying…"

"Aye, Happy…" Natsu muttered, nodding vigorously.

Nate suppressed a smirk. How could they find her so intimidating? He didn't feel that way at all.

"Wait," Panther Lily suddenly stood, looking confused and frowning. "What's all this talk about a 'new ruler' and 'Magic Net'? And Erza… are you going to be queen?"

He gestured toward Happy and Carla. "And why are there two Exceeds here? Is this by Queen Shagotte's orders?"

Mystogan spoke up calmly, "Allow me to explain, Lily. It's been a while."

"Prince Jellal!" Panther Lily's eyes widened as he finally recognized Mystogan.

Mystogan offered a soft smile before explaining the situation.

"…Therefore, for the peace of both worlds, and with Nate's help, I returned to stop my father's actions."

Panther Lily and Sugarboy were left stunned. After being confined in those cards for such a short time, they hadn't expected the world outside to change so dramatically.

"If that's the case," Panther Lily said after a moment's reflection, "then it seems there's no reason to continue with the Anima project. I don't object. But as for the new ruler, shouldn't that be—"

Mystogan interrupted with a firm shake of his head. "I am not a prince. I am a Fairy Tail mage, Mystogan. Erza is the most suitable candidate to lead."

Nate tapped his fingers on the table, cutting through the tension and drawing everyone's attention. "This isn't a discussion. It's already decided. We're here to inform you."

His voice sharpened. "You don't have the strength to bargain with me on this."

"This isn't a negotiation. If you can't accept it, you're free to leave."

As Nate spoke, the atmosphere in the conference room grew noticeably colder.

On the king's side, everyone fell silent, not daring to speak.

"Mystogan," Nate said, "wake Faust up and have him step down voluntarily to crown the new ruler."

Tired of the back-and-forth, he stood up and left the room. He found a quiet place, opened his programming tool on the Magic Net, and continued coding.

The online battle feature for *Celestial Pokémon* was essentially a copy of *Magic Arena*, so it didn't take long to finish. After about half an hour, Nate completed the final touches.

Done!

"Hmm… but something feels like it's missing," Nate thought. Perhaps a video platform to host an animated Pokémon series?

In a world with magic, animation wouldn't require artists painstakingly drawing each frame. Memory-related magic could directly turn mental images into animation—even skipping the need for voice actors.

As he pondered possible magic spells, he sensed someone approaching.

Queen Erza appeared, carrying a plate of sliced fruit. "My apologies for interrupting. Please, help yourself."

Nate took a piece of unfamiliar fruit and asked, "So, it's all settled?"

"Faust agreed to abdicate," Erza replied. "Preparations for the announcement are already underway."

Nate was curious about how Mystogan had managed to persuade him. Erza's lips curved into a slight smile.

"Your words in the council room certainly left an impression," she said. "They calmed everyone down immediately. Thank you for helping me."

Nate's instinct was to say, "A spoken thanks is hardly enough," but they weren't quite that familiar yet. Instead, he replied, "No need to thank me. We're partners, after all."

Erza nodded seriously, accepting the term "partners." Her gaze fell on Nate's programming interface.

"What is that?" she asked.

"A new game," Nate explained casually, giving a brief overview of *Celestial Pokémon*.

Erza's interest was piqued immediately. "Pokémon?"

"Curious?"

"Yes, I am."

"Let me send you an app. This game was designed specifically for people like you who lack internal magic power."

Nate taught Queen Erza how to play Pokémon, even giving her 50 gold tickets. Erza wasn't as lucky as Mirajane; it took nearly all 50 draws for her to hit the guaranteed reward—drawing a Pikachu.

As time passed, dusk fell over the city.

At the Royal Plaza, tens of thousands of citizens had gathered, with soldiers maintaining order around the square.

"I heard there's a major announcement from the king today!" one citizen murmured.

"My sister-in-law's cousin works as a palace guard. Apparently, the king solved the 'magic depletion' problem!"

"No, my source says it's the prince who has returned!"

"You're all wrong. Didn't you hear the explosion earlier? It was a coup in the palace!"

Rumors buzzed through the crowd as speculation grew.

"Silence!"

Advisor Byro's voice echoed across the square, amplified by a magic item, while soldiers stomped their spears in unison. Instantly, the plaza fell silent, with thousands of eyes fixed on the podium.

Nate, dressed in a lavish robe that gave him the air of an ancient mage, addressed the crowd.

"People of Edolas, some of you may have seen me, and some may not. I am Nate, known to you as the 'Master of the Magic Net,' the Creator of Internet Magic!"

Many faces in the crowd registered shock. *Master of the Magic Net*?

Some had already gotten their hands on a ring through various channels and had glimpsed the Magic Net's potential. For these few, seeing its creator was like witnessing a celebrity in person.

Nate smiled slightly and continued:

"I have come here to save this world from its magic depletion!"

~~~

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