Chapter 73: Officially a Wizard Saint

Chairman Crawford Seam was a large man with fluffy sideburns, but Nate didn't have a strong impression of him.

While not exactly a minor character in the Fairy Tail storyline, Crawford wasn't particularly crucial either. Nate only remembered that Crawford had lost his chairman position after the Tower of Heaven incident.

Later, in his attempt to regain power, Crawford conspired with the dark guild 'Tartaros', but he ultimately met his end, consumed by his own ambition. Of course, that was a future event, and at this moment, Crawford showed no ill will towards Nate.

...

"Please, follow me," Crawford Seam invited, leading them to a spacious sitting room.

The chairman personally brewed tea for them. "This is my favorite chamomile. I hope it suits your taste."

Erza lifted her cup, inhaling the rich aroma. "A wonderful fragrance. Thank you for the hospitality."

Receiving such courteous treatment from the chairman of the Council was all thanks to Nate. Cautiously, Nate took a sip after detecting no suspicious magic influence in the tea.

"Chamomile, also known as the 'apple of the earth,' makes an excellent tea," Crawford said with a chuckle, looking like an ordinary, jovial old man.

Nate nodded in agreement; the tea was indeed quite good.

"Mr. Chairman..."

"We're off-duty now. Just call me Mr. Crawford," the chairman said kindly. As he spoke, he wore a ring on his hand, channeling magic into it, and the Internet Magic interface popped up.

"Nate, your Internet Magic is remarkable. I've been studying it and have been eager to ask you a few things."

"I'm flattered, Mr. Crawford. What would you like to know?" Nate asked attentively.

"First, the coverage range. I haven't tested it thoroughly, but I haven't found its limit yet."

"The coverage is continent-wide," Nate confirmed.

Crawford seemed to expect this. "I see. Is it just the Ishgar continent, or does it cover all continents?"

"All continents," Nate reiterated.

The world of Fairy Tail had several continents. The Kingdom of Fiore was located on the eastern continent, known as 'Ishgar'. Fiore, a permanently neutral country with a population of only 17 million, was situated on a peninsula in the lower-left corner of Ishgar. Across the continent, there were about 500 guilds.

Crawford was amazed. "It covers the entire continent... that's truly incredible!"

"Nate, the [Online Commission] board feature is very convenient. I want to promote it across the entire Ishgar. For that, we'll need more rings."

"These rings—are you the one manufacturing them? Would it be difficult to produce them in large quantities? The Council can assist you if needed."

Nate was slightly surprised. "To make managing all the guilds easier?"

"That's part of it. This will be a revolutionary step. The Council's current operations are a bit slow, and your Internet Magic would greatly simplify things."

Crawford Seam opened a chat group on his interface. The group was titled "Council," with ten members—himself and the nine other council members.

"This chat feature is also very handy. Many of our discussions can be handled here without convening formal meetings. However..." Crawford scratched his head awkwardly. "Typing can be a bit tedious. Is there a way to make it more like 'telepathic' communication, like some magic items?"

Nate thought for a moment. He knew voice communication would be more convenient, but it would significantly increase magic power consumption. Text transmission placed far less strain on Internet Magic.

However, with nearly 8,000 users now on the network, it might be able to support a voice feature.

"Yes, that's possible, Mr. Crawford. I'll include it in the next update," Nate said. "Do you have any other suggestions? Feel free to share them."

"That's great to hear! As an old man, typing really isn't my strong suit," Crawford laughed, rubbing his bald head. "If we can talk directly, then... what about visuals? Can that be done?"

Nate was inwardly taken aback. 'You're really pushing it, aren't you?' he thought. Combining audio with visuals would be live broadcasting, which would increase the magic power demands even more.

"It's possible, but it might take until the next update," Nate replied, uncertain.

"Is there anything your Internet Magic 'can't' do?" Crawford exclaimed in amazement. "Is its principle based on integrating other magics, like the Super Archive?"

"In a way, yes," Nate replied, quickly changing the subject to avoid further ambitious suggestions. It felt like being a novelist faced with readers constantly demanding more chapters. 'The writer wants to update faster too, but sometimes it's just not possible!'

"Let's return to the previous topic," Nate said, taking out a small pouch and placing it on the table. "Here are 1,000 first-generation Internet Magic rings. They can only be used by mages, but I'm sure the Council will find them useful."

"Very useful! But... they're expensive!" Crawford looked a bit embarrassed. "At 1 million J per ring, we don't have that much in our budget."

A thousand rings would cost 10 billion J. While the Council could technically afford it, they didn't have extra funds lying around. The Council operated on a government budget, and every expenditure had to be justified.

"These will only be 10,000 J per ring," Nate smiled. 'It seems Master Makarov scared Crawford with his last deal...'

"That's a huge help! We'll put them to good use," Crawford said, visibly relieved.

Nate continued, "If you need more, I can provide second-generation rings that even non-mages can use. Once the first batch is ready, I can offer them at a more affordable price."

"Affordable"—meaning Nate planned to make a solid profit. 'Maybe I'll get Lucy's dad to negotiate the deal with the Council,' he mused.

After some thought, Nate added, "If you're looking for better ways to manage the magic world, I have a suggestion."

He opened the Internet Magic interface and displayed a feature that had yet to be updated.

"The 'Weekly Sorcerer' section," Nate introduced.

Crawford's eyes lit up at the sight. After hearing Nate's explanation, he applauded. "This is brilliant! You must make a similar section for the Council!"

With a Council-specific section, communicating orders would become far easier. As chairman, Crawford knew he'd gain recognition for such a move.

"Don't worry, Mr. Crawford. I'll include it in the next update," Nate agreed readily. He was eager to have the Council officially join Internet Magic.

'Should I create an 'official certification' tag for them?' he thought.

"Wonderful, Nate. I knew I wasn't wrong about you. Your magic truly is extraordinary!" Crawford laughed heartily, clearly pleased.

"Oh, and about your nomination for 'Wizard Saint'..."

"I'm honored," Nate replied, thinking, 'A free promotion? I'll take it!'

The conversation turned back to Internet Magic, with Nate and Crawford fully engrossed in discussion, leaving Erza to listen quietly. Rather than feeling neglected, she admired Nate even more.

'He's amazing!'

Being able to chat casually with the Council chairman and form collaborations with the Council—Nate wasn't just a regular mage. He was a visionary, someone capable of transforming the magic world.

Erza recalled Makarov's high praise for Nate, and at that moment, she truly understood its significance.

...

The meeting continued for a long time, and Crawford Seam eventually invited both Nate and Erza to lunch. He even cleared his schedule in the afternoon to personally give them a tour of the Council headquarters.

By the end of the day, they didn't even have to serve their jail time. Instead, Crawford arranged guest rooms for them, and by the next morning, they were officially "released."

After the meeting, the Council unanimously voted to award Nate the title of "Wizard Saint."

In a grand ceremony afterward, Siegrain personally delivered the "Wizard Saint" medal to Nate.

Ultear, who accompanied Siegrain, smiled and said, "From now on, you're one of the 'Ten Wizard Saints'!"