Chapter 73

Chairman Crawford Shim was a portly man adorned with two fluffy beards.

Knight didn't have a strong impression of him. While he couldn't be classified as a mere background character in the Fairy Tail narrative, he certainly wasn't pivotal either. Knight recalled that he lost the Speaker's throne due to the Tower of Paradise incident. Later, in a bid to regain power, he collaborated with the dark guild Hades Gate and ultimately met his demise because of his ambition. However, that was a story for the future; it hadn't happened yet.

For now, Knight sensed no malice from him.

…

"Please come this way."

Following Crawford Shim, they entered a spacious living room. The Speaker personally prepared tea for them.

"This is my favorite chamomile. I hope you both enjoy it," he said with a warm smile.

Erza picked up her teacup, and the rich fragrance was refreshing.

"It smells wonderful. Thank you for your hospitality," she replied.

Knight was surprised to receive such warm treatment from the Speaker of the Council. He remained cautious, only taking a sip after confirming that there was no unusual magic in the tea.

"Chamomile is a herb known as the apple of the earth. It makes the best tea," Crawford Shim said, beaming.

He appeared to be an ordinary, jovial old man.

Knight nodded in agreement; it was indeed delicious.

"Mr. Speaker…"

"It's not work time now; just call me Mr. Crawford," he interrupted.

Crawford Shim wore a ring on his finger. After inputting magic, the magic network interface instantly appeared.

"Knight, your magic network is remarkable. I've been studying it for some time and have always wanted to seek your advice," he said.

"You're welcome, Mr. Crawford. What would you like to know?" Knight responded, attentively listening.

"First, I'm curious about its coverage. I haven't had anyone test it specifically, but its limits remain unknown."

"The coverage of the magic network spans the entire continent," Knight replied confidently.

Crawford Shim's eyes lit up with excitement. "So, it covers the Ishgar continent, or all continents?"

"Every continent!" Knight reaffirmed.

In the Fairy Tail world, there were several continents. The Kingdom of Fiore, located in the eastern continent known as "Ishgar," was a permanent neutral country with a population of only 17 million. It occupied a small peninsula in the lower left corner of Ishgar.

There were about 500 guilds throughout the entire Ishgar region.

Crawford Shim gazed in amazement. "It covers the entire continent? That's astounding!"

"Nate, your online commission function is incredibly convenient. I want to promote it across the entire Ishgar. For that, I'll need more rings," he added.

"Are these rings all made by you? Is it difficult to mass-produce them? Our Council can provide the necessary support," Crawford Shim continued.

Promote it throughout Ishgar? Nate was taken aback. "Is it to facilitate the management of the major guilds?"

"You could say that. This would be an innovation. The Council's efficiency is somewhat lacking at present. Your magic network would make things more convenient."

Crawford Shim opened a chat group named [Council], which included ten members—one Speaker and nine council members.

"This chat group is also quite handy. Many times, communication doesn't require formal meetings. It's just…" Crawford Shim scratched his head sheepishly. "Typing can be a bit cumbersome. Do you have a way to convert it into telepathic communication, like telepathy?"

Knight refrained from commenting. He understood the convenience of voice communication but knew that it had a significant drawback—high magical power consumption. Text transmission was much less taxing on the network.

However, with nearly 8,000 registered users, the system should be able to handle voice functionality.

Thinking this through, Knight nodded. "That can be done, Mr. Crawford. When the next version is updated, I'll add this feature to the magic network."

After a brief pause, he asked, "Any other suggestions? Feel free to share them."

"That would be great! Alas, it's always inconvenient for an old man like me to type," Crawford Shim chuckled, rubbing his bald head.

"Since we can talk directly, what about images? Is that possible?" he inquired.

Knight couldn't help but feel a sense of incredulity at his boldness. Combining audio and video could lead to live broadcasts, which would require even more magical power.

"It might be possible, but we may have to wait until the next version," Knight replied, uncertainly.

"Is it truly feasible?" Crawford Shim exclaimed. "Is the principle of your Internet magic to integrate other magics, like the library and ancient documents?"

"That's correct," Knight affirmed, quickly shifting the subject to prevent the old man from making excessive demands—like a novelist facing impatient readers urging for updates.

"Let's return to the previous topic," Nate said, pulling out a cloth bag and placing it on the table. "This contains 1,000 first-generation magic net rings, which are only usable by wizards. I believe the Council will find this very useful."

"Yes, very much! It's just… too expensive!" Crawford Shim admitted, looking embarrassed. "The price is one million J per ring; the Council doesn't have that kind of budget."

1,000 rings would amount to one billion J. It wasn't that the money wasn't there; it just wasn't readily available. The Council of Representatives was government-funded, and each amount had a specific allocation, making it difficult for him to embezzle funds casually.

"This one will only cost 10,000 J."

Knight felt a surge of satisfaction; it seemed Makarov had scared Crawford during their last encounter…

"Really? That's a tremendous help! I will ensure these rings are used appropriately," Crawford Shim replied happily.

Knight continued, "As for your request for more rings, I can provide second-generation ones that can be used by ordinary people. After the first batch is produced, I can sell them to the Council at a friendly price."

"Bring it closer to the people," translated as "make a lot of money." Let Lucy's father handle discussions with the Council when the time came.

After pondering for a moment, Knight added, "Regarding your desire to manage the magical world more efficiently, I have a suggestion."

He opened his magic network and presented Crawford Shim with an as-yet-unupdated section labeled [Weekly sorcerer].

Crawford Shim's eyes brightened at the sight. After listening to Knight's explanation, he immediately grasped its potential.

"This is excellent! You must create a section for the Council of Judges!" he applauded.

Having a dedicated section for the Council would greatly ease the communication of their orders in the future. As the Speaker, he would also gain recognition for it.

"Don't worry, Mr. Crawford; I'll include it in the next version update."

Of course, Knight agreed. This was an official organization getting involved, and he couldn't wait!

Speaking of official organizations, shouldn't they offer some kind of "official certification"?

"Okay, okay, Knight! I must say, your magic is incredible!" Crawford Shim laughed, clearly pleased.

"By the way, about nominating you as one of the Ten Holy Wizards…"

"I'm honored," Knight replied, thinking he had landed a Holy Ten title for free—how fortunate!

From there, the two continued to discuss the Internet, completely forgetting about Erza.

Erza was not upset; instead, she listened intently to their conversation.

She couldn't help but feel admiration for Knight. It was remarkable how he could engage so comfortably with a prominent figure like the Speaker and foster a cooperative relationship with the Council.

Knight was no ordinary wizard; he was a genius capable of bringing real change to the magical world!

Erza recalled Makarov's assessment and, in this moment, truly appreciated the weight of those words.

…

Their pleasant conversation lasted quite a while.

Speaker Crawford Shim invited the two to dinner.

Afterward, he personally guided them on a tour of the Council House, canceling numerous tasks to do so.

In the end, they didn't even serve time in prison; they were given a guest room instead.

The next day, they were released after serving their sentence.

The Council proposed awarding Knight the Holy Ten Medal, which passed unanimously.

Following the meeting, the Council held a grand awarding ceremony.

Ziklein, also a Holy Ten, personally presented the Holy Ten Medal to Knight.

Ultear, who accompanied him, smiled and said, "From now on, you will be one of the Holy Ten Magicians!"