After finishing the dinner Lucy had made, Knight thanked her and sent her off.
"Well, see you tomorrow morning. Good night!" Lucy smiled as she collected the dishes and headed back to her room next door.
"Good night," Knight replied, closing the door behind her.
He glanced at the clock. It was already past ten. Deciding not to stay up late, Knight pushed aside his work on the [Online Commission] feature, knowing it wasn't urgent. He took a quick shower and lay down in bed, feeling relaxed. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.
"Right, the private message…"
Earlier that day, a persistent reviewer had been trying to add him as a friend. Curious, Knight logged into the magic network and opened the message.
Zikrein: Hello, Voldemort, I am the reviewer Zikrein.
Zikrein: I'm happy you accepted my friend request. I have a couple of questions for you.
Zikrein: First, about your forum reply—did you mean that the dragons that disappeared from the world are hiding inside the Dragon Slayers? Is that true?
Zikrein: Also, I'm quite curious about your identity.
Knight chuckled at the politeness of the message and noticed it had been sent earlier in the afternoon, right after he'd accepted the friend request. With a smirk, he typed a casual reply.
[Voldemort]: Whether you believe the information on the magic network is your business, not mine.
Knight had shared part of the truth, except for one detail—the dragons hadn't disappeared on July 7, X777. Everything else, including the existence of different generations of Dragon Slayers, was true.
[Voldemort]: As for your curiosity about my identity… What difference does it make if you know or don't? Jellal Fernandez.
Knight added the last line with a sly grin. If Zikrein wanted to expose his identity, Knight would play along, but not without revealing something first.
Satisfied with his reply, Knight turned off the network and went to sleep.
Meanwhile, at the Magic Council headquarters, Zikrein sat in his study, illuminated by the soft glow of a magic crystal lamp. After purchasing a magic ring from Makarov for 1 million J, Zikrein had grown increasingly fascinated by the magic network. He'd spent the entire day researching its origins.
"This isn't ancient magic, is it?"
Zikrein closed a book with a frown. The magic network seemed to blend the advantages of various magics, such as the "ancient documents" used by Crawford Shim, the Speaker of the Magic Council. However, the network's [Library] function could search far faster without consuming the user's magic. It defied logic.
"Where are these materials stored after being uploaded to the network?" Zikrein mused, struggling to grasp the network's intricacies. "I'd love to meet the creator of this magic… Fairy Tail's Knight…"
His thoughts were interrupted as the magic ring on his finger emitted a faint white light. A private message had arrived from [Voldemort]. His persistence in adding the mysterious user as a friend seemed to have paid off, but as Zikrein read the message, his heart raced.
Jellal Fernandez!
Zikrein's body went cold. His pulse quickened, and sweat formed on his back. Could this person know the truth?
Desperately trying to stay composed, Zikrein quickly typed a response.
Zikrein: Gerard? Are you referring to my twin brother?
Zikrein: We look alike and are often mistaken for one another.
Zikrein: I've been searching for him. If you know where he is, please tell me. I'd be very grateful.
He hit send and sat back, exhausted. It was all he could do but wait.
Morning arrived. Zikrein, bloodshot and frustrated from staying up all night, slammed his fist on the desk.
"Damn it!"
Still no response. Desperate, he sent another message.
Zikrein: Good morning, Mr. Voldemort. If you're a lady, please excuse my impoliteness.
Zikrein: I just woke up and realized you haven't replied yet. Please, tell me about my brother!
Zikrein: If you see this, please respond!
Meanwhile, Knight woke up feeling refreshed, stretching with a smile. He opened the window to let the sunlight flood in and took a deep breath of the fresh air.
Another beautiful day.
While brushing his teeth, he checked the magic network and found Zikrein had sent another series of desperate messages. Knight chuckled.
"Panicking, are we? Trying to keep up your act, huh?"
Still brushing, he typed with one hand.
[Voldemort]: I suggest you give it up, Jellal.
[Voldemort]: Your R System plan will never succeed. Zeref is alive and well.
[Voldemort]: If he knew what you were up to, he'd probably slap you for your trouble.
[Voldemort]: Kid, the magic world's more complicated than you think. You're in over your head—better surrender while you can.
After sending the message, Knight chuckled and put the whole thing out of his mind.
Stepping outside, he bumped into Lucy.
"You didn't wait for me at the door?" Knight teased.
"No way! It's just a coincidence!" Lucy denied, then quickly changed the subject. "Let's go, Kate. We need to finish that commission today. It's 200,000 J, you don't want me drowning in debt, right?"
Knight groaned inwardly. Really? You're using the 'you don't want me to…' line?
And it wasn't like she didn't have her wealthy father to back her up. Despite his grumbling, Knight sighed and led the way.
"Alright, but just this once. No more after this."
"I don't know what you're talking about. We're a team now!" Lucy giggled, hurrying to catch up.
Determined, she had no intention of letting go of Knight's support anytime soon.
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