[Weekly Sorcerer Magazine Headquarters]
"Cool~!"
Jason shouted excitedly as he glanced at the number of active users on the Magic Net backend.
"Chief Editor, featuring Mr. Nate's interview in the first issue of the online magazine was the right move! It attracted so many people instantly!"
"Looks like everyone is really curious about the mysterious Magic Net developer. Cool~!"
Jason was proud of his all-night effort, which had transformed an empty module into a rich, content-filled section.
The editor-in-chief praised him, "Excellent! The online edition will be treated as a supplement to the print version and published for free online!"
This strategy had been carefully considered by the magazine's management. Although Nate had previously suggested that online magazines could be monetized through subscriptions or purchases, the final decision was to make it free. Of course, the online supplement differed from the main magazine in content, which increased costs. Therefore, the magazine also planned to offer an option to purchase the print version online.
"Do you think anyone will buy it?" the editor-in-chief asked hesitantly.
"Someone... someone just placed an order!" Jason suddenly widened his eyes. "They bought 1,000 copies at once! Cool~!"
"Someone bought 1,000 copies?!"
"Yes! But they bought the supplement and requested immediate delivery!"
Jason opened the order page and saw the buyer's name: 'Sunny Doll'.
(The actual nickname is Teri Teri Bōzu or Shine, Shine Monk, but it sounds awkward, so I used 'Sunny Doll'.)
"Cool~!"
Each supplement cost 395J, and 1,000 copies totaled 395,000J. Jason couldn't understand why someone would buy that many, but the buyer left a message.
...
Fiore Kingdom, Magic Council Branch
After a week of interrogation and questioning, Juvia was finally released without charge. Along with her, the remaining three members of the Element Four were also freed: Sol of the Earth, Totomaru of the Fire, and Aria of the Sky.
"Gajeel is going to be detained for another month, right?"
"And who knows what's happened to Master Jose..."
"The Phantom Lord Guild has been disbanded by force. So, what do we do next?"
The three exchanged uncertain looks.
Sol turned to Juvia and asked, "Juvia, what's your plan?"
"Juvia will go to Fairy Tail and follow Nate-sama. Farewell, everyone!"
With that, Juvia bid her former companions farewell and left resolutely.
In the past, she had been disliked by others, and only Phantom Lord had accepted her. But now that the guild had dissolved, all Juvia could think about was seeing Nate again.
"Nate-sama, Juvia misses you so much!"
As she thought about it, Juvia suddenly felt anxious. "I haven't messaged Nate-sama in days. What if he's mad?"
It wasn't intentional—she would sincerely apologize!
She quickly opened Magic Net, intending to send an apology, but what popped up was the update notice.
This was written by Nate himself. Juvia always read his words carefully.
"So many new features…"
After reading the notice, Juvia decided to help find any bugs—not for the potential reward points, but just to be of help.
"Juvia will do her best!"
The first new feature was the 'Weekly Sorcerer' module. Upon entering it, she saw a poster featuring a special interview with Master Nate.
[The Great Innovator of Magic Net, the Newest Ten Wizard Saint, Nate.]
"Nate-sama's poster?" Juvia's heart skipped a beat, her eyes shining. "Juvia wants this!"
She immediately forgot about finding bugs and focused on the supplement magazine.
The first issue of the supplement featured not only the interview but also many photos of Nate.
Like a child discovering a candy shop, Juvia was enchanted by all the handsome pictures of him.
"Can I buy the poster?"
After looking through the photos, she eagerly searched for a way to purchase the supplement and found it. She paid and ordered the supplement, which would be delivered via Magic Net.
"Juvia will buy 1,000 copies!"
Without hesitation, she placed the order and left a message:
Sunny Doll: "Please include Nate-sama's poster!"
...
Blue Pegasus Guild
"Wow… he really is handsome."
Jenny, like many others, was captivated by Nate's poster from the 'Sorcerer' magazine. She stared at it with wide eyes, appreciating every detail.
Guild Master Bob stood nearby, smiling and spreading his arms wide. "Young Nate is just as handsome as I was back in my day."
"Master..." Jenny rolled her eyes at him and said, "Leave it to me! I'll make sure we get him into our guild!"
Seventeen-year-old Jenny Realight wasn't just a mage skilled in Take-Over Magic—she was also a top model for 'Weekly Sorcerer'. With her sleek figure, blonde hair, and delicate features, she was determined.
She quickly searched for "Sigma Male" on her friends list and sent a friend request.
After a while, when there was no response, her competitive spirit flared up. She continued sending requests, even adding messages.
Jenny Realight: "I'm Jenny Realight! Please add me!"
Jenny Realight: "I want to get my profile verified!"
Jenny Realight: "Add me, you baka!"
Jenny Realight: "Selfie included.jpg. I'm really Jenny Realight, here's a photo for proof!"
Suddenly, a Magic Net notification appeared.
"Sigma Male" has accepted your friend request.
When her request was finally accepted, Jenny paused for a moment.
"So he needed a selfie to confirm? Why didn't he say so earlier?"
She had been so eager to prove she was Jenny Realight that she had taken a quick selfie. Now that she was in, she sent a message.
Jenny Realight: "Hey there, Nate. I'm Jenny Realight."
...
Meanwhile, in the suburbs of Magnolia, Nate had just purchased a villa. Well, more like a luxury house with a garden. The price? 87.55 million J!
After some haggling, he managed to get it down to 85 million J, but his savings had taken a massive hit, leaving him with just over 10 million J. Still, it was worth it for the comfortable lifestyle he envisioned, especially when Ultear came to visit.
At the moment, Nate was busy processing herbs in the villa's living room, using his magic knowledge to prepare a magic recovery potion. But his communicator kept flashing with notifications, distracting him.
"…Another friend request?"
Nate opened the list and began declining them one by one. With over a thousand requests, he didn't even bother checking who they were—just rejected them all.
It wasn't until he saw one name that his mechanical rejection paused.
The applicant: [Jenny Realight]
Message: "Selfie included.jpg. I'm really Jenny Realight, here's a photo for proof!"
Nate opened the selfie. The girl in the picture had long blonde hair, wore a purple short dress, and had her arm akimbo, proudly showing off her guild mark. Her expression was confident, with a touch of sass.
It was indeed Blue Pegasus.
"Isn't she a friend of Mira?"
After a moment's thought, Nate clicked "accept." Definitely not because she was cute—just for Mira's sake.
The other side quickly sent a message.
Jenny Realight: "Hey there, Nate. I'm Jenny Realight."
Sigma Male: "?"
Sigma Male: "The previous photo was blurry. Could you send a few more?"