Chapter 36: 3 Stars Magic Power! 5k Internet Users!
“Mind binding?”
"Yes, there must be a binding mechanism; otherwise, the magic network won’t be able to verify if the person logging in is the actual account holder."
Hearing Nate’s explanation, Makarov understood.
"The Internet is your magic, and even now, I still can’t fully grasp its principles."
Makarov had studied the magic rings and understood the concept of magic binding, but the inner workings of Internet magic itself remained a mystery to him, like a black box.
"So, whether mind binding will work, I can’t say. That’s an answer you’ll have to find for yourself." Makarov stood up and patted Nate’s back, continuing, "Come with me. I'll take you to the second floor."
“I may not be able to help you in other areas, but when it comes to knowledge about mind magic, I can teach you.”
Putting down his drink, the old man walked briskly up the stairs to the second floor.
Nate glanced at Mira. "I thought only S-class mages were allowed on the second floor?"
“This is your second time already. You’re a special case,” Mira said with a smile, her expression becoming serious. "But please, don’t take any S-class missions without permission like last time. It made everyone worry!"
“Don’t worry, I won’t this time,” Nate reassured her with a smile. Now that he was wealthy, the last thing he wanted to do was work. He just wanted to relax.
Hearing Nate’s verbal promise, Mira’s smile returned.
On the second floor, Makarov led Nate into the guild's library.
"Here we store some of the guild’s most valuable magic books."
As Makarov introduced the library, he walked over to a bookshelf and attempted to pull down a book. However, being too short, he couldn’t reach it, even after jumping.
Nate found the scene amusing but held back his laughter.
"Would you like me to help, Master?"
Almost straining his back, Makarov blushed in embarrassment, his expression turning slightly frustrated as he levitated and finally grabbed five magic books from the shelf.
"These are books on mind magic. Once you master them, you’ll have a solid foundation." Handing the books to Nate, Makarov added, holding his waist, "I saw your post on the forum. Read these first; they’ll help you with learning Thought Projection."
“Thank you, Master.”
Nate flipped through the thick books, one after another.
"Mind, Magic, and Power"
"The Mysteries of the Mind"
"Basics of Mind Magic Explained"
"Magic Encyclopedia: Mind Magic Edition"
"The Origin of Life: The Power of the Mind"
"Stay up here and read. The first floor is a bit noisy," Makarov said with a smile before adding, as if worried, "And don’t mess around, Nate. Stay away from the S-class missions."
If it were Natsu, Makarov would never have let him come upstairs, but with Nate, he felt more at ease.
The S-class mission board was placed upstairs precisely because too many guild members lacked restraint. If they could all behave, there would be no need to separate the missions.
Holding the five heavy books, Nate left the library and found a seat near the stairs where there was a small tea area. The S-class mission board was nearby, but Nate didn’t bother glancing at it, instead focusing on reading the books.
“If you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime,” Makarov said kindly before heading downstairs to enjoy his drink.
“Got it, Master.”
Once Makarov had left, Nate was alone on the second floor. He pulled out the magic item he had bought earlier, the Gale-Force Reading Glasses, and began his long reading session.
These glasses sped up the reading process significantly, allowing him to breeze through the first book in under two hours.
Removing the glasses, Nate recalled the book’s content. The glasses had worked perfectly, allowing him to absorb what felt like 70 to 80 hours of reading in just two hours.
“I went too fast. Some of the knowledge didn’t fully sink in.”
“I’ll have to read it again!”
Completely immersed in the books, Nate didn’t realize how much time had passed until Mirajane came upstairs, gently reminding him of the hour.
“It’s already this late?” Nate was surprised.
Magic was so fascinating that even during his final year of high school, studying for the university entrance exams hadn’t made him this focused.
"Yes, everyone else has already gone home," Mirajane smiled. "Your concentration is really impressive, Nate."
Nate closed the book and noticed she was holding a cleaning cloth. As the guild’s waitress, Mira was always the last to leave, tidying up before going home. She was also the first to arrive each morning, sometimes preparing a delicious breakfast for him.
“Let me help.”
“Huh? I can do it alone…”
Nate gently took the cloth from her hands, smiling. “Then how about you let me treat you to dinner next time?”
“Didn’t I always cook for you anyway?” Mirajane laughed. Still, she seemed happy that Nate wanted to help.
“I meant at a restaurant.”
“You don’t like my cooking?”
Feigning indignation, Mira pouted.
“Of course I do...” Nate replied, a bit helpless. “How about this: I’ll treat *you* to dinner this time.”
The last person Nate had offered to treat had been Juvia, although he didn’t actually end up paying.
“Alright, it’s rare to hear you offer to treat someone,” Mira teased, giggling behind her hand.
The two of them chatted as they cleaned the guild together, and after finishing, Nate walked Mira back to the girls’ dormitory.
To be honest, he was a bit curious about what the inside of the girls' dorm looked like, but even in a magic world, there was still a matron who guarded the dormitories.
“Goodnight, Nate.”
“Goodnight, see you tomorrow.”
After saying goodbye, Nate returned to his apartment. When he got home, he saw the guild’s group chat was already buzzing with gossip.
[Fairy Tail Bonds of Love] Group Chat:
Levy: "Listen up, everyone! Huge news!"
Jet: "What’s going on, Levy?"
Droy: "What happened?"
Levy: "I just saw Nate walking Mirajane back to the dorm late at night!"
Levy: "It must’ve been after a date!"
Happy: "Oooh, scandalous!"
Alzack: "@Mirajane, we need answers."
Wakaba: "Is our waitress finally getting into a relationship?"
Reedus: "I knew it! I was right all along!"
Gray: "Wait, Nate and Mira are getting married?"
Cana: "What, what, what? @Levy, did they kiss? Tell us!"
Levy: "It was dark, so I couldn’t see clearly. I don’t think they did."
Cana: "Tsk, Mirajane should’ve at least rewarded him with a kiss for walking her home. That’s too cruel! If I were Nate, I’d be upset!"
Cana: "@Nate, don’t cry. It’s okay. Mira’s just an innocent girl who's never had a boyfriend before. She’s clueless, really!"
Nate, having just returned home, saw the chat blowing up and Cana tagging him. He was at a loss for words.
'This guild really loves to gossip.'
And wait—wasn’t the biggest gossip lover Mirajane herself?
Knowing that chiming in would only encourage them, Nate wisely chose not to respond and shut the chat.
He returned to his studies, continuing to delve into the magic books.
Meanwhile, in the girls' dormitory, Mira was soaking in the bath, silently observing the chat and turning bright red as she read the gossip. She was too embarrassed to say anything and instead sank lower into the water, hiding her face.
…
A bit of gossip didn’t disrupt Nate’s routine.
Over the course of three days, using the Gale-Force Reading Glasses, Nate finished all five magic books. He didn’t just skim them but truly understood and memorized the content.
He now had a clear idea of how to implement mind binding and was close to completing the system’s task.
But that wasn’t his only achievement during these three days.
With the return of the guild masters to their respective guilds, and the distribution of the magic rings to their members, the number of registered users on the Internet skyrocketed past 5,000!
At the same time, Nate’s magic power surged once again.
[Magic Power: ★★★]