日日拍夜夜嗷嗷叫国产

Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Worms of Time, the Diligent Erza

He checked the current number of registered users on the Magic Net.

[Total registered users: 9,119]

Not even 10,000 yet, and the mission goal was 30,000—still two-thirds to go.

"I'll need second-generation rings..."

As he pondered this, Nate continued walking toward his apartment and opened his contacts to message Lucy's father.

Sigma Male: "Good evening, Mr. Jude. How's the production of the first batch of rings coming along?"

Jude Heartfilia: "I've already prepared a batch of about 30,000. Do you need them now?"

What a coincidence.

Nate reached his apartment just as he saw Lucy approaching.

"Nate!"

"Good evening, Lucy," he greeted her with a smile, noticing she was carrying vegetables and meat, likely for dinner. Lucy seemed a bit flustered, as if she was about to run off again, just like that morning. Nate quickly grabbed her wrist before she could escape.

"Why are you running?" he asked, mildly exasperated.

"I—I wasn't running!" Lucy denied it, her face turning slightly red.

Nate glanced at the groceries she was holding and had an idea. "Let's go to your dad's place for dinner!"

"Huh?"

"Stop 'huh'-ing and come on."

Without giving her a chance to protest, Nate activated his space-time magic, Flying Thunder God. He had left a marker during his last visit to the Heartfilia mansion, making it easy to teleport there.

A golden magic circle appeared beneath their feet, and before Lucy could fully process what was happening, they disappeared in a flash of light.

Meanwhile, at the Heartfilia mansion...

A golden magic circle formed in front of the gilded statue by the entrance, and in the blink of an eye, Nate and Lucy appeared.

"This is my house!?" Lucy exclaimed, wide-eyed.

This teleportation magic was incredibly convenient! In just an instant, they had traveled such a long distance back home.

Nate released Lucy's hand and casually strolled toward the mansion. "Anyone home?"

Holding onto the groceries, Lucy quickly followed him inside, where she saw their familiar housekeeper, Mrs. Spetto, walking down the hallway into the foyer.

"Mrs. Spetto!"

The middle-aged woman looked surprised. "Lucy-ojou, Nate-sama."

Why are they calling me 'Nate-sama'? I didn't marry into this family, Nate thought with a smirk. "Is Mr. Jude home?"

"The master is in the dining room."

"Looks like we're just in time for dinner. Hope you don't mind if I join," Nate said, taking Lucy's hand again and heading toward the dining room.

The Heartfilia mansion was grand, with three different dining rooms: the main dining room, a casual dining room, and a guest dining room.

Nate confidently led the way to the main dining room, where Jude Heartfilia was already seated.

Seeing his daughter and Nate return together, Jude was delighted and immediately had the kitchen prepare more food for the unexpected guests.

The dinner was lively and pleasant.

Afterward, Nate and Jude retreated to the study. Jude had the prepared batch of 30,000 second-generation rings brought in.

"I've acquired a few magic item workshops and had these prototypes made by skilled artisans. Take a look and see if they meet your requirements," Jude explained.

Nate was impressed. No wonder Jude was so wealthy—a major financier. His "prototypes" consisted of 30,000 rings. Nate admired his financial capability as he examined a handful of the rings. After inspecting them, he nodded in approval.

"They'll do. Once I add the Internet Magic, they'll be ready for sale."

The only issue was the material. To cut costs, it seemed the quality wasn't as high as Nate would have preferred, but it would do for now.

"Great!"

Jude breathed a sigh of relief. He had been under a lot of pressure recently. After rejecting an arranged marriage proposal from the Treniar family, he had angered them. On top of that, his railway company had overextended itself, investing heavily in the south and straining the company's finances. If they couldn't capitalize on this new market with the rings, the Heartfilia Conglomerate could be in big trouble.

Of course, he didn't share any of this with Lucy but felt comfortable discussing it with Nate. The business was something he and Lucy's mother had built together, and he was determined to protect it.

"It seems you're facing quite a bit of trouble," Nate remarked while enchanting the rings with internet magic. "Is someone targeting the Heartfilia Conglomerate?"

In the original story, the company's sudden collapse and acquisition always seemed suspicious, as if someone had orchestrated it.

Jude nodded, a bit surprised by Nate's concern. "There are some difficulties, but don't worry, the rings won't be delayed."

"I'm more worried about your safety," Nate said. In the world of business, the battles could be far more dangerous than anything mages faced.

Jude was taken aback but smiled. He hadn't expected Nate to be concerned about his well-being. "Don't worry. Their goal is the company, not me."

Meanwhile, Jude was also thinking about Nate and Lucy. Were they a couple yet? Why hadn't they started dating already? If Nate were a bit more forward, Jude was sure Lucy would accept him. He had already started to think of Nate as a potential son-in-law, hoping the two would get along well.

Nate pondered for a moment and suggested, "I spoke with the chairman of the Magic Council recently. They need a large number of magic rings for the internet. You could add the chairman as a contact and establish a partnership with the council."

Selling the rings was one thing, but securing the title of official council supplier for Jude would be an even better move.

"The Magic Council?"

Jude was astonished. As a sharp businessman, he immediately grasped the significance of what Nate was suggesting. His admiration for Nate deepened. He was already considering how he could support Nate even further but decided against it, remembering his promise to Lucy not to interfere in her life.

"I understand. I'll visit them personally to discuss it," Jude decided. Though they could communicate through the Magic Net, he wanted to show sincerity by visiting the council in person.

Nate had no objections to that. After spending half an hour enchanting the 30,000 rings with Internet Magic, they were ready for distribution. Jude had a maid test one of the rings to ensure it worked properly, and after confirming there were no issues, he was visibly relieved.

Jude then warmly invited Nate to stay the night, which Nate accepted.

...

The next day, Nate and Lucy returned to Magnolia.

"Why does my dad seem closer to you than to me? Who's the real family member here?" Lucy grumbled as they arrived.

"We're all one big family," Nate teased.

"I'm not part of your family!" Lucy blushed furiously and hurried off to the guild.

Her reactions are always so cute, Nate thought with a smile.

As he watched her leave, Nate mused, "Once Jude starts selling those rings, the mission should be completed soon."

Afterward, Nate returned home, took a bath, and decided to put his Thought Projection clones to work again. Since they were idle, he figured they could help him develop a new game for the internet. With only three games available, the selection was still a bit limited.

The following days were peaceful and routine. In the mornings, Nate would enjoy the breakfast Mirajane made at the guild. At lunch, Juvia would prepare a bento for him. And in the evenings, Lucy was his personal chef.

Nate also made sure to continue learning Fairy Law from Makarov in his spare time.

One afternoon, at the guild's construction site, Erza approached him excitedly.

"Nate, look at this!" she said, showing him a post on her Magic Net forum.

"I finally got some information about the Tower of Heaven!"

Curious, Nate glanced at her post history. Erza had been quite diligent. Ever since they had returned from the council's headquarters, she had been posting persistently every day.

[OMG! The Tower of Heaven is actually...]