Internet Magic in Fairy Tail

Chapter 376: Erza: Who is my Father?

Faith?

Direct communication with a god? The God of Truth?

Angel looked at Nate with wide eyes. "But I don’t know any rituals to communicate with gods, and I’ve never even heard of this god before."

In different churches, "ritual magic" varies across sects. But in this modern era, where gods have hidden themselves, no one has successfully established direct contact with a deity.

The last recorded encounter with a god dates back 400 years, when the unfortunate Zeref broke the taboo of Ankhseram.

"The God of Truth is an artificial god I created," Nate explained, introducing the concept of the Gate of Truth. "Offer your faith to me, and I’ll grant you a chance to glimpse it."

Didn’t I already pledge my loyalty to you?

Angel didn’t quite understand the significance of faith or how to express it, but the revelation that Nate could create a god left her deeply shaken.

So… Nate must be a god himself, right?

Oh no! Referring to Nate-sama as "this guy" felt disrespectful.

"But what should I do?" she asked, confused.

Good question… Nate thought for a moment and asked, "Your Celestial Spirit magic—did it awaken on its own?"

"Yes. When I was forced to work as a laborer in the Tower of Heaven as a child, I always wished I could die like an angel."

"Then you should have awakened Angel Magic, not Celestial Spirit Magic," Nate mused. "Did your Angel Magic awaken too?"

"It did! Angel Magic is a rare type of summoning magic, similar to Celestial Spirit Magic. It falls under the category of spatial summoning magic."

"But my Angel Magic is weak. I can only summon an angel that sings. Maybe useful for parties…"

How unusual. A mage awakening magic on their own was rare enough, but Angel seemed to have awakened two types. It reminded Nate of Erza suddenly awakening her Requip Magic: The Knight, or Mirajane gaining Take Over: Satan Soul during a church prayer.

Still, that wasn’t the focus now.

"Faith is similar to the prayers you made as a child."

"...Will that really work?" Angel asked, blinking.

She thought for a moment, then clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and began to pray:

"Great Lord of Demons, I, Angel Agria, offer you my most sincere faith. Please tell me the whereabouts of my long-lost sister, Yukino Agria."

Nate: "..."

This was a first for both of them: one playing god and receiving faith, and the other acting as a believer offering it.

It was like two clueless kids trying to eat forbidden fruit—except they couldn’t even find the tree.

No! Even Adam and Eve had their instincts driving them. This, however, felt like a game of make-believe.

But Angel was serious! She prayed with genuine sincerity.

After a while, Angel opened her eyes and eagerly asked, "Nate-sama, did you receive my faith?"

"Somewhat. Just a little," Nate said as he raised his right hand. A faint wisp of golden light, resembling mist, emerged from Angel’s body and swirled in his palm.

It looks a lot like Cursed Energy…

Cursed Energy comes from negative emotions, while Faith Energy seemed to stem from positive emotions.

Within this faint trace of faith, Nate could almost hear Angel’s heartfelt wish:

"I want to find my sister!"

By comparison, if faith were measured in stars like magic, this trace wouldn’t even amount to 0.01 stars.

With a thought, Nate stored the wisp of faith in the Magic Net.

"Since you’re my first little believer, I’ll let this slide for now."

Nate raised his right hand, black lightning flickering between his fingers.

"Summon: Gate of Truth!"

The air twisted slightly, and with a crackle of black lightning, an ancient stone gate emanating a primordial aura descended into the banquet hall.

This dramatic scene immediately caught everyone’s attention.

"Nate, what is that?" Kagura approached, her eyes fixed on the Gate of Truth with curiosity.

Erza, wearing a serious expression, said, "This must be the 'Gate of Truth' Juvia mentioned. It's my first time seeing it too."

Ultear chuckled lightly. "As the rumors say, if you’re willing to pay the price, the Gate of Truth can reveal any truth in the world." She turned her gaze to Nate and then to Angel, who was standing by his side.

A drunken Bacchus staggered over, his steps unsteady. "Huh? The Gate of Truth? Can it tell me where to find the best drink in the world?"

Racer adjusted his glasses and asked, "Nate-sama, would you like me to throw this drunkard out?"

Racer’s sycophantic tone was practically dripping. He had fully embraced his role as the lackey.

"Do any of you have questions you’d like to ask?" Nate smirked. "But don’t say I didn’t warn you—the Gate of Truth follows the principle of equivalent exchange. If you can’t pay the price, it will take everything you have."

Minerva narrowed her eyes, staring intently at the Gate. On the door was a carving of a tree, its roots spreading downward and covering the entire surface.

"May I ask a question?"

"Only believers can ask."

Minerva smiled slightly, snapping open her folding fan with a flourish. "Then I’m willing to become your believer."

This woman…

Ultear’s eyes turned sharp, her internal rival radar kicking in. As a former "bad girl" herself, she could sense the same energy emanating from Minerva.

Nate ignored the tension, pushed open the Gate of Truth, and then turned to Angel. "Go ahead. It’s your turn."

"Thank you, Nate-sama!"

Angel eagerly stepped into the Gate of Truth. Although it remained open, the others could see only a blinding expanse of white inside. Once Angel entered, her figure disappeared completely.

Erza walked over, looking expectantly at Nate. "Can I ask a question too?"

"Of course. What do you want to know?"

When it came to his girlfriend, Nate wasn’t stingy.

"I want to know who my father is," Erza said, folding her arms and resting her chin on her hand. "I asked Irene once before, but she wouldn’t tell me."

Oh no, not that question!

Nate’s eye twitched involuntarily. He didn’t know how the Gate of Truth might interpret the term "father."

In a purely biological sense, Erza had no father. But from a societal perspective, there was a terrifying possibility—the answer might point to him!

"Ahem. I think that’s something you should ask your mother directly," Nate replied, coughing lightly.

Seriously, what kind of questions are these?

Nate imagined the Gate of Truth shedding metaphorical tears. The last time Ultear tested the [Truth Encyclopedia], she asked similarly awkward questions like "Who is the most beautiful woman in the world?" and "Who is Nate’s favorite woman?"

Meanwhile, a small crowd had gathered around the Gate of Truth, watching curiously.

About two minutes later, Angel emerged, her face streaked with tears.

"I found her! I found Yukino’s location! Waaaah!" Overcome with emotion, she wept tears of joy.

Nate had not paid the price for her. For a question about the location of a relative—especially a blood connection—the Gate of Truth would only consume around one star’s worth of magical energy at most.

Then, one by one, others started stepping forward.

"Nate, can I go in next?"

"Nate-sama, I have a question too!"

"Can it tell me how to make a fortune?" The last question came from Racer, who had already contacted his brother through the Magic Net and was now focused on earning money.

Seeing everyone’s eager expressions, Nate grinned.

"If you want to ask the Gate of Truth, you’ll need to accumulate faith points. Since you’re all so interested, I’ll give you a chance."

With that, he opened the Magic Net interface and shared the unfinished [Truth Encyclopedia] program with everyone.