The "Ten Wizard Saints" medal was a round, blue medallion adorned with two raised intersecting lines, and in the four corners of the cross-section were petal-shaped designs. It was incredibly light, seemingly forged from a special kind of magical iron.
In addition to the medal, Nate also received a "Ten Wizard Saints" magic robe. The robe appeared to be made from luxurious material, with the symbol of the "Ten Wizard Saints" emblazoned on the back.
After the award ceremony, Nate and Erza were escorted out of the council headquarters by the staff, all the way to the front gates.
"Well, Mr. Nate, Ms. Erza, we'll leave you here," said one of the staff members before turning away.
Nate couldn't help but grumble, "Why don't they just use a teleportation spell to send us back?"
Erza shook her head. "That's just how the council operates."
"Never mind, I can handle it myself," Nate added. He didn't want to dwell on it, knowing he could use the "Flying Thunder God" technique. However, the distance would require a considerable amount of magic power.
"Before we head back, how about we check out the shops here and pick up some gifts for everyone?" Nate suggested.
Erza laughed, "You're really treating this like a vacation, aren't you?"
"Let's go," Nate responded with a grin as they made their way down the mountain.
The council headquarters was situated atop a mesa, surrounded by barren, yellow land with barely any trees in sight. The top of the mesa was flat, with a zigzagging path leading down to the bustling town below.
As they descended, a figure emerged from behind a statue up ahead.
Erza's expression immediately turned serious as she gritted her teeth. "Jellal!"
"Long time no see, Erza," said Siegrain with a smile, stepping closer. "No need to be so tense."
"What do you want?" Erza's gaze was sharp, treating him as an enemy.
Siegrain approached, reaching out as if to lift Erza's chin. "Before you leave, I wanted to remind you of something—"
Nate interrupted, grabbing Siegrain's wrist with a calm expression. "Could you not harass the women in our guild?"
"..."
Siegrain paused, then withdrew his hand with a smile. "Apologies."
After a moment, he walked past them, whispering a warning as they crossed paths, "It would be in both our interests if you kept quiet about that matter."
Erza's face darkened, her brows furrowed deeply. She waited until his footsteps faded into the distance before whispering, "Thank you."
"That matter?" Nate feigned ignorance. "If it's inconvenient to explain, I can pretend I didn't hear anything."
"No... it's not that it's a secret," Erza said, grabbing Nate's arm and urging him to keep walking.
It took her a while to regain her composure. "When I was young, I knew someone named Jellal. He did a lot of terrible things."
"And he's still doing bad things, isn't he?" Nate added.
"Right. And Siegrain is Jellal's twin brother. As his older brother, he's doing nothing to stop Jellal's evil deeds!" Erza explained, her fists clenched in frustration. "The first time I saw him, I even mistook him for Jellal."
"Is that so?" Nate responded nonchalantly.
Erza continued angrily, "He probably just doesn't want me to mention his brother in front of the other council members, especially the chairman. It would ruin his reputation as a council member."
"I can't stand him!"
Nate chuckled. Seeing Erza openly express her dislike for someone was rare.
"What are you laughing at?" Erza asked, confused.
"Isn't it possible he's tricking you?" Nate pointed to his eyes. "My 'Six Eyes' told me that was just a Thought Projection."
"What!?" Erza stopped in her tracks, shocked.
Siegrain versus Nate—of course, she believed Nate over someone she despised.
"Siegrain was just a Thought Projection?" she repeated, still in disbelief.
"Yeah."
"And he's always been a Thought Projection?"
"Yes, ever since the first time I saw him," Nate confirmed. "It's always been a Thought Projection operating."
He paused, then added, "Honestly, it's impressive. Neither the chairman nor the other council members noticed."
Nate genuinely admired the fact that Jellal's Thought Projection magic was strong enough to fool his fellow council members. On the other hand, it also highlighted the council's incompetence.
Erza's eyes widened in realization, and she immediately tried to turn back. "I need to confront him!"
"What for?" Nate held her back.
"To confront him directly!"
"Not now," Nate warned, "you don't have any proof."
"You're the witness!" Erza retorted.
"You trust me, but they might not," Nate reasoned.
Erza took a deep breath and calmed down, though her voice still held traces of anger. "So the Thought Projection... that means Jellal's behind this?"
What was Jellal planning? Was his magic really powerful enough that a mere Thought Projection earned him the title of Wizard Saint?
'The Tower of Heaven!'
The thought struck her, and she looked at Nate, her expression serious. "Nate, I have a request..."
'I can already guess what it is...' Nate thought, feeling a slight regret for exposing Jellal's secret.
Erza's determined gaze confirmed his suspicions. The last time she looked at him like this was back in the guild's medical room.
"I want to go to a place called the Tower of Heaven. I hope you can come with me."
Nate wasn't particularly eager, and his mind raced to think of an excuse.
"The Tower of Heaven? Where is it?" he asked, trying to buy time.
"I'm not sure... it's on an island in the sea, but I don't know the exact location," Erza sighed. "I tried asking about the R-System on the internet, but 'Voldemort' didn't respond."
In fact, she had been investigating the Tower of Heaven for years without success. Only recently, after seeing 'Voldemort' respond to Natsu's post, did she try reaching out.
"Voldemort?" Nate was surprised. He rarely paid attention to forum replies on his alt account and didn't realize Erza had asked about it.
"Well, let's head back first. You can post about the Tower of Heaven online, and maybe someone will know something," Nate suggested.
"You're right, that makes sense," Erza nodded in agreement.
Afterward, they went to town, bought a ton of gifts, and indulged in some heavy shopping.
Meanwhile, back at the council headquarters, Siegrain stood by the window, watching the two of them walk down the mountain. Behind him, Ultear covered her mouth, laughing softly.
"Going out of your way to warn that woman—what's the point, Siegrain-sama?"
"She's an essential sacrifice," Siegrain smiled. "The R-System is nearly complete. She'll come to my paradise on her own."
'The Tower of Heaven...'
Ultear's thoughts drifted. At this point, she no longer cared about the "Grimoire Heart," the "Grand Magic World," or the Tower of Heaven.
Now, only two things mattered to her: reviving her mother, Ur, and her beloved Nate.
'How am I going to revive Ur?'
Ultear sighed to herself. 'That brat Nate won't let me sacrifice myself...'
She felt touched by his concern, but besides the Tower of Heaven, she couldn't think of any other way.
'I'll have to rely on you to figure it out.'