Chapter 142: There's a Traitor among us

Jenny Realight had previously contacted Nate for personal identity verification. Her Magic Net username was accompanied by a red "V" symbol, indicating her verified status. When Nate opened her private chat, he realized she had sent him several messages. The oldest one was from three days ago.

Jenny Realight: "I saw you in the magazine. Congratulations on being voted the top of the 'Wizard I'd Like to Be My Boyfriend' ranking."

Jenny Realight: "By the way, I was voted first in the 'Wizard I'd Like to Be My Girlfriend' ranking, feeling proud. 😏"

Jenny Realight: "Are you there? I can see you're online!"

Jenny Realight: "Say something!"

The next day:

Jenny Realight: "You're such a jerk!"

Jenny Realight: "Hey, if you don't respond, I'll look like an idiot, you know?"

On the third day:

Jenny Realight: "If you reply now, I'll forgive your rudeness."

Jenny Realight: "??"

Ten minutes ago:

Jenny Realight: "I saw the list from Master Makarov. Did you join too?"

Nate pondered. He wasn't sure why she was reaching out—was it just to chat? 'No picture, no talk,' he thought to himself. With all the messages he received daily, he didn't have time to read every single one, but if there was a picture, he might at least glance at it.

In the "Against Oración Seis Allied Force" group chat:

Witch of Pain: "Nate's in my arms right now, too busy to reply. 😉"

Jenny Realight: "Who are you?"

Witch of Pain: "Who are 'you'?"

Jenny Realight: "I'm Jenny, a mage from Blue Pegasus."

Witch of Pain: "I'm a mage from Fairy Tail."

Jenny Realight: "I was asking for your name."

Witch of Pain: "Ultear."

Jenny Realight: "😅 Why is a former councilor in this group?"

Witch of Pain: "I'm no longer a councilor. I resigned and joined Fairy Tail."

The two women started chatting, much to Nate's amusement. He glanced at Ultear, who was sitting across from him, smiling mischievously while typing, clearly toying with Jenny. He then looked at Meredy, who was entirely absorbed in her Mahjong game, paying no attention to the conversation.

Deciding to ignore the banter, Nate closed his eyes and focused his senses on the 'Worms of Time.'

'Grimoire Heart broke Jellal out of the Magic Prison, and their objective…' Nate could make a pretty good guess.

…

On Grimoire Heart's magic airship, in the control room on the top floor, Hades stared at the pale Jellal standing before him, frowning deeply.

"Nothing? Why doesn't your body contain the magic seed of possession?"

Pale Jellal seemed confused. "You rescued me—what exactly do you want?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Jellal," Hades said gravely. "Who is Voldemort?"

That name seemed to trigger something. At the mention of "Voldemort," Jellal clutched his head, screaming in pain.

"Voldemort… I'm Voldemort… No, I'm Jellal…"

'What's going on?'

Hades was baffled. He had thoroughly examined Jellal's body and found no trace of possession magic.

'Could it be that Voldemort 'was' Jellal all along?'

"Is it possible he has a second personality, like Brain?" Hades wondered to himself.

At that moment, Jellal's screaming suddenly ceased, and he slowly lowered his hands. A slow smile crept across his face as he stood up straight, his tone playful.

"So, you fished my host out of prison just to find me, Precht?"

"!?!"

Hades' face changed dramatically.

'Impossible!' How could he control the host's body instantly, without any trace of magical energy flow? This defied all magic logic!

"Voldemort!" Hades rose from his seat, his gaze sharp and oppressive as he stared down at Pale Jellal.

"You can't fool me. You're just Jellal's second personality, aren't you?"

"Am I?" Pale Jellal chuckled. "If that's what you want to believe, go ahead."

…

Realizing that further probing was useless, Hades scoffed, "Why won't you reveal yourself?"

"Why should I?"

"Who are you really?"

"Hmm…" Pale Jellal put on a mock-thoughtful expression, then said, "Zeref's ghost?"

Hades could tell this was a joke.

Years ago, Ultear had manipulated Jellal by claiming to be "Zeref's ghost."

"My host, by the way, is quite pitiful," Pale Jellal continued, brushing his hand through his hair. "He was hit with a super magic, 'Fairy Law', at the Tower of Heaven. It even turned his hair white."

Jellal, who once had blue hair, now had white hair. His entire body, including his clothes and shoes, had turned white as well.

"A man possessed by another shows compassion?" Hades sneered.

"Ah, that's a misunderstanding. I'm only possessing him to help him," Pale Jellal corrected, shaking his head.

If Grimoire Heart hadn't intervened, he would have orchestrated Jellal's escape on his own.

"Anyway, don't bother me unless it's important."

"And if you're wondering why I gave you access to the tavern… questions like that are meaningless."

Pale Jellal pointed to his eyes and added, "I'll be watching you, Precht."

As his voice faded, Pale Jellal bowed his head, and his consciousness left the body.

"Did he leave?" Hades muttered, his face stern. The figure had come and gone without a trace, impossible to detect.

This kind of magical skill far surpassed Hades' abilities—especially in parasitic magic, where the figure had reached an unimaginable level.

How could he track down someone like this?

…

"I… what just…"

Pale Jellal staggered, clutching his head, unaware of what had transpired while he was possessed.

Hades, having observed everything, spoke clearly:

"Jellal, the paradise you seek can only be achieved through the Grand Magic World."

Pale Jellal blinked. "The Grand Magic World?"

"Join my guild. From now on, you will be the newest member of the Seven Kin of Purgatory."

…

Two days later, the carriage reached the task force's meeting place.

Natsu, having been carsick the entire journey, stumbled out like a deflated balloon.

"Is this the place?" Ultear stood with one hand on her hip, eyeing the luxurious villa not far away.

Nate nodded. "Requip!"

With a flash of gold, he donned his 'Wizard Saint' robe for the first time.

As the saying goes, sometimes, status is what you make of it.

And this robe? Not bad at all—it looked quite handsome.

"Let's go." Nate took the lead, pushing open the villa's grand doors.

The hallway beyond was lined with sculptures of Pegasus, leading them toward a brightly lit hall.

Inside, seven people—five men and two women—turned to face them as they approached.

"Wizard Saint Nate, former councilor Ultear, the Fire Dragon Slayer Natsu, and a girl named Meredy."

"The Fairy Tail members have arrived."

"Welcome—"

Nate raised a hand to stop them. His 'Six Eyes' scanned the seven before he chuckled lightly.

"Don't rush to welcome us just yet. How about we play a little game first?"

"There are seven people here, but one of you is a 'traitor.'"

"Care to guess who it is?"

~~~

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