"During magic activation, I must be completely unable to move, and I also need to maintain intense mental focus."
"Furthermore, in actual combat... for spells requiring such long incantations... if I don't have comrades protecting me, I'll be interrupted by monsters before I even finish chanting..."
"In other words."
Kirukiru Amou, who hadn't spoken much until now, suddenly spoke up.
She toyed with a sharp dinner knife in her hand, the tip flipping nimbly between her fingers.
Her gaze swept up and down over Leifia, that look as if she were evaluating the value of prey making Leifia shrink her neck instinctively.
"Must someone buy you time?"
"Someone who can stand in front of you, letting you finish chanting those incantations."
"Only then can you manage to use magic, right?"
Kirukiru Amou summarized.
"Yes..."
"That's how it is..."
Leifia nodded weakly.
Seeing this honest demeanor, where she carefully explained her own weaknesses, terrified of being overestimated by others.
All the girls could clearly feel a wave of insecurity radiating from Leifia.
Even though she possessed astonishing talent that would make countless Adventurers green with envy.
Yet she felt she still wasn't good enough.
It was truly hard not to care.
"Even so, that's already very impressive."
Kikakujuo Mary nodded seriously.
"If there's a chance."
"I'd really love to see what Leifia-san looks like when she uses magic."
"Yeah."
Rin and the others chimed in one after another.
"Ugh..."
Faced with this sincerity, Leifia's face turned as red as a ripe tomato, and she could only lower her head and gulp down fruit juice to hide her shyness.
"But... come to think of it."
Hanazake Warabi bit on her straw, her cheeks puffed out, suddenly remembering something.
"Thousand Elf."
"That's an Alias, right?"
"Just like the [Brave] Finn that Tsubaki-senpai mentioned?"
"Will we have aliases like that in the future too?"
As soon as these words were spoken.
The atmosphere at the dining table, which had been quite relaxed, became inexplicably quiet for a moment.
All eyes.
Unanimously turned toward Heimdall, who was using a fork to spear a steak, and Loki, who was drinking heartily beside him.
After all.
These two were the true authorities.
"Aliases, huh..."
Loki put down her wine glass, let out a loud, unrefined burp, and casually wiped the foam from the corner of her mouth.
Her slitted eyes swept across the group of expectant girls.
"That thing, well..."
"It's not something you can just have whenever you want."
Loki held up a finger and waved it in the air.
"First."
"You have to reach Lv.2."
"Only from the moment an Adventurer completes a Great Feat and ascends to Lv.2."
"After they are no longer an unknown name."
"To commemorate this achievement."
"The gods will bestow upon them a unique name."
"That is—the [Alias]!"
When saying these two words, Loki deliberately emphasized her tone, her face bearing unconcealed playfulness.
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