To stop things from spiraling further, Loki intervened. "Alright, Astraea, do you have a title of your own? If you don't speak up, I'm putting it to a vote."
Astraea slowly stood from her seat, her voice as soft as water. "Is that even a question? How could I stand by and let my child bear such a humiliating title? As his Goddess, I promised him I'd secure a normal one."
She tilted her head up slightly, her expression solemn. "The most fitting title I could think of for him is [Morning Star]. It symbolizes the beginning of a new day and hope. It is also the blessing I bestow upon him as the Goddess of Stars."
The "Morning Star" is the brightest star in the dawn sky, appearing in the east before sunrise. In literature and poetry, it is often a metaphor for a guiding light, a symbol of warmth and the light that dispels darkness, representing vitality and vigor.
Astraea's deep blue eyes, usually gentle, flashed like cold lightning as she swept her gaze across the room. She added in a firm, unquestionable tone, "I trust none of you have any objections to this title?"
"None at all!" "Absolutely correct!" "Astraea is right!" "I support Astraea forever!"
The wind shifted instantly. Faced with Astraea's sudden shift from motherly kindness to a gaze that looked at them like trash, all the male gods cheered with bright smiles and agreed unanimously. The goddesses, meanwhile, glared at the men as if looking at something filthy.
"Very cool, Astraea. But that's a title filled with 'love,' isn't it?" Freya chuckled as Astraea sat back down.
"Indeed," Hephaestus added as she wrote 'Morning Star' on her ballot. "Even if he doesn't understand the blessing within it yet, I think your child will like it because you're the one who chose it."
Astraea beamed. "No, he will definitely understand. As his Goddess, I know him very well."
The emotion in her voice and the look on her face made the two goddesses glance at each other. It seemed this new child had truly brought a massive change to her.
The title was finalized:
RolandAstraea Familia, Level 2Record: Killed an enhanced dragon-type species at Level 1. Reached Level 2 in three months, breaking the Sword Princess's record and setting a new one. Alias:[Morning Star]
At the Guild Headquarters, a heavy atmosphere filled the secondary office. This wasn't the public hall where the receptionists worked, but a private room with several desks.
"Rose, are you listening?"
"Ah, sorry, Supervisor."
Rose snapped to attention as a male beastman sat across from her, holding the documents she had written.
"I'll repeat myself. According to these records... you're essentially telling Level 1 adventurers to 'Go Die'."
"That... is true," Rose admitted.
"I asked you to collect info on his dungeon progress, but it seems the Guild cannot publicize this. Roland's growth cannot be used as a model for others."
It made sense. Rose stood there silently.
Soloing the Labyrinth, boxing with Silverbacks, killing baby dragons without a scratch, hunting in the middle floors, and finally dueling and defeating the enhanced [Black Wyvern] head-on.
That was the "secret" to Roland reaching Level 2. If the Guild published this as a standard "fast track" guide, they would be accused of treating adventurers like idiots.
"I'll find an excuse for the higher-ups," the supervisor said. "I'll handle the persuasion."
"Thank you very much."
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Danmachi : Mage's Infinite Journey (168 Chapters – Ongoing)
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The slender supervisor glanced at the report written by Rose once more before tucking it away into his desk. It was highly unlikely this report would ever be made public. He scratched his animal ears, his expression a complicated mix of emotions. It was a story that could shock the entire world, yet keeping it a secret felt agonizingly frustrating.
"You may leave," he said. The two women exited the room.
Rose, a werewolf, scratched her ears as she looked out from the tea room at the corner of the office. They hadn't returned to the main hall immediately; instead, they operated a magic stone device to brew two steaming cups of black tea. Looking across the room, it was clear the atmosphere among the staff wasn't as steady as usual.
Many employees were pacing back and forth, while those in their seats kept glancing at the clock. The usual scratching of quills on parchment was nowhere to be heard. Rose and her colleague knew exactly why the office felt this way.
"It's past 3:00 PM... The Denatus should be over by now, right?"
"Probably. The results should be arriving any moment..."
At this moment, the only thing the staff cared about was the new aliases. The titles bestowed by the gods always awed the people of the lower world; everyone awaited the results of the Denatus as if it were a personal matter of life and death.
Suddenly, the door swung open with a loud bang, causing everyone in the room to turn their heads in unison. A stout, breathless clerk stood there, clutching a stack of documents. "It's here! It's delivered! The results of the Denatus!"
"Finally!" "Hey, let us see!"
Their movements were as fast as lightning. Abandoning their paperwork, the staff scrambled toward the door, forming a tight circle. The parchment sheets were passed from hand to hand in an instant. Soon, gasps and exclamations of wonder filled the air.
"Whoa, look at this alias!" "Incredible... Truly worthy of a deity." "Yeah, it's beyond anything we could have imagined."
The atmosphere in the Guild headquarters grew heated, centered around the male staff members. It seemed they shared a similar taste in names. Even Rose's supervisor quietly joined the crowd, clicking his tongue in admiration. Somewhere in the building, female employees from other departments could be heard screaming with excitement.
Rose was no exception, though she was specifically looking for the name of the adventurer who had leveled up in just three months.
"Rose, I got it! Come look!" a colleague who had stayed up all night searching for Roland's data called out.
Rose looked at the parchment belonging to the adventurer who had caused her so much trouble and whispered to herself: "[Morning Star]? The star of the morning? It's surprisingly... normal."
The Manor of Stars, Astraea Familia Base
The members of the Familia gathered around Roland's registration form, chatting in small groups about his new title.
"Aha! Not only is it a perfectly normal title, but it's definitely a blessing from Lady Astraea! If this isn't a win-win, I don't know what is!" Roland leaned back, staring at the form in his hand with an excited shout.
Kaguya smacked Roland on the head, sending him staggering forward until he face-planted onto the sofa. "Stop playing the fool," she said flatly. "It's just a title. Don't make such a big deal out of it."
Astraea sat elegantly on the sofa, sipping her tea. She looked at Roland sprawled beside her and smiled. "Hehe, I'm glad you like it, Roland. I worked very hard to fulfill my promise and give you a beautiful name. You should thank me properly."
"I love you to death, Lady Goddess," Roland teased. He flipped over to lie with his head in Astraea's lap—a place considered the undisputed No. 1 spot on the "Rankings of Laps I Most Want to Sleep in While Being Petted."
Feeling the softness beneath his head, Roland looked up at the two silhouettes above him and asked curiously, "By the way, Goddess, were there any titles in the assembly that were... truly horrifying?"
"Oh, definitely," Astraea said, her tone slowing down. She leaned in and whispered in a voice only Roland could hear: "There were names like 'The Blasphemer,' 'God-Slaying Dragon-Slayer,' 'Justice Elf,' and 'Justice Fist.' And..."
She paused, a playful glint in her eyes. "There was also the one you guessed—'Harem Protagonist.' You're very sharp, Roland."
Roland gave an awkward laugh. "So that actually happened? Ahahaha..."
Alise, watching the intimate pair, leaned in. "Lady Astraea, why didn't you pick 'God-Slaying Dragon-Slayer'? That sounds so cool!"
Kaguya, Ryu, and Lyra nodded in agreement; they thought that one sounded quite impressive as well.
"You guys wouldn't understand," Roland said, covering his face with the registration form and speaking in a heavy tone. "That kind of title is so cringeworthy I could carve out a three-bedroom apartment with my toes just from the embarrassment."
He added: "If I actually got that title, I wouldn't want to show my face in public ever again."
The four girls looked at him in confusion, unable to understand why he had such a strong reaction.
"Now, now," Astraea chuckled, stroking Roland's hair. "In Alise's eyes, it's a good title, but to the gods and Roland, it's a title meant for mockery. It's meant to embarrass."
"Is that so? Ahaha, I guess even a genius like me can't understand everything," Alise laughed.
"Then don't try to understand it, Alise! This stuff is too advanced for you!" Roland sat up and pressed his hands on Alise's shoulders, looking at her seriously.
"I-I get it! You don't have to get so close!" Alise stammered, a blush creeping up her face.
Lyra let out a snicker, while Ryu's face also turned red. Kaguya watched with a look of pure disgust, though it was unclear which one of them she was disgusted with.