บท 57: Alias
It was almost noon. The sunlight bathed the city, making the brick buildings and stone sidewalks around them shimmer. Charlie, Aishia, and Aphrodite had visited many different stores, surrounded by the bustling sounds of the back streets.
"We're finally done. Let's have lunch." Charlie suggested, carrying the shopping bags in his hands, while his stomach growled in hunger.
"I don't mind, as long as it's Charlie's decision." Aishia nodded softly.
Spirits couldn't starve to death, but they could replenish their magic essence by eating food.
"I know a nice café around here. If I remember correctly, there should be a good one just ahead..." Aphrodite led Charlie and Aishia to a nearby café.
Once they arrived at the café, they sat near a window, with Charlie and Aishia sitting next to each other, while Aphrodite sat across from them. A waiter quickly came to take their orders.
It was probably because it was lunchtime that the café was quite crowded.
As Aphrodite and Aishia revealed their true appearances beneath their cloaks, they immediately became the center of attention, especially from the men who were so mesmerized they almost forgot to breathe.
The men's gazes were naturally drawn to the beauty of Aphrodite and Aishia. Some of them were having lunch with their partners, and their significant others quickly noticed the shift in attention. They responded with warning signs, like clearing their throats.
As a result, those men awkwardly pretended they weren't staring, though they continued to steal glances at the two incomparable beauties.
"See? This is the normal reaction when male see me. They can't take their eyes off my beauty." Aphrodite said proudly, flicking her golden hair and giving Charlie a look as if he were an anomaly.
"Thank you for today, Goddess Aphrodite. It was really helpful. As a newcomer, I'm not familiar with the vast geography of Orario. If I were alone, I would've probably just picked random stores." Charlie said, ignoring her narcissism and expressing his gratitude.
"In that case, don't be so formal with me. It feels like there's a distance between us. From now on, just call me by my name."
"But—"
"You're not allowed to refuse. Don't forget, Hera entrusted you to me. Being too formal makes me feel like there's an invisible wall between us. I don't want that. I want us to be close."
"I understand, Aphrodite." Charlie agreed without thinking too much, persuaded by her insistence.
"Good, our relationship has moved forward." Aphrodite said, then shifted her focus to Aishia, who had been quietly sitting beside Charlie.
"By the way, Aishia, what's your specialty?" Aphrodite asked, curious to know more about her.
"My specialty is the same as Charlie's. I'm proficient in all elements. I can fight and protect Charlie as well." Aishia replied.
Although she appeared fragile, Aishia was actually a high-ranked humanoid spirit. Since she could use the same level of Spirit Arts as Charlie, there was no better partner for him to explore the Dungeon with.
"All of them?! This is the first time I've heard of a spirit being able to use all elements. That's unbelievable..." Aphrodite exclaimed and surprised.
From what she knew, spirits could only control one element. For instance, Aria was a Wind Spirit and specialized in wind; she couldn't use other elements. Every spirit represented their own innate element.
"Aishia is different from other spirits. She's unique and special." Charlie said vaguely, not wanting to reveal that Aishia was a spirit from another world.
"Forget it. Sooner or later, I'll discover all the secrets you're hiding. Just wait and see." Aphrodite chuckled, her interest in Charlie growing even more.
"Sigh..." Charlie sighed but said nothing further.
In the midst of their conversation, the waiter brought their food. The trio began eating.
"Oh, I almost forgot to ask. Charlie, do you have an alias you'd like? There's still a month and a half before the next Denatus."
Seeing Charlie wipe Aishia's mouth, Aphrodite felt a slight twinge of jealousy but decided to bring up a serious topic.
"Denatus? What's that?"
"Hera didn't tell you?"
"The Goddess Hera never mentioned Denatus, so I don't know."
"That crazy woman, does she really intend to keep you in her Familia? If not, she should just hand you over to me." Aphrodite muttered, annoyed by Hera's negligence toward Charlie.
"No choice then, let me explain in place of your irresponsible Goddess. Ahem... Denatus is a meeting held every three months by the gods. Many topics are discussed, and one of them is aliases."
"Every adventurer, upon reaching Level 2, receives an alias as decided by the gods at Denatus. It's a way for adventurers to be recognized without revealing their real names."
Listening to Aphrodite's explanation, Charlie recalled something similar. Due to the passage of time, he had almost forgotten the details of the Danmachi anime and only remembered the general plot. Besides, he had only watched the first season.
"Can aliases change?" Charlie asked.
"Of course, as an adventurer's level and experience increase, their alias can change too. The alias given to an adventurer is important since it serves as a unique identifier for them."
"There are aliases that are funny and some that are serious. However, when everything's decided, the alias is final. The ones that stand out the most are those of High Class Adventurers. Ais Wallenstein is known as the Sword Princess, and Ottar's alias is King."
"At the next Denatus, I'll recommend an alias for you. But I warn you, don't get your hopes up too high. The selection is based on voting, so it depends on the whims of the gods attending."
"..."
Aphrodite finished explaining and resumed eating, giving Charlie time to think.
After they finished their meal, Charlie gave his answer.
"Solo Leveling... Aphrodite, try suggesting that alias during Denatus."
"Not bad. I thought you'd choose something cool like Sword Spirit, Last Hero, or Damianos (Conqueror)."
"I'm long past the chuunibyou phase."
"Chuuni... What? Never mind, Solo Leveling suits you, considering you enter the Dungeon solo."
"Charlie's not alone, I'm always with him." Aishia interjected, disagreeing with her statement.
"That's true, I forgot." A smile appeared on Aphrodite's face.
After finishing lunch and paying the bill, Aishia took hold of Charlie's left hand. Their hands intertwined naturally, drawing attention from both the men and women in the café.
The men glared at Charlie with envy, while the women gazed at him in admiration.
Charlie smiled, realizing how natural their actions had become.
Outside the café, he bid farewell to Aphrodite.
"Thank you for today, Aphrodite."
"Stop thanking me, I'm getting tired of hearing it. If you still have a conscience, come visit me at my Familia's headquarters when you have some free time."
"I'll think about it. See you."
Ignoring Aphrodite's reluctant expression, Charlie and Aishia walked away hand in hand.
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