Danmachi: A Mage's Journey

The child who proudly accepted their alias and the gods who writhed in exaggerated agony—those mischievous deities simply pointed fingers at one another and rolled on the floor laughing each day.

If anything, a new myth was surely being born before their eyes, one that might be handed down for generations.

"Okay, next one."

The atmosphere buzzed with wicked anticipation as the gods turned to the documents submitted in advance to the Guild.

Besides the adventurers' names, the parchments held detailed records of their feats, personal data, and realistic portraits drawn at the time of registration.

Each god began flipping through their parchment stacks with giddy glee.

"Oh, here we go—this one's from Ganesha's familia. Looks like a little sister named Alani."

"A sister from the Cow Tribe? Oh-ho-ho! This figure is absurd! Ganesha, you sly devil, monopolizing such a rare treasure all to yourself. We're naming her Oversized Fruit!"

"Aaaaah——I, Ganesha, do not recognize such an alias!" Ganesha bellowed in outrage, arms flailing like wings.

A heated debate followed. Ganesha, always loud but rarely taken seriously, made an impassioned plea for justice. His earnest protestations, for once, had some effect.

After considerable arguing, the gods finally relented and settled on a more respectable alias. Heavy Warrior.

While Ganesha wasn't feared by the others due to his overly generous and eccentric demeanor, the strength of the Ganesha Familia kept the mischief from going too far.

It was with this thought that Astraea consoled herself. She believed her own familia strong enough to at least avoid the cruelest of alias suggestions.

And if things went too far… well, she wouldn't hesitate to draw her sword and personally block the doorway.

"Then...next up is the final one." Loki announced, clapping her hands with unrestrained glee.

"The super rookie we've all been waiting for!"

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Although Loki bore a grudge against Akira for "seducing" her beloved Ais, even she couldn't suppress the excitement bubbling in her chest. Her fingers drummed wildly on the table, betraying her anticipation.

Every god in the room instantly caught on.

Excitement crackled through the air like lightning. Their eyes sparkled with a mix of curiosity and twisted glee. The atmosphere soared to fever pitch, the Denatus reaching its most raucous and passionate peak.

"Let me introduce to you—Akira from the Astraea Familia! A rookie who, despite being only a Level 1, single-handedly slew a dragon-type enhanced monster brought forth by divinity in the Dungeon. His actions saved other adventurers from certain peril."

"And to top it off—he even dared challenge the evil god responsible for that divine interference, utterly disregarding any so-called taboos!"

Loki's voice rang out like a theatrical narrator delivering the climax. As the presiding host of this Denatus, she expertly stirred the emotions in the room.

Truth be told, Akira had only been granted a Falna for less than a month. To avoid attention, Astraea and her familia had adjusted the official records, stating he had received his falna two months earlier.

If not for the Guild's restrictions, they might have pushed the timeline even further back—perhaps making it seem as though Akira had taken a year to level up. Such a span would paint him as someone who had worked hard for ten years before undergoing a conversion.

Even after modifying the data, claiming Akira reached Level 2 in three months was still an astounding feat. But it couldn't be helped—Astraea refused to be second to anyone.

More importantly, most gods could easily sense lies from the children of the lower world.

While some surface-level deceit might go unnoticed, deeper investigations would surely uncover the truth. The best they could do was minimize exposure.

Judging from the suspicious looks exchanged around the room, the gods were already doubting the timeline.

"Haha, every child in your familia is always so dazzling. If they weren't yours, Astraea, I'd be tempted to steal them away myself." Freya said.

Astraea replied, slightly sweatdropping, "Ahahaha... don't let your children hear you say that. It might cause quite the ruckus back home."

"...I'll take that as a compliment, Freya." Astraea added more softly.

"Enough with the pleasantries! Let's get to the naming!" Loki declared, her smile suddenly turning menacing.

"I've got one prepared already! We've been thinking this over for days. Let's make it official. I nominate the alias Blasphemer—for daring to challenge the gods."

"Ohhhh! Leave it to Loki to start strong!" A flame-haired god cheered, nodding enthusiastically.

"Hold up."

Another god seated a few spots away said, "He's bold, yeah—but he also slew a dragon! Why not Dragon Slayer of Blasphemy?"

"Wow, even I'd hesitate to wear that alias." Hermes murmured, half impressed, half appalled.

"Nonsense!" cried another deity.

"He's part of the Astraea Familia—a justice-loving elf's household! Why not something noble, like Elf of Justice?"

"Too boring!" A green-haired god chimed in. "Think about it—he's the only guy in a familia full of beautiful women. What alias would be perfect for this?"

"Oh no..."

"Yes! That's it!"

In unison, several male gods shouted.

"Male Master of the Harem!"

"Oh, that one's gold! Absolutely perfect for him!" Hermes applauded.

At once, the mood turned volatile.

Astraea's serene smile vanished. Her face stiffened as she slowly turned to face the perpetrators. Her gaze, though polite, dripped with a vengeful chill.

Immediately, those gods who'd been cheering sheepishly averted their eyes.

This was the height of the Denatus' chaos—aliases so ridiculous they defied common decency sprang forth one after another like cursed blessings.

"...."

Astraea's face darkened, her eyebrows knitting together in utter disbelief.

Her temples throbbed as she imagined Akira walking around Orario introducing himself as The Blasphemous Dragon Slayer... or worse, The Male Master of the Harem.

Her blood pressure spiked.

She wanted to cover her ears to deny this nonsense its place in reality but she knew better. Weakness would only encourage the prankster gods further.

"You lot... do you all want to return to heaven early?"

Her fingers gently twirled a lock of her hair as she lifted her face, her expression like a ghostly spirit cloaked in sorrow and wrath.

Her calm voice concealed a storm of threats, and the message was clear—she was memorizing every single face.

Faced with Astraea's quiet, cold fury, the gods had no choice but to respond in chorus.

"We're sorry!"

"We were wrong!"

"We'll behave next time, really!"