Pride and courage.
The tall, fat Wizard Tab looked rather proud of herself, as though she had accomplished something marvelous.
Had my name become some sort of taboo?
Ruger pondered.
That was impossible, of course. People called his name every day. When Tuzel was particularly talkative, that rabbit mouth of his alone could say it a dozen times in one breath. Just like pride and courage, the same situation could produce different results in different people.
He tried hard to understand. What had happened today was simply too bizarre.
In short, for certain people, his name had become something they could not mention lightly.
"Wizard Tab, you aren't from the Fluffy Enthusiasts Association, are you?" Ruger asked.
"That is an interesting question. It surprises me that, at a time like this, you still have the inclination and energy to think of it. I have never explicitly confirmed or denied it in front of you. You must have seen her identity emblem." Tab paused before continuing, "Of course I am a member of the Fluffy Enthusiasts Association. I am now, and I always will be. But I have no such thing as an identity emblem."
As she spoke, she raised a finger beside her. Unfortunately, no emblem lit up.
Ruger's brow twitched. It seemed to be a matter between the two women, yet somehow it also seemed to involve him. He had never experienced this peculiar feeling before.
What did it mean to speak his name without having been told it? Put simply, it meant knowing but pretending not to know, recognizing him but pretending not to.
Only after he introduced himself could they naturally use the name they had known all along.
That was probably what it meant.
As far as he could sense at that moment, the tall, fat