She toyed with a sharp table knife, deftly twirling its tip between her fingers.
Her gaze swept Lefiya up and down, and the look, as though she were appraising prey, made Lefiya shrink back despite herself.
"Someone has to buy you time."
"Someone who can stand in front of you and let you finish chanting those spells."
"Only then can you cast your magic, right?"
Sasamori Aya summed it up.
"Y-yes..."
"That's right..."
Lefiya nodded meekly.
At this earnest display of cautiously explaining her own weaknesses, afraid that anyone might think too highly of her.
All the girls could clearly sense the lack of confidence radiating from Lefiya.
She clearly possessed astonishing talent, enough to make countless adventurers envious, jealous, and resentful.
Yet she felt she still wasn't good enough.
It was truly hard not to take notice.
"Even so, that's already very impressive."
Kikakujō Mary nodded earnestly.
"If we get the chance."
"I'd really like to see you casting magic, Miss Lefiya."
"Yes."
Onigawara Rin and the others chimed in one after another.
"Ugh..."
Faced with their sincerity, Lefiya blushed as red as a ripe tomato and could only lower her head and gulp down juice to hide her shyness.
"But...come to think of it."
Hanabishi Warabi bit her straw, her cheeks puffed out, as something suddenly occurred to her.
"Thousand Elf."
"That's a title, right?"
"Like Finn the [Braver], whom Tsubaki mentioned?"
"Will we get titles like that someday too?"
The moment she said that.
The fairly relaxed atmosphere at the table inexplicably fell silent for a moment.
Every gaze.
Turned in unison toward Haimo, who was spearing his steak with a fork, and Loki, who was sitting beside him, happily drinking away.
After all.
Those two were the real authorities.
"Titles, huh..."
Loki set down her glass,