Asagiri nodded with great satisfaction upon hearing this, chuckling softly.
"Mhm, I am very pleased with these words, my esteemed minister."
Yuuki Asuna looked slightly speechless. "Wasn't it Water Margin (All Men Are Brothers)? How did you turn into an emperor again?"
Asagiri replied with self-assurance, "This is the Water Margin IF route: the Peach Garden Oath, Three Kingdoms Gundam Linked Super Enhanced Edition."
"What on earth are you talking about? How did it go from Water Margin to Three Kingdoms..."
Yuuki Asuna rolled her eyes, then looked at Iwanaga Kotoko, who was sitting there with the grace and elegance of a young lady from a good family, and handed over her phone.
"Iwanaga-san, since we've decided to team up, let's add each other as friends first."
"Sounds good."
Iwanaga Kotoko said nothing further. She simply opened the eye-icon APP, accessed the "Add Friend" function, and gently touched her phone to Yuuki Asuna's.
[You have successfully added "Player" Yuuki Asuna as a Friend.][You have successfully added "Player" Iwanaga Kotoko as a Friend.]
"So that's your name..."
Iwanaga Kotoko glanced at the success notification, then offered her phone to Asagiri with a smile.
"Shall we add each other as friends too, Leader?"
"Fine."
[You have successfully added "Player" Iwanaga Kotoko as a Friend.][You have successfully added "Player" Utsunomiya Asagiri as a Friend.]
"So those are your real names. Does that mean Leader and Violet are the codenames you use during the Instance?"
"That's right."
Yuuki Asuna tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear and stated plainly.
"To avoid revealing your real name in the Instance, you should also choose a codename."
"A codename, you say... Hmm, that sounds fun... In that case, I shall be called..."
Iwanaga Kotoko appeared to think seriously for a few seconds, then lightly tapped her chin with a delicate index finger and smiled playfully.
"Then my codename shall be Leader's Girlfriend~"
Yuuki Asuna was utterly stunned. It took her a few seconds to react, and she frowned.
"Hey, we're choosing proper codenames. Don't sneak in personal agendas here."
"I think it's quite good, though."
Seeing Iwanaga Kotoko's unrepentant expression, as if she genuinely wanted to use that codename, Yuuki Asuna sighed and covered her face, looking to Asagiri for help.
"Leader, talk some sense into her. How can she possibly..."
"You're right, how can she choose a codename like that?"
Asagiri shook his head solemnly and spoke in a serious tone.
"How about this: I'm the Eroge Shooter (H-Game Shooter), you'll definitely be a Sorcerer-type class later, so you'll be Hotdog Sorceress, and Violet will be Bread Swordsman!"
Yuuki Asuna rolled her eyes and complained irritably.
"What kind of bizarre codenames are these? Are we some kind of Western Fantasy Sandwich Trio? Besides, I might be a Swordsman, and she might indeed become a Sorceress, but your class and talent have nothing to do with shooting, do they?"
"Heh, nothing to do with it? Do you know which game won the 'Shooter of the Year' award this year?"
"No, I don't play games."
"It doesn't matter, because the winner wasn't a game; it was a certain software named 'JM Heaven.'"
"Huh? What does that have to do with shooting?"
"That's why you don't understand why I'm the Eroge Shooter. I'll slowly educate you on the matter in the future."
"Fine... Wait, no! What do you mean 'fine'? Both of you, be serious!"
Yuuki Asuna suddenly realized that the topic had drifted off again without her noticing, and she looked helpless.
"I beg both of you, choose a proper codename, okay?"
"A proper codename, huh... Then..."
Yuuki Asuna looked worried, afraid that the eccentric Iwanaga Kotoko would suggest another ridiculous name. Fortunately, this time, the girl played it straight and offered a serious answer.
"Necro, how does that sound?"
"Necro..."
Yuuki Asuna frowned, recalling the word, and asked in confusion.
"Is that even a word...?"
While Yuuki Asuna was still pondering, Asagiri chuckled.
"Necro, it's the first five letters of the English word Necronomicon, the fictional book from the Cthulhu Mythos, right? It certainly suits you and fits your talent."
Iwanaga Kotoko looked interested. "Oh? Leader, you know about Cthulhu?"
Asagiri waved his hand. Though his tone was modest, he was clearly showing off.
"I know a little, just a little."
Watching Iwanaga Kotoko converse with Asagiri, a subtle sourness suddenly welled up in Yuuki Asuna's heart. She couldn't help but interrupt.
"Well then, your codename is set as Necro. But I'm still curious: since both you and Leader have awakened exclusive talents, what exactly does the APP use to determine the most suitable talent for a Player?"
"I'm not sure about Leader's situation, but for me... my 'Goddess of Anomalous Wisdom' isn't actually a talent I awakened after entering the Instance."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Iwanaga Kotoko smiled and softly spoke a startling statement that made Yuuki Asuna's face change instantly.
"'Goddess of Anomalous Wisdom' is not just my exclusive talent; it's also my identity in the real world."
Before Yuuki Asuna could ask, Iwanaga Kotoko proactively recounted her experience.
She had indeed gone missing when she was eleven, but the culprits weren't kidnappers seeking ransom; they were a group of Yōkai (Japanese spirits/monsters). That was why the police couldn't find any clues.
The reason the Yōkai took Iwanaga Kotoko from her home was simple: most of them aren't very bright, so they needed a Goddess of Wisdom to help them mediate conflicts, resolve incidents, and maintain balance and order between the world of anomalies and human society.
The price for becoming the Goddess of Wisdom was the loss of one eye and one leg.
She specifically emphasized that the Yōkai did not force Iwanaga Kotoko.
Paying the price of one eye and one leg to become the Goddess of Anomalous Wisdom was Iwanaga Kotoko's own choice.
Since then, she gained the ability to "observe" anomalies and has served as the Goddess of Wisdom for the anomalies—the Princess of the Yōkai—until today.
"No, wait a minute..."
Yuuki Asuna looked utterly incredulous, asking cautiously.
"Are you saying... that in the real world, there are genuinely anomalies, Yōkai, spirits, and so on?"
"Yes, but you can rest assured."
Iwanaga Kotoko stood up, smoothed her skirt, put her white beret back on, and said with a smile.
"Most Yōkai don't harm humans or interfere with the normal operations of society. They just want to live quietly, and Yōkai are not allowed to appear freely in front of humans. So, there's no need to worry."