Chapter 113

Draco watched as Vasileios returned to the group, a slight frown on his face.

‘Tsk, that ended quite fast. It was almost like he was just having fun rather than fighting. Should I have chosen the liger fang as his opponent instead?’ he mused.

A heavy sigh escaped Draco's lips as he shook his head.

‘Sigh, what am I thinking? I should be glad that he made it through without any significant injuries,’ he thought, his expression softening as he gazed at his familia members.

Michalis was the first to greet Vasileios, a bright smile on his face.

"You were awesome, Vasileios!. You made the fight look way easier than it seemed" he exclaimed.

Vasileios returned the smile, his own features relaxed and content.

"Thanks, the fight was surprisingly way easier than I expected. Perhaps because I wasn't a bad match against a Minotaur. I think you would do fairly well against one too," he replied, offering an encouraging nod in Michalis' direction.

"Uh, thanks," Michalis murmured, his cheeks slightly flushed due to the unexpected compliment.

Eleni, Dimitra, and Nikolaos quickly joined in, each offering their own congratulations and praise for Vasileios' performance.

Draco waited patiently, observing the interaction with a thoughtful gaze as he dismantled the setup he had prepared for the battle.

Finally, Draco approached Vasileios, his expression filled with pride.

"You did quite well, Vasileios. You could have done without all the taunting, but I am pleased that you emerged victorious nonetheless," he said, his tone measured and soft.

Draco paused, making eye contact with each of his familia members, save for the unconscious Clair and Vasiliki.

"I honestly don't know how to express how proud I am right now. I am aware that I had set ridiculous requests for each of you, and yet you all still delivered."

A wistful smile tugged at the corners of Draco's lips as he continued.

"Perhaps I am a bad leader for being so demanding, but my intentions still remains the same. Watching you all dance at the jaws of death from a request of mine nearly made my heart burst, but it is something I believe you all have to go through to gain the strength necessary for our united and personal goals." Draco's expression softened, his voice taking on a more emotional tone.

"You know that I love you all and would do just about anything to ensure your happiness. We may argue sometimes, hurt each other knowingly or unknowingly. We are family, after all. So feel free to talk to me about anything" He paused, briefly glancing at the unconscious Clair, a flicker of sorrow in his eyes.

The others didn’t fail to notice this, but Draco quickly covered this with a smile and continued speaking.

"I hope that we will all learn and grow from this experience. Our lives may not have had the best of beginnings, but we have the ability to determine our own endings. I hope that the strength you have all gained will be put to good use, and that none of you stray from the path we have chosen together." The others responded in kind, their voices filled with affection and gratitude.

"We love you too, Draco nii," they said in unison, their words sincere and heartfelt.

Draco's smile widened, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"I know," he said, his voice warm and content.

"Now, get ready. It is about time we returned to our home."

With that, the group sprang into action, each member taking on a specific task.

Michalis carefully lifted the unconscious Clair, while Nikolaos did the same for Vasiliki.

Dimitra positioned herself in the middle, ready to provide protection, while Eleni and Vasileios took the flanks.

Draco took the lead, his senses heightened as he sent out pulses of energy, guiding them along routes that avoided both other adventurers and most monsters.

The journey back to the surface was a slow and cautious one, but the Bahamut familia remained vigilant and united.

As they finally emerged into the faded daylight, Draco glanced up at the darkened sky, realizing that they had been underground for nearly 12 hours.

Initially, the plan had been to stop by the guild to sell their spoils before returning home, but Draco quickly reconsidered.

"We've had a long and trying day. Let's forget the guild visit for today and head straight back home. We can take care of the rest later tomorrow," he suggested.

The others readily agreed, their weary but satisfied expressions mirroring Draco's own.

As they made their way through the bustling streets, the familia members walked in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts and reflections on the events of the day.

Draco's mind wandered, his heart swelling with a mix of pride and concern for the future.

He knew that the challenges they had faced today were just one of many to come, but he also knew that they had all proven themselves capable of overcoming obstacles.

………………………………………………………………………………….

Arriving home, the group quickly dispersed to their respective dwellings, eager to unwind after the day's events.

Draco took the unconscious Clair from Michalis and placed her on his back.

They both stayed in the same house.

CLICK !

As soon as Draco opened the door, he could see Bahamut standing at the entrance, an elated smile on her face.

"Welcome..." Bahamut's cheerful greeting was cut short as she caught sight of the unconscious Clair on Draco's back.

Her expression quickly shifted to one of concern.

"What happened? Is she okay? Is everyone else alright?" she inquired.

"She's fine, and so is everyone else. They just need to eat and rest," Draco reassured her.

He could see the relief wash over Bahamut's features after hearing his reply.

"I see, that’s great. Well, I've already prepared dinner, and I was hoping we could all gather here to enjoy it together," Bahamut said, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Draco considered the proposition, but after the day's events, the others would likely prefer to retire to their own spaces and savour the meal in peace, or so he wanted it to be.

"I think it's best if we pack the meals and deliver them to the others. It's quite late, and i believe that if we gather, they won't rest due to excitement," Draco explained.

"I can already imagine them staying up all night talking with you about their feats and may even request you to level them up tonight." he added.

In reality, Draco just wanted to push anything stressful till the next day.

Although he didn't fight, he was the most emotionally drained and craved rest.

He wanted to push their level up until the next day, along with all the annoying work that would follow – fulfilling the requirements for his own level up, visiting the guild to sell their spoils and upgrade their familia rank, returning to a lot of paperwork, gear repairs, purchases, dealing with Clair and a bunch of other things.

As if those weren't stressful enough worries, he had to prepare for the aftermath of the Denatus meeting that would be held by the end of the week.

There was a chance that the Bahamut familia would be challenged to a war game, or even worse, attacked by a group of enemy familias.

He also needed to consider the option of fleeing from Orario if things didn't go well.

'Ugh, my head hurts just thinking about everything,' Draco thought.

Bahamut, seeing his troubled expression, decided not to push the matter further.

"Very well, then. I'll pack the meals for you to distribute. You should go and drop Clair in her room, freshen up and return" she said, turning to walk into the kitchen.

"Thanks," Draco said, grateful for her understanding.

Carefully carrying the unconscious Clair, Draco made his way to her room and gently tucked her into her bed.

He then retreated to the bathroom, where he indulged in a refreshing bath, letting the warm water soothe his weary muscles.

Feeling rejuvenated, Draco changed into fresh clothing and headed to the kitchen to gather the meals Bahamut had prepared.

"This is for Eleni, Dimitra, and Vasiliki. The other one is for Michalis, Nikolaos, and Vasileios," the goddess explained, handing him the neatly packaged dishes.

"For Clair, I'll leave that on the dining table in case she wakes up before daylight. And the other plate is for you," Bahamut added with a warm smile.

"Thank you," Draco said, appreciating the goddess's thoughtfulness.

"Fufufu, silly boy. I'm just fulfilling one of my roles in our familia," the goddess replied.

"Now hurry along and feed those children, they must be starving. We have much to discuss when you return." she urged.

Draco raised a brow, surprised that Bahamut had picked up on his inner turmoil.

"How did you know?" he asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

"Just a hunch," Bahamut said with a playful wink, gently shooing him towards the door.

"Now, off you go!" she said.

Draco obliged and exited the house, carefully carrying the plates of food.

He first went to the house where Eleni, Dimitra, and Vasiliki were staying.

They greeted him enthusiastically, relieved to see the much-needed sustenance.

"Draco nii! You're a lifesaver. We were just about to raid the pantry," Eleni said, taking her plate from him.

"Thank you, Draco nii. We really appreciate it," Dimitra added, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the delicious-looking meal.

“Hmm, how is Vasiliki?” Draco inquired.

“She is still asleep, but her expression look a lot better” Dimitra replied.

“I see” Draco muttered.

“Eleni!” he called out.

“Hmm” Eleni replied, her cheeks bloated with food.

“Don’t eat Vasiliki’s share” he warned.

“I won’t, I am not that shameless” Eleni protested after swallowing the food in her mouth.

“Watch her” Draco told Dimitra.

“Hmmf" Eleni huffed in displeasure, stuffing her mouth with more food.

“I will” Dimitra replied.

Draco nodded and headed to the next house, where Michalis, Nikolaos, and Vasileios were.

They, too, were grateful for the food and thanked Draco.

"Bahamut sama really outdid herself this time," Vasileios said, his mouth already watering from the aroma.

"Indeed. This will hit the spot perfectly," Nikolaos agreed, already taking a bite.

Draco smiled, glad to see them enjoying the meal.

“Uhm, how is Clair?” Michalis asked, nervously fidgeting with his fingers.

He was a bit nervous asking because he assumed that Draco was still angry with Clair.

“Bro it’s only been like 30 mins since you last saw her, what did you expect to change” Vasileios asked.

“I…..” Michalis didn’t have an answer.

“Relax, she is fine. So eat your dinner and turn in for the day, alright” Draco replied, lightly ruffling Michalis hair.

“Hmm” Michalis responded, taking a seat and began eating.

Upon returning to the main house, Draco made his way to the kitchen.

Entering the kitchen, Draco found Bahamut waiting for him, a warm cup of tea in hand.

"Welcome back," she greeted him warmly.

"I hope the others enjoyed their meals?” she asked.

Draco nodded.

"They seemed to enjoy it and said thank you." Bahamut's expression softened as she studied Draco's weary face.

"I can see that you've been through a lot, my dear child. Why don't you have a seat and tell me what's on your mind?" she offered.

Draco hesitated for a moment, not wanting to burden the goddess with his thoughts.

"Here, I thought you might need this," she said, offering a steaming beverage.

Draco accepted the cup gratefully, the aroma of the tea calming his nerves.

"Thank you, Bahamut. I appreciate your understanding earlier," he said, sinking into a nearby chair.

"Of course, my dear," Bahamut replied, her voice soft and soothing.

"I may be a goddess, but I'm also a part of this familia. I know the burdens you carry, and I want to support you however I can." she said.

"Sigh, where do I even begin?" Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair.