Chapter 138
"Alright, that's it for the current agenda, everyone is free to do whatever until evening," Draco said, putting an end to the brief familia meeting.
Just as everyone was about to disband, Draco stopped them in their tracks.
"Actually, I have a task that I need assistance with. I'm willing to pay up to ten thousand Valis for anyone who's interested," Draco revealed, capturing the attention of his familia members.
Draco had a specific goal in mind – he wanted to go shopping for new clothes with Bahamut.
However, there was still the daunting task of cleaning up the slimy mess that had been left in Bahamut's room.
He didn't want to dirty his only usable pair of clothing, as that would leave him with nothing to wear for the shopping trip.
Draco needed someone else to take on the unpleasant cleaning duties.
Michalis, being an eager beaver, jumped at the opportunity, his hand shooting up enthusiastically.
"Me, me, me! I can do it!" he yelled, desperate to get Draco's attention, and secure the lucrative task.
The others, however, hesitated, their expressions filled with a mixture of suspicion and apprehension.
Draco was known for being quite frugal with his money, so the fact that he was willing to offering such a substantial amount made them quite wary, with Michalis being the only oblivious one.
However they also couldn't help but wonder what exactly the task entailed.
Draco observed the hesitation among his familia members and decided to probe further.
"So, no one else is interested?" Draco asked, hoping to find at least one more volunteer.
Nikolaos, deciding to be practical, spoke up, "You haven't told us the task yet. We'd like to know what we're getting ourselves into before committing." he said.
Draco's lips curled into a slight smile as he replied, "Oh, it will be easier to show you." With that, he led the group towards Bahamut's room.
‘Hmm, Bahamut’s in the bathroom. Guess I will have to wait a while’ Draco thought as they walked passed a bathroom.
Dimitra, who had been present when Draco made the mess, immediately recognized what the task entailed, and decided to quit quickly.
"I'm out." she declared, retreating towards the kitchen to focus on preparations for lunch.
However her swift retreat only served to heighten the wariness of the others, especially Eleni, Clair, and Vasiliki, though they still followed, curiosity fuelling their interest.
As they approached the door to Bahamut's room, the pungent smell suddenly hit their senses, causing them to cover their noses in disgust.
"What is that smell?" Vasileios asked, his face scrunched up in distaste.
"It's not that bad," Draco muttered, seemingly unaffected by the stench that had overwhelmed the others.
"I have no idea why it smells like that, but this is the job," Draco said, opening the door to reveal the aftermath of his rebirth.
Eleni's eyes widened as she spotted the slimy, red mixture on the floor.
"Eww, what is that?" she exclaimed, her nose wrinkling in disgust.
Nikolaos, on the other hand, seemed fascinated by the large shell pieces resting in a bed of pillows.
"Whoa, you really hatched from an egg. How cool it must have been!" he marvelled, his curiosity piqued.
Eleni's interest was piqued as well, as she noticed the shell pieces.
"Can I use the shell fragments? They may be useful for alchemy," she inquired.
Clair, on the other hand, couldn't stomach the scene any longer, quickly she covered her mouth and dashed towards the house exit.
"I'm out too," she declared from the distance.
Draco sighed, realizing that he was quickly losing potential helpers.
"Okay, one more out. So, who's interested in the job?" he asked again, hoping someone would step forward.
Michalis, undeterred by the unpleasant task, raised his hand and said, "I need the money. I can still do it." He had his eye on a fancy item he wanted to buy for Clair, but his pocket money wasn't quite enough.
The others exchanged uncertain glances, torn between the prospect of earning a substantial sum and the daunting nature of the cleaning job.
"Okay, anyone else? I need at least two people," Draco asked, his gaze sweeping across the group.
Nikolaos shook his head, his expression apprehensive.
"I can't do it," he muttered, his voice laced with repulsion.
Draco nodded, understanding his brother’s hesitation, even he didn’t want to do the job.
He then turned his attention to Eleni, observing her closely.
'Eleni seems like she is very interested, just needs a little push to do it. She also seems interested in my egg shells,' Draco mused.
Eleni had always expressed her interest in alchemy, but there was no equipment for her to work with.
As he scanned the rest of the group, Draco's eyes met Vasiliki's, and she gave him a knowing smile.
She had also been observing the others, quickly assessing their reactions.
Vasiliki wanted to help, but she didn't feel comfortable dealing with slime, so she decided to focus on persuading the most likely candidate – Eleni.
Leaning in, Vasiliki whispered in Eleni's ear, "Think of all the sweets and treats you can buy with ten thousand Valis." she said.
Eleni's eyes widened at the tantalizing prospect.
'Hmm, I know I'm being manipulated, but the money is kind of tempting. I already spent most of my pocket money yesterday, so...' she thought, weighing her options.
After a moment of hesitation, Eleni raised her hand.
"I... I will do it," she said, her voice uncertain but resolute.
"But, I get to keep the shells," she added, her negotiating skills on display.
Draco gave a nod of agreement.
He had already inspected the shells and found nothing special about them, aside from the remnants of his own energy lingering in the pieces.
"Thank you," Draco whispered to Vasiliki, grateful for her persuasive assistance.
With the necessary participants secured, the rest of the group, aside from Michalis, Eleni, and Vasiliki, dispersed.
Draco then gave Michalis and Eleni a brief rundown of what they needed to do before returning to the living room, Vasiliki trailing behind him.
"Sigh, what is it, Vasiliki? Why are you following me?" Draco asked, initially inclined to ignore her but unable to overlook her persistent presence.
"Nothing, am I not free to follow my charming older brother around?" Vasiliki replied, feigning innocence.
"Let's not do this. We both know you want something, so out with it," Draco said, cutting straight to the point.
"Tsk, you know me so well," Vasiliki muttered.
"Wouldn't it be weirder if I didn't know what is going on in that weird head of yours?" Draco retorted, his exasperation evident.
"That's not a very nice comment, but thanks for the compliment," Vasiliki replied, her tone playful.
"You... Sigh, just out with it," Draco said, his patience wearing thin.
"Well, I just wanted to remind you about the promise you made," Vasiliki said, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
'Promise?' Draco repeated the word internally, racking his brain to recall any promises he had made.
"Oh, are you referring to the meal? If I remember correctly, it was porridge with honey and cinnamon, then pancakes with berries, cream, chocolate, and jam, right?" Draco asked, recalling the specific dishes he had promised to make for her two days prior.
"I knew you would remember!" Vasiliki exclaimed, clasping her hands in delight. "So, when can I expect it?" she asked.
Draco sighed, resigning himself to the task.
"Sigh, when do you want it?" he said.
"Anytime you can make them, no pressure," Vasiliki replied, her words contradicting the eagerness in her gaze.
'So she wants it soon,' Draco thought, reading between the lines.
"Got it, I'll make it tomorrow," Draco said.
"Yay, that's great! Thank you, Draco nii, I love you" Vasiliki said, her smile radiating genuine happiness.
With Draco’s word secured, Vasiliki's mind wandered, her thoughts taking  a mischievous turn.
'Fufufu, I wonder how jealous Bahamut, Eleni, Clair, and Dimitra will be tomorrow. It's going to be some...'
Thwack!
Draco cut off Vasiliki's musing with a swift strike to the head, recognizing the devious expression on her face and the sinister laughter bubbling up within her.
Vasiliki glared at Draco, her brows furrowed as she silently questioned why she had been struck.
"It looked like you were making silly plans in your head," Draco replied bluntly, his tone matter-of-fact.
"But I haven't done anything yet," Vasiliki muttered in protest, her voice laced with a hint of indignation.
However, Draco ignored her, his attention drawn to the approaching figure of Bahamut.
"I saw Eleni and Michalis cleaning my room, and they said you had paid them to do so. Why is that?" Bahamut inquired curiously.
Draco proceeded to provide a brief summary of his clothing situation, casually extending an invitation to Bahamut to accompany him on a shopping excursion for new garments.
Since Dimitra had taken charge of the midday meal, Bahamut found herself free for the afternoon and readily agreed to Draco's proposal.
‘Isn’t their outing basically a date.,' Vasiliki realized, her brow furrowing deeper.
'I can’t let things progress too fast. There is no need to extend the lead of my rival,' she reasoned, determined to insert herself into the outing.
"Can I come as well?" Vasiliki asked, her tone purposefully casual.
Draco contemplated the request, having initially planned to take only Bahamut with him.
"Hmm," he mused, considering how to reject her.
Outright saying ‘no’ could carry various meanings considering the relationship between him and Bahamut.
He had made rules regarding relationships and didn’t intend to be the one to break them.
"I think it would be best if Vasiliki joins us," Bahamut suggested, her tone calm and understanding.
She could sense Vasiliki's intentions, but did not mind; in fact, she found the girl's subtle machinations rather endearing.
"Well, I suppose you can come along," Draco conceded.
"Just give me a few minutes to grab my cloak and some money, and we'll be on our way." he added.
Once Draco had made his preparations, the trio - Draco, Bahamut, and Vasiliki - departed the house, heading to their first destination: the clothing store.