Chapter 147
Draco removed the hoodie of his cloak before settling down to eat, revealing his striking horns—a feature that sparked the curiosity of nearby adventurers in the bustling pub.
The atmosphere was soon filled with murmurs and whispers, as more and more patrons took notice of him.
No one in the current era had seen or even knew what a dragon kin was, and his appearance drew both admiration and skepticism.
While a few might have made a connection between him and Bahamut who he bore similar features with, there was a clear distinction; she was a goddess.
Draco was a mortal with dragon-like attributes, making him an anomaly in this era.
The unique aura of the gods, an unmistakable presence that set them apart from mortals, even with their powers sealed was not present in him.
Draco, however, paid little mind to the inquisitive stares and hushed conversations.
He focused intently on his meal, fully aware that such attention would inevitably draw a few bold souls to inquire about him.
He had anticipated this moment, knowing that he needed to cast a subtle image of his familia in a favourable light before rival familias resorted to crude tactics against the Bahamut familia.
The news of his recent double level-up would soon spread throughout Orario, making him the center of discussion.
He figured it would be advantageous to attach a face to the name early on, even if most people were likely too inebriated at night to retain much of what they see or heard.
Still, he thought, making an effort was worthwhile.
“Draco nii, I think we should leave once you’re done eating,” Dimitra whispered, her tone laced with concern as she noticed the increasing number of stares directed at their table.
“I can’t leave just yet; you girls can head out if you want,” Draco replied, his voice steady.
“Are you up to something fun? Do you need our help?” Vasiliki chimed in, her tone furtive, a glint of mischief in her eyes.
“Not really. Just do what you want,” Draco said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
He hadn’t anticipated running into Clair, Eleni, Dimitra, and Vasiliki at the pub, so he had no plans for them.
He could tell from their expressions, however, that they would likely stick around regardless.
Clair, on the other hand, appeared lost in her thoughts, her fork absentmindedly pushing food around her plate.
Draco considered asking her what was wrong , but the recent incident —where he had rejected her love confession—made talking to her awkward.
Just then, he felt a gentle tug on his cloak.
Turning, he found Anya, the little cat-girl server, looking up at him with wide, curious eyes.
She hesitated, as if torn between her curiosity and the fear of something he couldn’t quite tell.
“Hmm, is there something on my face?” Draco asked, mimicking her earlier expression when she caught him watching her.
“You’re handsome, but what are you?” Anya blurted out, her bluntness taking everyone by surprise.
Though Anya was still a child, her straightforwardness caught Draco and the eavesdropping patrons off guard.
‘Well, I was expecting someone to ask me questions, so I might as well answer her, but that wouldn’t be fun,’ he thought to himself.
“Take a guess,” Draco replied, sporting a wry smile.
“Hmmm…” Anya hummed, her cat ears twitching as she concentrated.
“Nya, are you an elf with horns?” she asked.
“Boo, wrong answer,” Draco chuckled, crossing his arms playfully.
“I’ll give you a hint: it starts with a ‘D,’ has horns, scales, and breathes fire,” he teased, noticing the growing interest from the surrounding adventurers, who began to cheer Anya on.
“Nnnnnnn, a dungeon monster!” Anya exclaimed, her voice rising in excitement.
“Wrong again,” Draco replied, amused.
“I’m sure you’ve at least heard of it in princess stories,” he added, trying to steer her toward the right answer.
He was aiming for ‘dragon,’ but Anya seemed to drift further away with each guess.
After several more failed attempts, Anya sighed in defeat.
“Sigh, I guess I’ll have to give you the answer. I am a… dragon kin,” Draco finally revealed.
“What is that?” Anya inquired, tilting her head.
“Just think of us as humanoid dragons,” he explained, a hint of pride in his voice.
“Oh, so the answer was ‘dragon’,” Anya muttered, nodding as if the pieces clicked into place.
At that moment, a voice echoed from the back of the pub, startling everyone.
“Anya!” it called, and the little cat-girl immediately scurried toward the kitchen, where her boss awaited.
The voice belonged to Mia Grand, the pub’s owner of the hostess of fertility.
A dwarf with long brown hair and stern brown eyes, Mia was a semi-retired level 6 adventurer and the former captain of the Freya familia.
She had a reputation for being strict with both customers and employees, and her sudden outburst was due to Anya’s distraction during a busy work period.
‘Ugh, I feel a bit bad. Did I get her in trouble?’ Draco thought, guilt creeping in.
Moments later, Mia stepped out of the kitchen, her eyes scanning the room before locking onto Draco.
She approached him, scrutinizing him with a piercing gaze.
“Are you the one?” she asked, her tone serious.
“One what?” Draco replied, confused.
“Don’t joke with me. Are you the one who disrupted her work?” Mia pointed at Anya, who peeked from behind the kitchen door, her expression apologetic.
‘So she threw me under the bus! How hurtful! I thought we were just starting to bond,’ Draco mused, watching the scene unfold with amusement.
The pub had fallen silent, with patrons pretending to eat while stealing glances at the confrontation.
“Sigh, nice to meet you. You must be the owner. I’m Draco Black, captain of the Bahamut familia, and these are my companions,” he introduced himself along with the girls, who looked ready to draw their weapons if necessary.
“I apologize for interrupting little Anya’s work. I’ll make sure to order and spend generously today as compensation,” Draco added, hoping to smooth things over.
Mia’s serious demeanour shifted, her expression softening as a grin broke across her face.
“Bahahaha, that’s more like it!” she laughed, then turned and walked back into the kitchen.
Anya quickly returned to their table, eager to take more orders while avoiding Draco’s gaze, a hint of embarrassment colouring her cheeks.
“Draco nii, do you know that woman? She was quite scary,” Eleni whispered, her eyes wide.
Draco took a moment to explain Mia’s identity.
The girls listened in shock, realizing the caliber of the woman who had just reprimanded them.
Mia’s reputation wasn’t exactly a secret, so it wasn’t surprising that Draco was familiar with her.
Once Mia left, the pub buzzed back to life, and Draco could hear snippets of conversation regarding the Bahamut familia.
He hadn’t revealed much, but he felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that their name had been put out there.
After finishing their meals and settling the bill—much to Eleni's dismay—Draco divided the costs according to each person’s order.
The total was shockingly high, leaving a significant dent in their wallets.
“That was crazy expensive! Draco nii, why didn’t you cover our bill? Aaaah, my pocket money—my sweets money!” Eleni complained, her face a mix of frustration and disbelief.
“You all chose to dine here, so deal with the consequences,” Draco said, turning to leave.
“Where are you going?” Clair asked, a puzzled look on her face.
“To kill some time. There’s still about an hour before Denatus ends. You girls should find Michalis, Nikolaos, and Vasileios. Stay together somewhere near the western gates,” Draco instructed before disappearing into the night crowd.
“Tsk, why is he so stingy?” Eleni muttered, already calculating how she would earn extra money in the dungeon to replenish her sweets fund.
Although she had earned some extra money from helping Draco clean, most of it was now gone.
As they made their way toward the western city gates, Vasiliki became lost in thought and accidentally bumped into someone.
“Sorry!” she exclaimed, looking down to see a petite young girl with flowing blonde hair and striking golden eyes.
The girl wore a blank expression, and the sword strapped to her side appeared comically large for her petite frame.
‘Doesn’t she look a bit too young to be an adventurer?’ Vasiliki mused, noting that she herself was 11, yet this girl looked to be around 7 or 9.
“Hmm,” the girl responded briefly before continuing on her way, heading toward the Hostess of Fertility—the pub they had just exited.
Vasiliki watched her go, a sense of curiosity lingering.
‘What an odd kid,’ she thought, shaking her head before rushing to catch up with the others, who were already ahead.