Chapter 153
One Month Later...
It has been a month since the news of the Bahamut familia spread throughout Orario.
During this time, all members of the Bahamut familia have adapted to their new abilities and the attention that came with their feats.
Each member had grown stronger, but their rate of growth has slowed significantly.
This deceleration wasn’t due to a lack of potential or motivation; rather, it stemmed from the need for increased caution while navigating the dungeon.
On the 16th floor of the dungeon, there was an attempt on their lives by an unknown group.
This incident heightened their wariness towards unfamiliar adventurer groups they encountered.
Consequently, their dungeon schedules underwent a significant adjustment following an agreement with the Astraea familia.
Over the past month, relations between the Bahamut and Astraea familias have strengthened.
During their breaks from dungeon exploration, the Bahamut familia had assisted with patrolling certain areas of the city.
While it may seem insignificant, it was a necessary step towards building trust within the community.
Draco, as the captain of the Bahamut familia, believed collaborating with the Astraea familia was a strategic way to cultivate goodwill among most of the residents of Orario.
Establishing a positive reputation would be crucial when the evilus incident, a future crisis, unfolded.
If the Bahamut familia was well-known and trusted, it would be easier for the residents to heed their instructions during the emergency.
Draco clarified to the Astraea familia that their goal was to maintain order in the city rather than to champion justice for all.
The Bahamut familia sought to help in their own capacity, even if their efforts were modest.
The idea of justice for all felt too heavy for their small group, especially when they needed to grow stronger quickly and were targets of assassination.
Perhaps in the future, when they possessed enough power, they could strive to create a unified, non-oppressive order within Orario, but for now, they needed to operate within their limits.
Initially, Alise, the captain of the Astraea familia, was taken aback by this point of view.
She had assumed that since Bahamut was a goddess of justice, their familia would be fervently dedicated to the concept of justice like the Astraea familia.
However, Draco made his stance clear, leading to a mutually beneficial arrangement where their goals, while not identical, aligned enough for peaceful cooperation.
Another significant event was the resolution of the incident involving the Loki familia.
A meeting was arranged between the Bahamut and Loki familias, but it turned out to be much larger than Draco had anticipated.
Both goddesses, Loki and Bahamut, attended, leaving no room for misunderstandings or unnecessary disputes among their followers.
Thanks to this intervention, the Bahamut familia received reasonable compensation without much discussion.
Draco was puzzled by Riveria's apparent indifference regarding the reason Ais attacked him but quickly realized that Loki must have been aware about Ais past.
She likely shared it with Riveria and the other executives, which clarified the situation.
Despite the challenges, the past month was not without its positive developments.
Draco had been experimenting with his ‘Mystery’ development ability, making progress toward creating a grimoire.
Although he had not yet successfully crafted one, he sensed he was on the right track, as the skill reacted positively when he wrote the appropriate content.
Grimoires were intricate tools that required specific magical writing materials.
Instead of merely granting a particular spell to the reader, they initiated a process that enabled the reader to unlock a unique magic skill tailored to them.
Draco pondered the nature of spell creation: Were spells granted based on desire, personality, will, or was it simply random?
He wondered if he could influence the process to yield a specific spell.
Did the traits of the god or goddess that bestowed the falna have any impact on the results? These questions occupied his mind.
He found it intriguing that Bell, was an odd exception, the fire-bolt skill seemed to have manifested from his will or strong, desperate desire, rather than it being an innate part of him.
Currently, Draco was working on a prototype grimoire titled, "The Basics of Elemental Magic." His goal was to determine whether a basic elemental spell could be granted if his experiment succeeded.
His mystery skill seemed to respond subtly when he wrote something clear, truthful and logical, reinforcing his belief that he was on the right path, despite various doubts lingering in his mind.
Another question that puzzled him was whether the content he wrote had to be directly related to magic or if a fictional story with vivid descriptions of an ability could also yield results.
He eagerly anticipated testing this theory after completing his current experiment.
When it came to selecting test subjects for his grimoires, he considered the Astraea familia or other allied familias.
He was resolute in not experimenting on his own members until he achieved the type of grimoire he desired.
Once he could consistently create usable grimoires, he intended to explore the creation of magical items.
……………………………………………..
On a beautiful Saturday morning, with clear skies and bright sunshine, Draco and Bahamut strolled through the streets of Orario.
The autumn breeze rustled the leaves, adding a refreshing touch to the atmosphere.
They were en route to meet with the goddess Hephaestus.
Draco had expressed a desire to meet Hephaestus, primarily to leave the black dragon scales he had in her care.
Although the Bahamut familia was currently thriving, he believed it wise to ensure the safety of the scales, particularly given that they were often away from home.
In addition to leaving the scales, he hoped to become acquainted with Tsubaki, the captain of the Hephaestus familia.
Bahamut had shared that Tsubaki had been instrumental in providing her with supplies during a period of inactivity in her life, when she mostly stayed indoors, sleeping or reading.
Concerned for her friend, Hephaestus had assigned Tsubaki to check on Bahamut regularly.
This provided Draco with the perfect opportunity to meet Tsubaki, by thanking her for looking after their goddess.
Tsubaki, a talented blacksmith, was someone Draco greatly admired in the series.
She was second only to Hephaestus herself in skill, and he looked forward to forming a relationship her.
“Hey, are you sure the only reason you want to meet Hephi is to drop off those scales?” Bahamut teased, narrowing her eyes at Draco.
Her curiosity was piqued since his request had come out of the blue.
“It’s the main reason, but I wouldn’t mind if she crafted something with them for us,” Draco replied casually.
“Tsk, boring,” Bahamut grumbled, a playful pout on her lips.
She had hoped for a more exciting answer.
Their lighthearted banter continued as they made their way to the Hephaestus familia’s stronghold.
Over the past month, their relationship had evolved, albeit slowly, as Draco had made it clear he wasn’t ready to take significant steps forward until he reached adulthood.
However, their moments together—brief and fleeting—were enough to keep the flames of their connection alive.
Upon arriving at the main home of the Hephaestus familia, they were greeted warmly.
The guards, familiar with Bahamut, ushered them in without hesitation, allowing them to bypass any formalities.
As they stepped inside, Draco felt a mix of excitement and nervousness.
The fact that he could even request and audience with the goddess of the forge, was no small feat, and he hoped the encounter would be as rewarding as he envisioned.