Chapter 154
As Draco and Bahamut made their way through the Hephaestus familia home, the rhythmic clang of metal striking metal echoed through the halls.
Clang! Clang!
The sound resonated in the air, filling the atmosphere with a sense of industrious energy.
The temperature was high, and the rich smell of earth and ash permeated the space.
For Draco, this was a completely new experience; it was his first time visiting the home of the famed goddess of blacksmiths.
When they arrived at the door to Hephaestus's office, Draco hesitated, raising his hand as if to knock.
Bahamut, noticing his indecision, gave him a puzzled look, as if to ask why he was hesitating.
Without waiting for his reply, she opened the door and walked in, pulling him along behind her.
“Is it alright to just enter…” Draco’s voice trailed off as he took in his surroundings.
As he observed the office, he found himself utterly captivated by the sight before him.
The office itself was quite simple, containing a desk for paperwork, some chairs, a sofa, and other basic office furniture.
However, what truly caught Draco’s eye were the impressive array of weapons and armour displayed around the room.
Even without knowing the specific materials used to forge them, his draconic senses recognized their extraordinary value.
He felt a strong urge to possess at least one of those magnificent items.
Crafted by Hephaestus, they radiated a level of perfection that stirred the greedy instincts within Draco, instincts he had been striving to suppress lately.
The thought of claiming such treasures for himself and being surrounded by their magnificent presence made his mouth water.
‘Fufufu, I knew he would love it here,’ Bahamut thought, recognizing the glint of desire in his eyes.
She understood all too well the allure of Hephaestus' creations, as she too felt a similar thrill whenever she visited the goddess of craftsmanship’s temple in the world of the gods.
“Like what you see?” a voice suddenly inquired, pulling Draco from his reverie.
He turned to find Hephaestus emerging from her private forge, her face and clothes smudged in soot.
Using a clean cloth on a nearby rack, she wiped her face and hands, before approaching.
“Ah, I apologize,” Draco hastily replied, realizing how unseemly he must have appeared, practically drooling over the treasures before him.
“It’s no problem, your reaction reinforces the value of my creations, well as long as you don’t actually snatch anything,” Hephaestus teased, a playful smirk on her face.
Draco felt a mix of embarrassment and indignation; he would never stoop to stealing.
Bahamut, unable to stifle her amusement, laughed at his reaction.
It had been a while since she had seen him so flustered.
Things had been hectic for the Bahamut familia since after the last Denatus meeting.
“So what brings you here today, Bahamut? You rarely come without giving advance notice.” Hephaestus inquired with a curious smile.
“Well, it isn’t exactly me that wanted to visit today, but him,” Bahamut replied, pointing at Draco.
Hephaestus’s gaze shifted to Draco, waiting for him to speak.
‘What? She’s putting me on the spot like this!‘ Draco thought, feeling flustered by the sudden attention.
“First, I would like to reintroduce myself. I am Draco Black, captain of the Bahamut familia,” he began, trying to maintain a formal tone.
“Pffff, hahahahaha!” Bahamut burst out laughing, clearly amused by Draco's formality.
Ignoring her, Draco continued, “I thank you for taking care of our goddess. I know she can be quite lazy, so I’m sure she was a quite the handful.” he said.
Hephaestus smiled wryly, closing her eyes and nodding in agreement.
“Hey! What do you mean by that?” Bahamut complained, clearly unhappy with Draco’s comment, but he pressed on, undeterred.
“We met only once during the last Denatus meeting, so it’s hard to say we’re more than acquaintances. However, I’ve heard many positive things about you from my goddess,” Draco stated.
“Oh? And what exactly has she been saying about me?” Hephaestus asked, her interest piqued.
“I can’t repeat her exact words, as they were a bit embarrassing, but they were definitely positive,” Draco replied.
Hephaestus raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his choice of words but chose not to pry further.
“So, what is it that you want?” Hephaestus asked, her tone shifting to a more serious one.
She wanted him to get straight to the point.
Draco took a deep breath, removing the dungeon bag he had been carrying.
He opened it and carefully pulled out an object wrapped in several layers of thick cloth, soaked in his blood.
‘What is this?‘ Hephaestus thought, sensing a strange energy emanating from the item.
As Draco began to unwrap the object, Hephaestus felt her anticipation build.
The aura surrounding it was heavy and unique, sending an odd thrill through her as a craftsman.
It didn’t take long before he fully revealed what lay beneath the layers, and as he did, the oppressive aura of the object filled the room.
It was the scales of the one-eyed black dragon, which had fallen off around four years ago when it had taken the lives of Draco’s family.
Draco immediately used his own draconic aura to suppress the remnant energy emanating from the scales.
Although his aura was neither stronger nor equal to that of the small fragment within the scales, he had obtained his own aura by emulating that of the black dragon, so when he mixed it with the scales’ aura, it was more manageable.
Draco stared at the scales, struggling to contain the conflicting emotions that surged within him.
It had been a while since his raging emotions had surfaced so vividly.
“What is this? Where did you get this?” Hephaestus asked, her single visible eye sparkling with desire as she fell to her knees, hands trembling slightly as she reached out to touch the scales.
“It’s the scales of the one-eyed black dragon,” Draco replied.
Hephaestus froze, her eye widening in shock.
Bahamut had informed her of much of what had transpired with Draco and his siblings, so she was somewhat aware of the significance of the scales to him.
Yet, the value of such a material was overwhelming.
It was nearly impossible for anyone to acquire a treasure like this, as no current mortal alive could hope to injure the one-eyed black dragon, let alone retrieve its scales.
Bahamut watched the two of them, feeling slightly left out but finding the scene amusing.
“What do you want?” Hephaestus asked, using her hand to stop her other hand from reaching out.
She reasoned that since Draco had brought the scales to her, he must want something in return.
‘Does he want me to craft something for him? Well, I don’t mind if I can get my hands on such a valuable material. Besides, he is the child of my friend,’ Hephaestus thought, her mind racing with possibilities.
“I want you to…” Draco paused, contemplating his next words.
‘Come on, just say it already!‘ Hephaestus thought, her excitement bubbling beneath the surface.
“I want the Hephaestus Familia to help us store these scales,” Draco said.
“Eh?!” Hephaestus exclaimed, convinced her ears were deceiving her.
“I want the Hephaestus familia to help us store these scales,” he reiterated, sensing her disbelief.
Hephaestus stared blankly at him for a moment, struggling to process his unexpected request.
These weren’t the words she had expected to hear.
Bahamut stifled her laughter, thoroughly entertained by Hephaestus’ shock.
“Is something wrong with my request?” Draco asked, puzzled by Hephaestus’s expression.
“Nothing is wrong with your request,” Hephaestus replied, quickly composing herself.
“But I’m curious about a few things. First, why would you ask me to store these scales? And second, why aren’t you requesting me to craft something instead? You do know what kind of familia I lead, right?” she inquired.
“I understand my request is unusual, but there’s a good reason. First of all, I don’t yet have the money, status, or power to commission something from you. I also don’t wish to leverage the friendship between you and my goddess. Even if you did agree to craft something for me, the Bahamut familia simply lacks the means to protect such a treasure,” Draco explained, his tone earnest.
Hephaestus’s expression softened at his words.
‘You got yourself a good child, Bahamut,’ she thought, glancing at her friend, who nodded in agreement.
“The level of attention we’re currently receiving is enormous, and there have been a few accidents here and there. We are often out in the dungeon, and our goddess can’t exactly be home to watch over everything 24/7. It’s only a matter of time before our home may be attacked, and it would be a shame to lose these in the process,” he continued.
“I understand, but why me?” Hephaestus asked again.
“Well, Bahamut often speaks intimately of you, and your familia is powerful. I doubt anyone would dare to rob you. Plus, I intend to request your help crafting something for my familia one day, so it all connects,” Draco replied.
“I see,” Hephaestus muttered as she contemplated his words, her thoughtful expression revealing her intrigue.
‘Silly child, with such a level of material, I might have even crafted something for you for free, even if Bahamut wasn’t my friend,’ she mused, thinking of her favourite child, Tsubaki.
‘It wouldn’t be bad if they met.’ she thought…