Chapter 33

As Draco gently stroked Eleni's hair, she stretched out her hand and managed to grasp his warm, smooth palm.

This small contact seemed to have a calming effect, soothing her from the grips of the nightmare that had disturbed her sleep.

"Ssshhh, it's alright. Your Onii-chan is here," Draco whispered soothingly, his voice low and steady.

He remained perfectly still, watching over her as she slowly drifted back into a more peaceful slumber.

After some time, Eleni's grip gradually loosened, allowing Draco to carefully slip his hand away.

He then took a moment to survey the rest of his family - Michalis, Dimitra, Nikolaos, Vasiliki, Vasileios, and Clair.

Each of their faces bore the faint traces of dried tears, a heartbreaking sight that tugged at Draco's own weary heart.

As the eldest sibling, he wished he could do more to ease their sorrows, but for now, he could only watch over them and hope they would find the strength to move forward, despite the tremendous hardship they now faced.

As Draco looked up at the sky through the gaping hole the one-eyed black dragon had created, he could tell it was the early morning hours.

Shafts of golden light were just beginning to peek over the horizon, casting a warm glow across the devastated town.

Draco surveyed the scene more closely, noting that the molten rock left by the dragon's rampage was starting to cool and harden.

‘It must be around 6 AM now,’ he mused.

‘The others should rest a while longer before I wake them,’ he thought.

With a bit of time to himself, Draco began seriously formulating a plan for the day ahead.

‘Alright, the first order of business is to search the remaining houses and gather anything useful that could sustain us for the next three to four years,’ he thought.

Food, water, tools, clothing - every scrap would be vital in the days to come.

‘Next is transportation, we will need a vehicle, large enough to carry all of us along with our supplies, and horses or oxen to pull it. If it's the latter, I should search the farms first,’ Draco considered.

Draco suddenly paused, furrowing his brow. There was a major problem, the monsters.

‘Hopefully only a few weak monsters remain in the town,’ he hoped.

But that line of thought sparked a memory from when he had ventured to the surface during the night.

"There were no monsters at all around our farm. Just the battle boars near the town," he muttered.

‘Why is that?’ Draco racked his brain, trying to recall any relevant details.

Then it hit him - in the original story, there was a village protected from monsters due to the presence of the black dragon's scales.

‘Could that be the case here as well?’ he wondered.

Draco considered the implications of that possibility.

This provided them with the option of staying put and training in a monster infested area, without fear of being attacked.

But he also considered that the overwhelming presence of the black dragon's power might be difficult for him to handle.

It could trigger the ability that he couldn’t control.

“No, I must control myself,” he firmly muttered.

‘Get used to its power. I am a dragon as well, I may even learn to emulate that pressure,’ he thought.

‘Everything hinges on if my assumption is true. If it's is, perhaps we can move the scales with us as protection while travelling to another secure place,’ he thought.

Another question of whether he could find a map loomed within Draco's mind.

If he could, they might be able to plot a course directly to Orario when it was time.

If not, they would have to forge their path - by following any main road to the next settlement when the time came.

Draco took a deep breath, steeling himself for the day ahead.

There was much work to be done, but he felt cautiously optimistic.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3 Hours Later

The morning sun peeked through the dim cavern, signaling the start of a new day.

Draco immediately began preparing a hearty breakfast for his family.

The aroma of freshly cooked food soon wafted through the underground haven, rousing the others from their slumber.

One by one, the sleepy-eyed inhabitants of the cavern emerged, drawn to the tantalizing scent.

Vasiliki, the youngest of the group, was the last to join them, her eyes still heavy with the remnants of sleep.

Draco could see the trepidation etched on her face, the memory of the previous day's harrowing events still fresh in her mind.

As they gathered around the makeshift table, Draco cleared his throat, ready to share his plans for the day.

"First, I will be going to the surface alone." he announced, his voice steady and resolute.

Vasiliki opened her mouth, struggling to find the words.

"Draco nii, why?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The fear in her eyes was palpable.

Draco met her gaze, his expression softening.

"I know how you all feel, but this is necessary for our survival," he replied.

He could see the mixed reactions on the faces of his family members, ranging from concern to reluctant understanding.

Sensing their unease, Draco decided to provide a more detailed explanation.

After explaining, his family members nodded, their expressions gradually shifting from uncertainty to understanding.

Draco knew that they might not fully comprehend the reasoning behind his decision, but he was confident that they would trust his judgment.

"If my theory is true, it will be easier in gathering supplies along with various other things" Draco explained.

He then briefly outlined his other plans, keeping the explanations concise and straightforward.

With a final nod, Draco rose from the ground and made his way towards the surface, his mind focused on the task.

As he emerged from the cavern, he carefully surveyed his surroundings, alert for any signs of danger.

‘It doesn't seem like there are any monsters around, I should probably start searching’ Draco thought.

He closed his eyes and tried to recall the aura of the one-eyed black dragon, the memory of its overwhelming presence still etched in his mind.

Draco soon felt a surge of various conflicting emotions coursing through him, but he quickly reined in his emotions, determined to maintain a clear and rational approach.

It didn't take long before he sensed something familiar, a strong trace of the dragon's essence.

Draco immediately followed the source, his gaze coming to rest on two scales lying amidst the remnants of the picnic site.

It was where he and his whole family last dined, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on distracting thoughts.

Kneeling down, Draco examined the scale closely.

The ridges at the edges indicated that they had once been a part of a full scale.

It looked very old and faded, definitely a loose scale from a past conflict.

Draco's mind raced, he couldn’t help smiling as he thought of various uses for the scale.

‘Did it come from an old wound during Albert's era, or did it come loose from a fight with the Zeus and Hera Familia?’ he wondered briefly.

Ultimately, the specifics mattered little; what mattered was that he had found an extremely valuable item.

Even the shavings of the scale could earn them a large amount of Valis or could be used to craft weapons, armor, and other things.

Draco carefully picked the scales up, then tried searching for more. Sadly there weren’t anymore.

He then contemplated testing its deterrent capabilities but decided against it, opting to return to the cavern and begin the next phase of his plan.