Chapter 88

“Michalis, Michalis” Vasiliki called out.

“What!!” Michalis asked.

“I believe we should head home now. We shouldn't linger in this unknown area," Vasiliki said, her voice tinged with concern.

Michalis let out an exasperated sigh. "You think I don't know that? But I can't just let those brats get away with my pocket money so easily," he replied, frustration evident in his tone.

Vasiliki shook her head, attempting to reason with him.

"I still don't think it's worth the effort. There's simply no way we'll be able to find them in this maze-like place. I have a bad feeling about this place," she warned, trying to convince him.

Michalis, however, remained steadfast in his decision, ignoring Vasiliki's pleas and continuing to forge ahead.

Vasiliki let out a resigned sigh as she followed closely behind him.

‘Why is he being so stubborn over such a small amount of money?’ she wondered.

Earlier that day, Michalis and Vasiliki had ventured out to explore the city of Orario.

It had been over a month since Draco and his family had arrived in the city, yet they had little to no free time to truly explore the city.

Even on the rare days off they had from the dungeon, they either spent their time honing their skills or simply lounging at home, unable to break away from the monotony.

Tired of the routine, Michalis had decided to venture out on his own, but Draco had constantly advised them to move in pairs when going far from their residence, so he asked around.

Unfortunately Clair, Eleni, Nikolaos, Dimitra, and Vasileios were all occupied with their own activities, so Vasiliki was the only option available.

Reluctantly, Michalis begged her to accompany him. to which she agreed as she too was bored.

During their exploration, Michalis and Vasiliki had somehow ended up in the northeastern part of the city.

They were interested in seeing the Ganesha Familia colosseum.

Unfortunately for Michalis, he had fallen victim to an act he never thought possible – he had been pickpocketed by some poor-looking children they had encountered along the way.

This incident had deeply wounded Michalis' pride, as he believed himself immune to such petty crimes.

Vasiliki, of course, couldn't resist the opportunity to tease and torment her brother over it, further infuriating him.

Determined to retrieve his lost money, Michalis had given chase to the children, and Vasiliki had no choice but to follow, fearful of returning alone and facing the wrath of Draco.

Chasing after the pickpockets led both of them to an unknown area to them within the city.

This was the southeastern part of Orario, a large area within the city where a lot of illegal and shady activities took place.

Within this area lay Daedalus Street, a wide residential area for the lower class citizens.

Daedalus Street was famous for being extremely hard to navigate as the design was purposely made complicated.

To make matters worse, the area next to this district was none other than the entertainment district, an area controlled by the Ishtar familia.

One could already imagine that when a complicated area filled with the lowest class of society was mixed with a red-light district, it became a breeding ground for the worst kinds of debauchery and crime.

Draco had made it extremely clear that they were to steer clear of this part of Orario for the time being, but Michalis' stubbornness had led them straight into this dangerous territory.

Sadly they had both failed to recognize where they had wandered into.

As they wandered through the winding streets of Daedalus, Vasiliki suddenly came to a halt, her expression grave.

"Michalis, stop," she said, her voice laced with seriousness.

Michalis turned to face her, the frustration still evident on his face.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice tinged with impatience.

Vasiliki's eyes scanned the area around them, a sense of unease settling in her stomach.

"I... I think we're being watched," she whispered, her gaze darting from one shadowy corner to the next.

"I've noticed a few suspicious-looking individuals keeping an eye on us. We need to get out of here, Michalis. This place doesn't feel right." she added.

Michalis' expression immediately shifted, his initial annoyance replaced by a growing sense of caution.

He, too, began to survey their surroundings, his hand instinctively reaching for the dagger hidden within his clothing.

The air seemed to thicken with tension as the siblings realized the gravity of their situation.

They were deep within a district known for its criminal elements, and their presence had not gone unnoticed.

Vasiliki's heart raced as she considered their options.

"Michalis, we need to get out of here, immediately.” she advised.

Michalis hesitated for a moment, the desire to recover his lost pocket money still lingering in his mind.

But the concern etched on Vasiliki's face, coupled with the growing unease in the air, slowly began to sway his decision.

"Alright," he conceded, reluctantly.

"Let's head back. We shouldn't have come this far in the first place." he added.

Vasiliki let out a sigh of relief, grateful that Michalis had finally seen reason.

The siblings immediately turned and began to retrace their steps, their pace quickening as they sought to escape the oppressive atmosphere of their surrounding.

Unfortunately things weren’t going to be as easy as they except.

…………………………………………………………………..

It didn't take long for Bahamut to arrive at Babel Tower, where the Denatus meeting was taking place.

Upon reaching the grand structure, the draconic goddess elegantly stepped down from the carriage, her presence immediately captivating the attention of the arriving gods.

Bahamut swiftly made her way up the tower, her eyes focused on the meeting room ahead.

However, as she traversed the hallways, she unexpectedly encountered a rather annoying, yet familiar, goddess – Loki.

Loki was a mischievous tomboy-esque goddess with light red hair and eyes.

"Hmm, is that who I think it is?" Loki commented, shielding her eyes as if to get a better look at Bahamut, despite the latter being right in front of her.

Bahamut greeted the mischievous goddess with a warm smile.

"Good evening, Loki," she said, her voice soft and composed.

Loki's eyes narrowed as she took in Bahamut's appearance.

"Oh, there you are. I couldn't see you with how tiny you are," she replied, taking a jab at the draconic goddess's stature.

Undeterred by the playful jest, Bahamut's smile only grew brighter.

"It has indeed been a while," she responded, her words drawing the attention of the other arriving gods.

'Guh, what is this cuteness level? Just what happened to her?' Loki thought, slightly perplexed by Bahamut's uncharacteristically amiable demeanor.

"Tsk, you have definitely changed somehow," Loki said, her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of the shift in Bahamut's behavior.

"Glad to see you are still the same," Bahamut replied, her words carrying a hint of warmth.

Loki found herself at a loss for words, the conversation taking an unexpected turn.

"Shall we head in?" Bahamut suggested, her hand gesturing towards the meeting room door.

"Who exactly are you?" Loki muttered, accepting the offer and walking into the room first, with Bahamut following closely behind.

Normally, Bahamut would have readily latched onto Loki's bait and engaged in a spirited debate.

However, today, she was in a remarkably good mood, and her focus was on forging stronger alliances – a responsibility she had taken on with the establishment of her own familia.

As they entered the room, the stares of various other gods immediately fell upon Bahamut and Loki.

Bahamut's attendance at Denatus meetings had been sporadic over the time she had been in Orario, making her presence all the more notable.

Adding to the rarity of the occasion was Bahamut's attire – she was dressed more conservatively than her usual revealing outfits.

This change in her appearance did not go unnoticed by the assembled male gods, some of whom expressed disappointment, as they had come to Denatus to ogle at the beautiful goddesses in their more alluring attires.

Bahamut in the past didn’t exactly care what she wore, she even found wearing cloths to be rather troublesome affair.

She rarely used her humanoid form in the upper world and even when arriving in the lower world, she simply wore whatever enabled her to move her body freely.

With the arrival of Draco and his family, the draconic goddess had become more conscious of her outfits, feeling the need to present a more refined and respectable image.

At least that what she would answer if anyone asked, the truth was that she became sensitive to the sneaky gazes of a certain person.

Most gods tended to keep their distance from dragon gods, as many were known for their eccentricities, even the more amiable ones like Bahamut.

A few had attempted to court the petite goddess in the past, but their efforts had often ended poorly, as Bahamut was not one to be trifled with.

Suddenly, a loud voice boomed through the room, drawing everyone's attention.

"I am Ganesha!" a tall, muscular man wearing a red and yellow elephant mask announced, his voice echoing through the chamber.

Loki let out a soft "Tsk" at Ganesha's boisterous introduction.

"I am Ganesha!" the elephant-masked god repeated, his volume even more thunderous than before.

Ganesha's gaze soon fell upon Bahamut, and the two gods stared at each other for a few seconds.

Then, Ganesha raised his hand, his eyes fixed on the draconic goddess.

The air in the room seemed to grow thick with anticipation as the two gods stood facing each other, the tension palpable.

Bahamut's expression remained calm and serene, her eyes meeting Ganesha's gaze.

The silence was finally broken as Ganesha spoke.

"We have much to discuss." Ganesha said cryptically, with a faint smile on his lips.

Bahamut's own lips curved into a graceful smile, nodding her head in understanding.

Loki looked back and forth between the two, her eyes narrowed in suspicion on what was going on.