章節 72: Chapter 72

As we strolled along the street towards the Hephaestus familia area, Lili's grumbling stomach brought us to a halt. She seemed a bit embarrassed about it and tried to cover it up quickly.

It wasn't until then that I realized it was already past lunchtime, and we were still a fair distance away from the Hephaestus familia shops. Despite being an adventurer, Lili was still just a kid who needed to eat to grow.

"Hey, do you wanna stop somewhere for lunch?" I asked Lili. She didn't respond immediately but instead covered her face with her hands, giggling with a red face, and muttered something under her breath.

I could've sworn I heard the word "date," but let's just chalk it up to me having some auditory hallucinations. Soon enough, we stumbled upon a store that was currently under reconstruction. The owners had set up tables and chairs outside, and surprisingly, there were quite a number of customers.

"What would you like to eat?" I asked Lili. "Ramen," she replied, and I decided to go with the same. Placing the bag I was carrying with supplies on the ground, I called for a waiter.

In that moment, I suddenly remembered the inn that I stayed upon entry into the city. It was owned by a family of cat Demi-humans. They were really nice people, and I hoped they had survived the recent evilus attack in the city.

Soon enough, our food arrived. I wanted to say it was delicious, but the meat was a bit strange, the eggs were overcooked, and... ah, there I go again, being overly critical of other people's food. I really needed to stop this habit.

"So, how's the food?" I asked Lili. "Okay, I guess," she replied in a plain tone. "I guess when you're hungry, anything will do," I muttered to myself before quickly finishing up my meal. Once we were done, we continued on our walk towards the Hephaestus familia smith area.

Soon we arrived at the bustling shopping area of the Hephaestus familia. Lili and I began our search for the items we needed, keeping our budgets in mind. I had around 200,000 Valis set aside for my light armour, while Lili's maximum budget for a spear was 70,000.

After observing Clair's training one morning, Lili developed an interest in spears and even trained with Clair regularly. However, since Clair's unfortunate demise, Lili had decided to make the spear her main weapon, perhaps as a way to honour Clair's legacy.

Finally, we stumbled upon a store that fit my budget. I had to be cautious, as newbie blacksmiths affiliated with the Hephaestus familia often approached adventurers to form contracts and gain recognition.

We already had Nikolaos in training. My plan was to ensure that my familia met their level-up quotas during this dungeon expedition, even if it meant spending an extra month in the dungeon. We needed to take risks since we were still weak. At least that was the plan.

Once I purchased my light armour, I looked around for Lili, who was meticulously inspecting every spear within her price range. It was amusing to watch, but I needed to visit the Hephaestus familia and check up on our goddess, Bahamut, as well as speak with Hephaestus herself. Unfortunately, our romantic relationship hadn't progressed much.

"Lili, are you done?" I asked, hoping to continue our errands.

"Hmm, just a minute," she replied while running her hands along a spear. I sighed, realizing that Lili probably had limited knowledge about weapons. Regardless, I decided to wait a little longer.

Eventually, amidst the bustling crowd, I caught sight of a familiar figure. It was Vasileios, my brother. "Hey!" I called out to him, but my voice was swallowed by the noise around us. Determined, I yelled again, successfully grabbing his attention. He made his way towards me.

"Draco nii, what are you doing here?" Vasileios asked.

"Shopping," I replied, curious about what he was doing in the area. "What about you?"

"Shopping as well," he answered, and we both laughed.

"I still haven't found any good armour within the budget you gave me, so I decided to try my luck here," Vasileios explained.

Sighing, I handed him an extra 200,000 Valis. "Here, take this," I said, offering some of my own money. "It should help you get something good."

"Thanks, Draco nii," he replied, pulling me into a hug. It was a bit embarrassing to be embraced in public, but I appreciated his gratitude. After our brief encounter, Vasileios disappeared into the crowd. "Sigh, he's still so childish," I muttered to myself.

Turning back to Lili, I noticed that she had finished her inspection. We paid for the spear and left the store. "Um, Lili, isn't it time for you to head home?" I asked, realizing that she had been clinging to my arm throughout our entire shopping trip.

"Where are you going?" she inquired.

"To the Hephaestus familia manor," I replied.

"Can I come too?" she asked hopefully.

Sighing once more, I relented. "Fine, you can come with me." And so, we continued our journey towards the Hephaestus familia manor.

Soon, we arrived at the Hephaestus familia manor, only to be greeted by a different set of guards. One of them seemed scared, visibly taken aback by my draconic features. Sighing, I introduced myself once again.

"Draco Black, captain of the Bahamut familia, and this is Lili, a member of my familia," I said, wondering if Bahamut had done something to earn their fear.

"Wait here for a while," one of the guards instructed, and after a short wait, he returned with Tsubaki. Her presence surprised me since she was usually very busy. Without hesitation, Tsubaki called out my name and pulled me into a hug, pressing me against her ample chest.

"Why don't you ever come to see me?" Tsubaki exclaimed, causing me to feel embarrassed by the show of affection in public. I was also aware that this would undoubtedly earn the jealousy of every male member of the Hephaestus familia interested in Tsubaki. Before I could respond, she released me and turned her attention to Lili.

"Draco-nii, help!" Lili pleaded, but Tsubaki continued her attentions without mercy. I shook my head, finding amusement in the situation. Eventually, Tsubaki calmed down and invited us inside. The guards shot me hateful looks, but I ignored them.

"You know, Hephaestus has been asking about your well-being throughout the whole Evilus event," Tsubaki suddenly said. "Just don't let her worry too much, okay? And don't let me worry either. Come by from time to time," she added before pulling me into another tight hug. This closeness felt strange, and I couldn't recall being this intimate with Tsubaki before.

We then entered a room where Bahamut and Hephaestus were engaged in a detailed discussion. Hephaestus's face was as red as her hair, piquing my curiosity about what they were speaking of. Soon, they noticed our presence.

"Beast," Hephaestus muttered upon seeing me, while Bahamut smirked. Panic flooded my mind. "Oh no, it couldn't be about what I think it is," I screamed internally.

"It was my first time, and he fucked me the entire night. Even when morning came, he wasn't satisfied. Can you believe it?" Bahamut whispered into Hephaestus's ears while sniffling with fake tears. I was shocked by the words, as were Lili and Tsubaki, who both turned red. I collapsed to the floor, overwhelmed with embarrassment. I realized I could literally die from embarrassment at that moment.

Quickly regaining my senses, I covered Lili's ears and sent her out of the room. She was too young to listen to this conversation. The whole charade I had put on now felt pointless, as I was certain Lili would spill the beans to everyone in the familia after this.

"Will I last that long?" I heard Hephaestus mutter. Apparently, she hadn't realized that everyone heard her words.

"Aren't you quite the man," Tsubaki teased, her gaze fixated on my crotch. I instinctively covered myself with my hands, regretting why I had come to this place today.

A/N: Thanks for reading feel free to read ahead on my pa3on and donate. Will be updating my other fic (journey through fictional realities) on Friday and Saturday. Barely have free time to write anything these days. Also gimme your stones and have a great weekend. See ya all Monday.