Oer...
A week had passed sihe Bahamut familia began expedition into the dungeon.
As phe familia had not ventured past the fourth floor, instead fog on harvesting magic stones from the abundant goblins, dungeon lizards, and kobolds that inhabited the upper levels.
The goal was to demonstrate their abilities to their guild advisor, Rose, in the hopes of gaining permission to delve deeper into the dungeohs.
However, the past week had brought about more than just progress in the dungeon.
The tract for renting the two houses adjat to Bahamut's residence had been signed and paid for, and it was now time for the familia to make the transition from the cozy fines of the Nekomata Inn to their new, more spacious aodations.
It was a Monday m, and the Bahamut familia had a busy day ahead of them.
Not only would they be moving out of the inn, but they also o update their status boards and attend an importaing with Rose ter in the day.
As Draco carried the st of his belongings to the waiting carriage, a small figure g tightly to Eleni's leg, refusing to let go.
"Waaaah, you're leaving. Don't go!" Cleo, the innkeeper's daughter, wailed in distress.
Draco paused, slightly taken aback by the ued dispy of affe.
‘This, I wasn't expeg,’ he thought as he pced a box in the carriage.
The innkeeper hurried to pry her daughter away from Eleni's leg, apologizing profusely.
"Sorry, this has never happened before." she said.
"It's fine," Draco assured her, watg as Eleni finally mao coax Cleo into letting go.
Apparently, Eleni had promised they would visit regurly, and if the innkeeper permitted, Cleo would be allowed to e and visit their new home, which wasn't far from the inn.
‘Cats are so uable’ Draco thought.
With that, the Bahamut familia bid farewell to the Nekomata Inn and climbed into the carriage.
Draco took the reins, and they set off for their new abode.
It didn't take long for them to arrive at their new housing, and the familia quickly began the process of unpag aling in.
Both of the rented houses had three rooms each, while Bahamut's own residence had two rooms and two ste rooms, e and one small.
Eleni, Dimitra, and Vasiliki would be staying in one house, while Michalis, Nikoos, and Vasileios would occupy the other.
Cir, meanwhile, would be staying in the free room in Bahamut's house, and Draco had decided to vert the rger ste room into a room for himself.
Draco was aware that his housing pn was not the most effit, but he had a long-term goal in mind.
He po purchase the surrounding nd within the year and build a grand familia manor, a tralized home for the entire Bahamut familia.
It took several hours for the familia to settle into their new living arras, and once everything was in order, it was time to update their status boards.
"So, who wants to go first?" Draco asked, looking around at the group.
The silehat followed alpable, as no one seemed eager to be the first to check their status.
He could seheir nervousness about cheg their statuses, as they had not experienced any sudden power surges, leaving them feeling as though nothing had ged.
Draderstood their apprehension, as their ret hunting activities had been focused on the weaker monsters of the upper dungeon floors.
"No one Huh? Fine, I'll go first then," he said, aered Bahamut's room.
The goddess was dressed in a well-fitted gown, her body properly covered.
There had been an indescribable atmosphere between Drad Bahamut during the past week, with her aaking it feel as though they were dista oddly very close.
‘Is she being more aware of me?’ Draco wondered as he removed his shirt and y down on Bahamut's bed.
The goddess climbed onto his back, and Draco felt a drop of her blood fall onto his skin, signaling the activation of his status board.
The status board bearing the Bahamut familia emblem began updating itself, its dispy flickering to life with a series of numerical values that reflected Draco's current status and abilities.
As the numbers swiftly ged, Draco felt a strange sensation, almost like a tingling, across his back.
"That tickles a bit," Draco said, his brow furrowing slightly as he felt Bahamut's small, delicate hands running along his spine.
Bahamut's expression was one of tration, her red reptilian eyes narrowed as she studied the status board ily.
"Stop being a big baby and stay still," she scolded, her tone slightly exasperated.
Draained obediently still, allowing the goddess to tinue her examination. After a moment, Bahamut's brow furrowed.
"Hmm, is this normal?" she murmured.
"What's wrong?" Draco asked, a note of creeping into his voice.
Bahamut's fingers paused momentarily, and she replied, "Nothing bad, I think. It's just that your stats have increased a bit too fast." Her gaze shifted to meet Draco's, and there was a slight furrow in her brow.
Draco's expressihtened slightly. "Then it should be a good thing, right?" he asked, a hint of optimism in his tone.
Bahamut's frown deepened. "Hmm, have you felt any sudden pain at all?" she asked.
Draco sidered the question for a moment, then shook his head.
"No, I don't think so," he replied. Bahamut's tail twitched slightly, and she sighed.
"Sigh, well, I have no idea what's really happening, so we'll just have to wait and see," she said, her tone slightly apologetic.
Draco couldn't help but think that Bahamut's response was a bit irresponsible, but he khe goddess was doing her best to uand the situation.
" you give me a copy of my status board?" he asked, hoping to gain a better uanding of the ges.
"Sure," Bahamut replied, and with a quick sp, she pressed a sheet of paper onto Draco's back, the status board's information transferring to the surface.
Draco studied the numbers, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Hmm, I see why you're worried," he murmured, his gaze fixed on the paper.
Some of his stats were already within the 300s, which was highly unusual.
"I don't think any of my skills could cause this," Draco said, his brow furrowing in thought.
‘My equilibrium skill is kind of vague, but it shouldn't cause such fast growth.’ he thought.
Bahamut's expressiohoughtful, "I have a wild theory, do you want to hear?" she said.
Draodded, his curiosity piqued.
"Well, Imagihat your inal sources of strength and growth were, let's call them, dragon power and natural energy. These energies have pools formed, slowly accumuting within your body, and keeping each other in even bao ensure a smooth growth." Bahamut paused, her eyes meeting Draco's.
"Then a new pool suddenly emerges, called excelia, which is empty." she said.
Draco listened ily, his mind already pieg together the implications of Bahamut's theory.
"This empty energy pool causes an imbao the other two pools," Bahamut tinued, "so to bahings out, your vessel is attempting to hastily absorb as much excelia that is necessary tain bah the other two pools of power." she surmised.
Draodded slowly, his expression ptive.
"Hmm, it weirdly sounds pusible," he admitted.
"But," Draco said, a slight frown tugging at his lips, "if the other two usually gather way slower than my new excelia pool, won’t it quickly grer thaher two as I hunt more powerful monsters and perform more feats, the bance will again be destroyed?" Draco asked.
Bahamut's tail curled thoughtfully around Draco's leg as she sidered the question.
"Hmm, maybe the excess excelia gets verted into the dragon and nature power for yrowth phases to take effect. A better possibility is that your body will forcefully increase the absorption rate or produ on and nature power to match that of excelia, triggering your natural growth phases faster," she expined, her voice thoughtful.
"Iing," Draurmured, "it sounds simir to the effey equilibrium skill." he said.
Bahamut nodded, a slight smile tugging at the ers of her lips.
"Well, this is all just theory, so don't take it too seriously," she said, her tone light.
Draco couldn't help but chuckle, a fond smile spreading across his face. "Hahahaha, as expected of a genius legal loli dragon goddess," he said, the words slipping out before he could stop them.
Bahamut blinked, her expression one of curiosity.
"Loli, what's that?" she asked, her voice soft and inquisitive.
Draco felt his face heat up, and he hastily replied, "Ah, Uhm. It kind of meae aiful." he said.
Bahamut's eyes narrowed slightly, and she leaned in closer, her breath tig Draco's ear.
"Hmm, doesn't seem like you're lying, but irely true. What does it really mean?. I remember you saying something simir when we first met" she whispered, her tail tightening around Draco's leg as her chest gently rested against his back.
Draco's heart raced, and he felt a sudden, intense warmth spreading through his body.
'Oh, shit,' he thought, 'I now have a raging boner. What do I do? Is she teasing me or t me on purpose?' he wondered.
Knoock !
A sudden kno the door, temporarily distracted Bahamut.
‘ce’ Draco thought as he ………….: