Chapter 65

The next day, as the sun began to rise, casting a warm glow over the Bahamut familia, everyone slowly stirred from their slumber.

The events of the previous day lingered in our thoughts, leaving a somber atmosphere. Vasiliki had woken up first, her eyes filled with concern as she looked over at the still unconscious Vasileios.

Determined to do what I could, I gently placed my hands over my fallen brother and channeled my water rune healing spell, hoping to bring him back to consciousness and restore the last of his wounds.

With Vasileios now stable, I called for a meeting, gathering the entire familia together. As they assembled, I couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt weighing on my shoulders. "I feel that I have failed you all as captain," I confessed, my voice filled with regret. I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts before continuing.

"Nonsense," Vasiliki interjected, her voice filled with support. "We were all in this together, Draco nii. We will face all the challenges as a familia, and we will overcome them as well."

Lili, curious and observant, tilted her head in confusion. "Draco nii, are you okay?" she asked, her concern evident in her innocent eyes.

I gazed at Lili with a gentle smile, deeply touched by her sincere concern. "Don't worry, Lili," I assured her. "Even I have my moments of doubt. But with all of you beside me, I believe we can move forward"

Taking a deep breath, I began to speak, my voice heavy with regret and self-blame.

"We lost Clair because we lacked both physical strength and my lack of sound judgment. When the Evilus became too unruly, we had the option to leave Orario, but I made the decision for us to stay. Perhaps, if I had been more persistent and presented a valid reason, I could have joined you all in defending the Ganesha familia manor. Unfortunately, I didn't do that, and I accept full responsibility for the consequences."

As my words lingered in the air, a profound silence descended upon the group. Each individual averted their gaze, empathetically sensing the self-inflicted pain I was already enduring.

While they couldn't refute the truthfulness of my words, an unspoken question arose: Why wasn't I present when they needed me most?

My cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, my head hung low in shame. I had failed to protect the people I love from harm, and now Clair – a vital member of our familia – was gone.

My mind raced through an endless stream of 'what-ifs', and it became increasingly difficult for me to remain composed.

However, a surprising turn of events unfolded. Our beloved goddess, Bahamut, suddenly approached me with unsteady steps and embraced me tightly. Her hug conveyed both gentleness and strength, radiating nothing but acceptance.

As I gazed into her captivating silver eyes once again, I detected a familiar glimmer of hope mingled with sorrow.

I realized that I was not the sole bearer of pain, and it struck me that my current behavior was unwarranted. "No, this must cease," I resolved, gathering myself. If I allow myself to succumb to despair in the face of one fallen comrade, how would I ever cope as our familia grows.

Breaking the silence, Vasiliki rose from her seat and slowly approached me. Her voice filled with empathy, she spoke, "I believe in what you're saying, but it's important to remember that it's not solely your fault. We all made the choice to stay in Orario and help its people. Unfortunately, we couldn't prevent Clair from leaving us, no matter how hard we tried."

I gazed at her, my face radiating gratitude, and my eyes brimming with relief. In that moment, I once again realized that I was not alone in feeling this overwhelming emotion.

The burden of our shared experience lifted the air of awkwardness, offering a glimmer of solace, knowing that we could rely on one another for support.

Just then, as the room fell into a hushed silence, a subtle movement caught our attention.

It was Vasileios, slowly stirring from his unconscious state. His eyes fluttered open, revealing a mix of confusion and disorientation.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice laced with concern, as he scanned the room for answers. "Is Michalis okay? Where are we?" Vasileios mind raced with questions, trying to piece together the fragments of his memory.

I approached Vasileios with a beaming smile, offering a comforting presence. "Welcome back!" I exclaimed, my voice radiating warmth and genuine relief.

"Brother, we were just discussing our future," I began, my tone steady and composed. With patience and meticulousness, I proceeded to explain the situation, recounting the unfolding events and providing Vasileios with a comprehensive account of what had occurred since he lost consciousness.

Bahamut, our goddess, sat silently by our side, her presence providing a sense of calm amidst the uncertainty. We her familia, in need of guidance, were left to navigate our own path.

"We may be lacking in numbers and strength," I proposed, my voice carrying a hint of seriousness and resolve . "But I have an idea. What if we embark on a long and challenging expedition into the dungeon?"

Anticipation filled the air as my words lingered, capturing the attention of the group. "We will persist until every one of us levels up or reaches a milestone. Let us challenge our limits and grow stronger. I have a strong intuition that the remnants of evilus will soon unveil their intentions within the next 2 years."

A shiver coursed through their spines as my voice assumed an eerie tone, infusing a chilling essence into my proclamation. "When the time comes, we will stand prepared and eradicate them completely."

"I agree," chimed Michalis, being the first to express his agreement. He shared the same mindset as me. The rest of the group simply shrugged, indicating their consensus.

"Let's do it!" everyone shouted, their newfound motivation driving them to eliminate all remnants of evilus.

After much deliberation, we decided to embark on a month-long expedition next week. The goal was to enhance our skills and power.

However, we faced a setback at the present moment – our familia manor required repairs, and we lacked the necessary funds.

"Oh , I forgot. Bahamut, was that you on top of the tower of Babel yesterday and what happened" I asked curiously. The others turned to listen because they were interested.

"Eeeeeeh, Ahem, Oh that. After I felt Clair's death I was really angry and went looking around for that Erebus. When I found him and began questioning him, he refused to answer so I went a tiny bit wild and crushed his legs but that stupid Uranus interrupted me. Then Erebus bled out and returned to heaven. Thought he did whisper something about Rudra before returning".

I was left dumbfounded at the reveal. Normally crushing someone's leg wasn't something considered as just a bit wild.

Also it was Astraea meant to send Erebus to heaven but things changed and we now had an Evilus familia to target. It was the Rudra familia.

Soon the meeting was disbanded and everyone went about their own activities. We now had to clean up the mess made in our familia home by the evilus.

I had to visit the guild to submit a report on the recent events that took place in the dungeon, all while the residents of Orario continued with their daily routines. The city would require some time to recover from the destruction caused by the evilus attack.