Chapter 92

While lost in deep contemplation about what to do with the treasure chests, Lysander's sudden tap on my shoulder startled me, nearly triggering my instinctual reaction to lash my tail at him. "Uhm, sorry," Lysander apologized.

"I should be the one to apologize," I replied.

'For now, I should probably store all these in the new vault and ensure that no one uses anything for the time being. If my guess is correct, this could either be some illegally acquired stash or the treasure of an extinct familia. Either way, I shouldn't hastily sell them or immediately inform the guild,' I thought to myself.

"Tsk, what am I thinking? Like hell I will do that. What's a dragon without his treasure," I muttered quietly.

"Lysander, where is this hole you mentioned?" I asked.

"This way," Lysander replied, guiding me to the location.

Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a secret entrance of sorts, potentially leading to either Knossos or outside of Orario. The destination didn't matter much to me at the moment because having a hole that provided direct access to my vault evoked a tingling sensation within me.

'Wait, since when was it my vault? It's my familia's vault, I should remember that,' I reminded myself.

"Did you seal it completely?" I double-checked.

"Yes, I figured having something like this under the manor and close to the vault wouldn't appeal to you," Lysander explained.

"Thank you, my friend," I replied. The term "friend" slipped out naturally, even though we had only interacted a few times. But I sensed that it might help me negotiate better.

"Yeah, friend," Lysander awkwardly responded.

"You have earned your familia additional Valis for your excellent work. I assume there will be no mention of this, right, friend?" I asked, trying to sound menacing.

"Yeah, not a word," Lysander skeptically replied. Although he didn't know the exact contents of the boxes, he could still attract unwanted attention. Turning around to leave, I overheard Lysander muttering.

"This cheapskate is actually giving me more money. What is happening?" Lysander's confusion made me grateful that he didn't ask any questions or try to conceal the boxes, making him a trustworthy individual.

"Perhaps I should consider signing an exclusive contract with his familia," I pondered as we made our way back outside. My familia members had already brought everything inside, so my task now was to inspect the extent of the repairs completed by the Gofannon familia.

Walking through the manor, room by room, everything seemed to be in place. We now had the means to make some upgrades, thanks to the money we acquired from the treasure.

Eventually, I reached the third floor and opened the door to Bahamut's room. It looked as good as new and had even been reinforced with stronger materials, which accounted for a significant chunk of the repair costs.

"Wait, Bahamut!" I called out, realizing that I had forgotten something crucial. She was still with Hephaestus.

"Draco nii, are you here?" I heard Eleni's voice calling out, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yea," I replied, letting her know that I was in here.

Squik!!!

The door opened as Eleni walked in.

"Wow, is this really Bahamut-sama's room?" Eleni exclaimed in shock as she examined the room.

"I assume that's not why you came looking for me," I said, bringing her attention back to me.

"Ah, yea, um," Eleni waffled instead of outright speaking up. This was what she did anytime she wanted something expensive ever since we were kids.

"Sigh, what do you want?" I asked. Depending on what she asked for, I might just purchase it since I, no, we had money now.

"Uhm, I need something called Cadmus spring water, Arnica, Ember flowers, Winter garlic, Langlefras, and lastly Autumn cudweed," Eleni concluded her list.

Honestly, she lost me after the first one. The first one was so ridiculously expensive that my brain auto-tuned out the rest. It cost at least 10 million Valis for a bottle of Cadmus spring water. How she even came to know of this item was beyond me.

"Can I please have them? I feel like I could make something new with them and complete the other one I told you about," Eleni said, using the famous puppy eyes with her ears flopped down.

"I will see what I can do," I replied.

"Thank you," she excitedly said before pulling me into a hug. After which, she ran off somewhere.

"Sigh, if I didn't find those chests, I might have outright rejected her," I muttered, knowing fully well that I would have agreed regardless. I was just that kind of guy.

Leaving Bahamut's room, I decided to store all our loot in the familia vault before going to the Hephaestus familia manor. Soon, I was done with everything. Then I decided to go find someone to tell that I was going out.

"Vasileios, I will be going to the Hephaestus familia manor. Here, give everyone 1 million Valis each," I said while handing him 7 million Valis. It wasn't much considering the amount that we have in total, but that's all they would be getting. It was already strange that such newbie adventurers were getting that much money.

"Sure, no problem," Vasileios ecstatically replied.

"Don't spend it all in one place," I warned.

"Also, don't go to the red-light district. It's for your own good," I said with a menacing voice.

"Yea, I got it," Vasileios skeptically replied. I didn't want them to get in trouble with the Ishtar familia now that they had no interest in us.

It was not that I failed to comprehend my brothers' curiosity in the red light district. Being on the verge of fifteen, when one's hormones are in constant frenzy, coupled with their relentless escapades into the depths of dungeons and their primal instincts, it was difficult to endure.

The inherent need for release was justifiable. In all honesty, had I not joined the Bahamut Familia, I might have been the first to venture into such territories myself.

The allure of the red light district, with its vices and temptations, holds a certain appeal for individuals at their age. It serves as an outlet, a way to satisfy their natural urges and momentarily escape the stresses of their demanding lives. It is a place where inhibitions are loosened and desires can be fulfilled, even if only temporarily.

I was aware that it wouldn't take long now that the Evilus had been dealt with, and after my status update was completed, my level up would become known, putting me in the spotlight again. It was already strange to me that Ishtar hadn't made a move on me.

Walking the bustling streets, it was already evening, and the smell of street food and the noisy crowd permeated my senses. I was amazed at how fast the residents were recovering.

Soon, I reached the Hephaestus manor and allowed entry. Walking up to Hephaestus's office, I had a feeling of déjà vu. Opening the door, what greeted my sight was a naked Bahamut and Hephaestus with various clothes scattered around the room.

"Ah, Draco's back," was all I heard Bahamut say before hastily closing the door.

A/N: Gotta end the chapter with a Cliché lol.