Chapter 55
As Draco stepped into Bahamut's bedchamber, he was struck by the lavish and regal decor that seemed at odds with the modest exterior of the house.
The large canopy bed, adorned with golden trimmings and frilly drapes, dominated the room, its plush, high-quality mattress and heavy blankets exuding an air of luxury.
The walls were adorned with landscape paintings, their ornate golden frames lending an air of sophistication to the space.
‘How did she manage to fit all of this in such a small house?’Draco mused, his eyes sweeping the room in wonder.
The contrast between the unassuming exterior and the opulent interior was perplexing.
‘I know that gods don't come with wealth from the upper realm,’ he thought.
‘Did she borrow money to furnish this place?’ The question lingered in his mind.
"Draco, stop looking around a lady's room like that," Bahamut's voice snapped him from his reverie, and he turned his attention to the goddess lying upon the luxurious bed.
"Ah, sorry about that," Draco apologized, feeling a sudden self-consciousness wash over him.
Communicating with a goddess in person was an entirely new experience, and he found himself unsure of how to interact with her alone.
"It's alright," Bahamut said, her tone reassuring.
"Now, come, take off your shirt and lie down. It's time to begin the blessing ritual." she requested.
Draco felt a slight hesitation, the situation feeling oddly intimate, almost as if he had stumbled into the set of a medieval-themed porn film.
Bahamut's attire, her casual recline upon the opulent bed, and her beckoning for him to disrobe – it all contributed to some weird fantasies he began imagining.
‘Draco, stop thinking of weird stuff,’ he scolded himself internally, and with a deep breath, he began to remove his shirt, exposing his toned, youthful torso.
As he lay down on the soft, plush mattress, Draco couldn't help but notice the scent that had been woven into the bedsheets.
It was a subtle, alluring fragrance that seemed to be Bahamut's own.
The familiarity of it was strangely comforting, yet it also stirred something deep within him.
Bahamut's warmth and softness enveloped him as she climbed onto his back, her small frame surprisingly heavy despite her petite stature.
Draco felt a strange, tingling sensation as Bahamut's tail gently brushed against his own, their scales lightly touching.
It was a sensation that, to his bewilderment, he found strangely arousing.
‘What's wrong with me?’ he wondered, his cheeks flushing with a mix of embarrassment and confusion.
‘Is this... puberty? Did it always start this early, or is it because she's within my 'strike zone'? Will she think I'm weird?’ Draco's mind raced with a flurry of questions, his rational thoughts battling against the unexpected physiological responses his body was experiencing.
His musings were interrupted when, Bahamut's pained yelp pierced the air, snapping him from his internal monologue.
"Ouch!" she cried, her finger pricked by a needle as she prepared to draw blood for the Falna blessing ritual. Then she let her blood drop onto his back.
"Ugh," Draco grunted in pain as Bahamut's blood touched his back, triggering a burning sensation within him.
It felt as if his body was trying to fight against the blessing, like two opposing forces locked in a fierce battle.
"Endure, it will pass," Bahamut said, her fingers gently caressing his back in a soothing gesture.
The pain was intense, but Draco gritted his teeth, determined to withstand the ordeal. Especially in his nether region.
After a few excruciating minutes, the burning sensation subsided, and Draco felt a shift within his body – the blessing had been successfully fused with himself and the extra skill that X had gifted him.
A status board was engraved on his back along with Bahamut’s emblem, which was a shield with a silver dragon in the middle.
An array of his skills and abilities were also displayed in intricate detail.
"You feeling okay now?" Bahamut asked, her warm breath tickling Draco's ear.
"Hmm," Draco replied, focusing on the sensations coursing through his body, trying to discern any changes.
"That's a lot of skills to have," Bahamut exclaimed, her voice filled with surprise as she examined the status board.
"Can I see?" Draco asked.
"Sure, just let me copy this to a piece of paper," the goddess replied, quickly grabbing a sheet from the bedside desk and pressing it against Draco's back, transferring the information.
She then handed the paper to him, allowing him to study his abilities.
As Draco began to study the information, Bahamut's voice once again broke the silence.
"Hmm, why aren't you sitting up?" she asked, perplexed by Draco's prone position.
Draco's cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and uncertainty.
The intimate nature of the situation, coupled with his unexpected physiological responses, had left him feeling self-conscious and unsure of how to reply.
‘Ugh, I can't tell her that, I am currently in a state of arousal,’ Draco thought, shifting uncomfortably on the bed.
He knew he needed to address the issue, but the mere thought of it made him cringe.
"No reason, I just feel more comfortable this way," Draco replied, grabbing a pillow and placing it under his chest to make himself more comfortable.
"Right," Bahamut said, her tone slightly unsure.
Draco quickly changed the subject, hoping to divert Bahamut's attention.
"Ahem, by the way, what does this 'sealed' on two of my skills mean?" he asked, noticing that two of his newly acquired skills were marked as sealed.
"Oh, that I'm not entirely sure about," Bahamut replied, moving to sit on the edge of the bed, her tail resting comfortingly on his back.
"As I mentioned earlier, you are the first case of your kind, so we'll have to figure out many things as we go." she said.
Draco nodded, his eyes scanning the rest of his skills.
‘It seems like all the skills X gave me reflected on my status, the racial skills are hidden like he said," he murmured, deep in thought.
"I was right to be concerned about the skill I obtained that day," Draco said, his brow furrowing as he examined the Raging Ascension skill more closely.
"Ah, yes, that is a very powerful yet dangerous skill," Bahamut acknowledged, her voice tinged with worry.
"I would advise you to use it sparingly." she advised.
Draco nodded in agreement. "Using the first stage would be helpful, but the rest is a gamble. The trigger is anger, and it's not something I can easily control in my current state," he admitted.
Bahamut hummed in contemplation.
"The only advice I can give is to practice regular meditation. Learn to control your emotions enough to remain in command, even when the skill is active." she said.
"Hmm, I'll keep that in mind," Draco replied, rising from the bed now that he had calmed his arousal.
As he put on his shirt, Draco turned to Bahamut, a question on his mind.
"So, what happens next now that we're a familia? Will you be moving to our inn with us?" he asked.
Bahamut paused, her gaze shifting around the room.
"Hmm, I am not sure, I've grown quite attached to this house over the past four years. But I do recognize that with my new responsibilities, I should probably relocate." she replied.
Draco nodded in understanding.
"I know the feeling. It was the same when we left our old home." He took a deep breath and made his request.
"Now that we're a familia, I don't want to leave you alone. Bahamut-sama, goddess of our familia, will you come with us?" he asked.
Bahamut chuckled softly. "Just call me Bahamut. And I will, but what are we going to do about all my belongings?" she asked.
Draco glanced around the room, taking in the various items and furniture that filled the space.
"Ah, I got caught up in the moment and didn't think about that," he admitted, scratching the back of his head.
‘What is wrong with me?, why am I acting so weird today?’ Draco wondered.
"Ahem, if you don't mind, can you give me a week to sort out the details?" Draco requested.
Bahamut smiled warmly. "Fufufu, take all the time you need." she laughed, amused by Draco’s reactions, finding it cute.
"By the way, is everything in this house paid for?" Draco asked, curious about the financial situation of their newfound familia.
He didn’t like the idea that they might be in some form of monetary debt.
"The house is rented, but I've paid for everything else," Bahamut explained.
"I borrowed some money from a friend soon after I descended, but I've already paid it all off." she added.
Draco felt a wave of relief wash over him.
"That's great, now we just have to get ourselves a familia home soon," Draco said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
Bahamut pondered for a moment before proposing an idea.
"Wait, can't you all just move here until you find a new place? I mean, it's a bit small, but we can manage. Or you can rent the house next door - I think it's currently unoccupied." she said.
Draco considered the suggestion, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm, maybe we can try that, but that will have to be a week later. We've already paid for a week at an inn." he replied.
"I see," Bahamut responded, her enthusiasm slightly dampened.
"Don't worry, a week will pass in a flash," Draco reassured her.
"For now, can you introduce us to the owner of the house next door?" he requested.
"Of course," Bahamut replied, a bright smile spreading across her face.
With the plan in place, they both exited the room.
Vasiliki was the first to greet Draco, running up to him with a curious expression.
"Draco nii, how did it go?" she asked.
Draco handed her his status sheet.
"I got a few decent skills." he replied.
The others quickly gathered around Vasiliki, eagerly examining the sheet.
Michalis' eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "Geh, am I counting the number of skills right?".
Nikolaos nodded, a hint of admiration in his voice, "As expected of Draco nii.".
Vasileios, however, couldn't help but mutter, "What's with these ridiculous abilities? Is this even fair?"
Draco raised a hand, silencing the group. "Relax, I'm sure that if you all put in more effort, you'll gain skills quickly as well." he said.
‘At least in development abilities’ he thought.
Clair, Dimitra, and Eleni exchanged skeptical glances.
"Do you really mean that, or are you just trying to butter us up?" Clair asked.
Draco met their gaze with sincerity. "I mean it," he replied.
The family continued to bicker between themselves for a bit, before Draco led them to the living room, and began explaining their plan for the rest of the day.