As the warm sunlight streamed through the windows of the Stardust Garden, illuminating a particular room with its gentle glow, a soft, familiar voice echoed, rousing Draco's subconscious.
"Draco...Draco," the voice whispered, accompanied by violent tugs that startled his body awake.
Groggily, Draco opened his sore eyes, and the familiar petite face of his goddess, Bahamut, greeted his vision.
However, the expression she wore seemed to be one of deep concern.
"See, I told you he wasn't dead yet, just resting," another familiar voice chimed in, belonging to Aasterinian, who was leaning against the wall with an air of nonchalance.
Draco, on the other hand, was still trying to process what was happening.
His mind was foggy, and his thoughts were disjointed.
'What does she mean by dead?' he pondered, his brow furrowed in confusion.
Bahamut's worried expression deepened as she asked, "Draco, tell me honestly, how are you feeling right now?"
Draco attempted to respond, but his voice caught in his throat as he realized he couldn't move.
Panic began to set in, his heart racing as he struggled to comprehend the situation.
"Ugh, what is going on? Why can't I move? How long was I asleep?" Draco asked, his voice laced with desperation.
The last thing he remembered was talking and drinking on the roof with Alise, Lyra and Kaguya.
After that, he remembered entering the house, then writing a brief note, and finally finding a free makeshift bed since there weren't any spares.
After that, everything was a blank slate.
Aasterinian stepped forward, her eyes filled with a mix of concern and amusement.
"To answer your first question with the simplest explanation, you can't move because your body is tired and recovering from your unreasonable usage of it."
She paused, collecting her thoughts before continuing, "As for how long you were asleep, well, it's been a little over a week."
Draco's eyes widened in mild surprise.
He was well aware of how badly he had pushed himself over the past few weeks, and as a dragon-kin, his constitution was a bit special.
The revelation only came as mildly surprising, but the fact that he had slept for more than an entire week was staggering.
"Yes, around a week," Bahamut said, her voice filled with concern.
"You had everyone worried."
Draco subconsciously apologized, feeling a pang of guilt for putting his Familia through such distress.
"Sorry," he muttered, his eyes cast downward.
Bahamut's expression softened, and she placed a gentle hand on his head.
"Speaking of everyone, where are the others?" Draco asked, referring to the other Bahamut familia members.
Bahamut's face lit up with a warm smile.
"All the other kids are in the dungeon grinding for money. They are acting based on the note you left last night."
Draco's eyes narrowed, trying to remember the contents of the note.
He had written it in a hurry, but he was glad to see that his Familia were taking initiative.
"Really diligent, those kids are," Aasterinian said, a hint of pride in her voice.
"Makes me want to start a familia of my own."
Bahamut chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Draco's attention then turned to the Astraea familia, and he asked, "What about the Astraea familia?"
Bahamut's expression immediately soured, making Draco think the worst.
"Draco Black," Bahamut called out his full name, her tone serious.
Draco involuntarily tensed, feeling a sense of trepidation.
Bahamut had never called him anything besides Draco, and the formal address put him on edge.
Even Aasterinian straightened up, her eyes fixed intently on the drama unfolding before her.
'What did I do wrong? Should I apologize before she says anything?' these thoughts swirled within Draco's mind as he waited for Bahamut's response.
"Why have you not discussed the important matter of Astraea's kids joining us?" Bahamut asked, her voice firm but controlled.
Draco exhaled a sigh of relief, realizing that the issue wasn't as severe as he had imagined.
"I wanted to discuss it many times, but there was never a good time with how busy we both were at the time," Draco replied, his expression genuine.
Bahamut's eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing.
"Yet you offered them an invitation without a word to me," Bahamut countered, her tone laced with a hint of disappointment.
Draco knew that he had acted impulsively, and joining a familia required the approval of the patron god/goddess.
He had simply assumed that because Astraea was a close friend of Bahamut, she would accept them all without issue.
"I am sorry, I should have waited for your approval before acting out," Draco said, his voice filled with remorse.
Bahamut's expression softened, and she placed a gentle hand on his face.
"I don't particularly mind what you did, but I would like to be informed of these things beforehand," Bahamut said, her voice gentle.
"Besides, with so many beautiful girls joining so suddenly, it wouldn't be strange for certain mistakes to happen, especially with growing boys around" Bahamut mumbled, but Draco and Aasterinian pretended not to hear, avoiding any unnecessary awkwardness.
As the conversation progressed, Bahamut changed the subject, her expression turning serious.
"Anyway, a lot happened with Astraea's girls while you were asleep. For one, many familias dropped by to offer their condolences while sneaking in some recruitment offers...as for what happened next, it's best for Alise over there to explain."
As if on cue, the door snapped open, and Alise walked into the room, her face lit up with a blinding smile.
"Yo, captain," she greeted, her voice bubbly.
Draco's eyes widened in surprise, and he struggled to comprehend the situation.
"What...?" the words were caught in his throat as he stared at Alise, his mind racing with questions.
Alise's grin grew wider, and she seemed to be enjoying the attention.
"Being mesmerized at the sight of a one in a million beauty such as myself is nothing to be embarrassed about, you know?" Alise said with a sagely nod of acknowledgment to herself. Draco's expression immediately morphed from perplexed to exasperated.
"Glad to see that you are back to your normal self, care to explain what is going on?" Draco asked, his tone laced with a mix of frustration and amusement.
Aasterinian seemed to be struggling with held-in laughter, but she managed to keep a straight face.
Bahamut, on the other hand, maintained a blank expression, already adapting to Alise's odd persona.
"There is nothing much to it, after our night talk around a week ago, I, Lyra, and Kaguya spoke about it with the others. Some received it well, while others not so well," Alise paused, her voice taking a rather somber tone.
"Some left to find a new path for themselves."
Draco closed his eyes, taking in the news.
He had expected some of the Astraea familia members to be hesitant about joining the Bahamut familia, but he had hoped that they would all stay together.
"Sigh, so who are the ones that left?" Draco asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Alise's expression briefly turned somber, and she replied, "Ryuu, Lyra, Noin, and Ryana."
Draco's eyes snapped open, and he asked, "Do you know where they went?"
Alise's voice was laced with a hint of sadness as she replied, "Ryuu and Noin left with the Artemis familia, Lyra joined the Loki familia, and Ryana left Orario. She said that she wanted to go on a journey to find herself and would return when she accomplished that."
Draco's expression turned thoughtful, and he nodded slowly.
He understood that each person had their own path to follow, and he couldn't force them to stay if they didn't want to.
"I see, but aren't you a bit too chipper for someone who was sad just moments earlier?" Draco asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Alise's expression had quickly turned into a familiar sunny smile.
"What is there to be sad about? We are all alive and well, most of us are still in Orario, so we can see each other anytime," Alise retorted, her voice filled with optimism. Draco couldn't help but smile at her infectious enthusiasm.
"Sigh, so we are left with you, Kaguya, Neze, Iska, Asta, Maryuu, and Celty," Draco muttered, his eyes scanning the room as if searching for the missing members.
Alise's chest puffed out in annoyance, and she said, "What are you complaining about? You got seven powerful, beautiful, and brilliant, virgin girls to join your familia. Despite the many offers thrown at them, they still chose you, shouldn't you be happy?"
Draco's expression turned exasperated, and he countered, "Ugh, when you phrase it like that, it makes it sound as though I am only recruiting beautiful girls, in a weird love triangle, or secretly building a harem."
Alise's grin grew wider, and she said, "Eh, aren't you?"
Draco immediately denied the accusation, his face turning morphing with embarrassment.
"Of course not," he said, his voice firm.
"By the gods, I hope such rumors aren't spreading."
Alise's expression turned weird, and she paused before speaking.
"Well, about that...," Alise said, her voice trailing off.
"What...spit it out," Draco demanded, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Alise's grin returned, and she said, "Well, around two days ago, rumors have been spreading that the reason why we joined the Bahamut familia was because Therion had seduced us with its beastly charm or something."
Draco's eyes widened in surprise, and he asked, "Therion?"
Bahamut interjected, her voice calm, "Ah, I forgot to mention. During the meeting amongst the gods, your new alias was decided, Therion was the outcome, meaning wild beast/savage."
Draco's face turned red with embarrassment, and he muttered, "Ugh, please just kill me now." Aasterinian seemed to be struggling with held-in amusement at the banter, but she managed to keep a straight face.
As the conversation progressed, Bahamut brought up another important topic.
"Ah, speaking of meetings, on the way back, I caught two rather interesting girls, I was wondering what to do with them. Their names were Chloe and Luniore, if I remember correctly." Draco's eyes narrowed, trying to remember the names.
"By the way, what did these two girls do?" Draco asked, his curiosity piqued.
Bahamut's expression turned serious, and she revealed, "Well, they actually tried to kidnap you or assassinate you...something along those lines."
Draco's eyes widened in surprise, at how casually Bahamut dropped such a bomb.
Just then, the door to the room snapped open once more, and a strange cat girl wearing a maid uniform entered, carrying a tray laden with food and drinks.
"Ah, perfect timing, this is Chloe, my errand girl" Bahamut said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"I think it's time for you to replenish his strength."
Draco's stomach coincidentally growled loudly in anticipation as the food drew closer, the aroma of freshly cooked food in the air, stimulated his dormant appetite.
A/N: What do you all think of the members I picked…..