As the last wisps of morning light gave way to the high noon sun, casting a blazing yellow glow over the stardust estate, Draco stood alone in the garden, his eyes fixed on the spot where Alise had disappeared into the house.
The sound of her gentle humming had long faded, and an unsettling silence had settled over the grounds.
After had Kaguya left, Draco had spoken with Alise about several more topics, ranging from the intricacies of the familia's future plans to the latest rumors circulating within Orario.
As their conversation drew to a close, Alise bid him farewell, leaving Draco to his own devices.
With a quiet contemplation, Draco began another workout routine, his movements swift and calculated as he pushed his body to its limits.
Sweat dripped from his brow, and his muscles rippled beneath his skin as he executed a mix of both familiar and experimental techniques.
The physical exertion was a welcome distraction from the tumultuous thoughts that often plagued his mind.
As he wiped the sweat from his brow, his sharp gaze settled on the front gate, where two familiar presences had appeared.
His eyes narrowed, and his senses sharpened, as he recognized the visitors.
One of them, a young girl with an impulsive and brash demeanor, had leaped over the gate and was making a beeline for the back of the house.
The second figure, who he identified as Riveria, seemed caught off guard by the sudden movement and was frantically chasing after the intruder, shouting loudly.
"Ais, stop right now! You can't be doing this. This is trespassing!"
Riveria's words were laced with urgency, her voice carrying across the garden as she struggled to keep up with the suddenness of her companions action.
Ais stopped abruptly, her eyes locking onto Draco's, and a challenge was issued in an instant. "Fight me!" she declared, her voice echoing with a mix of determination and defiance.
Before Draco could react, Riveria caught up to her, and with a swift motion, struck Ais's head with a resounding
"Thunk!"
The sound of bones colliding reverberated through the garden, and Ais crumpled slightly, clutching her head and letting out a wail.
"Ouch!" Ais cried, her voice filled with a mix of pain and indignation.
As she looked up at Riveria with wide, tear-filled eyes, she hoped to disarm her with a pleading expression.
Riveria, however, was not swayed by the puppy eyes, and her expression remained firm.
"Don't you dare give me those puppy eyes! What did you promise me?" Riveria snapped, her voice stern but with a hint of concern.
Ais's shoulders slumped, and she replied in a defeated tone, "That I would behave."
Her gaze dropped to the ground, and for a moment, it seemed as though she could disappear into it.
Draco, watching the scene unfold, remained silent, allowing the dynamics to play out.
As Riveria's expression softened, she bent down to gently caress the bump on Ais head, using her healing magic to ease the pain.
As Ais demeanour shifted from defiance to submission, Riveria stood up, her attention refocusing on Draco.
"I apologize for the intrusion," she said sincerely, as Ais nodded in agreement, albeit with a hint of reluctance.
Draco, now fully engaged in the conversation, replied with a calm and collected demeanour, "It's okay, I don't mind if it's you."
His eyes flicked toward the roof, and he added, "You can put those away, Chloe, they are guests."
Both Riveria and Ais glanced up, but didn't see anyone, leaving them slightly confused.
However, Draco quickly pulled their attention back to him.
"So, what brings you here, Riveria, Ais?"
A hint of a smile played on his lips as he joked
"Hopefully, it's not for your feisty little companion here to fight me."
Ais eyes immediately lit up at the mention of fighting, the joke completely flying past her.
Her hand eagerly clutched her new sword, ready to draw at any moment.
Riveria, on the other hand, couldn't help but shake her head in exasperation.
"Ahem," she cleared her throat, trying to calm Ais down and break the awkward tension with Draco.
"While a joint training proposition between our familia's is one of the reasons for my visit, the main topic is about Rize-san," Riveria said, her expression turning somber.
Draco frowned at the mention of the name, as it evoked memories he didn't want to experience at this moment.
Ais, noticing the odd moment between the two, kept quiet, looking back and forth between them. Silence reigned for a few moments before Draco let out a somber sigh.
"Sigh, why don't you two come have a seat. It's not like the topic doesn't concern this little goblin too," Draco said, squatting to pick up his shirt before turning around to lead the way.
"She is not a goblin, but an angel, albeit a bit aloof," Riveria commented on Draco's reference to Ais, before following along.
Ais, not getting the reference, simply tilted her head in confusion before following after Riveria.
Leading the two guests deeper into the garden, the three soon arrived at an area with a single large table and chairs arranged neatly under a tree.
"Have a seat," Draco offered, while taking one himself.
"Don't mind if we do" Riveria replied, grabbing a chair opposite him, while Ais picked a seat next to her.
With Riveria and Ais seated, Draco resumed their discussion.
"So, what exactly do you want to know? I am pretty sure that I told you everything you needed to know regarding the situation," Draco began.
Riveria's expression turned serious, and she replied, "I know, but you didn't tell me where she died. I plan to send word home, about her passing, so they don't keep waiting on her to return. I am sure that they would love to hold a funeral..."
It was no secret that Rize tended to leave the Alf high elven forest for extended periods, but she always returned after a couple of years.
For a royal elf, such an amount of time was negligible, so her family back home were likely still awaiting her return.
"I see," Draco muttered, considering the situation before speaking.
"While I understand where you are coming from, I would like to ask. What will your family do to the place?" Draco asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"You have to understand that I lost my teacher, parents, and grandparents from both sides and almost the entire town I grew up in, so it's a special place. The black dragon left next to nothing in that place, so..."
Draco didn't finish speaking when Ais suddenly rose to her feet, her eyes filled with hate.
"Black dragon...where?" she demanded, her voice low and menacing.
Riveria called out, trying to calm the little girl, but Ais remained stubborn.
"Ais, calm down" Riveria said, her voice firm but concerned.
"You should listen to Riveria, calm yourself down," Draco added, his eyes locked onto Ais's.
"Where..." Ais demanded, partly drawing her sword.
Riveria's eyes widened, and she intervened, trying to prevent the situation from escalating.
"Ais, stop! You can't just..."
But Ais was beyond reason, her anger and hatred consuming her.
"Little girl, keep your voice down, you are starting to piss me off," Draco said, his voice carrying a threatening edge.
It was not as if he didn't understand Ais; in fact, Draco believed that he held more hate for the black dragon than she did, and it had taken a lot of effort over the years to temper not only himself but his remaining family from running blind after it for revenge.
"Ais, calm yourself, and Draco, you too, please calm down, she is just a kid," Riveria intervened, seeing how dangerous the situation was getting.
Draco took a deep breath, and his expression softened slightly.
"I know," he said, his voice a little more controlled.
Talking about the past had evoked emotions he wished to remain sealed for the time.
"Thank you," Riveria said, seeing his effort to de-escalate the situation.
"Ais," Draco spoke after a long pause, his eyes locked onto the young girl.
"Do you think you are strong?" he asked, his voice low and even.
Ais, although enraged, shook her head.
"Then what do you plan to do when you meet it?" Draco asked, his eyes glinting with a hint of curiosity.
"Kill it," Ais replied, her voice firm but laced with a hint of uncertainty.
"Hahahahahaha" Draco chuckled out loud, the sound echoing through the garden, before abruptly stopping.
"You will die in less than a second if you meet it as you are now," he said, his voice chilling and devoid of emotion.
His reptilian red eyes seemed to glow subtly with a chilling light, and a dreadful aura filled the area, startling the chirping birds, before disappearing as abruptly as it came.
"Look here, you delusional little girl," Draco continued, speaking with a slightly milder tone. "Even with that special ability of yours, I guarantee that you would only last a second at best." Draco's words were laced with a hint of warning, and his eyes seemed to bore into Ais's very soul.
"Not to brag, but with the power I wield, in my current state, I am hundred percent sure that I can beat any level 7 and below monster and adventurer alike, however, I am also a hundred percent sure that I would die in less than a minute if I should face the black dragon right now."
Draco paused, letting the words sink in, his eyes never leaving Ais face.
"Its strength is still fresh in my mind, sometimes giving me nightmares. Although the nightmares have stopped, I still feel fear towards that thing," he said, his voice low and even.
Seeing Ais's expression not budge, he took another approach.
"Haaaa, you don't seem to believe me, huh! How about we do this instead. We will have a spar right now, and if I take you out in less than a second, then my point stands proven. You will have to acknowledge your weakness and stop acting like a brat," Draco proposed, already rising from his seat.
Ais, without saying a word, followed behind Draco, her eyes fixed on him with a mix of determination and anger.
"Wait, what...wa..." Riveria, startled by the entire series of events, scrambled to her feet and tried to intervene, but it didn't seem like either of them would budge.
Before she knew it, both Draco and Ais were standing at a clearing, with many of the Bahamut familia members woken by the commotion, were spectating from the window of the house.
Some even began making bets, while the two goddesses, Bahamut and Aasterinian, spectated under a parasol while lazily laying on the grass.
The air was electric with tension, and the silence was palpable as the two opponents faced off. Ais hand rested on the hilt of her sword, her eyes fixed on Draco with a burning desire to win.
Draco, on the other hand, stood calmly, his eyes locked onto Ais, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
The battle was about to begin, and the outcome was pretty much certain.
The question on everyone's mind was, would Ais be able to withstand Draco's strength for more than a second, or would she crumble beneath his onslaught?
Only time would tell, as the two opponents stood poised, ready to clash in a spectacle that would start another legendary rumour about the Bahamut familia's captain.