After leaving Bahamut's house, Draco and his familia members headed straight towards the towering structure known as Babel.
Draco had a specific purpose in mind – to visit the Hephaestus Familia stores located between the 4th and 8th floors of the magnificent edifice.
The Hephaestus familia wares, were usually quite on the expensive side.
But Draco recalled the details from the original series, where new and aspiring blacksmiths from the Hephaestus Familia would usually sell their wares on these particular floors.
He was eager to have some items crafted, utilizing the precious black dragon scales in his possession.
However, Draco was acutely aware that he could only entrust such extremely valuable materials to those he deemed truly skilled and trustworthy – namely, Tsubaki, the captain of the Hephaestus Familia, or even better, the goddess Hephaestus herself.
He recognized that their current standing, finance and prestige might not easily grant them access to such esteemed individuals.
With that in mind, he decided to shelve that plan for the time being.
'I should take it slow and steady,' Draco cautioned himself.
'There is no need for that level of gear yet. Besides, such a thing might draw unwanted attention, and we currently lack the power to properly defend ourselves.' he thought.
Nevertheless, Draco remained hopeful.
'I will eventually meet Tsubaki and the goddess Hephaestus,' he thought, recalling Bahamut's apparent familiarity with them.
"Perhaps the opportunity will present itself in due time." he muttered.
As they approached the towering structure, Draco's familia couldn't help but marvel at its sheer scale.
"Whoa, just how tall is this thing?" Michalis, in particular, exclaimed.
"Yea, it looks way bigger now we're closer to it." Vasiliki added.
Draco took the lead, guiding his group into Babel.
"The Tower was built to watch and take care of the dungeon," he explained as they walked.
"It has around 50 floors, and our destination is the 4th through 8th floors, so stick close and don't separate." he continued.
Dimitra's curiosity was piqued. "Wait, does that mean the dungeon is beneath the tower?" she asked.
"Yes, it is," Draco confirmed.
"That's crazy," Clair chimed in.
"If the tower is 50 floors high, just how deep is the dungeon?" she asked.
Draco pondered the question for a moment before responding.
"Well, no one really knows, but I think it might be around 100 or more floors deep. I mean, it's had thousands of years to grow." he replied.
As they traversed the bustling first few floors, Draco had to occasionally intervene, such as when Nikolaos was captivated by a some crafted works displayed in a shop window.
"Nikolaos, eyes forward," Draco warned.
"There is no harm in looking" Nikolaos complained.
"It all begins with looking, then desire, and the next thing you know, you have bought it. Besides, most stuff put so vibrantly on display is just for aesthetics to draw in customers." Draco explained.
Nikolaos reluctantly turned away, muttering, "Oh."
The group continued their journey, taking in the lively atmosphere within Babel.
Draco explained that the first 20 floors were dominated by businesses and facilities belonging to prominent Familias, with many items sold being on the extremely expensive side.
Finally, they reached the 4th floor and began searching for shops bearing the Hephaestus Familia emblem.
After inquiring around, they soon found a few that offered a decent selection of weapons and armor.
"Welcome, how can I help you today?" a friendly Pallum man greeted as the group entered the well-stocked weapon and armor shop.
Draco stepped forward to represent the group. The man eyed Draco skeptically, because Draco's features were hidden beneath his cloak.
"We would like to sample your selection of weapons and amours for beast Demi- humans. Our group has a varied set of combat specialties, so we're looking for equipment to suit each of our needs." he explained.
"Excellent, please feel free to browse at your leisure," the shopkeeper replied with a warm smile.
He was happy to receive potential paying customers, so he paid no more mind to Draco's attire.
"I have a wide variety of high-quality merchandise, so I'm confident you'll be able to find what you're looking for." he added.
The group split up, each member gravitating towards the equipment that best suited their fighting style and preferences.
.........
Clair, immediately went to the spear racks, her eyes scanning the displayed offerings with a critical eye.
She ran her fingers along the smooth shafts, testing the balance and heft of each one.
"Ah, this one feels perfect," she murmured, selecting a long, ash-wood spear with an expertly-crafted head, made of monster parts mixed with some traces of Mithril.
"The weight distribution is excellent, and the reach will be ideal for dealing with larger monsters." Satisfied, she gave the spear a few practice thrusts, nodding with approval.
Michalis on the other hand, made a beeline for the knife and dagger displays.
He meticulously examined each blade, testing the edges and checking the hafts for any signs of wear or weakness.
'These balanced throwing daggers will suit me well,' he decided, gathering a set of the slim, razor-sharp implements.
"They are light weight and would give me some ranged damage options" he mumbled.
His lithe frame and nimble movements were well-suited to the swift, deadly strikes of the smaller blades.
After which, he selected a pair of daggers that he would use in melee fights.
Daggers were the perfect tools for his hit-and-run tactics, allowing him to dart in and out of combat with deadly efficiency.
Eleni, ran her fingers along the edges of the longswords, searching for the perfect blend of cutting power, durability and maneuverability.
"Aha, this one has just the right heft and balance," she said, selecting a finely-crafted longsword with a broad, double-edged blade.
"Its length is just perfect, it will give me the reach I need, while the weight distribution will allow for fluid, precise strikes." She muttered to herself.
Nikolaos, as a heavy hitter, made his way to the two-handed hammer display.
He hefted a few, feeling the power in his arms, testing their swing and impact, a grin spreading across his face.
"This one has the power I require," he decided, choosing a grotesque-looking maul with a spiked skull head.
"Hehehe, this will do nicely" he mumbled while caressing the head of the maul softly.
Dimitra as an archer, carefully inspected the bows, plucking the strings and analyzing their draw weights.
She also tested the smoothness of the release, and the balance of the arrows.
Soon she found one that she liked, it was a bow made of an ancient looking wood.
It still carried the subtle smell of the forest, which was to her liking.
'This one is oddly light and has excellent power and range. Just what exactly is it made from?' she wondered.
After selecting her bow, she then walked around looking for some quivers and a crossbow that would go well with her bow design.
Vasileios in another section of the store, examined the various shields and short swords on display.
He tested the balance and weight of each shield, seeing how they felt on his arm.
'This tower shield feels sturdy and can provide excellent coverage and protection, too bad that it doesn't have any spikes on it,' he thought, moving on to look for one that fit his preference.
He soon stumbled upon a short sword and a round spiked shield made out of Damascus steel which he found to his liking.
Finally, Vasiliki, made her way to the magical staff section.
She ran her fingers along the enchanted craft, pouring her mind into it and feeling the flow of energy within each one.
'Aha, this staff has the smoothest flow so far. I have no idea what it is made of nor do I know what gems are embedded at the top, but this one just feels right' she noted, selecting the staff.
Draco observed everyone, pleased to see them each find the weapons that resonated with their individual strengths and fighting styles.
He didn't find any spiked clubs in the store so he planned to either visit another store or commission one to be made at a later date.
Seeing as things were progressing smoothly, he turned his attention to the task of selecting their armor, knowing that it was crucial to their survival in the dungeon.
"Alright, let's see what we have here," he murmured, running his fingers along the supple leather and gleaming metal.
For the lightly-armored members – Michalis, Vasiliki and Dimitra– Draco selected sets of high-quality leather armor, providing protection without hampering their mobility.
He prioritized speed and agility over raw defensive power for them.
As for Vasiliki, Draco knew she needed specialized attire to enhance her magical abilities.
So he wanted a set of robes infused with the ice attribute, allowing her to channel her elemental powers more effectively.
Sadly such a thing couldn't be found in the store and he reasoned that the ones that existed were way beyond his budget.
So he decided that a set of light armour was best for her till they could commission magic robes to be made for her.
For the medium-armored fighters – Nikolaos, Eleni, and Clair – Draco chose sets of sturdy, well-crafted scale mail.
'These should provide a solid balance of protection and freedom of movement, perfect their front-line roles.' he thought.
Finally, for Vasileios, he had a hard time finding any armour in the store that would work well with him.
Most adventurers didn't use full body armour because it was heavy and hindered mobility.
Additionally certain monsters in the dungeon could easily shred armour, so wearing heavy armour was a negative for them.
So Draco decided to get him a set of medium armour for now, until he could commission a blacksmith to craft some special heavy armour for Vasileios.
He had a lot of designs in mind that could be used as reference.
'He would look quite good in a knight outfit. Weird why did I just think of 'Griffith from Berserk'' Draco questioned himself.
He meticulously went through each item, ensuring a perfect fit and that everyone was comfortable with their new equipment.
He understood the importance of finding the right balance between form and function, as their lives would depend on the quality of their gear.
Finally satisfied, Draco approached the counter, ready to complete their purchase.
"We're ready to finalize the bill for these items," he said, his voice calm.
The Pallum shopkeeper nodded, "Very good, let me tally that up for you." He began carefully calculating the total cost, his experienced fingers moving with practiced efficiency.
Draco waited patiently, his mind already contemplating their next steps.
'Based on our current strength, skills, equipment and magic, we can probably manage diving till around the 12th floor. But we should take it easy till we get used to things – monsters aren't the only enemies in the dungeon,' he mused.
He couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment that Welf Crozzo, had not yet arrived in Orario.
The Crozzo family's legendary weapons would have been a valuable asset, but Draco knew they would have to make do with the quality items available in the shop.
As the shopkeeper finished the calculations, Draco braced himself to hear the final cost while trying to convince himself that-this was a crucial investment for their survival and success in the dungeon.