"The total bill for everything purchased is 8,257,250 Valis." the pallum shop keeper announced.
The pallum shopkeeper's announcement reverberated in Draco's ears, sending a jolt of shock through his body.
As the total bill of 8,257,250 Valis registered in his mind, he felt an overwhelming sense of disbelief washing over him.
His heart raced, his palms grew clammy, and his vision began to blur.
Struggling to maintain his composure, Draco felt a sudden dizziness overcome him.
The ground seemed to sway beneath his feet, and he grasped the nearby counter for support, his knuckles turning white from the strain.
Something about spending such a large amount didn't sit well with him.
"Draco, are you alright?" Clair asked, her voice laced with concern as she rushed to his side, her brow furrowed in worry.
Seeing their brother distress, the rest of the familia – Michalis, Eleni, Nikolaos, Dimitra, Vasileios, and Vasiliki – quickly gathered around him, lending their support.
Draco's mind raced, his thoughts a jumbled mess as he tried to comprehend the staggering price.
'How can this be? Is the shopkeeper trying to rip us off?. Isn't this a shop for newbie adventurers?' he wondered, his gaze shifting nervously between the pallum and the items on the counter.
Mustering all his strength, Draco managed to utter, "I'm fine, just a sudden headache," in an effort to allay the growing concern of his familia members.
He took a deep breath, attempting to regain his composure.
"I'm sorry, but could you please repeat the price again?" Draco asked, his voice slightly trembling.
The pallum shopkeeper, sensing the party's inexperience, hesitantly reiterated the total cost.
"Your total is 8,257,250 Valis," the shopkeeper replied, his tone cautious.
'I can't blame them,' the pallum thought to himself.
'They look like honest kids, probably new adventurers. I've already reduced the price a bit, but I still have to make a profit, blame yourself for picking only the good stuff.' he thought.
Draco's stomach churned at the thought of spending so much.
His planned budget was around 5,000,000 Valis for everything.
He knew they had a substantial amount of funds, but the sheer cost of the armors and weapons was staggering.
'More than half of our funds are to be spent on this,' he lamented inwardly.
'We still have so many other expenses to consider.' he thought.
Draco's familia had amassed a starting fund of around 11,000,000 Valis, a combination of savings from their grandparents, money taken from the village chief's house, and the spoils from the bandit fortress they had raided on their journey to Orario.
They had also secretly stashed away some valuable gems and metals, but they couldn't freely sell those items without raising suspicion.
'We have to be frugal from now on,' Draco thought, his mind racing with the implications of this massive expenditure.
'Not only do I need to provide for myself, but for the seven other members of my familia as well. Potions, elixirs, dungeon bags, housing, and daily necessities – all of it will add up quickly.' he thought.
Steeling his mind, Draco reached into his backpack and began counting out the required Valis, his fingers trembling slightly.
"Here," he said, handing over the payment to the pallum shopkeeper.
His pride wouldn't let him swap their purchase for cheaper and lower quality alternatives.
The shopkeeper accepted the payment, trying to keep his expression neutral.
"Thank you for your purchase," he said, carefully packaging the items and handing them over to Draco and his familia.
As they exited the store, the weight of the dungeon bags on their backs seemed to mirror the heaviness in Draco's heart.
'Sigh, at least I don't need any armor or weapons for myself right now. What we purchased should last us for a decent while' he thought, trying to find a silver lining in the situation.
After exiting the store, the group went around purchasing the other items that they needed from other stores between the 1st and 8th floors of Babel.
"Alright, that's everything," Draco announced, his voice slightly weary.
Their total funds had been reduced to around 2 million Valis.
"Let's grab some lunch, or is it dinner at this point?" he asked, glancing at the darkening sky.
"Finally, we get to eat," Vasileios said, his exhaustion evident in his tone.
Michalis, Nikolaos, and Vasileios had taken the brunt of the heavy lifting, carrying the bulky purchases in the dungeon bags on their backs.
"I guess it would be dinner," Nikolaos replied.
"We spent longer than planned shopping." Michalis added.
"By the way, Draco nii," Vasiliki said, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Where are we going to store all these items? I don't think they will fit into the storage space provided by the inn" she asked.
Draco paused, realizing that they hadn't considered the logistics of storing their newly acquired equipment.
"Good point, Vasiliki," he said, his hand instinctively reaching up to scratch the back of his head.
"We'll just leave it in Bahamut's house for now. Tomorrow, we will be meeting the owner of the houses next to hers, so some space should be available then" Draco replied.
......
As the group exited the Babel Tower, Draco suddenly felt a jolt that ran from the tip of his tail, along his spine, all the way to the tips of his horns.
'Who is it' Draco thought.
He frantically looked around, sensing that someone was watching him.
This feeling was different from the suspicious individuals that had been watching them since they arrived at the tower.
This feeling was different, it was as if his very being was laid bare before an unseen observer.
Draco had only experienced this unnerving sensation on two previous occasions: One being when he had met X, and the other being when the one-eyed black dragon had glared at him during their encounter.
Unsettled, he turned to his sister Vasiliki, who had noticed his change in demeanor.
"Draco nii, what's wrong this time? Is it the headache again?" Vasiliki asked, her voice laced with concern.
"It's nothing," Draco replied, his gaze fixed on the higher floors of the tower.
'Is it Freya? No, I shouldn't jump to conclusions. It could be one of the gods who hate the existence of the dragon kin, or perhaps just a curious one,' he thought, quickening his pace to catch up with the others who didn't notice and went ahead.
Vasiliki, not satisfied with his response, chased after him.
"What happened? Why did you suddenly start walking fast? Something must have happened." she asked.
Draco hesitated, not wanting to add more problems to their already full plate.
"Nothing big, I just felt someone watching us, so I quickened my pace to throw them off," he said, omitting the full truth.
"R….really" Vasiliki asked, a bit skeptical about his explanation.
"It's nothing you need to worry about" Draco replied with a smile.
'That's right, no need to think about things beyond my control' he thought.
As the group made their way through the bustling streets of the city, the familia soon reached the food market.
They decided to buy some street food, to have for lunch/dinner with their goddess Bahamut.
"Ooh, look are those takoyaki! They look delicious," Vasiliki exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Michalis scoffed, "Takoyaki? Please, you have no taste. That Croquette store over there is where the good stuff is!" he countered.
Dimitra chimed in, "No way! The okonomiyaki is clearly the superior choice. It's savory and more filling."
Nikolaos rolled his eyes, "You're all wrong. The best thing to get is the yakitori. Just look at those perfectly grilled juicy skewers!" he added.
Vasileios, tried to mediate the discussion. "Come on, guys, let's not argue. Why don't we just get a bit of everything and share?" he suggested but was ignored.
Clair, who had been quietly observing the banter, finally spoke up.
"You know, I think Bahamut-sama might really enjoy some seafood. We also haven't tried many sea food dishes" she suggested.
The siblings paused, considering Clair's input.
Michalis nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Ahem, Clair is kind of right and it may be fun to try some genuine seafood" Michalis said, switching his stance.
As they approached the various street food vendors, the group continued their lively discussion, each sibling advocating for their personal favorite dish.
"Okay, okay, listen up," Draco said, raising his hands to quiet the group.
"We'll get a few orders of everything. That way, we can all have a taste of our preferred treats." he suggested.
Eleni chimed in, "And don't forget the sweet pastries for desert. I am sure that Bahamut-sama would enjoy that." she said.
'Wait a minute, have I just been played. Ah, damn Eleni, she didn't give up. She was waiting for me to say this. Sigh, in the end, she is getting what she wants' Draco thought.
The siblings nodded in agreement, each taking turns placing their orders with the friendly vendors.
"Wait, isn't that what I just said" Vasileios wanted to complain but everyone had already run off to the vendors.
Soon they had bought everything and began heading towards Bahamut's house.