"Oh, about that. The owner of the house to the right wasn't around, but I did manage to meet the owner of two houses to the left of mine. She was willing to sell her properties, but she was not interested in renting them out," Bahamut explained.
"I also forgot to mention. Both houses have 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom and storage room" Bahamut added.
Draco pondered the situation, his brow furrowing slightly.
'I wasn't planning on buying a house just yet, but this area does seem like a prime location. It's close to the northwest part of the city and situated near just about everything we could need,' he mused.
Curious, Draco inquired, "Did she provide a reason as to why she refused to consider renting the homes?" he asked.
Bahamut hesitated for a moment before responding, "Well...she was agreeable until I mentioned that you were adventurers." She paused, anticipating Draco's reaction.
Draco nodded, understanding the homeowners' concerns.
"That makes sense. Adventurers can be rather unpredictable as tenants, given the inherent risks of our profession. The possibility of us perishing in a dungeon is a valid concern for any landlord." he stated.
Leaning back on the base of the couch, Draco thoughtfully considered the implications.
'The problem with buying properties around this time, is the looming threat of the Evilus attack event, which i expect to occur sometime next year. I can't guarantee that the houses we purchase now would be spared from the impending destruction. It may not be the wisest investment at the moment.' he thought.
Draco straightened up, a determined glint in his eye.
'However, perhaps we could still explore the option of renting if I offer several months of rent payments upfront.' he thought.
"Can I meet with the owner today to negotiate?" he asked.
Bahamut nodded, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Certainly. Let's go see her right away." she replied.
As they stood to leave, Eleni spoke up, "Wait, what about the rest of us?" she asked.
Draco turned to his sister, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Oh, I almost forgot you were here, Eleni. I assumed you were content to remain silent." he teased.
"Hmmf" Eleni huffed, turning away from him.
"In the meantime, the rest of you should head to the inn to eat and rest up for tomorrow. We have a busy day ahead." Draco addressed the group.
They had agreed that their status boards would be updated weekly earlier in the day, so there was nothing left for them to do in Bahamut's house.
Remembering an important detail, Draco reached into his cloak and pulled out some Valis.
"Oh, and here is your weekly allowance – 4,000 Valis each." he said, while handing each of them the money.
Eleni's brow furrowed, and she couldn't help but voice her concern.
"But Dimitra said earlier that we were each supposed to receive around 20,000 Valis. Why is it so small?" she protested.
Draco's gaze narrowed, and Eleni suddenly felt the weight of her other siblings' scrutinizing stares.
Remembering the earlier incident, she quickly backtracked.
"Ah, hehehe, I was just joking, Draco-nii. Thank you for the money, I'll be sure to spend it wisely. Have a safe journey." she said.
Draco nodded, satisfied with her response.
"I thought as much." he turned to Bahamut, who watched the exchange with amusement.
"Dealing with pubescent siblings can be quite the challenge," Draco remarked.
Bahamut chuckled, "Fufufufu, don't be too hard on them. It's all part of the experience." she said.
......
As Draco and Bahamut made their way to the neighboring house, Draco couldn't help but feel a slight sense of unease.
He wasn't entirely comfortable being alone with Bahamut, uncertain of how to properly conduct himself around her.
Reaching the front door, Draco knocked firmly.
After a brief moment, the sound of shuffling footsteps could be heard from within, and the door swung open, revealing an elderly human woman.
"Ah, Bahamut-sama, it's you," the woman exclaimed, her eyes quickly shifting to Draco, who stood beside the goddess.
"And this must be the person you spoke of." she said.
Draco stepped forward, his posture straight and his expression neutral.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Draco Black, captain of the Bahamut Familia." he introduced.
The woman, seemingly pleased by his introduction, nodded approvingly.
"Hmm, nice to meet you, young man. I am Hilda." she replied.
"Would you like to come in for tea?" Hilda offered, her warm smile belying her shrewd business acumen.
Draco politely shook his head, "I would love to, but it's already quite late. So I will get straight to the point of my visit, Hilda-san." he replied.
Hilda's eyebrows rose slightly, "I see, quite a blunt young man you are, but I don't dislike that." She gestured for him to continue.
Draco took a moment to sort his thoughts, "Currently, our newly formed familia has no plans to purchase a house, but we can rent. I fully understand why some landlords would be hesitant to rent to adventurers, but I have a suggestion to assuage your worries." he began.
Hilda leaned forward, her interest piqued.
"We are willing to pay around 6 months' rent upfront for both houses. That way, if anything happens to us in the dungeon, you will not incur much loss," Draco proposed.
Hilda's eyes widened, "Hmm, that is indeed a tempting offer, but why are you willing to go that far?" she asked, her gaze piercing.
Draco glanced at Bahamut, and Hilda seemed to understand the unspoken message, at least he thought she did.
"I see, so that's what's happening," Hilda nodded, a knowing look on her face.
"Okay, I will rent both houses to you. When do you plan on moving in?" she asked.
"On Monday, next week," Draco replied.
"Alright, I will set up the contract for tomorrow. Will you be available around this time?" Hilda inquired.
"Yes," Draco confirmed.
Hilda and Draco spent the next few minutes going through several rules and details concerning the houses.
Draco listened intently, making mental notes to ensure he understood every aspect of the agreement.
With everything verbally agreed upon, it was time for Draco and Bahamut to take their leave.
"Oh, young man," Hilda said, her expression suddenly turning mischievous.
"Fighting," she added, giving Draco a thumbs-up and a creepy wink.
'What the hell does that mean?' Draco couldn't help but wonder.
As they slowly walked back to Bahamut's house, "She seems quite eccentric." Draco commented.
Bahamut chuckled, "Fufufu, I thought the same when I first met her." she replied.
The atmosphere fell silent, and Draco couldn't help but feel self-conscious.
"Sigh, sorry for being such boring company," he apologized.
Bahamut's melodious laughter filled the air, "Fufufu, silly boy. Here I was worrying that you found my company boring." she said.
Draco's eyes widened, "No, I don't find you boring at all. It's just that I haven't interacted with many people besides my family, so I tend to overthink things when alone with a goddess like you." he replied.
"Pfff, hahahahahaha!" Bahamut burst out laughing, drawing curious glances from passersby.
Draco looked at her, puzzled.
"Sorry, I wasn't making fun of you or anything," Bahamut said, wiping a tear from her eye.
"It's just that I had this image of you in my head, so I'm feeling a bit silly seeing you like this." she said.
Draco chuckled, "Well, I guess that's just the process it takes to know someone. We were also a bit shocked when we first met, you ruined the image we had of a dragon goddess." Draco countered.
"Hey, you promised to forget that," Bahamut said, lightly punching Draco's arm with a playful pout.
Draco found the expression oddly endearing. Before long, they had reached Bahamut's house.
The place was quiet, indicating that his siblings had already returned to the inn.
"I guess this is where we part for the day," Bahamut said, standing at the porch and gazing at Draco.
Her expression seemed unusually wistful to Draco.
Bahamut lightly pulled her long silver hair to the sides as the night breeze blew gently.
Draco couldn't help but be captivated by the ethereal beauty of the scene.
"Thank you for accompanying me today, Draco," Bahamut said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Draco felt a strange flutter in his chest. "It was my pleasure, Bahamut," he replied, his voice equally soft.
The two stood there, the silence between them heavy with unspoken emotions.
Draco could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and he wondered if Bahamut could hear it too.
Suddenly, Bahamut cleared her throat, breaking the spell.
"Well, I should get going. Sleep well, Draco," she said, a very faint blush on her cheeks.
"You too, Bahamut," Draco replied, reluctantly turning to leave.
As he walked back to the inn, Draco couldn't help but replay the events of the moment with her in his mind.
The way Bahamut had looked at him, the subtle changes in her expression, the way his heart had reacted – it all felt so new and unfamiliar, yet strangely comforting.
Draco shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.
'What am I doing?, I shouldn't be thinking of such things now' Draco scolded himself.
There were so many dormant problems currently surrounding him and his familia, so he didn't want to allow something like romance currently join the pile.