When the atmosphere had settled down, Bahamut spoke up once again.
"I trust that you all won't talk about this to anyone else. Just keep what you have learned to heart and know that the reason you go to the dungeon is not to only acquire strength for your revenge but to also save the world," she said, her expression serious.
Everyone nodded their heads in understanding, besides Draco.
They could all subtly glean into Bahamut's intentions.
"Alright, enough about such depressing topics. So, Draco, what's for dinner? Those 'what's it's called' - ah, Shawarma you made for lunch tasted great," she said, her aura and expression quickly changing.
"Sigh, I could try making some curry," Draco replied.
"Yay, curry! What type? Is it beef, chicken, po..pork, f….fi…fish, shrim….o?" Eleni pressed, her voice stuttering the further she mentioned things she didn't want.
"Whatever is available in the kitchen," Draco replied, his voice betraying a hint of exasperation.
"Please, let it be chicken!" Nikolaos chimed in, clasping his hands together in a pleading gesture.
"If there aren't any, I'll even go out and buy some." he offered.
"No, how about a seafood mix?" Clair suggested, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"That would be a new and interesting experience." she said.
"What's with you and seafood, is it a tiger thing or something else" Dimitra mentioned, earning her a glare from Clair.
"Hehe, what about mixing everything together?" Vasileios proposed, his eyes twinkling with a mischievous gleam.
The room immediately fell silent as everyone glared at Vasileios as if he was some alien creature.
Draco, sensing an impending argument, simply walked away, heading towards the kitchen.
He planned to use whatever was available, not intending to spend a dime more as he was already annoyed with their earnings for the day.
"What? It's not a bad idea! Everybody gets what they want, right?" Vasileios protested, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"You know, I'm starting to figure you out," Nikolaos said, his voice tinged with a thoughtful tone.
"What do you mean by that?" Vasileios questioned, his defensive posture evident.
"I mean, you're a pretty chill brother and all, but your solution to everything seems to be aimed at pleasing everyone, almost like you lack a true opinion," Nikolaos explained, his words measured and deliberate.
"Hmm, that is kind of true," Michalis chimed in, nodding in agreement.
"I-I'm not a suck-up!" Vasileios stammered, struggling to defend himself.
"I just hate seeing you all argue!" he said.
"If you'd put more thought into your idea, you'd realize that with your solution, everyone would also end up with things they don't want in the meal," Clair interjected, her brow furrowed in disapproval.
"That's true. It's not like Draco-nii would make different batches of curry for each of us," Eleni added, her expression thoughtful.
Sensing an opportunity to needle Vasileios, Vasiliki leaned in from behind, whispering into his ear, "Suck-up, suck-up," punctuating each word with an annoying poke to his side.
Bahamut observed the scene, her lips curling into an amused smile as Vasileios' face reddened, the anger within him bubbling to the surface.
"Alright, what's wrong with being a suck up, everyone gets to be happy so what wrong" Vasileios argued.
"Then what about you, are you happy?" Nikolaos asked, a question which hit a chord within him.
"Enough! Why are you all suddenly ganging up on me. You all don't really care what I think, and often ignore me anyway!" Vasileios shouted, his voice laced with frustration, before storming out of the room.
"Why are you all being so mean to Vasileios?" Dimitra questioned, her brow furrowed in concern, before rushing out of the room after her brother.
After Dimitra left the room, it soon fell quiet.
"Did we go too far? Was I too blunt?" Nikolaos asked, feeling a bit bad.
"Tsk, why did you say that? Now you've got me feeling all weird inside," Michalis replied.
"True, it's been a long time since he burst out like that," Eleni added.
"Should I also go after him?" Vasiliki asked.
"Definitely not, I feel you will only make things worse" Clair replied, before the room descended back into silence.
The silence in the room was palpable, as the group contemplated their actions and the impact they had on Vasileios.
It was clear that their critique had struck a chord with him, and they couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt.
Bahamut observed the scene, her expression unreadable.
She had seen these dynamics play out before, and she knew that they could resolve it themselves with some honest communication.
"Look, I know we were a bit harsh on Vasileios, but you have to understand that his tendency to always try to please everyone can get frustrating at times. It's like he doesn't have the courage to stand up for his own opinions." she said, breaking the silence.
Eleni nodded in agreement.
"That's true, and it's not the first time he's reacted this way. We need to find a better way to communicate with him, without making him feel like he's always being dismissed." she added.
Nikolaos sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"I didn't mean to be so blunt, but sometimes I just can't help it. He's also my brother, and I want him to be able to stand up for himself, you know?" he said.
"I think we all need to take a step back and try to understand where Vasileios is coming from. He's always been trying to be one of the peacekeepers in the family, and maybe we've been taking that for granted." Michalis suggested.
"What's this, Michalis actually said something smart" Vasiliki remarked.
"Not now Vasiliki" Michalis replied, before ignoring her.
Bahamut cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the group.
"I believe this is an opportunity for growth, both for Vasileios and for all of you. Communication is key, but it must be done with empathy and understanding. Perhaps it's time to have an open and honest discussion, where everyone can express their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment." she suggested.
The group fell silent, considering Bahamut's words.
They knew she was right – they needed to find a way to address the underlying issues in their group dynamic, for their sake.
With a renewed sense of purpose, they set out to find Vasileios and Dimitra, determined to mend the rift that had formed.
.........
Bahamut found herself alone in the living room, a sense of boredom settling in as the others had departed.
Deciding to seek out a new activity, the dragon goddess made her way towards the kitchen, her steps light and graceful.
Upon entering the kitchen, Bahamut's gaze fell upon Draco, her scaly- companion, humming a peculiar melody as he prepared the ingredients for their upcoming meal.
The rhythm of his song seemed to sway his tail from side to side, capturing Bahamut's attention.
"Hm, Hm, suki daisuki hime....." Draco hummed, his voice carrying a soothing, almost melodic quality.
Sensing an opportunity to be of assistance, Bahamut approached Draco and inquired.
"Can I help with anything?" she asked.
The goddess always felt a desire to contribute more to the household, especially since the children had been returning from their daily excursions to the dungeon rather late, left to fend for themselves when it came to preparing their meals.
'I can't help them in the dungeon,' Bahamut mused, "but I can at least learn how to prepare the meals. Besides, it seems like it could be a fun new hobby, and I'm running out of things to read." she thought.
Draco, pleased by the offer, responded, "Sure, can you grab those spices in the cupboard?" He proceeded to call out the names of the labeled bottles, guiding Bahamut in her task.
Eager to assist, Bahamut hurried to the cupboard, only to encounter a new challenge.
The top shelf, where the requested spices resided, was beyond her reach.
Undeterred, Bahamut hatched a plan, flapping her wings to take flight and hover at the desired height.
Draco watched the scene unfold, a hint of confusion etched on his features.
'Why didn't she just grab a chair or stool?' he wondered, sensing a cliche situation about to unfold.
As Bahamut maneuvered herself closer to the spices, she applied a bit too much power to her wing flaps, causing her to collide with the ceiling.
Her horns pierced through the surface, creating two holes.
As she was startled by the impact, she stopped flapping her wings and gravity swiftly took hold. Bahamut, instinctively closing her eyes, bracing for the inevitable descent.
She was a dragon goddess so such a fall wasn't going to leave a scratch on her.
Draco, anticipating this turn of events, quickly moved beneath her, catching the goddess in a gentle, princess-like embrace.
Bahamut opened her eyes, feeling a bit confused about why she hadn't hit the floor until her gaze met Draco's.
Immediately, a deep blush spread across her face, and she began to squirm, trying to free herself from his arms.
"Stay still or you might fall," Draco cautioned, his own composure slightly shaken as he dealt with a growing problem beneath his shorts.
'Great, I'm hard,' he thought, his brow furrowing in mild frustration.
'At this point does any physical interaction with her make me hard or does this apply to other goddesses' he briefly pondered.
Gently setting Bahamut down on the ground, Draco swiftly turned around and rushed back to the sink, hoping to conceal his unexpected arousal.
"Thank you," Bahamut said, her voice laced with a hint of embarrassment.
"No problem, please use a chair next time," Draco replied, his tone professional, albeit a bit strained.
Bahamut's eyes widened as the realization dawned on her.
"Ah," she gasped, covering her face with both hands in a futile attempt to hide her mortification.
The desire to flee the kitchen was strong, but she steeled her nerves and followed Draco's advice, grabbing a chair to retrieve the spices.
The remainder of the dinner preparation was relatively silent, with Bahamut mostly listening and occasionally asking questions as Draco guided her through the cooking process.
The goddess soon found herself fascinated by the intricacies of cooking, eager to learn and contribute.
Soon, the meal was complete, and the large portions were served, just in time for the others to return.
Bahamut noticed that their expressions seemed more relaxed and relieved, indicating that the previous argument had been addressed.
As everyone gathered around the table, Bahamut couldn't help but reflect on the events that had transpired in the kitchen.
The embarrassment she had experienced lingered, but she also felt a sense of accomplishment in having assisted Draco and the new things she was experiencing.