Time seemed to slip away as Draco carefully read the status sheets of all his familia members. The office was silent save for his breathing, the distant echo of the busy streets and the annoying tick of an ornate grandfather clock which resided in the space.
Placing the last status sheet face-up on his desk, Draco's neutral expression morphed into a slight, thoughtful frown.
His tail, a thick, powerful appendage covered in obsidian-black scales, tapped rhythmically against the hardwood, a subconscious metronome betraying his inner agitation.
He remained frozen in that posture for several minutes, the dust motes dancing in the shafts of afternoon sunlight, before he finally let out a long, measured exhale.
He reached up, his fingers brushing against the base of his horns…..sharp, obsidian-like protrusions.
He gathered his silver hair, the strands cool against his palms, and wrestled them into a loose bun.
His reptilian red eyes, sharp as polished garnets, drifted back to the topmost status sheet: the progress report of his familia members.
"This is… a bit disappointing," he muttered, his voice a low, resonant rumble.
He began tapping his fingers on the desk, the sound echoing his annoyance.
Five years.
He had been gone for five years, ostensibly giving his familia the space to mature.
Looking at the data, he felt a flicker of pride for their resilience, but it was eclipsed by a nagging sense of stagnation.
A year after his departure, the core members…..Michalis, Eleni, Nikolaos, Dimitra, Vasileios, Vasiliki, and Clair…..had hit the level five threshold.
It was a milestone he had predicted, that much was expected.
Three months later, the rest of the main members, Alise, Kaguya, Neze, Iska, Asta, Maryuu, Celty, and Chloe, had followed suit.
At the time, this trajectory had been perfectly acceptable, even commendable.
As for the new members that joined after his departure, Draco didn't put them on the same pedestal.
The sting, however, came from the subsequent four years.
Before he left Orario, Michalis, Eleni, Nikolaos, Dimitra, Vasileios, Vasiliki and Clair were already halfway to level five.
It had taken them close to a year to finally reach level five, but nearly half a decade to finally reach level six.
Even more disappointing, the level up was fairly recent…..around a week ago.
It was why the entire familia went on an expedition two days ago, and he didn't see them upon his return hours prior.
Comparing this growth rate to the two and half years it took them to go from level one to four, meant that their growth had slowed by a huge amount.
His tail gave another slow, deliberate rap against the polished wooden floor.
The faint thud echoed the quiet frustration settling in his chest.
He'd envisioned them soaring, pushing past boundaries, not stagnating in the mid-tiers.
'Sigh, I guess that this fills some holes regarding my unknown skill then,' Draco thought, the frown deepening slightly.
The pieces clicked into place with a subtle, uncomfortable finality.
Comparing their fall in growth to his departure time from the city, Draco was able to conclude that his skill 'Spirit Blessing' required him to be within a certain vicinity of his familia members. It was a small discovery, but a good one.
A potent one, in fact.
Now, he had a name, a cause, and a solution.
'Overall, things are not so bad….now that I am back. Things should pick up again,' Draco mused, lightly stretching his arms, the sound of his joints popping softly in the quiet room.
The thought brought a small, satisfied curl to his lips, banishing the last vestiges of his earlier disappointment.
Looking back on his desk, there were several more things to go through, but Draco didn't feel like doing anything tedious.
He had returned from his five-year trip just a bit more than an hour ago, paperwork was the last thing he wanted to slug through.
The lure of a warm shower and the impending aroma of Bahamut's cooking was far more appealing.
Rising from his fairly comfortable chair, an ergonomic marvel custom-built for his draconic physique, Draco exited his office, heading for his private bathroom on the same floor.
Each room on the third floor of the Bahamut familia manor had a private bathroom as it was where captain and patron goddess resided.
As the captain of the Bahamut familia, this was Draco's privilege.
As for the other members, they used the ridiculously large, yet lavish communal bathrooms on the first floor.
Of course it was split into male and female sections.
However since the ratio of men to women in the familia was greatly skewed towards the female's, their side was significantly larger, complete with ornate fountains and lush indoor plants.
The steam from his private shower enveloped him, washing away the dust of travel and the lingering scent of distant lands.
He luxuriated under the warm spray, feeling the tension drain from his unique musculature, the residual weariness of a long journey melting away.
His silver hair, now unbound, flowed freely down his back, glistening wetly under the soft light. He emerged feeling utterly refreshed, his scales shimmering with renewed vitality.
Draco entered his lavishly decorated room, feeling a bit out of place, yet thrilled with the large space.
It looked like a room designed for a king, with deep crimson tapestries depicting dragons, dark wood furniture carved with intricate designs, and a massive bed that could comfortably fit three of him.
But then, as he reached for a clean change of clothes, he soon ran into a serious problem: he basically had no clothes that fit.
Due to his transformation from a juvenile to young adult dragon-kin, his body had matured and grown a fair bit.
His shoulders were broader, his chest deeper, his limbs longer and more defined by powerful muscle.
None of his old clothes, even those custom-made, could accommodate his new form.
The one he was currently wearing, a simple shirt and trouser, were something custom crafted on his way back, a quick workaround by a talented seamstress in a port town, good enough for travel but hardly suitable for daily life in Orario.
Since he mostly stayed outdoors during the journey, there was no need to change clothing often; he just washed and dried on the spot with magic after bathing in rivers or lakes.
'Ugh, guess I need to go shopping,' he thought, already imagining how the rest of his day would go.
There was no way his lover/goddess Bahamut wouldn't insist on coming along.
Which basically meant that the rest of the day was going to be spent in either the market or tailor's shop.
A small sigh escaped him, tinged with affection.
While Bahamut's company was always a pleasure, her enthusiasm for shopping could be… a bit too much.
'Well, it's not all bad. I did plan to take her on a date this evening before we...' Draco's thought trailed, a warmth spreading through him that had nothing to do with the lingering steam from his shower.
His mind started conjuring images of the intimate things he intended to do tonight, the quiet whispers, the gentle touches, the passionate reunion after five long years.
His reptilian eyes softened, a faint flush appearing on his cheekbones.
Clapping his face with both hands, a sharp, resonant sound, Draco quickly snapped himself out of his reverie.
A tight sensation radiated from his pants, a direct protest against his mental wandering.
"Calm down, my dragon, now is not the time," Draco warned his twitching crotch, a wry, self-deprecating smile playing on his lips.
After calming down, Draco did a quick wash of his current clothing and dried it before heading to the first floor.
He could tell that Bahamut was almost done preparing lunch; the tantalizing aroma of grilled meat and roasted herbs wafted all the way to the third floor, a homely beacon guiding him downstairs.
Arriving at the kitchen, a spacious room designed for communal cooking but currently occupied by only one divine chef, Draco leaned in behind Bahamut.
His towering form, now even more imposing than before, almost engulfed her petite frame.
Her silver, scaled tail, tipped with a decorative frill, gave a happy twitch as she sensed his presence.
"What are we having for lunch?" Draco asked, his voice a low rumble, his hand resting on a rather inappropriate place on her hip, just above where her tail emerged.
He breathed in the comforting scent of her, a blend of spices, hearth smoke, and her own unique fragrance.
Bahamut, her long, flowing silver hair tied back with a simple ribbon, slightly shivered.
She wasn't accustomed to his sudden bold, affectionate, yet audacious gesture.
"Nothing fancy, just some grilled meat, baked potatoes and green sides," she replied, her tail lightly smacking his knees as a warning to not try anything funny while she was cooking.
Her tone was mild, but the message was clear.
She was focused, for now.
Reluctantly Draco pulled away, a playful pout on his lips.
He had planned to plant a kiss on her lips from behind, but her pointy horns, elegant and sharp, acted as a natural deterrent, making such a maneuver unnecessarily risky unless she tilted her head just so.
He settled for nuzzling the side of her neck, inhaling deeply before stepping back.
Grabbing a seat by the counter beside the stove, Draco settled in, watching her graceful movements as she turned the meat on the large grill.
Then he and Bahamut began making some small talk, mostly about the silly things that occurred in his five-year absence.
Bahamut recounted amusing anecdotes about the familia members.
Draco listened, a comfortable smile on his face, occasionally interjecting with a chuckle or a question.
The atmosphere was light, and words flowed freely between them, bridging the gap of five years with effortless ease.
Their connection, a blend of deep love and mutual respect, was as strong as ever.
Before they knew it, the food was ready, the rich aroma filling the kitchen and making Draco's stomach rumble in earnest.
And as if on cue, Aasterinian entered the kitchen, her expression refreshed and blue scales reflecting the sunlight which filtered through the windows.
She too had taken a refreshing bath and changed into something more homely, a simple gown that complemented her well endowed, charming physique.
Her blue eyes, held a soft, hungry gleam as she caught the sight of lunch.
Within minutes the food was served on the dining table, a grand expanse, one too large for just three people, yet perfectly suited for the occasional full familia gathering.
Platters of perfectly grilled, succulent meat, golden baked potatoes drizzled with herbs, and vibrant green vegetables filled the space.
With a hearty meal served, the three bantered as they ate, Draco and Aasterinian sharing tales of their journey together.