The door clicked shut with a soft thud, leaving a lingering trail of Adi's frantic energy in the room.
Shakti stood by her desk for a moment, staring at the wood as if it might explain her sister's sudden departure.
Beside her, Draco adjusted his position on the plush couch, his expression one of muted amusement.
'What exactly was her problem?' Draco mused, shrugging his shoulders.
Shakti's head turned, her eyes searching his face for a clue she might have missed.
Finding none, she let out a long, weary sigh that seemed to deflate her posture.
"Sigh... that girl is always a handful. I swear, she has more energy than the rest of the familia combined."
She walked around her desk, the heavy silence of the office finally catching up to her.
Stretching her arms high above her head, she let out a series of pops and cracks from her joints, shaking off the last vestiges of sleep.
"Anyway, sorry for making you wait so long, Draco. Our meeting was scheduled for the early morning, but now it's almost noon. The transition between night patrol and administrative duties hasn't been kind to my schedule."
Draco glanced at the mountain of parchment piled on her desk, and shook his head.
"No problem. It is partly my fault you ended up with so much paperwork," he replied smoothly. "My recent activities haven't exactly been 'low-profile.'"
Shakti let out a genuine laugh, her teeth flashing white against her fair skin.
"Hahaha, it's no big deal! I've had to handle worse"
Her expression softened as she looked at him.
"But I appreciate the sentiment."
"Still, I believe I should do something for you before I leave," Draco said, his voice dropping to a more serious tone.
"I don't know when I will be returning to Orario, after all. A debt unpaid is a weight I'd rather not carry."
Shakti waved a dismissive hand, though a confident smile played on her lips.
"There is no need to do anything, Draco. Besides, you're leaving the city tomorrow. There isn't much you could do in less than a day. I'm the Captain of the Ganesha Familia; I can manage somehow."
"If you are sure, then I will not continue to insist," Draco conceded, noting the iron-clad resolve in her posture.
"Anyway," Shakti said, her stomach giving a traitorous growl that broke the tension.
"We should probably discuss your other proposal over lunch. I'm assuming you have other appointments today, and I'd rather not keep you until sunset."
She walked toward the door where Adi had dropped the wicker basket in her haste.
Picking it up, Shakti brought it over to the low table in front of the couch and sat down beside Draco.
Shakti sighed contentedly as she unwrapped the basket of food Adi had left behind, revealing an assortment of freshly baked bread, roasted meat, and a few vibrant side dishes.
The aroma filled the room, and Draco couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in mild surprise.
"Adi made this?" he asked, picking up a piece of bread.
Shakti grinned, her chest swelling with pride.
"Surprising, isn't it? She's been sneaking into the kitchen every morning for the past few months, trying to learn how to cook properly. That girl used to burn water, but now look!"
Draco took a bite.
The bread was slightly over-toasted, but the flavor was decent...certainly better than what he was expecting.
Shakti chuckled.
"She used to be such a tomboy….always running off to spar with anyone in the familia who'd humor her. I swear, she spent more time swinging swords than paying attention to anything remotely domestic."
Draco listened quietly, chewing slowly as Shakti reminisced.
"She'd come back covered in dirt and bruises, grinning like an idiot," Shakti continued, shaking her head fondly.
"Mother used to scold her endlessly…..said she'd never find a husband if she kept acting like a wild animal."
A smirk tugged at Draco's lips.
"And yet, here she is, suddenly learning how to cook."
Shakti's eyes gleamed knowingly.
"People change," she said pointedly.
Draco suppressed a snort.
He wasn't blind.
Shakti was clearly trying to sell her sister's merits to him, banking on Adi's obvious interest...one she believed had likely sent the girl fleeing in a flustered mess just moments ago.
'If she knew I wasn't planning on settling for just one woman, she'd probably bury me' Draco mused internally.
Shakti leaned back, crossing her arms.
"Adi is a bit stubborn, but once she sets her mind to something, she goes all in. She may not look like it, but she's got a surprising amount of diligence under all that brashness."
"A rare quality," Draco conceded.
"Rare indeed," Shakti agreed.
Then, with a small, almost wistful sigh, she added, "She used to follow me everywhere along with the others when we were kids. Always wanted to prove herself...never wanted to be seen as 'just the little sister.'"
Draco studied Shakti's face.
There was pride there, yes, but also something darker…..something protective.
He recognized it instantly.
It was the same expression of those who had lost a lot of loved ones in life.
Years ago, Shakti had lost both her parents and six of her siblings in a battle.
Adi was the only family she had left, making her extremely protective of her only blood relative.
For a moment, Shakti seemed lost in these memories.
Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the warmth in Shakti's expression hardened back into professionalism.
"But enough about my sister. We've got more pressing matters to discuss," she said, her tone shifting seamlessly back to business.
Draco set his plate aside.
Right.
His proposal.
Shakti returning to her desk folded her hands on the table.
"The Guild's current system for new adventurers is insufficient....you say"
Draco nodded.
"Guild advisors give advice, but they can't enforce training. Some familias take preparation seriously….yours included. Others? They throw fresh recruits into the dungeon with barely a warning."
Shakti's lips thinned.
"And then we have to clean up the mess."
The amount of paperwork generated by reckless newbies was staggering...death notifications, familia disputes over loot, even entire expeditions wiped out because some greenhorn pulled an entire floor's worth of monsters.
"What you're proposing is essentially a mandatory training course," Shakti said.
"A standardized system where all new adventurers would have to undergo a series of evaluations before being allowed into the dungeon."
"Exactly," Draco confirmed.
"Basic survival skills, combat fundamentals, emergency protocols. Things they should know before stepping foot in there."
Shakti tapped her fingers against the table.
"The Guild won't oppose it…..more lives saved means fewer headaches for them. The real problem is getting the familias on board."
Draco smirked.
"Not all of them will like being told how to handle their members."
"Especially the smaller ones," Shakti muttered.
"The Loki and Freya familias might see it as unnecessary meddling, while the less reputable groups will outright ignore it."
"Unless the Guild makes it a requirement for dungeon access," Draco countered.
Shakti exhaled.
"That's going to be a fight."
"Which is why I suggested bringing it up with you first. If the Ganesha and Bahamut familia backs the idea, along with a few other major groups, it'll be harder to dismiss."
Shakti gave him a long, assessing look.
"You're leaving tomorrow. Why bother pushing for this now?"
Draco met her gaze evenly.
"Because I've seen too many kids die for stupid reasons. If this can save even a few of them, it's worth the effort."
A slow, approving smile spread across Shakti's face.
"You're more decent than you let on, Draco."
He shrugged.
"I have my moments."
Shakti stood, grabbing a stack of papers from her desk.
"Alright. I'll draft up a formal proposal to the Guild. But don't expect miracles…..bureaucracy moves slow."
"I'd expect nothing less. Hopefully, by the time I return to Orario, there will be positive changes" Draco replied dryly.
Shakti smirked, then glanced at the remnants of their meal…..at the slightly overcooked bread.
For a fleeting second, something almost maternal flickered in her expression before she smoothed it over.
"Adi's going to keep practicing," she said suddenly.
"She's stubborn like that."
Draco smiled faintly, understanding the unspoken message.
She's waiting for you.
But all he said was, "I look forward to tasting her progress."
Shakti huffed…..equal parts amused and exasperated.
'Men. They never make things easy' she mused.
And with that, the moment passed...Shakti back to her paperwork, Draco finishing his meal, exited her office.
He had to visit his firebirds before heading to his next appointment, the Hephaestus familia compound.
A/N: Sorry for waffling the story, will try to round up the farewell meetings and get on with Draco's departure before chapter 350. Additionally sorry for not updating the Bahamut familia status sheets, I will try to get it sorted and posted this week or the next 🤗.