Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons-Chapter 321 - - Taming the Gift for Home - 5

A middle-aged noble with a scar cutting across his face stepped forward to address the Goldcrest leader.

"Are the reports from the academy guards true? Did Selphira Ashenway assault and imprison your heir?"

Kharzan nodded gravely, his own golden lion briefly flaring around him, casting ominous shadows on the stone walls. "My son was attacked without provocation while visiting his brother during the final exam in the academy. A blatant belittling of our authority, an aggression that we cannot allow to go without an appropriate response." His voice deepened, resonating throughout the chamber. "Or do you all wanna let them believe we are cowards?"

"We will not be crushed like the Starweavers!" exclaimed another noble, raising his fist.

Those present nodded vigorously, unaware that it had been precisely the Goldcrests who, some years earlier, had orchestrated the disgrace of the once-powerful Starweaver family. Kharzan allowed himself an inner smile at the irony, maintaining his expression of righteous indignation.

"That is why I have summoned you," he continued, his commanding presence filling the hall. "We need to show our united strength. Each allied family must contribute their best tamers to form a front that will make our supposed allies reconsider their actions... Show our power to those ungrateful neighbors."

Throughout the following day, from various families inhabiting the third part of Yano's territory, nearly a hundred of the best tamers arrived at the Goldcrest fortress. The minimum requirement was to possess Silver 2 level beasts or higher, though the majority boasted Silver 3 levels, with a few even at Gold 1. Together they formed an intimidating force, capable of confronting any faction that dared challenge them.

In his private chambers, Kharzan consulted with his closest advisors. The room was lit by crystalline lamps that cast a golden hue over ancient maps and strategic documents.

"The incident with Kassian has been... opportune," commented one of them, an elderly man with a cunning gaze. "It has provided us with the perfect pretext to mobilize our forces and gauge the military response of the old woman and Dragarion's children."

"We must only ensure it doesn't change the opinion of our allied nobles," responded Kharzan, observing the maps spread before him. His fingers traced territorial boundaries with possessive intent. "As long as our allies believe we are the oppressed, they will fight with fervor for our cause if the need arises."

The counselor nodded. "And what about the boy? The one who neutralized the energy?"

Kharzan's expression darkened, his lion briefly manifesting with greater intensity. "An unexpected factor... we must observe his development."

♢♢♢♢

After completing the shipment paperwork and carefully storing the receipt confirming the transaction, Ren bid farewell to Madam Alicia with a respectful bow.

"It has been a pleasure doing business with you, young Patinder," the woman responded with a genuine smile. "I will communicate the delivery confirmation through Miss Ashenway. I hope we can collaborate again in the future."

Upon leaving Pegasus, Min separated from the group at the first major intersection.

"My house is about twenty minutes in that direction," he explained, pointing eastward with enthusiasm. "I'll take advantage of our free time to make a quick visit. I'll see you at the meeting point with Lin to return to the academy!"

Larissa then took the reins of the group, assuming the role of guide with the naturalness of one born to lead.

"Now that Ren's affairs are settled, I propose we celebrate with a proper meal," she announced, leading the way toward the city center. "I know the perfect place to cleanse our palates of the Iron rank food we've been suffering through."

The restaurant turned out to be an elegant yet cozy establishment, with polished wooden tables and suspended light crystals creating a warm atmosphere. The menu offered dishes that Ren had never seen, much less tasted. The air was perfumed with exotic spices and magic-enhanced ingredients that made his mouth water.

When the food arrived, his mushrooms pulsed with appreciation at the aromas. Each bite was an explosion of perfectly balanced flavors, culinary techniques that elevated the ingredients to a superior level. It was, objectively, the best food he had tasted in his life.

And yet...

"Don't you like it?" Larissa asked, noticing his thoughtful expression. Her mineral fairy briefly making her hair shine, reflecting her vexation.

"It's excellent," Ren responded sincerely. "But it's missing something... that home flavor, I guess."

As he savored a dessert of crystallized fruits, Ren found himself thinking about his parents and what they could achieve with ingredients and techniques like these. The image made him smile.

'With the crystals I can gather over these years, I could help them start a business like this, where they can use quality ingredients,' he thought. 'I'm sure my father would love to try these meats, and my mother would enjoy making these confections.'

After the meal, Liora and Larissa guided them through the most interesting points of the city. They stopped before a street performance where tamers with elemental beasts created impressive color patterns in the air, mixtures that drew exclamations of wonder from the audience.

They bought magical treats at a stall: candies that changed flavor with each bite and other sweets similar to chocolates with granulated mana crystals that produced small explosions on the tongue. Matilda seemed particularly enthusiastic about the latter, storing several for later, her eyes sparkling and showing a normally hidden childish joy.

The vertical gardens adorning some weird buildings especially captured Ren's attention. Enormous structures where high-level plant beasts maintained intensive crops that produced food year-round, regardless of the season. They climbed skyward like verdant towers.

"Incredible efficiency," Ren murmured, his mushrooms pulsing as he analyzed the growth patterns and the beasts in charge. "A single tamer with a Silver Rank beast can feed hundreds of people."

Not far from there, they visited the productive cages, an "industrialized" slaughterhouse that served as a "zoo" for a dual purpose. Here, beasts destined for consumption were raised in large cages fed by mana crystals. The systematic approach to raising creatures for food was both fascinating and somewhat disturbing.

Ren immediately recognized the different species: the elemental Earth Four-Horned Cows, the Wind Balloon Boars that floated slightly above the ground, and the Water Fat Birds, all meat-producing beasts sacrificed upon reaching Bronze 1 rank.

Observing the creatures in their cages, passively feeding on the crystals, Ren felt a pang of compassion. In his eyes could be seen a certain empathy and melancholy, his mushrooms dimming slightly.

"It's them or us, I suppose," he murmured to himself, as the group continued their tour.

The last stop was a magical fabric shop, where Liora insisted they should enter. To Ren and Taro's surprise, the girls spent almost an hour trying on different mantles and capes with shimmering fabrics, the kind that were forbidden at the academy for being too flashy and distracting for studies.

"Do you think Luna would look better in sky blue or turquoise?" Larissa asked, holding up two resplendent fabrics that seemed to glow with their own inner light.

Ren and Taro, sitting patiently in a corner, exchanged looks of resignation.

"Is there a difference?" Taro murmured, causing Ren to stifle a laugh, the mushrooms in his hair briefly brightening with amusement.

When they finally returned to Lin, they also found Min and Liu waiting. Min was animatedly recounting his 'showy' visit home, while Liu listened with patience.

Other students who had gone out were returning in small groups, enthusiastically commenting on their experiences in the city.

At the entrance, one of the assistant professors reminded them of the next day's program, checking names off a list as students filed past.

"Remember that this is like the welcome ceremony day, but mid-semester. Instead of a formal ceremony, you had your rest day. Tomorrow you will begin the next semester directly with the same teachers but with the next level of subjects... Here is the curriculum for your grade."

As they walked toward their dormitories, Ren felt both, satisfaction for what he had accomplished and anticipation for what was to come.

'This semester will be different,' he thought. 'I have a clear plan: evolve my fungus to Bronze 2, my hydra to Bronze 1, write all the method books I can, survive Lin's training, and secure the more than four million necessary to reach the Silver rank of my World Mushroom, and with it... my third beast.'

The academy lights illuminated around them as night fell, casting long shadows across the courtyards and gardens. With each step he took, Ren felt that this was merely the second page of a much larger story.

This was just the beginning.