Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Chapter 352 - Taming Vacations

The Bronze emblem with two gleaming lines shone on Renʼs uniform as he observed the landscape through the carriage window. It was a beautiful day, the kind that made even ordinary scenery seem somehow enchanted.

Normally, he would be traveling home at night, but Luna, Larissa, and Liora had convinced Julius, Sirius, and Selphira to grant an exception, allowing him to leave early... skipping the closing ceremony, where they would have bestowed the honor upon him before everyone.

Ignatius had been irritated at having to present the prestigious ”Bestʼs Honor” in such an unceremonious and hurried manner, but the pressure from the three young nobles had been substantial.

The old director had muttered something about ”protocol” and ”tradition” before reluctantly yielding to the combined forces of Ashenway, Dravenholm and a bit of Starweaver influence.

A full year had passed since Ren first crossed the Academyʼs gates, a skinny boy with a supposedly useless mushroom on his head.

How ridiculously distant that day seemed now.

”Counting crystals mentally?” Linʼs teasing voice interrupted his thoughts. She sat across from him. ”Those outings were indeed productive…”

The ”prodigy boy” couldnʼt leave without guards now. Selphira and Julius had arranged for Lin, Wei, and Yang to accompany him. Lin had been delighted with the well paid assignment, but the other two hadnʼt exactly loved sacrificing their vacation time for escort duty.

”I would have preferred more outings with professor Zhao,” Ren responded distractedly.

Lin snorted, feigning indignation. ”You miss the strict, boring old man instead of enjoying my charming company? You hurt my feelings.” She placed a hand dramatically over her heart before breaking into a smile. ”Heʼll return without doubt, donʼt worry... Better go back to counting your money.”

Lin was indeed a charming lady. Her extreme exercise routines, on the other hand...

The carriage advanced along the road toward the cityʼs outer zones, but...

From the window, one could see the enormous gap on the horizon where the kingdomʼs second most important school once stood. Now only a scar remained on the landscape, another effect of the fracture the city had suffered.

The kingdomʼs second school, built decades ago on the site of the second ring and the vein that no longer served a real purpose, had been relocated... Walls and all, stone by stone, the Goldcrests had created their own city, with their own ”old reputable school” in the most literal sense.

Ren closed his eyes, letting his mind wander to the battle week that had just concluded. For the second consecutive time, he had swept the competition, though this time the victory had been much more difficult. His opponents had prepared specifically to counter his known abilities, forcing him to reveal new techniques heʼd been saving.

”What are you thinking about with that silly smile?” asked Lin, gently nudging his shoulder. Her eyes held the warmth of a mentor who had come to genuinely care for her student, despite her persistent teasing.

”About how Min almost wet himself when my hydra lifted him five meters in the air,” Ren replied, the memory bringing fresh amusement.

Lin burst into laughter, the sound filling the carriage. ”And Liuʼs face when your light armor canceled his sound attack! He looked like heʼd seen a ghost!”

”Mana cancellations always surprise,” Ren conceded with false modesty.

The hydra had been his greatest advantage in combat. Upon evolving from Iron to Bronze 2, the creature had developed more than just a bigger body and a long neck, but a more complete and resistant crystalline armor that reflected and amplified the light control Ren possessed.

Each of his hands could now manifest a small, concentrated ray, though never as powerful as the one he generated from his chest in combination with his ring and mushroom. The versatility this granted him in battle had proven decisive in several close matches.

”I still canʼt believe everyone in Gray Wing has reached at least Bronze 2,” commented Lin, shaking her head in amazement. The improvement rate was unprecedented, no dormitory in academy history had achieved such collective advancement in a single year.

”The power of knowledge,” Ren responded, his smile growing. ”And of having a good friend...”

”Are you getting more arrogant, little pupil? How about we start todayʼs exercise while we wait to arrive?”

Ren pretended not to hear and looked at the horizon, continuing his reminiscence of the semester just past...

♢♢♢♢

Four months earlier...

The room was silent except for the held breaths of more than 20 people... Taro, Min, Liu, Liora and Larissaʼs group, Lunaʼs group, the guard girls, Hanʼs group, Roranʼs group, Lin, Wei, and Ren all watched Renʼs small mushroom floating centimeters above the table like a tiny illuminated creature.

”Are you sure it worked?” Taro asked nervously. ”It looks so... small to be a Bronze 2 evolution.”

Ren nodded with absolute confidence. ”Each creature has its own pattern. Large beasts arenʼt necessarily more powerful, and today marks the 100th day.”

”Yes, but they normally grow somewhat larger,” Min insisted. ”Your mushroom is still the same size... the size of my fist.”

The small creature pulsed rhythmically, its body emanating waves of light that seemed to momentarily bend reality around it.

”Itʼs doing something!” exclaimed Liora, stepping closer for a better view.

The others held their breath as the light increased in intensity until it became almost blinding. The room filled with a soft hum, like the distant song of crystal glasses. When the light finally faded, everyone eagerly leaned forward to see the result.

”Itʼs... exactly the same,” Liu finally said, breaking the silence.

”No, no,” corrected Min, squinting. ”I think it grew like... from five to six centimeters?”

The laughter began with a snort from Taro, which quickly turned into uncontrollable guffaws. Min joined in, holding his stomach as he doubled over with laughter. Even the normally serious Liu was wiping tears from his eyes.

”One hundred days of that dangerous and intensive cultivation!” Min gasped between laughs. ”Tons of expensive and rare fungi! All to grow just one ridiculous centimeter!”

”Itʼs like planting a tree and getting a blade of grass!” added Taro, prompting another round of laughter.

Renʼs mushroom observed them, its face impassive. Only Luna noticed how the mushroom cap in its head began to pulse with a strange rhythm, as if irritated.

”Guys, maybe you should...” Larissa began, but it was too late.

A flash of soft light illuminated the room. When it dissipated, Min, Taro, Liu, and everyone else except the girls whose names began with L found themselves frozen mid-laugh.

”Why did you stop?” Min asked Taro, but then noticed everyone staring at him fixedly. ”What? Do I have something on my face?”

Liora covered her mouth, trying to contain her own laughter. ”Not exactly on your face...”

On each boyʼs head had appeared a small luminescent mushroom, exactly like Renʼs but twice as large. They glowed with a smug radiance, their tiny faces bearing expressions that could only be described as self-satisfied.

”WHAT THE HELL?!” shouted Min, pulling at the mushroom. But he quickly withdrew his hands with a yelp of pain. ”Ouch! Itʼs attached to my skin!”

”This isnʼt funny, Ren,” growled Liu, trying to remove his own mushroom, only to wince in pain as the connection punished his attempt.

”Oh, I donʼt know,” Ren responded with an innocent smile. ”I think itʼs quite amusing, considering how much you were laughing at it a moment ago.”

Renʼs mushroom let out a ”hmph” from its mouth, made a face, and crossed its tiny arms before disappearing into Renʼs body.

The small mushrooms remained on their heads for a full week, resisting all removal attempts. Min tried covering his with a hat, but the mushroom simply glowed through the fabric. Taro tried ointments, and Liu even consulted Professor Wei, only to receive a confused look and the suggestion that ”perhaps itʼs an allergy”.

No one ever mocked the size of Renʼs mushroom again after that.

♢♢♢♢

ʼLuna was the only one who didnʼt laugh at all at the little... What does she call it? Mooshito?ʼ Ren felt his cheeks warming at the memory.

Larissa had told him. She said Luna thought it was good that it didnʼt lose its ”charm” by staying small.

Though Mayo had told everyone that Larissa and Liora thought exactly the same thing...

The complexities of noble girlsʼ opinions remained more mysterious to him than the most arcane abyssal cultivation techniques.