Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Chapter 324 - Taming the Heart

The sunset painted the sky in coppery hues when Fern and Reed Patinder returned home after another day in the restaurant kitchens. Their bodies, tired but satisfied from a job well done, moved with the synchronicity that only decades together could achieve.

The gentle breeze carried the familiar scents of the outskirts, wild herbs, freshly turned earth, and the aroma of cooking fires.

”Another new dish that was a success,” Reed commented, a note of pride in his weary voice. ”It could become a permanent specialty.”

Fern nodded, a small smile illuminating her face.

They turned the last corner toward their modest home, conversation flowing naturally between memories and plans for the next day…

But something interrupted their habitual routine.

In front of their door waited a cart, guarded by three men with the Pegasus messenger service emblem on their uniforms. The vehicle was larger than theyʼd expected to see around here, piled high with small sacks in the back, secured under a tightly drawn tarpaulin.

They stopped abruptly, fear instantly seizing their hearts. The world seemed to narrow around them, focusing only on that cart and its possible meaning.

”Reed...” Fern whispered, her voice breaking as her hand sought her husbandʼs. Her fingers clutched his with desperate strength.

”Stay calm,” he responded, though his own heart hammered against his chest. ”It could be something else.”

But they both knew that terrible clause in the school contract, that dreadful paragraph they had read with trembling hands more than a year ago: In case of a fatal accident, the academy will return double the enrollment fee to the immediate family...

Terrible images crossed their minds. Stories of neighbors who were given large quantities of crystals as ”compensation” for children who would never return from collection expeditions, excavations, or combat practices. Conversations held in hushed tones, the inconsolable grief that no amount of crystals could ease.

School in this world, like many other things, was dangerous.

Fern remained motionless, unable to advance, terror freezing every muscle in her body.

Reed... As the man of the house, had to be strong and move forward when his wife could not. He gathered all his willpower to take one step forward, then another.

They had to know, even if the truth shattered their world.

”Good afternoon,” he greeted the messengers with a trembling voice. His eyes, already moist, struggled to focus on the menʼs faces. ”We are the Patinders. Is... is it about our son?”

The messengers exchanged a confused look, their expressions shifting as understanding dawned.

”Indeed, sir,” responded one, consulting a scroll. ”We have a delivery from Ren Patinder for you.”

”From Ren?” Reedʼs voice broke, hope cautiously rising. ”Not... about him?”

Finally comprehending the fear in the manʼs eyes, the messenger hurried to clarify:

”Oh, no, sir! Weʼre not that type of service. Those deliveries donʼt use carts, theyʼre made with large denominations of crystals and with official academy representatives.” He pointed to the emblem on his uniform. ”We are Pegasus, a private package and messaging service.”

The relief was so intense that Reedʼs knees almost gave way. He signaled Fern with a ”good news” gesture that only they knew, and she ran over, tears of fear still glistening on her cheeks.

”Itʼs all right, Fern,” Reed said, embracing her, his voice thick with emotion. ”Ren is fine. Itʼs a shipment from him, not about him.”

Fern brought a hand to her chest, breathing brokenly. ”Thank the gods,” she whispered, her plantʼs leaves unfurling slightly as her fear receded.

The messenger first handed them a sealed envelope. ”The letter from young Patinder,” he explained. ”And then... well, this delivery is quite substantial.”

While Reed carefully opened the letter, Fern watched in amazement as the messengers began unloading small sacks from the cart. Many sacks. The pile grew rapidly, forming a small mountain of wealth on their humble doorstep.

”Reed,” she murmured, tugging at her husbandʼs sleeve. ”What is all this?”

Reed had gone pale as he read, his hands visibly trembling.

”According to this,” he said in a barely audible voice, ”theyʼre six hundred thousand crystals.”

”Six hundred... what?” Fern took the letter, certain she had misheard. The world seemed to spin around her as she focused on the paper.

Renʼs handwriting, orderly and clear as always, thanks to his quasi-inherited taste for Reedʼs drawing, covered both sides of the rough paper. As she read, her expression shifted from confusion to amazement and then to disbelief.

Dear Parents,

I hope this letter finds you well. Iʼve wanted to communicate for some time, but only now have I found a means to do so before my return.

First, I want to tell you that I am perfectly fine. My ”weak” spore has turned out to be much more than anyone expected. Iʼve discovered cultivation methods never before documented.

The first of these methods has already been officially validated by the academy. My friend Taroʼs digger beetle evolved exactly as I predicted, becoming a Living Tunnel instead of a Great Excavator! This discovery has earned me recognition, and it seems they will give me a generous reward.

Iʼve also become a double tamer and have cultivated my own hydra, a second beast that perfectly complements my spore. Yes, I can read your expression of surprise, Dad. I am a double tamer, something extremely rare even at the best academy.

I won the first-year tournament, both in the individual category and as a team alongside my friends from Gray Wing.

The ”ritual” I taught you before leaving is not a fantasy of mine. It works. If you have followed it faithfully, you should already be noticing slight changes in your plants.

The crystals Iʼm sending are so you can stop working in the kitchens if you wish, or to recover the house, or simply to live without worries while completing the ritual. They are the fruit of my discoveries, material sales, tournament prizes, and other rewards.

This is just the beginning. I promise that when I return for my first break, I will give you ”everything” as you gave to me, and another enormous surprise.

I miss you every day. Everything I do, I do thinking of you.

With love, Ren

P.S.: The ritual must continue without fail. At the end of the thousand days, you will need two vitality runes to complete it. Iʼve already obtained them and will keep them for you.

P.P.S.: If I sound a bit formal, itʼs because -M-r-s- Miss Alicia helped me draft this letter.

Fern finished reading, silent tears sliding down her cheeks. Reed stared fixedly at the sacks that the messengers continued unloading, his expression a mixture of disbelief and overwhelming pride.

”It canʼt be true,” Fern murmured, her voice trembling with emotion. ”Double tamer? Tournament winner? Revolutionary cultivation methods?”

Reed shook his head, equally incredulous. ”And this amount of crystals... itʼs more than we would earn in several years.”

They turned toward the messengers, who had finished unloading the cart and were waiting patiently.