Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 114

While Julius examined the vein, Ren's mushrooms pulsed detecting something unusual. A different mana pattern emanated from a nearby crack at the edge of the bowl.

Ren descended the slope as far from the pure mana geyser as possible and approached cautiously, taking advantage of the prince being distracted with his inspection at the bowl's center.

The crack was narrow, barely visible in the penumbra, but there...

His heart skipped a beat. Two cores rested in the hollow. One still had the weaver's thread tied to it, his mantis core. And next to it, another core that hadn't been there before.

The mushrooms pulsed with excitement while Ren extended his hand toward the crack. If he could reach them quickly and hide them...

"What are you doing?"

Ren jumped, his hand freezing midway. Julius was right behind him, his eyes fixed on the cores in the crack.

"So this is it," the prince murmured, leaning to better examine the discovery. "You've found a way to generate eggs?"

Ren's initial panic mixed with resignation.

"Something like that," he responded carefully. "I have a bug egg..."

Ren's mushrooms pulsed nervously. With the prince's ability to detect lies, there was no point trying to deny it.

Julius's eyes momentarily gleamed while verifying the truth in those words. "I see. Experimenting with basic eggs to sell in the market, eh? Though they're not very popular... But with your family's situation I can understand a bit..."

The prince's assumption was convenient for Ren, but there was something more in his expression. As if he were connecting invisible dots.

Then, something seemed to occur to the prince. His expression changed subtly.

"You know, Ren," Julius spoke slowly, his tone changing too. "I wonder... were you the one who caused the incident with the hydra?"

The mushrooms in Ren's hair pulsed erratically while the boy tried to find a way to respond that wasn't a direct lie.

"Ah right," he said softly. "That it followed you by bad luck when you came doesn't imply you're the culprit I'm looking for... Would it be, who brought it here. or who took it up...?"

The prince noticed his hesitation.

"No, let me rephrase that," Julius raised a hand. "Did you bring the hydra here? For brooding a core or for some other reason?"

"No," Ren responded immediately, grateful to be able to tell the absolute truth in this. Experience more tales on freewebnovel.com

The prince kept his eyes fixed on Ren for several seconds, studying every micro-expression, his Qilin illuminating the scene with its golden radiance.

"Interesting," he finally murmured. "That last response was completely true."

He approached the crack, observing the cores more carefully. "I wonder what other secrets you keep about this whole incident. Because I'm starting to suspect you know much more than you appear to."

Ren's mushrooms pulsed with concern.