Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 258

"Do you also want the beast I prepared for you?" he asked, with a slight smile. "I should warn you it was the most expensive of all."

Luna clenched her fists, forcing herself to overcome her embarrassment. "I apologize if I seem ungrateful," she finally said. "But first, may I ask what beast it is? There was one I wanted before obtaining the wolf, but it was difficult to obtain due to... particular circumstances."

"It's the beast that best complements your shadow wolf, in my opinion," Ren responded. "Although it seems that because of your family it was quite costly... It's the base form of the celestial white tiger. A striped light cat."

Luna brought her hands to her mouth, her eyes widening with surprise and something more complex:

A long-repressed yearning.

"Oh, Ren..." Liora shook her head with an expression between amused and concerned. "Rather, it's my family that's the problem now."

"What do you mean?" Ren asked, confused by the reaction.

Larissa smiled with a certain melancholy. "Luna's family has had economic problems for some time. An unfortunate situation forced them to negotiate with their jurisdictions to stay afloat."

"One of the concessions," she continued, her voice softer, "was the celestial tiger market, which passed into Selphira's hands. Luna couldn't obtain the tiger she would have traditionally received as part of her family inheritance."

"They also tried to disguise her as someone less important when entering her into the academy, taking advantage of the situation of the lack of tiger eggs," Liora added. "But the Goldcrests ruined the plan, preventing Luna from changing her surname when registering."

"As you probably already know from Klein's outbursts," Larissa intervened, "the Goldcrests have particular interests in Luna. They've been trying to get her father to accept a marriage between the families."

"Although Liora has reasons to believe that won't happen," Larissa continued.

Klein's nonsense sounded too improbable to them for this reason.

"But the alternative isn't ideal either..." Liora added, shaking her head.

"Liora is happy with the prospect of strengthening ties with her favorite cousin, of course," Larissa concluded with a slightly mocking tone that made Liora shoot her a warning glance. "But the Ashenways aren't exactly a charity institution either."

Luna, who had listened to the explanation with growing discomfort, finally intervened:

"You don't have to worry about any of this, Ren," she said firmly. "The high nobility is an unpleasant and fake world that has nothing to do with you."

"I'm not so sure about that," Larissa murmured, though only Liu clearly managed to hear her.

"Please, forget everything you've heard," Luna continued, her voice gaining determination. "I belong neither to the Goldcrests nor the Ashenways, and I'll prove it starting with the semester battles and ending with the interschools tournaments."

Her eyes fixed on Ren's, a renewed intensity shining in them. "I'll thank you for the rest of my life for getting me precisely the beast I wanted, although it might have been luck. I'll pay you the cost multiplied by a hundred one day, but let me be clear… I'll use this extra strength and all my present power to defeat you in the semester final battle exams."

The last words weren't a threat, but an honest challenge.

Ren smiled, his eyes reflecting the same competitive spirit. "Here," he said, offering her the crystalline egg and its corresponding cultivation book. "I'm sorry, but this time I'm not going to aim for a good battle to look good, but for victory."

Luna accepted both with a formal bow, her shadow wolf partially manifesting in response to her emotions, creating undulating patterns in the shadows at her feet.

"You should proceed with the bonds now," Ren suggested, looking toward the door. "I don't know how much longer Liu can maintain his sonic field active and Taro the decoy in the courtyard."

"I'm fine for a few more minutes on my part," Liu responded, although small drops of sweat were beginning to form on his forehead from the continuous effort.

The binding ritual with Liora was quick and efficient. The demonic Bashe egg opened with a hissing sound, revealing a serpentine creature with black scales and red eyes that immediately coiled around her arm, establishing the bond with a crimson flash.