Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 324

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 they'd 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 husband's. 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 men's 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?" Reed's voice broke, hope cautiously rising. "Not... about him?"

Finally comprehending the fear in the man's eyes, the messenger hurried to clarify:

"Oh, no, sir! We're not that type of service. Those deliveries don't use carts, they're 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 Reed's 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.

"It's all right, Fern," Reed said, embracing her, his voice thick with emotion. "Ren is fine. It's a shipment from him, not about him."