Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 364

"Shh," Ren whispered, partially emerging from the hole while holding Li. "You're standing right on our exit and not letting us open it."

Li's eyes widened like saucers upon recognizing his friend. Tao stood frozen, caught between fear and fascination, his mouth slightly agape.

"Ren!" Tao exclaimed in an excited whisper when Ren finally released Li and completely exited the hole. "You were hiding underground! Just like in the Wandering King stories!"

"What were you doing down there?" asked Li, recovering from his initial fright. He brushed dirt from his clothes with exaggerated motions, trying to appear unaffected by the surprise. "And why are the patrols looking for you? Are you a criminal now?"

The last question carried a hint of admiration rather than judgment.

Ren smiled while moving aside to allow Yang, Lin, Wei, and his parents to emerge from the narrow hiding place.

"It's complicated," he responded, dusting off his clothes. "Let's just say we had a... disagreement with some patrollers." The diplomatic phrasing sounded distinctly out of place in the rustic storehouse.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Tao. "You look like those mercenaries from the stories!"

"You talk different too," observed Li, wrinkling his nose critically. "All fancy and stuck-up." His expression conveyed the unfiltered judgment only children can deliver with complete innocence.

Ren blinked, surprised by the comment. "Fancy? Me?" The idea seemed genuinely foreign to him, a blind spot in his self-perception.

"Yeah, like 'it's complicated'," Li imitated with an exaggeratedly refined voice, straightening his posture and lifting his chin in a caricature of aristocratic bearing. "When you played with us, you would just say 'it's a mess' or something like that."

"And look at your clothes," added Tao, pointing at the academy uniform Ren still wore beneath his travel cloak. "All new and with those... What are they? Decorations?"

"They're rank insignias," Ren explained, suddenly conscious of how much he had changed in just one year. His fingers unconsciously touched the Bronze 2 emblem that had become a natural part of his identity.

"Ooooh, rank insigniaaas," Li sang mockingly, performing an exaggerated bow with flourishing hand movements. "The young master is very important now."

Reed, observing the interaction from the side, couldn't help but smile. This was the Ren he remembered: a child among children, subject to friendly teasing, not the solemn young man who had killed someone hours before.

"We should finish expanding the hiding place," Yang suggested, but he made a subtle gesture to Reed, indicating they should let the children talk.

Lin and Fern exchanged knowing looks too. It was comforting to see that beneath all that acquired maturity, Ren could still connect with children his own age. The rigid formality that had overtaken him since their reunion momentarily cracked, allowing glimpses of the boy they knew.

"Hey," said Tao, suddenly remembering something. "Anuar was talking about you this morning. He said he had something to show off when he saw you."

"Anuar?" Ren tilted his head, recalling the third member of their little friendship group. "What's become of him?"

"He got a rare contract," Li responded, rolling his eyes with exasperation. "While we got common plants like almost everyone in this area, he got something different." His tone suggested this was both unfair and frequently mentioned.

"Won't stop bragging about it," added Tao with annoyance. "Though he's still as clumsy as ever." He pantomimed someone tripping over their own feet, eliciting a smile from Ren.

"Life is that unfair," Li sighed dramatically, placing the back of his hand against his forehead like a tragic actor. "Grandfather says the biggest idiots are always the ones who get all the happiness."

Ren couldn't contain a burst of laughter at the philosophical observation, but quickly covered his mouth when he realized how loud it was and looked back... Reed and Yang, who had been pretending to work nearby, gave him a discreet thumbs up, encouraging him to continue the conversation while they sealed the secret entrance.

Lin and Fern looked at each other, smiling at the scene. For a moment, on a day filled with violence and danger, they could see the child that Ren still was somewhere inside.

Moving a bit away from the group of adults, Ren led his old friends toward a hidden corner of the storehouse. The three boys naturally fell into the huddled posture of children sharing secrets, their heads close together.

"How's school here?" Ren asked, genuinely curious. His tone shifted subtly, losing some of its acquired formality as childhood rhythms reasserted themselves.

"Boring," Li responded immediately, slumping his shoulders. "Master Huang is old and slow. Spends more time dozing than teaching." He mimicked an old man nodding off, complete with exaggerated snoring sounds.

"And beast training is a joke," added Tao. "We only practice twice a week, and the sessions don't even last an hour."

"How is it at your fancy school?" asked Li, once again imitating the refined accent with pursed lips and an aristocratic sniff.