Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Chapter 329 - Taming Brotherhood

Klein hesitated only for an instant before making his decision.

With no guard in sight and everyone apparently distracted by whatever was happening, it was the perfect moment to satisfy his curiosity and slight resentment.

He remembered perfectly where they had taken Kassian on the day of his own confinement. Unlike his comfortable quarters, the cell he had glimpsed for his older brother more closely resembled a crystal prison, guarded by two elite guards.

The contrast hadnʼt escaped his notice, at least it wasnʼt another example of the preferential treatment Kassian always seemed to receive.

Perhaps they would allow him to shout him a few things to understand the reason for the betrayal and then vent a little by yelling at him about how idiotic he had been.

In the worst case, they wouldnʼt let him, but he could ask them for food while shouting anyway. The thought brought a small, vindictive smile to his face.

He advanced stealthily through the deserted hallways, pressing himself against the walls. The area seemed strangely empty, as if much of the personnel had gathered elsewhere. The usual sounds of the academy… footsteps, distant conversations, the hum of mana in the walls, were eerily absent, creating an atmosphere of tense anticipation.

When he finally reached the corridor leading to Kassianʼs ʼcell,ʼ he was surprised to see that there was only one guard instead of two. And as he watched from the shadows, something even more unusual occurred.

The distant energy he had felt earlier suddenly intensified, doubling in power. The guard, visibly alarmed, abandoned his post and ran in the direction of the emanationʼs origin.

ʼWhatʼs happening?ʼ Klein wondered, cautiously advancing toward the now unprotected door.

The powers continued fluctuating, multiplying in intensity until reaching levels that Klein had never experienced. For him to be able to feel them at such a distance, they must belong to extraordinarily powerful individuals.

ʼFather,ʼ he thought instantly.

When the power presences finally stopped growing, Klein was already in front of Kassianʼs cell door. It was taller than he remembered, with a small slot at eye level to allow surveillance.

Driven by curiosity, Klein gave a small jump to reach the opening. What he saw on the other side left him perplexed.

Kassian sat in the center of the cell, eyes closed and an expression of intense concentration on his face. His fingers moved quickly and intricately, as if manipulating invisible threads. Klein blinked, focusing his vision, and suddenly he could see them… faint purple lines connecting to his brotherʼs fingertips, extending toward somewhere beyond the walls, only to vanish seconds after forming.

Klein watched, fascinated, for several minutes. What was Kassian doing? Some kind of secret game? The purple threads seemed almost alive, writhing with a purpose he couldnʼt comprehend.

But indignation began to bubble inside him. While he ʼsufferedʼ the consequences, turned into a pawn in his brotherʼs game, Kassian was just playing on his own, not even experiencing real punishment.

”Traitor!” The word escaped Kleinʼs lips before he could contain himself, laden with bitterness and resentment. ”You used me as a guinea pig and now youʼre wasting time! Do you know how many questions they asked me?”

Kassianʼs eyes snapped open, surprise quickly transforming into irritation at seeing his younger brotherʼs face in the slot. The purple threads vanished instantly, though a faint glow lingered around his fingertips.

”Idiot, youʼre breaking my concentration!” he hissed, jumping to his feet in one fluid motion. ”You could have ruined everything!”

Klein was about to reply when he noticed Kassianʼs expression changing again. A smile spread across his face, not warm or brotherly, but calculating, triumphant.

”Although there was enough time,” he continued, approaching the door. ”It seems weʼll soon be released.”

”Released? Iʼm already outside...” Klein hesitated, confused. ”Wait, theyʼll let you out? How can you know that?”

”I have my ways,” Kassian responded enigmatically. ”Father has come for us, and he wonʼt leave empty-handed.”

Klein narrowed his eyes, distrust evident in his gaze. Perhaps his father would only take Kassian if given a choice... His trauma resurfacing as pessimism, his golden lionʼs core seemed to coil protectively around his heart.

”What were you really doing?” he asked, pointing at his brotherʼs fingers. ”I saw those purplish threads. What are they?”

For an instant, something like surprise crossed Kassianʼs face. His controlled facade momentarily slipped, revealing genuine astonishment.

”You can see them?” His tone changed. ”Interesting. Perhaps you lost the energy, but the transformation was deeper than we thought.”

”Stop speaking in riddles,” Klein demanded, his patience wearing thin. ”What did you really do to me with that disgusting potion?”

Kassian studied his younger brother with an evaluative gaze, as if seeing him in a new light.

”I gave you a gift, little Klein,” he finally responded. ”One that you perhaps wasted with your impatience.”

He moved even closer to the door, his eyes shining with disturbing enthusiasm. In the dim light, they seemed to reflect purple rather than their natural color.

”When we get out of here, Iʼll show you the true extent of what you could have gained,” he promised. ”And youʼll understand why I did what I did.”

Klein couldnʼt stop thinking about the purple threads and Kassianʼs strange calmness. The entire situation felt wrong, as if he was watching a play where everyone knew their lines except him. So he was preparing to leave but Kassian called him with an urgent whisper.

”Wait. Look for the doorʼs runic key,” he ordered, pointing toward the hallway.

”No,” Klein answered, his voice cold and cutting.

”What?” Kassian blinked, genuinely surprised by the direct refusal. For a moment, he looked as if he couldnʼt comprehend the concept of Klein saying no to him.

”I said no,” Klein repeated, a bitter smile forming on his lips. ”Iʼm not going to help you escape. I donʼt want to be ʼfreeʼ because I donʼt feel locked up here, and Iʼm not going to do anything as stupid as helping you.”

He pulled himself toward the slot, his face now inches from his brotherʼs.

”I will fulfill my duty first.”

Kassian slapped his forehead with his palm, a gesture of frustration so dramatic that in other circumstances it would have been comical.

”Youʼre a complete idiot,” he growled, looking at Klein as if he were a lost cause. ”I truly donʼt understand how you can be my brother.”

The words ignited even more of the anger that Klein had been containing. The memory of the betrayal, of realizing there was a strange energy corrupting his body, of being the pawn in a game he didnʼt understand… it all crystallized in that moment.

”Iʼm the idiot?” he shouted, voice rising despite his earlier stealthy approach. ”It would be much more idiotic if I trusted you again. You used me as a lab rat. You gave me that... that thing without my knowledge. And now you expect me to help you now?”

”Listen to me,” Kassian insisted, his voice acquiring a tone of urgency. ”Your task is obviously no longer possible. Forget about the ʼcatching the Starweaverʼ plan. We have to leave the academy and prepare for a much longer and more delicate conflict.”

”No,” Klein responded, obstinate. ”Iʼm not going anywhere. Iʼm staying. Stop making up nonsense.”