Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Chapter 613: Chapter 613 - Noble Tamer - 2

”All this is not something I particularly want,” Ren hastened to explain. ”For me it’s just... more homework. More responsibilities. Arturo has been teaching me about territorial management and it’s honestly more trouble than benefit most of the time.”

”But then why...?” his father began.

”Because it’s necessary,” Ren responded simply. ”To accomplish what I need to accomplish, to help the people I need to help, I have to be in a position where I can act with fewer restrictions. And that means high nobility.”

His parents processed this slowly. His mother was the first to speak again.

”But son,” she looked at him directly, ”is this really what you want? Or is it just what you feel you have to do?”

”It’s what I have to do,” he admitted. ”But,” he added before they could protest, ”it’s not just a feeling. It’s something that truly matters to me.”

His parents looked at him for a long moment, then exchanged one of those marital glances that communicated volumes without words.

”Alright,” his mother finally said. ”If this is what you need to do, then we’ll support you. But Ren,” her voice became firmer, ”don’t forget who you are. Don’t let all this change what really matters.”

”I won’t. I promise.”

His father straightened, and Ren noticed he looked younger than ever. Both parents did. The fatigue lines that had marked their faces during years of hard work on the frontier had softened significantly.

”Ren,” his father said slowly, his voice gaining firmness, ”we’re double tamers thanks to you. Our tortoises have reached Silver rank. As far as strength or level goes, we won’t feel lesser than anyone. You can do what you need to.”

His mother nodded, squeezing his hand. ”Your father is right. What makes us feel out of place is... an old idea more than a reality. We can overcome it without doubt... no matter how much time of discomfort it takes us.”

It was a moment of clarity that surprised Ren. His parents had been internalizing their social inferiority despite the fact that, objectively, they were no longer the powerless workers they had been.

”The new house we’ll move to,” Ren continued, taking advantage of the shift in their attitude, ”Grandmother Selphira ’sold it to me cheap’. It’s ten times cheaper than its normal price and ten times larger than this one, more toward the city center. Everything is an improvement, though you’ll need more employees.”

He paused, considering. ”As for the restaurant... you have the option of coming here traveling an hour to keep using this house as a restaurant, or starting a new one in the new zone. You can take your time to think about it.”

His parents exchanged long glances. Finally, his father spoke.

”Our son has to keep climbing the social ladder,” he said with determination Ren hadn’t heard in years. ”And we’re not going to be in his way. We’ll overcome whatever problems arise.”

”Now,” his mother added with a small smile, ”help us dress correctly in these ridiculous clothes because we clearly don’t know what we’re doing.”

The laughter that followed relieved some of the tension, and as Ren helped his parents dress appropriately, he felt a warmth that had been missing for months.

In the end, no matter how complicated everything became, no matter what titles he acquired or what responsibilities he assumed, they would always support him. They were still his parents.

And that was something no amount of nobility could change.

♢♢♢♢

Thanks to what Liora and Larissa had taught him, plus the maids (except Mayo, whose prankster advice would be a bad idea to follow), Ren managed to help his parents dress appropriately. The brooches were fastened in the correct order, the layers fell the proper way, and when they were finally ready, they looked like beautiful established nobles instead of disguised workers.

The large vitality increases really did change people’s complexions to something strangely clean and healthy.

The journey to the new house was in a comfortable carriage that his parents still weren’t completely accustomed to using. Ren observed their faces as they crossed through the increasingly prosperous district, seeing how their expressions changed from uncertainty to amazement.

’This is my third property,’ Ren thought casually. ’If I count that I ”accidentally” bought the land of our first house two years ago...’

Ren frowned, remembering.

The previous owner and his former employer from the old restaurant had found them in the zone slightly better than where he himself lived. So seeing that they were now wealthy and had a better restaurant than his, he came demanding payment for damages, making a commotion at the restaurant.

It was actually something fair... Ren had overlooked paying for damages and his parents were collecting the money. They hadn’t told Ren, thinking they’d pay on their own, but payments for various unexpected things had delayed them from getting the total amount in such a short time, and they were waiting to have everything before contacting him.

The man was right that it had been improper not to notify him somehow beforehand, though he didn’t need to make a commotion. However, he went too far.

He tried to extort an unfair price, 10 times greater than the total cost of the house his parents were trying to save, and didn’t even want to sell it at that exorbitant price. It was just a ’payment for damages’.

’I paid those five million without complaint to get him to stop making a scene,’ he continued remembering, shrugging. ’It seemed like little to me... My perception of money is already... altered. My ten-year-old self would hit me. And that should have settled it, but Larissa found out.’

A small smile appeared on his face. ’It didn’t end well for the man at all. I recovered and doubled my money for some reason. I never knew exactly what she did, but it was effective.’

♢♢♢♢

The carriage finally stopped in front of a structure that left both parents speechless.

The mansion wasn’t ostentatious in the sense of being flashy or excessively decorated. It was simply large. Massive. The kind of property that communicated established wealth without needing to shout about it.

Three stories of pale stone rose before them, with tall windows that caught the afternoon light and made the entire building seem to glow. The entrance was framed by columns that managed to be impressive without being gaudy, and the grounds stretched out in carefully maintained gardens that spoke of money and taste in equal measure.

”This is...” his mother began, then stopped, unable to find words.

”Ours,” Ren finished simply. ”This is ours now.”

His father stepped out of the carriage slowly, his eyes sweeping across the facade with an expression of both disbelief and something approaching fear. ”Ren, we can’t possibly... we don’t know how to...”

”You’ll learn,” Ren said firmly. ”Just like you learned everything else. And you’ll have help, staff, advisors, people who know how to manage a property like this.”

His mother turned to look at him, tears beginning to form in her eyes. ”How did we get here? How did our little boy become someone who can give us something like this?”

”By being good, never giving up and working hard,” Ren said softly. ”Just like you taught me to.”