Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Luna nodded stiffly and continued her search, feeling increasingly like a stalker. But she couldnʼt leave things unresolved. Last nightʼs misunderstanding needed... resolving before her great-aunt Selphira interrogated her.

The library felt like a different country after the hallwaysʼ bustle. She navigated aisles sheʼd never explored before, passing sections with titles she couldnʼt even pronounce.

It was in the ”obsolete theories” section where she finally found him. His back to her, bent over what appeared to be several manuscripts. The mushrooms in his hair glowed with a soft but steady light, creating an ethereal halo around his focused figure.

Luna stopped, uncertain. Part of her wanted to retreat and pretend sheʼd never looked for him. But the other part, the part that had spent all morning feeling strange and confused, pushed her forward.

She dragged a chair as silently as possible, but in the libraryʼs absolute silence, the sound seemed to echo like thunder. She sat across from him, hands flat on the table, preparing for... whatever she was about to say.

Ren looked up, marking his place in the manuscript. ”Luna,” he greeted neutrally.

The silence stretched between them, heavy. Luna could feel her cheeks warming, but couldnʼt meet his eyes. Her gaze found a fascinating point on the bookshelf behind his left shoulder.

How long had they been like this? A minute? Five? To Luna, each second seemed to stretch endlessly.

”Is something wrong?” Renʼs voice finally broke the silence. ”Did you need something?”

Luna opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. Finally, words rushed out: ”Did you tell Mooshito to trick me?”

Ren blinked, clearly puzzled. ”Mooshito?”

”Your mushroom,” Luna clarified, feeling her ears burn. ”I... I named him that.”

”Oh.” Luna could hear the suppressed chuckle in his voice. ”No, I didnʼt tell him anything. My beast is a bit mischievous and does what it wants sometimes. Especially when it detects... certain power traces. But I apologize if he did something bad to you.”

Luna shook her head abruptly. ”Then it was my fault. Donʼt worry.”

Another silence descended, more awkward than before. Ren scratched his cheek, a nervous habit Luna had noticed he had. He seemed to be searching for something to say.

ʼShe looks very uncomfortable and stressed... Itʼs not like Iʼm going to hit her or anything, but... Can I help her calm down? What do women like?ʼ Ren thought frantically. ʼWhat makes women happy? Mother always smiles when Father...ʼ

And suddenly, without fully thinking it through, Ren reached across the table and took Lunaʼs hands in his.

”Look,” he began, trying to imitate the comforting tone his father used when his mother was upset, ”everythingʼs fine. You donʼt have to feel bad or embarrassed...”

The effect was instantaneous and catastrophic. Lunaʼs eyes widened to impossible sizes, her face cycling through various shades of red in rapid succession. She froze completely, like a deer before a torchlight.

Ren, too focused on trying to comfort her, didnʼt notice his initial impact.

”What are you doing?” Luna asked, her voice impossibly high note and low volume at once.

”My father always holds my motherʼs hands when sheʼs sad, and she says it helps her a lot, so I thought...”

He stopped when he finally registered the absolute shock on Lunaʼs face. His hands were still holding hers, and suddenly he realized what heʼd just done.

”I didnʼt mean to...!” He yanked his hands back as if burned.

Luna was trembling slightly, still staring fixedly at where their hands had been intertwined. Her lips opened and closed without making sound.

”Iʼm so sorry,” Ren hastened to say. ”I wasnʼt thinking about... I didnʼt mean to make you more uncomfortable. It was just... mother and father always... and I thought maybe...”

The more he spoke, the more tangled he became. Luna remained in absolute shock, and every word from his mouth seemed to worsen the situation.

”Maybe we should forget this happened!” Ren finally declared, burying his face in his hands while the mushrooms in his hair flickered erratically, reflecting his embarrassment.

Before Luna could recover enough to respond, a familiar presence filled the space between shelves. Selphira Ashenway emerged like an apparition, her eyes taking in the scene with supernatural speed.

”Young Ren,” her voice cut through the air like a sharpened blade. ”It seems our scheduled meeting for tonight will be earlier than expected.”