Level 0 Summoner

Ren had wanted to leave right away to further train with Suki. However, the visit to Sofia's house had taken a lot more time than he had expected, coupled with the fact that they needed to head back to the Allen estate for a good night's sleep, which was more than two hours away from the main area of the Brightwood Kingdom.

That's why it was already quite dark by the time they reached the gate leading into the Allen estate, where the same two guards from earlier were dozing off, talking to one another, and not even paying attention to their surroundings. Ren was tempted to report them to his father or mother. However, he didn't want to make enemies or draw attention to himself. After all, for his plan for the Entrance Exam of the Awakened Academies to work and to surprise his family, he needed to keep the changes he was undergoing to himself.

Ren walked toward the gate with Suki curled up in his arms, this time wide awake, her small head perking up. Emma was also closely following behind Ren, glancing left and right, looking extremely nervous.

"Oh, if it isn't the trash that left the estate this morning?" one of the guards finally said as he caught sight of Ren.

"Damn… he didn't die? Tsk, here," the other guard muttered, handing a gold coin to the first guard with a frown.

Did they really bet on the fact that I would die out there? Ren thought, unable to believe it. He was skeptical that he'd heard this right. He knew he wasn't respected, but betting on the life of the Patriarch's son? They were insane.

Then, the guard standing to his left finally noticed Suki in his arms, who was baring her teeth at both guards.

"You went outside to buy a pet?" the guard burst out laughing. "You really are pathetic. I guess you're bound to become lonely when you don't leave your room for an entire year."

Ren discreetly clenched his fists as the two guards continued mocking him openly. The more they talked, the more he wanted to make them pay right at that moment. However, he knew it wasn't a good idea to show off his newfound strength just yet.

You two will be the first to pay, Ren declared silently.

Then, Ren didn't bother talking to the guards any longer and walked past them, ignoring any further taunts. He couldn't believe his reputation had reached such a low point. He would have a lot of work to do to bring his reputation to an acceptable level in the eyes of the public and those who knew him.

The two guards and their taunts quickly faded from his mind as he continued walking toward the Allen estate. However, he was surprised to see large areas of light still illuminating the training grounds, where a single person was training alone.

Her beautiful white hair flowed in the cold, fresh breeze, and her movements were so captivating that it was hard to look away. Her swordsmanship was that of a master, someone who had trained for the better part of her life. She was Ren's eldest sister, the first child of the current Patriarch. She had already earned the respect of the entire family by becoming an A-Rank Adventurer, a rank that less than 1% of the global population would reach in their entire lifetime.

As Ren continued to observe her, her head suddenly snapped in his direction. At first, she frowned, wondering who would dare stare at her while training. Then her expression shifted to confusion. "Ren? What are you doing here when it's already so late at night?"

"Uh, I'm going back to my room," Ren answered awkwardly, unsure how to act around his eldest sister.

In truth, from what he has seen from the memories he had inherited, Ren had rarely seen her throughout most of his life due to their age difference. They had over ten years between them, making her close to thirty years old. She was also often away on missions, which made it almost impossible for them to meet. In the few encounters they'd had, his eldest sister, Luna, had never treated him poorly. She had either ignored him entirely or simply looked at him without saying a single word.

It was actually the very first time in Ren's life that his eldest sister had spoken to him.

"Hm, be careful on the way there…" she said, turning back toward the practice scarecrow as she continued speaking. "Your younger brother talked about you to Father today. I would be careful in the following days; you know just how much Father cherishes Noah and… despises you."

Ren stopped in his tracks momentarily. "He talked about me to Father? What did he say?"

"I don't know yet, but be careful. We don't want 'accidents' happening while you're out."

Ren's eyes widened at those words, knowing very well what kind of "accidents" she was referring to. However, what annoyed him most was the thought that his father's assassins might follow him around and discover Suki…

Ugh, why did Noah even bring me up? We barely talked this morning, and it's not like I antagonized him.

"I see. Thank you for telling me. I'll make sure to pay you back."

Luna was surprised to hear "pay you back" from her brother. After all, she hadn't thought he had anything to give her or any reason to repay her. She also hadn't expected him to be so righteous. She hadn't really interacted with her brother, but the times she had seen him, he'd been quiet and peaceful, with an innocent look on his face.

However, tonight, as she analyzed him, she saw a different person. His eyes were no longer filled with innocence, and he was no longer afraid of others; he was holding his head high.

Just how much did they hurt you, little brother, for you to change so much… Luna thought, disappointed in her own family.

Ren continued on his way, unaware of his eldest sister's thoughts. Emma was the first to speak up, having watched Ren stay silent even after what Luna had just told him.

"Master… do you really think that we shouldn't tell the Patriarch about your new class and skill?" Emma was deeply worried. She had also understood the implications of those "accidents"—there was a chance Ren could die or get badly hurt in the coming days. But if they told the Patriarch, none of this would happen. Ren would be reinstated within the family, and everything would be fine. "We could make him promise not to tell any of your siblings. Wouldn't that work perfectly?"

At the mention of asking for help from his family, Ren felt his blood boil, and his gaze turned cold. "No, we don't need them. They don't even have a reason to kill me, and even if they try, I have both you and Suki to protect me. Everything will be fine."

Emma wanted to insist, but she saw that Ren had already made his choice. He wouldn't tell the Patriarch, no matter what.

Should I tell the Patriarch without Master knowing? she thought suddenly. However, she shook her head. No, I can't betray Master's trust, or he might never trust me again…

She knew it wasn't the right choice, but she thought it would fix so many of their problems in the short term. No one would even know except the Patriarch; there was practically no downside. However, for some reason, Ren was refusing to accept any support from his own "family," even though he hadn't been the one to suffer under their hands for all those years.

After a few more minutes, they finally reached Ren's room, where Emma would have to part ways with him and Suki, who would be sleeping in his room, as she was supposed to be his "pet" from now on. Nevertheless, Emma couldn't help but think about what Luna had told Ren… she was worried something might happen to him.

"Ren, just promise me you'll be careful from now on. Who knows what your brother might have planned for you? You heard your sister—you could get badly hurt… if only you would consider telling your father."

"Just stop. I already told you that there's no way I'll do such a thing. My family never helped me when I was down, and I won't go back now that things are finally starting to get better. I'm not nice or naive enough to do such a thing. Only power matters in their eyes, and that's exactly what I'll show them a month from now."

Emma opened her mouth, then closed it repeatedly, watching Ren as he entered his room and closed the door tightly behind him, leaving her in the hallway at a loss for words. Her mind was still filled with doubts about what the best choice was for her to make. But she simply headed back to the maids' quarters, deciding that a good night's sleep would be the best remedy for a clearer mind.

However, just as she was about to enter the maids' room she decided against it, and headed toward the training grounds where they had last seen Luna. She needed to make a decision tonight, otherwise, she would never be able to sleep. Not after what she had just heard.

Ren, on the other hand, wasn't sure how his first night with Suki would go… it would be his very first time sleeping in the same bed as a girl, and this girl was not only his summon but also a cute fox girl.

Right as Ren closed the door, Suki jumped from his arms and transformed into her beautiful fox form, smiling brightly.

"We're finally alone…" she whispered, looking down, her face completely flushed. "Is there something you wanted to try now that we're just us two…?"