Baron Cass was a little stunned at the moment.
Aven's attitude toward Mary left him baffled.
A border earl actually called Mary aunt. That, to the baron, was unimaginable.
If the outside nobility found out about this, it would surely become a laughingstock.
A noble banquet soon began in this strange atmosphere.
But what made Baron Cass even more awkward was that Aven didn't touch any food the entire time. He simply smiled and chatted with them, engaging in meaningless small talk.
"Aunt, I now have my own territory. Would you like to come visit?"
Amidst the conversation, Aven suddenly spoke up, leaving everyone in the room momentarily stunned.
Fessen's heart tightened. Bringing his mother out of the baron's house was actually his main goal in returning home.
Baron Cass's expression changed. He had never intended to let Mary leave this household.
Now, the earl before him suddenly brought it up so casually, and under the guise of an invitation. This made him frown.
Though on the surface, inviting a friend's mother to visit one's territory seemed harmless, among nobles, this was a breach of etiquette.
Moreover, Baron Cass was already very sensitive about Mary's presence. He had never allowed her to enjoy the treatment of a baroness! Yet this earl simply raised the issue so openly, leaving him at a loss for how to respond.
Mary herself was also a bit stunned. Her eyes lit up when she heard those words.
If she could go to Aven's territory, she would be able to spend more time with her son.
But remembering her status, her expression dimmed again.
"Earl Aven, you must be joking," Cass said with a smile, trying to brush it off.
But Aven shook his head and said, "Baron Cass, I'm not joking. I sincerely invite Aunt Mary to my territory. I'm sure you'll agree."
Cass's pupils contracted. He suddenly remembered what Aven had said earlier — that he came here for Fessen, or more precisely, for Fessen's mother.
For a moment, Cass's expression became cloudy, not knowing whether to agree or refuse.
Inwardly, he cursed Aven's rudeness with rage!
"It seems Baron Cass has no objections."
"Then it's settled. Aunt, you'll be leaving with us shortly."
Aven clapped his hands, decisively concluding the matter, causing a heavy feeling to settle in Cass's heart.
Before he could respond, he suddenly felt the entire room go cold, a chill creeping into his chest.
Then he saw something he'd never seen before — a Froslass slowly emerging from the air, exuding an icy aura.
"A advanced-level magical beast..."
Though the Froslass hadn't made any move, just the sight of her sent a wave of fear through Cass's mind — the oppressive spiritual pressure was overwhelming.
He had only felt such fear from a handful of magical beasts before.
Just one glance had him trembling.
"Froslass, why are you here?"
Looking at the figure appearing before him, Aven asked calmly.
Then, turning to Baron Cass, still frozen in his seat, Aven smiled and said,
"My magical beast seems to have something to report. I'll take my leave first."
"Thank you for your hospitality, Baron Cass."
Aven stood up and offered a polite noble's farewell.
Fessen quickly rose as well, helping his dazed mother and closely following Aven out.
Baron Cass remained seated, still and silent, until Aven's figure disappeared.
Then he let out a heavy breath.
Suddenly, his heart was filled with fury. With a loud sweep of his arms, he sent all the food on the table crashing to the ground.
That Froslass who appeared just now — she was clearly a warning from Aven!
Faced with a advanced-level magical beast appearing out of nowhere, he had no way to resist. He could only watch helplessly as Aven walked away.
What a disgrace.
To Cass, this was a deep humiliation!
But when he thought of the terrifying strength of the Rhydon and the Froslass, he felt a sense of powerlessness and clenched the cup in his hand.
…
"Lord Aven..."
After leaving Baron Cass's estate, Fessen turned back and spoke with concern.
What Aven had just done was essentially taking his mother by force, completely falling out with the Cass family.
Mary, walking beside them, tightly held her son's hand, her eyes full of worry.
She had now fully understood — Earl Aven came to the Cass household to take her away.
"It's nothing. The conflict with the Cass family was inevitable."
"But you — have you thought about how you'll deal with them going forward?"
Aven shrugged indifferently.
Fessen immediately shook his head, indicating he had no issue.
In fact, before coming to the Cass household, Aven had already asked him this question. Fessen had made it clear that this family had nothing to do with him anymore.
Seeing that, Aven smiled slightly and patted his clerk on the shoulder.
Just as he said — from the moment he discovered that the Cass family was involved in enslaving, taming, and selling magical beasts, their conflict had become inevitable.
His philosophy was fundamentally different from that of these beast merchants.
If he wanted to promote the trainer system, these merchants would be a major obstacle.
"Aunt, I'll have the knight escort take you back to Fruitvale Village later."
"As for the Cass family, you don't need to worry. We'll handle everything."
Upon hearing this, Mary pursed her lips and softly responded, her eyes reddening.
"Mother, I already have a home in Fruitvale Village. You can stay there for now."
"I'm now Lord Aven's clerk, and the monthly salary is quite generous — enough for you to live a comfortable life."
Holding his mother's rough hands, Fessen's heart ached. He swore to give her a better life.
That afternoon, Aven personally arranged for the knights escorting the rewards to take Fessen's mother to Fruitvale Village.
Watching his mother depart, Fessen finally relaxed and looked at Aven with warmth in his eyes.
After all this, Fessen had already decided to entrust his life to Aven. Now he felt no burden at all.
"Lord Aven, what do we do next?"
Fessen asked in a low voice. He knew that Aven planned to stay in Aspiration City for a reason.
"There must still be unfinished business."
"Fessen, do you know where the magical beast market is located?" Aven's voice was heavy.
Hearing his tone, Fessen silently nodded.
Having lived in Fruitvale Village for so long, he naturally knew how deeply Aven loved Pokémon.
…
The beast market was set up outside the city, surrounded by pitch-black walls.
From a distance, one could hear the blood-curdling cries of magical beasts.
Gene was the most renowned beast tamer there.
At the moment, before him was a Mightyena, bound in thick chains, struggling desperately.
Beside Gene were over a dozen young men in their early twenties.
As they watched the Mightyena roar and thrash, fear appeared in their eyes.
"If you want to be a qualified beast tamer, you must first overcome your fear of magical beasts!" Gene said, frowning at the trainees.
At his words, several students took deep breaths and tried to straighten up, facing the Mightyena.
"Taming magical beasts is essentially about applying external pressure," Gene continued.
"You must force them to abandon their instincts as beasts, instill fear in them, and make them obey."
As he spoke, he cracked his whip at the Mightyena.
"Howwwwwl!"
The Mightyena howled in pain, roaring in rage.
Gene raised his brow and whipped it again.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The whip lashes echoed repeatedly.
Each time the Mightyena cried out, the whip followed.
Eventually, its cries faded into mere snarls and gritted teeth.
"To tame a magical beast, patience is key," Gene said.
"Patience is the most effective method."
"Keep them awake. Keep them hungry. Break their spirits. Make them fear you completely."
Gene threw a piece of meat in front of the Mightyena.
But the proud beast sneered at the human's bait.
Seeing that, Gene smirked coldly.
"Soon, you'll wish you had eaten it — but it won't be there anymore."
His words sent a chill down the students' spines.
The process of taming magical beasts was truly brutal.
Sleep deprivation, hunger, confinement, and fear.
Keep the beast awake until its spirit breaks.
Starve it to make it crave food.
Imprison it to force the realization that it is no longer free.
Instill the fear of death — only then will it submit and obey.
Taming magical beasts is a cruel process.
It is a true battle of wills between human and beast.
Both sides remain locked in struggle — no food, no sleep —
Until the beast's will is shattered completely.
"Remember this:
Taming a magical beast is a battle of willpower."
(End of Chapter)
(TN: Chatgpt really ask me "Would you like a visual summary of the taming methods described?")