Low-Fantasy Occultist Isekai

Grandmaster Xander Wolfram was a well-known figure around Alluria. That much, Nick realized very quickly, given that everyone he asked for directions seemed to immediately know where he wanted to go.

He probably could have found his way there himself by expanding his senses as far as they could go and filtering for the strongest presences. Or I could look for Devon. That would be quicker.

But he was enjoying himself, wandering through the first real city of his new life. Here, no one knew him. No one had any expectations, and unless he went out of his way to prove he was a noble, they'd just think he was like any other kid.

Not everyone, of course. Some mages gave him curious looks, showing that he was not the only one who could sense mana.

He definitely had more than anyone else his age should have, especially after his latest hunt. But unless he went out of his way to hide it with a spell—which he wasn't confident wouldn't just make him even more interesting—there wasn't much he could do about it.

Blending in, he'd come to realize, would be quite challenging. Completely disappearing wasn't that difficult, but looking normal... Yeah, that would require a lot more effort. Maybe he should look into it, but given the image of a prodigy he wanted to project during his time in the tower, it didn't seem like a good use of his time.

Wandering around the noble district may not have been very time-efficient, but Nick still had a few hours of sunlight left, and he couldn't help his curiosity.

Large, sprawling manses were everywhere he looked, with lush gardens and meticulously curated decorations, ranging from large marble statues to small, almost invisible arrangements.

Overall, it felt like being in a completely different place compared to the busy streets of the market. Few people were walking around, and everyone was either some kind of servant, given their uniforms, or nobility themselves, as shown by their retinue.

One such group blocked the path, and Nick started to walk around them after giving them a curious look, only to be stopped in his tracks.

"Who is that?!" A shrill, feminine voice asked in horror.

Nick looked around to find the source of such disgust, only to realize everyone was staring at him.

"It seems that a peasant has somehow wandered into the district, my lady," an attendant in a frilly maid outfit tittered, looking at him as if he were a bug.

"Something really needs to be done about the security here," another girl, wearing a sportier, yet still clearly expensive, outfit suitable for a ride in the countryside, commented. "This isn't the only time I've seen one wandering around, looking lost."

Nick watched them snipe back and forth with growing amusement. Part of him was offended that they saw him and immediately thought of the poorest person they could, but another part was enjoying the moment he could throw it back in their faces.

Being a baron's second son wouldn't mean much to these girls. Judging by the enchanted jewelry they wore on a simple walk, they were probably much richer than he was and likely from a powerful family, but it would be enough to shut them up for the moment.

More importantly, he could sense the decent amount of mana both possessed and suspected they were apprentices. His arrival at the tower would be something they couldn't ignore.

Curiously, a man wearing more utilitarian clothing at the back of the group was eyeing him carefully. He didn't have particularly developed mana reserves, but he felt honed like a blade, and Nick wouldn't underestimate him in a fight.

Probably a guard. Having someone like that watching over them during a leisure walk in the noble district, the safest part of the city, suggests they are probably higher up on the social ladder than I thought.

"My lady," the man murmured, moving to stand in front of the girl. "He might be dangerous."

To her credit, the noble heiress lost her humor quickly. Either she had some sensory ability of her own, or she trusted her guard, because she shifted toward wariness.

"Hey now," Nick said cheerfully, "I'm here to visit my brother, who is an apprentice to Grandmaster Wolfram. No need for that."

If anything, his words only made the entire group tense up more. They looked at him like he was a cross between a feral animal and a precariously balanced boulder, ready to fall at the slightest shift.

"You are his brother?" the second girl asked, shifting so she could look at him from behind the guard.

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"If you mean Devon Crowley, then yes. I am his brother," he replied.

There was a moment of silence, during which he was examined from head to toe. This time, they didn't focus much on his clothes and scruffy look, but instead on his features.

Eventually, she relaxed. "He does look like him. He even has the same smug face."

Nick's eyebrows shot up in surprise, before a smirk found its way on his lips. "Oho, has my brother not been behaving, then?"

The girl blushed slightly, suggesting that her apparent problem with Devon was probably more than just attitude. If I know my brother well, he's probably been running through these girls like a flu.

"Well, if you are Devon's brother, then you are a noble too," the first girl sighed before curtsying once the guard moved away—though he still kept a wary stance. "I am Drusilla Boer, daughter of Count Boer of the Orchard. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Crowley."

The atmosphere suddenly changed. Apparently, once he was recognized as nobility by Drusilla, the attendants felt safe enough to relax.

"Penelope Osmond," the second girl nodded curtly, "daughter of Viscount Osmond of the Lone Spire."

Taking his cue from them despite limited knowledge of noble customs, Nick slightly bowed his head, keeping his eyes on them, "Nicholas Crowley, son of Baron Crowley of Floria. You can call me Nick."

Evidently, that was a somewhat scandalous thing to say, because the attendants tittered, and the girls blushed, though Penelope quickly dismissed it. "Just like his brother," she muttered.

"You'll have to forgive my current state. I've just been caught up in a storm in the grassland and haven't yet had time to make myself presentable," he said instead of continuing that line of conversation. He really didn't care about what his brother did in his spare time, especially if it involved teenage girls.

Drusilla made a soft noise of understanding, as if that explained everything. "I see. Then we must have caught you at a bad time. I'm sure we'll see more of each other in the coming social season that will start next month."

Though Nick was eager to avoid any more balls or parties, he couldn't resist adding something to confirm his suspicion. "I do believe we might see each other sooner than that. I will be taking part in the tower's exams, and if I'm not mistaken, you both are mages, right?"

The guard hissed softly at the reveal of his sensory abilities, but the girls just blinked in surprise. "Oh? I thought you were the younger brother. Are you the heir, then? You look younger than Devon," Drusilla said.

Nick smiled. "I am the younger brother, and I will come in first on the exam."

His boldness seemed to surprise them for a moment before both girls burst into giggles. They kept going for a while, and Nick was starting to get annoyed when they finally stopped.

"Well, I suppose we'll have to see if you can put your money where your mouth is. Eona Sadie will be participating this year, and I've yet to see anyone best her," Penelope finally explained, eyeing him as if he were a poor fool.

Nick recognized that name as Sir Leon's sister, whom he had been tasked to watch over. If she was so famous that these noble girls couldn't even imagine that he might win against her, he might have bitten off more than he could chew.

But then again, he wasn't one to give up without a fight.

"We'll have to see, won't we?" he said, inclining his head before walking away. "It was a pleasure to meet you, ladies."

The noble girls curtsied again, as was proper, but eyed him curiously, probably surprised by his nonchalance. The guard kept his eyes on Nick's back until he turned a corner and vanished from view, nervousness radiating off him like a cloud.

At least one person seemed to have recognized just how dangerous he could be. He just needed to show off a little at the exam to make sure everyone else saw it too.

Master Xander's manse was at the far end of the noble district, much closer to the city center than he had initially thought.

I could have just gone straight to the castle and walked a mile from there. But then again, I wouldn't have met those girls if I had, and I had time for a walk anyway.

From the outside, it looked no different from any other palatial residence in the noble district. It was quite large, with well-maintained gardens. Based on what Nick could see from the outside, there were even several statues scattered across the green space, along with additional decorations on the main building.

And yet, something was nagging at the back of Nick's mind. It wasn't that he saw anything unusual in the ether, but his instincts told him that this manse was different.

If anything, he could only compare the sensation to when he was about to enter the dungeon's central area. He knew he had been risking his life then, as powerful creatures lay beyond.

That was eerily similar to what he was feeling now, so much so that he almost hesitated before grabbing the heavy iron knocker on the gates.

But his brother's presence in the manse reassured him he was correct, and no matter what unseen danger lurked here, it was unlikely to target him.

So he telekinetically lifted the knocker and let it fall, causing a loud clanging sound to echo.

A moment of stillness followed before one of the two presences he could sense in the gardens began moving toward him.

It took her—and he was pretty sure it was a her—only a couple of minutes to arrive, as her light steps let her cover more ground than they normally would have. Probably a skill of some kind. Useful, that.

A girl a few years older than he appeared, stopping in front of the gates. She wore a classic maid uniform, but without the extra frills he'd seen on the attendants of the two noble heiresses. Her face was soft and welcoming, and her green eyes looked at him with curiosity.

Overall, she was a pretty girl, but nothing extraordinary.

"Yes?" She asked with a smile.

"I am Nicholas Crowley," he replied hopefully for the last time for a while. "I'm here to meet with Grandmaster Wolfram and see my brother, Devon."

The girl's eyes widened. "Oh!" She immediately curtsied, bowing lower than the heiresses, as was proper. "I am Sonya, servant of the Grandmaster. It is an honor to meet you, Lord Crowley. Devon has told me much about you."

Surprisingly, she didn't blush when mentioning his brother, and her presence in the ether was as calm as a pond. Either Devon hadn't made a move on her, or she possessed remarkable self-control.

"Please call me Nick," he said, faintly exasperated, "Lord Crowley is my father, and Devon is the one who will inherit."

Sonya rose from her curtsy and smiled, then touched a hidden mechanism behind the gate, which caused it to creak open. "Very well, Nick. Let me lead you to the training yard."

And so they walked together through the gardens, which Nick admired aloud for their craftsmanship, causing a gentle glow of pleasure to appear around Sonya.

By the time they reached the back, Nick could sense his brother going through the motions of a sparring match, though he seemed to lack an opponent.

And yet, something was there. Now that he was focusing, he could tell there was a third presence in the manse, one that was so well-hidden he could only sense it now that he was fully paying attention.

When he last rounded the corner and finally saw, he stopped in his tracks.

A man was there, but he was also not. It would have been fair to call him a weapon—a blade concealed in plain sight, yet sharper than any other.