Low-Fantasy Occultist Isekai

The stone was green.

That was the first thing Nick noticed. Not that changing colors with magic was too hard, but he'd observed that people here preferred using local resources and took pride in the appearance those gave their buildings.

Aside from the Tower, where everything had been touched by magic, warehouse n.1 was the first place where he could see clear differences from what normally existed in nature.

The smell of blood was thick here, wafting in from the back rooms where monsters were cut into parts after being bought up, and Nick silently began filtering it out, not particularly interested in getting drenched in it.

Anthony glanced his way, noticing the sudden change, but stayed quiet after assessing the situation and finding nothing hostile about it.

They moved forward along the long wooden tables, where attendants were beginning to arrange the carcasses of various beasts.

Some, Nick recognized. Trolls, Mudstriders, and Rock Deers were pretty common in all forested areas, so it wasn't surprising they made their way here.

I'm pretty sure some of them come from the Green Ocean, if not all. Those adventurers who have stasis magic or special items to preserve meat would be much better off selling their loot here.

But others, he'd never seen. A bright red bird, large enough to swallow him whole, was being hoisted onto the central table, in what he imagined would be the most valuable sale of the day. Tentacled monsters, only vaguely resembling octopi, were dragged out of a large net amid much cursing, leaving behind a sticky gloop.

More and more creatures, both large and small, were being prepared for sale, their flesh standing out sharply against the green floor. The purpose became clear then, as most creatures either bled red or had enough color to create a good contrast, making it easy for potential buyers to assess their quality.

A few people who seemed experienced in this process were already examining the catches, even though the auction had not yet officially begun.

"We should still be in time. You might not get to sell everything today, but thunderhoof meat is always welcome here, especially since it's become so rare," Anthony told him, eyes roaming around the room and failing to find one of the bovines.

Given that they were among the most common monsters in the grassland, that was quite interesting.

It can't have been just because of me. I killed hundreds, that's true, but there are probably thousands spread across the region. Which means the herd I hunted wasn't the only group moving south.

That indicated the dark dwarves had been successfully disrupting the local ecosystems. But that will change now that Dad is taking control. Hopefully, I can still unload my cargo and make some money before it does.

Eventually, they found a man in a straw hat who seemed to be in charge of most of the organization. He was short and stocky, but his arms were heavily muscled, and Nick suspected he was a former adventurer, based on his commanding presence.

"Mr. Bloom, good morning," Anthony called, surprisingly polite.

"And get that damn slime off my floors! I don't want a repeat of last week, understand?" Bloom grunted to one of his aides before turning around and taking them in. "Little Tony, I see your mother has you running errands again. Better than the mischief you usually get into, I suppose. What do you need?" he said, eyeing Nick first with amusement, then wariness.

As Nick observed his emotions in real time, he realized he possessed a sort of passive ability that offered insights into everyone nearby. However, this skill was quickly nullified by [Blasphemy], as evidenced by the System prompt he received, which instantly exposed to the man that Nick was someone extraordinary.

Anthony wasn't unaware of the sudden change, but he continued to act as if nothing was wrong. "I'm here to show Lord Nicholas around. He's come to possess a good number of thunderhoofs, and I know you are always looking for some."

All of a sudden, Bloom lost his wariness, and a grin spread across his face, "Thunderhoofs, you say? Yes, you've come to the right place."

Apparently, the chance of a major sale of the most sought-after monster meat in the region was enough to overlook Nick's oddness.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Where do you have it? I can send my boys to pick up the cargo for you while we talk numbers," he said, even as he gestured for them to follow him as he walked toward a door guarded by two burly men.

Anthony looked at him with a questioning expression, and Nick simply raised his right hand, tapping a finger on the iron ring. "I have it all with me," he said with a smile, enjoying the surprise it caused. He already knew, but he must be surprised I'm revealing it so openly.

Having been introduced as a noble scion, it wasn't too unusual, but spatial items were still rare, especially since they were typically used to hold monster bodies rather than personal items, given their usually small capacity.

To his credit, Bloom didn't blink twice, merely filing that away and heading toward what Nick was pretty sure was his office.

"Boss," the two guards grunted as they opened the door for him and briefly inspected Nick and Anthony.

"Come on in, boys," Bloom said, and they stepped into the man's office.

It wasn't what one might expect a workspace to be, but considering his role as head of a monster meat auction, it made sense.

The room was spacious, much bigger than a typical office. A long inspection table was positioned against the back wall, and the strong scent of cleaning potions filled the air, telling Nick that this was where the bigger deals were made.

It made sense that the most valuable monsters would be evaluated separately. Some might even end up in the regular auction afterward, but Bloom seemed like the type of person who liked to keep things running smoothly, and displaying something that was far above the rest of the merchandise openly could diminish the value of everything else.

Coming to a stop before the table, the auction head gestured with an open hand, "Go on, let me see."

Nick hesitated for a moment, which was noticed immediately. "Don't worry, the table is enchanted to hold up to an Earthshaker, and those things can weigh dozens of tons."

That wasn't what he was worried about, but after a moment, he decided to go with it. He already knew he'd have to reveal his hand somewhat, as selling a herd the size he'd culled anonymously wouldn't be feasible, especially given the tight time constraints he was under.

It might even turn out to be a good thing. I need contacts, and this is the quickest way to catch the attention of influential people. Maybe a little reckless, but Nick was pretty confident he could escape any trouble he got caught up in.

First, he summoned a regular thunderhoof, making sure to do so at the far end of the table and positioning it vertically to take up the least space.

Bloom hummed, seemingly pleased with its condition, which was when Nick added an Alpha next to the first beast.

A choking sound told him it had the intended effect, and he had to resist the urge to keep pushing just to tease the two men a bit.

Instead, he moved back two steps, allowing the professional to do his job.

"A true Alpha," Bloom muttered, using his hands to measure the thunderhoof and paying close attention to the well-developed horns and rich copper hooves. He continued to walk around it, nodding silently, before finally turning to him. "This is an excellent specimen. I can tell it was killed cleanly, which will significantly increase the price. It must have been a great trap you set."

Though his voice was leading, he didn't seem to believe he would get any real information, and Nick simply smiled, motioning for him to step back.

The man's eyes widened as he realized there was more to come, and a strange kind of giddiness took over him, while Anthony only gulped, clearly reevaluating his assessment of Nick's danger levels.

Another Alpha appeared next, though this one was less well-preserved, having been among those who had fallen to their deaths. Before anyone could react, Nick summoned another, and then another.

By the time he finished the first batch, the table was groaning under the dozen thunderhoofs, clearly at its limit even with how tightly he'd packed it.

Bloom's eyes shifted from wide with surprise to greedy, then back to stunned. By the time the tenth regular thunderhoof thudded on the table, he was barely holding back a giggle of delight, which was quite a sight given how burly and rough he looked.

Anthony, on the other hand, was openly staring, having lost all shame about his reaction around the fourth Alpha.

"This is all I'm willing to sell right now. If I can get a decent price, I might have more for you," Nick finally said, emphasizing his words to make it clear he had even better stuff.

He'd considered pulling out a Matriarch to test the waters, but his supply of those was limited, and he really wanted to get the most out of his merchandise. If Bloom proved to be a fair buyer, he would reward him with better merchandise.

And if he doesn't, I can accept the loss and find someone else who will.

A moment of silence passed as the auctioneer considered the implications before he squared his shoulders. "I believe this is the start of a wonderful relationship, Lord Nicholas. I will ensure that your items are sold at the best price, so it may take a few days to clear the table. But if you trust me with this, I will make more for you than anyone else in Alluria ever could."

Glad that the man had seen through his request, and that he seemed genuinely excited about having a supplier of such high-quality thunderhoofs, Nick nodded. "Draw up a contract, and I'll give you a mandate. Depending on the results, we'll see each other again."

The actual negotiations were pretty quick, as Bloom didn't even bother to haggle over higher cuts. Going as low as ten percent for the house was risky, but Nick noticed the silent exchange between the man and Anthony, which confirmed that he was truly a noble and who he claimed to be.

With a copy firmly in his ring, Nick walked out of the warehouse three gold coins richer, which was only a third of what Bloom had promised would earn him, and with the agreement to meet in three days to get the rest of the payment and deliver the next batch.

Walking silently with Anthony beside him, whose presence in the ether was a cloud of greed, curiosity, and wariness, Nick felt satisfied with his work. He'd secured a contract to sell a good portion of his loot, and he didn't doubt that before the day ended, news of his skill would spread through the grapevine.

Now, let's see what kind of fish comes to bite.

Putting on the freshly pressed shirt Sonya had laid out for him, Nick had to admit that he didn't mind having quality clothes so much.

Spending an entire day shopping wasn't exactly his idea of a fun outing, but he couldn't argue with the results. More importantly, he could feel the faint presence of comfort enchantments woven into the fabric, which helped him develop one of the ideas that had been waiting on the back burner for inspiration.

I have today and tomorrow free, and while I want to spend some time exploring before I need to stalk my prey, especially in the seedier areas, I can also spend a few hours here and there experimenting.

All the pieces for his new project had been ready for a while, but with everything going on, he hadn't figured out how to put them together. Luckily, the subtle art of weaving was exactly what he needed, and he had now found a use for the tattoo needle he discovered in the last temple he visited with the girls.