Low-Fantasy Occultist Isekai

Nick's mind went blank the moment Elia choked out, "They think I am blessed by the ancestors; that I will become a godly spirit."

A wave of confusion crashed over him, chasing away the background noise of grief and tension.

"What… do you mean?" he managed, voice strangled.

Elia stifled another sob, pulling back just enough to meet his eyes. He saw raw fear there, a confusion that mirrored his own. Slowly, she took a long breath, wiping at her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I—I'm sorry, Nick," she whispered, voice tight. "I just… I didn't know it would turn out like this. When you were gone, things got out of hand."

"Start from the beginning," Nick urged softly. He glanced around, relieved to see that no one else was nearby. He helped her to her feet and led her away from the road until they found a patch of grass to sit on. I can't use the wind to preserve our privacy, so distance will have to do.

Elia swallowed, nodding. "Right. So, after you left to fight the dungeon, tensions in town only got worse. Mom decided that the absence of the usual powerhouses meant we had been given a real chance for the first time in years, and the others were still spooked enough by the inspection to go along with it," Nick nodded. It wasn't the kind of thing that people got over quickly, after all. "Anyway, she decided we needed a plan to take advantage of the situation."

Nick grimaced. "I was worried about that."

Elia laughed bitterly. "So was I. That's why I attended some of the meetings or spied on the closed-door ones. And when I got confirmation they were about to do something we couldn't come back from, I went to Ogden for help."

Nick's eyebrows shot up. If anyone could find a solution, it was the old alchemist, but he knew that Elia found him unsettling. All beastmen did. "You asked him to…what exactly?"

Elia's ears twitched, her tails flicking behind her. Nick nearly jumped. Tails? He craned his neck, and sure enough, she had two bushy fox tails swishing in agitation. He stared in disbelief.

"You… have two tails?" he breathed.

A flush of embarrassment colored her cheeks. "Yes. That's what's causing all this trouble," she said. "Anyway, after realizing everything was going south, Ogden devised a plan to buy time. An old legend in my family states that if a fox beastman manages to gain a second tail, it's a sign that the ancestors are blessing a new leader. There are tales passed down of those with multiple tails who wielded enough power to intimidate entire countries. A nine-tailed fox is considered the pinnacle of what we can become- something akin to a god. And though I could never fake that much power, making it look like I had a second tail is possible with some preparation. We thought we could use that to rally everyone behind me, at least for a time."

Nick blinked. "And faking it worked so well that it became real?" It made a twisted sort of sense. Fox spirits in his old world were known as tricksters, and from what he understood, the lore was quite similar here as well. If preparing and successfully employing a sacrificial ritual was considered a hidden achievement for his class, it shouldn't be surprising that tricking an entire community of more experienced beastmen would be the same for Elia.

She nodded even as her face twisted in bewildered pride. "We used illusions, potions, and some sleight of hand. I—I was prepared to keep up the deception for a while. But then, during a performance, I actually—" She hesitated, glancing back at the second tail. "I gained a trait from my bloodline that my family has coveted for decades. The notification even said that I'd taken the second step on the Trickster's Path."

"That's… a lot to take in."

A shaky laugh escaped her. "You think? I didn't sleep at all the first night. My mother was overjoyed. She declared me the official head of the community. I tried to argue that I was too young or inexperienced, but she insisted the second tail proved my right to lead. Then things got worse, because everyone else got involved too, and they started saying that the second tail was a sign from the ancestors that the rebellion was the correct path."

A sinking feeling gripped Nick's gut. "So instead of calming them, it convinced them that you were the unstoppable champion who would lead them to victory," he surmised.

Elia nodded miserably. "Yes. Everyone was waiting to see how I'd guide them, and while I've managed to slow them down for the past couple of days, it's starting to get to the point where I don't know if I'll be able to hold them back for much longer. They keep telling me that my ancestors gave me this power to unify our people. Every time I see them, they bow down!" Tears welled up in her eyes again. "I'm not a goddess, Nick! I only wanted to delay them until you returned. Now… if I call off the rebellion, they might see me as a traitor to the ancestors. The injuries that Arthur and the Prelate sustained have only emboldened them. They see weakness and want to pounce!"

Nick ran a hand through his hair. "This is bigger than I feared." He paused, scanning her face. "But since they gave you authority, at least some of them should listen to you, right?"

Elia shrugged in resignation. "I can't just wave my hand and declare peace. They'll think the ancestors' gift was wasted. Too many are thirsty for blood. They want a real plan soon, and I'm pretty sure their faith in me has its limits."

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Nick folded his arms. His best plan so far was to advocate for further stalling, gather intelligence, and discover a compromise. He didn't know if it was still possible, but maybe…

"Keep stalling," he finally said. "Tell them you need a sign from the ancestors or their guidance. Something like that. A… period of reflection. A few more days, at least. I have an idea that might work. In the meantime, we can consult with Ogden and see if we can develop a better solution."

Elia exhaled shakily, relief flickering in her eyes. "I was hoping you'd say that. But remember, we might only have days before the radicals decide to act anyway."

"I get that," Nick muttered. "Meet me at Ogden's tomorrow morning. I really need to sleep, but I hope that if I take the rest of today off, I'll feel better by tomorrow."

She sniffled, managing a faint smile. "Thank you." She turned to go, then hesitated, looking back. "Just… I'm sorry I forced all this on you the moment you returned. But I didn't know who else would get it."

"It's okay," Nick said softly. "I'd rather you come to me than do something drastic alone. We'll handle it."

Elia nodded and hurried off into the fields.

Nick rubbed his temples, hoping the discomfort in his mana channels would go away. "So much for rest," he muttered aloud.

Nick found himself awake before dawn again, trudging through the quiet outskirts of Floria. Despite the Healer's stern warning to rest, he knew he couldn't exactly take it easy. I'll hold off until it's absolutely necessary, but it's become clear that I won't get the whole week off.

Still, even without spells, Nick's increased DEX let him glide over the dirt paths with great speed, reducing the half-hour walk to a mere few minutes.

The door at Ogden's was already ajar when he got there, and warm light spilled onto the muddy street. Figures he'd already be up. I wonder if he even sleeps at all.

Behind the wooden counter, the old man hunched over an artifact—a small golden orb marred by dull red lines. He worked meticulously with a silver carving tool, peering at it through the spectacles resting on the bridge of his scaly nose.

Nick stepped closer, allowing the door to clang shut behind him. Ogden glanced up, not surprised to see him. He set aside the orb and gave Nick a quick once-over. Then, unexpectedly, the old man marched around the counter and leaned in, peering at Nick's face from mere inches away. His eyes were slitted, making for an intimidating sight.

Nick instinctively leaned back, but Ogden jabbed him lightly with a scaly finger near his chest.

"You're an idiot, but a lucky one," he declared in his usual gravelly voice.

Nick blinked. "Good morning to you, too," he said dryly. If I had a bronze coin for every time someone called me an idiot in the past two days, I'd have two. Which isn't much, but it's weird it happened twice.

Ogden grunted, stepping away. "I imagine my trinket caused the last explosion we saw?"

Nick sighed. "Yeah. We had to summon something to fight a flock of wyverns for us, and when that thing went crazy, I had no other choice."

"And you didn't die, which is more than I can say for the last few who triggered a stone's meltdown. Lucky indeed." He let out a quiet snort, half in exasperation, half in grudging respect. "Your mana channels are thoroughly messed up, I bet."

Nick nodded, somehow unsurprised that Ogden knew. "They are hurt, but they have also changed. I first got [Mana Channels] during a battle, but it transformed into something called [Arcane Circuitry] after the stone exploded. According to the healer, I can't cast for a week without risking permanent damage." I wouldn't reveal this to anyone under normal circumstances, but I need to know what's happened to me.

Ogden clicked his tongue. "I should have expected as much. I told you to be careful for a reason, you know? The longer you can go without developing mana channels, the more diverse your path will be. But again, it seems like luck was on your side because you managed to upgrade a basic Trait to a much better one. I haven't heard of [Arcane Circuitry] specifically, but usually anything with the adjective "arcane" in it means advanced magic." He rubbed his scaly chin. "I imagine something else happened to trigger that change. Did you come in contact with the dungeon core? Or did the priests give you something? A Trait like [Mana Channels] is pretty hard to change."

"Something like that," Nick murmured. "The thing we were trying to summon attempted to possess me, but I rejected it. Then the stone purified us all. I think it was a combination of the two that did it."

A wry grunt escaped Ogden. He closed his eyes in a fleeting expression of exasperation. "Any normal person would have their organs melted by a botched possession, and in the rare case of survival, their channels would be ruined. Instead, you ended up with a new trait that might be even more potent. Tch."

The old man stepped around, rummaging among jars, occasionally hissing in annoyance. "Anyway, there is no use crying over spilled potions," Ogden said at last. "You got out alive. I suppose I can glean some lessons from the event and see if there's a safer meltdown protocol for the future. Not that I plan to replicate it soon, given how expensive that was. There was nothing left of the stone, I imagine?"

Nick nodded. "I felt it disintegrate, but I didn't go look for it afterward."

"Probably a good idea." Ogden exhaled, adjusting his spectacles. "I can't do more for your channels than the Healer's instructions, as your body can only suffer so much change before it starts reacting badly." His eyes then gained a more predatory gleam, making Nick stiffen, "But if you are curious about what the new Trait is actually about, I could tell you if you allowed me to get a sample."

With that, he pulled a thick glass vial from the shelf, shaking it to reveal something alive inside. A bug of some sort, judging by the numerous legs and shiny mandibles. "This little delight here is a Mana Parasite. Its bite is painless, but allowing it to burrow inside you would be a terrible idea unless you'd like to host a colony of its offspring. Anyway, its excretion is highly sensitive to changes in mana, so studying them would reveal a lot. And, of course, I'd remove it as soon as it has eaten enough."

Nick opened his mouth to refuse when the shop's door slammed open, letting in a rush of cold air. Rhea burst inside, panting.

"There is trouble," she said breathlessly. "A mob has formed. Some men were riled up by the losses in the expedition, and they're gathering to attack the beastmen quarter. They're heading out now!"

Nick's eyes widened. "Already?" he whispered.

Rhea nodded, swallowing. "Yes. They claim the beastmen haven't contributed to the expedition and have managed to avoid losses while the humans died to protect them."

"Where are they now?" he asked, voice clipped.

"Gathering by the adventurer's guild. There were about two dozen when I left, maybe more now. Most are from families that lost men on the expedition. They didn't seem to want to talk it out, and the soldiers aren't containing the situation."

Nick opened his mouth, but she continued before he could ask, "A runner went to get your parents, but this seems bad. They want blood, and I don't think the Captain will be able to stop them. Not without a fight."

"I have to go," he said, abandoning all his plans in the face of reality. If things were coming to a head now, then he had to act accordingly.

"What do you think you'll do, boy?" Ogden asked, planting himself in front of the only exit. "If you try to interfere, you'll strain your coils and cripple yourself."

"Yes, that's why I won't be doing any direct fighting." Nick replied, "Now get out of my way."