Yohan, it turned out, didn't have any orichalcum on hand. The man had laughed when Nick asked, since that stuff could only be found in very limited amounts, and even then, it was usually bought up by some wealthy noble with more money than sense.

But he happened to have a lead on where he could find some. Alluria's yearly auction would be held in the city in three months, and he had a contact who swore more than one ingot would be put up for sale.

Usually, that would have ended their negotiations. Nick had the sword for his father, which he was pretty sure was a bribe to get in with the new lord, so he was ready to leave, but Yohan had slyly offered to sell him a ticket for the auction.

He said those could fetch very high prices on the black market, but he would be willing to settle for a more affordable level for Nick.

What should have been a quick stop turned into half an hour of haggling, until Nick walked out of the shop with a silver plaque in his pockets, which would let him in when the auction for the orichalcum came around.

All for the modest price of six gold coins, nearly half of his entire reserves.

It was a frankly absurd amount to spend just to have the chance to buy something he probably wouldn't be able to, given the attention the auction would attract with such valuables on the block.

But Yohan had been earnest when he said that the tickets usually sold for up to twenty golds, depending on how much interest there was.

If Nick had waited to reach Alluria, he would have had to pay much more and wouldn't have received advice from an experienced merchant.

"It is important to keep your identity hidden. Not because anything illicit is going to be sold, of course. The auction is sponsored by the Duke. But because anyone who gets their hands on an ingot of orichalcum is very likely to become the focus of great interest. No matter if they just want to stash it in their vault or turn it into a weapon, it's simply too valuable."

Considering that it was the most mana-conductive material known to man, it made sense. It might also be the only binder for the two relics I have. Building a focus with all those elements…

Apparently, approaching the auction with less than a thousand gold would be like throwing his ticket away.

Nick had nowhere near that much money. Hell, he was pretty sure the entire town of Floria didn't collect that much in taxes in a whole damn year!

But still, if he wanted his orichalcum, that was what he needed to pay for it. Unless I'm willing to steal it, but I doubt they will have anything less than a Prestige class guarding it.

Probably multiple, since the Duke was hosting the auction.

Nonetheless, he had three full months to decide. If he didn't get close to the required amount, he could always sell the ticket for a profit.

Once that transaction was complete, he was finally able to leave the shop, though not before Yohan extracted a promise to put in a good word with his father.

Nick didn't hesitate. It was plain corruption, of course, but he was already a murderer. His conscience could handle that much.

Especially since Yohan only wants to get an expedited permit to build a new branch of his emporium in Floria. It would be good to have such a well-stocked shop.

That done, Nick hurried back to the Quack manor, eager to leave town before he could be stonewalled further. He was confident the local lord would also appreciate his prompt departure.

He found Homer where he had left him, with both horses saddled and loaded with more than enough supplies to get them back home.

"We could probably eat for a week with that much food," he joked, earning an amused snort from the guard.

"Indeed, milord. I told them we wouldn't need this much, and that we could always stop in Oakenhallow if we had to, but they wouldn't take no for an answer." The man didn't seem that upset about it, considering that it meant they could safely avoid stopping in Chandra's territory.

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Before they could finally leave Honeyton behind, Nick had one last stop to make. "Well, get the horses to the gates. I will say my goodbyes to the lady, and we'll go. No more delays."

Homer raised an eyebrow, which was justified, since all the delays so far had been Nick's fault, but he wisely chose to stay quiet.

Following the refined, if weak presence he'd come to associate with Lady Quack, Nick set out to fulfill his last social obligation. After that, he'd finally be free.

Steward Ezekiel stopped him before he could enter the main building, though the man didn't bother with the usual song and dance, which Nick was very grateful for.

"I would like to express my apologies, milord. Lord Quack is still managing the affairs with the temple, as the scouts he sent out days ago to search for the Justice returned with grim news. His body was found miles from any settlement, ravaged by beasts."

Nick blinked. He'd nearly forgotten that the highest-ranking priest of Eztie's temple had been missing since before the fires.

"I see. That is sad news indeed. Thank you for informing me," he replied. Feeling a bit awkward about the change of subject, he nevertheless forged on. "Is the Lady still available, then? I will understand if the news requires her attention as well."

Ezekiel's expression stayed impassive, but Nick could spy some disapproval. Yeah, I get it. I should stay here and wait for the new priests to arrive before I leave. But if I do that, I'll get pulled into a dozen more intrigues, and this really isn't my responsibility.

He hoped it would stay that way. If whoever had performed the ritual inside the temple in the middle of a busy town kept heading south, he'd be more than happy to wash his hands of them.

If they came back up and started trouble on his family's land, he might have to step in. Whoever they were, it was clear they were no strangers to the occult. I really don't want to be put in a position where I have to defend organized religions, but I might have to if they start targeting us.

Of course, he doubted they would ever reach Floria. Marthas had taken over their temple, and there was no chance in hell the man would allow anything to happen to it. But the trend was still troubling.

"I do believe the lady is in between fittings at the moment. If you'd be so kind as to wait for a moment, I will send word to her," Ezekiel finally replied, showing nothing but calm acceptance.

To survive so long in the Quack household, the man probably had to swallow his fair share of things. Nick had seen exactly what kind of man the lord was when he was in the presence of his subordinates.

To his surprise, Ezekiel didn't move from his position, but Nick sensed a flash of mana, and soon enough, a young maid appeared from a window, giving them a nod before retreating.

"If you'll follow me," the steward said, turning around and walking away.

Nick blinked, surprised, but then decided it must be a skill unique to a class focused on service within a noble house. He wondered how such a class could be formed initially, since there wasn't exactly a monster with that affinity to use as a catalyst, but maybe it was more related to lineage and breeding than to class ceremony manipulation.

Once they arrived at the lady's chambers, Nick was allowed in without another word.

Lady Quack looked as beautiful as ever, sitting on a sofa while delicately sipping some fragrant tea. Around her were several mannequins, all at different stages of dressing. Various fabrics were placed on each to showcase both color and texture.

"Lord Crowley, I apologize for the informal setting, but as you can see, I have a very busy morning." She greeted him, offering a polite smile.

Nick nodded in acknowledgment. He didn't really have anything against the woman. She seemed to thrive in social warfare and didn't care about personal might. Even now, she had deliberately chosen to sit here because she suspected he'd appreciate the laid-back reception. She could have easily arranged a more formal meeting to see him off, but had quickly understood his preference for speed.

It was a shame she was married to Matheus Quack. But then again, she seemed perfectly capable of handling him, so maybe he was underestimating her.

"Do not worry, my lady. I am needed back home, but I wanted to give my thanks again for the wonderful event you hosted."

For the first time, she granted him a genuine smile. "You honor me, milord. Very well, I shall not keep you any longer. Know that House Quack shall guard the south for you, and that my husband will make for Floria posthaste."

Being back on the road felt good. Nick didn't even mind the looks Homer occasionally shot him.

He'd maintained a convincing facade of being a normal, talented kid for some time, but it was obvious now that anyone who spent a little time with him could see that he wasn't exactly average.

And that was fine. As long as people believed he was a genius rather than a reincarnated occultist from another world, he'd be okay.

It might even be beneficial for his future. He still planned to participate in the Magic Tower's exams, and although news wouldn't spread quickly enough to make him famous right away, it would eventually attract the attention of the more powerful mages there.

He seriously doubted he'd be able to completely fool them. Instead, being a hidden genius would serve as a great cover and might even give him access to their private libraries.

As they rushed through the grassland, Nick took care of any monster that dared come near the road. Not many did, but a few of the smaller ones were sneaky enough that it was impossible to take them all out, even with the patrols the towns kept up.

Curiously, no thunderhoof had appeared so far. Or maybe that's not so curious. I know there's a massive herd somewhere in the grassland. It was moving south when I last saw it, but nothing says they kept that course.

Perhaps they had spread out. Perhaps they were still going in the same direction.

You know what? They might actually be a good resource, now that I think about it. And really, allowing a herd of that size to roam without dispersing it is just asking for trouble. They will flatten any village they come across.

Given that he was suddenly in dire need of some money, perhaps he could take care of the matter himself.

After all, his father would be busy in the north, and his lords would need to hold the fort and possibly handle religious issues in the south.

And Nick was perfectly suited to handle this kind of problem. He would be solving two problems at the same time.

Yeah, I'm kinda liking this. I'll need to prepare carefully and maybe scout ahead to find a good spot to set my trap, but if I can catch even a tenth of those thunderhooves… That's enough to give me a head start.

Even he couldn't hope to hunt down every single one. Likely, the herd would break apart and spread out once he began his assault, but if he set things up just right, he might be able to gather hundreds of gold coins worth of materials at once.

Of course, transportation would become an issue then, but Nick had a few ideas for how to handle that.