"First?" Oliver picked up on the implication that this offer wouldn’t be extended solely to him.

"Yes," Sokram confirmed with a nod. "I'll also be dealing with the Lion-kin who own the Western Gate Stables and the wolves from the Northern Gates Stables. But if I can offer some advice..."

From the thirteen scrolls on the old man’s table, Sokram separated nine to the right and pointed at the four on the left with a friendly smile.

"Leave the Dire and Great Wolves, as well as the horses, bears, and other common mounts, for them. Focus on the magical and elemental birds, especially the flying ones."

"Hmm," Oliver murmured, his eyes narrowing as he considered Sokram’s suggestion.

He could see that Sokram was looking far beyond what he himself had envisioned.

Instead of arguing, he nodded in understanding, a greedy grin spreading across his face.

Sokram matched the old man’s grin and extended his hand. "So, do we have a deal?"

Oliver shook Sokram’s hand firmly, silently thanking Fate, Nhiria, and the Paragons for the luck of meeting this boy.

"Deal! I'll contact you as soon as I have the beasts’ locations ready. I already have a few tamers on retainer, but where are you going to find the mages?"

"Don’t worry, I’ve already got it covered." Sokram pointed at Margiory with a knowing smile. "You know her, right?"

Oliver’s eyes widened as he understood the implication. "Of course, everyone knows the famous Lady Androny."

"She’s my grandma," Sokram said, his voice tinged with pride.

Then, pointing at Leona and Hannah, he added, "She’s my master, and although the circumstances are complicated, she’s my grandma too."

"Hoh," Oliver murmured, scratching his chin thoughtfully as memories surfaced.

His gaze drifted to the side, lost in thought. "I’ve heard about it. Many people said the Draknacrid had some ancestors in Dracony, so it was her, hm?"

He chuckled softly, shaking his head as if amused by the irony. "No wonder Brunhild became a lot less worried after she arrived."

Both Hannah and Leona beamed with pride at Sokram’s introduction.

Hannah, though initially worried about Sokram revealing their familial ties, felt at ease seeing that the rumors they had spread back then had already become common knowledge.

Her mind raced back to the rumors they’d carefully planted years ago, hoping to shield Sokram from scrutiny.

She needed the people to believe she wasn’t a direct relative but rather an ancient and benevolent dragon who wanted to honor her husband’s memory by taking care of those who carried his name.

Seeing now that those rumors had taken root, her worries lessened considerably.

After that, they quickly signed the contracts, with Margiory, Hannah, and Leona signing as witnesses.

Each of them dropped their blood on the contracts, sealing the deal.

Though only one witness was required, they all wanted to participate in the moment.

Once everything was set, Sokram asked Oliver to lead him to the other three Thunder Pekos, which he quickly tamed and branded, tying the beasts to blank contracts and making them ready to sell.

"But wait until tomorrow to sell them," Sokram advised. "I’ll see if any of my friends want to buy them. I could give them as gifts, but I don’t want to be too overbearing with them."

Oliver agreed to hold off on selling the Pekos.

"Alright, and I’ll follow your suggestion and focus on the magical and elemental beasts. Since you’re going to deal with the wolves and the lions, if you can point them toward me, I’ll be thankful. I can still make some small profit from the common beasts I have here," Oliver said as he led them to the exit.

"Sure," Sokram replied. "But bear this in mind, Mr. Oliver, we’re just getting started, Mr. Oliver. Before long, we’ll be looking beyond just magical beasts. So, be prepared."

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With that, Sokram left the stables, the three women following him with complicated expressions.

Oliver stood in the doorway of his stables, watching Sokram and the women disappear into the distance.

He scratched his unshaven face, his mind racing.

'Just how far ahead was that boy looking?'

Oliver had spent decades in the business, yet Sokram’s vision seemed to stretch far beyond the horizon.

For the first time in years, Oliver felt a spark of hope.

His stables, once on the brink of collapse, might now thrive.

He chuckled to himself, muttering, "Fate works in mysterious ways."

When Sokram and the others were far enough from the stables, Margiory couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer.

"Where did you learn to do business like that? And what about that contract? The blood ink on it was still fresh. How did you make a contract like that so quickly?"

Sokram offered Margiory a warm smile as he summoned a ring from his Void Glove, slipping it onto his left hand with practiced ease.

With fluid motions, he began extracting book after book from the rings embedded in his glove, each tome shimmering faintly as it materialized. One by one, he transferred them to the ring on his left hand, organizing them with precision.

"The Vengeance of the Green Hat Merchant, The Mice Race and the Cat’s Banquet, The Wolf of Golden Street, The Book of the Law, The Rules of the Market, The Tale of Mentyr and the Thousand Contracts..."

After separating around twenty-five books, each with more than a thousand pages, he handed them to Margiory.

"These are very entertaining to read. Other than that, I picked up a few things by watching the sellers in the market district work while strolling with Nana Hannah and from watching you negotiate with Nana Brunhild."

"I’ll read through them and return them soon," Margiory said, accepting the ring.

She was deeply curious about the books, some of which she had never heard of.

"No need to rush," Sokram replied. "I know them by heart already and can easily make copies if anyone else wants to read them."

He tapped his head, reminding them of his Hyperthymesia.

Sokram led them through the bustling market district, the air thick with the mingling scents of roasted meats, fresh herbs, and exotic spices.

The lively chatter of merchants hawking their wares and the clinking of coins filled the air.

Occasionally, Sokram paused to glance at the stalls, his eyes scanning for a rare item or a book he hadn’t yet devoured.

The vibrant colors of fabrics, the glint of polished weapons, and the earthy aroma of leather goods surrounded them, but today, nothing caught his eye.

Though slightly disappointed, he reminded himself that finding rare items wasn’t his main goal for the day.

After a quick stroll, they finally stopped in front of a small butcher’s shop. Sokram was greeted by the rich, metallic scent of fresh meat and the faint tang of herbs used for preservation.

The shop was immaculate, with gleaming knives hanging on the walls and neatly arranged cuts of meat displayed behind glass.

Yet, despite the quality, the shop was empty.

Sokram’s heart sank as he realized the reason: racism.

The best butcher in town, a man whose skill was unmatched, was shunned simply because he, the owner of the shop, was a Werecat.

Unlike Ferals, who had appearances close to humans with only a few distinctive animalistic characteristics, Werecats, Werewolves, Werebears, and other races with the "Were" prefix were often discriminated against.

Their very existence was considered unnatural.

In the Multidimensional Plane, everything evolved.

Monsters, animals, and even simpler forms of life like plants could one day emerge into treants or other forms of beings.

The difference was that after a certain level of evolution, these beings would become intelligent to the point where the Primordia Infinium Records would recognize them as a new race.

Some of these new races would then become connected to the Records, not as a new Primordial Race but as an Evolved Species, with a few gaining humanoid forms.

They would be purified from Chaos Energy, and the Records would teach them a safer way to cultivate.

When races with the "Were" prefix appeared, it meant that a man or woman, descendants of the Primordial Races, or in Sokram’s galaxy, "Children of Nhiria", had sexual relations with a beast of an Evolved Species that had humanoid form.

In many cases, the hybrids born of such unions were only discovered after generations had passed, and the first evolved beast had long since died or ascended beyond the Awakened Zone.

On Sokram’s planet, no one had ascended since its colonization, so most of these new Evolved Species were either dead or in hiding.

Some lived among other humanoid races if they had gained human form, but their offspring would always be born as hybrids.

Intimate relationships with these beasts, even if they were Evolved Species, were often seen as taboo, leading to widespread racism against their children.

Sokram and his family, however, disagreed with such flawed logic.

Nhiria and the Paragons had stated that all races recognized by the Records, independent of their origin, were equal in the Path of Evolution.

In some cases, they were even more special, as their journey was longer and more arduous than most.

When Sokram entered the empty butcher shop, the best in town yet so devoid of customers, he frowned, his chest tightening with a mix of frustration and sadness.

He hated that the people in the city he loved could be so close-minded.

Eversnow was supposed to be a place of unity and progress, yet here was Mr. Figos, a man whose skill and kindness were unmatched, forced to work in an empty shop because of prejudice.

Sokram clenched his fists, silently vowing to change this.

His plans would not only bring prosperity but also open the minds of the people.

Mr. Figos, whose presence was both imposing and welcoming.

He wore traditional Eastern Continent attire,ballooned pants and a long, flowing shirt that resembled a dress, its fabric dyed in deep blues and golds.

His muscular, humanoid body was covered in soft gray fur that shimmered faintly in the light, and his cat-like face was framed by sharp, azure eyes that glowed with intelligence and warmth.

Despite the discrimination he faced, his smile was genuine, especially when he saw Sokram and his grandmothers.

"Haya! If it isn’t my favorite customers," Standing behind the counter, Mr. Figos greeted them with a broad smile and a characteristic accent. "How are you all today?"

The gentle Werecat was another person Sokram wanted to change the fate of.

Just like Mr. Oliver, Mr. Figos had been one of the people who helped Sokram and his family greatly in his previous timeline.