Low-Fantasy Occultist Isekai

The three of them sat cross-legged on the floor of Ogden's workshop, surrounded by a mishmash of parchment and magical reagents. The wing bone lay at the center of the chaos. Nick stared at it intensely, hands resting on his knees, his brow furrowed, while Rhea sketched another design.

She was using a pencil, which he hadn't known was a thing here. Apparently, they were common in cities, but on the frontier, they weren't in demand, so the limited amount brought by merchants was quickly snapped up by the few users as soon as they hit the market.

"I still think we should go with a staff," He said for the third time, watching her pencil strokes as they formed the outline of a wand.

Rhea didn't look up. "And I still think that's a terrible idea." She grabbed the bone, waving it for emphasis. "This thing is barely a foot long. A staff needs balance—weight at both ends and core material large enough to avoid empty spots. We'd have to extend it so much that other components would overshadow the bone. That's a headache we don't need."

Elia tilted her head. "But can't magic, like, compensate for that? You said the materials don't dictate everything."

"True," Rhea said, setting down the bone and pointing at her sketch. "But they're still a foundation. If you stretch that foundation too thin, it's like trying to build a house on sand. The magic won't hold; worse, it'll collapse when Nick tries to channel something big. And I'll let you imagine the consequences of that on your own."

Nick sighed, running a hand through his hair. He wasn't thrilled about the idea of using a wand—it felt flimsy, less grounded than the solid, dependable heft of a staff, and if he were honest, it made him feel more like a pop culture wizard than the powerful occultist he liked to think himself as. But Rhea wasn't wrong. They didn't have the luxury of overcomplicating things, especially with the limited materials at their disposal. He could wait until he got better stuff, but that was a never-ending game.

"Fine," he said reluctantly. "Wand it is. But if anyone makes a phallic joke, I'm sending them flying."

Rhea smirked. "Fair enough."

She flipped the parchment toward him, revealing a detailed sketch of the proposed design. It was simple yet elegant—a slim wand wrapped in reinforcing layers of additional materials, with the wing bone as its core. The handle would be slightly thicker, carved for a better grip, while the tip would taper to a point where the spells would concentrate. It was apparently a pretty standard design for wind mages, which were more common up north, where Rhea hailed from. At this point, Nick trusted her to know what she was doing.

He studied it, nodding slowly. "Okay. So, what else do we need?"

"That depends," Rhea said, leaning back on her hands. "You're set on this being wind-aspected, right? You won't regret that when you need it for something else?"

Nick paused for a moment, the question hanging in the air. She had a point—specializing the wand would make casting spells outside of his affinity harder. But that was the whole idea, wasn't it? He wanted to push himself and develop his wind magic instead of relying on brute force or luck. He'd managed to grant himself a valuable Trait; he wasn't about to stop developing it just because it was hard. It also helped to give him cover, as people would be less likely to suspect him of having occult powers if he was very open about being a wind mage. He gave a firm nod. "Yeah. Wind-aspected. I'm sure."

Rhea shrugged. "Your call. That means we'll need components that resonate with air, blunt force and sharpness. Something to complement the wing bone's natural properties."

"What about the Vine Devils?" Nick suggested, snapping his fingers as the thought struck him. "We've got a ton of their wood left over from the stampede. That stuff is strong and should work well as the blunt force, right?"

Rhea winced and shook her head. "It's too nature-aspected. The mana in those vines is connected to growth and earth—it'll clash with the wind. Instead of honing your spells, it would muddle them."

"Oh." Nick scratched the back of his neck. "Right. Makes sense." Having too much magical material at his disposal was something he still struggled with.

That's when Elia chimed in. "What about my mom? She knows more about plants and magical properties than anyone. She might already have something that works—some kind of herb or wood that's already in tune with wind magic."

Nick blinked, then smacked his forehead with his palm. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" Wulla was known around town for being extremely knowledgeable, and Nick's parents almost exclusively went to her shop when they needed to buy herbs or light brews. She was no alchemist, but she served a role in the community all the same, and her stock was rivaled only by Ogden's.

Rhea raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "If she has something suitable, it could save us a lot of time. But we'd still need a power filter, or the whole thing will fight you every time you channel through it."

Nick frowned. "Power filter?"

"It's what keeps the mana flow stable and attuned between you and the wand," Rhea explained, sketching another diagram on the parchment. "Think of it like a dam. Without it, the energy will rush out in all directions, which—" She mimed an explosion with her hands. "—isn't great. For anyone. Your spells would lack control, even if they might be more powerful. Now, most foci usually use parts of monster cores, if available, or other magically active components. You're in luck, as the shop currently has a surplus of decent cores, though finding one that's in tune with the bone might be difficult."

I wonder if that is still an issue for me. Parsimonia has been very helpful so far, and I even managed to cast a spell a tier above me through the bone. But I suppose I shouldn't cut corners.

Nick sighed. "Okay, so we've got the outer layer to figure out, and now this filter thing, too. Is there anything else we're missing?"

"No, I think that's it. Now, about the filter. You could buy it from Ogden, but I doubt you have any coin left after he sold you the base materials for the wand. You could wait for the caravan to arrive, but you'd need a lot more than you can get through bartering. Why don't you ask your parents for a loan?"

Nick couldn't stop the bark of laughter that escaped him. "A loan from my parents? Rhea, you're hilarious."

Rhea frowned, hands on her hips. "I'm serious, Nick. Ogden's got decent cores locked away for the right price, and you're in his graces at the moment. All we'd need is enough to—"

"Yeah, no," Nick interrupted, shaking his head. "They've mellowed out about my experiments over the months, sure, but there's no way they'd fund something like this. They don't exactly jump for joy when I show up with a 'brilliant' idea. Especially after…" He trailed off, scratching the back of his neck.

Elia smirked. "Especially after this morning?"

Nick shot her a warning look. "Don't."

That was all the encouragement Elia needed. "Oh, you don't want me to tell Rhea? About how you nearly blew yourself up?"

Rhea's eyes lit up. "Oh, I need to hear this now."

Nick groaned. "You really don't." Discover exclusive content at empire

But Elia was already leaning forward, gesticulating animatedly. "So, Nick here was experimenting with some new wind spell—what was it called? 'Wind Pulse'? Something corny like that. Anyway, he gets so caught up in casting it that he forgets one tiny detail: he's standing in the spell's range. Next thing you know, boom—he's flying through the air like a ragdoll. He lands on his ass, flailing like a—"

"Okay, okay," Nick cut in, holding up a hand, though he couldn't stop a smile from creeping across his face. "That's enough."

Elia and Rhea burst into laughter, the kind that built on itself and left them clutching their sides. Nick shook his head, chuckling softly. "I'm so glad I can be your entertainment."

When the laughter finally subsided, Rhea wiped a tear from her eye. "Alright, fine. No loan from your parents. But that means we're back to square one for a power filter."

Nick tilted his head with an amused smirk. Slowly, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a small, glowing object—the wyvern hatchling's core. Its soft, bluish-green light pulsed faintly with power.

The change in Rhea's expression was instantaneous. She stared at the core, then smacked her forehead with a groan. "You've had that the whole time?!"

Nick shrugged. "Forgot to mention it."

"Unbelievable." Rhea shook her head. She reached out, carefully picking up the core and turning it over in her hands. "This is perfect. Wyvern energy harmonizes well with air. We can use this as the power filter. You're officially not useless, Nick."

"Thanks, I think," he said dryly. "So now we just need the wood."

Elia, still recovering from her laughter, perked up. "Then it's time to visit my mom. She'll know exactly what we need."

The walk to Elia's house didn't take long. As they approached the cozy cottage nestled at the edge of the village, they spotted Wulla standing in the front garden. She was deep in conversation with a neighbor, a spindly man with pale, moth-like features. His antennae twitched nervously as he gestured with fluttering hands.

Nick frowned and slowed his steps. Something was off about the man's movements. His jittery energy set him on edge.

"Is he okay?" Nick muttered.

Elia's ears twitched, and she avoided his eyes. "That's Mr. Morrin. He's always a little jumpy."

That's weird. Why would she lie about that?

As if sensing their approach, the Mothman turned abruptly, his large, dark eyes locking onto them. He startled like a rabbit caught in the open, muttering something to Wulla before giving a quick bow and scurrying away down the path.

Nick watched him go, puzzled. "That was weird."

Wulla's warm, melodic voice interrupted his thoughts. "Oh, don't worry about him. Morrin's been facing a bit of trouble recently, but it's nothing he can't handle. Now, what brings the three of you here?"

Elia bounded forward, grinning. "We need your help, Mom!"

Wulla's amber eyes sparkled with fondness. "Do you now? Well, come inside, and let's talk over some tea."

Before Nick could ask about Morrin's "trouble," Wulla gently ushered them into the house with insistent hands. The interior was as inviting as always—warm wood-paneled walls, shelves filled with jars of herbs and dried flowers, and the faint scent of lavender and mint lingering in the air. They quickly took their seats at a round table, each receiving a steaming cup of herbal tea and a slice of berry pie.

"Now," Wulla said, her foxlike grin firmly in place, "tell me what you're working on."

Nick took a sip of the tea, savoring the calming blend before explaining the wand they were crafting. By this point, the project had evolved far beyond his initial ideas, and he realized he wouldn't have made any progress without help. While he remained firmly tight-lipped about his more obscure abilities, discussing wind magic felt refreshing. It was the kind a typical mage was expected to study, and although his approach was somewhat unconventional, no one raised an eyebrow. He appreciated his affinity even more, as it allowed him to maintain a strong public front.

He displayed the wing bone and wyvern core for emphasis, while Rhea provided the technical details. When they finally finished, Wulla leaned back, her expression unreadable.

"Air-aspected wood," she murmured, her gaze darting to the materials on the table. "It's a delicate matter, finding the right balance. Too much resonance can overwhelm the other components, while too little means the wand won't channel properly."

Nick leaned forward, setting his tea down. "Do you have anything that might work?"

Wulla's lips curved into a smile that made him slightly nervous. She had very sharp canines. "I might. But you'll owe me a favor."

Elia groaned. "Mom, no."

"Oh, hush, Elia. It's nothing too drastic. Besides, I think you'll appreciate what I have in mind." Wulla stood, her tail swishing behind her as she moved to one of the shelves. She pulled down a small, polished box and opened it with care. Inside lay several pieces of wood, each with a faint sheen that suggested magical properties.

"This," she said, lifting a slender piece of silvery-gray wood, "is sky ash. It's rare, but it has a natural affinity for air magic. Perfect for what you're trying to create. I use it to brew a mean antidote, but I could part with it."

Nick stared at the wood, feeling a connection forming. It almost glowed to his air sense, something he had experienced only with the wyverns. "That's…perfect. What's the catch?"

Wulla's smile widened predatorily. "You'll find out later. Don't worry too much; I'll give you a family discount."

Elia groaned in embarrassment, burying her face in her hands.