Marked by the Four Beast Lords After Transmigration

The trade discussions continued long after the first route maps had been spread across the central table. By the time the merchants began negotiating storage agreements and temporary winter pricing, the fires burning through the reception hall had settled lower and the cold outside had deepened fully into night.

Nia stayed mostly quiet through that portion of the discussions. Much of the conversation had shifted toward territory agreements, caravan scheduling, and transport logistics she still did not fully understand, but her attention continued drifting back toward the grain crates stacked near the far wall. The merchants had called it stone wheat, which probably meant harder grain and rougher milling quality than what she was used to. If the flour came out coarse, softer breads would be difficult, but flatbreads or denser doughs might still work depending on how finely the grain could eventually be ground.

People here understood how to grind grain into usable meal, preserve food for long journeys, and store supplies against winter shortages even if the methods sounded rougher and more limited than what she remembered from Earth. That realization alone kept opening possibilities in her head faster than she could organize them.

“…If the eastern ridge closes too early, southern caravans will bottleneck through the lower pass,” Bran muttered while tracing one thick finger across the map spread over the table.

“That route cannot support full winter transport volume,” Tarek replied.

“It may not have a choice.”

One of the merchants rubbed both hands slowly near the fire trench.

“Several smaller territories are already discussing reduced trade travel entirely after first snowfall.”

Kael’s expression remained unreadable while he studied the route markings spread across the table.

“And the northern settlements.”

The older merchant exhaled quietly.

“Some will endure. Some won’t.”

The room fell silent for a moment after that, though not with shock. The merchants simply looked tired in the way people did when difficult realities repeated often enough to stop feeling surprising.

One of the injured caravan guards leaned farther back against the wall near the fires while another carefully rewrapped cracked fingers beneath a fur cloth. Even the crates stacked around the room looked different to Nia now. Not just trade goods, but the difference between surviving winter comfortably and barely surviving it at all.

The older merchant eventually straightened again before looking toward Kael.

“We intended to continue south after three days of rest, but if the northern routes worsen further, we may return earlier than planned.”

Kael nodded once.

“You’ll have escort support leaving the territory.”

Several merchants visibly relaxed at that.

Nia understood why immediately. The mountain territory clearly carried enough military strength that traveling beneath Kael’s protection changed the risk calculations entirely.

Tarek rolled one of the route maps closed before glancing toward the grain crates near the wall.

“How much wheat did you secure.”

“Less than we wanted,” the merchant admitted. “Enough for wealthy territories. Not enough for everyone else.”

Nia’s attention drifted toward the crates again despite herself. Stone wheat probably meant stronger grain texture, which could make softer doughs difficult without proper refinement. Even so, coarse flour still opened possibilities she had not expected to reach for a very long time.

Grinding stones already existed too.

Her thoughts immediately started racing ahead toward better flour, better dough, and everything that might become possible afterward before she caught herself.

She was getting ahead of herself again.

Kael’s hand brushed lightly against the middle of her back as he stepped around her to move closer toward the maps. The contact was casual, almost absent-minded, but warm despite the cold lingering through the hall.

Nia froze briefly anyway.

She still was not entirely accustomed to how naturally physical beastmen seemed to be with people they cared about.

Kael either failed to notice her momentary stiffness or intentionally chose not to comment on it. Knowing him, probably the second.

The older merchant continued discussing northern conditions with Bran while several attendants carried heated stones and fresh water toward the tables. One younger worker nearly tripped while staring too openly at Nia before catching himself at the last second and fleeing the area looking deeply mortified.

Tarek watched him leave with poorly concealed amusement.

“You’re causing problems again.”

Nia stared at him.

“I literally stood here silently.”

“That does not appear to matter.”

She muttered something deeply unflattering beneath her breath.

Unfortunately, Kael heard it.

The slight shift at the corner of his mouth said enough.

Bran ignored all of them completely.

“If the eastern routes collapse before midwinter, we’ll need to increase lower storage allocation immediately.”

“We can convert the unused western chambers,” Tarek replied.

“Not enough ventilation.”

“We could reinforce airflow shafts.”

Nia’s attention snagged there immediately. Ventilation, airflow, and moisture control all tied directly into preservation stability, especially if storage volume increased during winter. Her brain instantly started reorganizing the conversation into practical structural solutions before she forcibly stopped herself.

No.

Absolutely not.

She was not accidentally restructuring another mountain system tonight.

Kael glanced sideways toward her.

Nia narrowed her eyes immediately.

“Don’t.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking something.”

“I usually am.”

“That is not reassuring.”

Tarek finally laughed openly this time.

Even Bran’s expression shifted faintly before he returned to the maps again.

The older merchant looked between them with increasing confusion.

“Does she always argue with the mountain chief this way.”

Kael answered before Nia could.

“Frequently.”

“I am standing right here.”

“I’m aware.”

The merchant still looked uncertain whether this dynamic was normal or deeply dangerous.

Reasonable honestly.

One of the attendants eventually approached the grain crates near the wall and began checking inventory markings burned into the wood. Nia’s attention followed automatically again while she tried to guess which sacks contained barley and which held wheat based on grain color and texture leaking through the rough woven bindings.

The older merchant finally settled both hands against the table with a tired exhale.

“If the winter worsens farther north, preserving food properly may matter more this season than it has in years.”

Nia’s gaze shifted briefly toward the route maps spread across the stone surface. If more people learned reliable smoking and salting methods, winters like this would become much easier to endure.

The thought settled strangely in her chest.

Not because she wanted to reshape territories or solve the mountain’s problems for them.

She just wanted people she cared about to eat well and survive winter comfortably.

Everything else kept spiraling outward from there on its own.

She is starting to care about some of the people here.

The discussions finally began winding down once the last route markings had been updated and temporary storage agreements settled. Several merchants looked close to collapsing from exhaustion by then, and even Bran eventually rolled the maps closed with the expression of someone already reorganizing half the mountain’s winter planning inside his head.

“We’ll continue final negotiations tomorrow,” Kael said as he stepped back from the table. “You’ll have heated rooms prepared before the second bell.”

Relief moved visibly through several of the merchants at that.

The older merchant bowed his head slightly.

“You have our thanks, Mountain Chief.”

Kael acknowledged the gratitude with a short nod before turning toward the entrance. Nia moved beside him while attendants immediately stepped forward to guide the caravan members deeper into the residential guest sections carved farther into the mountain.

The cold hit harder once the reception hall doors opened again.

Wind pushed sharply through the upper walkways now that night had fully settled over the territory, carrying smoke and frost through the carved stone passages. Torches burned steadily along the outer railings while workers still moved through portions of the lower terraces despite the hour. The mountain never seemed to sleep completely.

Kael automatically adjusted his pace once they started down the outer path, matching the slower rhythm forced by Nia’s still-healing ankle without either of them needing to acknowledge it aloud. The injury had improved significantly over the past several days, but long climbs, uneven stairs, and cold weather still tightened the joint enough to make extended walking uncomfortable.

Nia exhaled slowly as they rounded the first curve in the upper walkway.

“Your territory is stressful.”

Kael glanced sideways toward her.

“Only now.”

“You spent the entire evening discussing collapsing trade routes and winter shortages.”

“That was the merchants.”

“You are literally the mountain chief.”

“That part is unrelated.”

Nia stared at him.

“You are impossible to argue with.”

“You continue trying.”

“That is because somebody should.”

The faint shift at the corner of Kael’s mouth appeared again before he looked back toward the lower terraces.

Wind strengthened briefly as they descended another section of carved stairs, pushing colder air down from the upper cliffs. Nia pulled her wrap tighter around herself while looking out across the mountain below. Even this late, parts of the preparation district remained active. Smoke drifted upward from the drying chambers while workers carried late supplies between storage rooms beneath torchlight.

Her thoughts drifted back toward the grain almost automatically. Stone wheat probably meant coarse flour unless the grinding process improved considerably, but even rough grain meal opened far more possibilities than she had expected to find here this early. Flatbreads might still work. Dense doughs too. Maybe even noodles eventually depending on how fine the grain could be processed.

The realization should have excited her more than it did.

Instead, her attention kept circling back toward the conversations inside the reception hall. The merchants had not sounded frightened when they discussed rationing and settlements struggling through winter. Mostly tired. Familiar with it. Somewhere between the route maps, the exhausted guards, and Bran recalculating storage allocations in real time, Nia had quietly realized she no longer viewed the mountain’s problems as something completely separate from herself. She still was not trying to involve herself in politics or solve territorial issues, but the thought of Kael’s people facing shortages through winter no longer felt emotionally distant either.

That realization lingered in the back of her mind right up until another thought hit her hard enough to stop mid-step.

“Oh no.”

Kael stopped immediately beside her.

“What.”

Nia looked up at him in horror.

“The market.”

“The market.”

“I forgot everything I bought.”

Kael looked entirely unconcerned.

“It’s already home.”

Nia blinked.

“What.”

“You were limping halfway through the lower trade district and still trying to inspect roots.” His voice remained calm and matter-of-fact. “I had the guards carry everything back earlier.”

Nia stared at him for a moment.

“You noticed I was hurting.”

“You were favoring the ankle more on the lower stairs.”

Well.

That ruined any argument she had been preparing.

Actually, now that she thought about it, several guards had disappeared at different points throughout the afternoon.

Oh my god.

“You delegated grocery collection.”

Kael looked down at her.

“You say strange things sometimes.”

Nia rubbed one hand over her face briefly while continuing beside him.

“You secretly organized an entire shopping trip behind my back.”

“You forgot it existed.”

“That is not the point.”

“It solved the problem.”

Which, annoyingly enough, was true.

The lower they descended into the residential sections of the mountain, the warmer the air gradually became. Torchlight softened across the stone corridors while the distant sounds of the active trade terraces faded farther behind them.

Nia’s exhaustion started catching up to her around the same time. Not physical exhaustion exactly, though her ankle had begun aching again beneath the lingering cold. Mostly it was the heavier mental exhaustion that came after too many discoveries and too much constant adjustment. The world kept refusing to fit neatly into the assumptions she had built when she first arrived here. Every time she thought she understood how life inside the mountain worked, she discovered something new she hadn't expected.

She missed one of the lower steps slightly when her ankle tightened again.

Before she could fully correct herself, Kael’s arm slid around her waist and lifted her effortlessly against his chest without interrupting his stride.

“Kael.”

“You’ve been walking all day.”

“I can still walk.”

“You’re limping.”

Nia settled back against him with a quiet exhale instead of arguing further.

The warmth coming off him seeped steadily through the cold lingering in her muscles while the deeper mountain corridors gradually replaced the sharper night air outside. His hold remained completely secure and unfairly comfortable. She still was not fully accustomed to how naturally physical he was with her. Not possessive in a suffocating way, but constant in all the small unconscious things he did—steady touches against her back, quiet repositioning whenever crowds became too dense, carrying her the moment he decided she had walked enough.

By the time they finally reached the main entrance leading toward Kael’s expanded cave system, Nia’s thoughts had drifted almost entirely toward flour texture, grinding consistency, and whether coarse wheat dough could survive stone cooking surfaces without drying out completely. She barely paid attention when Kael carried her directly into the main chamber before abruptly going still in his arms.

The entire central kitchen area had been reorganized with calm, deliberate efficiency. Bundles of herbs she had purchased earlier had already been separated and hung to dry near the warmer stone walls. Several unfamiliar roots sat sorted carefully into woven baskets near the preparation counters while jars, preserved goods, oils, and trade ingredients had been grouped together with surprising logic.

And near the far preparation table, Shen looked up calmly from where he was arranging several small grain sacks beside stacked storage jars.

For one long second, Nia simply stared at him.

Shen blinked once at her expression before glancing toward Kael.

“You forgot the trade supplies again.”

“…Again?”

“You became distracted halfway through sorting.” Shen returned his attention calmly toward the grain sacks. “The workers were becoming confused.”

Kael continued farther into the kitchen still carrying her entirely without shame.

“You organized everything.”

Shen nodded once.

“Mostly.”

Nia looked slowly around the kitchen again. The herbs had been separated by scent strength and drying condition. Oils were grouped away from moisture-heavy roots. Several storage baskets had even been lined with fresh cloth before ingredients were placed inside.

Shen noticed where she was looking.

“Some of the roots were already softening from trapped moisture.”

Nia stared at him a little harder.

“…You reorganized my stuff scientifically.”

“I organized them correctly.”

Kael finally set her down near the central table before looking between them both.

“Should I leave the two of you alone with the roots.”

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