The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 113 - Leaving, But Not Well Enough Alone

Chapter 113: Chapter 113 - Leaving, But Not Well Enough Alone

Nohre manipulated a sphere of Water around her arm and fingers as if it was a kind of way to keep herself busy. She felt quite stressed... so the girl pulled it directly from the special container her master had gifted her. Her concentration didn’t feel strong enough to mess with the salt water.

Meanwhile, Fusand started to try and get a Projection of a crab to *move* around like one of the creatures. Making the scuttle without looking odd was harder than he expected. The newfound complexity of this sort of task made it hard to think of anything else.

The Talcres pair watched them intently, occasionally exchanging meaningful glances as the young cultivators worked through their last exercises of the afternoon. The teenagers had both agreed aloud that they needed time to think about the offer... and Elua had then informed them all that she would be looking into leaving for home that evening.

Against the expectations of those remaining on the beach, the heiress hadn’t truly left to go make those arrangements! Hidden by her illusions, she stayed to observe the four - without them having the expectation of her being around. Her mint eyes and intense spirit cataloged every reaction and exchange... with a focus on spying on the adults.

"Their potential is remarkable. I’m certain that Yatrel said that they’ve had almost nothing but Youth Guild training... we both know how limited that is."

Zyris whispered as she leaned close to her husband. Meyran nodded thoughtfully.

"Of course. It’s hard to blame anyone, as secrets and advice kept by families and Guilds are what keep them in their power and give them their advantages. It would be another matter if they used their position to actively suppress the less fortunate."

"And did you notice how they keep looking to Elua for approval?"

The Talcres Patriarch had, in fact, noticed that detail. They had been told about the supposed employer/employee relationship the young cultivators maintained with each other. He was still stuck wondering if it was this connection that was causing their deference or if it was due to them seeing the Goltbred as their current mentor.

"We should make sure to respect their feelings. Just because we found ourselves in a place willing to offer this... it doesn’t mean they are able or willing to accept."

The illusionist stepped away, plenty satisfied with the nice couple. She stepped closer to Fusand, who seemed momentarily distracted. His Projection slipped and faded away as he glanced at the girl practically always with him. It was hardly the first time since they met that the reincarnator caught him staring!

A shimmering image of his friend appeared beside that of a crab... though her features were softened into an idealized moment by his perception of her. As if realizing it was a mistake to do this while other people were around to notice, he quickly dispelled both Projections. A faint red bloomed on the sides of his face... but his eyes widened when he noticed the sound around him simply *stop*.

"Don’t panic now, disciple. I’m trying to keep hidden. Just nod if you understand, then keep your blushing face turned away."

The boy did as he was told and Elua ’materialized’ near Fusand.

"Before you get excited and ruin the subterfuge, yes - this is something you can learn to do. However, making others see something is pretty simple compared to making them not see it."

As she spoke, she selectively ’hid’ parts of her arms and legs from view.

"Quite a useful looking trick, isn’t it? You’ll have to work hard."

"How is it done?"

It wasn’t what she came to talk about, but he would probably pester her relentlessly on the ride back. While it was true she could avoid that by just leaving on her own...

"You must first understand that what I’m doing is not just removing myself from the view of others. Making you see the space I am occupying as if it were *empty* means I am Projecting a realistic enough substitute with an utter constancy to remain ’unseen’."

The young cultivator’s eyes widened with realization.

"You... are recreating the surroundings from multiple people’s viewing angle?"

Elua tilted her head. Something about the way he questioned it bothered her, but it also wasn’t an incorrect way of looking at it.

"Well, essentially. That is the most foolproof way to accomplish it. Remember that the possibilities for what you can do by manipulating the sense of sight has depth like any other field of study, dear disciple."

Despite her warning to try and be inconspicuous, his gaze kept drifting between his master and his fellow disciple. The Goltbred girl suspected he wouldn’t be too excellent at sneaky behavior, so had been fooling the others into seeing his continued attempts at crabs.

For Fusand, a number of recent events played through his mind. The wedding he just witnessed and the intimate moments between Elua and Qatrand, continuing on to this morning when giving them their handmade gifts. The easy affection they shared even in the face of impending danger was something he had trouble understanding.

"Master... may I ask you something?"

The brunette turned to the sandy haired boy and smiled. His spirit was clearly troubled and she was pretty certain that she had been the trigger... if not the underlying problem.

"Of course, Fusand. What’s on your mind?"

Her voice raised inquisitively and he hesitated. The teenager looked down and away as an image formed again above his hand, hidden from the sightlines of the Talcres and Nohre herself.

"I was wondering... why did you choose to marry so close to the Descent? Isn’t it... risky?"

The small, uncomplicated Projection of the girl had her braided hair drifting a little erratically as if in an invisible breeze. It lasted only a few seconds before he hastily stopped showing how terrible he was at conceptualizing motions.

As for the obviousness of his line of questioning... he felt it was silly to assume he had a single secret in front of this girl. If Elua noticed the ’strangeness’ of being spoken to like a confidant, she didn’t comment on it. She gazed out at the horizon, honestly considering the best way to answer him.

"Risk is a part of life, Fusand. No matter if you are a cultivator or a mortal. The Descent brings danger, yes. People can fall during it. Others also rise and grow. In some ways, this is true of all times."

She turned her gaze back to him. Mint eyes glowed with wisdom older than her years. She understood the logic of his worries of death, though emotionally she was never the type to worry about expressing her love for that reason.

"I will not say it is a cycle to be celebrated, but with a certain philosophy - the Voidling invasions are just an extreme portrayal of ’risk’. However, your question is about expressing love despite danger. Chaining yourself to others can be a powerful way to survive in turbulent times. It gives you something to fight for or to come back to."

Fusand reluctantly nodded. He understood that the girl was choosing to answer more like a teacher this time. The way that people banded together and fought every eighteen years was described as an extension of ’love’, by extending her logic. He shook his head when he realized he was letting himself be sidetracked.

"But... doesn’t it also create a vulnerability? Not everyone comes back."

The reborn cultivator figured this was the crux of his problem, but didn’t want to assume beforehand.

"Yes, it can. Opening yourself to another is one of the greatest and most rewarding risks that you can take, Fusand. Losing them is also devastating... and the worry of it can be paralyzing. The goal is to find a balance that you can live with - to let love motivate you without letting fear of its loss control you."

The hypocritical heiress felt like rushing to Qat with every fiber of her being and knew full well that such a powerful draw was affecting every single one of her decisions at all times. However, sometimes the recognition of an ideal is what allows you to keep from completely falling into an abyss... even as you surf around the spiral of its edges.

She studied her fox-like disciple before flourishing her fingers. Two miniature figures of in simple wedding attire danced across her arm before the rendition of Nohre burst into particles of sand. The tiny Fusand had his clothing morph into the ones he wore now, before sitting down and curling up in a ball.

"Sometimes, the regret of not acting when we could have can be more painful than any actual loss. Life is an uncertain thing, Fusand. The Descent makes that uncertainty more apparent... but don’t let it corrupt the things you *were* certain about. Okay?"

The boy’s eyes were wide over her soft words and startling ’Projection’. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again without an actual response forming. He hastily turned his neck to the girl who had been at his side so relentlessly for so many years.

"That being said, the right time for feelings is rarely obvious. Occasionally, you have to decide to share them and see what happens. Think of it as an experiment, if you must. After all... life can be long, but the moments that make it great can pass you by so quickly."

Determination settled in his eyes and throughout his spirit. Elua felt that she’d either just helped them by speaking so many ’wise’ words - or that the two would be apprehensive around each other a lot in the near future.

’Maybe both~’

The schemer felt like it would be a nice, messy diversion of young love to watch no matter how it panned out.