The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 128 - The Cause Of Teenage Uncertainty Is Usually Overthinking

Chapter 128: Chapter 128 - The Cause Of Teenage Uncertainty Is Usually Overthinking

She’d been so wound up because she’d been so *certain* that leaving Qat alone would lead to disaster. But nothing would happen this time. No grand schemes, no deadly traps. Just... trite family politics as usual.

Elua’s shoulders sagged as the tension of the past days began to ebb a little too fast. The constant underlying fear had fueled the desperate longing to be near her beloved past all ’reason’. She knew that if she was actually wrong, the receding emotions would return again as a tsunami - but only if.

It really all seemed a bit foolish to her now, in the face of such mundane reality.

’I let the incidents during the wedding cloud my judgment. Made me see, expect, even *want* threats where there were none. Because a decade of this new normal still doesn’t feel real.’

A very wry smile spread as her head lolled back to look up at the clouds. Thousands of years of experience would seem like an advantage to some, but she could still be rattled by a few tense moments and some time apart from her love.

She was so proud of Qat, but was there anything for her husband-wife to be proud of standing here in the street?

Her mind cleared further with that admonition and she let curiosity about her surroundings seep back in. This place, wherever it was in relation to her usual haunts, held no particular significance to her. Yet in her daze, she’d wandered here all the same.

’Perhaps I hoped to be accosted by someone unknown. My fearful imagination and ridiculous boredom is just...’

Elua straightened her back and pivoted on her feet. She was certain she could approach things with a clearer head going forward. Qat was capable, after all. Treating her like she needed *constant* protection was a disservice to them both. Especially if worrying about it made the reincarnator so useless.

She would return home - the little one meant for her and Qat... and sometimes the disciples she shooed away once already - and start cleaning up the ’mess’ her emotional outbursts had caused. Containing them in the building just meant it contaminated, well, everything in the space!

With a deep breath and a few pings of her spiritual sense, she turned to make her way back towards more familiar streets. Dwelling on imagined dangers wouldn’t help anyone. This kind of thought actually caused an amused smile to play on her young lips.

The Yecines thought they were being so clever with their room offer. Little did they know, their very caution might just work in her favor. After all, what better cover for her own schemes than their assured belief in their own cunning?

---

The leather market was an assault on Nohre’s senses as usual. With its raucous shouting merchants and the pungent aroma of tanned hides, it was her least favorite place made bearable only by the company of her favorite person. She ran her fingers over a supple piece of calfskin while frowning.

"This one’s decent quality, but the price..."

Fusand leaned in close to her and the frown struggled to stay. His sandy hair fell across his eyes and hid them from her sight as he inspected the leather.

"You’re right, Elua would say it’s overpriced for its grade and thickness. Remember how she taught us to look for the grain pattern?"

The girl with braided hair nodded at him, a smile bulging on one side of her face. She returned the piece to the spot she found it on the merchant’s table respectfully.

"Yes. She’d probably bargain them down to half this price without breaking a sweat."

"That’s our... friend. Always pushing us with showings of her strength."

The merchant, overhearing their exchange, huffed indignantly. If he hadn’t seen them wandering around with the Goltbred heiress in the past, he would have chased them away sooner!

The pair of orphans moved on to the next stall on their own. Two pairs of eyes scanned the wares with their nascent expertise. One of the teenagers picked up a rich, dark colored piece of leather while turning it over in his hands. The color wasn’t nearly as impressive as after their master somehow retreated it...

"Remember when we first started working for her? We could barely tell hides apart."

The girl chuckled at him, knowing he was being generous. She was the one that was slow to learn. It had only taken Fusand seeing some examples in the market as he paid more attention.

Meanwhile, Nohre had endured the young girl sitting down with her in long and detailed explanations... followed by a quiz here and there when they delivered the goods. Her smile faded and green eyes clouded with worry.

"Speaking of master... did you see her face when she turned us away yesterday? She seemed... off. I’ve never seen her like that. Why wouldn’t she let us in?"

The one she asked in a quiet whisper carefully sat down the leather he was examining. He had been a little shocked himself when it was happening, so had just glossed over his answer to Nohre after the incident. Now, he turned to look at her and responded more properly.

"You’re right, it was strange. It was like she didn’t even recognize us for a moment. Do you think it has something to do with her husband being away?"

"Could something have happened?"

Fusand shrugged at her quick, wary response. He didn’t really like to think of that possibility, in general and for the sake of the Goltbred heiress. His hand idly cupped as a tiny crab Projection formed in his palm.

"Maybe."

He had been trying to keep making them regularly now that he only had his memory to rely on. The boy hoped to visit the coast again at some point and make one before finding and comparing the result to test how good he could recollect all the details.

"Or it could be something else related to the wedding. The Talcres mentioned that cultivator family unions can be... complicated."

"You’re right. She did say she wouldn’t have much time for us. I’m probably just worrying over nothing."

They fell silent as both began to absentmindedly go back to shopping for the leather they had come for. It wasn’t that there was nothing else to do, but that this job was a commitment they wanted to honor.

"Do you think we should have pressed harder to see her? Zyris said it’s important to be there for those you care about, even when they push you away."

The boy shook his head quickly. He did agree with the woman who said it, to a point, but if they were going to do *anything* it would not have been to ’press’ their master.

"I don’t think so. Elua values her privacy - it’s why we aren’t allowed to call her... you know what in public. And it isn’t like she told us to never visit again."

He shivered suddenly, before continuing to speak.

"Besides, remember what happened the last time we interrupted one of her... moods?"

Nohre winced at the memory. It was a very different situation, but she got what he meant. While the dark haired girl was pretty sure that she had strong feelings for Fusand, the two of them being cornered and bragged to for a half hour about Qatrand er Yecine in a non-stop speech had proved to her that-

’There is strong, and then there is whatever master is.’

"Fair point. Still, I can’t help but worry. She’s done so much for us lately. She is even a major donor to the place we grew up... and is helping so many other kids that we know personally. Yet, there’s still so much we don’t understand about her."

The teenage boy sighed before leaning close to whisper in the worrisome girl’s ear.

"True. But that’s part of what makes her such a fascinating master, isn’t it? Always a new mystery to unravel and she’s always been up to more than we can expect."

When he pulled away, he noted that she was extremely stiff... with wide eyes and cheeks flushed the color of the leather in her hands. He tilted his head at her and squinted his eyes. It was a sight that he wanted to remember, though he was sure that if she caught him trying to craft a Projection later...

’Then I would be the one skinned and turned into leather of that color.’

"What do you think of this one? The thickness is right, and the color wouldn’t require much of her reconditioning."

He chose to shift the subject away quickly before she fully came to her senses and caught him staring.

"A-ah? Uh, yeah. We also... still need to find more of that special dye."

"Maybe we can take a break and go ask Meyran if he knows a better way to find it."

She nodded as they continued their hunt through the strong smelling stalls. It occurred to her suddenly how easily she had brought up the woman’s name and advice earlier... and how smoothly her ’close friend’ had attempted to rely on the man. She began to mumble while pausing at a roll of untanned deerskin.

"The Talcres... what do you make of them? They seem really eager to teach us, but..."

"You’re worried about dividing our loyalties?"

Fusand finished for her, knowing the thoughts of his ’best friend’ almost before she did. She’d been like that since they were young - absolutely steadfast to the people that had shown her favor. In that regard, shuffling off the extra food he didn’t really *want* to Nohre as they grew had been almost manipulative in hindsight.

’I just didn’t want to spend all that time cultivating physical energy when I could be reading!’