The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 136 - The Subjective Value Of This Sort Of *Repayment* Could Increase With Each Installment

Chapter 136: Chapter 136 - The Subjective Value Of This Sort Of *Repayment* Could Increase With Each Installment

The tall teen tilted her head while leaning back in her seat and raised an eyebrow at her El. The girl wanting another kiss instead of more food was almost flattering! Qatrand was very aware of Elua’s struggle with her urges for greater intimacy - and she felt a constant struggle of pride and uncertainty in how to handle her wife’s *intense* attraction.

Unfortunately, that meant a lot of the time she could only choose to ignore it.

"Are you sure? I can do that even if you eat a little more. I still owe you so many of them."

"What do you mean by owe?"

The Goltbred’s monotone voice asked the other teenager in all the seriousness it could. Sensing her confusion, the Yecine laughed happily.

"So... you don’t remember? I was sure you fully meant it despite the joking tone you used."

The reincarnator’s befuddlement only grew and it made it hard for the other cultivator not to laugh even more.

"When we were chatting about this and that after our stargazing. I asked you to tell me about the reason why our spirits mingling in public meant I needed to kiss you."

"R-right. You ’threatened’ that you should just keep away so you wouldn’t have to kiss me so much and I replied that you would then... owe one for every hour... you are gone from my side."

It all came rushing back along with her facade. Her face flushed with warm blood and her wide eyes quivered at the memory... and that her beloved had not only listened, but intended to follow the instructions she’d used on a whim.

"Yes. That was your demand. But if you weren’t serious, that means all of them from today have been more genuine. I’m glad."

Pigeon blue eyes crinkled softly at the corners as the lovely glow of affection rippled across the tendrils of her spirit. The ancient cultivator had to decide on the spot - surrounded by that quite pure glow - whether the significant amount of practice for her precious gem... that *over* seventy ’forced’ kisses would allow the less experienced partner...

Was worth trading for the beautifully affectionate smile levied her way. Her gut said no, but as she idly licked some sauce from the corner of her own lips... and watched that tiny, *happy* curve that belonged to the mouth that had touched her skin and lips so often today-

"You can still give me all of them even if I wasn’t serious. I wouldn’t think they were less genuine. I might even appreciate each one more and more."

’Is that a nice enough way of saying that there is room for improvement in her technique? The desire to teach her is completely grinding on my self control... but if she starts getting better on her own...’

The small girl instantly loathed the position she was in. Everything that made their moments together any more intimate seemed like it was meant to rust away the tight chains of her restraint. She feared the ’Ogre’ would break free!

But fear sometimes drives imagination, whether you want it to or not.

’If I ordered that much of her for dessert, I might get a... bellyache. Someday I could also teach her how to fix that... affliction.’

The brunette fruitlessly tried to stop her mind from drifting to the tantalizing possibilities when she reached her prime. A hand reached across the table and held onto her fingers.

"El, I’m sorry if I’m making things difficult for you. I know you’re trying to maintain those values you told me about. I should have been more gradual instead of tempting you like this."

She had noticed the sudden rise in ’hunger’ in her wife’s spirit - despite the hefty meal she had just eaten. The Yecine didn’t particularly like that there was so little she could do to stop the heiress from being stuck with her particular problem. But, she frankly wasn’t ready for what it would be like once Elua was no longer holding that part of herself back.

’Maybe... gradual is a good idea, all around.’

Mint eyes blinked glassily as the girl pulled herself from her reverie due to the tall girl’s words and the warmth of her touch. She offered a reassuring smile, backed by the sweetness of her facade, as she tucked everything in her spirit inside as deep as she could force it.

"No, no, it’s alright. It’s suffering of my own making. If I was a normal girl my age, my thoughts would not be... ahem, so wildly accurate? Though I might also fail to see the lines I shouldn’t cross..."

As Qatrand was about to respond, she felt the illusionist’s spirit flare out behind her. The reincarnator’s Astralism quickly concealed them from one particular person’s perceptions as the cute girl puffed her cheek out and glared in a direction.

The swordswoman turned her neck... confused by the sudden change in behavior. At least, until she spotted a familiar face entering the restaurant’s patio. It took her a moment to remember his name, even though the fact that he was the challenger from their wedding ceremony was immediately obvious.

"Isn’t that-"

"Yes. I’d rather not deal with him again right now - and I’m sure the feeling is mutual. Let’s just let him eat in peace while we enjoy our time together."

Lirante took a seat at a nearby table, completely oblivious to their presence. He hadn’t reacted when walking by at all... and Qat realized exactly what the burst of spiritual energy had been ’used’ for.

’It’s kind of disturbing to know that people could be acting around me, like we are with him, without my knowledge.’

The Goltbred leaned in closer even though she wasn’t worried about anyone hearing their conversation.

"Speaking of dealing with people like him, I’ve been thinking about how to handle that *flirty* liaison of yours from the Coiled Serpent Guild. I think requesting her as the official head of the local branch, once it is built, is a good idea. What do you think?"

The Yecine shifted her thoughts toward considering that sudden idea. It was clear from the comparison, and the darker feelings she let loose when she emphasized that word, that she should want to not deal with her at all. Expecting that she would be unable to follow the ancient logic on her own, the blonde gave up trying and instead sought the right questions.

"Why would you want to bring her here so permanently? Are you sure you want to give a person you have no reason to like a gift of that kind of authority?"

Smiling at her husband-wife’s honing in on the apparent problems with her plan, the ’jealous’ thoughts gained a ’mischievous’ edge.

"Oh, I’ll make sure to bind her on a tight leash. Trust me, my love, I know how to manage people like her. Excuse me for a moment, I’ll be using my ability on you."

Three little figures appeared on the tabletop that were very crude representations of the people involved. She didn’t have a lot of thoughts about the one with long black hair holding a sword, other than noting that it seemed purposely incorrect in so many ways.

’But why isn’t the one of her any cuter than it is? Is it just to match the low quality of the other two?’

The short miniature held onto the arm of the weapon holder as they moved around the table. The third, which was barely identifiable as a woman, seemed to follow along closely with a hand reaching for the not-Qat. The little wife would occasionally turn and chase the persistent woman away, but it kept repeating as they circled the plate of food.

"The best way to get rid of potential threats isn’t always through force or fear. This is usually because they are *stronger* than you... but I digress. Sometimes, the way past an annoying situation is through... happiness."

"Happiness?"

The Yecine echoed the last word in a questioning tone.

"Yes, my darling ’fortress’. People who are content, or to put it more dangerously... those who have more to *lose* are less likely to cause trouble."

The third figure started to keep further away when a structure rose in the middle of the plate. Her hand no longer stretched out, but still she followed the pair and the little one still turned around and looked at her every now and then.

"So, giving her a position is one step. Especially if she knows my family was involved in providing it. There will be a touch less inclination for her to get between us."

A fourth indistinct figure appeared ahead of their walking path and talked to the pair arm in arm, before they started to continue wandering in the opposite direction. The woman seemed to turn her gaze between the new ’person’ and the pair, but then started to follow the fourth figure.

"Then, I’m thinking of setting up that... dear liaison with someone. Making her too busy with her own life to meddle in ours."

Done with her short skit, she finalized the revelation that she was stopping the use of her Astralism with a flourish of her hand. The four representations and the blocky building turned to smoke that drifted off and disappeared. While she hadn’t done a *lot* of storytelling in the past with her power, she did have some experience with a few of her disciples.

’They really, really did not like when things just stopped existing completely. Even though they were fine with it appearing suddenly?’

While she reminisced about that detail of her teaching days, Qatrand struggled to come up with a polite way to phrase her opinion.

"That seems... manipulative."

The reincarnator shrugged, quite unrepentant over that correct assessment.

"It is. But it’s also kind, in its own way. Much kinder than many ever were to me when they decided they didn’t like me or that I was a problem. With this method, she gets her own happiness and we both get peace of mind. Everyone wins."

The older teenager couldn’t argue against that, even though she felt like she should.