The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 163 - In Response To Tactical Retreat, A ’Fortress’ Barred Its Gate

Chapter 163: Chapter 163 - In Response To Tactical Retreat, A ’Fortress’ Barred Its Gate

A light sigh escaped the young lips before she looked up at the older woman with a brutally *sweet* and ’knowing’ look. Elua wanted her to believe the giant problem that must exist in Dima’s life - lacking money - was something that she understood and cared about.

She didn’t care, really. Not beyond a worry over the things that the former liaison might *do* for the funds. Which would reflect poorly on herself and therefore on Qatrand. She really, really didn’t want to find another hard working patsy.

"If you have any concerns about the dormitory arrangements... I would not be opposed to assisting you with a personal loan. The terms would be most favorable."

The heiress kept her voice ’gentle’ and as unoffensive as possible. She understood that *most* people didn’t like groveling for themselves. A surprising amount of individuals in this era would do it for the sake of another - according to the historical fiction she had read - but not as many would for their own gain.

"That won’t be necessary. I prefer not to mix personal matters with professional ones. Unlike some people."

Their pride tended to get in the way of seeking help. Dima’s spine stiffened - almost to prove the case in point! Elua personally thought it was silly - as taking advantage of opportunities wherever one could... was the best way she knew of to keep or grow wealth. Especially with such minimal risk involved.

"Of course. I apologize for suggesting it. I won’t ever make such an offer again."

Mint eyes never wavered and the innocent smile never faded as the Goltbred nodded. Explaining her own values to someone like this woman wasn’t currently worth her time. With that attitude of hers, she was liable to wave off any sound advice as a trick!

In comparison to that comfort with the result of her offer, something flickered in Dima’s eyes. A deeper worry began taking root in her heart.

Her fingers brushed the edge of the invoice again. She began imagining having to sign for all these items... with no recourse if anything went wrong. She had some money put away in the Wolfhide Fellowship and in a few hidden treasures-

’Not nearly enough if she intends to make me owe her for these things. Is that the plan?’

The woman’s tendency toward paranoia worked better than any trap that Elua might have come up with. Even when she was being *something* like completely genuine with her offer, the ’young’ holder of a Clarity Astralism would twist things to fit with her imperfect gut feelings against the ’potential’ of threat that the girl posed.

The innocent-for-once illusionist gathered the papers together. Her excellent mood was still quite undimmed by the strong refusal. Not even the insinuation that the Goltbred was taking a personal matter too far affected the girl.

After all, Elua knew *exactly* how much she had held back when crafting the scheme to have the ’Inner Beauty’ assigned to this place... and there was still a lot of day left to go out and do things. Spending it on correcting assumptions didn’t seem like a good way to keep that mood where it was.

"Was there anything else you needed to review with me?"

"No."

Dima’s voice was tight and she realized that she had answered too quickly. It made her skin crawl to have to speak too respectfully to the young girl. But as much as she hated to admit it, the Guild valued *her*... more. Not to mention the documents she had been reading-

"Everything seems... thoroughly detailed. You seemed to have planned the needs of this building very well. I almost feel like I have nothing to do."

Her tone was just a touch bitter at the end and the woman imagined it was what made the corner of the girl’s eyes crinkle in enjoyment. The brunette held the documents to her chest and spoke in her ’reassuring’ saccharine tone.

"Don’t worry. If there wasn’t a lot for you to do here, I wouldn’t have made them send you."

The heiress turned and left the building with the Skydancer looking up at the branch manager. Dima clenched her fists, thinking the absolute worst of that statement... and flinched when she felt the little tingle in her sense that the bird reacted to and flew off after its owner. After she was sure the Little Snake prodigy was completely gone, the woman held her head in her hands.

"I really need to hire people quickly so I don’t have to be alone with her."

One of her hands slid away as she leaned more heavily into the other. She gazed toward a window and tapped her finger on the table, thinking about how to spend the day. Making a few visits to the local Guilds certainly was a good idea, even if it came from a small source of terror.

"I wonder if there are any attractive male receptionists to hire?"

---

The failing light of dusk filtered through the windows of the workshop-home. The ancient cultivator had accomplished quite a lot after leaving the branch. Three weeks worth of armguard leather crafts had been finalized for delivery. The exiled elder would be pleased with the final large stock to get on the black market before the Descent.

’Or maybe he’ll hold on to them until after everything is over? Either way, my quota is done with~’

She had also visited two merchants that afternoon to arrange and sign a few final transactions before the competition. Getting loose ends taken care of was important. if she intended to spend that entire month focused on... Guild business.

Her excellent mood had carried her through all the tedious work and waiting. She had slept beside her husband-wife without losing control of herself! That accomplishment and what it meant for life moving forward made everything else feel manageable.

The brunette was happily working on a handful of other designs, this time with her illusions, when that strange sensation from this morning returned. Her mint eyes narrowed as she extended her spiritual sense outward. The fragment in her chest seemed oddly... quiet.

’Qat?’

Her beloved’s spirit was moving toward her with purpose - making a direct line for their little home. Elua smiled brighter as she set aside her work. Perhaps her husband-wife had missed her today as much as she had missed-

The smile faltered slightly as that foreboding feeling intensified. There was something about the determined way Qat was approaching... without haste. Without *joy*. Her eyes started to dull for a moment before she snapped back into motion.

’No, that’s just silly. My instincts must still be adjusting.’

She began tidying her workspace and appreciating some of the little changes. If she wasn’t going to be around as much, it was better to get everything sorted away. She couldn’t quite shake the feeling that she was preparing the place for more than just a pleasant pre-dinner reunion.

However, the illusionist could not think of a reason for her Qat to be upset that involved her. She thought instead that it might have something to do with the Yecine elders or her father. Her thoughts drifted to taking revenge and escalating her search for an explanation of the rotten feeling bits of that family.

"El."

The one called turned with a ’dazzling’ smile as if she hadn’t just been plotting against Qatrand’s blood relatives. That expression fled at the sight of her spouse standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.

Something was different about the way Qat’s spirit moved - or didn’t. The usual tendrils that would have wrapped around her by now were conspicuously absent. Instead, they coiled tightly around the fragment of the heiress’s spirit in her own chest.

Her hair was blonde, but the look on her face was-

"Why did you leave without waking me?"

The direct question cut through Elua’s attempt to read the situation. The pigeon-blue eyes of her fortress held a focused intensity she hadn’t quite seen aimed at her before. Moreover, it was accompanied by *genuine* ’irritation’ bleeding through their spiritual connection.

"I... I’m sorry. I won’t-"

"No. I don’t want to hear that you’re sorry or that you won’t do it again. I want to know why."

The Yecine’s low voice remained level but firm and the Goltbred’s facade had long cracked. She wasn’t used to Qat being upset with her - not like this. There wasn’t the usual forbearance and acceptance.

Her dulled mint eyes and lack of expression as she stared at the tall teenager made it seem like she was frozen in time. She struggled to find words that wouldn’t sound like excuses.

"I thought... you seemed so peaceful. I had work to do at the branch, and-"

Her monotone trailed off, realizing how hollow it sounded. The truth really wasn’t very complicated. But explaining what she had told herself that morning meant admitting things to the reasonably annoyed girl that would ruin her own perception of how *well* the event had gone.

Qat continued to watch her with a complicated expression. The lack of the swordswoman’s spiritual tendrils felt distant in a way that shook Elua more than any display of angry words or blame could have.

And the one doing it to her barely had the heart to continue. Even without prodding directly at her with her spiritual sense, the Yecine could gather most everything going on through the piece of the reincarnator residing in her chest.

She raised her gaze to the ceiling rafters and just started speaking the thoughts that had circled all day.

"If I have the reason, then I can try and understand it. My wife left without even a note. On the first morning we shared sleeping beside each other all night. I didn’t get to tell you good morning. I didn’t-"

"If I hadn’t left when I did, I was going to start kissing you until things happened. You were so vulnerable and I wanted to do things that I shouldn’t."

If the quickly spoken words didn’t make it obvious, the ’shame’ and ’annoyance’ clouding the room like a thick mist made it clear that this was something that Elua hadn’t wanted to admit to. The swordswoman closed her eyes, tilted her head to crack her neck, and opened a single pigeon-blue to watch her cute wife.

"You’re welcome to try."

Qatrand was relieved, in a way. That it hadn’t been about the nightmare. That it was just her El going through the usual problem. A handful of tendrils released and wrapped around each of the Goltbred’s limbs as she took a step forward.

"I won’t let you. Do things you shouldn’t. I’ll protect you."

She took a step closer with each short utterance... and each step released more tendrils to hold tightly onto her wife.