The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 174 - A Frosty, Petty & Avian Outlook

Chapter 174: Chapter 174 - A Frosty, Petty & Avian Outlook

White vapor rolled off each rather precisely formed block of ice as Corde hez Iralev’s Element made them from provided barrels of spring water. The elementalist control was quite impressive. Each block seemed rather identical in size and density and not a drop of water or trace of frost escaped her working area.

At least as far as Elua’s cautious spiritual sense could tell from this distance.

The reincarnator’s head tilted slightly as she boldly observed the efficient process. The way the air hazed with each new creation sparked something in her ancient memories.

’Pressure differentials. Expansion and contraction of gasses. Of course - there’s that option too, isn’t there?’

A small ’sweet’ smile touched her lips as a possibility unfurled in her mind. Her Element could achieve quite similar effects, albeit through different means and far less efficiency. Just like controlling ’Fire’ wasn’t so instinctive... it wouldn’t be as elegant as true ’Frost’ manipulation, but...

She turned away after staring for another dozen seconds. Already she was back to ’work’, sketching a few new ritual patterns in her thoughts. Someone loading supplies nearby shivered as an unusually cold breeze started to sweep past him.

By the time he looked up, the brunette in the pale red dress was already gone. She stood on another high point with an illusory map of the grounds in her hands, comparing it to the document she retrieved from that assistant.

’Now, where would be the optimal places to position some cooling zones? The edge over here will get the worst of the late afternoon sun...’

The sigilist worked through plans, timelines, and brainstormed her goals out of her actions. At least until her stomach growled and she hopped back to the ground again to hunt for food. The dried meat snacks in her satchel that Qat had bought for her before they split apart for the day were too precious, after all.

’If I didn’t eat them on the train here, I won’t eat them now!’

Her conviction only lasted until a while after she finished the unfulfilling amount of meat porridge. She had swindled it with her cute face and a few compliments from a family of mortals also taking their lunch. The mother of the family beamed at how thoroughly she’d cleaned her bowl.

"It’s wonderful that a young cultivator like yourself would share a meal with common folk! Are you here to join the competition?"

She didn’t think she was being too vain when she thought that the family must be from a different region - or didn’t get out much from their village. There were just too many smiles of recognition from people she never met when she went anywhere in the city.

As much as she dismissed it at times, she *was* the daughter of a so called ’hero’. The description of the Goltbred heiress had made the rumor rounds.

’Likely even some sketches. I recall there being more than a few artists at the wedding.’

Elua replied to her well meaning question with a honeyed tongue.

"Oh no, I’m just helping prepare the grounds, ma’am. I don’t like fighting that much. Unless it is for a good meal."

The woman laughed and called her a flatterer. But she didn’t give out another bowl! The brunette didn’t blame her as there were two small kids still eating.

’Adults should wait until the others are full before dividing out seconds~ Besides, I can always go chat with a different family.’

"What do you think of this place so far?"

"Everything is so impressive already."

The father nodded sagely after his wife spoke out in awe.

"Indeed! Those towers they’re building must have cost a fortune. Though the walk between here and the events seems like it will be rather far..."

The cultivator smiled reassuringly.

"I’m sure the organizers have their reasons."

Her stomach chose that moment to protest the meager meal, as if calling her out on her own disbelief. The two small children sitting across from her perked up at the sound with wide eyes. The Goltbred was starting to be glad that they didn’t know who she was.

However, it wouldn’t be forever until they found out - and then the rumors of her being a glutton would increase with more eyewitness testimony floating around. Her hand reluctantly reached for her satchel and pulled out the dried meat.

’Just one piece. Besides, she’s going to look at me funny if I get back and say I couldn’t bring myself to eat any of her thoughtful gift. Especially when she has bought food for me before.’

She just wanted to eat it right in front of her! Elua didn’t think it was so wrong to feel that way. The dried meat her Qat had specially selected had barely touched her lips when she noticed a set of stares intensifying.

"That looks tasty..."

The little girl stuck her own finger in her mouth and chewed on it slightly after speaking. For most, that would be cute and more than enough to give in. For the reincarnator, it was a clear attempt to manipulate and steal her valuables - a threat!

’No. Absolutely not. These are *mine*.’

She had to use an illusion to cover for her facade failing. It pretended to think, already knowing the ultimate result even if the ’real’ Elua was highly against it. After all, she understood that kindness was a strategic asset.

The illusionist also understood that her forehead would be getting gripped as she was pressured to be a ’good girl’ and share by her beloved. With great internal suffering that no one could see, Elua pulled out a second piece and broke it in half.

The children’s faces lit up as she passed them over with a ’smile’. The teenager knew they probably wouldn’t have grabbed for them so happily if they saw her ’actual’ eyes. Their parent’s approval was just as inescapable.

"Such a generous young lady!"

"I have to say I agree."

The illusion shook her head while the real her backed away a few steps and chewed on the meat.

"It was nothing, don’t mind it. You have also given me food."

She didn’t want to be near them anymore! They were just vultures only after the bountiful graces of Qatrand er Yecine. The words she ’spoke’ with her Astralism were some of the least heartfelt she had used in a while.

"Tell me, do you know when they’ll finish setting up the merchant stalls?"

"We just arrived but we’re hoping to sell some woven goods..."

"There should be an Opal Scale Guild representative at the venue administrative building. It might be a wait, but they can probably answer those questions."

Elua could answer too, but pointing them in the right direction was as good as they were going to get. She could feel how petty she was over a little snack - a single one of a set of twenty... but she couldn’t help it.

The strangers had been nice. Yet, she could even have these feelings about her own sister. Two little hungry kids were not going to fare better for getting in the way of something that involved Qat. However, there was some progress.

The her of the distant past would have just coldly refused to share. At best, she might have gone and bought them something else to eat, if she was in a good mood. Sharing anything that her partner had purchased for her, without explicit directions to share it with others?

’Huh. This feels like a big thing to me, but I also feel like I’m not going to get praised for my behavior as much as I deserve...’

Elua was wrong about that.

She wouldn’t get praised at *all*.

---

The Whispering Skydancer banked lazily through the afternoon thermals. Its dusk-hued feathers left its presence obvious in the bright sun. It wasn’t its natural high activity time, but it had little else to do.

While its queen busied herself with ground-bound concerns, the bird had taken to observing the enemy territory from above. Its keen eyes tracked the movements of messenger birds darting into the aviary that it had been told not to approach. His queen did not wish him to plunder their food stores for this first invasion.

Most of the birds it saw were common breeds - swift but simple creatures that could barely manage a single message route. Their handlers sent them in pairs, always with the same message in case one failed to make the journey. He pitied their inferiority... as they would never be much use to the queen.

A shiny glint caught its attention. One of the Void Defense Society’s prized courier ravens preened atop a finished tower. It seemed to have a metal leg band instead of the wonderfully light wooden one his thoughtful queen had worked for hours on.

The larger bird pointedly ignored the Skydancer’s presence as it landed nearby, maintaining what it likely thought was proper dignity. They both made a show of studying the construction going on below, pretending that they understood better than one another what the many humans were up to.

After a moment, the twilight-feathered bird casually shook out a dried berry from its leg pouch. It was another ingenious gift from its queen, and one of several tiny treats she had provided that morning on the train. The raven tilted its beak slightly at the sight of both the food and where it came from.

The Skydancer took its time enjoying half of the berry before deliberately leaving the rest on the edge of the perch as it once more took wing. Sometimes the best way to make others follow your lead was to let them think it was their idea.

Before it could circle and verify that the creature took the bait, its queen’s soft whistle caught its attention. The trail it was meant to follow - to the best of its ability - appeared before it and the bird dove gracefully toward where Elua waited on it.

She had no idea it was already planning how to expand influence among the local avian population... or that it thought a proper court needed more than just its queen, king, and their royal messenger.