The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 195 - The Matchmaking Mentor & The Dinner Guest’s Direct Gaze

Chapter 195: Chapter 195 - The Matchmaking Mentor & The Dinner Guest’s Direct Gaze

The Goltbred camp’s modest dining pavilion hummed with light conversation and the clink of empty dishes being set in place. Elua sat with her disciples at one of the tables and listened to their excited chatter about this and that. Her ’sweet’ smile brightened a touch as she became more certain about what was coming her way.

"Remember to only practice while in camp here - or well away from the main paths."

Nohre nodded eagerly while Fusand’s fingers traced idle patterns on the wooden surface. When their hands accidentally brushed, his skin took on that distinctive green-brown flush.

"Though you don’t have to be so careful about matters outside of cultivation, you know?"

Their mentor’s eyes filled with unhidden mischief at their interaction. The girl with braided hair quickly pulled her hand back like it was scalded. Of course, Elua noticed how the periphery of her gaze lingered on the boy’s still moving fingers.

"I-I don’t know what you mean, Master."

’I wonder if she realizes how quickly she calls me that title when she is defensive? What a wary little water-deer~’

"Call me Elua - there’s no need to get flustered. Well, I guess I was just wrong. You weren’t planning to show Fusand that lovely view you asked me about."

The boy’s fidgeting patterns grew more erratic as his complexion darkened further.

"I thought for sure you waited until we were alone... so that he wouldn’t overhear the date you were sneakily planning."

Green eyes had widened ever since ’view’ had been spoken. The next words all felt like additional metal rods fusing together to cage her in. The orphan’s eyes darted left and right before she gulped.

"I was j-just thinking it would be good for his Projection practice! You told him that new visual experiences would help, so I..."

’How come this excuse isn’t sounding as good now as it did in my head earlier?’

"Well, you’re right. I said that. And I’m sure holding hands while you watch the sunset there would help steady his concentration? I definitely think it would solidify the moment in his memory, anyway~"

Elua caught the momentary smiles on both teenagers that one covered with his palm and another by pulling her braid across her mouth. The ancient cultivator remembered finding such moments of young love particularly entertaining even in her past life - though she usually maintained more distance then.

Unless it was somehow advantageous to egg it on.

"You’re terrible sometimes."

Fusand’s mumbled complaint as he regained his composure only made the one he was speaking about smile ’smugly’. She reached across to pat his hand consolingly, paying attention to the mild ’jealous’ reaction in Nohre.

"I really am. But this? Making sure that you both know I support whatever makes my precious ’friends’ happy... this is important. Your life is your own. I wouldn’t want you to forget that just because I’ve been too busy."

The way they both snuck glances at each other in the past when they thought the other wasn’t looking made teasing them almost too easy. She’d much rather they progress!

’It is when they are comfortable with each other that finding the gaps will be an exciting challenge...’

The sandy haired boy clenched his fist and breathed out heavily.

"We know you’ve been busy and how you feel."

"Yeah. You wouldn’t let us forget it. Or rather, it’s like you don’t trust us to remember?"

The girl dropped her dark braid and looked at the heiress with a slight bit of unvoiced concern. Elua waved it off and sat back in her chair.

"No one should blithely trust anyone. It’s just my whim, after all. To give you some training. I’ll only feel better about you *understanding* what I say when you are older and living your lives following your hearts."

The brunette raised her chin and cocked her eyebrow. She had said quite similar words to her previous disciples. However, for some reason it started to strike her how much it felt like the words of a parent. A *good* parent.

’Well, that won’t do. If they start seeing me like that, they’ll be even more nervous and try hiding things.’

"At the present time, the crowd’s attention will all be on the displays during the event. You shouldn’t feel so nervous. No one would notice or care about two young cultivators sharing a quiet moment."

Her voice carried a ’wistful’ tone that made Fusand start to think. Sometimes their ’friend’ spoke as if drawing from deeper wells of experience than she should. Despite being a bit younger than them, there was a very refined sense of maturity in the heiress.

’Is it really just the difference in how a prominent family raises their child?’

The teen wasn’t sure, but decided that it didn’t matter. He had no connections to others her age and was unlikely to make them except through the Goltbred herself.

"Though really, you shouldn’t even need to wait for special occasions. You’re both free to spend time together whenever you want. However you want."

There was something quite *envious* in her tone that made Nohre see the situation with new light. The teen hadn’t truly contemplated things. How the competition preparations kept their master and her husband apart.

’Now I feel bad. I wonder if there is something we could do for her?’

Their mentor’s *plotting* to push them into being more open and comfortable was interrupted by familiar voices approaching the pavilion...

Zyris enthusiastically ran toward her husband and babbled about changing quickly before pulling him away. Ondua followed in her wake with another woman in tow. His wife shot him a look that left him sheepish.

He had clearly not *planned* on bringing the Frozen Duskblade back to their camp when he left, however much he admired her skills... but saying that wouldn’t change the result. After the Goltbred parents exchanged a few words, a servant rushed over to call on Elua.

"Young miss, your mother requests for you all to join the main table instead of dining alone this evening."

The brunette rose gracefully and gestured for the two orphans to follow. She acknowledged her father’s discomfort with a slight ’disappointed’ shake of her head before turning to their *mostly* unexpected guest.

"Welcome to our camp, Lady Iralev. My name is Elua er Goltbred."

The woman studied the small heiress with careful attention. She noted how the girl’s polite greeting revealed nothing of her thoughts about their presence. The black dress also quickly reminded her of the place they just came from.

Corde’s gaze flickered briefly toward the bird as it shifted on its perch near the edge of the private location. It groomed itself with grace that seemed to mirror its mistress. The swordswoman felt that it was true - pets mimicked their owners. The girl’s clothes and curtsy had been immaculate.

"Yes. We haven’t met, but I was aware of you. Your modifications to the competition grounds are... extensive."

Yatrel gestured for servants to re-arrange seating at the large table. Her sharp mint eyes noted both her husband’s lingering awkwardness over bringing ’another woman’ to the table... and that very guest’s careful study of their daughter.

"Oh, just basic adjustments for comfort and safety. The Coiled Serpent Guild has thankfully been very supportive of my small contributions."

The girl’s response maintained perfect politeness while emphasizing how minor and officially sanctioned her contributions were. An ’innocent’ smile remained as she settled into her seat first.

The Frozen Duskblade noted how the girl’s eyes showed neither pride nor hesitation at the assessment of her work. Calculated humility. Even the way she folded her hands in her lap *seemed* to appear natural, but in the precise way of an aristocrat.

Corde had dealt with them before, but they were pretty uncommon on this continent. She’d done her best to avoid the retinue that had just arrived. Being appraised so openly, Elua decided to continue the conversation.

"Have you had a chance to explore much of the venue, Lady Iralev?"

"I have. Those pyramids are an... interesting choice. Distinctive."

"Are they? Just small decorative elements to make the grounds more welcoming."

Zyris practically bounced back into her assigned place in a new dress. Meyran arrived later, somehow being roped into wearing more impressive clothing. Both Talcres looked between the famous swordswoman and the young heiress conversing. Though one barely contained her anticipation.

An exchange of pleasantries and proper introductions continued until a servant arrived with steaming plates. That finally drew attention away from the careful conversations.

Elua’s ’sweet’ voice carried just the right note of polite interest in something that was said as she passed a dish to Nohre. Her disciples tried not to stare too obviously at the legendary cultivator, though the same couldn’t be said in the reverse. They were another part of the mystery, after all.

’They are not part of this family, yet she shows interest in them as if they are friends.’

Ondua made attempts to discuss blade techniques with his idol, though it was repeatedly derailed by Zyris’s enthusiastic interjections. Yet, as everyone slowly ate and talked... Corde found her attention drawn more to the odd disconnect between the girl’s apparent youth and other details.

’A cultivator from this continent. The bearing of a noble. Manipulations of someone older. What hidden connections does this girl have? Or is it the whole family?’

Even the way the girl lifted her cup to drink seemed designed to fill the pauses perfectly. Yatrel’s fingers tightened slightly on her own cup as she watched their guest’s attention repeatedly return to her daughter. Despite Ondua’s earnest attempts to draw her into discussion!

The woman’s devotion to her husband was well known - having someone of note dismiss his expertise so casually, especially while scrutinizing their child...

"Lady Iralev, I believe my husband just mentioned an interesting encounter during the last Descent. Perhaps you’d like to compare it to something in your travels?"

Her voice sounded warm but left little room for deflection. The Frozen Duskblade found herself having to divide her attention between Yatrel’s *pointed* conversation starter... and her lingering questions about what else might lie beneath all these carefully maintained appearances.

’I’ve only now realized I’ve stepped into the middle of a battlefield. The kind I am least comfortable with.’

She watched the bird partially responsible for keeping her curiosity going take to the air. Almost... like it was fleeing a coming earthquake.