The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 210 - The Adults Cannot Accept What The Very Old Or Very Young Might

Chapter 210: Chapter 210 - The Adults Cannot Accept What The Very Old Or Very Young Might

Anper er Yecine’s hands clenched at his sides. He’d watched as his heir carried that witch away. The words he had tried to speak still felt locked in his throat - crushed by the sheer indifference that had dismissed his very existence. That weight of intent that had looked down on everyone here.

His gaze shifted to his young sons, who he had been distracted from paying attention to by those on the stage. Their earlier eagerness to prove themselves by confronting the Goltbred girl had crumbled. Kaland’s hand still gripped his younger brother’s sleeve, but now it seemed more for his own comfort.

"Father..."

Ajoreal’s voice wavered weakly while seeking guidance and reminded Anper uncomfortably of his first child when she was at that age. The boy’s tone set something in his chest alight. He had warned the other elders about the girl’s dangerous nature... had even experienced it himself - but they hadn’t listened!

’We’ll see if they ignore it now.’

"Return to our encampment with them."

The command to the shaken retainers came out harsher than intended. Both boys also flinched. Anper forced his tone to soften when directing it at them. Mostly because he didn’t want to sound so affected.

"We will later discuss proper ways to address such... situations."

A sudden quiet chuckle drew his attention. The culprit’s eyes held a knowing glint that made his jaw tighten. Lirades er Yecine held her hand on top of her hair as she shook her head.

"Your warning to them about the girl wasn’t quite accurate, was it? What I just felt was a dragon among insects. You said she was like a viper looking for where to strike."

"I told you she was dangerous. That she would corrupt-"

"Corrupt. Yes, you did say that. Yet, your eldest son seemed quite capable of handling her without fear. One might wonder if that’s what *truly* bothers you."

His face barely contorted at the implication that he was afraid, but for a Yecine that was as good a tell as any. The man tried to salvage his reaction towards a more articulate purpose.

"It should bother all of us that she feels such liberty to display her true nature now."

Anper’s gaze followed his sons as they retreated. Their steps lacked their usual confidence. He couldn’t blame them for being affected.

"Those boys have barely begun their training. They weren’t ready to face that level of..."

His words trailed off as he recalled the absolute emptiness in those mint eyes. No hatred or anger - those he at least could have used to reinforce his warnings. Complete dismissal of their existence, as if they were beneath even contempt?

’How might I best spin that as a clear danger...’

"And when would they be ready? Were you ready? I certainly wasn’t... and my spirit is stronger than yours."

Lirades’ voice carried a sharp edge beneath its elderly warmth. The other men shifted uncomfortably. They had dismissed his concerns about the Goltbred witch as mere bitterness... even after he warned them of her confronting him at the wedding. Even after the exceptional display at the bridal ritual and her wedding Challenges.

Now they had witnessed something that greatly defied their ’comfortable’ assumptions about the young cultivator. Especially those who had pushed back a bit at the pressure. It simultaneously wouldn’t budge and shifted away, almost like the energy was flailing underwater.

Noticing that no one else was going to speak up, the woman continued.

"So when is it? When they’ve learned to hate her strongly enough? To fear something deeply enough? Tell me, exactly what lesson did you intend for your children to learn by coming here today?"

"They needed to see-"

Anper cut himself off after realizing he had nearly admitted to intentionally provoking the status quo of the heirship. Hadn’t some part of him wanted these stubborn old men to understand what they were dealing with? Not just with the Goltbred girl, but with Qatrand as well.

He had almost blurted it out because of how unsettled he still was. That he had wanted them to see his oldest child *fail*. Watching his internal struggle, Lirades continued with her momentum.

"Perhaps what they truly needed to see was how quickly their brother moved to contain the situation. This was even after being a winner of this event... and by running over from that far. Let them think about how easily your heir guided that ’danger’ away from them."

Her keen gaze panned around those listening. Several of the gathered elders stiffened, already preparing to argue against the woman.

"Of course, that seems like something even children can make sense of. Which means the adults that cannot are carrying a bias that prevents the knowledge from taking seat."

A few opened their mouths as if to object... only to close them again when no sufficient counterpoint presented itself. The younger among them looked particularly quick to avert their faces from the eldest living daughter of the Yecine family. In a way, Lirades was quite capable of her own form of suppression.

’But the stubborn fools won’t listen, even if they quiet down.’

---

A fragment pulsed with a very subtle ’regret’ as the two newlyweds watched servants slowly escort two very young Yecine down the main path. The attendants maintained a bit of distance from the boys, as if they were fragile things that might shatter if bumped.

"Looks like they’re returning to our camp area."

The low voice of the eldest ’brother’ carried no accusation. The pair had been on their way back to the elders to deal with the aftermath when they happened to see the other party. The heiress maintained a thoughtful observation as small fingers squeezed Qat’s arm.

"I know you said not today, but... of course we should go to them."

The brunette’s spirit pressed tighter around the fragment in her chest before letting the raven-haired version of her beloved feel her unwavering support.

"After all, my love, they are your siblings. Even if you haven’t had the chance to truly know them yet."

’I may not understand or feel these things in the same way as others, but I at least logically know what is common sense. I also know that it was right for Qat to nudge me at Onya.’

Elua felt a similar complexity of concern in the swordswoman’s gaze as she once felt about that infant as Qatrand tracked the small party’s progress. The ’older’ teenager recognized the stiff way they held themselves in the center of the group. It was a familiar echo of her own childhood struggles with family expectations.

Of doing whatever she could to be accepted and potentially praised.

"Okay."

Elua’s illusions shimmered dramatically into place around her. An unrequired flair that she developed for when she wanted her partners to know. In this case, rendering her invisible to all eyes but her fortress’s pigeon blues. A look of curiosity crossed her spouse’s face over what her intention was.

"I want to be there. This situation arose from my... moment. So they probably don’t want to see me, yet. If your discussion changes how I might have to approach them in the future, I’d like to start making plans now."

A final gentle squeeze of the cute girl’s hand was all the response needed. They followed the path of the retreating group. The taller led ahead while the shorter played at placing her footfalls in the same location.

The illusionist could appreciate how the two young Yecine held themselves together in the center of their escort. Especially because she could detect their grand unease. The servants seemed uncertain whether to hurry them along or not.

Her husband-wife’s steady approach changed that dynamic instantly.

"You may return to the elders. I will see my brothers the rest of the way to the camp."

The low voice held authority that even the oldest of their retainers didn’t think to question. As the servants bowed and retreated, the heiress beamed with ’pride’ at her back. How naturally her beloved commanded such respect!

’I wonder if this is due to her family training or due to dealing with me? After all, handling me has to have... had effects.’

Both boys stiffened more at finding themselves alone with their eldest sibling. There was a lingering uncertainty in them over how Qatrand would react, due to how they were *just* making light of the Goltbred girl before she was carried off. What if the scary sister-in-law had tattled?

The sight made Qatrand’s chest tighten. She had worn that mask of composure countless times in her youth when dealing with her ’superiors’. Measuring every gesture against the potential of disappointing them. She didn’t wish that on anyone, having lived it.

"Do you remember what I asked of you before the tower climb?"

The youngest answered her.

"To... to watch everything with our own eyes?"

His little voice was quieter in response than would normally be permitted and both boys flinched a little when they realized it. Of course, the swordswoman was not here to admonish them for something like that.

"And what did you see just now? Out on the stage?"

Kaland’s jaw tightened in a way that suggested the child was fighting between honesty and what he felt was expected. It took effort to remember what had been told to him this morning and realize that the person asking wasn’t looking for a rote response.

"There were... four cultivators on stage. The tall woman in blue was the one a lot of elders watched."

His voice grew slightly stronger as he focused on the facts rather than expectations. Ajoreal perked up slightly at his brother’s lead.

"And that big army lady took third. She looked really strong!"

Qatrand felt a ripple of her El’s ’amused’ interest at the younger boy’s enthusiasm. The heiress was merely wondering if she had met another muscle enthusiast! The swordswoman nodded encouragingly at the two... quite used to ignoring her questions about the girl for later moments.

’Though I am not at all used to pretending she isn’t standing right in front of people who do not notice her!’