The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 214 - ...The Gamblers Aren’t Alright (Woah-oh~)

Chapter 214: Chapter 214 - ...The Gamblers Aren’t Alright (Woah-oh~)

The later the afternoon stretched, the closer the sun moved toward the horizon. The emptying pavilion led the merchants to begin consolidating their stations. This naturally led to more people engaging in the ’conspiracy of bets’ with the lead merchant.

He was sure he could figure it out by the end of the day and had already wagered a small keg of alcohol on it! Most winners had collected their due, leaving only some scattered latecomers left to process. Alongside them were those remaining few who wanted to get bets in today instead of rushing in the morning when the brackets were posted.

A broad-shouldered man in worn leathers thrust his collection slip onto their table. His calloused palm pressed against the wood as he leaned forward at them. His voice carried the gruff certainty of someone used to being heard.

The merchants knew a caravan boss when they saw one.

"Told my crew this morning - ’that Yecine heir’s got the proper spirit for it.’ Met them while arranging transport contracts a few months back. You can tell when someone’s got real training, not just playing at it."

The leader comparing ledgers glanced up at the familiar claim. Many had boasted of "knowing" the winners today. All of them seemed anecdotal and hard to verify.

’Well, that’s usually the case. People like to pretend they know their favorites.’

"That right? Quite a few seemed to share your confidence."

"Ha! Most of them just follow the odds you put out. But if you see how they carry themselves in person? Traditional values show through. Not like some of these new Guilders - all flash, no foundation."

His gravelly laugh drew nods from those still waiting nearby. Qatrand er Yecine certainly did have a presence about them! The display with the bird was quite unorthodox, but still somehow felt reserved. Most of them standing there also knew that the bird belonged to the Goltbred heiress.

One of the younger merchants leaned in, unable to resist asking the caravan boss.

"You do much business with the family then?"

"Enough to know they keep to the old ways. Their heir especially - takes after their father in all the *right* areas, if you catch my meaning."

Those that had ever been around Anper weren’t entirely sure what he meant, but he didn’t let it bother him.

"And that Goltbred girl they married seems to have settled in. Saw her up there with the Yecine family watching the ceremony."

Several merchants exchanged looks at the casual mention of that particular topic.

"Heard she’s the one who paid for *and* designed all those cooling areas."

The comment drifted from someone still waiting in line. Others joined in with their own observations after hearing it, snowballing into an avalanche of chatter.

"Oh yeah. Something about being a medical fairy?"

"Yeah, I heard that too. Whatever that means."

"I think it’s because she’s been pretty since she was young and likes to take care of people? I have a friend with a kid her age that-"

The bet takers were surprised at the lively shift in the few remaining in line. The young daughter of Ondua er Goltbred was apparently an easy topic to find takers for - especially when people were talking about cultivation and climbing all day.

"And those fancy water features by the towers!"

"Yes, I heard a staff member mention they were donated to someone that stopped and asked. Must have cost the Goltbred a fortune."

"That’s an affluent family for you. They can afford to show off."

The tradesman’s rough laugh cut through all their speculation.

"Their heiress knows what they’re about though. No one would waste coin without purpose, that’s my thought. You see how many more people stuck around watching today?"

The group nodded, with a few of them already getting it.

"More eyes mean more glory for the proper technique of her husband."

After he made that conspiratorial declaration - as if he was the one who learned the secret wiles of the teenage girl - he produced another set of betting slips. Each was already marked with careful consideration for the upcoming fights.

"Speaking of proper technique - I’ll put some on their cousin too. That Continental Army woman who took third as well. The ones out there who showed real fundamentals and grit, you understand?"

The Fairweather merchants in charge noted how his ’scattered’ bets for the tower winner had created an interesting set around the Yecine heir’s most expected victories. Not quite the ’throw it at everything’ pattern of the noblewoman, but still safely overcalculated for someone claiming simple appreciation.

’He knows the best odds. He also knows a lot about their wife. Is he... one of those?’

The bet taking merchants had seen lots of extreme fans and felt like they were seeing the ’youth’ stage of one aimed at Qatrand er Yecine. This man was far too old to be chasing after young cultivators with that kind of fervor in his eyes!

A little while after they finished processing the tradesman’s precise set of wagers, an elderly mortal veteran shuffled into line. Only a scattered handful of people still trickled in before the evening closed.

A pair of worn insignias caught the fading light, marking their service during the previous two Descents. Yet there was something almost delicate about how those gnarled fingers produced the piece of paper from their pocket. Someone used to handling far more fragile things.

"Quite the interesting day."

The voice carried the particular rasp of decades spent shouting orders. Today’s date marked the betting slip and crisp, precise lines suggested the veteran had taken their time when they signed it.

"Indeed. Many seemed to have strong opinions."

The merchant responded perfunctorily for hopefully the last time today and started processing the simple win. After dealing with that particular flavor of ’enthusiasm’ earlier, an old soldier was practically restful.

Mint eyes blinked underneath the illusion of age as an ancient cultivator savored her final collection. It had been a long few hours since she escaped from that conversation with the Yecine elders. Each role had gathered exactly the kind of reactions and rumors she’d hoped for.

The veteran persona in particular had an additional role... after finding a certain third-place winner in need of some probing conversation. Talva er Ryleon might not know it, but she had gained either a great friend or a terrible enemy this day!

’It’s hard not to imagine them having some hidden intention regarding my Qat, but I’ll try and reserve judgment until I can stand close and really evaluate their spirit. Then whatever their honest connection is, I will learn it.’

The weathered fingers of her illusion accepted the coins with careful dignity while she stuffed another pouch in her filled to the brim satchel. If anyone ever tried to audit the winners, they’d find plenty of real people who had ’genuinely’ collected their own ’legitimate’ winnings.

Elua couldn’t help but feel a touch of pride in her personal network’s execution. While she had played just over a dozen and a half different faces throughout the time, the rest of the large bets had come from real-bodied collaborators.

Secret workers for Silversky that handled her private business and knew exactly what sort of questionable game they played. The best people she knew that were used to knowing without talking or asking more questions.

"Now then... time to go have a chat. She’s lucky she doesn’t look *too* much like my fortress, or I might’ve thrown another body double tantrum."

The brunette stretched as she walked behind the image of the veteran all while her obsidian mirror rotated idly behind her back.