The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 224 - The Math Of Matches: Final Tournament Logic & Admiring Fangirl Breaks

Chapter 224: Chapter 224 - The Math Of Matches: Final Tournament Logic & Admiring Fangirl Breaks

Qatrand turned back toward the competitors’ area with the weight of many evaluating stares. The Yecine elders were clearly among those observing, though that was calculation and disapproval she had grown familiar with. Her wife’s earlier comment about their opinions surely hadn’t been wrong.

But as she moved to check the updated brackets, the swordswoman found she cared far less about their judgment over a matter like that than about the complex emotions still rippling through their connection. She could feel that her El waffled between trying to break out of it and diving back into it.

The swordswoman moved mechanically through the motions of checking brackets and preparing for her next match, feeling like she shouldn’t have left Elua alone. Her thoughts kept returning to that particular phrase she used.

’Very convenient.’

Something about how Elua had delivered those words nagged at her memory. Eventually it struck her that it was the wedding gifts. They had discussed them all one evening, curled together while reviewing what they’d received that night.

Her wife had been rather interested in one item - a stone etched with essence transfer sigils. It had activated during the ceremony when that tree gift tried to drain them, providing an unexpected counter to what was clearly meant as sabotage.

That curved blade wielder’s presence that had sparked such tension... she must have been the one who delivered that particular gift. A stranger who had appeared at their ceremony, yet provided something that proved crucial.

’And now she appears here, drawn to El despite her clear hostility.’

Her fingers traced the black ribbon at her sword hilt as she thought. The way her wife had completely dropped her facade, how that familiar face had drawn such raw emotion... there was a history there. Ancient history, given what she knew of her mint-drop’s situation.

The announcement of another match ending barely registered. She looked over to see one of her family members winning their bout before she was ’gone’ again. Qat’s mind worked through the puzzling parts of what happened.

The woman’s strange insistence, the look of guilt at Elua as much as the man she hurt despite never *supposedly* meeting her before, that ’convenient’ gift that had saved them at their ceremony - and most importantly that empty monotone that only emerged when she was being especially genuine or something touched old wounds.

’Well, in this case isn’t it both? She was genuinely angry about something from the past.’

The swordswoman shook her head. There was more to this than she was going to figure out by worrying herself to mental exhaustion.

"Finally returning to us, cousin?"

Navuill joked at her.

"You’re still winning, I see."

"If I don’t, I’ll start seeing the elders more than my wife again for a while. I’ve grown fond of time spent doing nothing much with her... meanwhile, you know how it is."

It was as close as he was going to get to saying out loud that being trapped in constant training with the elders would be a nightmare. Fortunately for him, Qatrand understood where he was going with it and didn’t ask a follow up around those listening.

"You know, you said my El is bold, but here you are speaking of your spouse favorably in public. What would the other three in our cohort think?"

The ’heir’ teased back, understanding from it a little how a bit of ’mischief’ could lower tension. He waved his hand dismissively at her.

"That’s different, their intended wives are dreadful."

"Oh? How do you know that?"

Navuill looked caught for a moment before he averted his gaze and mumbled.

"...My wife told me so."

Qatrand allowed herself a small smile at his admission.

"She might object to you spreading her opinions around like that."

The young man chuckled with a warmth in his tone about that relationship - and when talking to their ’heir’ - that would have been unthinkable some months ago.

"Actually, she told me to tell you specifically. She wanted to brag about how we both ended up with partners who make us think differently than the rest."

Qat raised an eyebrow at that, remembering how standoffish the man’s wife had been at the first family gatherings. She knew that he told her their behavior around each other was changing to be more pleasant, but the way he spoke of it seemed farther than that.

"Speaking of thinking differently... you’ve gotten sharper lately. Not just in combat."

A shrug rolled off her shoulders as she checked the next round’s timing.

"I suppose being with someone who works to see every angle makes you start noticing some of them too. But I’m glad to hear it. If you can notice, then maybe they can too... though whether they see it positively or not is a question."

She lightly gestured toward their family viewing area and left it at that. The rest of the preliminary matches blurred past, only accentuated by moments of her focus when facing an opponent that was doing something new - or when watching a particularly technical bout from those remaining.

By late afternoon, the regional qualifiers had narrowed to their top contenders and she was getting antsy about what Elua was doing on her own. Still, Qat studied the quarter-final brackets with analytical eyes that would have made her wife proud.

Eight matches total per region would determine who advanced to the finals. Six were held to determine the top two in a round-robin style section of the tournament.

Then there was a nine-point fight for the semi-final that required the victor to win by two points. It could go on until a clear two-point gap was made.

Following that potentially intense round, the three finals competitors each facing each other once in five-point matches. The ultimate winners were determined by the total of points they won off of each other in the two rounds.

Altogether, this promised to be a grueling series of championship rounds with less rest time in between fights than today. The twelve who made it through today were all solemn. This included Talva er Ryleon, standing around another field... not knowing that she wouldn’t exactly be getting rest after *this* either.

Qatrand’s fingers absently traced the ribbon at her sword hilt again when retrieving her weapon. Her thoughts drifted back to Elua, wondering if her wife’s earlier encounter with the person from her past would affect whatever she was planning for Talva.

The Yecine knew better than most how her mint-drop’s plans tended to multiply as new information came in.

⟠ ⟠ ⟠

Elua’s ’sweet’ smile blossomed as she approached one of her precious gem’s potential allies in the competitor’s rest area. The tall blonde immediately straightened from where she had been checking over her companions’ equipment.

"Lady Goltbred! I-"

The higher than normal voice cut off as she realized how her greeting already sounded *excited*. She tried to loosen her shoulders just a bit.

"I didn’t expect to see you in this section right now."

Her voice counterbalanced *too* far and she scrunched her nose at the sound. Elua’s facade didn’t waver over either tone, but her spirit coiled with ’interest’. The reaction so far was a lot different from when Talva was talking to a ’veteran’.

’I wonder why she is so nervous?’

"I ran into someone this morning that spoke highly of you, so I just wanted to swing by and thank you personally for defending me."

For a moment, the woman seemed stunned before her expression changed to something younger and less militant.

"Of course. Your sigil work is brilliant. I’ve been following your contributions for... uh..."

Talva caught herself mid-gush and trailed off, but the heiress wouldn’t let that slide. She tilted her head with wide eyes and an ’innocent’ look.

"Oh? You’re familiar with my Guild work?"

"Yes! I mean- the Army studies any practical applications. Your modified ritual frameworks for the Coiled Serpent Guild’s southern outposts were particularly..."

She realized she was revealing rather specific knowledge and stopped once again. Talva had not been prepared to run into this person in a way that would actually get them *talking*. Her spirit flickered with embarrassment as she tried to maintain her military bearing.

The brunette tilted her head the other way, some genuine curiosity mixing with her manipulation. A bright ’smile’ and ’giggle’ were let out to further impact the woman she was talking to.

"That’s quite observant of you. Most people don’t follow the technical details so closely to remember who designed it."

"The silver trim on your mint dress matches the one from your wedding, doesn’t it?"

The words burst out before Talva could stop them. Her flush deepened as she realized what she’d said moved well beyond professional interest. Of course, the Goltbred girl understood that too.

’This is... unexpected.’

"It does! How sweet of you to notice. You really are detail-oriented, huh?"

Elua’s expression brightened further while her actual self processed this development. She’d had experience with these kinds of people in this life. In fact, she had one of them sharing her house and a father almost as bad. They were far less dangerous than the type that existed in the ancient past.

’I just didn’t expect to have my own super-fan already. Especially one nearly twice my age.’

They discussed Army logistics and Guild cooperation during the coming war for several minutes, with Talva repeatedly catching herself before diving too deep into details about Elua herself. Finally, as the brunette ’prepared to leave’... Talva’s composure finally cracked once again.

"Before you go... would it be inappropriate to ask for just one hug?"

The ancient cultivator actually froze for a moment. She was caught between a mass of amusement and a bit of bewilderment. Zyris may have been a good example of the ability of a fanatic to jump randomly... but that still didn’t prepare!

There was also the fact that she chose that exact moment to ’depart’ because of an approaching eavesdropper. She felt Qat’s spirit surge with a complex mix of ’protection’ and ’recognition’ from nearby. Elua had intended to run into her and then come back to chat with Talva more as a couple... but now?

’Oh my. Oh my~ This just got even more interesting.’