The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 242 - Spirit Message Spam: All Of The Tone, None Of The Context!

Chapter 242: Chapter 242 - Spirit Message Spam: All Of The Tone, None Of The Context!

Standing with the crowd staring at her, a certain swordswoman felt a little overwhelmed. When dueling, she had a goal that needed all her focus and it was easy enough to ignore the watchers. The morning had been testing her with everyone more interested in watching her every move from yesterday.

But Corde had poured oil back on the fire that had dimmed over the last hours.

’El, what would you have me do in this situation? I’m starting to understand why you prefer me to decide what I want. It’s troublesome - and you already had so many millennia of making decisions.’

The thoughts fluttered through her mind, like a butterfly seeking the nectar of guidance from the one person who truly understood the depths of her heart. The fragment in her chest practically mirrored her own conflicted emotions. The cute girl was feeling ’caution’ and ’annoyance’.

Qat sighed shortly, thinking that the ability to sense this was a double-edged sword... that she was gripping by the sharp end. It was a grand comfort at times and an itching curiosity of paper thin cuts at others. What was her wife currently annoyed at?

She could usually wait for the girl to tell her everything, but it was killing her to know while they were apart! To run and protect her from it... or just listen and hug her a while. The tall, muscular teen merely pocketed the letter for now.

"I’ll talk to her about it later."

Raven-haired Qat mumbled to herself She knew her choices in the matter would have consequences. Not just for herself, but for her family. It set a precedent if a Yecine, let alone an heir, sought out instruction from another style of fighting.

And precedents are something that traditionalists do their best to avoid making.

Ondua and Zyris approached excitedly before Qat could focus again on the matches going on. They both all but vibrated with barely contained enthusiasm over the young Yecine’s latest exploits. At least, Zyris could barely wait to speak out about Corde before they even made it close.

"Was that... did she just..."

The woman’s words trailed off as if afraid to voice her hopes aloud. Which fan didn’t suspect that the three time Descent warrior would be looking for a disciple someday? Ondua was equally eager to ask about what his daughter had mentioned in private last night... but remained slightly more composed as he picked up the thread of conversation.

"We couldn’t help but notice your exchange with the Frozen Duskblade. Did she really offer to train you?"

His warm voice somehow still sounded of a ’bitter’ awe. First his daughter, now his idol? His wife had even started to talk about the boy a lot more than she used to... since Elua had returned from Guild training.

’And Onya...’

The father wanted to complain, but it felt aimless. He knew his wife loved him the most. That his youngest loved spending time with practically everyone. And as for his eldest... he decided not to touch that compartment in his heart! It was filled with more questions and uncertainty than he preferred to admit.

"She did. A formal offer to guide me in sword styles after the Descent."

The Talcres woman let out a squeal of delight and clapped her hands together in a way that almost made Qat think of the toddler currently ’turning into chains’ to entrap Talva. The idea was *unfair*, but the swordswoman couldn’t quite put her finger on why when her wife told her that part of her plan today.

"Qatrand, that’s incredible! To have caught the eye of such a renowned warrior... your skills must have truly impressed her."

The man’s spirit surged with more ’pride’ than anything else. It was *his* son-in-law! Before and after marrying his daughter, the young man had always been respectful to the utmost. If... a little narcissistic about the heiress loving him back so fervently.

’Wait, is it being vain if he was right?’

Ondua put that invasive thought back in the mental box with the rest of Elua er Goltbred.

"Can you imagine the techniques she could teach you? The insights into essence manipulation and blade work? Oh, you must accept!"

As someone who had long been unable to cultivate essence, it had remained as one of the most intriguing energies to Zyris. The enthusiastic encouragement brought a small smile to Qatrand’s face. She appreciated their genuine support and shared passion for cultivation.

Yet, a part of her hesitated to just admit that she should agree. She had those reservations about the woman in regards to the cute girl. The same ancient cultivator currently *actually* manipulating someone into doing things. Qat could trust her wife’s intentions, even if she had been warned by the person herself to keep an eye on her methods.

"It is a generous offer. One that I will have to consider carefully."

Her low voice and chosen response seemed to temper their excitement. The brunette man nodded, his expression turning thoughtful. Of course it wasn’t as simple as accepting for a Yecine - let alone the heir. It sometimes skipped his mind because of his own values... and because Qatrand made a lot of personal moves that could make him forget the family his son-in-law was born to.

"Of course. A decision like this requires care. But son, I hope you know that we believe in your potential. Everyone who watched you fight. Who watched you climb. We can see that you will continue to grow and achieve great things."

A warmth grew in her chest and behind her eyes at Ondua’s sincere words. She knew he spoke not just as a father-in-law who genuinely cared for her well-being, but as a fellow cultivator. Her El already filled so much of the emptiness of both care and respect for her actual self from people within her life.

However,

"Thank you. Your support means a great deal to me, father."

She bowed her head to her in-law to convey her gratitude. Zyris was unwilling to read the mood, despite being capable. The woman leaned in closer - as if proximity was what was keeping the details she needed to hear under wraps.

"You must tell us everything about your duel with her. From your perspective. The techniques you used, the way she countered... oh, it must have been an experience from your eyes!"

Qatrand chuckled softly at her antics before shaking her head. Some part of her thought that the mature woman must have been very cute when she was a young girl.

’It’s probably the excitement and wanting me to talk. I can’t help but think of El.’

"Perhaps another time. I fear we would be rude to the rest of the exhibition matches if I were to recount every detail now."

A lot of ears had perked their way as if looking to get in on the retelling. Even though they had all seen it the day before! Zyris pouted visibly, further solidifying Qat’s assessment, but acquiesced to putting the tale off.

"Of course. We wouldn’t want to keep you from your observations. Everything you learn now will make you safer in the war."

The tone of the Talcres woman had peeled back its youth but still showed her concern for others.

"Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind."

The Yecine knew that both of the older cultivator’s support was genuine, but the swordswoman couldn’t help but wonder... how everyone would react if they knew the true extent of Elua’s influence on her cultivation. The foundation she had helped build through simple and complex means.

Everything she did now was just frantically trying to make use of it all. To prove worthy of the opportunity and love from the cute girl. As well as to hold true to herself, as the reincarnator expected of her.

’El, I wish you were here.’

The thought slipped through her mind, a longing for the clarity and assurance that only her spouse could provide. She felt the fragment of that ancient illusionist in her chest swirl with a push of ’comfort’ and returned ’yearning’. Her El had sensed her needs from afar and met them.

After feeling that, a bit of guilt formed. She had pushed away their questions with the excuse of watching the matches. But if her wife was standing beside her, as was likely to happen soon, she might pay even less attention than she currently was. With a deep steadying breath, Qatrand forced herself to stick to her choice.

The teenager sent emotions of being ’grateful’ and ’refusal’ next. A reply of ’confusion’ received an answer of ’wholeness’. It was the best way she could think of to make her not rush there.

After a while of plotting and calculating, a reluctant ’encouragement’ ended their spiritual banter. All the ploys the heiress could think of to go there *anyway* would be seen as false the moment she stopped caring about them.

"Which I would. Instantly. They’d only be excuses that served their purpose. Right, Onya?"

The child she whispered to in the camp’s crib was too deep in her dream to hear. The reborn cultivator was pretty uncomfortably aware that her sister was not an existence like that. Which is why she didn’t rush away immediately with her beloved’s ’invitation’.

But it also annoyed her slightly that the girl had made her hesitate at all. The brunette ultimately decided not to stare at her with her petty annoyance and to leave the tent. Her nursemaid could watch the girl as she spent her rest day walking and looking around the grounds more freely.

The illusionist was sure there were more people out there she would like to meet, those she would not... and those she hadn’t decided on either way.