The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 251 - Romance Plots, Bird Plots, The Students Are Late For Both

Chapter 251: Chapter 251 - Romance Plots, Bird Plots, The Students Are Late For Both

Dull mint eyes closed and gradually opened. Her personal servant and her unexpected style of romantics could be accepted, with effort. It didn’t really matter to Elua that people so unlike her Qat also found their happiness. It was just that the woman before her *usually* maintained such a practical demeanor.

’Chasing someone like Dima is so impractical. I’m not sure which of them I feel worse for.’

There was also working too hard for more vacation time... the heiress was starting to feel that Klaytei’s ’facade’ of being well put together was actually quite good.

"I suppose I can hardly criticize someone else’s devotion, given my own... *intensity* regarding matters of my heart. I wish you luck and success, so long as it doesn’t negatively affect my ’husband’."

The personal servant’s eyes became crescents as she gathered the empty tea cups. She had not intended to give up merely because her employer suggested she should, but getting a ’blessing’ was still exciting!

"Oh, I will do my utmost to keep us both out of your way. Actually, my lady... I did have one other question before I leave you to your rest."

The brunette gestured for her to continue, hoping that it would not be something about the branch manager. Though she did not think anything else could be in this sort of person’s mind. Of course, that was just projecting her own hypocrisy onto another.

"I noticed your disciples could barely look at each other when they came back, despite sitting directly across from one another."

"Ah, that. I may have suggested they stay at my private camp to... ’discuss’ their feelings."

"And?"

"They practically raced each other back to the main grounds instead."

A light chuckle over this bit of gossip escaped the servant’s throat. She had watched those two dance around each other since her charge first introduced them to her. While she wasn’t personally *that* interested in them as people, it was still an evolving romance story!

"Perhaps you should have made the suggestion for them to stay about something else entirely and then just let things happen if they will."

"I could have, but they fall into the pattern of feeling normal around each other if something doesn’t increase the tension."

’Plus it’s fun to watch them panic.’

"True. I can see how it might be frustrating to watch your friends yearn for more. They say young people are bolder, but they can also show such hesitance."

Elua grinned widely at Klaytei’s observation.

"How amusing that you can tease them about pining for each other while you plan to pine for the manager... who thinks you pine for the unattainable me."

The servant’s cheeks colored slightly as she finished gathering the cups. A small glare with no heat behind it met the pair of mint eyes.

"What? I’m simply appreciating all the layers of your romantic strategy. She will never see it coming. Though I suppose it’s fitting - you’ve certainly read enough tales of unrequited love to play the part convincingly."

"I think I preferred when you were still pretending to be completely innocent about such matters."

"Consider it my way of making up for all those dull years~"

The girl being a sweetheart like her father was feeling more and more like a distant memory to the woman. With a sigh as she shook her head, the servant moved off toward the closed tent flap.

"Get some rest, my lady."

"You must be sure to as well. You’ll need your energy to maintain the expected level of ’heartsick’ dignity tomorrow... if you run into her again."

The woman made a snorting noise as she ducked out with the tray. It wasn’t a matter of ’if’!

⟠ ⟠ ⟠

Dawn found the brunette walking the packed earth path toward the administrative pavilion. Today she chose to masquerade for work in a pale brown dress in a style quite similar to what she’d seen some of the noble’s entourage wearing.

In the back of her mind, she had the plan of dealing with her moodiness from yesterday by talking to the woman seeking that business connection once again. Lady Aarengraf had taken her displeasure well enough.

’It would be rude to ignore her willing silence on what I know she saw of me.’

The sounds of various competition events being prepared filled the air - wooden practice weapons clacking together from the training areas, voices calling out instructions to move props, and the general bustle of crews setting up for another day of martial displays. Today there would be team events where some cultivators defended an area while others sought to invade it.

While the majority of fighters would mostly be doing the former in the Descent, experiencing being ’overrun’ during the melee was still as valuable as getting the outlook of the ones doing the attack. While Voidlings moved more fluidly en masse than humans could, they were still directed with some intelligence - and sought the best ways to move forward in the middle of battle just the same.

Elua had barely reached the entrance when urgent voices from inside caught her attention. The word "theft" carried clearly through the air, followed by what looked likely to be one of the Wing & Talon representatives practically shouting about their prized birds.

’Well, I warned them. Repeatedly. There were security problems.’

The reincarnator stepped in calmly while heading to her assigned staff contact. The man was staring at the unfolding argument like a lost puppy when her ’saccharine’ voice stabbed incongruously into his ears.

"Can I please get you to tell me the location I am scheduled to work today?"

The man blinked at her several times, as if trying to reconcile her sudden appearance with the chaos around them. Another shout about the missing birds made him jump slightly. It was obviously better to be dealing with the nice young girl than pay attention to that nerve wracking element.

"Ah, yes... you’re supposed to be monitoring the western section today. The medics specially requested."

"Thank you so much for your help!"

Her ’bright’ smile made him relax slightly despite the continued commotion. As she turned away, the Enclave representative’s voice rose again in protest.

"All four birds! How could anyone possibly sneak them out under the eyes of your guard patrols?"

"I’m sorry to say that they must have been very clever thieves. That they broke into your storage without notice from your people at the time already proves this."

"If you’ll recall, there were concerns raised about security measures."

The cold sounding response to the pavilion manager came from one of the venue’s senior staff. Elua recognized the voice as belonging to the woman who had ’approved’ several of her suggested improvements... after the fact. The reincarnator liked her a lot!

’The woman that knows how to take some credit while protecting those under her. Time to see how more of this plays out before I offer any... assistance.’

The small cultivator made her way toward the area she was expected to go to check in. Though she took a path that let her observe the growing gathering of concerned officials near the Wing & Talon campsite. Her own Skydancer was nowhere in sight, but she could feel it circling high above the grounds.

’I wonder how long before they start questioning everyone with any avian-related interests?’

It was not as if she had anything to hide in regards to being involved, but while walking further away from the scene of the crime... she shrugged her shoulders and came up with enough reasons to *now* get involved. A signal alerted her bird and it dove before following the trail to her disciples. It would land, attract their attention, and lead them to her location this morning.

"Now I just have to deal with fawning ’adults’ looking for more details than I want to give."

She almost rathered that they would be more direct and interrogative, like the officials were probably going to be when the stolen creatures were not found in a few hours.

⟠ ⟠ ⟠

The high top tents for the medical station provided an excellent view of the temporary fortress being constructed out in the field. Elua sat with legs dangling from the edge of one of the prepared tables. Watching teams of cultivators arrange barricades and set up defensive positions for the day’s events was interesting for all of five minutes.

’I can see what they are going for, but there are so many training faults. The difference between the plans as it read on paper, the plans in action, and the actual thing they needed the plan for are so different.’

That being said, the reincarnator understood there was no perfect way to prepare. The things that worked acceptably throughout each cycle were simply kept - and testing refinements just meant that the creatures would find a new way around whatever you came up with. It was sure to be disheartening, on a macro scale.

"I wonder whether she will be on the assault or defense side first?"

As she vaguely mused out loud about her husband-wife, the Skydancer she’d sent on the errance preceded her disciples arrival. The bird landed gracefully on a nearby post, seeming to attempt to look as if the exertion had been nothing. Starting and stopping its flights so that the unhurried orphans would stay in sight had been *just* a little mentally exhausting.

It was pleased with its messenger duties, but it hoped not to have to escort these two again!

"Master?"

Nohre’s voice carried a hint of uncertainty as she and Fusand approached. The fact that no one else was around under the large tent was just a little creepy. The braided haired teen glanced between Elua and the bird, clearly wondering about the unusual summons and location.

"Thanks for showing up. I was just thinking how useful a pair of careful observers might be today."

The brunette’s ’sweet’ tone was there, but the way she looked at them made both disciples straighten instinctively. It wasn’t her teaching voice. Yet, something in her manner suggested this was to be an experience that wasn’t a typical lesson.