The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 252 - A Fresh Set Of Eyes To Snoop Around, But *Our* Secrets Should Stay Sealed

Chapter 252: Chapter 252 - A Fresh Set Of Eyes To Snoop Around, But *Our* Secrets Should Stay Sealed

The Goltbred heiress kicked her feet idly while staring down the pair of orphans. Having disciples was a status symbol to some cultivators in the past - and now, for some. Now, more than then, it was only a job to some others. But the important part of mentoring was always pushing them just a *little* forward in some way.

"Have either of you heard about our missing performers?"

Fusand’s brow pinched at the question. While he did notice that there seemed to be a lot of people gathering in one section of the venue, the rumors hadn’t truly begun their memetic propagation. He thought hard for a moment before giving in to curiosity.

"...What missing performers?"

"The Wing & Talon’s prize birds. The ones they just unveiled yesterday. All four of them, somehow spirited away in the night despite being under lock and watch."

The sandy-haired teen held his chin and scrunched his face as he processed this.

’The cages were not that small, did they take them? Open them and carry the birds out in... what, sacks?’

Nohre saw him and his imagination running rampant, so she decided she had to ask the other questions on her own.

"But how could someone just sneak in and get away? They must have clues already."

"That’s exactly what I’d like you two to help me figure out. I’m to be trapped here by this duty for the events all morning and afternoon. So find what everyone knows - rumormongers and the official stances. "

Mint eyes grew more intense with something that made the pair of orphans lean forward despite themselves. A sort of charisma that the heiress had, even when she was being a little overbearing. Even when it felt like the person in front of them was so much more than they appeared.

’I feel like she already knows everything!’

Fusand shook a little, whether in fear or excitement he couldn’t entirely say... so he just assumed it was both like usual.

"Of course, you’ll need to be discreet in your inquiries. After all, we wouldn’t want to interfere with the official investigation. Think of it as a trial of your reasoning abilities and how to apply them in practice."

The ’young’ girl hopped off the table and landed spritely, her hands going to her hips on the brown dress. She raised her chin and looked down on her ’underlings’.

"Oh, and this is important. Like the competition today, this is a team event. You will stay together the whole time. If either of you sense things are getting dangerous, return to me immediately."

The pair nodded while growing accustomed to their day being hijacked by this sudden test.

"Good. If anyone presses you over why you are so interested, you are more than welcome to inform them that Elua er Goltbred is highly upset and that they can direct more inquiries my way as to why."

"O-oh. Are you?"

The green eyed girl wondered and worried. If their master was in a bad mood over this, then would it really be alright to wander off on their own instead of keeping her company? The girl wasn’t sure what she would do by staying, but it felt like the ’friend’ thing to do.

’No, doing as she asks would be most effective! She surely knows best.’

The teens were very often confused because of treating Elua differently in different circumstances.

"Of course I am. This is stealing the spotlight from my Qat. The rumors will be mumbling about this all day and paying less attention to her performance! It is quite outrageous, wouldn’t you agree?"

The ’older’ teen stepped back as the brunette pressed forward with each sentence. She nodded frantically at the end.

"Of course! Master Qatrand deserves all the attention. H-he has been doing so well so far."

"Absolutely. She will continue to do wonderfully and now you might not get to see it start unless you hurry up."

The boy had already been mulling over the first slip when two more came out.

"Her... she?"

A head snapped towards him and listless eyes studied his reaction. The ancient cultivator’s main instinct was to destroy her ’mistake’ in both of them, but she held off for a different sort of test. While keeping the other girl oblivious to what was going on and blunting the words in her memory, the real Elua took a step towards the ’dust-fox’.

"If I told you that was correct, what would you think?"

The excitement from earlier was defiled completely by the big stick of fear his master wielded. It wasn’t just the lack of light in her mint eyes, but the way she studied him as if he was a problem to be solved - in the most expedient way possible. The boy gulped down what little saliva he had left and responded.

"Confused, mostly."

"Beyond that? Would it make a difference to you personally if my marriage partner was actually a woman and my family did not know? If much of the Yecine family was also in the dark?"

Fusand held the side of his head, despite being a little scared to move because the monotone voice made it hard for him to tell whether she was upset or not.

"All that just confuses me more. This feels like something I shouldn’t be told."

"Well, you’re right about that. Yet... here we are. And since that is the case, tell me honestly what you think of my relationship with Qat."

His heart thudded at the sudden question. The Goltbred talked about her spouse a lot, but rarely asked for opinions on how they fit together. Luckily, something brushed against him - an intent that suggested genuine curiosity rather than threat.

Even with that assurance, the teen struggled to organize his thoughts while that listless gaze remained fixed on him.

"You’re... very devoted to each other. Sometimes it’s almost uncomfortable to watch."

She could easily acknowledge that the people of this particular era and region were prudish about some behaviors. A slight nod of her head encouraged him to continue.

"Uh. The way you look at each other, how you always seemed to know when he... she? - was nearby. Actually, knowing that ’sure’ part of it has been a performance..."

"And now, knowing what you know?"

Fusand’s fingers twitched, his scholarly mind connecting threads to weave an escape rope. Even as his survival instinct screamed to stop thinking because the ’creature’ was already on his back.

"It... this all explains some things. Like why they seem more comfortable around you than anyone else. If you knew but they couldn’t... tell anyone else..."

His voice grew quieter with each observation, as if speaking the thoughts aloud made them more dangerous.

"It also raises so many questions that I probably shouldn’t even think about asking."

"Yet you’re thinking about them anyway. Ask whatever you want."

The first part wasn’t quite an accusation but more like she was measuring the depth of his curiosity... against his sense of self-preservation. The ancient cultivator found herself genuinely interested in what conclusions his scholarly mind might draw, even knowing she couldn’t let him keep them.

"I... wonder how many people know. How you maintain it. Why you’re so protective of each other. Why-"

He cut himself off, but her eyes didn’t waver. Her hand made a light enough gesture that was somehow all too smooth and perfect before she urged him.

"Go on."

"Why tell me? Even accidentally? Was it an accident?"

"Sometimes we need fresh eyes on old problems. And you’ve already shown yourself capable of seeing things others miss. As well as putting things together very quick once you have new parts."

Her voice remained neutral but the presence of her eyes grew sharper. The surroundings grew distant as everything stretched away from those orbs.

"Like how you just asked if it was truly an accident. Most would assume my slip was pure carelessness, not consider how it might be... intentional testing. Of course, you know me just a little better than most."

’Maybe I’ve surprised them with things too much, he’s starting to suspect everything immediately! Well, it’s a good thing in the long run.’

Fusand somehow felt his whole consciousness tense. The scholarly part of his mind that had been spinning up theories fell abruptly silent as he realized there were no other sounds. That he and his master were in the dark of nothingness.

For a moment, it all felt like a dream - except he didn’t think he was this imaginative.

"Then... this whole conversation was..."

"A chance to hear an outsider’s perspective. One I won’t get again until the next ’accident’, since I once promised her I would never be the one to intentionally tell people about her true self."

The teen’s nose scrunched up..

"But you literally just-"

"Did I? Will you remember this conversation in a few moments?"

The enormity of her voice and implication hit him like cold water. His eyes widened as he finally understood exactly what kind of test this had been. What she was doing to him even now.

"You can do that? Just... remove memories?"

"Not easily without an appropriate Astralism. Not safely, if done too broadly. The mind doesn’t like having pieces carved away. Actually, I tend to... bludgeon when I need to do that. Cleaner and less invasive."

Her presence already filled more space than her small frame should allow, but she somehow took a step closer. Whatever liminal space of spirit they were in was beyond his full comprehension. He only knew that the girl had him in her metaphysical palm.

"But sealing is another matter entirely. Doing that carefully, like placing a sheet over furniture you care about rather than burning down the room. I would call it easier... but it’s far safer with how much I have to remove from your thoughts."

"What about Nohre?"

A heady rush of ’amusement’ surged through him as he felt parts of his soul tagged and woven together. There was still a section of him that trusted this was all going to be fine. But it wobbled against the part that felt like the unknown he was facing would be death.

"It’s quite adorable. In a situation that feels like an end to you, you think about her this much. Tell me, since you won’t remember saying it anyway... have the two of you really not even kissed?"

"I refuse to tell you... on the grounds that I also... made a promise."

A soft, untoned chuckle filled his head as everything slipped away.