The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 273 - The Difference Is... You Can Be Relied On To Be Hungry & ’Hungry’

Chapter 273: Chapter 273 - The Difference Is... You Can Be Relied On To Be Hungry & ’Hungry’

The medical tents at the end of the day were filled with annoyance all around. The second day of team style events had concluded, but they did not have a very ’good’ day...

"Three yesterday, but *seventeen* patients this time - and barely a scratch among them! That last one didn’t even try to fake a limp properly."

The senior healer complained loudly enough for it to carry across to the one arguably responsible for this fuss. Another medic sorted through now emptied supply crates, fishing out the last of the decorative wooden boxes that had contained the specially prepared ointments from the ’medical fairy’.

"They all asked for these."

The fancy box was a clearly ’excessive’ expense - but it also wasn’t solid gold! Even though everyone there had a measure of respect because of what they heard about the surgery, they couldn’t understand this outcome. Rather... even they *understood* it, but could not accept it!

Like fans that argue about the best aspect of a celebrity, dividing themselves on arbitrary tribal lines. In this case - those who would take anything connected to them versus the people that suspected they could clearly connect on a more intellectual level.

"As if we couldn’t see through such obvious attempts. Do they take us for fool?!"

Mint eyes fixed lazily on the discussion. Elua prepared her own workstation for departure, having dealt with two of the liars on her own. Though her thoughts turned acidic, the ’sweet’ facade remained perfectly in place.

’So many patients, yet still you’re disappointed? Did you not have too much time on your hands before? Hoping someone would arrive half-dead just to see what I might do? Hack doctors, indeed.’

Whether it was fair of her or not, she hadn’t been enjoying her time in this situation among them. It made her regret the whimsical plan to be the thoughtful girl in the Youth Guild. The scheme had given her admirers, but also fostered expectations.

"I could have just kept sending Qat things without all the excuses..."

Complaining to herself in a pouting tone was swiftly distracted by a good thing. Her sense had picked up that her beloved, trailing away with a group of a couple Yecine and some other competitors - if the illusionist wasn’t mistaken - turned around. Unmistakably heading straight for her!

The fragment in the chest of the heiress pulsated with concern at the still simmering irritation. The brunette’s expression slackened as she swiftly gathered her things. The swordswoman’s presence drew a lot of glances as she entered. Hair still raven black from participating in the day’s events,

In the short time, she already began anticipating her beloved’s questions. The first was spot on.

"What happened? You seem upset."

"Nothing serious. Just counting today’s volunteers that will preferably be forgoing your banner."

Qatrand’s brows pinched together before the Goltbred successfully scored correct on what would be two and three.

"Volunteers? Banner?"

A small hand gestured toward the gift box that one of the medics was still holding onto in front of himself. The man self consciously looked at it and set it on a table before stepping away. Being glanced at by the tall cultivator that had taken first in the duels had a certain pressure to it!

"I meant those willing to embarrass themselves with false injuries, just to receive a trinket... they’ve helpfully identified themselves as unreliable. Now I have an estimate of the number of cultivators that are untrustworthy when real danger comes."

The Yecine looked at her wife for a quiet moment before turning and walking to the table. She grabbed the little box and looked at it more closely, recognizing the item that she’d seen a few young men and a couple young women holding into the air and bragging about.

"So if I want this, I have to tell you some place that I’m hurting?"

The brunette was a good three meters away in one blink - and shifting black clothes while prodding the warrior the next. That speed startled a lot of those in the tent, who had only seen the heiress move around with an almost ’lazy’ grace.

"You’re not actually hurt are you? No, I know you should not be, but- but you can’t just say that, okay?"

The ointment box tapped lightly against the top of brown hair, drawing Elua’s probing hands away from their inspection to back away with wide eyes as if ’shocked’ by the ’brutality’! The black haired cultivator shook her head at the dramatic reaction from the practical feather touch.

"If I was actually injured, you would be the first to know. I won’t keep it a secret."

Qat’s calm assertion settled *some* of the worry, though mint eyes still studied her intently. The Goltred’s head tilted to the side as she squinted, but the swordswoman caught one of the small hands in hers and began leading them out toward the exit.

The medical staff watched their departure with varying degrees of investment - particularly how naturally the husband handled the unreasonable seeming reaction. The difference between Elua’s rather quiet day attending to a few people and that state just now wasn’t lost on them.

They were only good enough for the small girl to engage minimally with the group. Yet, she was talkative and overprotective with the other cultivator at the drop of a word. Young married couples could be so exclusionary!

Still, as healers, they thought themselves best at poking at patients... and what just happened was one of their kind too flustered and rapid to get good data. Elua knew that too - which is why Qat was growing uncomfortable with the cloud of spirit rapidly increasing in pressure around her form... busily trying to figure out the problem!

"My back is just a bit tight from the constant defense rotations. I thought the ointment might help."

"Well then, I should help apply it properly. We wouldn’t want any spots to be missed..."

The flirtatious suggestion in a honey-laden tone earned an immediate nod. Pigeon blues looked down at the cute girl as they walked and, without a second thought-

"That was my plan. If you were able."

The straightforward agreement made Elua’s steps falter slightly. Her spirit surged with a reflection of a familiar burning ’hunger’ that had been seemingly absent since before their rooftop date. Qatrand slowed to watch the girl wrestle with her inner Ogre.

’So it wasn’t permanent. When she cuddled and dozed on me until late, I was starting to get worried.’

After slipping her hand away, the brunette’s jaw snapped tight and fists clenched. Hot air exhaled from her nose as her eyes fluttered closed. The spiritual energy that had been ’bugging’ her retreated and wrapped like a cocoon around the small girl.

’Though maybe... it would have been better not to wish for this?’

"El, I’m sure I can manage to spread it on my own if necessary."

Lifeless mint eyes opened halfway before a terse monotone could respond.

"That might be best."

The swordswoman could feel the ’regret’, ’annoyance’, and of course the urges the reincarnator had been dealing with for some time now. Qat would love to say her own journey up the Echelons - and in general spiritual control - is what made her more mindful of the intensity of this problem.

But it felt like more than that. Like... not only was her ability to notice it getting better, but the problem itself was getting larger.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I don’t know."

The *irritation* of it all began to overshadow the other feelings. The negative intent started to leak out into the surroundings. She was unsure how wise it was to touch her wife, thinking it might worsen things... but decided she would rather take the risk.

After picking her El up, tired feet rushed them both toward the Goltbred camp.

"Funny that I had the audacity to claim others are unreliable. To think of them as liabilities to you."

Elua’s flat voice didn’t seem to change her mind about the dismissal of others, but merely brought it back up for self-directed complaint. She pressed her face against Qat’s shoulder and inhaled the scent of the person she loved far too much.

"Here I am, thousands of years of cultivation experience. Yet, I can barely handle when simple physical urges overcome my attempt at control."

The quick pace the tall girl set had them nearly back to the most private safety she could think of when a bitter laugh escaped into her neck.

"At least they only embarrassed themselves once and got what they wanted. I keep... I should be better at this by now, Qat."

"You’re comparing yourself wrongly."

Tendrils had already wrapped tight and the fragment inside pulsed steadily with protective warmth. But the words themselves drew mint eyes upward towards the single pigeon blue in sight.

"They picked what they did for selfish reasons. Yours comes from wanting to be closer to me, but holding back as a kind of sacrifice. They aren’t the same."

"The principle is similar enough."

Qat’s spirit tightened more around her wife’s core. She was growing a little annoyed too, though she wasn’t sure if it was just the reincarnator’s bad mood affecting her or a genuine feeling.

"It’s not similar. If you wanted to find a shortcut, you would have by now. I believe that."

"Well, that’s just-"

"You’re tenacious and knowledgeable, El. You’re my wife and I’m proud of you. Proud that you are you. So quit holding *yourself* to unrealistic perfection that you don’t even expect from me."

The ancient cultivator fell silent, considering how her own standards of reliability from this era’s cultivators might be as unrealistic... as her expectations for her self-control. She still didn’t want those sorts of people where Qat would have to protect them. Where they could let her ’fortress’ down in an important battle.

"You sound so sure I don’t expect a lot from you, my love."

The ’hunger’ still raged, but the heiress decided to just let it smolder this time as suppression wasn’t having an effect on that inordinate lust. Even through cloth, her fingertips felt like electric currents arced into them as her hands slid toward spots on the swordswoman’s arms to better push herself away from.

’That... is a very dangerous sensation.’

Elua considered how possible it might be to ’taste’ that feeling again without succumbing and needing her approaching family to pull her off of Qat!