The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 288 - This Sweetness Of Playful Lies Won’t Make Me Fat... Right?

Chapter 288: Chapter 288 - This Sweetness Of Playful Lies Won’t Make Me Fat... Right?

"Are you sure you are comfortable up there?"

The metallic skirt fabric was cool on Qatrand’s neck. She slightly adjusted her calloused hands on the petite thighs which she held secure at her collarbone. The brunette straddling her shoulders had a firm enough clutch around her sides with her feet that the blonde barely needed to hold her at all.

"Why wouldn’t I be? I’m more worried I’d aggravate your shoulders with my weight."

The Yecine had offered the ride to her wife partly in jest, but she had also expected the Goltbred heiress to accept and take advantage of it. The fact that it dropped her ’dignified air’, riding around like a child under the watchful gazes of those in the venue? Qat was willing to accept being stared at to let her spouse ’act her age’.

"What are you talking about? You’re lighter than my sword on your back."

Mint eyes gazed down at the top of her wife’s head with amusement at the *lie*. The blade may be ’heavy’, but she was likely seven times its mass, at least! Meanwhile, Elua might only be half the weight compared to her beloved, but it was still stress on tired muscles.

’Well, I guess it’s a reason to make her let me rub them later~’

Being carried this way - elevated above everyone they passed - was just a pleasant experience for the small cultivator. She was already a fan of high places and attention from others on their pairing. The difference in their heights and frames had never really been a point of insecurity for the reincarnator.

It was actually a bonus, in her mind!

"Speaking of... it’s very bold of you to just make me wear your weapon harness. Am I your baggage carrier or your wife?"

As she teased her aloud, two sets of nimble fingers combed through her beloved’s hair.

"Wife. That’s why I trust you with it."

A small intense flicker of spirit let Qat know she’d said something that got to the girl.

"T-that wasn’t my concern. I was just wondering what people would think of a Yecine not wearing their blade themselves in public."

"If I can’t stand to lose some face for something I’d otherwise be willing to do for you, then what good is that reputation?"

The swordswoman sounded *almost* petulant as she posed her response. The heiress leaned forward until her lips hovered over the tall teenager’s forehead. A stiff warm breath brushed against Qat’s bangs.

"You seem awfully invested in this. Care to explain?"

Even without her spirit to sense it, the scheming cultivator knew the teasing had hit its mark. The shift in the warrior’s posture and pace as well as the tightening of her grip on her bare thighs said enough. Elua could also feel her husband-wife’s ears heat up... literally.

’Ah, I really shouldn’t be rubbing these lobes in public, right? Isn’t this just me taking advantage? She’s clearly trying to dote on me right now...’

"Perhaps on the way back."

The brunette eased back to a raised ’seated’ position after Qatrand spoke. They continued along a path that wound away from the competition grounds and toward the illusionist’s private camp. Only the occasional group of cultivators had passed them heading in the other direction from the main venue.

Their focus had been too deep on upcoming duties or moving heavy items to pay the couple much mind. Those who did notice them either smiled or looked away politely, taking the harmless moments of young affection for what it was. Of course, that is exactly why the ancient cultivator kind of felt like pushing boundaries.

’Be good, be good, be good!’

The air was crisp. The wild herbs and grassy parts of the plains rustled in the wind. In another context, the experience might have been called nothing but romantic. The looming specter of the Descent tainted that somewhat... but it also lent a certain poignancy to quiet moments.

"Have you been assigned to a defensive fortress yet? Last you told me, they were still working it out in your Guild."

The girl’s voice carried a casual tone, but the fingers that had continued their gentle explorations through Qatrand’s hair were nothing if not mischievous. They pressed and dragged her nails through slowly... over little bumps and ridges. The sutures in her skull were especially worried over, as if she could read the future in the fibrous joints.

They both knew this happy peace couldn’t last forever

"Eastern block, the sixth fort."

The swordswoman’s reply was brief. The meaning of being in any particular fort assignment at the very start of the invasion was usually rather small. Yet this one was close enough to a certain location to be called ’intentional’.

Elua didn’t comment immediately. The lack of reaction made the Yecine even more sure. The Gravity Anomaly location was not especially far... and she had been briefed about the *idea* of a plan to use it already.

"And you? Something with the Coiled Serpent, I’m guessing?"

"Actually, The Ironclad Order requested me. Sigilist support for your block of forts, though I will be a valley over at number five when this starts."

Qatrand slowed to a stop and tilted her head back to try catching Elua’s eye. Pigeon blues looked at the tilted and upside down mint orbs. The angle would have made it very difficult without her wife’s effortless cooperation.

"That’s... quite near. Almost suspiciously so."

"Isn’t it fortunate?"

The schemer couldn’t keep the satisfaction from her voice of a plan that worked out well. Her father might think that she would prefer to be in the *same* location - and while that was true in part... the brunette would pick ’close, but far’ in this scenario each time.

’No one would ever think I’d travel that distance alone just to see her. And no accusations of special treatment~’

Almost nobody would think that, anyway.

"Did you arrange that to be closer, mint-drop?"

"I would *never* manipulate military assignments during wartime."

The declaration held such exaggerated ’innocence’ that Qatrand couldn’t help but look away. As a human, she felt that nothing should be allowed to be so cute that also needed to be put on a ’leash’. Though part of her also wanted to bully her just a little into confessing.

She started walking again, almost to the basin that her wife had talked about. A half dozen quiet seconds came and past when her low voice rumbled from her chest.

"We weren’t. In the war. When you got your... father to do it?"

"I only arranged something that would make us both happy. The choice to agree with it was on your Guild."

The reincarnator didn’t bother to hide it this time... as a merest impression of the intent to ’be firm’ was enough to make her want to spill all her secrets to the blonde. Qat carefully knelt to let her wife dismount her shoulders when they reached the private retreat.

The brunette slid off, but immediately found herself ’caught’ in strong arms. Face to face with her beloved made her heart beat twice for every normal moment. A hand carefully gripped the loose heavy blade harness and started to remove it from Elua’s shoulder.

"So you’ll be assigned just close enough for us to find each other between battles?"

"Exactly like that."

Small hands moved to cup Qatrand’s face, little thumbs tracing her cheekbones with tenderness. Her eyes closed as her expression slackened at the touch.

’I kind of want to squeeze and touch her cheek also...’

Her El was being so good, despite being a little handsy. The urges were timid and nearly nonexistent. Qat supposed it was because of how much might be on the reincarnator’s mind.

"What about your parents? Onya?"

"No changes. My father will be going... somewhere, I actually forgot? Mother will be assigned to the same fort that will house all our servants."

The ’sweet’ tone seemed no different than normal... but Qatrand could feel the note of concern she tried to mask making it through whatever spiritualist tricks she had placed around the fragment in her wife’s chest. Elua might project certainty, but the Descent never followed anyone’s neat arrangements.

’Random invasion locations must be concerning to a... scheming cultivator.’

The swordswoman leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together. The silent reassurance was not an unwelcome offering... but of course, the recipient couldn’t help but think she would prefer kisses.

"We should start packing your things."

"We should."

Neither moved. The Yecine, too, was thinking about the lips in front of her. Their breaths mingled in the blank range space between them. Thin arms gradually slid to encircle a rather muscular neck.

"It can wait a minute, right?"

The heiress whispered before closing that remaining distance. Her kiss was gentle at first... a soft press of lips that quickly deepened as Elua’s fingers tangled in blonde hair. The swordswoman responded in kind.

The free hand not holding onto the leather strap bound to her scabbard now rose to cradle the back of her spouse’s head. Qat considered that she had done well, for her part. After all... she’d wanted to kiss the cute girl since she first jumped into her arms some time ago!

When they finally parted, both slightly breathless, Elua’s smile held a mischievous edge.

"Now we can pack. But I’ll require payment for each item we collect."

Qatrand raised an eyebrow as she carefully stood to her height.

"Payment?"

"A kiss per item seems fair, don’t you think?"

The Yecine heir shook her head fondly, but didn’t argue. She simply began to place the strap over her shoulder. The long, heavy blade was much lighter than her wife... but she found she actually preferred the heaviness on her shoulders - the weight of her El.

"I suspect I’m being manipulated into a rigged game here."

The brunette’s ’giggle’ was a welcome sound. She stepped backward toward the lean-to while never taking her eyes off her precious gem. A deep curtsy from the reincarnator clad in silver wedding dress preceded her monotone answer.

"I only arrange things... that will make us both happy."