The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 71 - Moonlight Shines On The Tracks Of The Earth’s Arrogance

Chapter 71: Chapter 71 - Moonlight Shines On The Tracks Of The Earth’s Arrogance

In the heart of unfamiliar territory, navigating the labyrinthine corridors of the Yecine estate, Elua er Goltbred’s steps whispered across polished floors worn smooth by generations. Her spiritual sense stretched out to their limits, probing for any hint of detection that could jeopardize her important clandestine mission. But it was hard to focus!

’I’m going to finally see her room. Maybe take a look at that bath she mentioned? Oh, no, her bed is going to be there and I might-’

She paused outside Qat’s door, having found it pretty easily due to some past ’check-ups’ on her fiance when she knew she was at home. Her heart quickened at the thought of her beloved’s belongings so close, yet still out of reach. With a gentle push after sealing off the possibility of sound, the door swung open to reveal the tidy-if-spartan quarters that so perfectly reflected her partner’s disciplined nature.

The brunette stepped inside and let the door close behind her. She took a moment to breathe in the scent of the room - the faint aroma of metal polishing oil, the crisp scent of a set of clean linens... and beneath it all the comforting one of Qat herself.

Fingers trailed lightly over the folded blankets on the bed. Then moved on to a rough-hewn training dummy... the wood of it and the well-worn grip of a practice sword showing signs of her fiance’s constant training. Each touch was a fleeting feeling of connection with the side of Qat she *knew* but hadn’t seen. Each caress, a silent message of love and longing.

’It’s probably a good thing she isn’t here right now...’

Shrugging past the pride she had in her ’fortress’, she reached into her robes and withdrew the letter she wrote. The iridescent wax seal glinted in the moonlight that filtered through the shuttered window. The reincarnator knew this was more than just a simple message snuck into a room; it was a symbol of their bond, their trust, and the secrets they shared.

She knew her husband-wife might press her to use the gift more freely, but she would never be able to listen to that request without making sure the *first* time was used upon the thoughtful swordswoman. Mint eyes closed as her spiritual energy surged and molded into the letter. When Qat found it, she would read not just the words on the page - but the love and dedication woven into every fiber of the material.

She tucked it beneath the pillow of her bed. A smile played on her lips as she imagined her beloved’s reaction upon discovering it in such a place. The thought of her strong, calloused hands cradling the delicate paper. Of her pigeon-blue eyes softening as she read the words meant only for her...

Elua shook her head to dispel the tantalizing images. It was one scene she wouldn’t get to save as an illusory fragment, but that was okay! As much as she longed to linger - to immerse herself in the sheer presence of time the girl she loved lived in this room - she knew she couldn’t stay there until she returned from her job.

’Well, *couldn’t* is the wrong way to think about it. I *shouldn’t*...’

With a final glance at the room - and the bed - that felt overly wistful even to her, Elua slipped back into her illusions. The spiritual energy wrapped around her like a cloak of invisibility to conceal her from any prying eyes as she navigated the halls of the estate.

The Goltbred finally emerged into the cool air of the dead of night and smiled up at the moon. With a spring in her step and a warmth in her chest that struck away the chilly air even faster than her Element could start to manage it, the small girl set off into the night.

She had already been counting the moments until she could be with her beloved Qat once more, but it felt like the numbers in her head just became louder...

---

The sound of stitch holes being tapped against the leather of her project filled Elua’s ’workshop’. She was so engrossed in that she barely noticed the door opening, even though she had felt the woman’s approach moments before. Yatrel’s tone of voice cut through her concentration.

"Elua, we need to talk about-"

"Just a moment, mother. I’m nearly finished with this section."

The Dame Goltbred sighed at being both interrupted and asked to wait before settling into a nearby chair. Her mint gaze wandered over the scattered plethora of tools and leather scraps with a frown tugging at her lips. When more than just one minute stretched on, she opened her mouth to speak again.

"There! Now, what did you want to discuss?"

Her eldest beat her to it as she reached for a small, ornate box she’d been carrying everywhere lately. The reddish-blonde knew from talking to the girl’s personal servant that it must be the contents of the package Qatrand had sent.

"Actually, wait. There’s something I’ve really been meaning to show you."

The mother’s brow furrowed. She felt like her daughter was playing games again!

"Elua, this was important-"

But the young cultivator was already opening the box as if ignoring her tone. She revealed a set of multi-colored, almost iridescent wax circles and an elegantly crafted seal. With highly practiced movements from the uncountable letters that Yatrel knew she’d written to her fiance, the girl lit a small flame on her desk to melt one of the circles to stick on a piece of parchment.

"Watch this!"

There was an uncharacteristically pleased excitement in her voice that only ever came because of Qatrand. As the wax cooled slightly, Elua pressed the seal firmly into it. When she lifted, it left a perfect impression of a delicate bird in flight, rendered in the swirls of iridescent color. The small brunette turned to her mother, beaming with genuine pride.

"Isn’t it beautiful? Qat sent it to me. ’He’ remembered... well, it’s a long story. But look at how beautifully the colors blend!"

Yatrel blinked... momentarily thrown by her daughter’s level of enthusiasm. She even said beautiful twice! It was extremely rare to see Elua so openly excited about anything. Especially anything unrelated to cultivation or that wasn’t *directly* her fiance. Or food.

"Yes, it’s... very pretty, dear. Qatrand chose the gift well."

Her mother eventually managed, a soft smile replacing her earlier frown even though the daughter had already stopped looking at her - and was staring dreamily at the wax again. The reincarnated cultivator nodded. Then she carefully returned the seal and other items to its box.

"Now, what did you want to talk about?"

Yatrel hesitated, the serious conversation she’d planned suddenly felt out of place in the wake of her daughter’s clear joy. It might have been a little irresponsible, but maintaining that level of joy for a little longer surely wasn’t a bad thing?

"It can wait a bit longer. Why don’t you tell me more about this? It seems to mean a great deal to you."

The girl launched into the story of their date, the play, and Qat’s seemingly intent interest on the bird. Her eyes almost sparkled with a happiness that Yatrel found herself marveling at. This change in her daughter... what she’d come to discuss, it paled in comparison to this rare glimpse of her Elua’s *unguarded* happiness.

Eventually, though, her ebullience settled and the mother could almost feel some of the girl’s carefully constructed walls snap back into place.

"Thank you for humoring me, mom."

Yatrel leaned against the doorframe of Elua’s kitchen, having remained standing there after retrieving the girl a glass of water. Her mint eyes again scanned the organized... chaos. Her eldest certainly seemed like the type more interested in the result of things than the troubles along the way.

"El, do you have a moment now to discuss that Earth ritual you designed?"

"Of course. What about it?"

The Goltbred began her assessment with pride, hounded by concern.

"It’s... impressive. The sigilist from our local Earthen Fellowship has been testing it with me and the results are remarkable. We’re able to locate water sources with unprecedented accuracy as well as dig them up in half the time."

’Satisfaction’ crossed Elua’s face, before she tempered that down. She knew the woman wouldn’t have so much trembling in her spirit if everything was ’good’.

"I’m glad it’s proving useful."

Yatrel stepped further into the room and lowered her voice to show how serious things were.

"It’s more than useful, dear. It’s revolutionary. Do you understand the implications?"

Elua’s eyes narrowed. She knew that her schemes were never foolproof, so getting a second opinion would always be useful. Especially from someone that she trusted.

"I have some ideas, but I’d like to hear your thoughts."

"This ritual could reshape the balance of power among the regions. This is a ritual not even the Coiled Serpent Guild would have. They would be suspicious of where our unparalleled control over water resources suddenly came from."

’Well, it’s not the only thing I’ve done with sigils that they don’t know how to do, but I get the point of putting the entire burden of secrecy on a reputable Guild.’

Her mother’s finger tapped on her forehead.

"But more than that, it’s not just about digging wells for mortals anymore, like you said you planned."

Elua nodded slowly. She knew it would never stay within the scope of her intentions. The other potential uses had just seemed like acceptable remorses in the face of expanding-

"Some members are already talking about expanding territories, negotiating new alliances. Others are worried about potential backlash from rival guilds if such expansions can take place."

"What do you think?"

Elua asked, her voice carefully neutral. She didn’t want to let on that expansion was part of her ’plan’. Food prevalence was obviously going to drive it, making regions that might have been too hard to live in possible even if food was shipped in. More people meant more burdens in other areas, but usually led to more overall progress.

’Usually.’

Yatrel sighed, running a hand through her reddish-blonde hair.

"I think we’re standing on the edge of a knife with this. Your ritual could bring great prosperity, but it could also spark conflicts we’re not prepared for."

Elua stood ’pacing’ the room. Acting like she didn’t care about traditional conflicts was not what a ’sweet’ daughter would do!

"Have you considered a limited revelation? Sharing the ritual with other guilds under strict agreements about the rate of expansion they should be helping with?"

"It’s been suggested. But there’s some resistance. Some see this as our chance to cement our position as further dominant in matters of building and other civil affairs."

"And you?"

Yatrel met her daughter’s gaze evenly. She felt like a lot of the girl’s responses had been specifically showing that the girl only cared about her mother’s thoughts on the matter. As independent as her eldest usually was, it felt a little strange.

"I’m concerned about the long-term consequences. Power-consolidation like this rarely occurs without... complications."

Elua nodded. It wasn’t that she hadn’t anticipated such far-reaching effects when she designed the ritual. A part of her - the ancient cultivator buried beneath layers of facade - whispered that she should have known better than to assume that what *she* was okay with happening was not what everyone should be. Her voice grew ’softer’.

"What would you have me do?"

Yatrel straightened, her expression resolute.

"I need you to attend the next guild meeting. As the creator of this and a member of the Coiled Serpent, your insight could be valuable in navigating this situation."

Elua ’hesitated’ for a moment before nodding.

"Very well. But remember, mother, I’m just a new member. My influence is limited."

A knowing smile played on Yatrel’s lips. She was still saying this? After they wanted to install a branch here just for the sake of keeping her well attached to their Guild?

"Perhaps. But your ideas seem to carry weight far beyond your years, don’t they? Besides, if they refuse to listen to any warnings, I can punch our way out after letting you threaten to publish the ritual through your own means."

Elua turned back to her workbench, after her mother kissed her on the forehead and left. She rubbed the spot, wondering how many years it had been since the woman showed that kind of affection. It wasn’t that she was ever ’distant’, but... her gaze shifted toward the pieces of leather she had been preparing.

’Maybe my new sister is affecting *both* of our actions?’

The brunette picked up her needle and began stitching.

’I feel like I’m working on everything but the armguard I sat out to make, lately...’