The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 75 - ’Sweating’ Out Some Defiance Of Tradition

Chapter 75: Chapter 75 - ’Sweating’ Out Some Defiance Of Tradition

Elua followed a stern-faced Yecine attendant through *formerly* unfamiliar corridors. Each turn revealed another display of the family’s historied martial prowess. Battle worn weapons and tapestries depicting combat forms adorned a significant portion of the walls.

Their presence left a constant reminder of the family’s heritage. It was quite interesting to see in the light of day! When they approached a set of double doors nearly as ornate as the main entrance, the woman she was following slowed her pace.

"The women of the house await you within."

She gestured towards the entrance while stating flatly. An irreproachable mask of ’demure’ anticipation nodded back to the attendant, who took it as a sign to open the way. Elua was greeted by a chorus of soft susurrances suddenly stilling.

The room beyond the hallway was circular. A high ceiling sat dominated by an intricate mechanical sphere. The ’young’ cultivator’s gaze lingered on it, noting the various-sized apertures that would soon cast their shifting patterns across the ritual space.

Her Qat had already given her some of the descriptions she had for the Yecine bridal tradition, but it didn’t change her thoughts.

’Clever. A constant visual challenge to further mimic the unpredictability of combat.’

Her attention shifted back down and to the assembled women. They were a... diverse group. They ranged from fresh wives not many years older than herself to mature matrons.

Yet all shared a certain ’resignation’ in their bearing and spirits. The heiress’s practiced ’smile’ never faltered as she moved among them. She offered greetings and pleasantries to further her ’sweet’ description among the group. An elderly woman with streaks of silver in her dark black hair stepped forward.

"Welcome, Elua er Goltbred. I’m Lirades er Yecine. We’re so pleased to have you join us today."

The brunette dipped into a small curtsy. The name was known to her... as the oldest living female in their family. She honestly respected that to an extent. As well as how the eldest dowager did seem to retain a measure of calm fire behind her gaze despite being born to this place.

"The pleasure is mine, truly. I’m honored to be here."

Mint eyes caught sight of faint etchings along the room’s perimeter when she straightened. Her spiritual sense studied the sigils, carefully disguised within the decorative motifs. She recognized patterns for sound amplification and...

As the gaze traced the intricate sigils adorning the room’s perimeter, her forehead creased on its own. The sound amplification design was elegant for the region but not without flaw. A subtle imperfection... or rather an oversight caught her attention.

’They’ve overlooked the feedback loop. As the ritual progresses, the excess energy of the sound containment will bleed into heat.’

She quickly attempted to calculate the potential temperature increase over the time she was supposed to last. It did not seem insignificant.

’It’ll get uncomfortably warm in here - especially for those exerting themselves at the center.’

This ’unintended’ challenge would undoubtedly add to the test’s difficulty. She was beginning to understand what her beloved meant when she stressed that she was not *expected* to last. She glanced at the other women, wondering if any of them had learned this significant detail.

Their oblivious chatter and remaining looks of vacancy due to even being in the room suggested not!

"Don’t fret about the test, dear. It’s challenging, of course... but as long as you give it your all, that’s what matters."

Elua turned her ’grateful’ smile towards the speaker, even though part of her didn’t appreciate the familiarity or the advice. However, she noted the underlying current of defeat in the new young woman’s tone. As well as the honest ’sympathy’ in her spirit.

The reborn cultivator felt that she must be one of the many who felt they might succeed despite rumors.

"Thank you for your kindness. I’ll certainly do my best."

The other women all fussed over her like mother-hens. The care was more than she had expected from them. They adjusted her training attire and offered bits of last-minute advice.

Most of it was similar to the other young woman... but some of it seemed actually hopeful that their attempts would lead to a miracle. The defeated air that hung over these women stirred something within her – a mixture of pity and determination.

’They’ve all internalized their failure and accepted it as inevitable. All of them have been struck with disappointment that they failed to meet actual expectations. For Qat’s sake, if not theirs, that sort of narrative needs to change.’

Her dulling gaze swept the room once more to catalog every detail. The testing ground and the women who had failed its unfair conditions. She wasn’t confident that causing new brides to fail was the original purpose of the tradition, but it had certainly become the result.

"Here - the ceremonial sword. Be mindful of its weight."

The Yecine woman named Lirades said while presenting her with a massive blade. The Goltbred accepted the weapon while forcing a small grunt of ’effort’ to escape her lips. For show! The blade’s heft was nothing to her physical Primalist status.

However, she made a show of adjusting her grip and stance as if she needed to get used to things.

’It *is* heavier than it looks. Another piece designed to tire out the wielder quickly. It might even be a small touch weightier than the one I made for Qat.’

The march of approaching footsteps echoed into the room and once again stilled the chatter. Elua felt the women around her tense with a palpable anxiety that she didn’t even need her spiritual sense to read. She kept her expression neutral even as her focus sharpened.

’Here is the chance. Time to plant the seeds of change. For my beloved... and I suppose also for all these women who’ve been told they’re not enough just for how they were born.’

She pictured the strong blonde swinging her sword with her shirt off... and blushed. Shaking her head as if to psyche herself up, she squared her shoulders and held her two-handed grip on the long ceremonial blade. With that kind of excited energy flowing through her, she just might overheat before the ritual even began!

The heavy doors swung wider and a number of the Yecine elders filed into the room. Their stern faces served as a contrast to the anxious energy emanating from the assembled women. They were many of their husbands... and many of the same men who had stood in their tests.

The young miss was the only one without those kinds of nerves. Her posture was perfect with the hilt at her core and the blade rising to the ceiling. The eldest among the men stepped forward and his voice bounced around the chamber.

"Elua er Goltbred, you stand before us to prove your worth as a bride of the Yecine family. The test you face is one of skill, endurance, and spirit. The tradition is as old as our family itself."

She didn’t believe that part for a second, but nodded severely. A younger man moved to the center of the room as everyone else retreated to the walls. His muscular frame was evident even beneath formal attire... and she nodded again.

’Not Qat, but nice is nice.’

"Observe."

His voice commanded like an instructor. The Yecine demonstrated a series of fluid sword forms. However, it was nothing she hadn’t seen her beloved use when they were back at the Youth Guild.

"You will perform these first. More will follow, with increasing complexity. Your goal is to match your partners’ movements precisely. As long as you are able."

The brunette nodded and took her position. The mechanical sphere above whirred to life as the cultivators in the room all channeled bits of essence into the walls. Ever-shifting patterns of light and shadow cast across the floor and The sound amplification sigil pulsed once.

Every breath, every heartbeat, seemed to echo for a moment.

Her first ’partner’ approached. Another man in his prime with a neutral expression both on his face and spirit. The one thing she could compliment was that none of the men seemed to have any malevolent intent.

They began with the basic forms. The two heavy blades wove through the air together in arcs. Elua matched him move for move with movements quite graceful despite the weapon’s weight. She could feel the chorus of mild ’surprise’ through everyone present.

’Well, I am known to *dislike* combat. This is easy enough now, but it’s still early.’

As they progressed in the repetition of forms, the reincarnator noticed the first hints of warmth in the air. This was the part she was most uncertain of. The defective sigil was working faster than she’d anticipated. She saw beads of sweat forming on her physical Enchanter partner’s brow, but kept her own breathing steady.

There would be room to fake sweat and difficulty later.

The forms grew more complex and demanded more precise footwork and control. Partner after partner rotated in, each bringing a fresh challenge of form. Some were faster, others stronger, but all gradually pushed the small girl to her limits - or so it appeared to every onlooker.

The chamber grew stifling, the air thick. Light flashed almost erratically from above. The disorienting shadows and amplified sounds reached a crescendo. The occasional clash of blades, ragged breaths, and pounding hearts created a cacophony of battle-like intensity centered on the pair at the center.

Elua felt the other women watching with actual concern. She had allowed herself to show signs of ’strain’. Her arms would ’tremble’ after a swing. A sheen of ’sweat’ on her brow, that was merely condensed humidity, would be wiped away from draining towards her eyes.

But she never faltered in showing her intent to continue.

’Careful now. Be impressive, but not impossible.’

Her final partner was the muscular young elder who had first demonstrated the forms. His eyes gleamed with challenge as they began the most intricate sequence yet. She followed along with near perfect synchronization. The metal of their blades flashed as their disparately sized bodies twisted and turned.

In a move that appeared almost like an instinctive insight, she added a flourish to the final repetition of the form that helped to cover one of its flaws. It was a subtle but impressive display of control that was unmistakably beyond the standard sequence. The young elder’s eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in appreciation.

The ritual powered down as all of those present stopped providing it their energy.

’Well, wasn’t that fun?’

Elua er Goltbred stood tall - as much as she could make that seem impressive - breathing heavily but composed. The sounds of her own heartbeat faded, to be replaced by the assembled Yecine elders conversing among themselves. The oldest of them stepped forward with an unreadable expression on his face.

’Your spirit is saying a lot more though, old man~’