The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 76 - Headline: Hasty Reproach Of A Troublemaker, Made Spectacle!

Chapter 76: Chapter 76 - Headline: Hasty Reproach Of A Troublemaker, Made Spectacle!

"Elua er Goltbred, you have completed our test."

A pause - absolutely pregnant with an unnecessary amount of anticipation - filled the room. It didn’t matter much to the girl what he thought of her result. None of them were ever keeping her from her beloved, anyway.

"You have exceeded all assumptions. There are no objections to your upcoming binding to the Yecine family."

A ripple of whispers ran through the watching women. Other than the second sentence where he said ’exceeded’ instead of ’met’, the man’s reply had not been very different from when *they* had taken the test.

The brunette turned to face them and she saw a spark of something in their eyes - a rekindling of a possibility. In the place where resignation had been born now existed a young girl that was proof of success.

’Let them wonder. Let them question what they’ve been told is impossible. If even a few grow stronger by knowing this family does not have completely insurmountable expectations, then perhaps things will start to gradually change.’

Elua’s thoughts turned to Qatrand. The very definition of someone she saw grow into her own - with just a little further validation of her existence. The Goltbred had taken a small risk today by showing more capability than in the past, but seeing the hope dawning on the faces of the Yecine women-

’It was worth planting the seed. Though perhaps I could still throw a little more... fertilizer. After all, while it was not impossible, this was certainly harsher than seems necessary.’

With the initial shock of her performance beginning to settle, Elua allowed ’mischief’ to play across her face in the view of many of the females staring at her. She turned around to the assembled elders as it vanished. Her clean voice carried just the *right* portions of ’innocence’ and ’curiosity’.

"I must say that it was quite the challenge. I can’t help but wonder... this is said to be a bridal tradition."

Her head tilted to the side as her mint eyes expressed ’wonderment’.

"Have any of the Yecine men ever stood where I just did? I’m sure they must have, given how demanding the test is. It must make for a fair test all around, comparing how far they made it to their intended partners. It sounds so romantic and appropriately practical~"

A heavy silence fell over the room as her ’sweet’ tone pierced guilty hearts. The younger men shifted uncomfortably in their thoughts, while the elders’ faces tightened. The reincarnated cultivator swept her calm gaze over them, noting every twitch and tell and comparing it to their spirits.

The dowager Lirades suddenly let out a surprised laugh that she hurriedly stifled with her hand. The sound seemed to be the crack that broke the dam. The room quickly buzzed with whispers and meaningful glances.

’Let them chew on that for a while.’

Elua maintained her ’innocent’ expression while turning here and there... but inwardly, she savored the seed of chaos she’d sown and fed. The eldest Yecine cleared his throat, trying to regain control of the situation. His voice was measured with his authority.

"As you said, the test is... traditionally for brides entering the family."

But she wasn’t going to let him pivot anywhere else quite yet!

"Oh, of course. I just assumed, given its severe difficulty, that it must be a *proud* rite of passage for *all* family members. It must only be... that it’s meant as an *achievement* special to those originally outside of your *strong* family. My mistake."

The pointed barbs hung in the air highlighting the test’s inherent unfairness. Elua watched as realization dawned on the faces of the now Yecine women - a spark of indignation kindling in their eyes. Elua caught sight of the young man who had been her first and final partner.

He was looking at her with respect and wariness. He’d clearly been reassessing his initial impressions.

’Good. Let them all reassess. Their game is changing, whether they’re ready or not. Because a proper scheming cultivator doesn’t play fair... or take on more than they are sure of.’

A small commotion of hurried steps erupted from beyond the chamber doors. They burst open to reveal a slightly disheveled Qatrand - ’his’ black hair askew and chest heaving as if the ’heir’ had run the entire way at top speed. The elders were stunned at the interruption... but the person at fault was too focused on the ’wolf that ate the cat trying to eat the canary’ at the center of things.

"El!"

She called out in a rebuking tone. Her voice held its exasperation tinged with affection... and every Yecine there - born or wed - watched in silence as the ’swordsman’ strode across the room with some sort of purpose. Elua turned a loving glint in her eye at her beloved’s ’unexpected’ appearance... just in time for Qatrand to reach out and grip her forehead firmly.

"What did you do this time?"

Though her tone was stern, her pigeon blue eyes were soft... and her spirit held only ’concern’ and no ’blame’. Mint eyes dulled for just a moment with affection flashing across and into the fragment in the other girl’s heart. She composed herself and her ’sweet’ voice.

"Nothing but my best, darling. Were you worried I would fail?"

The women around exchanged glances of shock and poorly concealed amusement on their faces. The male elders, for their part, seemed frozen in place. The unprecedented displays of skill, unanticipated success, barbed rebuke, and... whatever this action was with their young heir made them unsure how to react.

As if taking charge, Lirades stepped forward. Her eyes almost twinkled with enjoyment. Her voice carried clearly for all to hear and contained a hint of challenge to it.

"I do believe this is the most entertaining bridal test we’ve had in generations. Wouldn’t you agree, gentlemen?"

Qat was suddenly more aware of the scope of their audience. She had rushed across the estate because the spiritual fragments had alerted her of the intense ’self-pleased mischief’ that her betrothed was up to. Her cheeks flushed as she straightened up... but kept her hand locked on El’s forehead.

It was surprisingly calming!

"I apologize for the interruption. I hope my fiancee hasn’t caused too much trouble for anyone?"

The eldest Yecine cleared his throat. He was glad to take this sort of opportunity to end this... he still didn’t know what to call it. Debacle? He decided that was the word he would use when they convened later.

"On the contrary - Elua er Goltbred has performed the test... exceptionally well."

"Of course she has."

Her fiance replied immediately as if anything less would have been the surprise. Then she turned her gaze down toward the face hidden by her wrist. The severity she had tried to regain faded back towards softness and she murmured the next part.

"Though I suspect she might have shown off a bit more than necessary."

Elua leaned into the grip and twisted her face more into view. The ’innocent smile’ did nothing to help dispel this accusation. Her spirit was rippling with ’amusement’ and something ’else’.

Qat couldn’t describe it easily, but she knew it wasn’t the feelings of someone with pure intentions!

"Well, it seems your bride has brought some unexpected excitement to this old tradition."

Lirades long-buried defiance burned in the old woman’s spirit. She had been born a Yecine and knew very well the costs that came with their sense of duty. Her glance at the elders was pointed, yet her tone was careful. It didn’t fully mask the undercurrent of challenge.

"It’s been many years since I’ve seen anything quite like this. Perhaps it gives us something to consider, young ones?"

Turning back to Elua and Qatrand after making a point of her age, she continued to speak in a quieter voice.

"My, you’ve certainly stirred things up. Whether anything comes of it... well, that remains to be seen - but it’s refreshing to witness, nonetheless."

The volume wouldn’t stop any in the room from hearing. Elua wondered if that was her intent. She too was a fan of speaking at ’low’ levels that she *knew* other cultivators nearby could easily make out!

The swordswoman bowed slightly to the old woman. The hand on her fiancee’s head was moved ’firmly’ to her arm. The heiress allowed herself to be led from the ritual chamber at the gently set pace. The Yecine women tittered after their departure in whispers... a tide of speculation rising behind them.

They could more or less be summarized as this:

’Has our latest heir always been so domineering? But there was also so much thinly withheld affection in his eyes! This very strong Goltbred girl surely just listens because the feelings were returned, right?’

When they moved into a new corridor, the swordswoman slowed her pace even more. Her tense shoulders relaxed a bit now that they were out of direct sight of all her elders. The young miss glanced up at her... that hunting predator feeling caressing and making her a little tense again.

"What a gallant rescue. Though I’m not sure I needed saving from anything but my own success."

The taller teenager’s lips fought a smile. She blew out and murmured her chosen backtalk.

"Someone had to stop you before you directly challenged the elders to a duel."

They rounded another corner and again found themselves in a quieter hallway. Elua suddenly tugged gently on Qatrand’s sleeve, bringing them both to a stop. She gestured for her to lean over and after only a moment of pause the Yecine complied.

"So this is what I looked like when I rushed towards you in a panic the other day, huh?"

The Goltbred mused loudly while reaching up, with her back against the wall, to smooth out the untidy black hair. As the small fingers worked to tame the strands, pigeon blue eyes squinted in contentment.

"At least I didn’t cause someone to do it intentionally. Either way, I doubt I look half as cute as you did. As you do."

Despite the reply being in a dry tone, it didn’t diminish the squeal of tugging in one cultivator’s heart.

’Hnnn!’

A passing servant slowed, eyeing the intimate scene with poorly concealed interest. Elua had noticed her approach, of course - as well as that of the others she was now signaling to. It was why she had stopped where and when they did! The girl made no move to create distance between them.

’Even if it must look from that angle like we were kissing~ Let them see, let them talk. It will only add a little water to the day’s seeds!’

"There. Presentable again. We can’t have the Yecine heir looking disheveled, can we?"

The brunette said after patting the now-tidy hair. Her ’fortress’ straightened and gazed downward, noticing her slight facial... gesture. She turned and saw the attendants that were watching them hurry off flustered.

"You’re impossible, you know that?"

"Impossible to hate?"

When a palm made contact with her forehead and shook, the smaller teen’s careful control slipped just enough to show a touch of her form of love. The intensity of her spirit pulled at the wrapped tendrils of Qat’s protection.

"Even if they only service this section and you never visit it, now they know you’re mine."

"Everyone will soon, El."

They resumed their walk towards the exit. They passed by a group of younger Yecine borne women barely older than Qat herself. All of them erupted into excited whispers as soon as they passed.

"Did you see-"

"I can’t believe she actually-"

"And then Qatrand just-"

Elua’s keen ears caught snippets of their conversation. She allowed herself a less than sweet smile for her ploys. Some would even call the face she had leaning intimately on the arm smug!

They eventually reached the entrance hall. Elua’s servant had waited patiently for the young heiress. The woman’s eyes grew wide on their approach - clearly not expecting the Yecine heir to be escorting her charge out of the women’s section.

"I believe this is where we part ways, for now. Tell your elders that I am pleased to have passed their test."

The brunette said loudly enough to be overheard by those lingering nearby. She’d heard from her beloved that eavesdropping was seen as ignoble... but it was clearly one of those ’the very young do not always listen’ affairs. The black haired fiance nodded, her expression carefully neutral but her eyes warm.

"Soon. Try not to upend any more family traditions before dinner, alright?"

The heiress’s bright laughter echoed through the hall as she joined her servant. While departing, she could feel the weight of dozens of eyes on her back. She reveled in it! The day’s events had been a resounding success as far as she was concerned.

All that was left was to see how the Yecine family would react to their world being ever so slightly tilted on its axis.

’I wonder if anyone will be foolish enough to plot against our happiness now?’