The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 77 - The Rust Of Rebellion Must Be Shattered Off Decorum’s Decayed Crown

Chapter 77: Chapter 77 - The Rust Of Rebellion Must Be Shattered Off Decorum’s Decayed Crown

The sound of the cute laughter faded. The young Yecine found herself suddenly aware of the heavy silence that had fallen over the entrance hall. She turned to face the assembled elders... knowing they must have followed to rebuke her. Her posture straightened regally... but her spirit churned with more ’apprehension’ than defiance.

The eldest of those present stepped forward. He wore stern disapproval like it was in vogue. As one of those who she didn’t deal with very regularly, she was always tense in his presence. His voice carried low despite its bassy tone.

"Qatrand. We are to have a word in private - if you please."

Without waiting for a response from the boy to his rhetoric, he turned and strode through the halls. Qat followed obediently with the weight of gazes on her back. She could tell the others weren’t exactly pleased with her either... but she also felt that this was about more than that.

’They don’t like being left out of the discussion.’

Once inside one of a handful of meeting rooms, the elder finally stood facing her. She closed the door dutifully and he spoke the moment she faced him in turn. The swordswoman met his eyes steadily.

"Would you care to explain your... behavior today?"

"Yes, elder. I was concerned about-"

"Concerned enough to burst into a sacred ritual? To manhandle your fiancee in front of the entire family?"

The elder’s interruptive voice was sharp.

"You’ve shown a shocking lack of decorum, Qatrand. It reflects poorly on us all."

Pigeon blue eyes blinked, genuinely confused for a moment. The thought of being able to physically dominate Elua was almost laughable. So was the idea that she would ever seek to harm her. She chose her words carefully... aware of the delicate balance she needed to maintain to clear things up without revealing too much.

"Elder, I assure you there was no ’manhandling’ involved. Elua and I have our own ways of communicating with gestures that express our care. No harm was done or intended. What you saw was a private moment of... reassurance between us."

Inwardly, the tall girl marveled at the irony. If only they knew the truth - that cute little Elua could probably throw her across the room without breaking a sweat. But that wasn’t a revelation she was prepared to make - not now and perhaps not ever.

’Not that I dislike her strength, but they would question its origin and then start questioning everything else about her. I won’t let them do that.’

The elder’s eyes narrowed at their prospective heir. He wasn’t sure he believed those words that sounded like they were covering something up.

"Regardless of your intentions, your behavior was inappropriate for an heir of the Yecine family. You must be more mindful of appearances."

Qatrand nodded, deciding that pushing back further would only escalate the situation. Besides... she was suddenly unsure herself how to ’properly’ explain her soft form of ’physical punishment’!

The reasons she even did it and the reason that she enjoyed the fake acting of the cute girl seemed kind of *questionable* no matter how she looked at the matter in his presence. She would have to think about it more later without this kind of pressure.

"I understand. I will be more considerate of how my actions might be perceived in the future. I apologize for any misunderstanding. "

The man with streaks of gray seemed to relax slightly at the young man’s acquiescence.

"See that you do. We expect better from you, Qatrand. You represent all of us with your position. Do not set bad examples."

She reflected on the conversation after being dismissed. The raven-haired girl had managed to avoid any instant formal punishment, but she knew she’d be under increased scrutiny for a while... and that a meeting with the other elders she *was* associated with was almost assured.

The thought didn’t bother her as much as it once might have. A small smile tugged at her lips as she went back to her room. Whatever anyone saw and whatever they might think of it... she and El would face whatever came next together. The swordswoman recalled some words the girl said when she was even smaller.

’Our marriage ceremony almost really is a formality now, isn’t it?’

---

Anper er Yecine sat in his private study. Etched with deep lines of frustration, his face was a tense mask as he listened to Navuill’s account of the rumors surrounding the bridal test. The younger man stood dutifully on his feet before him with a respectful posture.

Yet, the young man’s spirit was tinged with a hint of uncertainty and his voice carried notes of disbelief.

"From what I’ve heard, Qatrand burst into the ritual chamber and grabbed intimidatingly at the Goltbred girl’s forehead. Right there in front of everyone. The women are supposedly all talking about it."

A fist clenched on the armrest of his chair. The Yecine elder’s mind raced with the implications of this development. The official meeting had already informed him of Elua’s success in the test, but Qatrand’s public display of ’affection’ towards her - it was a direct challenge to the order of things.

"That Goltbred girl has been an unexpected thorn in our side since the beginning. She’s poisoning my own flesh and blood with her father’s influence."

Anper growled words laced with contempt at something far off while Navuill shifted uncomfortably.

"But Uncle, from what I heard that girl’s performance was impressive. And your... uh, daughter’s actions - while very unconventional - seemed to be driven by concern for her... the women all say-"

The older swordsman’s eyes snapped to the young man. Steel gray eyes as sharp as razors quickly calculated ways out of this cornering.

"Concern? No, it’s a weakness. Qatrand’s attachment to that girl is a liability that clouds judgment and invites scandal."

He leaned forward after declaring his viewpoint then changed to a conspiratorial whisper. The man had been leading this nephew towards his ultimate point ever since he decided to use him.

"You know as well as I do that Qatrand is not fit to lead this family. Beyond her secret, she is too soft and too easily swayed by emotion. The competition will expose that weakness for all to see."

Navuill’s eyes held a flicker of doubt. His encounter with Elua at The Ironclad Order’s entrance replayed in his mind. The strength of her spirit, her control of essence, and her cryptic familiarity with his abilities. Adding onto that her historically significant completion of the family’s bridal ritual...

"I... I’m not so sure, Uncle. Qatrand has always seemed competent in training. And if her spouse is as capable as she seems..."

The expression on Anper’s face hardened. Eyes glinted with a dangerous light. He’d been stating his view, but the young man kept acting like he was afraid of something. He was afraid too. Afraid that the elder’s that had involved him in their scheme weren’t looking closely enough at the bigger picture.

"Capable? She’s a *menace*. A threat to everything we stand for. Listen well, nephew: Qatrand’s infatuation with her will be the downfall of this family."

He stood from his chair abruptly and passed Navuill by a hair. His fitted suit jacket strained against his tense shoulders as he paced the room. The elder’s mind raced with dark thoughts and schemes within schemes that Navuill could only guess at.

The younger man watched it all with the benefit of his Empath Astralism... a growing sense of unease settling in his gut. Anper spoke in a low, insistent growl.

"You must not let their influences sway you, Navuill. Remember your duty to this family. To our legacy of strength. In the competition, you will show our ’heir’ the error of her ways. You will expose her weakness in battle for all to see."

The dark-haired young man swallowed hard. His heart was torn between faithfulness to his elders... and a gnawing sense that something was amiss. Something that he wasn’t entirely brave enough to say aloud. He bowed his head.

"I... I will do what is best for the family, Uncle. I swear it."

The older Yecine nodded with a grim smile. He knew that stressing the dangers to their very name would move him.

"Good. See that you do. The future of the Yecine family depends on it."

Navuill took his leave and his thoughts struggled with conflicting thoughts. Elua’s strange strength, Qatrand’s affectionate actions, Anper’s *insistence* on their weakness... nothing seemed certain. All of it felt muddled and was a struggle to parse with his upbringing.

Ultimately, as he shut the door to his own room... he resolved to watch and wait - for he sensed that the coming days would need for him to choose his path wisely. Maybe even to trust his own instincts and observations.

---

Fingers moved with practiced precision as the ’hobbyist’ worked on another armguard - a less intricate version of the one she’d crafted for her husband-wife. Though it was still high quality and the sigils did the right things. They would sell, she was sure of it!

A knock at the door interrupted her focus. Knowing they were coming because of her spiritual sense’s vigilance didn’t stop the moment of arrival from splitting her attention.

"Come in."

Nohre and Fusand entered full of curiosity.

"Your bridal test, master. How did it go?"

A small smile brought a curve to the edges of Elua’s lips. She’d never told the boy to use the same word, but he’d taken it as soon as his girl - who was a friend - said it in front of him.

"It was... illuminating. The Yecine women all seemed quite surprised by the outcome. I suppose the male elders were too, but who was to say with their stiff faces?"

"Did you show them all your power?"

The sandy-haired teenager asked eagerly. He didn’t know *how* strong she was, but he was certain it was far higher than she pretended. He was just too scared to directly test and lose access to all of her knowledge and advice.

’She’s better than any book!’

"Now, now. A good... cultivator never reveals all their secrets at once. Let’s just say I gave them something to think about."

The young miss almost said scheming cultivator! Her teaching hadn’t quite gotten to that part, yet. She was sure the fox-like boy would be all for it, but the water-deer would need it... pounded into her some more. The braided-haired girl had the good tendencies of wariness, but she rarely turned them into very far reaching plans.

"But wasn’t it supposed to be a really difficult test? Even for cultivators?"

"Difficulty is often a matter of perspective, Nohre. What matters is how you approach the challenge. You should ask instead what the real value of my choosing to pass it was and why I didn’t see failure as a reasonable option. Think about-"

As the reincarnator began to lecture, another knock interrupted them. The servant she’d felt rushing to the small home entered it while slightly out of breath.

"My apologies for the intrusion, young miss. But there are... unexpected guests. Your father requested your presence for dinner immediately."

The heiress allowed her eyebrows to rise in ’surprise’.

"Unexpected guests?"

"The Talcres family, miss. They’ve just arrived."

A spark of something - surprise? amusement? - crossed Elua’s features under the eyes of her students. She turned to her disciples fully with a look of ’resignation’ on her face.

"It seems we’ll have to continue this discussion some other day. You’re both dismissed for the evening, but I expect you to be here in the morning at the usual time."

After the two orphans bowed and turned to leave, a voice stopped them.

"Oh, and disciples? You should remember... even the people whose legends you respect can act like starry-eyed fans sometimes."

’Though I’d argue *my* reasons are far more justified when it comes to how I am with Qat.’

Their master’s cryptic words hung in the air and hey exchanged puzzled glances as they left. The Goltbred girl stood and brushed off her dress before she followed the servant out and down the streets toward the carriage.

The Talcres couple’s arrival, just before the wedding and the competition...

’Well, I wasn’t currently bored - but all diversions are good so long as they don’t touch my bottom line~’