The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 81 - Fine Silver, Finer Company

Chapter 81: Chapter 81 - Fine Silver, Finer Company

Soft afternoon light filtered through the windows of the small home turned workshop. The rays caught on glinting motes of dust as well as the shimmering surface of molten silver alloy. The air hazed with a certain cultivator’s attempts to control the substance’s heat and pressure.

Elua stared in concentration as she carefully poured the liquid metal into delicate molds with a sword-shaped center motif. Getting the right amount to settle was normally difficult, but using her essence to push and press at it to fill every bit of available space without air bubbles was well within her level of control.

Her hands moved the crucible with practiced precision - one born of both recent training and ancient memory. Mint eyes twitched towards Qatrand, who was meticulously polishing a set of the finished silver bookmarks. The swordswoman’s usual care translated seamlessly into this sort of task.

Strong hands were distractingly gentle as they buffed the silver to a mirror shine.

"How are the engravings holding up to your scrutiny, darling?"

The Goltbred brushed a lock of hair from her face and set aside the last filled mold as she asked. Her betrothed held up one of the ornamental bookmarks and spun it in the light. She examined the elaborate black lines etched along the miniature blade that gave it more depth.

"They’re... exquisite. I can barely believe you managed to carve such detail on this scale."

A ’pleased’ smile tugged at her El’s lips. The girl had explained how it wasn’t much different from making her advanced form of sigils... but it was still easy to praise when something turned out beautiful.

"Well, I’ve had some practice in fine metalwork. Though I must admit, it’s been a while since I’ve worked with inlays."

The brunette moved to be closer to her busy working love. She leaned over Qat’s shoulder to inspect what she was doing. The contented breath that blew out of her nose tickled the blonde’s ear and caused a bit of a tremble in her hand.

"Your polishing is impeccable, love. I think you might have missed your calling as an artisan."

"I doubt that. But... I am enjoying this. Creating something together with you, I mean."

The reincarnator hummed in agreement, her hand resting lightly on the Yecine’s back.

"Speaking of creating things together, shall we start on the tassels? I think I’ve finally perfected the right patterning blend to match the mint and blue of our eyes."

Shifting their focus, the pair worked side by side. Elua showed her how they were done, with small fingers deftly placing the strands before wrapping the threads. The repetitive motion was a meditative, comfortable silence broken only by quietly spoken observations.

"You know, I never thought about how these colors fit together. It’s... rather beautiful."

Qatrand mused while holding up her first finished tassel. The small girl’s eyes lost some of their luster, but her spirit gained even more than was sent adrift. Her focus shifted from the crafting task to her partner’s face.

"I’ve always thought they complemented each other perfectly. Just like us."

A knock at the door interrupted the moment. Elua clicked her tongue as her facade came back into place. Ondua er Goltbred poked his head inside while waving a small velvet pouch in his hand. His eyes held a warm smile that did nothing to improve his daughter’s mood!

"I hope I’m not intruding. I’ve brought those crystals you asked for."

The brunette bounced to her feet, ’excitement’ evident in her movements despite the ’reluctant forgiveness’ in her spirit.

"We were just working on the tassels. Your timing was fine, dad."

The brunette man entered as she waved him to ’come on’. He marveled at the vast number of small silver swords looped by an ovular frame that were spread across the workbench. His eldest had been busy!

"These are remarkable. Your mother will be thrilled - you know how she loves gifts that are also practical."

"Mm, I do."

The girl had already begun sorting through the brown tinged crystals, checking for imperfections. She was glad that she changed his show of favor to this after the first Crystal Element formed tool he provided.

’While the awl he made was useful, this idea was more time sensitive~’

The older teenager stood up as her fiancee’s mood started to rebound. She stretched the muscles stiff from hours of being very careful not to ruin her detailed work. Yet it was a happy stress to bear.

"Should we start setting them now?"

The little craftsman nodded at the swordswoman while lining up the tools they’d need. She’d borrowed a lot of old things from her jeweler contact. Her stomach began to growl as she turned around.

"Yes... though we won’t work much more today."

The heiress turned to her father. Her mint eyes filled with ’mischief’ as she planned to increase their productivity.

"Maybe you’d care to lend a hand? You can’t be any worse than two children, could you?"

Ondua chuckled at the provocation before rolling up the cuffs of his sleeves.

"Well, when you put it that way... how can I refuse?"

The trio settled into a new rhythm of work as the afternoon stretched closer to evening. The house filled with the quiet sounds of creation and soft laughter as a daughter teased his efforts.

Favors for their wedding guests took shape under their combined efforts. Each one designed as a testament to the union of two families, two traditions, and two hearts.

Proof that they were to be a family bound not just by blood or the arrangement of marriage, but by shared purpose and genuine affection between them.

---

The next day, Elua and Qatrand sat side by side at the table with the completed silver bookmarks spread out before them. The sword-shaped insets meant to represent the Yecines gleamed against the oval frames and the intricate engravings and brown crystals to reference the Goltbreds caught the light.

A baby crawled around the unfamiliar space, making her way around the room babbling happily as she explored. Servants waited nervously outside the home in plain clothes. They’d been ordered to bring and watch the child at the eldest daughter’s request... then were summarily kicked out after agreeing that nothing was dangerous for the baby!

The heiress smiled softly at Onya, watching her sister’s progress as a *normal* baby.

"She’s grown so much while I was away."

Qat’s hand found hers, giving it a gentle squeeze to combat the ’wistful’ twist. With the advantage of the fragment, she no longer ’needed’ to poke at her or for the girl to force her spirit towards her just to get a sense of her true emotions.

"She has. But there is still a lot of growing for her to do. We’ll be here to see it."

The brunette’s heart swelled at the word ’we’. She leaned into the tall girl’s side to savor the moment. They eventually began attaching the tassels to the bookmarks while the reborn cultivator’s spiritual sense was kept watchfully on Onya. After a while, an idea popped into her mind.

"Qat, could you pass me a bookmark? One with the tassel already on. Oh, and watch her while I work."

Her fiance handed it over with a curious glance. Elua held the item gently as she marshalled essence into etching a tiny sigil onto the back of the crystal. Then she moved on with hidden lines of geometry throughout the metal structure. The goal was making the object nearly indestructible - so that it couldn’t be broken apart and swallowed!

’She has been putting random things she finds in there... probably the teething.’

"What are you doing?"

The tall girl asked softly after a few minutes. The shorter’s lips quirked into a small teasing smile.

"Just a little extra durability. Can’t have our most important wedding guest breaking or choking on our gift, can we?"

"You can make it unbreakable?"

The surprise was obvious in the teenager’s spirit. The illusory training tool had spoken a lot about the little things that had been done to her sword, but it was also... cheeky. Just remembering made her want to march over and grip the cute girl on the head!

"Mm. At least anything she’d be capable of at this age. And a bit more resistant to... shall we say, recent enthusiastic exploration by tiny hands shoving things towards mouths."

It was actually a strong Water repelling sigil, but it would react with the saliva in a way that would make it not want to enter very deeply - at least it should never sink down her esophagus. Finally satisfied with her sigil work, she called out softly to her small sister.

"Onya, come here, little one~"

The baby turned at the calling of her name, crawling towards Elua with a gummy smile. After the heiress scooped her up and settled her on her lap, she pressed the bookmark into the child’s chubby hands.

"This is for you, little ’river bend’. A little piece that represents us to keep with you, even when we are busy."

Onya grasped the intricate item while marveling at the shiny surface. She babbled excitedly as she waved it in the air. A Yecine watched the exchange, her spirit pulsing with warmth at the bond between the sisters.

She knew her fiancee must carry guilt over the time lost, but moments like these were a promise of the future - of the love and memories they’d create together. She thought back to the tree planting she had been invited to and Yatrel’s casual mention of future children.

The idea had seemed so distant then, but watching Elua holding Onya...

She shook her head and pushed the thought aside. There was too much to even think about the short future, let alone the far. She focused on the present - on El’s smile. The baby’s delighted babbling. The sense of ’family’ that was growing stronger inside of her with each passing day.

"Should we maybe put that somewhere safe when she’s done playing?"

The swordswoman suggested... eyeing the way Onya was enthusiastically gumming the tassel. The young miss ’giggled’ at her concern.

"Probably wise. We’ll have to tell the servants to keep an eye on it. I’d hate for that sigil work to go to waste because she lost it."

The pair continued their work attaching tassels as the child played with her uniquely special bookmark. Qat felt even more infused with meaning as she looped the threads. The wedding trinkets - they were tokens of their love, their commitment, and the family they were building.

She remembered her determination to be present for her sister’s milestones that she briefly spoke of when they parted that evening after dinner. After clueing the Yecine in on what she knew of the Talcres couple’s situation. The item in Onya’s hands took on a different impression to the swordswoman.

"You’re trying to make up for lost time, aren’t you?"

El looked up at her betrothed when she questioned softly. Calloused fingers brushed at her brown hair. Her facade drained and left her ’real’ features staring back into the pigeon blue eyes.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Maybe only to someone who knows you. It’s... good to see. You’re a wonderful sister, El."

Listless mint eyes twitched with unshowable emotion.

"Thank you, Qat. That means more than you know."