The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 296 - The Basest Sentiments Of The One Note Ogre Who Grapples With Herself Before Others

Chapter 296: Chapter 296 - The Basest Sentiments Of The One Note Ogre Who Grapples With Herself Before Others

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While being held by her beloved, a certain brunette illusionist had been questioned about a few things here and there. She had felt like sharing, but had nothing in particular to talk about that morning. Letting Qat explore her own interest in her was far more enjoyable to the reborn cultivator.

"Never?"

Her low voice double checked the answer she’d been given.

"Well, not... never. There was a period in my past life where I could not fake things with accurate illusions. But I don’t exactly like expressing excessive contact with people that aren’t... you."

The blonde moved her hand to the face laying on her chest, stroking her nails slowly up the underside of her El’s jawline. The heiress had been monotone on arrival and largely well behaved. The amount of calm coiling in her spirit was actually somehow slightly concerning to Qatrand.

"Is it excessive... to show that you care for others? I’m not trying to suggest you do anything you do not want. For instance, I have no desire to hug my acquaintances. I just can’t help but wonder sometimes."

"Wonder what?"

After she spoke, the hand hugged around the Yecine’s side was lifted up and the small warm palm kissed. Fingers twitched as the feeling sent an electric jolt to the girl doing her best to ’be good’, even without getting told. The tips of those digits found themself in blonde hair as Qat leaned her tilted head into her wife’s captured hand.

"Just... if you restrain yourself on things you don’t realize. Or how much the way others have treated you shapes how careful you are with me. I accept you this way."

Pigeon blues looked warmly into dull mint, knowing what lay in the stillness was hardly so lifeless.

"But are you fine with it?"

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The brunette aimed her emotionless face over Nohre’s shoulder. She spoke toward the other orphan, though she intended her words for both of them.

"Remember what I’ve been able to teach you. Trust your instincts. Protect each other."

Fusand nodded back solemnly.

"We will."

"I know you’ll try. Though you haven’t even tried to pry me off of your future wife, so I’m a little disappoint-"

"M-master!"

The other girl struggled to push her away after the embarrassing comment. Part of her knew it would be impossible to do this if the heiress wanted to continue *grappling*. But the teen was too flustered to take it into consideration!

’Marriage? W-we haven’t talked that far yet! If he thinks I’ve told her-’

A familiar feeling hand clutched around her wrist, that was pressing at the smaller girl’s waist. The green vine-like Plant Physique markings she looked down and saw made her tense.

"She didn’t seem to mind it until now. Can you let-"

One arm released from around Nohre and grabbed the teen boy, smooshing him into the pair of girls for a group hug. His eyes widened immediately and looked to Qatrand er Yecine for help. Fusand was sure he wouldn’t be blamed for anything strange based on his few interactions with ’him’.

"Better. Calming her down first was the right move, but you should have still been more wary of El right now."

The dark haired ’husband’ offered the advice while supporting little Onya, whom Yatrel was walking her way over to retrieve once again. There was a bit of a complicated look on her face, shared by all the adults watching the three.

"Did she just call our daughter..."

"I apologize, but I’ll let her explain if she wants. I need to go fix the problem I caused."

The black clad warrior handed the child back to the Dame Goltbred and took a few quick steps. Her palm slid across her cute wife’s eyes as Qat ’pulled’ each arm off the pair of orphans. Without any fight, the Ogre slumped where she stood under the care of her beloved.

"Now go before you miss your train. She’ll be fine."

As the Talcres and disciples boarded, Ondua stepped closer to Elua and Qatrand, watching as they whispered inaudible phrases to each other. His eldest’s strange use of Air Element was more obvious than usual. The first morning train pulled away from the station as the Goltbred family watched it disappear from sight.

"I’ve arranged to travel on the same train. At least as far as the junction before our city. My assignment is northwest of there."

The brunette man spoke out, since no one else seemed to want to say anything. He’d been watching his daughter’s ’dull’ reaction to everything out of the corner of his eye... and the smile on Qatrand’s face while rubbing Elua’s back.

"The cars are quite crowded. I’m sure we’ll have much to discuss during the journey."

Mint eyes ticked over and gave her husband a knowing look.

"Try not to overwhelm them with your war stories, dear. They’ll have their own soon enough to take revenge on you."

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After waiting around with only occasional attempts to start conversation, the stationmaster announced the start of boarding for the next departure - the one that three of them would take. While adjusting the child at her hip who had grown much more active while the morning light grew brighter, Yatrel spoke her mind.

"Tomorrow can’t come soon enough. I know that getting everyone in our group settled will take time. Waiting feels... unproductive."

Pigeon blues looked away from the train that would bring them back to their city.

"I hope that time will pass quickly for you. Being separated from the ones you care for while feeling like you have nothing important to do is not pleasant."

The woman laughed and patted her ’son’-in-law on the shoulder. While she had been free with her own thoughts, she hadn’t really expected it to be taken so seriously.

"That is somehow so very Yecine and yet so very not. Fight your best, dear."

Qatrand nodded to assure her before Ondua embraced his wife and daughter one last time for the foreseeable future. Elua wandered over to grab their remaining items and handed them to her husband-wife and father. The platform had already thinned considerably by the time the Hero of the Last Descent let go... most passengers boarding quickly to secure their seats.

The duelist turned to her eldest next and waved her hand in a motherly ’come here’ gesture. She complied and let the woman pet the top of her head for a few seconds.

"You seem like you’re struggling with something, so I won’t force you to say or do anything. Tell me when this is all over?"

"Keep her safe. And yourself."

The reincarnator whispered to her mother in monotone, her eyes on the brown of her little sister. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to hug them as well, but she didn’t want to force her Qat to have to pull her away once more... and didn’t trust herself to let go.

"Take care of yourself, my lovely daughter. No mistakes that might get you a new mother, okay?"

Yatrel replied just as softly, an acknowledgment of the shared understanding that hadn’t existed... before their recent limited conversation about the reborn cultivator’s memories.

"I wouldn’t want that either, don’t worry."

The toddler’s final sleepy wave and Yatrel’s steady warm gaze stayed with the heiress as she turned. As they found their seats in the crowded car. As the whistle blew and the lurch of the train moved them along.

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The train car in the countryside had been crowded enough from the start, but with each stop, more passengers squeezed in on their schedules than left. During the ride, Ondua sat directly across from the pair who had only been married for almost no time at all compared to so many going off to fight.

Yet they were calmer than any their age he had memory of.

His tall frame appeared just as comfortable as them despite the limited space. He had been sharing stories of his experiences manning the forts for the past hour, his voice low enough to avoid drawing too much of a crowd. Yet, he enunciated it clear enough for ’lucky’ nearby cultivators to listen attentively.

"I shouldn’t have to stress that the key to holding a formation against them isn’t strength alone. It’s coordination. The moment that gaps appear, when lines break without reforming in a timely fashion, that’s when those fighting with you get surrounded and everything becomes harder."

Qatrand nodded at the veteran’s insights. She’d heard the same from Army instructors and her family for years. Her black hair was tied back neatly at the base of her neck, the black ribbon with ’yellow’ embroidery holding it secure.

To many, the ’young man’ seemed the picture of Yecine stoicism. Sitting beside was the girl who appeared to be only half-listening, her mint eyes aimed to the window beside her. Of course, Qat knew better - her wife absorbed every word spoken and probably every grain of spiritual intent released from those in the surroundings.

She clearly was not in a particularly ’good’ mood - and had not really chosen to talk out loud about it so far. The quiet sulking made the swordswoman want to do something, but she couldn’t decide on what would be most effective.

When the train slowed for another stop, the conductor announced a five-minute pause for disembarking and boarding. The doors at the end of their car were slid open and a group marked clearly by their uniforms filed in. Void Defense Society members on their way to the next assignment after checking the evacuation of a few outlying areas.

"Looks like we’ll be getting cozier."

Ondua remarked while shifting to make what little room he could. The broad-shouldered man walking down the aisle would be snug if he chose to seat next to the Crystal cultivator, but there was also the issue of the woman trailing behind him looking for a spot.

After she assessed the situation of the two senior officials searching, Qat made a decisive choice.

"Here."

Her low toned voice projected out to the pair. In one smooth motion, she picked up Elua and slid into where the mildly surprised illusionist had been seated. The cute wife was placed onto her lap to create just enough space for the male cultivator to squeeze in beside them.

"Much appreciated. Long journey ahead for us all."

Mint eyes remained only briefly widened before they glistened a little with inner light. The girl settled back against Qatrand’s strong chest, with a small smile formed as she adjusted to this new arrangement. The first a father had seen since before they left the competition venue.

He turned to engage the Guild members in conversation instead of continuing to bother the young couple. A moment of relative privacy despite being in plain view. Though not half as private as it was in the reality beneath the illusions.

"What happened to maintaining appearances? A train full of watchers and you’re being so affectionate."

Elua whispered while straddling the lap the other way around from where she had been placed. Her mouth was close to her beloved’s ear, tempted to make her regret being so nice and perfect.

"It was pragmatism." fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

Qat replied simply, though her arms secured behind her mint-drop more firmly than strictly necessary. Enough of a hold that, even if the mischievous feeling illusionist wanted to stop...

’She knows I won’t force my way past her restraints. What practicality? This is clearly raw sentiment~’

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