The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 302 - To Stand Firm Without Trembling & Volunteer Without Being Volun-told

Chapter 302: Chapter 302 - To Stand Firm Without Trembling & Volunteer Without Being Volun-told

"All section leaders and class two and above Order members to the command hall immediately!"

The summons bellowed across the battlements and cultivators started moving again. The small points of incursion appeared and spread across the sky like a disease upon reality. The surrounding air felt heavier with each passing moment, all essence itself seeming to tense with the disturbance.

"I need to give a report on what I’ve observed on the outer roads. This changes everything about potential evacuation routes."

Sevra spoke while backing away and Qatrand nodded before making their way swiftly to the central structure within the walls. The command hall hummed with grim energy as cultivators filed in. The Yecine took her place among the younger Order members, standing tall despite her junior status.

While not the youngest fighter in the region or the fort, her competition performance did make the ’heir’ even more recognized than before. Though after a week, some of that attention and those looks had died away.

The ’veteran’ of four and a half previous Descents that was commanding the fort entered last. He had turned a century old this year, but his face looked no different from a three decade old mortal. No emotion was visible as he surveyed the assembled warriors.

"The Voidling Descent has begun. Sight indications of multiple breach points across this area of the region that are consistent with patterns from previous cycles. Judging by the number, there are at least two leader class enemies that will be gathering their forces."

Maps were unfurled across the central table, markers hastily placed to indicate estimated Voidling landing points. It would take time for them to fully break through, but it was well known that attacking the anomalies or waiting underneath of them intentionally was a ’bad move’.

If Elua were to explain it to them, as she had to Qatrand, she would say that doing this was like telling the Void Divinity that you either were not willing to deal with it properly or that you needed an increased challenge. Irritating the process could double, triple, or even further increase the estimated enemy count.

"Ryder, your assessment?"

Their commander gestured to a less stern-faced Void Defense Society official.

"These are the estimated locations for them to gather after they have manifested within our operational area. We expect the first waves of lesser Voidlings within hours, with major committed assaults by dawn."

Qat noticed the special pieces meant to show these initial holding zones being placed in locations that didn’t align with what her wife’s birds had reported to her just yesterday. While they had not seen each other since they left, the Skydancers... everyone there had seen plenty.

A murmur rippled through the assembled cultivators in the momentary lull of explanation. The young Yecine had stepped forward from her group of junior members, eyes fixed on one particular section of the map.

"Sir, if I may?"

With so many eyes turning toward her, most of the younger members felt this muscular swordsman had nerves as steel as her blade. The commander of the fort nodded for her to continue.

"I have information suggesting we should expect activity in this area."

She indicated a valley to the west, currently unmarked at all on their maps. It was not irrationally far from their estimates... but it was out of the way if the creatures intended to launch an assault on the other nearby forts soon.

"Where is this information coming from, junior second class?"

The raven haired ’heir’ hesitated for only a moment, as the Society member broke in to question her... but the one she deemed actually in charge also looked like he was waiting for the same answer.

"Aerial reconnaissance. My wife has trained messenger birds that have been coming and going. They have been instructed to scout and return if they observed anything unusual, and-"

"Birds? We’re supposed to adjust our defensive strategy based on birds?"

Pigeon-blues ticked over at the Society member. He had been most vocal the last few days about the distraction of the creatures entering and leaving as they pleased. He’d also been giving her faintly hostile looks when they occupied the same area for too long.

Qatrand was not sure what she had done to get on his bad side. But she wasn’t going to let him demean her point... especially one backed by her mint-drop.

"Not ordinary birds. Whispering Skydancers. Do not pretend not to know this. Their observations have historically proven reliable before."

The commander raised his hand to maintain silence, then studied the young man for a long moment. He himself was growing tired of the officials from another Guild, even ones as respected as the Void Defense. If they could not even act appropriately in the preparation phase, then there was room for errors in actual wartime.

"Your wife is the little Goltbred heiress. Her creatures are well trained, I presume?"

"Yes, sir."

The swordswoman maintained her composure despite the scrutiny of the senior from The Ironclad Order. She knew that, when it came to the capabilities of any such creatures, the five under her El’s command were better than five hundred.

Even if the reincarnator only had four of them for a short time. She’d personally seen how quickly they learned to be as effective as the first.

’I hope no one here makes that argument of length of training, however, because I have nothing I can admit to other than trusting her.’

A mature woman from the Earthen Fellowship - a non-combatant that was there to help with guiding potential structural repairs, if necessary - raised her hand from the seated council.

"I’ve also heard about these birds. Actually, I met one of them yesterday. They’re said to be remarkably intelligent and this one... tried to give me a dried berry when I was feeling peckish. I wouldn’t dismiss their observations so quickly."

The commander stroked his chin thoughtfully, before brushing his hand down his moustache. A habit he’d developed when he had come to a decision.

"Very well. We’ll factor this into our considerations. Send scouts to verify this information immediately."

He turned to a different junior officer and gave a directive. It validated Qatrand er Yecine’s contribution without fully committing to it - the careful compromise of a leader. The dark clad cultivator stepped back into her place in line, aware of the curious glances from those nearby.

Most of them could only strive to emulate such self-assurance, though more than half of those felt that it was only as expected of the heir of an affluent family.

"Now, our immediate priorities are threefold. First, weathering the first assault. Second, contact with nearby forts that establishes our new defensive perimeters. Third-"

The sealed doors to the command hall burst open as a disheveled scout staggered in. Heads and eyes turned at the interruption to see a member of a small Guild. His barely familiar uniform was torn and his face was streaked with dirt.

He gasped, clearly having pushed himself to deliver this information.

"A town... nearly four hundred civilians... still there!"

The face of the fort commander and nearly everyone in the room darkened at this claim.

"What do you mean ’still’ there? All settlements were scheduled for final evacuation days ago."

The scout staggered and braced himself against the table, drawing ragged breaths. A member of the council passed a cup of water and he downed it gratefully.

"Questioned too. They were told... told the evacuation order was rescinded. Someone claiming... to be from the Void Defense Society informed them the threat assessment had been... downgraded."

Murmurs of shock and outrage rippled through the room. Ryder’s face especially flushed with anger.

"That’s impossible! No such order was given!"

"It doesn’t matter. The villagers believed them."

The scout continued quickly.

"They’d started preparing to leave when this... this fake official arrived with documentation bearing Society seals. I only discovered the deception because I was running late and stopped there on my return route."

Qatrand’s mind turned to Elua’s warnings about the Saltfire Storm Alliance’s recent suspicious activities. She claimed that the bird theft seemed connected to something far more sinister. A general attempt to ruin the reputation of other Guilds no matter the methods.

"I’ve been on my way to warn you that they weren’t willing to listen to me. Just a scout from a small outfit."

His voice broke, showing his frustration.

"Then I saw the Void appear. Those people have no protection. No cultivators or militia. They’re completely exposed."

The commander’s expression had been hard for a while as he listened.

"This was deliberate sabotage. Someone wanted those civilians left vulnerable when the Descent began."

"We can’t spare many cultivators from our defensive line. The protection of the fortress must take priority... there are two thousand underground below us right now."

The Void Defense Society member spoke, his tone weaker knowing that his Guild was under suspicion. Even if everyone on the council was sure that their side was innocent, it still didn’t put him in the position to decide something until it was proven clearer.

"We can’t just abandon those people."

Qatrand found herself speaking before she could think it through. In so few minutes, the Yecine heir had made all eyes turn their way. A hand tilted to cede the conversation to the young cultivator.

"What would you suggest, junior?"

The commander’s expression remained grim but resolute. It was clear he was willing to entertain good plans. Qat stepped closer as her mind raced through possibilities, weighing what she knew from training alongside what Elua had shared about Voidling behaviors.

"A small team could move quickest. We could establish a corridor for civilians to reach safety. If we have them walk through here, it would limit the avenues we might be ambushed from."

The fort leader’s gaze was appraising as others chimed in with little bits of advice. Their main concern was that the invasion leader would have already seen the unprepared settlement. They did not have a lot of time to plan or act.

"A small team. You’re volunteering first, I take it?"

"Yes, sir."

The commander exchanged glances with his senior officers before nodding slowly.

"Very well. Select three cultivators second class or higher from our Order and prepare to depart immediately. Ryder, I know you may not want to hear this but-"

"I know. If those civilians aren’t evacuated before the first wave hits, they won’t stand a chance. I’ll go."

The man’s eyes ticked over to the raven haired young man who had already turned to begin choosing from the volunteers. It was already enough to be stuck in the same posting as a son of Anper er Yecine.

Now he had to fight alongside one.

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