The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 363 - Super Special Strikeforce Sendoff

As the strike force assembled after dawn, with their gear and supply mounts, seven cultivators stood in formation for the send off. With Qatrand opposite their center, the commanding presence of the Yecine heir was unmistakable. Even among the talented group whose members were all older than her by various amounts.

Military officials and a small crowd of early rising civilians had gathered to witness their departure. Commander Huri and Vice-Master Rensha stood at attention near the front. The pair’s expressions betrayed nothing of the political maneuvering that had preceded this moment.

The amount of letters each had penned or been penned in a short period made it seem like there was not a whole Voidling invasion going on to worry about, outside of this matter. At least for those already looking ahead to the aftermath. It was almost like an entire concerted effort was trying to set things up a certain way.

Elua er Goltbred - a person arguably spun of the same far-thinking cloth as those meddlers - approached from one upper corridor alone. Her steps were intentionally graceful even if she was still out of view. Preparing herself to infuse more stage drama to the scene, because...

’It’s her fault for asking me to present them~’

The heiress had on an ornamental dress of a certain blue with golden trim, that roughly matched the color scheme of the brooches she carried in a polished wooden box. Her clothes were just a bit more elegant than she had ’worn’ in weeks... not counting the fact that *in truth* she was often wearing the silver wedding dress.

An item with months of work by craftspeople weaving silver metal thread, even before her own protective sigil improvements. The cultivating tailor whom she woke up four hours ago to buy the newer look from - and make quick enough adjustments for a passing fit - had not been incredibly happy, even with the pay.

However, she was sure that wearing something befitting a spousal send off for her beloved to war was in order. So she ’sweetly’ insisted until his needle began moving nervously.

Now and then, the fox trotted dutifully behind her - even though she’d still never really bothered training it all too much. Not knowing who it was going to, she couldn’t think of what it really needed to learn - and the creature had picked up enough on its own to become somewhat of a mascot at the fort.

Qatrand was already gazing her way as she sensed the brunette’s approach. Slightly stern facial expressions softened for just a moment as her wife became visible at the top of the stairs, before returning to the formal demeanor required of her position.

Dressed in her Yecine black suit, she stepped forward and sent her low voice carrying across the courtyard with an almost natural authority that Elua knew was anything but.

’My soft-spoken Qat, she’s bloomed so much~’

"Before we depart, my spouse has prepared something. To mark our unity as a force."

While the swordswoman spoke to her group of cultivators, it was also for everyone present to see and hear. A subtle hand gesture, paired with a small tugging force of Gravity, invited her El forward as the girl made her way down the last of the stone stairs.

The smaller cultivator approached unhurriedly with the wooden box now open in her hands. Revealing to all with good eyes the meticulously crafted brooches nestled in protective cloth.

"I’m sure that some of you are familiar with the items circulating on the continent. I’ve acquired access to a full set recently sold to the Silversky merchants and felt they were absolutely perfect for the occasion."

Her young voice carried the honeyed lilt that had become familiar to many of the fort residents. Some smiled at hearing it alone, some at seeing the fox as it settled on its haunches like it was well behaved, and others felt confused shock as they understood what she’d brought.

"Whoever is making these seems to have grown tired of their old style, and as these reminded me so much of my husband I simply spared no expense and had them sent here. They will enhance your natural healing during rest periods and serve as a symbol of the connection you had to this mission."

She moved first to Leysah - only because she happened to be on the end. Eyes flickered toward her but never quite settled on Elua’s face, in anything like the way it used to do. The curved-blade wielder had maintained that careful distance since their private meeting... because for some reason instead of being drawn to her, she now wanted to flee!

"For you, who understands that the potential behind even common forces can be manipulated."

With the comment referencing her Element, the woman bowed and accepted the wrapped item with a formal bow. She began unveiling it before the girl gestured and took it back - to personally pin it to the woman’s outfit while checking on the conditional spirit fragment she left for tampering.

One by one, Elua er Goltbred presented each member with their gift, adding a personalized comment that demonstrated an uncanny understanding of their abilities or character.

The trap specialist received his item with raised eyebrows at her mention of reinforcing against those which ’hide in plain sight’, for his Danger Astralism. Mostly because he felt like his heart twinged in fear for a short second as her small fingers moved over his chest - but could not remember why.

Two Ironclad fighters were given saccharine comments about their chosen weapon prowess that had them missing their own daughters. One even shed a small tear as the small teen stood on the tips of her toes so he didn’t have to bend so far down.

Another two from different organizations also got their brooches and compliments, no longer surprised that this was happening but still a little sentimental. It felt like they were receiving some sort of official jeweled commendation from a noblewoman - even if it was someone a third of their age.

The empath healer flushed when Elua spoke of the struggles of channeling compassion for others without becoming overwhelmed - thinking that couldn’t possibly be in her file! The young woman - next youngest after Qat on the squad - knew that the heiress was also a vaunted healer in her own youthful right.

Due to rumors from the competition, she’d really hoped to pick the girl’s brain on the assignment and was pretty disappointed that no ’affluent family shenanigans’ had attached her to the strikeforce. The healer was as close to a noncombatant herself as anyone on the squad... and her cousin’s friend’s uncle’s son had *raved* about how the girl moved during her wedding Challenge.

’I’m sure she’s at least as strong as me, can’t we take her?!’

Begging eyes lanced through Qatrand, who had been saved for last. But her focus was more on the deliberate slowing of Elua’s movements to extend the next moment. Their eyes met as she pulled the already unwrapped one being shown off ’as example’ and pinned the brooch directly to her husband-wife’s lapel.

Her hand pressed and lingered over the spot where a familiar heart beat steady and strong. Where a fragment of El herself, slowly changing into its own being as it was subjected to mixing with the proximity of Qat’s spirit, pulsed with so many emotions.

"For you, a fortress in name and purpose. Built to shield others from outer threats. Remember, my love, that even the strongest walls need maintenance and care."

The monotone in her voice was for the Yecine alone - as everyone else heard a set of surprisingly *demure* toned words. While the ’innocence’ was still there, few of them had met the heiress when she felt the need to drop some of her ’cute’ pretense and reveal a more ’adult’ cadence.

Qatrand’s response to that surprised just as many in the gathered crowd. A hand reached out, tilting up a chin as the ’heir’ of the heiress and drawing her into a proper kiss despite the watchers.

An action from a member of that well known family that lingered just long enough to cause murmurs and a few knowing chuckles among the soldiers. Many of them had kissed their own wives and husbands in just such a tender way before their departures - and would do so again when they returned home. That was their hope.

Commander Huri cleared his throat ’reflexively’ but said nothing aloud - a force commander showing passionate attachment to home was relatable to every soldier present. It was a better look than ’too grim’ determination for the civilians watching, at least.

As they separated, the hand under her chin moved to the side of her face while Qat’s lips brushed against a small ear - with words meant only for her mint-drop.

"I’ll try to return covered in glory, just as you planned for me. Be good."

"Just return whole while retaining your own pride, my love. That’s all I ever require. Everything else is just distractions."

A rumbling chuckle came from the raven-haired cultivator as her pigeon blues danced with emotion. Love, respect, and so much more rose so strongly that some nearby cultivators with a little spiritual sensitivity could even detect it. A few of them even realized that the sword wielder had a ’too strong’ spirit for a mere Enchanter.

She pressed a kiss to the side of her wife’s temple and straightened her back. Gripping the top of her forehead, mint eyes dulled completely as they stared up at the one leaving. The one about to get the last words in... and not do so quietly.

"My pride... is right here, El. Under this hand. So you take care of yourself for me and I’ll do the same."

Satisfied with how the brunette’s spirit did flips, Qat let go and turned to those watching her. As if all that tender softness had been only for the heiress despite the public setting, it solidified into a more expected face from a Yecine.

She signaled the people under her command and all of them moved to mount horses. Packed down with supplies both for themselves and with things to bring to the first location they were going, at Huri’s signal the fort gates were cracked - and all too soon hoofbeats faded into the growing light of morning.

Elua stood perfectly still on the battlement edges, having rushed up them directly despite *appearing* to ’return to her quarters’. Stared in the direction they traveled, head tilting slowly with pinpoint accuracy even as they made lefts and rights.

Until she felt the first hints of the limits creep in - the initial stretching of their connection as physical distance grew. Spiritual silence between their fragments approached. Farther than before her Qat became a Primalist, but still inevitable.

The fox yipped with a gentle pressure that drew her attention downward. Closing her eyes, turning around, and hoping back onto the part people were *meant* to stand on... she picked up the creature by the back of its neck and into the crook of her arm.

"Come. We have work to do while we wait. And wait. And wait..."

This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶