The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'

The week after Qatrand er Yecine 'returned', the young heiress decided it would be a good time to check fully in on some of her *unofficial* jobs. It had been a few months since she checked on a few of the people involved. There were only three side-gigs, but all of them had been set up in such a way that there was usually minimum contact needed.

However, it was still ostensibly a partnership with each of the undertakings - and the girl did have things to do and send back. The tasks just 'happened' to take up almost none of her free time compared to her *official* ones.

The first she checked in with was the jeweler who she contracted with. That woman was working many of the more time intensive parts of product preparation. Specifically, making the jewelry as commissioned for the Goltbred to 'carve' sigils… 'into'.

Despite often thinking about her beloved in the frame of reference of gems, Elua was not actually interested in doing this part. Her actual role was the most 'important' for the eventual sale of the goods, as 'only' she was *capable* of the technique.

Using essence for much of anything more than an Element wasn't an ability anyone should possess at Enchanter. Fudging that reality a bit with her spirit control and Upper Realm memories was definitely cheating. It wasn't anything that would be useful in a combat situation because it required too much concentration.

She estimated it would take very dedicated researchers a few more years to figure out the 'how' of their intricate sigils. Whether those above essence Primalist could then figure out how to use essence barriers to 'carve' things was another issue entirely. Especially something at the idea of portable cultivator tools.

Even if someone had the idea, they couldn't 'overlay' and adjust illusory blueprints for the job like the heiress could. On top of that, it also only took her about three minutes per craft - and she only made ten per week to help retain their 'scarcity'. She personally thought it could be up to fifteen and they would make more money, but she left it to the merchant to think about short term gain versus long term.

A single one of them - even at the thirty percent profit split with her merchant partner - fetched her three times as much as her total 'assistant' salaries combined… their *yearly* figure. Elua had already gathered over 'seventy years' worth of a *normal* young person's wages!

'Well, from this simple item alone, anyway.'

Her fingers brushed the brooch on her cloak. Elua 'owned' one of them herself. Bought through the secretive channels they were selling them through, it was a gift from her father. Ondua had learned about them and acquired it out of her seventh batch. The mere fact that he spent so much on it when she could just *make* it had been… kind of 'delightful'.

Inside the center of the peridot stone was a three dimensional amalgamation of sigils. Their purpose was overall to do something much like the ritual in the Yecine seclusion room. It helped calm and focus the spirit. They also slightly stimulated the inner energy of the person within its limited effect, which would lead to increased speed of healing and recovery.

It wasn't much - probably in the conceptual area of "a wound that would heal in a week healing in six days". However even that much was something that the affluent of the 'backwater continent' would simply *need*. 

She had been a little surprised that her jeweler hadn't been targeted. When the brunette visited her, she seemed just as content with the steady work and money she was making as she had been when first approached. The girl was even told in a friendly way that if she ever had need of a workstation for making another gift… that she was more than welcome to visit.

That sort of kindness did make her feel *slightly* worse about using her as 'bait' for the 'clearly must be evil' Citrine Fang Society. Luckily, nothing happened!

The things she heard from the merchant also implied that everything was as expected on his end - though 'his people' did encounter pressure on a few occasions. The Goltbred supposed it was a good thing that she let the man keep so much of the profit share to help expand his means. The contract she signed had actually stipulated that thirty went to her, thirty to him, twenty in a fund for business expansion and protections, and twenty divided out to a lot of different 'community efforts'.

A quarter of that was specifically for the man - or more accurately one of *his* men - to divide among a few different regional orphanages. Carefully and scattered so as not to generate any interest; just like how they sold the tools. It was something she hadn't done for a few thousand years… giving to orphans. The 'history' of Yatrel er Goltbred also being one of those 'unfortunates' that lost their family had pushed her back towards the way of operating.

She would never give more than she had to give *again* - or even so much that it 'slowed' her own growth and goals - but some of the 'excess' being provided to the kind of children that *might* have to grow up in the way she did-

'Is more than tolerable. It actually makes me want to *brag* about it to Qat. I wonder what kind of 'affection' she would show when she is 'proud' of me? Maybe when we're older… and a kiss or-'

A small stone kicked up by a passing carriage was caught by one of her ever-present orbs of air. It deflected towards another, then another as it was robbed of momentum before it was quickly floated over inside a small vortex and dropped in her hand. She examined it to make sure it was just a common rock and nothing dangerous or valuable… before chucking it further off the roadway.

Elua then looked around while wondering if anyone had noticed what happened.

'Safe?'

She shrugged and continued walking. Controlling the Element immediately to do what she did would probably be seen as an 'absurd reaction speed' alone. Using a 'light' substance like gas to deflect a 'heavy' one at all - even as small as it was - would be just as preposterous.

It wasn't that cultivators viewed 'Air' as inherently weak. Gusts, squalls, and tornadic activity were well enough known natural events to showcase the *potential*. No, it was just that a *mere* Enchanter shouldn't be controlling it so 'expertly'… on any region of that continent.

Still, the girl didn't think she was objectively that great. She'd encountered geniuses in her last life that would have been doing far better already with much less than the amount of effort she actually applied to her training. Elua spent almost every moment of every day getting used to every little 'feel' of what it was like to manipulate Gas in almost any way… while in motion, while distracted, while doing anything.

The reborn cultivator had never been one of those 'geniuses'. She was a hard worker who simply *looked* like one to those who didn't know better. Coincidentally, one of those very people opened the door she knocked on.

"Ah! Yes, yes~ The savior of my retirement. Have you come to astound me again today?"

That is, one who didn't 'know better' - the man was also a fellow hard worker. Though he couldn't be blamed for *mistaking* her as 'exceptional' due to her ancient knowledge base that eclipsed his own resting within the container of a child less than a tenth his age. 

"Just checking on how things are. Your Guild hasn't been giving you any trouble?"

The older man cackled and waved his hand side to side. He was *supposedly* an elder in seclusion from the Wing & Talon Enclave. At least that's what he told everyone who listened. He confided in his partner in 'crime' that he had actually been *expelled* years ago, so the work he was doing was officially 'against regulations'.

"I think by now I'm too valuable again to trouble - 'specially 'cause I made it clear I dunno who the other artisan I'm partnered with is."

Because their Guild is 'creature-taming' focused, the brunette had offered him a few single-use 'trap' designs to help them catch their birds or reptiles. As he was in such a 'position', this led him to immediately contact some old friends in the beast-oriented black market.

Like with the jeweler, they all made out very well. She also made it so that the final touches to each of the products were needed performed by her, personally. Another interior 'carved' ritual for the creature 'lures' that paired with the traps. The only difference between the two crafts was she didn't bother to get involved with the man's 'merchant' contact in the shady trade - and he also didn't *know* she was 'the other artisan'.

Though Elua imagined he had guessed it was 'possible'.

"Well, if your sales drop off suddenly, just put a letter in the dead drop. I'll think of something new if it's really necessary - and see if our sigilist can do it. Oh, and of course, keep that request out."

Many of the materials she wanted to find for things like breaking through, making gifts for Qat, or just to keep around as collateral - instead of loads of 'money' - were being searched for on both 'official' and *unofficial* marketplaces. 

Also the habitat of a certain kind of bird. She never *expected* to find another of those pets on a continent like theirs, but it wasn't like there was no commerce between nearby parts of the world. It was easy enough to sketch and describe for the old avian 'expert', though she *lazily* wanted to just use an illusion at the time.

"Sure thing, lil' miss. Will let ya know if anything about that comes in, too. Think I'll… go take a nap. Yes, yes."

The mint eyed girl nodded and left. He was old and 'retired' after all. She could easily pretend that she *hadn't* sensed the pair of elderly women drinking tea in another room of the house that he was eager to get back to. Especially when he had been respectful enough to not shoo her away.

Though it didn't stop her from placing spiritual markers on them. It was probably nothing, but he *had* offered the part about not telling someone about their partnership a little too freely! Telling someone something they wanted to hear, but didn't necessarily ask about, was a classic way to ingratiate yourself - or deflect suspicion.

The heiress looked up at the sky and thought about what to do next.

'Don't think I care to visit the fellow dealing with the Saltfire Storm Alliance. I only sell one of those every month anyway.'

Elua had found the intense man looking around in the libraries as a guest. He had been researching to try and find any way to help his Guild out in dealing with a region they maintained ownership of. The land was plagued with literal 'Acid' rain - something the illusionist found interesting enough to approach and ask more questions in the guise of an old crone.

Of course, Acid having been her Element in the last life the reborn girl knew of plenty of rituals that attempted to block her ability at one time or another. Designing a large scale type barrier that would *need* periodic 'maintenance' in the form of replacing a degrading ritual keyshard was simple enough. It would only be difficult if they wanted it to be permanent!

Difficult because she would have to refuse to do it if they knew it was possible. Which the backwater inhabited entirely by Lower Realm cultivators thought was the stuff of legends and secrets.

She took care of the quota of lures - sixty a month - and the keyshard during the 'week off' from her other work. It made it easier to hide what she was doing, as the Goltbred was more or less left alone during that time of the month. The 'privacy' of that week would only last for a little under two years, around the time of which she will admit to being able to finally put a stop to *that*.