The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'

Anper was slightly suspicious, but couldn't deny that what was used by the child just then was an Element. While he had heard about it already, it was another thing to really see for *himself* that the girl was a double Enchanter at the age of nine. Even if no one other than him seems to have taken note, he thought.

He could never envision that his *tool* of a child also understood it… and before he did.

While the focus of training his 'disappointment' these years had been so it could better control its 'wrong gendered' body and carry on the plan of the Yecine family, it was a regret of sorts that his oldest 'son' was also stuck at Late Initial in both essence and spiritual cultivations… and *barely* passing that assessment at that! A triple-Enchanter would have been a lot more reasonable with so much pure 'indulgence' of the family coffers.

He really hoped the next two children from his second wife would display better results for less cost, though they were not nearly old enough to train yet. It was quite a shame that the other conspirators decided *not* to hide his first child's existence despite the mother's postpartum death. It was nearly *infuriating* that he was ordered not to fruitfully copulate with her 'replacement' for nine whole years.

Despite being as invested and involved as anyone else in the gambit by this point, the dark-haired elder felt the amount of 'sacrifice' on his end seemed… disproportionate.

'Perhaps I should have killed it back then and claimed it had been fatally damaged from the birth like the woman. Then we could have done this all with a true male.'

Luckily for the man, his spirit was not nearly as much of an open book as Qatrand was to Elua… or else Anper er Yecine would have already made his Final Sacrifice for the 'good' of a husband-wife this day.

The two adults stood near each other with crossed arms watching the children play a 'game' on top of one of the sparring arenas. The little Goltbred would propel a light cloth satchel filled with dried beans near or at the little Yecine; using a combination of weak hand-lobs and control of her Element at varied delays to make it interesting.

Sometimes she would only push it faster along. Others she would suddenly 'caress' with her essence to add more spin so that it drifted to need tracked well. A few times she forced it to change direction entirely. It made the tosses unpredictable, which was the point of the 'random' exercise - as on the other end Qat was having to react to the 'projectile'.

The youth stood while changing defensive stances in order to deflect the bags with a wooden blade. Elua did her best to trickily push the 'amatuer' swordswoman's reactions without seeming any more powerful with her Element than she claimed to be. Which wasn't difficult with the terribly rote martial memorization her partner had been trained with.

It did however lead to frequent 'breaks' where she would smile, laugh, and make 'innocuous' comments about their 'game' until she 'recovered'. At least half of them were hidden suggestions on how to do better if one 'overthought', like she hoped Qat would do with her personality.

Unsurprisingly, the more wary of the adults also understood quite well what was occuring. After all, it wasn't all that different from a lighthearted looking version of one of the training programs one could apply for in The Ironclad Order. As well as many other Guilds. People paid competent trainers quite well to practice their martial combat against various Element practitioners.

'When they met, I really thought the child was just immature and starved for intimacy with others her age. I did start to think she might *really* be smitten because of all the ridiculous letters and number of 'gifts' in the past years, even if it is impossible to reason *why* she became attached with as little contact as they used to have.'

Anper er Yecine scratched his chin and frowned. He had clearly never believed in love at first sight… or in this case *obsession* at first invasive use of spiritual sense. Even if he'd known what happened back then, he wouldn't at all have understood the mental underpinnings of someone like Elua er Goltbred.

He just knew she was craftier and a wilder variable than his family would have expected.

'Now the little actress is even trying to train my 'son'. Worse is that she is *good* at doing so without others noticing. I worry I wouldn't have noticed either, if not for that confrontation. If she keeps spending time with it, she might even use that unknown Astralism to find out our plans.'

"This does look like this will be good for both of them, wouldn't you say, An?"

The doting father only saw their happy expressions and his kid being excited to train for once. The servants always reported that Elua often wore a bored or serious expression when she was 'concentrating' on her cultivation. The girl never bothered to hide that - because what soft and 'sociable' child *liked* the monotony of being secluded and working hard?

"For the six-hundred and seventy-eighth time, Ondua - do not shorten my name."

"Ahahah, right. Sorry. Still, what do you say? It can't hurt to have them spending more time together for a while. It's only a couple days a week for a few months. Your Qatrand won't have a lot of free time if they want to become trusted in whatever Guild they end up joining."

The Yecine elder sighed. For any of their family living in the region, it would be The Ironclad Order. It wasn't even an option, though the Steelbound Tempest Brotherhood in the neighboring area could be a 'second choice' if they wanted to be relegated to staying with the branch family.

"You know very well which he is joining."

"Yeah, I do, but you're poking at the wrong points of what I'm saying instead of answering me, Anper."

The dark-haired man wanted to click his tongue. The musclebrain would usually let things slide when it was obvious he was avoiding an answer, but since it involved the 'happiness' of his daughter he was going to be tenacious.

'He was always too *persistent* about the happiness he expects others to want or have. Still hasn't changed.'

"We will discuss it at home. The other elders will want to weigh in. I will send you a message about it."

"Your family is a lot more trouble than mine."

At this statement, Anper er Yecine really did clack his tongue on his palate.

"Being a member of a large old family isn't as easy as being upstarts, Goltbred."

"Oh, I bet. But there are still a lot of benefits, right? That's why I'm glad my daughter will be tied to both kinds of households. If something happened to us, she might have the estate and our savings left but no one would protect her. My siblings are vultures that would circle from the other side of the world to take what they can and Yatrel was a lone orphan so there is no hope there."

The older swordsman tapped his finger against his bicep. The waste of time chatting was an 'irritation'.

"I know, you don't have to explain it again."

"Hmph. Then I won't. I guess I was just feeling a little sentimental… watching them. I know your son isn't really like me, and my Elua isn't at all like her mother except for the eyes-"

'Could a father really understand their child less!?'

Anper almost choked on his own saliva. He was starting to wonder even why they were spending so much *effort* to trick this imbecile! So many meetings and discussions that took so much time… including all the training of that 'disappointment' he had to do!

"-but the pair of them still make me think back on me and my wife. How many people we offended and how many mistakes we made just trying to survive and make our place together. I don't want them to go through any of that."

The old friend knew it was better to say nothing. If he responded it would just egg the brunette on to *babble* more and more. He didn't use to hate that about him nearly so much. Not in the first half of their relationship. But thirty or so years was a long time to know someone at the Lower ends of cultivation.

And the last fifteen had been of an opposing polarity than the first… for a few reasons. Family mandates were definitely the continual driving factor. But even Anper, as a filial Yecine, *might* have shrugged that duty aside at one point if not for other irreconcilable personal opinions with the Goltbred.

That was how close he felt to his brother-in-arms before the 'good intentions' of the 'hero' reached the swordsman's toxicity threshold. It was a fever dream to believe their compatibility in life was ever high just because they worked together well in fights.

He was sure if the day ever came that he would have to explain the reasons for his deception and the plan to betray and usurp the upstart's holdings, Ondua would even claim to understand his friend's motivations before fighting to his last. He was just that sort of 'disgustingly' kind person.

Such 'kindness' was also why they suggested the marriage promise fourteen years ago. It was a forlorn attempt to retain their connection while showing some sort of sense of 'appreciation'.

The Goltbred may have been very busy at the time, but had sensed the rift that had formed after the Guilds had pinned the majority of the credit at the end of the last Voidling Descent on Ondua's specific achievements alone. He had never wanted to be deemed the hero of that cyclical event. 

No one cared how often he would credit Anper er Yecine for being invaluable assistance. That the swordsman had held back most of their forces while he charged at more 'valuable' targets. It didn't change the fact that Ondua actually was the one that slew five of the seven invasion leaders.

His attempts to not be the 'sole' hero of the short but violent war only made those in high places push the narrative harder. Meanwhile, the brunette felt that his dark haired friend should be more proud, more greedier for the attention, more upset at his involvement being belittled.

Anper really hadn't cared. He'd done his job, he knew it and his family understood just as well. He'd been fine. Until he was constantly badgered with it from either end.

The Guild Elders forced him to talk the other man down from refusing extra responsibilities, as the First Echelon Primalist (the Goltbred's cultivation at the time) had become a strong commodity that they didn't want traveling elsewhere. That 'friend' had also relentlessly attempted to involve Anper in things instead and neglect their offerings for himself.

The growing apathy and dissatisfaction with the relationship, Guild pressure, and their misaligned viewpoints even made him willing to agree with the leaders of the Yecine. If the Goltbred really wanted so strongly to *give*, then maybe they'd accept… on 'terms' decided by them. All the wealth and holdings the eventual parents did not covet would *tragically* fall to the heiress who would be legally bound to their 'heir'.

While Anper didn't understand why the 'disappointment' was decided on for the 'role', it would only require keeping the overall plan secret until the next Voidling Descent.