The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 320 - News Travels On Wings Of Truth & Scheme

Chapter 320: Chapter 320 - News Travels On Wings Of Truth & Scheme

As they descended from the ridge, Elua walked slightly ahead with her Skydancers circling overhead. Qatrand followed close behind with her weapon drawn and Kefa trailing behind. One of the birds swooped down, chirping rapidly near the brunette’s ear before returning to its patrol.

All for show, as she had known what it did long before it arrived.

"Looks clear for the next half-mile, but there’s more scattered activity beyond that."

"Your birds are remarkably well-trained."

The member walking at the end of their travel line observed with appreciation. The stunts pulled at the venue in the eastern plains had shown off the creatures’ personality and intelligence, but it was a whole different matter to be able to truly use them to scout ahead.

Especially when all but one had only been with her for a relatively short time.

"They respond to loyalty and the promise of care. Most creatures do."

The abrupt edge in her tone wasn’t lost on Qat, who quickened her pace slightly to walk beside her wife instead. While the wedded couple’s kiss had been removed from Kefa’s memory, the Yecine was still a little set on subtly showing her *preference*. The fragment of the illusionist’s spirit in her chest pulsed with warm satisfaction at the gesture.

"Well, you’re not wrong there."

"I’m afraid I haven’t heard much about you from my husband, is this your second Descent?"

Lowering the woman’s importance to Qat and undervaluing her experience, the heiress found herself smirking as she resisted clutching directly to her beloved’s arm beside her. Even though all she wanted to do was climb up the muscular teen and start hissing at the woman behind them.

"I’ve fought in two Descents before this. The northwestern territory in my first campaign, then the coastal fortifications last cycle. Nothing compared to what I witnessed today, though."

"I’d imagine not."

Elua responded before the swordswoman could. She wanted to take the time to refine the nature and shape of the achievement in the mind of the twin-blade wielder. As the intended voice, she needed her to have things clear.

"From what I understand, most confrontations with a leader involve at least a dozen cultivators distracting their immediate underlings. Because the fights happen when the intermediate class enemies have formed."

"You learned right. In the coastal campaign, we lost three cultivators in the fight to take the one that assaulted the final consolidated fort down."

"Yes, I read about that incident. And that was with careful planning and specialized formations, not fighting... unexpectedly alone."

Qat was rather uncomfortable with the attempt to instill further admiration in Kefa.

"I just did what needed to be done. Let’s hurry our steps."

The Goltbred brushed her fingers lightly against her husband-wife’s nearby hand before raising it up to the sky. A pillar of heatless light rose up, meant to be her ’Projection’ calling the creatures back to her for new orders. After they landed and she spoke to them quietly, the three doubled their pace.

Kefa was not highly surprised that the heiress was able to keep up despite claims of being a noncombatant. She’d seen the brunette run through the venue more than once to go meet the sometimes raven-haired, sometimes blonde young man. Calling her at least a Fourth Echelon Enchanter in physical energy would not be too low.

’With some sort of Physique that made her particularly quick, maybe Swift like mine... or...’

She killed that line of thought, not wanting to think about the younger girl. Instead, she began to formulate her official report of the leader’s defeat at the hands of the Yecine fighter.

’The way he stood his ground when it shot down... a level of courage rare even among veteran cultivators. Masterful control of an Element that is so theoretical in the middle of a combat situation. Pulling the energies together, like a new Frozen Duskblade..."

Each telling in her head seemed to grow slightly in its details and embellishments of prowess. What had been a more desperate duel with lucky moments became, in Kefa’s ’full’ retelling, a display of strategic brilliance and physical dominance. When she started to speak the tale out loud...

"I think you’re exaggerating certain aspects."

Qat responded halfway through, plenty of discomfort evident in her voice. But the other Order member insisted.

"Not at all. If anything, I’m not good enough with words. I’m struggling to capture the full scale of what happened."

"My husband tends to be modest about his abilities. Please don’t go too far and make him famous. I wouldn’t want Qat to have to deal with too many admirers."

A smile came after the false request, because she could feel Kefa latch ’cunningly’ onto the key parts of her sentences. That spreading the word went ’against’ the Goltbred’s wishes. That the Yecine really was uncomfortable with fame and might get stressed by it.

’Trust someone to be loyal to their own desires, and you won’t often be disappointed.’

As El started to hum happily while erasing the noise from the woman’s mind, eventually the Army column came into view. In the distance, after they found the roadway, the end of a long procession of hundreds of soldiers and civilians moving steadily away could be seen.

"They haven’t progressed as far as I expected, but we made good time."

Qatrand assessed while checking either side of the road for signs that they may have been attacked recently. Only a single vantablack body lay disintegrating in a ditch. As they hurried to regroup, Kefa ran ahead and waved at the younger cultivators.

"The Yecine family should be proud of what you’ve done here. I know I’ll be telling this story for years to come. I should go practice that!"

"Just make sure you get the details right - and simple!"

Elua called after her as the woman bolted ahead... knowing she wouldn’t listen.

⟠ ⟠ ⟠

The watchers atop the wall began to notice strange movement. Voidlings wandering about in disorganized groups of less than a dozen moved toward the fort. A messenger on staff was sent immediately after plenty of verified instances to the command hall.

Several senior officers and Guild representatives were still reviewing defensive preparations. With the incursion point so near, it was very likely that they would see heavy fighting with the next days.

Among them sat an elder of the Yecine, his near century of experience reflected in the careful attention he paid to the messenger’s sudden entrance. Unlike the others who continued their discussion, he noted the almost electric, excited confusion of something extraordinary happening.

"Report."

The fort commander ordered with little emotion.

"Sir, the invaders have begun to lose their coordination. While we cannot be certain it is not a new sort of tactic to lower our guard, every veteran on the wall seems to think it can only be one thing."

Murmurs spread through the assembled officers while the Yecine’s eyes narrowed. All of them could see where the young man was going with his statements. But believing it was another matter.

"There’s more, sir. A scout reported that there was a high amount of Voidling gathering in the sector between here and the outland quarry. That would have been pretty near where-"

"Enough."

The firm voice caught everyone’s attention. The Yecine elder stepped forward, his expression grave as he surveyed the various Guild members. Most in the room were Ironclad and gave him immediate looks of respect.

While the fort commander was in charge and honored, a man who had survived one more Descent was always going to be revered just a little more.

"We all know that would suggest the death of a leader-class. Has there been a reported engagement with one through the beacon signals?"

"Not that I’m aware of, sir."

As the officers debated the implications, wondering whether to send out another group to check for casualties, a second messenger arrived. This cultivator bore an Army insignia rather than Guild markings. One of the few career soldiers like Talva er Ryleon.

"Commander, I was sent to tell you that a company of our soldiers had rallied out to a town nearby to evacuate civilians yesterday morning before the incursion points formed."

"You too? We sent a group of cultivators yesterday evening. They must have joined forces..."

Everyone began to think roughly the same thing. That a whole company of likely mortal soldiers and just five cultivators would have had a slim chance against a coordinated assault while guarding civilians. It was likely the death toll was high.

More so considering it was likely they actually ended up succeeding in what was surely a tough situation... if the closest invasion leader was truly gone. The Yecine gripped his blade, hoping that their current heir had made some great contribution.

And if not, had at least not died quite yet. It would be the height of shame to have their brightest hope slain within the first day of fighting. Their family would become pitiable by some and a laughingstock by others.

He excused himself from the circling discussion and stepped into the corridor. Steely gray eyes bore through the inner fortress wall, looking through reality to distant goals and nearby hopes.

"Our plan becomes useless if the pawn dies before we can rid ourselves of the king, queen, and knight..."

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m