The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 345 - Orders of Opportunity And The Expectation Of Separation

Chapter 345: Chapter 345 - Orders of Opportunity And The Expectation Of Separation

Commander Huri’s office had been transformed from its usual state of meticulous organization into a temporary meeting space. Junior Army officers hovered near the walls with notes and messenger pouches ready. Maps covered the large central table, held down by weights at each corner.

With black markers indicating confirmed Voidling presences and white ones showing major defensive positions. Qatrand stood at attention overlooking it, her formal Yecine posture showing despite having just returned from another patrol. Two days of relative quiet and no news had made the summons feel unexpected.

"Qatrand er Yecine."

The commander’s voice carried the authoritative neutrality of a career military officer. Not quite warm, but respectful in a way that acknowledged her reputation as a personal thing rather than a familial one.

"Sir."

"At ease. This isn’t a reprimand."

A thin smile crossed his face as he passed a sealed scroll across the desk. The wax bore the insignia of the Ironclad Order alongside the Continental Army’s crossed swords. As well as the Steelbound Brotherhood... a combination she’d only seen once before when she was offered to take the extra Army training.

"Special assignment. The establishment of a new mobile strike force to respond to leader-class incursions and significant groups of roaming intermediates. You’re being offered command of it."

Qat’s expression remained steady as she accepted the scroll, though her fingers tensed slightly around the parchment. From the shadows of the room, the current vice-master of the Ironclad Order stepped forward. Her silver hair was pulled back in a tight braid that the younger cultivator recognized and saluted to.

"Master Rensha."

"Your recent accomplishments were significant. Now we’ll have you move between defensive zones as needed to target Voidling threats."

"The Void Defense Society has identified a pattern in this Descent cycle across the continent. The invaders are establishing forward positions more rapidly than in previous cycles - in some cases, what seemed like days instead of the usual week or two."

The mortal Army member explained what was already an ill-kept secret. Though other than Elua and herself, Qat was sure that there may be none to few who knew that the secondary incursion points may have started forming at roughly the same time as the first.

’She called it a masking tactic...’

"Three days ago, we had one established near the northwestern continental ridge. By the time reinforcements arrived, they’d already expanded their foothold to the point that they were ready to swarm the nearest fort. This plan will counter situations like that."

Qatrand nodded and opened the scroll. After scanning its contents briefly, the raven haired Yecine looked up. She couldn’t entirely hide how skeptical she was of what she just read.

"I’m to select my team members?"

"An unusual privilege, but given the specialized nature of the mission and the peculiarity of your new tactic, the Guilds all agree that compatibility is essential. And at this point in time, you know your ability best."

Rensha explained while Commander Huri’s fingers tapped on a separate stack of documents. When she finished, he pushed them forward... happy to be done with them. He started to think pretending eye strain was getting to him might lower his workload.

"Dossiers of recommended cultivators from various Guilds who have volunteered or been nominated. You have authority to approve or reject as you see fit, though we’ve already culled some from the running."

A thought occurred that caused pigeon blues to narrow. Even though she already knew the answer to her question, as it was only logical with what they understood... she still had to ask.

"And my wife? Will Elua er Goltbred be permitted to join this unit?"

The two older individuals exchanged a brief glance. Both of them urging the other to take point on this question. They had been about to decide who *would* do so when the heir rushed to attention. Huri’s expression shifted as the woman flashed something from her pocket.

"While she is a skilled sigilist, this is a combat assignment foremost. Given her non-combatant classification in official records, I cannot authorize her inclusion. I trust you understand the... political considerations."

"Your team members must be experienced with Voidling engagement, and forgoing that... be capable of sustained field operations."

Qatrand nodded once to the vice-master, her face revealing nothing of her thoughts. Notably, that someone with the prior age of her wife had likely fought more of the creatures than a large number of people in the fort combined. The commander seemed relieved by the restraint not to demand or request a change to this.

’For now, at least. Even the ones who stay quiet when in front of their superiors always approach me in private to beg or threaten!’

Huri was surprised that he did not just keep an ulcer in his stomach, with all the accumulated stress from his job. The mortal was sure he was supposed to be a respected officer in the Continental Army, most days. But at times it felt like herding ducks... that were sometimes geese that bit.

"You have three days to assemble your team before moving out. The first candidates will arrive tomorrow for your assessment. This timeframe is non-negotiable, Yecine. Do not waste it."

The Ironclad leader stated while returning to the shadows, before the seated man added his last words.

"Significant risk, significant opportunity. Your performance could elevate not just your personal standing, but that of your entire family and even the whole region."

The unsubtle reminder of what this meant for the Yecine name wasn’t lost on Qat. And neither was it that the ’hero’ was chosen because of their ’likeability’ as much as pure fame. Guilds certainly liked to nominate and push the ones that drew more attention to those who may be looking to move as the war finished out.

"I understand, sir. I won’t disappoint you."

"Dismissed."

⟠ ⟠ ⟠

Elua looked up from her workbench as the door to their quarters opened. She had been applying the finishing touches to a healing brooch, one of several dozen she’d been specially preparing for days. After she traded a jeweler for his cache of gems, she thought of making a few special versions of the items...

In blue wrapped in a rather blonde looking metal alloy that she also bartered for from an unfriendly metallurgist who thought he knew better. Her mint eyes immediately caught the scroll in Qat’s hand. And had ’felt’ the tension in her wife’s shoulders minutes ago.

"Doesn’t look like ordinary patrol orders again."

Setting aside her makeshift tools, the brunette rose and moved to her beloved’s side. She didn’t reach for the scroll or ask any questions. Waiting instead for her spouse to share its contents, whack her on the head with it, or pick her up in the strong arms and run out of the fort.

’Well, not much hope of the last one. Though if I wanted it bad enough, I could always just lift her myself and kidnap her finally like I keep telling myself I could do... for eight years.’

The tall teen placed the scroll while unrolling it fully onto the small table that they shared meals at in the last days - when it wasn’t covered in jewelcraft. A smile bloomed across Elua’s face as the letters came into view. Despite the implications she already understood, it was overall quite good news!

"I’m so proud of you! They recognize your abilities enough to make immediate use of them. It means that they cannot deny your value. Command of your own hand-picked squadron..."

"The commander made it clear that officially listed ’non-combatants’ cannot join."

Qatrand finally looked over and met her cute wife’s calm gaze directly. The reincarnator’s smile had dimmed but didn’t disappear and the fragment in the swordswoman’s chest had barely pulsed. Small hands reached out, taking Qat’s larger one within them.

"Well, of course not. I’m the delicate Goltbred heiress, remember? It’s what I arranged myself to be. A mere sigilist with no combat experience that cannot possibly show you up or be accused of doing the work for you."

Her light, ’sweet’ tone carried a touch of something that made Qat’s shoulders relax slightly. Foresight. The heiress had clearly seen this coming... or reasoned it out the instant she saw the letter. No matter the case, the Yecine knew her wife wouldn’t complain in these circumstances.

"We also both know I’d be a political liability and distraction. That I’d get bored, especially if you are too busy, and play with you anyway using the fact that I can make others not notice me."

A nod, though mounting frustration still lined Qat’s face even as a set of fingers lifted off her hand to physically smooth them. The ’older’ girl sighed audibly and quickly.

"It doesn’t feel right. Your involvement in some form has been crucial in every encounter that I’m being rewarded for."

Squeezing gently on the side of her precious gem’s cheek, the demure voice of the heiress from when she shut off just a little of her ’innocence’ soothed the muscular cultivator. Even knowing her body was still small, it made her think of a more adult, more final version of the person she loved...

Expecting that her regular speaking voice would be a bit more like this at that time. Though she tried not to think about how, with some adjustment for timbre and exact cadence... it reminded Qat of speaking with Yatrel.

"My love, I knew this would happen eventually. The more your reputation grows, the more they’ll want to deploy you where you can be most effective. It is very basic war tactics, even outside of the Descent."

She stepped back in her silver dress, her posture shifting subtly into what Qat recognized as her ’mischievous scheming’ stance, without even any spiritual intent ever sharing.

’Slightly tilted head, hands clasped behind her back. Eyes just a little too smug and smile that looks like it could shift to let her giggle at any moment. My mint-drop really is...’

"Cute."

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢