The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 367 - Pawns Can Be Promoted, So I Think Of Them As Underestimated Queens

Chapter 367: Chapter 367 - Pawns Can Be Promoted, So I Think Of Them As Underestimated Queens

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The memory of that time together faded, leaving Elua alone once more in the empty quarters. The fox had moved closer during her reverie, now resting against her knee with a quiet sort of companionship - yellow eyes staring to see if she was alright. Or so it would seem to an observer.

’Hungry are you? Maybe I did forget to give you a snack with the state I was in.’

Her hand moved to rest over her heart, the hollow ache around the little speck. Practically a reflection of how she manifested her usual spiritual defenses. Only now it felt like it was an attack on herself.

"She made it sound so simple. As if being able to love could balance the scales of what I’ve done within anyone but myself. Though it felt good to hear her say it... I already knew I’m not evil. But she? She is so, so good."

To the ancient cultivator, her beloved was a bright and sure existence. An actual pure malevolent force, if such a thing existed, would want to snuff it out. Elua er Goltbred had long thought of herself - even in her last life - more like the amorphous gray at the center of two such opposing forces.

Perhaps slightly more on the bright virtuous side than the dark - but still living, surviving, and working from that position. A position from which any given perception could easily confuse her for the edge of the dark itself.

’Instead of something mingling at the edge in order to keep all of that as far away from the bright centers I’ve found in my life.’

Standing up and digging out the pouch of tree nuts she had collected the other day, while following Qat on her patrols... the Gaseous Element cultivator moved one of four new special spheres of air. They were one of the distractions she’d begun again, an old training exercise and readiness practice given ’life’ again.

It started shortly after aiming to get control of herself earlier. Now, multiple orbs of gas floated near the roof of the quarters. Three spun the air inside on different central axes. Two merged and split apart back and forth, the smaller one trailing spiral patterns around the larger sphere interior.

And the newest four were about temperature and pressure. A set of hot and cold, low and high pressure each. Containing these were even more taxing than keeping the spins going. But one of them was perfect for her needs - she knew because she’d already used it a few times before.

"It’ll be just a few moments."

Talking aloud to the fox, who knew it was getting a nice treat, she used her Adhesion technique to lock some of the nuts above her hand. Lowering the high pressure, high heat sphere over top turned the practice orb into what was essentially a convection oven.

Rolling and toasting them until the oils inside improved the flavor and crunch, then removing them to cool in a fresh, room temperature orb that slowed and stopped the cooking... the fox was already hastily dancing on its back paws.

"One of these times I’m just going to drop a still hot one and let you learn patience the hard way."

Elua returned to the desk where her unfinished letter waited. The quill felt a little lighter in her hand as she resumed writing, the words flowing with new purpose.

/ ...I write this not to burden you with my confessions, but to simply acknowledge a truth. I recognize how my experiences before and after have shaped me into someone who calculates more often than feels. You raised me with such patience and wisdom that I can’t help but admit I will emulate it.

Checking on the child at night, even when you were tired from work. Asking what books I’d read recently, even if you believed my answers a bit too easily. Not murdering me when you learned that I was teasing your husband intentionally, without your permission.

Qatrand has taught me that some of my ancient influenced habits can change, and that I’m not just hopelessly struggling to be who I want. So I won’t call it impossible to become this ’good’ mother in the future that is not only copying you.

If I aim to be worthy of the daughter you tried to raise, that you’ve let me become... I must strive to keep the woman who showed me what parental love looks like in my heart more than I do.

With deepest respect and growing affection,

Your Eldest, Elua

P.S. - Before You Ask, No. This Is Not Me Telling You I Am With Child. /

She set down the quill and leaned back in her chair, feeling more unburdened than she had since Qatrand’s departure that morning. She’d feel even lighter when she sent it off. Lighter the next time she’d be able to talk to her personally.

...But that would not be for a while, yet.

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Three days had passed since the strike force’s departure and Elua had managed to maintain her usual facade through sheer force of will. The empty snap of severed spiritual connection had become a constant ache, but she’d learned to function around it. Just like she had the other times ’duties’ had split them apart.

The fort’s central command hall buzzed with urgency as she slipped through the heavy doors, mostly uninvited. A massive table dominated the center... covered with detailed maps showing a constellation of smaller outposts and larger fortifications across the continent.

Commander Huri stood at the table’s head as he addressed the assembled officers. Representatives from various divisions of the Army and some Guild liaisons - a job she was unofficially filling as her excuse to be there, thanks to the Coiled Serpent not having a current presence here - were clustered around the maps with notebooks..

She took a seat near the edge of the gathering rather than approaching the main table. Several officers glanced the brunette’s way with obvious confusion at the presence of the ’delicate’ heiress who had kept to her room for days, for the most part. Why Elua er Goltbred was at a military planning session...

"The outer positions need to be pulled back before long. Void Defense Society reports suggest the Voidlings are establishing a few breach footholds early rather than the usual hit-and-run tactics. We need to consolidate to the super-forts here and here within the next two weeks."

The supply coordinator shook his head at Commander Huri. He was a thin but strong man with as much ink on his fingertips as skin. The illusionist instantly liked him. He was the only Third Echelon Primalist in the room - a spiritualist!

’Admittedly it is a room mostly full of mortals. But he still has my respect for his mental pursuits.’

"Commander, the logistics are... challenging. We’re looking at evacuating thousands of civilians plus military personnel. The wagon trains of supplies alone will stretch for miles."

"What’s our capacity per convoy?"

The Ironclad Order representative - not Vice-Master Rensha, who had overseen Qatrand’s strike force formation and then had left. Elua was neither interested in learning this one’s name or where the woman had gone. She was just here to find more stimulating distractions.

"With our current wagons and pack animals, we can move perhaps eight hundred people per convoy, plus essential supplies. Without overextending on defenses, that means-"

Listening to the discussion flow around constraints, route security, and timing coordination was something the illusionist had more than enough of in her past life. The mathematics were straightforward enough, but the human element created complications that pure calculation couldn’t always solve.

A junior officer raised additional concerns about protecting the slow-moving convoys from Voidling harassment and the number of cultivators that would be assigned. Another questioned whether the super-forts could accommodate such an influx without straining their own resources.

"The biggest constraint is pack animals and stockpile redistribution. They’re already working at capacity, and some of the routes involve steep terrain. We’re talking about loads of five to six hundred pounds per wagon, per horse. With days of travel at a time."

Elua raised her hand with deliberate ’hesitation’, as if unsure whether her contribution would be welcome. Commander Huri quickly noticed and gestured for her to speak.

"If I may, Commander. I’ve been considering an experimental application of principles from the recent gravity research. A lot of the data was destroyed, but my Guild has been there for months. We’ve sent a lot of information back to our headquarters."

The room’s attention focused on her with varying degrees of skepticism. While many knew her as a prodigy by rumor, she hadn’t seemed to do much in all the time she was here. Only a few who knew she spent her time touching up mistakes and other subtle improvements to the defenses - without bothering to ask or seeking particular fame - understood her value.

"What sort of application?"

"Weight reduction. Effective lowering through Gravity essence manipulation. Based on what we learned from the anomaly site, I believe I could develop a ritual that reduces cargo loads by perhaps five to ten percent alongside some principles that my husband has taught me."

The supply coordinator’s eyebrows shot up.

"That’s... twenty-five to sixty pounds per wagon. Over long distances, that could make a significant difference to our animals."

"You’re suggesting modifying standard supply wagons with sigilwork? Do you know how difficult it would be to sustain that sort of essence manipulation?"

The Ironclad representative carried professional doubt in a field in which he was not a professional. It quickly made her change her mind about learning about him. Though she didn’t think he would like that change of plans very much, even though Elua nodded ’respectfully’.

"As I said, it would be experimental. I can’t guarantee the exact effectiveness without testing or trying it on one of your supply wagons."

She stood and walked to the table, hand and face ’innocently’ asking for his notebook. With reluctance, he offered before she sketched a ’simple’ diagram at a speed that made most of them in the room stop breathing.

It showed the essence flow patterns around a wagon bed that she had already worked out perfectly in her illusive blueprints. She had not spent her days away idle. Every hour, every minute, was filled with schemes and plans within plans.

Letters, designs, and everything else that would make things better for Qat on her return.

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