The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 368 - Subtle Sugar Coating Of Terror-fication & Youthful Wisdom

Chapter 368: Chapter 368 - Subtle Sugar Coating Of Terror-fication & Youthful Wisdom

"The sigils would need to be carved directly into the wagon frames and infused periodically during transport by cultivators that are making rounds up and down the supply lines. It’s not revolutionary work in that regard, just an application of established principles that aren’t used much anymore."

When technologies progressed toward the point of centralization, as was the case with most city-scale rituals... or like those that powered the fort defenses... the people making use of them often forgot about how things were like ’in the old days’. Like when the cultivators had to be spaced out to power sections of everything efficiently.

’And when all you have on your mind is the logistics of putting everything under one spot, you sometimes skip the actual value of things being kept apart. The value of keeping people on their toes and active, constantly checking on things. A central location makes things smoother, but is smooth always better? Does it always push others to do their best?’

Elua er Goltbred was actually more of a fan of a little crunch, when it came to food and getting things done. Of course, she had no intention of telling them that she could make the ritual seven times better at weight reduction. With complete autonomous functionality.

That she could remove the need for pack animals in the first place. Make platforms that could be floated, tethered together, and pushed and pulled along by only a handful of people. Or any other thing that did not fit the current region, continent, or world as she knew it.

’Some leaps are leaps too far when you have no confidence that the mountain face you land on will not crumble under your feet. Plus, I don’t want to spend the next few years making thousands of those...’

Commander Huri studied the diagram she’d turned over to him with interest. While he was a mortal, he was also an officer of the Army and had something a bit above an average understanding of cultivator matters. Which is why his first question was not disbelief, but for more actionable information.

"How long would such modifications take?"

"For an initial test wagon? Perhaps two days to implement and verify the effect and viability. If it is successful, I could train the Earthen Fellowship members here to replicate the process for additional wagons. Their skills are the next best thing to my Guild’s sigilists."

She looked over toward the one at the table who looked shocked to have been included in this matter without any official notice from the Coiled Serpent.

"At least, their ability to carve accurately is high. Their ability to take an idea given freely for the benefit of others and try to commoditize it more than the original creator ever intended for it to be is... well, also quite high!"

Her voice was as ’sugary’ as syrup and the ’smile’ on her face was that of a girl talking to an *appreciated* friend. But the content of those words were anything but, giving a sense of dissonance to those around the table.

"Young Lady Goltbred-"

"Oh, I’m not here to rat your leadership out openly. I believe my mother and I made ourselves quite clear before. I’m just advising everyone currently here to take note of whom this idea was introduced by. To understand that I intend to allow the plans to exist in the open for others to replicate, unless Guilds - more than yours - decide there are reasons not to..."

Her amiability and sweetness continued until that point, he smile faded and a glare that - while still cute with her facade on - made it clear she was serious. Pressure pushed down on every cultivator in the room and only them. Not so much to keep them perfectly still, like she had done to others at times before.

Neither so much that it blasted a terrifying indifference across them, just enough ’upset’ intention to get her point across. Lightly applied to the supply coordinator she ’liked’ and heavily to the Ironclad who questioned her ability.

"I also wanted to make it clear that my husband is not to be plotted against. Which is what I consider you doing when you create deals in secret that capitalize on anything I have done or will ever do for Qatrand er Yecine’s benefit."

A member of Void Defense Society that she hadn’t been ’assaulting’ with her spirit - only because he was a mortal - stood to his feet. He could tell something was strange with how his partner was grimacing and tense. But he in particular was the last individual that should have ’chosen’ to make himself known.

"This is ridiculous. You-"

"I could list out every favor called in to push certain people onto the strike force, if you’d like. As well as who those favors came from. What those favors were *owed for*. To a quite inglorious level of detail, if you force me to... sheep."

"N-no, that’s..."

The speed at which he backed down with that single word - that sounded like an insult and not the hint at his hidden dealings that it was - and that she pulled her ’intent’ away from them confused them. A smile that all at once returned with youthful, unthreatening motions only furthered that bewilderment... because this had never been a ’frightening’ aura throughout.

"So I do beg you to question the wisdom in your actions in the future. After all, if you think you are the only ones with favors and connections to make use of, then you are sorely mistaken and may need to better evaluate our modest society at large."

The small brunette clapped her hands, deciding to bring them back on topic.

"Okay? Everyone agreed? I’ve said what I wanted and now if you could, please focus on my original proposal."

The room fell into thoughtful silence as Army officers considered the implications - of both that lingering sense of ’veiled threat’ and the proposed carriage modifications. Even a modest weight reduction multiplied across dozens of wagons and hundreds of miles traveled could substantially improve their logistic chain.

Commander Huri was really curious how the heiress had gotten any sort of information on the people working behind the Yecine heir’s back. But derailing the meeting any further would only make that stomach ulcer that flared up when he saw so many cultivators grimacing... completely burst.

’We’ll just ignore it. They are going to all bug me about it later anyway, even if I tried to address it here.’

"The risk in transit?"

"Minimal. If the ritual fails to work the way they are supposed to, the wagons will simply revert to normalized weight. At least, I would feel safe claiming that as long as no attempts to change the array’s effect is applied to the work."

She’d ensured lots of little failsafe details to make that the case. It would take more knowhow than most had to dissect her sigilscript and pick out what was actually important to provide the effect they needed. And what was not just nonsense generic essence movement chains meant to make everything look more complicated.

’A bit like scribbling loops around a written word, being unable to make out the word, and any change to any line can ruin how it flows through the word. I believe one of my mentors had called it sigil encryption.’

Usually pointless, since the real masters of the craft worked with things so complex that it already looked like scribbled nonsense to most spiritualists. But for a late blooming cultivator that got into the practice as a hobby? It was the middle-grade complexity and how to best make use of it that had always been her preference in the field.

She answered a few more technical questions before the man gave the go ahead. Elua curtseyed and replied with carefully displayed ’humility’. Downplaying her efforts as being entirely her own.

"My family’s resources are at the service of the war effort and the furthering of our region. They always will be."

As the meeting continued with other task assignments and timeline coordinations being taken care of, Elua sat in a corner with her eyes closed. She practiced with her eavesdropping ’tunnels’ of air, finding the right balance of increased pressure and heat to make sound travel easiest. Catching whispered exchanges between junior officers at the edges of the meeting.

"She was threatening them all just now, right? How come no one really said anything back?"

"Why is she even still here? Shouldn’t she have returned home after her husband departed?"

"Heard she insisted herself on staying to assist with sigil work. Commander didn’t object - apparently her family has significant connections. Some people can get away with anything."

Elua pretended not to hear, cold indifference flickering in her heart. The assumption that she was merely a dependent spouse or a generational layabout lingering where she didn’t belong barely scraped against her pride.

What others thought did matter, to an extent. But public opinion was more than a handful of young officers. Especially ones that would likely get scolded even without her meddling, later... if the twinges from a few cultivator spirits were any indication.

Eventually, the gathering ended and the supply coordinator approached

"That was impressive for someone your age, Lady Goltbred. I wasn’t aware that your family specialized in sigil applications."

Elua opened mint eyes and met his gaze steadily.

"My interests are diverse and entirely my own. In times like these, we all contribute whatever skills we possess. My father fights where he is sent while my mother stays with my sister where she is needed. My husband shows their sword, strategy, and their hero’s heart to all."

"And you contribute with knowledge and... warnings."

A bright ’giggle’ split the air, drawing more attention to them.

"That almost makes me sound like a prophet. I’m just a young girl who appreciates people who think things through. I especially like people who have no idea what they are talking about..."

A toothy grin was flashed as she looked over towards the same junior Army officers being scolded vigorously... after one of them had asked another silly question about what was important about ’sheep’.

"Being forced to learn their limits. So they can work within them or work to surpass them. Don’t you?"

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