The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 452 - Instead Of Fighting Rumors, Protect The People Behind, Within, And Believing Them

Chapter 452: Chapter 452 - Instead Of Fighting Rumors, Protect The People Behind, Within, And Believing Them

Each morning the markets buzzed with negotiations as people handled transactions early before getting to the rest of their days. Qatrand gil Yecine moved through the stalls with Leysah at her side, ostensibly inspecting the quality of goods and checking on any concerns that merchants may want to voice. In reality, she instead got to listen to an undercurrent of conversation that had grown impossible to ignore these weeks.

"...saw when he was helping with the well dig. I’m telling you, there were shapes to the curves there that no man should have."

"That’s ridiculous. You think someone would try and fool the whole world while taking such a key position?"

"I’m not saying our Warden is weak. Just saying maybe there’s more to the story than we’ve been told." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The curve blade wielder’s quill scratched down the noted phrasings on the loose papers she brought, but her jaw was set in the way that suggested she had opinions about the kinds of conversations they kept overhearing. The fact that they weren’t entirely wrong bothered her, even if it was the kind of gossip that served no purpose other than to divide. However, she knew better than to raise her voice toward them in public for no good reason.

"Shall we return to the office?"

But raising it toward her battle-sister and letting people know *that* way that the target of their rumors was nearby... was another matter entirely. With a smirk at the loyal woman, who had all but retired from her smaller guild in order to serve the hero’s new territory directly, the pair of swordswomen turned and made their way back to the hell of administrative duties.

Through streets that had transformed from six months of construction and had created something that looked like it had always belonged here despite some rough edges. But the achievement felt hollow recently when every group they passed seemed to fall silent until they moved on. Guilty for flapping their mouths - but it was reaching a point where it could no longer be brushed aside.

"It’s not just idle gossip anymore. Doubt over your true gender is growing, not dying off. Three separate merchants asked me directly yesterday if the ’situation’ with our leadership would affect new trade agreements."

Listening to the woman, Qat settled behind the desk that had become her command post for the growing territory. Drawers filled with maps, construction plans, and correspondence from neighboring powers - and also covered the surface. As well as shelves and other pieces of furniture added almost haphazardly behind her that worked with Klaytei’s file system. All of it evidence of competent leadership that somehow seemed much less relevant when people were questioning the person’s basic sense of honesty.

"How widespread?"

"Four in five of the permanent residents know of it, I’d estimate. Many less actually talk about it, but they don’t look unconcerned."

The raven haired cultivator nodded. She’d known this day would come eventually... ever since she decided to remove herself from the Yecine. Telling the Goltbreds had needed to come first, but she had been willing to keep quiet everywhere else if no one else was willing to question things. Yet, that seemed to be exactly what was happening.

’It is not like I can clear up why cultivators cannot tell without getting into the masking tool. But...’

"Any threats? Movements for my removal? Or at least demands for a clear cut answer?"

"Not directly. But there’s that undercurrent of... doubt. About what else you might not have been truthful about. If you lied about something so fundamental, what about your achievements themselves? A lot of people saw you perform at the competition, but are still starting to question whether you actually earned your hero status - or if it was merely politically convenient."

"Now that makes less sense and is easier to clear up. Do they think-"

Before she could finish, the commotion outside drew their attention. Voices raised in hail asking for her by position, with the sound of horse-drawn carriage and boots on stone steps. Moving to the open window, Qat could see a small convoy that bore no particular insignia... but were black all around.

"Qatrand! Good, you *are* here."

Lirades er Yecine called out the moment the old woman burst through the door like an excited teenager. But the Hero of the Last Descent was watching two other cultivators in nondescript clothing as they flanked a figure being pulled out of the carriage. Hands bound with a cloth bag placed over his head and reluctant steps as he was pushed toward the office.

"Finally found who we were looking for. Had to get a little rough with him because he gave us quite the runaround. That Cloak Astralism of his could be a real asset if you can convince him that you aren’t trying to have him killed."

Knowing Elua could come and go as she pleased, of course her husband-wife was aware of the tactical advantages of similar skillsets and needed no push towards doing what she already thought of. But whether she could trust the young man who didn’t try to reach out to her - and instead began spreading the truth as he knew it without regards for consequences - was another matter entirely.

"Basement. Not here. Get Zonnel."

⟠ ⟠ ⟠

Leysah was the one to remove the hood from the face that only looked like Qatrand in the bone structure at this point. He was much more gaunt and harried than the healthy eating and exercising swordswoman, after being chased around for an unrestful year on the run. The body double who had taken her place during her womanly cycles in early adolescence for a short while then was pushed aside.

Then he was ignored for years until they realized his inconvenience. While her early training and the masking tool implementation had all been drastic things that changed her, she could only imagine what enduring the fleshsculpting twice was like.

’Letting someone Reforge you with their own physical energy sounds traumatic...’

"We caught him trying to evade someone hired by Anper er Yecine. Small scuffle where both of them took swings at me and learned not to. Still... apparently, some people are yet interested in making sure truths don’t become public knowledge."

"Maybe. I’m never very sure with him. He might have just wanted control and to leverage it for a return to his status in that family... away from his co-conspirators."

Qat leaned over and studied the double’s face while talking to her *very* Great relative. He seemed quietly terrified... but whether that was of the raven haired cultivator looking into his orange eyes or of Anper and his old faction was unclear. The reading she did of his spirit with a tendril of hers attached was probably as close to effective as the Empath herself, but having the other woman in the room to push ’calm’ on him if necessary was just as important as having the second opinion about the man’s emotions.

"I sent someone to obtain something easy to eat. It will be here soon. What did the person that was after you this last time... say or do?"

"Promised protection. He said if I came back quietly, your father was going to make sure I was relocated safely. Away from anyone who might want to silence me."

"And if you didn’t?"

She didn’t believe the overture was honest, but the young man’s silence after her second question suggested even more that it wasn’t an offer so much as a command. Which was why there had been a ’scuffle’, as one of the continents eldest most cultivators put it.

’Probably more like a vicious fight that she barged into.’

"Why did you begin spreading the rumors?

"Because the truth needed to be told."

"Did you think I wouldn’t protect you if you asked me? "

"No. I didn’t. At least, I couldn’t be certain."

It stung a little to hear in his quiet voice, but it wasn’t the first time she had been treated as ’a Yecine’ or her ’father’s progeny’ by people she had little to no direct contact with beforehand. So many years ago when he was serving that body double role, she had never even been left alone to talk with him. So they had no actual friendship or trust built up. Just a history that was unfortunate for the both of them.

"Well, now that you are in sight and containing this any longer isn’t an option..."

Straightening back to her full height, her hair had turned blonde throughout the questioning. The black suit around her felt suddenly oppressive, a reminder of the deception that had seemed necessary for so many years. As much as she liked men’s clothing, it was very hard to ever claim she ’liked’ being called by those pronouns. It was just something she ’parried’ regularly because it had been a requirement to ignore them.

"Leysah, send word out. I want every permanent resident and any visitors in the main square an hour before dusk to listen to an official announcement."

"...What will you tell them?"

"The truth. The part of it they seem to care so much about right now, at least."