The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 28 - City Scale Sigils Seems Smart

The day she turned thirteen felt a lot like the day she turned seven. Which is to say it was filled with bureaucracy. The day before was also filled with a numbing amount of travel. While Elua herself was *technically* unused to railway transport, as it was the first time she had been on a train in this life, the reborn cultivator had used it in a few variations throughout her last.

’She’s too far. She should have come with me. I should have stuffed her in my luggage. I should have brought luggage to stuff her in. I should have-’

The brunette cared a lot less about it being the ’first time’ out of the city she grew up in. What ’numbed’ her was the fact that she was ’willingly’ traveling *away* from her fiance! It was just too awful that the Coiled Serpent had no branch office to do her training in.

Joining a Guild that was different from the one Qat belonged to was a tough ’commitment’. However, she had thought a lot about things... and decided that she really didn’t want to join anywhere that might lead to a ’meritorious’ assignment to the continental army.

Though she believed that might not happen even if it was a martial focused Guild, due to the coming Voidling Descent. She was aware that training periods and admissions were suspended at the Guild level as it approached, so the same should be true of other organizations.

In any case, Elua would rather *pretend* to use her brain rather than her brawn. Such a thing fit with her ’facade’ supposedly disliking combat. Thus, she picked from the limited list of organizations and settled on the one she would have to work the least.

The Coiled Serpent Guild placed their focus on research, development, and implementation of large-scale sigil works. The kind that usually traded efficacy and efficiency for area of effect. In regards to her ’jewelry’ side-job, it would be the opposite kind of work. The keyshard that she made monthly (and the overall ritual that needed it) for the Saltfire Storm Alliance was more like what they handled.

She hoped to use the position as an eventual segway to take over for ’the old crone’ that Elua made up. The mint-eyed girl would be ’taught’ how to do it ’personally’ when she went back home. Then after she was bound to her betrothed in ceremony, she could begin to involve herself in that business and draw attention to the couple.

If it brought any ’danger’, it would be a plus! The heiress had still been having a lot of trouble... giving her husband-wife reasonable ways to *protect* her. The plan to foster rivals had never really taken off. She’d heard that her ’fans’ had discovered and talked down the few ’serious’ possibilities before they did anything!

One of the ’friends’ she made at the banking job was involved in one of these *interventions*.

She was *very* conflicted. They got in the way of her scheme, which would have helped give meaning to her beloved’s vow... but also they apparently *approved* of Elua and Qatrand’s pairing after seeing them interact at the Youth Guild. At least, that was the reason they gave for shooing off the ’other’ boys.

The brunette felt their ’taste’ was admirable. It was hard to want to seek ’vengeance’ against someone like that!

"Thank you for your patience. You did very well in the interview, Miss Goltbred."

The actress smiled ’sweetly’ at the elder in charge of recruitment.

"I’m happy to hear that."

There was nothing all that noteworthy that stuck out to her about him, like almost anyone else she’d met for the first time. Then again, the reborn cultivator had quite high standards. For instance, all of their ’entrance test’ interview questions had been so basic that she had honestly messed up a few and possibly answered some she shouldn’t have been able to.

"Your dormitory assignment is underway. I understand you intend to go through your official training period so that you can return home for the war. As you know we are not a martial guild, so you should not expect that sort of instruction from us."

"I understand. I wouldn’t get involved in the fighting anyway, it’s just that my parents would feel better about me being nearby."

She lied without a hitch or indication. The mint-eyed girl would absolutely be *involved* to make sure that nothing happened to her fiance... she was also greatly considering orchestrating things so that the girl would become their local hero like her father had.

’Also, while my father probably *did* feel like my being at home would be ’safer’, that wouldn’t have stopped me had I actually *wanted* to be elsewhere~’

"Yes, a lot of applicants say the same around this sort of time. You can just think of it as something I’m required to tell you. Now then, would you like directions to our library? It *is* the most requested destination after my job here is through."

The young girl giggled.

"Is the next the best and cheapest places for food?"

He nodded sagely. It truly was what everyone new to the city wondered!

---

After a week of being cooped up in the library both to subdue her own boredom as well as to make out as if she was studying ’diligently’, Elua finally took something of a break. In the early morning, one of the Guild’s workers had retrieved her saying that a courier had arrived that she was requested to personally sign the package receipt for.

"Little Shadow?!"

The brunette looked at the cloaked woman for a bit. The nickname was familiar enough, so she knew the person calling out to her was from the Shadow Whisker Sorority. So many of them called out to her with that endearment when they visited the branch she was working at.

"Hello. Are you working deliveries now?"

The girl smiled ’politely’ while having *no* recollection of the combination of face and name. Her memory was perfectly capable and it was quite likely floating in there if she expended some effort. It just wasn’t important!

"Huh? Ah... yeah. Just on the side between missions. We’re coming and going places anyways, may as well make some money while- wait wait wait. What are you doing here?"

"Aren’t I here to get a package?"

Elua pretended to be confused at her lack of understanding.

"But... the recipient is tagged as the Secretary of the Silver Sky merchant company."

"Yes, that’s me. The owner took a liking to my efforts when I came to work as an assistant."

She held the side of her neck while portraying how ’troubled’ she was by this.

"And you’re wearing the badge of this Coiled Serpent Guild..."

Having to clarify all these details was an interesting little diversion. The woman removed the hood of her cloak as they continued ’asking’ things.

"I’ve recently come of age. I was lucky to do well enough, even when being questioned about my lacking knowledge of sigils and rituals. My training to fix that started a week ago."

The reborn cultivator actually had been studying, but it was in identifying the *limits* of what was and was not reasonable to reveal. She had decided that being ’humble’ was better than not.

"Then that means you’ll be a Little Snake instead. What a shame..."

The woman said a little too loudly in the territory of a different faction. Elua’s chosen Guild did not seem to have a similar habit of labeling their members by anything other than an inner sigilist ranking - making the one potentially being insulted only giggle.

"Even small snakes have shadows~ you can keep calling me however you wish. Shadow, Snake, Sister, or Friend. Though, I hope you won’t waste too much of your time today telling me stories? I always feel bad when others entertain me."

"Oh, I won’t. Maybe next time. There are still a few smaller items I have to deliver elsewhere today. Just sign this."

The Goltbred heiress did as asked. She still didn’t have an idea of who she was talking to, but had instead relied on general statements that fit practically every one of these Sisters.

"It’s Sevra, by the way."

The older offered while the younger of the pair patted the top of the crate to acknowledge that she recognized it as hers.

"I remember. By next time do you mean to say that you’ve signed a contract for my deliveries?"

She lied fluently, body language impeccable. The girl did wonder why she made a point to remind her when it wasn’t like her own name had been used the entire time!

"Once a month for the next five - well, four now. I’ll be back next week for the return delivery. If it’s not me on the others, then it will be my brother. A copy of our contract is supposed to be inside, your boss said."

Inwardly, Elua disliked that man being called her boss...

’But that is how things are officially, so I shouldn’t correct her.’

"Oh, I look forward to meeting him. Maybe he can also tell me a few stories if we both have the time."

"Ah... he’s not much of a talker."

Her spirit was a little ruffled before she answered, so the illusionist was expecting good things. Whether he would be the opposite of what she said, exactly what she said, or she just hoped he kept his mouth shut... all of them would relieve her boredom for just a little bit.

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦