The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 484 - Life Hangs On The Back Of…

"For months afterward, I kept running through that decision. If only I’d had a reason to choose differently. If I’d sent fewer people to scout first. Or if I’d just kept the group together entirely."

"How did you... how do you move past that?"

With a smile quite sad, but a spirit and intent always so amiable - always looking to connect easily with others - the Goltbred father shrugged his shoulders. He’d actually talked to his eldest about something to this effect recently. Because apparently, she had been born to parents who shared quite a bit in common with who she used to be. And while he ’moved on’, it was never without all things negative following him and giving perspective on all the positives that followed... just like her.

"I didn’t, really. But eventually I learned that being a survivor itself isn’t something to feel guilty about."

The younger man stared down at the half-emptied cup in his hands. Recognizing that it was exactly what he had been doing. Getting stuck on finding something to do that felt like it solved his issue of survivor’s guilt for more than a fleeting time.

"The question of why you lived when they didn’t is an important one to ask. It potentially helps us. Prevents us from making similar mistakes. And asking what to do with yourself now that you did make it through things is also important. You’re skilled, Aleck. And trustworthy. Qatrand wouldn’t have sent you here otherwise."

He chuckled to himself, looking toward the distance where he ’knew’ Elua was working. Spending only two hours a day split between private time with him and general talk with the group at mealtimes. Something that Yatrel insist she start keeping regularly again, when she was there.

"And I know that my daughter-in-law wrote about you. My eldest is just too busy to take the situation too seriously. Forgive her rudeness. I’ll talk to her."

"No, it’s-"

A touch of spiritual pressure silenced the younger man. Showing herself sitting on the railing next to them, the heiress dropped off and splashed into the water down below.

"So - I’ve been too rude, have I?"

Not landing as gracefully in the pool as she normally might, not because she couldn’t use her Adhesion on that little amount of water - but because she didn’t feel like doing anything ’perfectly’ after hearing them talk. Little drops that would slip off her silver dress, a depth to soak her feet, and just generally letting any liquid escape the confines of what was pumping up into the set of waterfall-like features above... were hardly much concern. It would evaporate anyway!

"It’s just the phrasing you use, dear. I’m not faulting you."

Feigning a lack of surprise, the father actually couldn’t help but wonder just how long she had been there. Her abilities were concerning, especially knowing she had most of them for most of her second life. What else might she have seen at a young age that he did not know about?!

If either of them knew for sure that she had been taking a break in that spot well before Aleck showed up three hours ago, they might feel uncomfortable. Hiding in her Illusion while fiddling with certain blueprints to get back to being productive, she did also do her best in that situation to use her sense to figure out what the issue with this next stray ’extra’ was.

"I see. Well, if I think of something to help, I’ll let you know. I can’t promise when or how much of my effort will go toward it, though."

Waving without looking back, Elua er Goltbred just kept walking. Because she neither wanted to say anything too mean - or too revealing. Some survivors could commiserate with each other after they moved forward. But others were quicker to feel something more like a bit of contempt... as they did not like to think about those times.

Telling stories to Qat was well and fine. Cherry-picking things for her mother was also not a big deal. Correcting Sevra’s wrong assumptions about the motivations behind the ’real’ Acid-Tongued Villainess could be said to have been necessary. But she felt no merit in getting emotional with Aleck of all people!

...Not *only* because she held a little grudge for assisting Madrigil instead of letting her hire him directly after the competition. Yet, the mischievous little schemer was brave enough to admit it had something to do with it. And something to do with her idea.

⟠ ⟠ ⟠

Later that day, right before dinnertime, Ondua found his daughter in the center of a sigil array that was quickly approaching the size of the Gateway itself. It sprawled across an open courtyard in the opposite direction of that other site, easily a hundred and fifty yards in total diameter. The same sort of crystal structures serving as ’essence batteries’ were there from that other site... and Elua knelt at one’s edge, carving the containment patterns into the surrounding stone like she’d done it a thousand times before.

"Tch."

Focused entirely on her work, the well versed sigilist was fixing the sort of mistake she swore she would never do again after the *twelve thousandth* time of actually forming this particular intricate subset. Essence oscillated in a controlled pattern of minimal, energy freeing bursts that etched each line exactly as deep as it needed to be. Not with the additional angular divot in the leftmost part. As that would definitely turn the entire thing into a time-bomb.

’One that would take years to blow up, but I’d hate for it to be in a set of time that we aren’t visiting here frequently and I don’t see the other signs!’

Two people stood about twenty feet away, observing with the sort of intensity that apprentices watched a master work. Dima hovered near Madrigil, the two of them murmuring thoughts and ideas mostly to themselves, but sometimes in answer to the other.

"The grounding patterns spiral inward."

"The increments aren’t linear. Do you have to memorize that?"

"Each ring - no, wait. She’s offsetting the third resonance layer? Why would-"

"Harmonic interference."

"Since when does a primary distribution network this size need to worry about-"

"I don’t understand... any of those words."

Mumbling the sentence, though not *entirely* meaning it, the father kept the pace of his approach. He’d long ago learned to ignore the behavior of scholars being scholars. He recognized that same behavior in his daughter’s current state. She’d also been like this as a young child too - losing herself completely in whatever book had captured her attention. So he waited, like he always used to, as minutes passed...

Until Elua finally completed the corrective measures and sat back.

"Did you need something, Father? I’d prefer to complete this part I’m working on tonight."

"I understand. I’m not asking you to stop your work. Just... wondering what it is you’re planning?"

"What makes you think-"

"You cackled. You weren’t even that far away from us yet."

Frowning, she turned mint eyes on him and pouted.

"I do not cackle. Not where others can hear it. If people are within range of my spiritual sense, I *giggle uncontrollably*. Do not mistake the two."

"Elua. You’re being pedantic."

"And you’re being a nosy friend of a gift recipient, dad. If mother were here, she would understand the sort of social grace one must have at times like this."

"When I do not feel in the slightest that my savvy daughter has any positive intent when she says the word ’gift’, of course I will push!"

Standing up and shaking her head, the brunette girl brushed out her hair while circling him before she hopped up and latched right onto his back. Arms of the certainly less ’little snake’ sigilist slithered across and secured around his neck - much more careful not to choke than his wife would be - as soft giggles erupted in his ear. Getting this time with her family was something that grew her love... though like with most things, every one part for others was a hundred parts for Qat. The thoughtfulness of the spouse she left behind to manage her own position in life, still had her spirit doing flips even while being so distant.

"You know, it’s almost more fun when I’m being obviously teasing and you react. Rather than just seeing you crushed because I keep bringing up ’my fiancee’."

"I’m very glad that our relationship has grown stronger too, daughter. Now, will you tell me?"

"And ruin the surprise? Maybe after we eat, but not before then! Now, hurry up. I’m famished and don’t want to use a single speck of energy on walking."

Doing as asked, the cultivator parent took off in a light jog. Knowing full well that it had to take much more energy to hang onto him this way than to just fly off on her own.

"Go, go, go - faster!"

At the very least it was taking him a lot more energy!