Chapter 570: Chapter 570 - Whether Slinging Flour Or Mud, Actions And Opinions Make Ripples In Water... As Easily As Blood

"You’ve both grown."

While they weren’t quite at the age for growth spurts, the swordswoman still noticed the differences in the two boys... especially since the changes weren’t all physical. Kaland’s essence field was now under almost constant use, thanks to the ambient vibrations of Sound all around him. Ajoreal’s spirit meanwhile seemed like it was always on the edge of doing *something* that reminded Qatrand of what it felt like to poke a tendril of her sense through one of Fusand’s Projections.

Both of them tensed a bit at the odd feeling, considering she wasn’t doing her usual best to prevent them from noticing her assessment. If anything she was being intentional with it to see what they did while sitting at the dinner table. The way it coiled was *not* the same as Elua pressing down her spiritual pressure or even when their ancient instructor poked at them with a small bit of Intent.

Though the way their sister could keep that expression of her sense so clearly in control, even while walking toward them, was very much just like her wife. Except that cultivator was also juggling numerous Adhesion contact points around her form... holding the items that she wasn’t willing to just leave safely in their little home.

"I hope you enjoyed the time there."

Their honest answer was *complicated*. Not just because the things they saw and learned had twisted their views on continental life and martial training. But because the one they’d want to give was being pressured by the smiling face of the Sword Demon... that approached alongside the tall, muscular woman while holding onto the crook of the former Yecine’s elbow.

"Frankly, I don’t believe they’ll be able to answer honestly in front of me. Though if I had to sum it up for them... they learned a lot and found it valuable, but they didn’t enjoy every moment."

"El, did you do more to them than you wrote to me?"

"No? That is, there was some time between then and now but I don’t think I did anything all that outrageous... did I?"

While the oldest of the two sons of Anper er Yecine spent all his effort strengthening his Shield Astralism without looking away... the youngest actually physically turned pale and started shaking his head and waving his hands while avoiding mint and pigeon blue alike. Eventually meeting a set of curious brown, he knew that their specially made weapons depended on maintaining good graces with the Goltbred heiress. And he was willing to fib to stay there!

"No, nothing at all. She’s a great big sister, right? Very... caring."

"See? They won’t be truthful, just butter me up with compliments handed to another party. I wonder who even taught them to do that?"

"You did. According to your letters. As a way to deal with Rezzue’s moodswings."

Chuckling twice, both for the pleasure of knowing her Qat memorized the rambling lines she wrote enough to immediately make the connection and for being called out on it in the middle of everyone, the brunette squeezed on the swordswoman’s strong forearm and made a choice she didn’t like.

’However, she needs to connect with them. In a different way than I have. She needs to recognize that they see her as family still... and always will.’

"Right. Well, my dearest should probably order me away so that you can have your private time for a bit - maybe tell me to go bug my mother?"

"Urk. Mom doesn’t like being bothered when she is being involved in the kitchen..."

"She doesn’t like *you* rushing in and picking up handfuls of flour to throw up in the air while completed dishes are sitting there, you mean."

A brief look of shock and horror flashed across Onya’s face. She was trying to be helpful and warn her sister, but all she did was get a past mischief concocted from a year and a half ago thrown back! Her eyes slammed to the back of her sword instructor wondering if she was the source of this betrayal with the truth... or if the story was mentioned in one of the few letters that Yatrel sent along to the Exclave.

Either way she understood now that the concept of ’no secrets’ with the eldest daughter of the family included things like this. A bit of shame started to redden her face before she was lifted up into the air and settled on a hip. Ondua was never too tired to coddle his daughters - though preventing them from arguing was something he wasn’t aware he would ever have to do...

"I’ll tell you a secret if you promise to keep it."

"...Huh?"

Being picked up suddenly wasn’t all that odd for her, though the two boys looked onto the scene with some curiosity. When they were near the young girl’s size, they never had that - in this parental way - as an experience. The moment they could walk successfully, they were expected to maintain moving on their own. The closest to being held by their father was when they’d injured themselves in training... but that was engaged as service to prevent further injury.

"After she was done being upset early that evening, she laughed about it while talking to Zyris. I also know she’s told at least seven other mothers privately. With a smile on her face."

It certainly was never done by Yecine men to engage in co-conspiracy and general hugs. Or a kiss on the forehead. Really, in any way that showed love and affection to children. Though they had a few distant memories of it from before they began cultivation - with their mother. Souvenirs of the past that had turned up more strongly after they had become Enchanters in spirit.

A fact that they were still too young to understand whether they should be upset about or not. It had already been too long to develop a sense of envy for it. Though they recognized the difference in values, there was still too much about the layers of socialization between those who were and were not Yecine... that made if hard for them to define objective good from objective bad.

And ’worse’, their instructor had never helped them define that.

She had said some directly harsh things about some ingredients of their family, some interesting praise about others. Throughout all of that, she often defined the opinionated nature of every statement she spoke. As well as the imperative of them looking at everything with clear eyes before allowing their own inner-selves to tinge that information.

Instruction that mimicked some of the words their sister - back when she was still thought of as an elder brother. When she had said to them at the competition grounds that they should keep their eyes open to see the reality of women as cultivators and sources of strength beyond what their family... and particularly their father taught. Words from two of the strongest people they knew existed were pretty hard to ignore.

Yet it was still asking a lot, even from a competent pre-adolescent used to trying to meet expectations, to fully embody that ideal. As the Goltbred Patriarch nodded at them and walked off to the side holding Onya... and as Elua was *pushed* at her lower back and told to at least go say hello to the Dame Goltbred... both boys watched it all and filtered it within themselves.

Through the lens of Kaland and Ajoreal who happened to be Yecine, rather than only being that. An outlook they had been developing even before they went to the Astral Exclave. Which is how they managed to come to two different conclusions. And why both of them felt the need to speak out... privately to each other, at least.

"If I used my ability to Mimic her, would it then be less weird to ask to be picked up like that and see what it’s like?"

"Please don’t."

A slightly suffering response from the older brother to the younger, who had endured his fill of seeing Ajoreal turn into other people just to do things he would have already done. Trying out new things should have its limits, he thought. Especially when it meant being rude to their teacher and sister-and-law’s family.

"...Then should I just ask her while I look like this?"

"...You were going to ask Qatrand?"

"Yeah. I mean, even if he wasn’t busy it would be weird to ask him, right? But she’s actually our sibling. And plenty strong. So-"

"Then why would you need to pretend to be a little girl?"

Opening his mouth and closing it, the boy wasn’t sure how to fully articulate the pressure of maintaining a masculine image... or why he instinctively surmised that it just wasn’t something boys his age ’should do’. He only vaguely sensed that there would be judgment from their own father and family elders. The kind he could bypass by being ’someone else’.

"Just somehow felt more right. I don’t know."

"This is an interesting technique."

Both boys tensed at the low voice that interrupted them. Similar to her wife’s Vacuum Layer, Kaland had been taught how to trap Sound itself from escaping in a bubble of space around him. Though he lacked the reincarnator’s Illusions, which meant it was super obvious that mouths were moving and nothing was coming out.

The two boys also had more situational awareness than most their age... but not so much that Qatrand couldn’t stick her face past the zone that the second child of their father was limiting the conversation to. Hearing at least the last two sentences between them made her quirk her eyebrow, but remain commentative of cultivation practices.

The third child’s tendency to use his Aspect to appear feminine was something that El had commented to her on, but she wasn’t sure how to approach quite yet. Even if she had spent her young life doing the opposite - and even in her current age still presenting rather androgynously. It felt like something to wait for the person themselves to decide on.

Just like the brunette had assured her repeatedly, with love, to be however she wanted to be. The former Yecine felt she could do the same for him. Yet didn’t want to further stir what looked to be muddied waters. Not until they grew closer and Ajoreal brought anything up on his own.

"I think the Order will appreciate a new member that can do something like this during peaceful years."

"They would?"

"Yes. We have a single meeting room that is made of materials that keep noise from escaping far, but you can make any meeting relatively private. Even out in the open. It wouldn’t surprise me if they offered you a liaison position."

Being quickly assessed for a traveling role - one that would put him in contact with lots of people despite his quiet nature - surprised Kaland much more than how close the woman had gotten. With her hands on either of their chairs, kneeling down to be a part of their little talk... it wasn’t the same as picking them up on their hip.

Yet, it was clearly some sort of concession from formal decorum that approached a more gentle, casual family status. An easy attempt to close the gap and engage with two young boys that she had learned more about from her wife’s letters than in all the years they’d been alive and stuck in the Yecine estate.

She wasn’t sure if they could have the kind of close relationship that left a little river bend and an ancient sigilist so attached. Qatrand did recognize that even that took both time and willingness... the kind that the swordswoman wanted to hold in herself for them. Being willing to find the way they could connect from now on - and the way to maintain that.

No matter whatever happened to her former family in the future.