The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 376 - Those Who Plot With Monsters…

Anper er Yecine set down the final report with grim satisfaction. His fingers drummed against the polished wood of his desk as weeks of careful work had positioned every piece exactly where it needed to be. And years of preparation of his own backup plan could finally be used.

Forged ledger entries nestled among legitimate Guild records in multiple places. Correspondence suggesting resource misallocation during the previous Descent had been truer than accounted for. Carefully backdated and inserted into deep administrative files as if they had been intentionally buried.

The war’s unexpectedly swift progress across most fronts had accelerated their timeline, but that worked in their favor. More pressure could be levied on administrative reviews to be completed quickly.

"The Earthen Fellowship clerk confirmed placement of the final documents yesterday."

One of the other faction’s old elders reported from near the room’s narrow window. He spoke like someone simply noting completed tasks rather than celebrating any victory. The man’s hands held a leather portfolio containing the weeks of coded status updates that would need to be disposed of before all was said and done.

"And the Army administrative offices?" freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"Complete. When the routine audit begins, the discrepancies will appear to have existed for months."

Anper nodded with approval. Ondua er Goltbred’s ’unearned’ prosperity would finally face appropriate scrutiny. The man had leveraged the fame of his hero status into accumulating wealth and influence. The kind that should have remained with established families.

Many may have been on his side eighteen years prior, not wanting to rock against the tide of publicity. But with their ’heir’ on the rise, it would become surprisingly easy to call in all the favors and move people towards this new plan’s end.

"For the timing, we can seek to trigger the discovery phase within the week. That should get some people moving so that we can see where the cover ups may start to begin and counter them."

A third elder spoke from his chair near the door, though his tone held less confidence than his words suggested. The nervous way his fingers traced the arm of his seat betrayed underlying concerns about their accelerated schedule. About the plan as a whole.

There were so many moving parts to this new plot and so many actors with roles. All weak points that were not Yecine. And they were relying on the same thing happening as last time, if any of them turned.

For the Guilds to stick up and defend them - to quash rumors on their side of it - only because their family would be holding the next regional hero. And most of all, for that heiress to stay relatively in line after Anper had already kicked up such a fuss for so long about her!

"We’ve made good time with this. Provided no complications arise with-"

A sharp knock interrupted the father-in-law’s comments. All three men tensed as the door opened to admit a young Yecine courier. One of the cultivators who received no real attention or resources but was still more useful than a mortal for situations like this.

His travel-stained black clothes and urgent expression commanded their attention. For even the lowest of them kept themselves looking appropriate when possible.

"Elders. Correspondence sent from Lirades er Yecine’s network."

The man extended a sealed letter with the distinctive second wax marking that indicated information required immediate review. Usually used for emergencies - or death notices. Anper accepted it with a frown, breaking the seal with more force than necessary as the courier cleared the room.

His expression moved from irritation to light surprise as he read. As his spirit flushed with something approaching satisfaction. The other elders watched his stern face carefully, noting each small tell as he processed what news the letter contained.

"Elua er Goltbred has disappeared."

The words he spoke into the air lowered the room’s temperature. Leather document folder dropped from one elder’s grip and the nervous fingers of the other gripped hard on the chair. This sort of timing seemed like it was poised to ruin yet another of their plans.

"Disappeared how?"

"Unknown, but missing along with two others. A scout acting as courier from the Shadow Whisker Sorority and some foreign noble who’d rushed in the fort. All three vanished within the same period. No clear explanation was recorded and the investigation is onging."

"No leads?"

The older elder asked while exchanging a heavy glance with the other. Three people going missing all at once was beyond coincidence. It matched too closely with their plot using a certain ancient artifact.

One that was supposed to target three different people entirely and went missing at the start of the Descent. If the trapped realmshard was already located on site and in the description of the report, then they’d know exactly what happened.

Neither spoke their suspicions aloud. Because Anper er Yecine hadn’t figured it out yet. He didn’t know his faction’s whole plan from the start. And there was something more pressing when the man shook his head no.

"This... complicates the inheritance pathway. With her missing, then having the Goltbred holdings transfer to Qatrand in a legal manner will be hard to convince any official to sign off on. Other stewardship situations for their youngest child may be discussed instead, if she isn’t found."

The observation from the old elder was careful and focused on current implications. Making sure not to sound as if Elua was likely trapped in the very Exclave that their co-conspirator would have been... had the plan proceeded as it should have.

"The clean transfer from parents to heiress to spouse to administrative control by me while our pawn handled their own affairs becomes significantly more complex. Is there a way we can proceed as planned?"

Anper’s fingers tapped with a sharp rhythm on the desk. Frustrated rather than satisfied when he wanted to be enjoying the hope that the little witch may be gone forever. Legal ambiguity was not part of his perfect plot.

"She’s only missing, and unless she is found deceased... she is still the heiress to the Goltbreds. We should still proceed before they have a chance to name their youngest as a replacement officially. I think there is still a strong case for my daughter to be seen as capable of stewardship transfer."

A bit of a snarled smile grew as he spoke, assuring himself everything was still on track. That *his* plan wouldn’t fail.

"But Qatrand will be devastated by this news. Distracted. Vulnerable to guidance from family elders who have her best interests at heart. Especially ones that are not myself. She would likely allow the burden to pass to those with more experience."

The cold calculation in his voice as he looked between the other two made clear exactly whose interests he truly prioritized. His own offspring’s emotional state mattered only that it could be leveraged for larger objectives for the family. This part of the man alongside his temper and hotheaded choices... were exactly what they did not respect.

"If this search is currently ongoing, won’t their investigation jumpstart and tie in to the evidence we planted? I’m sure they will want to do a look through the Goltbred estate for any signs that she may have left intentionally."

"Of course they will. Three people don’t simply vanish without trace unless..."

He let the implication hang unfinished. Whether foreign political kidnapping or some misadventure during wartime... missing, running, or death - the result remained the same for their purposes until she showed back up in some form.

"Begin the final preparations. Contact our positioned allies. The administrative review should ’discover’ the discrepancies within three days at the latest."

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"Well, that’s not right. Like I said before. Doesn’t match my copy of the books."

Klaytei compared the documents that had been brought to her attention with her memory alone at first, but was now looking through the hard copies she kept hidden at her family’s home. If she was being honest, she was having the absolute time of her life.

Even though she was frightened that the person she was with might not be able to protect them both in the worst case scenarios, she was happy to be alone with her at all!

"I don’t know what to tell you. Your employers just seem to be... off. I’m sorry."

Dima had traveled back to the city early, thanks to the progress on the war. The command staff at the fort she was at had told her in no hidden words that she wasn’t wanted. Because the fort manager’s son was a part of a smaller sigilist guild and had once been rejected by the Coiled Serpent.

So, having hired a few brave and trustworthy seeming male cultivators to bring her back to the city, she had been working on something to do with the original branch office construction permits when she’d noticed a grave discrepancy. The official document that had been filed had different values compared to the one at the Earthen Fellowship and her office now.

"I know you have issues with my lady, but are you telling me that you don’t even believe me? I watched her sign the documents myself. You don’t trust me?"

The woman’s voice carried just the right note of hurt vulnerability as she looked up at Dima through lowered lashes. The personal servant had positioned herself close enough that the branch manager could see the genuine concern in her eyes, close enough to notice how her hands trembled slightly as she held the contradicting documents.

The branch manager felt something twist in her chest at the wounded expression. Whatever her complicated feelings about the heiress, Klaytei had never seemed to be anything but honest and competent in their interactions. Friendly and warm... and not deserving of the expectation that she was trying to pull anything over on her.

"Of course I trust you. It’s just... if you’re right, then someone’s been altering official records. This could be dangerous for both of us to get in the middle of. I need to understand exactly what we’re dealing with."

"Then we should go to the estate. Lady Elua’s personal copies of every ledger are kept in a private room that only I have the key for. If there are discrepancies, that’s where we’ll find the proof."

Klaytei rose gracefully and allowed her movement to bring her even closer to the chair she’d provided to the other woman. Because asking her to sit on her bed was just... just too soon! The subtle scent of perfume that she’d secretly put on from her nightstand while closing the drawer wafted and filled the smaller space between them.

"There is also a master key in there that she had made in case of emergencies. And honestly..."

She paused, her voice dropping to something more intimate than the one she used so professionally at the branch. Hoping to stir anything at all in the other woman. If it had to be pity at first instead of jealousy, then so be it!

"I could use your company while I search. Being in that big house would feel so empty without the person I take care of there as well. Please?"

With doe eyes made at her for probably the eighteenth time since she had shown up at the fort the servant was in, Dima could only sigh and wonder why it kept working so well. Why she was out here in the middle of a Descent alone with a mortal, just because she was slightly begged.

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