Nateaser: Reborn As My Love Interest

Nati - Chapter Twenty

I was ready to set up shop.

Despite that messy encounter yesterday, my priorities did not change. We got half a ton of leather, waiting to be processed. The former Cranta Proper was about to experience ball games at an unprecedented scale.

After all that excitement I slept like a log and woke up before Charlotte for the first time. Before I dashed to inspect my diligent minions, I remembered an issue. Even after a week, I still couldn't remember most people here by name. I wasn't introduced properly in the first place and I started to feel bad about it.

It would have been embarrassing to ask them after all this time, but most of the names still eluded me, even the women I worked with. I rushed the chieftain with questions the moment she opened her eyes.

"How's the woman called, who made the first ball?"

"Who was it?" She seemed rather sleepy and confused. Orcs usually slept in their clothes and even washed while wearing them. They didn't cover much and seemed more practical than stylish.

"That's what I'm asking. We talked a lot, but I don't know her name and it's embarrassing." I explained as she got out of her stalks of straw.

"Maybe she doesn't have one, it's not uncommon with orcs." She surprised me. "They select their names as they see fit. Usually, it describes their achievements or their roles within the tribe, like the leader of the hunters is simply the Hunter. The blacksmith also refers to himself as that."

"Then how come you have such a human-sounding name?" I kept bothering her, as she prepared to leave. "And Hana too."

"It was what my master gave me, I got stuck with it." She said rather unceremoniously. "Otherwise, I'd be referred to as the Chieftain. Hana was also called Hank by their owners, but they didn't like it."

"What about Mabel?" I asked, still unsatisfied. Charlotte was already outside, but I rushed after her. "She's a child, but already has a name."

"She's just fascinated with humans. She picked it for herself." She explained. "Normally, we'd refer to the kids using the sounds they most often make. Lots of babble and growling sounding ones."

"Sooo, how should I address someone I don't know?" I asked, unsure.

"A hey you should suffice." She concluded and headed out for her usual morning routine. "I have to check on Hana and their sister."

"Can I go too?" I asked, but she shook her head.

"The shaman was already annoyed by those two." She claimed. "He doesn't like people. Nothing against you though."

"Does he have a name too, or just shaman?" I yelled my last question.

"Oh, he does," Charlotte giggled before disappearing behind a treeline. I was left hanging.

Well, I had places to be anyway. The village was bustling already, and I wanted to check out the wyvern skin acquired by the hunters. They brought it back after I went to sleep, and now it was spread out to dry. I didn't meet the creature in person, but its hide was huge, the texture similar to a lizard's skin, colored dark yellow.

"We will be tanning it locally." The leader of the hunters said the first thing when he saw me. "It's too valuable to contract out for the beastfolk, but we will have the shaman speed up the process. I have plans with this."

I was shocked when I first heard about how long it takes to tan the hides. They probably did not want to wait that long with this fine catch either, and maybe this meant I got to meet the shaman in person. Charlotte was the only one who visited him daily.