Nateaser: Reborn As My Love Interest

Fenna - Chapter Twenty Six

I struggled to look disinterested.

"Lady Fenna, please. If the orcs see you're this eager, they'll increase the prices." My deputy asked the impossible when I was so excited. "Act your age and rank, not your looks."

"Don't lecture me," I demanded, pulling up my nose. "They invited us with promises of trade. I brought adequate gifts for the inventor too."

But arriving at the orc village, I felt only disappointment. It was in the middle of nowhere, with no proper roads, just a small trail leading to it. No walls, or even a lookout tower, and not a single guard, or anyone, for that matter. Just a few shacks thrown together without any thoughts behind them with a small stream running through the middle, too insignificant to warrant a bridge to cross it.

"This is a junkyard," I muttered, looking around. "How did they invent such an intriguing plaything in a place like this?"

"The orcs didn't come up with the idea. It was the Black Cat."

"Shh, I don't want them to hear this," I warned my deputy. That Black Cat was the exact copy of the Goddess of Luck, and I didn't want to upset her. Especially, since she was the inventor of the product I planned to buy.

But regardless of their invitation, the village seemed completely deserted. At least until we reached the largest building across the stream, their mess hall. Its doors were unlocked and when I tried to peek inside, it was jam-packed with people, not just orcs.

The first thing I noticed floated above the large table, glowing white but featureless, strange but simple like a golem. On one side of the table, I saw three humans, on the other, a mixture of orcs, a goblin, an ogre, and even a beastman. The latter seemed very familiar.

"Dad?!" I yelled from the entrance, drawing the entire tribe's attention.

"Fenna?!" He jumped, but the orc hunters quickly forced him to sit down. The whole village was squeezed in here and looked rather agitated.

I noticed their chieftain waving off the hunters, allowing my father to stand again. He ran right up to me for a warm embrace. It was a little embarrassing in front of all these watchful eyes, but I hadn't seen him in years, almost half a decade.

"I didn't know your daughter was such a beauty, Fang." I heard the goblin say as he grinned ear to ear. Just what I've got myself into?

"All right, this is perfect." The orc chieftain noted and motioned me towards the table. "This is Fenna, the leader of the beastmen village. They live just on the other side of the old capital. She will witness our negotiations. I welcome you to our humble abode."

She sounded quite official and continued similarly.

"On the left, the representatives of the Twelve Champions. Dioneras, Bastion, Omerta, and I probably don't have to introduce you to your father..." She started, then waved to the other side of the table. "On the right is her Majesty, Princess Elizabeth of Nordhaben, the paladin Catherine, Captain of the Guard, and court wizard Lambert."

"Objection!" The goblin yelled, hitting the table. "You introduced them with their titles but failed to add mine. I'm Captain of the Twelve Champions and chief of staff of the Demon Lord's army."

"That is not how you introduced yourself when we first met." That strange floating thing claimed. She was rather annoyed, although she didn't seem to have any facial features. I just felt it under my skin somehow.

"I'm pretty sure, you should have started by introducing the Goddess as well." The largest of the orcs noted. He had dark stubble but wore a woman's clothes, and did he say Goddess? Just what was going on here? What an unlikely gathering, I spotted the Black Cat at the far end too.