Nateaser: Reborn As My Love Interest

Nati - Ch. 76

"I am very deeply sorry."

As soon as I opened my door, the orc witch kneeled in front of it, her forehead on the floor, refusing to move until I took her apology. It's not like I was mad, but her drunken behavior scared me. Then there was that incident, where she forcibly uncovered the truth about my magic crystal.

"Raise your head, Omerta," I asked, scruffing her black hair. "As long as you understand, please keep quiet about it."

"I don't know what took over me, Nati, but please, allow me to look at that artifact." She begged me before standing up. She was probably the only adult orc that wasn't taller than me. Considering how her late brother was by far the largest in the tribe, it was somewhat surprising.

"Is it such a big deal?" I asked, pondering. I decided it couldn't hurt to invite her into my room. It didn't have much to offer still. I had my bed, a simple desk with a chair, and a closet for my clothes. I got most of them from Fenna, and the crystal too. The witch was dying to see it. "It looked expensive, and I didn't want to accept it first but I won't deny how useful this is. You surprised me back there though."

"You can't even imagine." She nodded, her eyes glistening as soon as I grabbed the artifact. "If it's imbued with magic, the price might be nothing compared to its value. I forgot that the fox girl is Fang's daughter. I take it you haven't heard of her mother before?"

"Um, not much. Fenna said she was a tailor in the old capital," I confessed. The beastfolk girl had to return to her village to bolster its defenses. "Her mother recorded memories within this item."

"That's a dungeon core." The orc witch explained, looking excited to hold it in her hands. "Not a tiny one, used to create a bag of holding. It's the real deal. Those shards are merely the byproducts of refining these. Probably less than a hundred remains on the continent."

"Okay, I guess it was more valuable than I thought," I noted, surprised. "How could a simple tailor afford to get one though?"

"The way I heard, she didn't exactly buy it. But calling her a simple tailor wouldn't do her justice either. Where do I even start?" Omerta pondered, before beginning her story. "That gem was extracted from a dungeon by Fang. Gorgon said something about being given as a wedding gift. Though the order of the events doesn't seem to line up."

"Wouldn't have thought that Fang was such a romantic," I noted, looking at how she was turning the crystal in her hands. Her eyes were opening wider and wider. "Is it that difficult, to clear a dungeon?"

"I never had the chance to try, but I'd assume it's something. Abyssal monsters like those Nightmares would be the least of your worries. Of course, Fang wasn't going alone, but this crystal is amazing." The witch told me enthusiastically. "I'm sure it was worth all the effort to acquire it. And Fenna simply gifted it to you? I barely touched it, but it was already talking to me. And the explanations it gives me are way better than in any books or parchments I could find. My master would be ashamed."

"What is it telling to you?" I asked curiously. "Fenna said the crystal was useless to her since she has no affinity. And her father did not want it for some reason, so she gave it to me."

"What a waste!" Omerta yelled, then quickly corrected herself. "This is such a valuable item, and Fang refused to take it?"

"I don't know the details," I admitted, sitting on my bed. The witch plopped down next to me, still obsessing about the stone.

"It speaks to me, without me even asking. It shows me methods to enhance my spells. It tells me exactly what I wanted to know, without me even realizing it. This is truly amazing." She said, playing with the gem. "I wish I could have it and if there was only a way to learn its secrets. Argh, Nati, this is driving me crazy. Is this the only one?"