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Chapter 96: The Greater the Mass, the Stronger the Gravity

When they heard her speak Barnite, it was Reiner and Junice’s turn to be surprised.

On second thought, orcs were not necessarily simple-minded; it was entirely possible for them to learn other races’ languages.

Reiner decided to give her a chance.

He patted Martina’s hand, signaling her to lower her sword.

“Speak, what do you want from us?”

Reiner scrutinized the female orc from head to toe.

She differed from ordinary orcs; her limbs were long and slender, giving her an unusual grace.

The twin mounds on her chest were so massive they looked suffocating, even broader than Martina’s.

(He’s really starving! It’s one thing to ogle Junice, but even an orc? Still… she is kind of… pretty.)

Reiner stole a glance at Martina, and their eyes met.

It really wasn’t what she thought…

Everyone knew that the greater the mass of a sphere, the stronger its gravity; it was perfectly natural for his gaze to be drawn in.

Besides, Reiner merely looked twice; no improper thoughts crossed his mind.

Even though the orc’s figure was incredible, in terms of looks alone she still fell slightly short of Nora and Martina.

On a scale of 100, Nora scored 90, Martina 85, and the orc only 80.

While Reiner’s thoughts wandered, she began to speak.

“I am the priestess of the Rocky Ridge Clan. We are enemies of the Black Wolf Clan. I saw your valor yesterday when you fought them. I wish to cooperate with you, defeat the Black Wolf Clan, and drive them from this forest…”

Her Barnite was anything but fluent.

Reiner needed a moment’s thought to understand her words.

Junice suffered even more; she had to think much longer before she could grasp the meaning. “Orcs want to slaughter one another?”

“No idea; let’s just watch.” Reiner shrugged.

Seeing no reaction from them, the female orc doubted herself and muttered, “Could it be… they don’t understand me? That shouldn’t be.”

Reiner said, “Speak Orcish; I can understand it.”

The orc woman jumped, then widened her eyes. “You actually… speak Orcish?”

“That’s right. What’s your name?”

“Fiona Sahu. I’m a half-orc. My father is an orc, my mother a human, so I look different from most orcs and can speak human language.”

So she was mixed-blood; no wonder she looked different from other female orcs… she was indeed prettier.

“I’m Reiner,” he introduced himself, then lifted his chin toward her. “Stop hiding. Tell your companions to come out.”

Fiona hesitated, then called behind her, “Come out, all of you!”

As soon as she spoke, the orc warriors crawled out of the bushes one after another.

They held short-handled axes and looked quite afraid.

A slightly older orc said, “Fiona, let’s leave. Humans are devious and untrustworthy.”

“Let me handle this… The tribe is at death’s door. If we don’t seek help, only a dead end awaits us…”

All the orcs fell silent.

According to Elyanna, orcs were enemies of humans and elves most of the time; they would never seek human aid unless they were truly desperate.

Fiona raised both hands and walked slowly toward Reiner, stopping only when three meters remained between them.

“You just said you wanted to cooperate with us. How exactly would that work?”

“The Black Wolf Clan is the largest tribe in this forest. They are brutal and bloodthirsty. To you humans and to us orcs alike, they are a grave threat. I hope we can join forces and drive them out of the forest.”

“Besides that, what other benefits are there?”

“If you agree, our Rocky Ridge Clan will live peacefully in this forest for 20 years and will not encroach on human territory.”

Reiner looked at her, unsure how to respond.

There were only five of them; they certainly could not help much.

They needed to get Connor involved.

Who knew, he was probably lying in some woman’s tender embrace right now.

“Where is your chieftain? We might need to meet him,” Reiner said, sweeping his eyes over the orcs.

Fiona sighed, some sadness showing. “He was killed a week ago in battle against the Black Wolf Clan. I am now the most respected person left in the tribe.”

The chieftain was gone.

That meant the orc tribe would likely perish soon.

They might disband in the near future and be absorbed by other orc tribes.

Reiner beckoned to Fiona. “Come with me. I’ll take you to someone who can make decisions.”

Fiona had just nodded when an orc yanked her back.

“Don’t trust him. If you really go to their city, you’ll be walking into death. Once we are no longer protecting you, those humans might change their minds. They are the most devious of all.”

Reiner gave a faint smile and said coldly, “There are seven orcs in total, six of them guards. If I wished, I could kill you all in less than half a minute; running would not help.”

Fiona quickly waved her hands. “We’re not here to fight. I’ll go with you.”

Reiner took off his black cloak and handed it to her. “Cover your face. Most humans are not friendly to orcs.”

“All right…”

Fiona obediently put on the black cloak, then turned to the six orc guards. “Go back. I’ll be fine.”

“Priestess, please come back. You’re all we have left.”

Fiona nodded and left with Reiner.

On the way, Martina and Nora flanked Fiona on either side.

It looked as though any suspicious move from her would earn an instant strike.

Yet Fiona did not seem afraid.

“You’re very brave. You not only dared to talk to us but also dared to follow us into the city. I admire that,” he said.

Fiona lowered her head, a trace of helplessness flashing in her eyes. “This is my only option. The future of the Rocky Ridge Clan rests on me, so I must do this.”

Reiner glanced back at her and reassured her, “Relax. I’ll do my best to keep you safe.”

Junice elbowed Reiner and whispered, “Can we trust her?”

“Not sure. Let Lord Connor handle the negotiations; I’ll just act as interpreter.”

With the black cloak disguising her and Reiner’s group shielding her, Fiona slipped into the city with ease.

Relying on his memory, Reiner located the back alley from the night before.

Connor had drunk himself senseless and would probably spend the night there, so they might as well go straight to him.

Reiner asked the plump woman standing by the street, “Lord Connor should still be here, right? Take me to him. I have urgent business to report.”

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