Chapter 11: The Orcs and the False Airhead

The Frying Festival is here. In the soft lights of the night, I can smell the various scents wafting from each and every part of Dadirdtoun. Everyone’s preparing various celebratory foods, talking to their neighbors, drinking their lives away, and having a good time. If I was an ordinary person, perhaps I would allow myself to get mixed up in their frivolous affairs, but tonight holds my first step to retribution.

After I surveyed the Well-Done Dungeon, I've learned the hard way that I absolutely cannot assume this version of Namida works the same way as the in-game one. There are too many inconsistencies in multiple places that completely shatter any sort of cohesive ruleset. It's probably better to approach everything with an altered mindset. While I can use my knowledge of The Tears of Nephelai to my advantage, I can't assume that all of the game’s rules apply here. My own rigidity hates that, but I'll have to deal with it.

Secondly, I cannot level up. My appearance hasn't changed, and I don't feel any different. My wounds will become permanent if not treated correctly, and because of that I'll need to focus on my health properly. I already have evidence of that reality. The dangerous scratch Cooper delivered to my face when I first battled him has now left a scar on my cheek. Something tangible like that can't be denied. It's annoying to constantly maintain my body, but I suppose that's just part of what a challenge run is like.

Of course, the events that are about to unfold have been kept fresh in my mindscape as well. The Well-Done Dungeon. Mast Tersheff. The Frying Festival. Every single variable about this day has been bouncing around my head since I met the Hero face-to-face. With my plan in tow, I was ready to save the day, but there is one factor I failed to account for.

Reuben Alkohall.

This guy… I should have known he would’ve visited me today as well. I was just about to leave my house and head to the well, but was cleanly interrupted. I heard Reuben's usual knock. It's soft, but deliberate, and it's always four knocks. That's how I know it's him. As soon as I opened my front door, he started questioning me.

“Talon. What are you doing?”

“Mentally preparing myself for a boss battle!”

“Right. A boss battle, sure. Whatever that means. More importantly, the village square is already filled with people and the Festival started a while ago, why are you so late?”

“For the boss battle, of course…? Were you even listening, Reuby?”

“The problem is that I don’t know what a boss battle is... But forget that. Elder Tres is waiting for you. He’s been anxiously waiting to greet you all this time. Surely, you won’t keep him waiting any longer?”

“Of course not! That’s the boss battle I’m talking about!”

“Is that so?”

I’m lying, of course. Elder Tres is about 128th in my priority list right now. There’s many things that outrank him in terms of importance, and on a day like this, wasting such time with a Village Elder is essentially asking me to accept defeat. Older individuals have a way of wrapping you up into their stories and draining all of your time. In most other scenarios, I wouldn't mind that. But the Hero has already returned to Dadirdtoun, and so I absolutely must limit my distractions.

Reuben doesn’t look convinced at my words, but that’s fine. I’ll pretend to go along with his schedule and slightly adjust my plans. Originally, I was planning to go straight into the Well-Done Dungeon and sneak around the Orcs. I would be able to loot treasure on the way, and eventually, I would confront Mast Tersheff on my own terms. With Reuben keeping a watchful eye on me, I’ll just have to act as a victim instead.

The Orc Tribe has a shaman that can quickly teleport Orcs a short distance. Using that spell and a series of other techniques, the Orcs essentially rapid-fire capture villagers through clever teleportation. It was hard to determine in the game if Mast Tersheff truly intended to harm the villagers or not, but regardless, I’ll have to be captured for this backup plan to work.

Reuben’s a little bit excited about this festival. I can tell by the way he’s walking faster than usual. He’s got more expressive arms and a rare smile on his face. He reminds me of myself when I found an opportunity to share with someone about the greatness of The Tears of Nephelai. Unfortunately for Reuben, I’m going to use his excitement and make my hasty retreat.

I quickly turn into a small alleyway and immediately find myself wrapped in a big bear hug from behind. The last thing I hear is Reuben’s unaware voice before the environment changes completely.

So it was as quick as that, huh? The teleportation spell made me a bit woozy, so I barely even processed the Orcs binding me with rope and placing me in a corner of the boss room. There's lots of chatter and grunts as the Orcs move around. I see about ten other villagers tied up around the room, all in various states of mental anguish.

Ah, to be an unaware NPC scared of their own fate… If nothing else, at least I have the specific advantage of knowing we’ll all be fine. I can understand their fear though. In their perspectives, we're in an unknown cave with mysterious crystals, along with a smoky environment due to the boiling of dubious food. Plus, these Orcs are huge, green, and have pig-like features. Anyone not familiar with the situation would understandably panic.

But wow, these Orcs are definitely more intimidating in the flesh. Mere game graphics don't really do these things justice. The scale of monsters and such was always a bit difficult to tell with an older game like The Tears of Nephelai, but even with that understanding, I still had no idea that the Orcs would be this size. Despite their intimidating appearance, they talk and act just like the people of the village. This gives me hope that my gambit will be successful.

I was so focused on observing these Orcs that I seem to have irritated a couple of them.

“Hey, girl, what’s with the glare?!”

“Yeah, you’ve got these creepy, shifty eyes, and that’s giving us the jitters!”

Woah, Orc NPCs are talking to me directly? What a discovery! In the game, these guys were just enemy encounters. I didn't think they were capable of dialogue. They must be Tier 2 monsters, just like Mast Tersheff. Maybe I can use these two to speed things up.

“I was simply observing your activities, that’s all! Are you cooking a feast? All the food down here looks super tasty!”

“Eh? You're saying you’re a fan of Goop Soup?”

“And even Slimeamander Bites? A human like you?”

“Well, I’ve never actually heard of that stuff, but if that’s what I smell and see, then I’m sure the food tastes great!”

This is a partial truth. I knew there were various dishes in Namida that used monster parts, and I even recognize those dish names, but it's true I've never eaten them myself. The Tears of Nephelai wasn't a franchise with the popularity to spawn promotions like pop-up cafes or branded food items. Having lived in this world for a limited time, and being the NPC that I am, I'm pretty sure trying monster meals before now would've been impossible.

In order for my plan to work, I need to act as interested and unaware as possible in order to convince these Orcs that I’m an airheaded girl who doesn’t realize her situation. I'm still not used to this body quite yet, but I think weaponizing my cute appearance could enhance my airhead act.

“Girl, those are monster dishes. Humans despise that stuff.”

“But it’s food, right? Food is food! And if it’s tasty and smells good, then it’s rude not to share! You should give me some.”

The bewildered expressions on the Orcs’ faces is quite hilarious. I had to stop myself from laughing. To them, a human wanting a monster meal must be unheard of. When the Orcs originally tried to introduce monster cuisine to Dadirdtoun as a way to coexist, they were shunned and kicked out without delay. It’s one of the primary reasons that Mast Tersheff and his tribe hold a grudge for the Frying Festival. For a celebration of all culinary styles, the exclusion of the Orc Tribe’s cooking in favor of depleting local resources was sure to leave lingering resentment.

I can somewhat sympathize with their situation, but more than that, I am genuinely curious how monster cuisine tastes. I may have had to stop myself from drooling. Just a bit.

“What is going on ‘ere, eh?”

Oooh! That incomprehensible accent! That gruff voice! I already know who it belongs to. The tremors running through the ground flow into my tied up body as a large shadow enters the boss room. Perfect!

It's time for a boss battle!