Fantastic Greenskins and Where to Find Them

Trapped in a lonely city, Leona's feelings were constantly shifting.

From worry to relief, from fear to peace.

The swift-attacking elves, the cold-blooded and ruthless mayor, the inevitable chaos and horror caused by war and the fall of the city... She was constantly worried about these things, worried about her own safety, and also worried about the lives of the loyal guards and followers who had come with her.

Then someone said, "Don't worry."

He will protect her, and protect everything she wants to protect.

Although the other person was her good friend's husband, and although she knew that his behavior was absolutely not related to any romantic feelings, but simply out of gratitude and a desire to protect her as Tina's husband...

But Eldest Miss Vidar still unconsciously thinks about some vain things.

Dreaming and fantasizing are everyone's right. Although she is usually domineering and unrestrained, she has lived in such an environment after all, and has had some shameless fantasies... especially now.

After all, she still had a good impression of Kang De. Although he wasn't very good at talking and could drive people crazy at times, he wasn't a bad person at heart and was reliable in his words and deeds. He was much better than that pretty boy who was good for nothing but empty talk... especially in the current environment.

War is imminent, the atmosphere is oppressive, the environment is somber, and fate is uncertain.

In such situations, people will unconsciously seek psychological solace, think about other things, and believe in other things.

Leona was thinking about Kang De.

When the war broke out, she sat quietly in the courtyard, listening to the cries from near and far, and the noisy voices outside. The sky became dazzling yet chaotic due to the intertwining of magic, and powerful supernatural forces tore at the clouds and the sky. Violent explosions and roars came from outside the city.

Rumors, speculation, weeping, probing, fear, true news, false news—when war begins, those powerless and left only to await the outcome are often surrounded by these things, revealing their vulnerable and even ugly nature. At this moment, Leona simply gazes at the distant sky, beneath which Kang De is fighting.

And among those he fought to protect, she must have been one of them.

She would even shamelessly fantasize that Kang De was fighting for her. This was a secret, hidden thought that she could only keep to herself. If she were to say it out loud, her prestige and reputation would surely be shattered.

... But she still couldn't help thinking about it, just secretly in her heart, putting herself in the shoes of the female lead in the drama. Of course, she, Miss Leona, was different from those idiotic bitches [beep--]. She would definitely sit obediently at home and wait, instead of running out to court death and cause trouble for men, ultimately leading to either the woman dying, the man dying, or both dying together—in short, a tragic [beep--] drama ending.

She was simply waiting quietly for the outcome, so obedient, so resigned, doing nothing but keeping the promise the man had made to her, waiting for the result of his battle—completely unlike her usual self.

Actually, it feels pretty good.

Thinking about someone, imagining him fighting—heroic, brave, and fearless—and worrying about him, unable to stop feeling anxious, afraid he might get hurt, afraid he might encounter danger, and afraid he might act recklessly. This feeling of concern was something she had never experienced before. She didn't know what it meant, and occasionally reminded herself that this was just overthinking. Kang De was Tina's fiancé; she couldn't do such a tasteless thing, not even have the slightest thought about it.

But why can't I have ideas? I'm just thinking about it in my head, who knows? Who cares?

Of course, this idea was only just beginning to emerge before it was nipped in the bud.

As she pondered these thoughts, some of her fantasies—wonderful, absurd, and inappropriate fantasies—gradually faded away. Now, she only hoped that Kang De could return safely.

She kept this thought in her mind and prayed until the messengers of the city hall rode along the main street, shouting and yelling, bringing news that the elves had retreated and that they had held out this time.

Leona remained sitting quietly in the courtyard, staring blankly in the direction of the door.

The maids were sobbing, the guards were cheering, but she remained silent, neither happy nor sad. Everyone else was immersed in the joy of today's peace, but for her, the good news had not yet arrived, and the defense of the city was not yet over.

Until a familiar figure appeared at the door.

The girl's eyes, which had been slightly vacant from being lost in thought, became lively and sparkled.

Her face lit up with surprise, and she instinctively stood up. Because she had been sitting still for a long time, she was unsteady on her feet and stumbled a step, but she didn't care about that. She just eagerly looked Kang De up and down.

He moved freely, uninjured, with a rosy complexion, though his face was covered in soot and his body was covered in blood, which was probably from the elves. He was carrying a large axe that seemed completely out of place with his demeanor and physique, and his body was adorned with a jumble of weapons. He had the expression of someone who had just gone on a picnic.

There was neither fear nor pride; it was as if he had truly done as he claimed, merely killing a few elves, far superior to those effeminate noblemen who boasted eight hundred times over for hunting a single wild boar.

She stared blankly at Kang De, her heart surging with emotion. For a moment, she had so much to say, but she didn't know where to begin or what to say.

She couldn't help but feel annoyed—after thinking for so long, how come she hadn't thought of what to say to him when he got back?

But Kang De did not follow the script she had conceived at all. The male protagonist did not stand in front of the door and gaze at the female protagonist in silence for a long time, nor did the setting sun shine on their faces, nor did their expressions change from silent staring to tears of happiness, nor did they rush over to embrace each other.

The other person simply walked in, as if he had just gone out to buy an axe, and looked at her strangely as he walked in. "What are you doing sitting here?"

That's true.

Even if I thought of the gentlest and most beautiful words, this guy probably wouldn't notice.

Leona thought of this and laughed it off.

Her tone was much gentler than usual. "You must be tired. Are you alright?"

Kang De was visibly taken aback for a moment. "Ah... no, it's nothing, thank you."

Seeing his surprised and awkward response, the girl paused for a moment, then laughed.

Kang De felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze. "... What are you looking at?"

Leona seemed to have discovered something interesting, and her smile widened even more. Things seemed to be back to the rhythm she had anticipated, and the young lady, bursting with girlish sentiment, quickly came up with a more poetic explanation.

"Go take a shower. I'll have them prepare hot water."

She smiled with the grace and gentleness of a lady, "Wash away the blood and weariness. A warrior doesn't need those things to adorn himself. You only need to bring back victory, spoils, and yourself intact."

Wow!

Leona praised herself loudly in her heart.

If I wanted to, I could! I can say those affected, pretentious things too! I'm not just good at swearing! Tina, did you see that?! I can say those nonsensical, cheesy things too! It's not just because you're well-read!

She was eager to see Kang De's reaction. To be honest, she wouldn't be surprised no matter how silly, unromantic, or even sarcastic his reaction was. On the contrary, she would be pleasantly surprised if he had any other interesting reaction... With this thought that she couldn't lose out anyway, she looked at Kang De.

The other person's expression was subtle. "Well..."

Leona, half wary and half curious, "What's wrong?"

Kang De scratched his head. "Actually, I brought back more than just these..."

Before Leona could ask a question, she heard a low, mechanical whirring sound coming from outside.

The next moment, a giant steel hand reached up the wall, and then a huge giant head emerged, its eyes radiating an eerie light. The giant stood up, then carefully lifted its leg, stepped over the wall, and then, with a rumble, transformed into Kang De's alchemical chariot in front of her.

A voice came from inside the car. "Father, I can't drive in."

Leona's expression froze.

In fact, when Earthlings first saw the Transformers movie and witnessed Optimus Prime's first transformation, they would almost always exclaim "Wow, wow, wow, that's awesome!"

Not to mention people from another world.

Moreover, it was something I saw with my own eyes.

She never imagined that Kang De's alchemical chariot would be such a thing.

However, her stunned expression did not disappear immediately, because the next moment, many large green hands pressed against the wall, and one by one, the green-skinned creatures jumped over the wall and came in!

The largest green-skinned leader yelled loudly when it saw her.

"Little shrimp, I recognize you!"

The powerful voice immediately rang out, causing chaos throughout the entire Vidal Chamber of Commerce.

Leona finally met the person she had been waiting for.

The other party kept their promise, fought for the city and for her, and returned safely.

At that moment, their eyes met. He was covered in blood, dust, and exhaustion, returning victorious, carrying an axe, with a group of howling orcs behind him.

The tallest and biggest one, in particular, shouted the loudest.

"Hey little shrimp, what are you doing here!"

What romance, what beauty, the dreamlike vision and sweet atmosphere that Leona had imagined—all shattered completely at this moment, utterly worthless and unremembered.

But for some reason, she felt nothing at all; she even wanted to laugh, without any anger or resentment.

It's as if this is the normal outcome... as long as things are related to Kang De.

"... So that's how it is."

After taking a shower and changing into clean clothes, Kang De, who had already prepared a lot of food, ate while explaining the whole story to Leona.

"As for how he encountered the greens, he hasn't told me the details yet," Kang De shrugged. "Listen to it sometime; consider it a story, it should be quite interesting."

Leona looked at Kang De, her expression somewhat subtle. "Back then, when I mentioned you to the Greenskins, it was only to use them to kill the Imperial pursuers who were hunting you, so I implied that you were the person they were looking for... So, are you really them, or were they misled by my words?"

Kang De had already eaten a lamb chop, wiped his mouth, and said, "I don't know, but I guess so. These green-skinned creatures are quite strange; they possess some inexplicable, wondrous ability..."

Leona asked in surprise, "What ability?"

"You don't know?" Kang De asked curiously. "I'm from... Cathayan, so I don't know, but you're from the mainland, don't you find these green-skinned people very strange?"

"Strange?" Leona frowned. "There are many orc tribes, and their temperaments are generally similar, but there are also differences. For example, the Bad Moon Clan even does business with humans. My family has many collaborations with their Green City Chamber of Commerce, and I even approve many of the deals."

At this point, she raised her chin. "So, I know orcs pretty well. Most of them are brainless idiots, but there are also clever greenskins. Their cunning and greed are almost exactly like humans. Apart from that, I don't know what else they have that's so amazing about them... Which kind are you talking about?"

Kang De frowned, gathering his thoughts. "Something like... the ability to make your wishes come true? For example, if they want iron, they'll miraculously, instinctively, find an iron mine; or if they want to build a carriage, no matter how outlandish the design, it will still work perfectly..."

Leona was surprised at first, then chuckled and said, "I didn't realize you had such a great idea. Why don't you write a long poem or a play about how the Greenskins have this ability and then rule the world?"

She shook her head and said, "Where in this world is there such a convenient ability? Do you know how much iron the Green City Chamber of Commerce collects in a year? They take all sorts of scrap metal, then resell it to their own kind. They make a killing! I even want to wipe out the Bad Moon Clan and control this business myself... If they had such a convenient ability, would they need to do this? With such unreasonable manufacturing technology, how could the elves be the overlords?"

Kang De frowned and said, "But they really are..."

Seeing is believing.

The fact that one could find an oil well in the Gobi Desert simply by smelling gasoline could be explained by coincidence or a sense of smell. However, the fact that unprocessed petroleum could be mixed with some strange substances and used to start an engine could also be explained by magical substances from another world.

But how can one explain the fact that someone could create such a heavy motorcycle by hand, one that not only runs incredibly fast but also possesses all sorts of bizarre and cool abilities, completely defying common sense?

Leona said, "Anyway, I've lived this long and dealt with orcs quite a bit. I even went to the Imperial Library to research orcs in order to do business with them... I've never heard of them having such terrifying abilities, and besides, it doesn't make any sense."

"I also think this defies common sense. A race with such abilities would either rise to prominence or be wiped out," Kang De shook his head. "But those things are definitely not fake..."

"I don't know about that," Leona said, shrugging. "It can't be that these greenskins are thinking about you, eager to see you, and have gotten involved with you, which is why it's all so magical."

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PS1: I saw a discussion on a forum the day before yesterday and wanted to explain it, but I forgot yesterday. Today I'll talk about the significance of petroleum to modern society—fuel, plastics, cosmetics, synthetic fibers, synthetic rubber, medicines, cleaning products, fertilizers, dyes, seasonings, industrial lubricants, and so on, all depend on petroleum. It basically covers every aspect of modern life, from clothing and food to housing and transportation. Burning is the most wasteful use of petroleum.