"Is it about to be eaten by Thrall?"
Chen Stormstout's stomach was growling with hunger. He used to be terrified of death, but ever since his people were deceived by him and became Sen'jin's meal, Chen Stormstout was so grief-stricken that he no longer cared so much about death.
He was already prepared to atone for his sins with his death, especially since the hunger in his stomach was causing insufficient blood supply to his brain, making him dizzy and disoriented. He no longer cared about life or death.
"Perhaps I can give the Troll Chefs some pointers and have them cook me up even more deliciously, so as not to waste this rare ingredient." For some reason, in his dazed state, Chen Stormstout had such an absurd idea.
The sound of the cell door being pushed open came from outside. Stormstout strained his eyes, wanting to witness his Destiny firsthand.
Several Trolls entered the cell. These weren't the Troll Chef from before; at the head was a tall, ornately dressed Troll smiled broadly at Chen Stormstout, a friendly grin on his face. "Haha, Old Chen, you really have courage! Unfazed and unmoved in the face of danger. I lost the bet with Thrall."
"You are... Warchief Vol'jin?" Chen Stormstout asked uncertainly. Although he was imprisoned, he still knew from the Guards that the current chief of the Darkspear Tribe was Vol'jin.
"Of course it's me! I haven't thanked you for what happened with the Alemental yet." Vol'jin grinned and ordered, "Hurry up and untie our distinguished guest! I've already prepared a delicious feast."
Life is truly full of ups and downs. One moment he was a prisoner about to be executed, and the next he was a distinguished guest of Vol'jin. Faced with a table full of delicious food, although he couldn't match the superb cooking skills of the Pandaren, Stormstout, who was already starving, didn't care about that. He devoured the food in a whirlwind and ate until his belly was bulging.
"Old Chen, you've suffered these past few days." Vol'jin offered a respectful toast.
"Thrall made a bet with me, saying you are a great hero, fearless of death, and that you were once the court gourmet of Sen'jin. Sen'jin is incredibly Evil and has already been killed by us; his henchmen cannot be spared either. Although you are innocent, we can only trouble you for a few days, deliberately using the Chef and tailor to frighten you."
Then, Vol'jin exclaimed in admiration, "You remained unmoved in the face of this terrible death; you are truly a great hero, a true champion. I cannot compare to you."
After receiving a few compliments, Stormstout felt a little smug, all the grievances he had suffered over the past three days vanished, and he humbly replied, "Not at all, actually I was quite scared too."
Vol'jin then added, "I know there are some rumors circulating about the Orcs, saying that Thrall is cruel and that the Orcs are killing innocent people indiscriminately. This is a good opportunity to clear up the misunderstanding. The Savior Thrall is wise and powerful, and of high moral character. Those malicious slanderers deserve to die a horrible death; they are all sinners of Azeroth."
Chen Stormstout, having fallen for Rokhan and Sen'jin's trick, was smarter this time. He simply kept his head down, sipping his drink, and wasn't in a hurry to draw conclusions. Vol'jin chuckled, already prepared.
"Old Chen, why don't you take a shower first, then change your clothes, and we'll go see the Savior, Thrall."
Chen Stormstout had a good impression of the Orcs. Initially, he received a revelation from the August Celestials that an Evil force was about to rise in Azeroth, so he entered the Eastern Kingdoms, with his first stop being Dalaran.
In Dalaran, Antonidas sent Jaina to entertain him. When asked about the Orcs, Jaina explained that the Orcs were actually a kind race. They had become violent and Bloodlust because they were seduced by the Burning Legion and drank the Mannoroth's Blood. The Orcs now imprisoned in the Internment Camp were well-behaved, friendly and gentle.
Chen Stormstout was skeptical, but he secretly sneaked into the Internment Camp. He saw the fierce-looking Orcs from afar and thought that Jaina was just a woman, naive and ridiculous. He thought her words might not be reliable, so he went to Lordaeron.
In the Kingdom of Lordaeron, Chen Stormstout witnessed a strange phenomenon: the Order of the Silver Hand were plundering the people's food, causing countless Lordaeron citizens to starve to death, all to feed the Orcs. He found this incomprehensible.
In Pandaria, there is a story about a man who killed his wife and children just to feed his guests. Stormstout disapproved of this, considering it the act of a beast, and went to question King Terenas about it.
King Terenas served Stormstout, but despite being King, he was starving, swaying and staggering, as if he might collapse at any moment.
Through King Terenas, Stormstout first heard of the prophecy of the Guardian Medivh: the Orcs would surely save the world, and Thrall, the Regent of Lordaeron, was the Savior of Azeroth. The people of Lordaeron firmly believed this, and in order to save Azeroth, they would rather starve than let the Orcs die.
Afterwards, Scourge Undead rose to power, Stormstout believed that this was the Evil force prophesied by the August Celestials. He thought the Orcs were innocent, and fearing a group of dead, he came to the Echo Isles to try to convert the ignorant Darkspear Tribe.
After taking a bath and changing into a magnificent outfit, Vol'jin led the way, and the two arrived at the Orcs camp.
Along the way, Chen Stormstout witnessed the Orcs and Darkspear Tribes living in peace and helping each other, showing great friendliness. The Pandaren were known for their civility and etiquette, and seeing the harmony between the Orcs and Trolls, Stormstout admitted that he was not as good as them.
He was unaware that the 300,000 Darkspear Tribe had been slaughtered and their corpses turned into Tough Jerky. The Trolls of today were all wanderers from other places, and in the eyes of the Pandaren, Trolls looked pretty much the same.
Stormstout observed the Orcs' food, which consisted mainly of baked wheat cakes, various dried fruits, and plenty of vegetables—a stark contrast to the malicious claims spread by those "insidious villains" that Orcs were carnivores.
Vol'jin explained politely:
"Orcs are a loving race, primarily subsisting on grains and vegetables. Thrall, the Savior, is a moral exemplar and the foremost hero of our time. The Darkspear Trolls were ravaged by Sen'jin's Evil rule, and the Echo Isles were filled with sin. It is thanks to Savior Thrall we were saved from this Sen'jin; no matter what others say, Thrall is the Savior of our Darkspear Tribe."
Hearing praise for Thrall from the mouth of a Darkspear Trolls chieftain, Stormstout believed it to be highly credible.
Adding to what he had seen and heard along the way, and believing that seeing is believing, Stormstout was filled with longing for Thrall.
Inside Thrall's large tent, Stormstout met Thrall.
This is a simple tent made of old cowhide, patched in many places, showing that Thrall lives a simple life.
The tent was simply furnished with a plain long table, a few rough wooden chairs, and most notably, rows of bookshelves with various books neatly arranged in categories.
There are spellbooks from Dalaran, Shaman texts, the history of Azeroth, local customs and traditions, and dozens of books on cooking. It's clear that Thrall was a voracious reader with a wide range of interests.
On the desk lay a stack of books, all of which had been read many times and showed obvious signs of wear and tear.
Upon seeing these books, Stormstout immediately felt a surge of goodwill towards Thrall.
Thrall was reading, his face full of kindness. Hearing someone arrive, he immediately stood up, revealing a gentle and friendly smile, and said:
"Here you are, Old Chen."