Thrall replied with distress, "It's not that I haven't considered that option, but prices for supplies in Theramore have soared through the roof. Even when our trade representatives negotiate with merchants in person, they can only save a little. If we ask humans to negotiate as Orc representatives, then the prices—"
Thrall was no fool either. If humans represented the Orcs in procurement, there would be plenty of opportunities to pad accounts, commit fraud, and take kickbacks along the way. Then it would not just be a matter of procurement scale; quality and safety issues could arise as well. More than half of the elven gold coins acquired through the exchange of Prisoners of War had already been spent during this time.
Deren agreed. "That's right. There are too many unscrupulous merchants in Theramore. They often set prices based on who they're dealing with. You must scrutinize them carefully and bargain seriously. Don't let them fool you." He looked deeply pained, as though he were truly concerned for the Orcs' interests.
"Nonsense. Not everyone in Theramore is a bad person. Advisor Deren, stop stirring things up. Great Chieftain Thrall has his own judgment." The moment Jaina heard Deren's words, she became unhappy. She deliberately rebuked Deren loudly, though her words were naturally meant for Thrall to hear.
"Yes! Yes!" Deren naturally played along and admitted his mistake. "I was wrong. The Great Chieftain is wise and mighty. Of course he will not be deceived by those people."
Hearing that, Thrall could not say much more. He could hardly claim that Theramore was full of swindlers and unscrupulous merchants in front of Jaina. He decided to change the subject. "Jaina, my old friend, I have another request this time. I want to gather a group of Orc brethren from Outland and