Trade

Alvin was awakened in the middle of the night by his personal guard. As he followed Abberton out of the fortress at the center of the camp, he saw that the sky to the northeast, which should have been pitch black, was stained a fiery red—that was the direction of Zul'Aman.

The situation had developed more smoothly than anyone could have expected. Even the boy who first proposed this plan had not anticipated that the group of Trolls wandering the forest would spark a conflict on the very first night after returning to Zul'Aman. What surprised him even more was the decisiveness of the Mossflayer Trolls; just as Maxwell had gathered his troops and intended to strike while the Trolls were in disarray, the High Priest of the Trolls, having swiftly quelled the internal strife, sent out envoys to sue for peace.

"Better to be a shattered jade than an intact tile"—this phrase has long been regarded by many as a cry of integrity, something only a true Champion could achieve. However, there are times when living in humiliation requires more courage than choosing a glorious death.

It is said that a famous modern diplomat once remarked: "What I loathe most are those who constantly shout about being a shattered jade rather than an intact tile. By what right do you say such things? You alone may choose to be shattered, but can an entire nation? A nation is not just your generation; you have descendants. What right do you have to force a nation to be shattered? We must return to rationality."

Regardless of whether this quote is authentic, it certainly carries a degree of truth—

In short, whether out of cowardice or wisdom, High Priest Zulsh, the supreme leader of Zul'Aman, chose to compromise with the humans. This force belonging to the Kingdom of Lordaeron had already completed more than half of its mission.

Although the original purpose of launching this war was to secure the interior before dealing with external threats, and to train the troops, everyone knew that only a fool would pass up an opportunity for profit. Having expended so much manpower and material resources without earning a single cent, the result would look poor even if the original strategic goals had been met.

Therefore, driven by profit, Maxwell not only followed the original plan by demanding that the Mossflayer Trolls provide insiders to assist the High Elves in attacking Zul'Aman, but he also made exorbitant demands, requiring the other side to pay war reparations in the form of large quantities of furs and herbs.

There was no other way; Trolls living in the vast forests, like most primitive tribes, did not use precious metals—which humans considered currency—as a medium of exchange. Instead, they valued furs that could be made into clothing, herbs that could heal wounds, and food that could fill their bellies.

In their eyes, gold and silver, which could neither be eaten nor used, had no value at all. Because gold and silver were not used as common currency, the burial goods of deceased Trolls were not these "useless items," but rather marks of their own glory—the weapons they used in life, the bones of the trophies they hunted, and amulets obtained from priests.

Thus, it was impossible to get real gold and silver from the Mossflayer Trolls through this war. Maxwell had to settle for the next best thing, making the Trolls use their accumulated furs and herbs as compensation. These items sold quite well in Stratholme, and even with the added cost of reselling, they could still yield considerable profits.

Additionally, Alvin encouraged the young commander to propose a demand to the Mossflayer Clan that they could not refuse: opening trade between the two races. In this plan, the Kingdom of Lordaeron would turn the semi-finished fortress where the headquarters was currently located into a trading post. Here, they would use the currency of the Kingdom of Lordaeron to purchase surplus furs and herbs from the Trolls, while the Trolls could use the gold coins they earned to buy food and daily necessities from the Kingdom of Lordaeron.

Although the abundant resources of the forest could support the Mossflayer Clan, which now had nearly half its population missing, who knew if some natural disaster might occur in the years to come? Preparing for a rainy day was a skill every leader of a primitive tribe had to possess. If they could obtain necessary living resources peacefully, who would want to pick up weapons and enter a battlefield where life and death were uncertain?

"Promote peace through war, and reap benefits through trade."

Although Alvin, who came from an engineering background, did not know much about economics, he had heard of how a certain superpower used its own printed green banknotes to hold others hostage—

Using gold and silver, which were useless to the Trolls, to exchange for their goods, and then letting them use that currency to absorb their own excess production capacity. Compared to simple barter, this method not only accelerated the circulation of wealth but also fostered the other side's dependence on the currency they issued.

As long as the Kingdom of Lordaeron could maintain its strength, the Mossflayer Clan, trapped in economic dependence and without any hope of winning in combat, would have no choice but to stay tied to this ship, becoming a dumping ground for the goods produced by the human kingdom.

"Your Excellency, all the goods you requested have been loaded."

Below the slope in front of Zul'Aman, High Priest Zulsh stood respectfully before the human commander Maxwell, his already hunched back bent even lower.

This was the final shipment to be transported back to Stratholme. Afterward, the Kingdom of Lordaeron would leave two thousand human soldiers here, while settling the ordinary Gnolls of the Blackpaw Clan around the small fortresses in this forest. While monitoring the Trolls of Zul'Aman, they would also take on the responsibility of protecting and facilitating trade between the human and Troll races.

In addition, a small squad of twenty Troll warriors from the Mossflayer Clan would follow the main human force out of the forest. They would be taken to the Northland Fortress to await news from the Ghostlands. Without the permission of the High General, no human would attempt to pass through the Thalassian Pass.

As they departed, the boy rode a small, snow-white pony, following the caravan laden with goods at a leisurely pace with his small squad of guards and personal bodyguards. Whenever he looked up at the endless line of carts filled with cargo, he couldn't help but sigh that war was indeed a great way to get rich. However, he understood that the profit this time was merely a stroke of luck. Beyond the assistance of the Gnolls, the more important reason was the inherent strength and prosperity of the Kingdom of Lordaeron.

In this world where all races compete for living space and resources, only one's own strength can bring fairness. If it reaches the point where "the strong have the power to bully, and the weak have no justice to speak of," then the weaker side, like the current Mossflayer Clan, would absolutely have no right to bargain.

If one did not have the backing of equal strength, diplomatic negotiations with enemies would not be about bargaining, but merely about signing on the dotted line. Only powerful strength allows humans to protect their safety and wealth in this era of endless war.