Malnourished Chromie

Night fell earlier in Un'Goro Crater than in other regions.

When the sun had only just begun to set elsewhere, the primeval rainforest was already pitch-black. Mist started to spread, and all kinds of terrifying beasts and creatures grew more active.

The trolls who had lived here for a year would not leave the safety of Zutona for the dangerous forest at this hour unless they had a mission.

In this savage valley,

Zutona was practically the sole jewel of civilization, gleaming amidst savagery and primal wilderness.

Even at night,

Zutona was never very dark. Above the statue of the Respectful Majesty, light constantly spilled in every direction. During the day, it shone like the sun; at night, its glow was as warm as moonlight.

In the trolls' original troll language, the name Zutona meant "the city forever bathed in light."

City Hall.

Zangar and several high-ranking trolls looked with utmost respect at the figure seated at the head of the table as he spoke.

"Trading with the goblins is necessary. If we want to develop, we cannot shut ourselves off from the world. And the closest, most suitable option here is those little green skins..."

"But do not let your guard down. Those little green skins are perhaps the greediest creatures in Azeroth. Their thirst for money is stronger than that of any other creature!"

"Send guards to monitor and protect them. Naturally, monitor them as well. They must not be allowed into places in Zutona where they do not belong. If they wish to wander around the city, fine. But they may only visit ordinary residential and commercial districts."

"As for negotiations, we can yield a little for now. But leave ourselves some leverage. Once they realize just how valuable our goods are, and that our channel is irreplaceable, it will not be too late to raise the price."

"That is all we need to watch out for concerning the goblins."

"Alright, Zangar. Tell me, how has Zul'Farrak been doing lately?"

Tonatiuh asked slowly.

The trolls before him, including the old witch doctor, were among the smartest trolls in Zutona. Some had originally been witch doctors who helped manage the tribe, while others had performed exceptionally after arriving in Un'Goro Crater and were promoted to officials by him.

Among them were Dezla, representative of the voodoo archers; Kezra, representative of the divine warriors; and Efra, representative of the ordinary troll warriors.

There were around a dozen trolls in total.

But do not misunderstand—Tonatiuh was not conducting a democratic vote. Zutona did not yet have the conditions for democracy, and he had never considered establishing a council system.

He firmly believed that, as someone who understood the future trend of events, was favored by the system, and was also the tribal chief, his sole authority could fully ensure the healthy development of the tribe and the city.

The only reason he had these trolls deliberate together was because the Sandblood Tribe truly lacked talent, and he intended to cultivate them.

"Respectful Majesty,"

Zangar said softly.

Zutona now had three Majesties. When the trolls addressed the two gods, the Sun God Tona was called the "Supreme Majesty," the Moon God Tiu was called the "Exalted Majesty," and Tonatiuh was the "Respectful Majesty."

"The latest news indicates that those ignorant fools in Zul'Farrak have completed the unification of the desert trolls."

"Other than us, only the Sandfury Trolls remain in Tanaris..."

"Although numerous clans have expressed dissatisfaction, and many trolls were abandoned outside Zul'Farrak, they cannot stand against Antu'sul's army. They can only barely survive in the desert."

Tonatiuh nodded.

"Understood."

Tap, tap, tap...

The troll Majesty lightly tapped the conference table with three thick fingers, producing a rhythmic sound.

"Begin. The plan we prepared earlier."

Tonatiuh spoke slowly.

"I will first lead Zutona's warriors to take a look at that mountain. They are too close to us."

"And you, Zangar. While we have this opportunity to trade with those little green skins, I want you to send our people out and gather together those pitiful trolls who could not enter Zul'Farrak..."

"..."

The meeting ended.

Night had officially fallen.

Tonatiuh was preparing to return to his residence.

On the way, he ran into his little maid, a small and adorable troll girl who stood only a little above his knees.

"Hi! Rom... Rom? Good evening!"

"Uh..."

"Have you prepared my clothes? I want to take a bath, then go take a look at the training grounds."

"Respected Chief, they have already been prepared for you. Also, my name is Romi, not Rom!"

"Oh! Right, right, Romi. Sorry, those two sound a little alike."

"..."

Chromie had not expected to encounter this highly unusual troll today. Although she was his maid, she had not seen this troll very often over the past year. He was too busy and rarely returned to his chambers.

He had even remembered her name incorrectly.

Mu sounds awful! I am one hundred percent female, not one of those males!

All male proto-bronze dragons had a "mu" at the end of their names, while all female proto-bronze dragons had a "mi" at the end, representing femininity.

Proto-dragons were an internal term among dragonkind, referring to those dragons who had received the Titans' blessing and survived until the present day.

"Chief, I have prepared your clothes. You may use them at any time," Chromie said calmly.

"Mhm. Thank you."

Tonatiuh smiled at this "ordinary" little troll girl. "As an apology, here..."

He suddenly took out a banknote.

"I heard you really like grilled meat and even spend all your money on it. Here are ten Azteks. Eat more grilled meat so you can grow up quickly!"

Chromie's disguised purple eyes lit up. Ten Azteks meant one hundred skewers of grilled meat!

"Thank you!"

The guardian dragon snatched the currency worth ten Azteks and ran off as fast as she could. Before the barbecue shop closed, she was going to eat to her heart's content!

Watching the happy figure of the "little troll girl" disappear into the distance, Tonatiuh smiled. "I seem to remember that she has never gotten taller. Other troll children her age grew rapidly after coming here, but she has stayed like this all along... Looks like she is lacking nutrition. I should have Zangar send her more meat later."

The system, whose perception of non-hostile targets was zero, did not alert him to anything. Combined with the few opportunities they had to meet, Tonatiuh still believed his little maid was a malnourished young troll...

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