Valencia didn't seem surprised to hear this. He lowered his head and coughed twice with a pained expression. After calming himself down, he continued: "If the hatred that has lasted for almost a thousand years can only be stopped because of your hard work, then wouldn't those who tried to do the same become a joke?"
"You're right."
Geno nodded. He knew that even though this elder's words were unpleasant to the ears, none of them were baseless.
Yuna was in his eighties this year and seemed to be at the peak of a Troll's strength and stamina. This state would last for almost a hundred years, and with the arrival of old age, Trolls would slowly age like ordinary humans until they were eliminated from the forest.
This old man looked like he was a hundred years old. Of course, according to the lifespan of a Troll, he was probably more than two hundred years old!
Regardless of whether he was taking advantage of his seniority or speaking sincerely, Geno's respect for his elders was on point. This was the most basic self-restraint of a noble.
"You seem to be very confident?"
Valencia seemed surprised that Geno wasn't embarrassed, but his words were still unpleasant. "You won't succeed. The only way to stop the hatred from continuing is through generations of education. Unfortunately, both you humans and us Trolls teach the next generation that the other party is the enemy."
A moment of silence.
Geno suddenly felt that this elder in front of him shouldn't be a Troll, but a lecturer in the Royal Academy of the King's City.
"But at least hard work will bear fruit. Even if we have hatred in our hearts, if we can control ourselves when we face each other, it is still an improvement. For example, Yuna today. We became friends, and this isn't just a coincidence."
Geno felt that each of these elders was a book to be read. Their experiences and words were accumulated and verified by time. Even if it was unpleasant to hear, it was still their experience.
"Don't try to trick me, human. I'm not senile yet."
Valencia's mouth slanted as if he was smiling, but it made his gums show, making him look even scarier. "An example doesn't mean everything. You won't get any answers from me."
He didn't seem to be very cooperative.
Many of them were very cautious — they didn't want the first target of the negotiation to be rejected without raising any conditions.
"Of course, you haven't said anything yet. I want to hear your proposal."
Valencia had completely taken the initiative, which made many people feel a little confused. They seemed to have fallen into a trap from the very beginning, and when they put forward their conditions, they always had to use the premise that 'humans and trolls can't get rid of each other' as their goal, which further reduced Valencia's leeway.
"Open up a trade route or migrate to Oditore, where you'll be protected by Saint-Rames. The price is that the Trolls have to provide a certain number of soldiers to protect the entire territory. If you choose a friendly trade route, you can choose Oditore's resources first. I know that you Trolls don't have any currency."
Many of them simply said what they wanted to say. He was not interested in deducting profits step by step like a businessman.
"No currency?"
Valencia seemed to have thought of something when he heard that. He sighed and said, "The Keshen Tribe is living a peaceful life here. They don't need Oditore's protection anymore."
"Then —"
"Let me finish." Valencia stretched out his broken arm to stop Geno from speaking. "But if I agree to open up a trade route with you humans, my tribe in the Azura Forest will become the target of everyone. Do you understand what I mean, human?"
"Will be attacked?"
Geno nodded. He imagined the scene of the pampered people in the Celias City's Noble Assembly scolding him after he allowed the Urjin Tribe to settle in his territory. Fortunately, they could only criticize him verbally. Unless Charnak gave the order, they couldn't do anything to him. But to the Trolls, they could just attack directly if they didn't like him. There was no need for them to warn him verbally.
"Maybe it's because of hatred, or maybe it's because of jealousy. The Trolls' emotions aren't as simple as humans'. In short, neither of these are suitable for my tribe. Human, you have a good idea, but your plan is still too immature."
It seemed that it had been a long time since Valencia had spoken so much. He stopped talking and closed his eyes to catch his breath. After resting for a minute, he continued, "A deal always requires sincerity. Azura doesn't only have a dozen or so small tribes on the outskirts. You humans should know this very well, but the trolls' reactions are always quick and direct. You know what that means."
Many of them fell silent.
Actually, his thinking was a little too simple. Was there a clear boundary between the outer and inner parts of the Azura Jungle?
Nope.
In that case, even if he managed to move a dozen tribes to Oditore's territory or establish a trade relationship with them, the news would spread like wildfire. Perhaps all the Trolls in the Azura Forest would know what he was doing. But what about the consequences?
Many of them didn't know because he didn't understand the Trolls.
"Looks like we can't continue with our trade," Valencia said as he faced his own failure objectively.
He wasn't someone who couldn't accept failure. Even though he was a little depressed, it didn't affect his judgment and clear thinking.
An excellent lord wasn't something that anyone could become. Many of them might be excellent mercenaries or soldiers, but he didn't know the knack of being a lord yet.
"Young man, don't jump to conclusions."
Valencia raised his broken arm, and Lannie walked over obediently. "Bring me my animal skin bag."
"Yes, father."
So Lanny was actually his daughter!
Many turned to look at the tall and well-proportioned Lannie walking down the stairs, wondering how she could look like this.
"It's not wrong to be curious, but it's best not to show it all the time."
Valencia waved his intact right hand and stared at it as if he was talking to himself. "Of course, curiosity is still the driving force for humans, isn't it?"
What a strange old troll.
Many saw Lannie quickly walk up with a large bag made of animal skin. She carried it gently, as if there was nothing in it. However, the bag was more like a sack. Some edges and corners were imprinted on the thick animal skin, and a vast magical wave rushed towards them.
Valencia pointed to the wooden table beside him. "Just pour it on the table, Lannie."
Lanny obediently untied the knot and gently lifted the bag slightly. She poured the contents of the bag onto the table with a "Hua La Hua La" sound.
Many people's pupils shrank!
As expected, it was magic crystals!
A large number of them!
They weren't small either, and none of them were smaller than the size of a fist!
This meant that the magic crystals were at least Grade Six!
These magical crystals came in a variety of colors, but most of them were mainly red and blue, with some khaki mixed in. That was the color of the earth element magical crystal. The largest one was a crystal-like magical crystal with smooth edges. The majestic magical waves coming from it made many feel as though there was an invisible whirlpool stirring the originally balanced elements in the air!
It was a lightning element magic crystal!
Back in Karo City, the price of Lightning Element magical crystals of the same level was about 50% higher than that of other elements!
The dazzling array of magic crystals dazzled many people's eyes. He estimated that there were at least forty to fifty magic crystals, which was a huge sum of money!
Because these magic crystals were from high-grade magic beasts, at least Grade Six, their value increased exponentially!
For the Empire of Saint Reims, the consumption of magic crystals was very high. Although there were very few Magicians on this continent, the total consumption of all Magicians was not a small number!
Moreover, a city's defense system, warning system, lighting system, and some complicated magic formations all required magic crystals. Most of the magic crystals that St. Lance consumed every year came from the rich Elven Empire. This was because only the northern territories produced magic crystals, but it was not enough to supply all the mages and facilities in the entire country or even just the city of Siliath.
So what was the meaning of this old troll taking out these magic crystals?
Many people's eyes quickly moved away from the dazzling magic crystals. One had to know that the value of these magic crystals was higher than gold of the same volume!
If they were ordinary mercenaries, they would have lost their composure!
Valenze's eyes flashed, and the corner of his mouth twitched as if he was thinking about something. He then said, "Human, what I have, you don't. Let me see your sincerity. Maybe you can convince me?
You have to work hard to see the results, don't you think so? "
"You're right."
Many nodded. They wanted to take out the materials and equipment that were used to exchange with the Urjin tribe, but their fingers suddenly stopped in mid-air.
Do they lack these things?
The answer was obviously no. Many looked around. This place didn't look poor at all. Instead, it could be called 'well-off'. For a troll tribe, the quality of the materials here was beyond the range of their ordinary needs.
After thinking for a while, Many retracted his hand and politely said, "Please wait for a moment." Then he turned around and walked downstairs.
Soon, Becky, who was dressed in a bishop's robe, followed behind Many. The bishop was very sensitive to the elements, and as soon as she entered the room, her gaze involuntarily shifted to the magic crystals on the table. However, she expressionlessly turned her head away as if she didn't see anything.
Valenze's mouth seemed to twitch a little, but he quickly concealed it.