These mindless, murderous beings gathering together without fighting was a rare spectacle.
“Hey, got a minute?”
Scorpio strode in, speaking as he tossed a large sack of frozen meat onto the table in the center, “I need someone to help me figure out the way around here.”
Though the numbers were small, Xiao Xun didn’t need many, just a few clever individuals to lead the way.
Fewer people was better, at least it avoided chaotic grabbing.
Even though the meat was frozen, the aroma of the cooked meat still spread through the room, drawing the gaze of every creature inside, their eyes greedily fixed on the sack in the center.
In this situation, the scent of lean meat was an immense temptation for them.
“Hey, Scorpio, these are natives of Papor, can they even understand you?” Aries sidled up and asked in a low voice.
Scorpio ignored him, continuing to address the group of trolls and ogres, “Don’t just stand there blankly, I know you can understand. Now, whoever wants to take this sack of frozen meat, come forward.”
At this moment, Vincent suddenly roared, “Watch out, Your Highness!”
In fact, Xiao Xun, with his superhuman senses, had already felt the wind whistling from behind.
He dodged with a flash, then drew his sword and swung it backward with his turning motion.
“Swoosh~”
A massive head flew off, and the grayish-blue troll fell powerlessly to the ground.
It was time to revise his earlier opinion of the frost trolls being quite docile. Under the temptation of desire, these fellows were no more noble than their forest troll cousins.
More than a dozen trolls rose simultaneously.
Vincent stomped his foot, and with a booming sound, the entire house creaked. Cracks spread out from his feet in all directions!
Xiao Xun was dizzied by the impact. This “lunatic” hadn’t even considered he was standing next to him!
“Who else wants to make a move?!” he demanded sternly.
More than a dozen trolls sat back down.
“Alright, I know there are always a few unpleasant black sheep in every tribe, but that won’t stop me from hiring you.”
Xiao Xun recovered from his dizziness and sheathed his sword, “Now, who wants to take this sack of meat, step forward.”
The frost trolls looked left and right, but no one stepped forward.
Xiao Xun frowned, wondering why this tactic wasn't working, and if perhaps they couldn't understand his meaning.
Several trolls whispered a few words to each other, and then one troll ran out.
Xiao Xun didn’t stop him, waiting to see what they were up to.
Before long, a taller and more powerfully built troll entered.
As soon as he entered, he roared furiously, “Who did this? Who dares to cause trouble in my territory?!”
Xiao Xun watched it all coldly. The small frost troll who had summoned him whispered rapidly to the big guy, then pointed at Vincent and the pit he had just made at his feet, and then pointed at the roof, saying something unknown.
The big guy’s anger quickly subsided. He slowly walked up to Xiao Xun, lowered his head, and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, guest from afar. I am the boss of the trolls here, you can call me Sasha. I am delighted by your arrival and hope you won’t mind the offense of my subordinates.”
Vincent covered his stomach and turned his head, thinking, This guy’s a coward, he folded too quickly.
However, Xiao Xun thought this was good, as it would make future negotiations more convenient.
“I need some guides to find something in this area. Preferably some reliable and sharp individuals to lead the way.”
Sasha didn’t answer immediately but pondered something carefully.
“Your Excellency… would you be willing to hire all of us?”
Before Xiao Xun could speak, he assured him, “My subordinates are not only excellent troll hunters, but also powerful ogres and some shamans who practice witchcraft. This area is fraught with danger, and I believe you must need the strength of locals to prevent any potential dangers!”
He was slightly surprised by Sasha’s request, then asked, “How many of you are there?”
“Four ogre warriors, twenty-two troll hunters, and one shaman,” Sasha said, then quickly added, “Though not many, I guarantee they are all first-class fighters!”
The number was indeed a bit small, but Xiao Xun still nodded, “Alright, what’s the price for hiring all of you?”
Sasha glanced at the ground, at the sack of meat Scorpio had thrown down earlier, calculating how much he could get to maximize his profit.
Although this meat was nothing to Xiao Xun, to the trolls, it was a precious treasure!
“I need… ten sacks of this meat!” He quickly counted his fingers and then stated his demand.
This sack contained five jin of cooked meat. Ten sacks meant fifty jin. Although not a small amount, Xiao Xun could afford this much.
After all, he had prepared three months of rations for over ten thousand people, so this meat was no problem.
However, he didn’t intend to agree right away. In any business, one must haggle. Agreeing immediately would make the other party feel they had asked for too little. While this was fine for buying goods, when hiring people to risk their lives, it was hard to guarantee these trolls wouldn’t raise the price at a crucial moment.
With this in mind, Xiao Xun said to Sasha, “That’s too expensive, your numbers aren’t worth that price! You know how precious meat is here. Five sacks would be more reasonable.”
“Eight sacks, my warriors are definitely more outstanding than you imagine!”
“Six sacks, and during combat, your men must be at the forefront. I’m not familiar with the beasts here, and I don’t want my own soldiers to die for such a ridiculous reason!”
“Seven sacks, and not a bit less. I can guarantee their combat effectiveness, and I can also agree to your request. They are all skilled hunters and will absolutely not disappoint you!”
Xiao Xun nodded, “Deal.”
Everyone watched this exchange, dumbfounded.
The frost troll leader breathed a sigh of relief, thinking: this fool is really easy to fool, all for a mere promise.
Papor was vast and sparsely populated. The most troublesome enemies he had encountered were the ice wolves.
And this season, these ice wolves weren’t lacking food. As long as they weren’t provoked, why would they fight?
Xiao Xun felt he had made a great deal, exchanging seven sacks of mutton for such a large group of cannon fodder.
The trolls didn't know it, but he did. What he was about to face was the Scourge Army and legions of the undead, directly commanded by the King of Arrogance.
“This sack of meat is a deposit. I’ll give you some time to gather your men. I’ll be back again at this time tomorrow, and I expect to see you all ready.”
“Understood!”
Sasha replied, thinking: this person even paid a deposit. Should I just run off with this sack of meat? Papor is so big, they'll never find me.
But after careful consideration, Sasha abandoned this tempting idea. If for no other reason than the remaining meat, he had to complete this deal!