The following morning, a troll arrived at Klaus's tent, notifying him of his summons to the tribal meeting in the chief's tent. Klaus was mildly surprised by this news, as tribal meetings were typically reserved for trolls of senior rank, and he was merely a newcomer.
Upon entering the patriarch's tent, Klaus found five trolls already seated inside, including his own brother. At the head of the assembly sat Elder Quinn, the tribe's eldest troll, having lived for at least a century. Once the most powerful troll in the tribe, he had hunted the most diabolical beasts. Legends spoke of primal troll blood coursing through his veins, manifesting in his appearance that resembled an ancient troll.
His head was smooth and protruded upwards, with large ears dangling almost to his bare shoulders. Since his legs were wounded in battle, he had ceased hunting, leading to a thick layer of fat accumulating around his waist and thighs. Nevertheless, his eyes still sparkled with a cold, fierce light.
His tomahawk was always kept within reach, ready to smash any enemy who dared approach, just as it had slain countless monsters in the past.
Seated beside Elder Quinn was the ancient wizard Green, his blind eye sewn shut, the other grey and hollow. His emaciated frame revealed every rib on his upper body. With a penchant for feeding on carrion, he always carried the scent of death.
Rounding out the assembly were two elders, Lauber and Finn, brothers of the former patriarch.
When Klaus entered the tent, everyone present, apart from Elder Quinn, exhibited surprise, Rand among them. Klaus was puzzled by Elder Quinn's summons but took a seat at the end of the gathering with keen interest.
Suddenly, Elder Quinn slammed his fist against the stone table, causing the roast and wine placed upon it to tremble in the air and eventually fall. The dishes and glasses containing the roast shattered into pieces as they hit the hard surface.
"Damned Snake Men!" Elder Quinn growled angrily. "They killed Abe. We will destroy them all!"
"Vengeance!" Lauber and Elder Finn pounded their fists on the stone table in unison. "For Abe!"
"Revenge!" Rand and Klaus echoed, their voices rising. "For Abe!"
Only Wizard Green remained silent, his wrinkled face expressionless, his grey eyes fixed ahead.
Quinn raised his right hand to silence the outcry. He turned to Klaus and asked, "Klaus, I heard you captured a Snake Woman. Did you extract any information from her about the Snake Men?"
Klaus told Quinn the truth about what he had learned from Maya. When he revealed that the Snake Men were plotting an attack on the Trolls, in alliance with the Bearmen, Quinn's anger boiled over, and he smashed his own glass in a fit of rage.
"Do the Snake Men think they can destroy us by joining forces with the Bear Men?" Quinn's face was gloomy. "They're dreaming."
"The Snake Men are naturally cunning and vicious," Wizard Green began. "Perhaps they're already plotting with the Bear Men on how to attack us."
The wizard turned to look at Quinn. "We should accelerate our alliance efforts as well."
"Alliance?" Elder Lauber said disdainfully. "Can't we handle the Snake Men and Bear Men with our own strength?"
"Our numbers are dwindling," Elder Quinn sighed heavily. "And the birth rate of purebred trolls is getting lower and lower."
"We are at risk of extinction," the wizard said in an indifferent tone, making everyone realize that this was a very serious problem. "So we need not only alliances but also mating with the strongest races. Because this is the only way to ensure the continuation of the troll race."
The wizard's words reminded Klaus of the task assigned to him by the system—to have more children, which was also one of the conditions for becoming a future lord of the continent.
"I have decided to select a warrior from our tribe to wed the Succubus," Quinn said, his gaze falling on Rand. "Rand, this task is yours."
"Me?" Rand said in surprise, "But I already have two wives."
"But your two wives haven't even had a child," Elder Quinn said in a serious tone. "You can have five wives, but one of them must be a Succubus."
"In three days, we will prepare a generous dowry for you and propose to the Succubus," Elder Quinn said. "You must complete this task. This is the command."
"Yes," Rand said.
"Klaus," Elder Quinn looked at Klaus, "You go with your brother."
"Yes," Klaus said.
"Look after him. Don't let his rude behavior anger Queen Succubus," Elder Quinn said.
"Don't worry, I'll make Queen Succubus submit to my crotch," Rand boasted.
"Don't be so arrogant, boy," Elder Quinn reminded Rand. "I've heard that Queen Succubus is a haughty woman, and she's not like those wives of yours."
"All women are the same to me," Rand smirked and said. "When they see my cock, the only thing they can do is lie down and moan."
Elder Quinn's eyes sharpened as he stared at Rand, "You'd better get rid of your arrogance if you want to become a patriarch."
Rand's face lit up with joy when he learned that he might become a patriarch. By this time, Klaus also knew that the elders in the audience were more interested in Rand, and perhaps that was one of the reasons Rand was able to attend the meeting.
Why, then, did Elder Quinn bring Klaus to the meeting?
"At the moment, we have enough food to survive the winter," Elder Quinn said. "In order to prevent the snake men from sneaking up again, I have decided to stop hunting for the time being."
The two elders and the sorcerer nodded their heads in agreement, and Elder Quinn explained the distribution of the game, which this time would be given to Rand.
When the meeting was over, everyone rose and left the tent. Just as Klaus was about to get up, Elder Quinn stopped him.
"Klaus, you stay," said Elder Quinn, motioning to Klaus to sit down beside him.
Now only Elder Quinn and Klaus were left in the tent, and Elder Quinn's eyes were fixed on Klaus beside him.
"You've changed, Klaus," Elder Quinn said. "You're no longer the boy I remembered."
"Everybody changes," Klaus said.
"No," Elder Quinn said. "Only you have changed."
Klaus saw a hint of mingled emotion in Elder Quinn's eyes. Does he know anything about it?