"It feels somewhat sharper than when we first went in. That trace of edge that only appeared when Liliana held her blade before has now gradually merged into her very temperament." Nfirea Bareare might not possess much personal strength, but he was exceptionally observant. It was not strange that he would notice such changes in the girl before him.
"Big brother, they haven't seen much of the world. Honestly, yesterday I should have let those four dragons display a bit more of their imposing aura before killing them. Otherwise, they wouldn't think this hamster is stronger than those four dragons. In truth, slaying dragons requires my full concentration, but to kill this hamster, I would only need a light slash. They're not even on the same level of existence. Of course, you shouldn't underestimate it either."
Having read the original story, Chu Lian naturally knew what kind of exclamations they would make next. Feeling somewhat speechless, she immediately cut off their train of thought.
"Uh…"
Hearing her words, the others found themselves at a loss for what to say. After all, under her calm explanation, the Wise King of the Forest—who had seemed so majestic just moments ago—was now trembling, not daring to utter a single word in protest. Clearly, it had been thoroughly frightened by Liliana.
"Liliana, if you bring this magical beast out, won't this area be left without a guardian? I'm worried magical beasts might attack Carne Village afterward." Even though the shadow in his heart had gradually faded, replaced by another girl far more distant and unattainable, the boy still harbored genuine feelings for Carne Village and truly worried about its safety.
"No need to worry. The magical beasts under my command will replace this hamster in protecting Carne Village. Unless several hero-level individuals launch a joint assault, no one will be able to break in. And…"
At this point, Chu Lian suddenly raised her hands and clapped toward the sky. The forest behind her rustled, and one sturdy figure after another emerged.
Upper bodies of humans, lower bodies of horses. Powerful physiques with muscles like carved marble. In their hands were longbows that were clearly no ordinary weapons. Male or female, they all stood silently behind Chu Lian.
"And I've already spoken with Enri. From now on, the centaur tribe will settle around Carne Village. They'll coexist peacefully with the villagers. If anything happens, offering equivalent compensation will secure their assistance. Of course, once they settle here, they'll also become another line of defense for Carne Village. If enemies invade, they'll do their part as well."
As she spoke, Chu Lian leapt down from Rania's back and walked before the centaurs, issuing an order. "Veir, Xini, the two of you—show them your current strength. Yes, the target will be over there."
She glanced around, activated Teleport, and appeared before a tree branch roughly half a meter thick. The Senra Longblade swept down, severing it cleanly. She caught the falling wood, turned her gaze into the distance, and used Teleport once more, appearing three hundred meters away to plant the branch upright into the ground.
After finishing all this, she flashed back in an instant to stand before everyone again, leaving them dazzled and unable to suppress their amazement at the girl's formidable abilities.
The two she had named were a robust young centaur and a comparatively petite but stern-faced centaur girl. They turned slightly sideways, each drawing their bowstrings, aiming at the wooden trunk. One released before the other.
Whoosh—
Almost no sense of time passing could be felt before the two arrows were already embedded in the wood, driving the tree trunk—at least five hundred jin in weight—backward several steps. It swayed for a moment before crashing to the ground.
"Hiss…"
Though such power was insignificant compared to Chu Lian, to the members of Swords of Darkness and Nfirea Bareare, it was utterly astonishing.
After witnessing that single shot, they could not imagine anyone below hero level capable of withstanding it. And these two were merely among the youngest of the centaur tribe. In other words, even stronger individuals had yet to act.
With such a force, as long as they avoided direct engagement with the kingdom's army and employed guerrilla tactics, they could nearly drag them down through attrition. Which also meant that under the protection of these centaurs, this place's defenses had already become impregnable.
"Now do I need to say anything else? Are you still worried?"
With a faint smile, Chu Lian paid them no further attention. She flipped back onto Rania's back and gently patted her shoulder, signaling her to move forward. Behind them, the reorganized centaur formation silently followed, heading toward Carne Village.
Shaking his head, Ainz Ooal Gown mounted the hamster as well, patting its head to signal it to follow Chu Lian. In his heart, he sighed.
Liliana's rejection of men is too severe. Perhaps it's because they're human males, but this can't go on forever. Is there any way to change her?
He wished to change it, yet found himself completely powerless. In the end, all he could do was sigh. There was truly nothing else he could accomplish.
At the entrance of Carne Village, Enri stood with the villagers, surrounded by a group of goblins, waiting for Chu Lian's return. She had already spoken to the villagers and done her best to gain their consent.
Although they had recently suffered an attack and thus harbored some rejection toward outsiders, they had previously accepted the goblins Enri summoned. Adding a centaur tribe was not impossible—provided they could confirm that these centaurs were truly friendly.
Seeing the girl's expectant figure and nearly all the villagers behind her, Chu Lian immediately understood the situation. Having long prepared a solution, she felt no concern. Only when she arrived at the village gate on Rania did she pull Narberal down with her and stand before the blonde girl.
"These centaurs will be everyone's neighbors from now on. I understand Carne Village has undergone great upheaval and thus distrusts outsiders. That's fine. In a moment, I will show you my sincerity."
After bowing to the villagers before her, Chu Lian gestured for the overly close centaurs to step back. She then walked to the center, raised her head, and spread her arms as if embracing the sky.
Light—endless light—condensed in the air before forming a pillar that enveloped Chu Lian's entire body.
Unlike the warmth of sunlight, these rays that descended from nowhere resembled the holiest radiance, carrying energy that made the body feel comfortable. The villagers' eyes widened instantly.
Within the pillar of light, Chu Lian's body slowly rose, as though ascending into the sky. Even without words or imposing aura, everyone who witnessed the scene fell to their knees.
How could this be something an ordinary human could produce? This was clearly the kind of sacred spectacle that only appeared when a legendary god descended—or returned to the heavens.
Suspended in midair, Chu Lian's body radiated brilliant light, blocking all prying gazes. When the radiance finally faded, her attire had transformed into a long robe engraved with mysterious patterns. A pair of white wings unfurled from her back, and her black hair now shone like the most dazzling gold, resplendent and radiant.
She gazed at the kneeling crowd below and spoke. Her voice seemed to descend from the most distant reaches of the sky, impossibly moving to the ear.
"God loves the world, and thus life was born."
"God loves nature, and thus mountains, rivers, and trees came into being."
"God loves heaven and earth, and thus the various races came to exist."
"All life is equal in the eyes of God. There is no distinction between noble and lowly. Whether human, goblin, centaur, or magical beast—so long as kindness resides in their hearts, they are children of God."
"No illusion can escape God's sight. No lie can deceive God's ears. No malice can hide from God's perception."
"Under God's protection, all discord shall fade, all calamity shall turn aside, and all illness shall be healed."
"To preserve the most fundamental harmony of this world, God walks here. God sees here. God knows here."
"In the name of God, Rania, Enri—accept my blessing."
As the two girls stepped forward at her call and knelt once more, a strange glint flashed through Chu Lian's eyes. Please don't let this be the kind where you can see their underwear design… If that happens, I swear I'll never play god again. Who knew this so-called miracle would cost 30,000 Admiration Points per use? Well, at least it rounds my Admiration Points up to just over 300,000. Not bad.
Though she grumbled inwardly, Chu Lian maintained her divine composure on the surface. She extended one hand, and a bow materialized within her palm, slowly rotating in midair.
"Rania, in recognition of your many contributions to the survival of the centaur race, I bestow upon you the legendary weapon Dragonspine Bow and twelve Dragonbone Arrows. May you wield this weapon to safeguard peace in this land."
The centaur girl's body trembled visibly, clearly stunned by the gift she had received. A legendary weapon—she had once heard her father speak of such arms. They were second only to the divine artifacts used by the gods themselves. And now she had been granted one. What an immeasurable grace. Her sovereign had shown her such overwhelming favor.
Though her heart churned with emotion, her posture remained humble. Even as she raised herself slightly, reverence still filled her eyes. She lifted both hands to receive the Dragonspine Bow and Dragonbone Arrows, then lowered her head deeply in respect.
"Oh, right. Girl, accept my gift and become my RBQ… ah, pfft—become my RPG instead. There will be no shortage of enemies in the future when you follow me. I'll need your long-range fire support."
She had already planned what kind of unit this group of centaurs would become.
"Enri, from now on you shall serve as the bridge between the various races. To ensure you are not harmed, I grant you the legendary equipment Dragon Scale Armor. Forged from the scales of a giant dragon, it can adjust to your body at will. Until the Dragon Scale Armor is destroyed, no harm shall reach you. I hope you will communicate well with every race and contribute your strength to the peace of this world."
As Chu Lian spoke, the armor floating above her other hand drifted downward and automatically equipped itself upon the girl's body. It transformed into an exquisitely beautiful long dress, making the already pretty girl appear even more captivating.
Enri received such a reward, yet the joy she should have felt refused to surface. The distance between herself and Lady Deloris was growing ever wider. By granting her this armor now, did it mean she would no longer concern herself with her in the future?
She did not know.
But at this moment, she understood she could not behave inappropriately. She merely lowered her head, hiding her expression from view.
"By God's will, the centaurs shall not take the initiative to harm any human who bears no hostility, and they are willing to coexist peacefully with you. I hope you may become good neighbors to one another, erasing injustice, inequality, and harm from this world…"
After speaking these final words, Chu Lian's body erupted in radiance once more. Countless feathers drifted down from the sky, landing upon the kneeling villagers and cleansing them of illness and injury.
The pillar of light faded. The girl's figure descended gently to the ground. The golden brilliance dissipated, and her attire had already reverted to the white princess dress she had worn before.
Had they not witnessed it with their own eyes, no one would have believed that the girl standing before them was the incarnation of a god walking this world…