"Patriarch, the Majestic has arrived."
Fortunately, news from the centaurs outside saved the despairing humans.
Sam turned to glance at the trembling crowd, and his expression softened slightly.
"If not for the Majestic, you damned humans would've already been thrown into the river by me. Hmph."
With a cold snort, he turned around and strode out of the vast cave on his four hooves, thump thump… thump thump~ leaving the frightened humans behind.
After a long silence, a timid voice finally spoke with uncertainty.
"Majestic?? Did that centaur say Majestic?? Could it be the one from Green City has come to save us?"
Another voice sneered.
"Bullshit. That one from Green City conscripted all of our elite forces, even Lord Andabella's guards were pulled to resist the undead in the north. You think he cares if we live or die??"
"Then who could it be?"
The cave instantly fell into silence. No one dared say another word, as if fearing that their voices would scare away the one possible savior.
The weak have never had the right to choose. These former elites and nobles of Risel City lost all backing the moment their city fell.
---
Li De directed Castro to descend onto the hard yellow ground. He dismounted, landing with a crunch on the solid surface, loose stones still pressing uncomfortably underfoot.
The towering figure of Sam emerged from the cave.
The Level 15 centaur's face immediately lit up with a grin brighter than a sunflower when he saw Li De, because atop the Whispering Bats landing in the valley, he had already spotted the gleaming stacks of armor, reflecting the sunlight so brightly they nearly blinded the eyes.
The unease he'd been feeling over the past few days instantly vanished at that sight.
This mysterious Lord hadn't lied.
He had really brought hundreds of suits of armor!! And not just any armor, but rare grade sets custom-made for centaurs!!
Praise the Centaur God! Praise Lord Kachar!
"Good day, esteemed Lord Kachar. Sam Ironhoof, Patriarch of the Ironhoof Tribe, greets you."
Sam acted as if this were his first meeting with Li De, thumping his chest with utmost respect in salute.
Li De gave a slight nod. "Good day, Patriarch Sam, my friend.
I've returned with the armor you needed," he said with a smile in his eyes. "This is my promise to the Ironhoof Tribe."
As he spoke, he gestured to the Whispering Bats overhead, blocking out the sun. A few had begun to descend slowly, the armor on their backs gleaming and utterly captivating.
"There are 800 suits of dwarf-forged armor here."
Sam, hearing a number that would tempt every centaur tribe in the Dwarven Hills, could no longer contain his joy and burst into hearty laughter.
Although the initial agreement had been for 500 sets, 650 if counting the ones meant to exchange for humans, there was no such thing as too much.
"Praise be to you, great Lord Kachar. Your glory shall illuminate the Ironhoof Tribe."
Li De smiled faintly and threw out another bombshell. "Among these 800 suits, 600 are Rare ★, 150 are Rare ★★, and 50 are Rare ★★★."
Hearing that, Sam's breathing visibly quickened. Rare ★ and even ★★★ grade armor??
He could hardly believe it. Each rank upgrade meant at least a 30% improvement in attributes.
The gap between Rare ★ and Rare ★★★ was a full 60%. The surprise Li De had brought him was immense.
But Li De's next words made Sam's heart sink slightly.
"Patriarch Sam, as for the Perfect grade armor forged especially for you…"
Seeing the trace of regret on Li De's face, Sam felt a hint of disappointment. Did it fail?
But he quickly recovered. To possess this much armor, let alone one Perfect grade set, even ten wouldn't match the value of what he'd just received.
Then Li De suddenly laughed.
"There is no Perfect ★ armor, but I spared no cost to have the dwarves forge a Perfect ★★ set.
Perhaps you'll like it, Patriarch Sam."
With that, he waved his hand. Castro, who hadn't taken off, summoned two Mage Hands behind him, retrieving the Perfect ★★ armor forged by Valen from its back.
Perfect ★★???
Sam nearly stopped breathing. Seeing the solid, thick armor glinting with metallic sheen, especially the dark patterns that marked it as dwarven craftsmanship, the centaur Patriarch was instantly entranced.
No centaur could resist a suit of dwarven-forged armor. None!
Not until the two Mage Hands delivered the oddly styled armor to him did the Level 15 centaur finally snap out of it.
This broke centaur had never experienced the life of a rich man. Now that Li De had smashed him in the face with luxury gear, he was dazed. If there were a favorability system, Sam's head would be popping up with +1 +1 +1 +1 every second.
After taking the heavy armor into his hands, Sam's grin was so wide it was brighter than the sun.
His split lips couldn't close no matter how hard he tried.
"Praise be to you, great Lord Kachar. The Ironhoof Tribe shall be your eternal friend."
Li De watched the scene with an amused expression.
"No need to be so formal, Sam. Aren't we friends now?
Have your warriors begin moving the armor."
Sam was brimming with excitement. "To be your friend is an honor for both me and the Ironhoof Tribe.
The Barren Plains Rhino hides we prepared to purchase the armor are ready. This is the tribe's entire stockpile, a total of fifteen thousand hides."
At this point, the Level 15 centaur Patriarch had long since abandoned all previous wariness. If anything, he was showing signs of turning into Li De's loyal lapdog.
It's not that I lack resolve, it's just that he's given too much. Being friends with a rich man is really quite enjoyable.
So much high grade equipment… In the past, this would have been unimaginable. Where could they have ever gotten so much high-level gear? Even if humans were willing to sell it, they wouldn't have been able to afford it.