With this equipment, the Ironhoof Tribe's strength would undergo a qualitative leap.
Thinking of this, Sam was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to firmly cling to this powerful backer.
Li De chuckled. These guys were so poor they couldn't even afford pants, how could they possibly resist the temptation of sugar-coated bullets?
"Lord Kachar, the humans you wanted are all inside the cave. Shall we bring them out now?"
Li De had come for this trade partly for the magic beast pelts, and partly for the Risel City's elites and nobles.
When it came to population, he would never consider having too many.
Especially since these were elite individuals from Risel City.
However, this time he didn't plan to take all of them back.
Though these were indeed high-end people, not all of them were useful.
Those with noble titles, the elderly, those with poor aptitude, low education, or unattractive appearances, he wasn't planning on taking them.
Especially the older nobles, those who had grown used to luxury and status. Once they lost their rank in Dawn City, they'd surely become resentful and likely to stir up trouble.
And while some of them could still be of use, the potential risk they posed simply wasn't worth it.
Although he had already given Harrison a heads-up, it was still best to avoid unnecessary problems.
"Sam, I only need to bring a portion of them back. I'll trouble you to help with the selection."
Li De didn't bother with pleasantries and issued the order as if he were speaking to Harrison.
"You don't need to explain the purpose. Just have them sort themselves out, nobles with nobles, blacksmiths with blacksmiths, scholars with…"
Sam instantly understood what Li De was planning. "You want to take only the human nobles back?"
In his view, human nobles were certainly more valuable. Back when he used to kidnap people, nobles always fetched better goods in exchange.
"No. Human nobles are useless to me. I want everyone except the human nobles."
Li De smiled faintly. "When your centaur warriors are sorting them, don't reveal this."
"As you wish, Lord Kachar."
Sam nodded. Although Li De was clearly giving orders, the centaur Patriarch didn't feel any discomfort.
Li De possessed an innate noble bearing and leadership aura that naturally inspired obedience, an upper-class charisma cultivated through long-term rule. It was a unique personal charm.
The centaur warriors split into two groups. One eagerly began unloading the armor from the Whispering Bats, while the other started screening the Risel City humans.
Regardless of their task, every centaur that passed Li De cast him a respectful glance.
One must always show proper respect to the strong, especially one powerful enough to command a Bone Dragon.
Of course, the most important reason for their reverence was still the sturdy dwarf-forged armor this mysterious Lord had brought them.
Through both sheer power and practical benefits, Li De's prestige within this centaur tribe had skyrocketed.
One sun-hour later, all the armor had been unloaded from the Whispering Bats. The centaurs who had been assigned armor were already eagerly donning the precious gear.
In the blink of an eye, before the ruins of the city, 800 fully armored heavy centaur warriors now stood in the valley.
Standing 3 Blades tall, with the lower bodies of fine horses and upper bodies of humans, their armor covered them from helmet to hooves.
Their explosive muscles strained against the dark-patterned dwarf armor, each one resembling a statue of iron, brimming with a forceful, oppressive power.
This was what true heavy centaur cavalry looked like. Compared to them, the previous bone-armored centaurs weren't even fit to carry their boots.
The famed heavy centaur cavalry of the Glory Main Plane had been reborn.
However, one discordant detail remained, the weapons in the centaurs' hands were still made of bone or stone, crude and out of place next to their fine armor.
"Lord Kachar."
With a dull thud, a taller centaur stepped forward as the armored warriors made way. He appeared before Li De.
His body was clad in pitch-black, intimidating armor, and he held a massive double-bladed poleaxe in his hands.
Each stomp of his hooves produced a heavy thump, and spiderweb-like cracks spread across the hard yellow ground with every step.
Majestic and imposing, he looked like an ancient being straight out of a myth.
This awe-inspiring centaur was clearly the Patriarch of the Ironhoof Tribe, Sam.
"Thank you for your generosity. This armor has given me even greater strength."
Sam walked proudly in circles a few times, full of excitement. Then, as if a thought struck him, he abruptly stopped, turned to face Li De, and spoke solemnly beneath his helmet.
"I, Sam Ironhoof, hereby swear before the great Centaur God, to form an alliance with the great Lord Kachar, to be loyal to one another and never betray."
Li De paused in surprise, not expecting Sam to suddenly go this far.
Just as he was about to speak, a system notification popped up.
"Ding~ Patriarch Sam Ironhoof of the Ironhoof Tribe wishes to form an alliance with you. Do you accept?
Once allied, you may not attack each other at will. Violating the alliance will invoke the wrath of the witnessing deity, the Centaur God."
Was this really a system-recognized alliance?
Li De had initially planned to refuse outright, but after some thought, he chose to accept.
He had already intended to support the Ironhoof Tribe, making them a point of contact for Dawn City in the Dwarven Hills. This was simply a deeper level of cooperation.
Besides, this alliance didn't impose any real constraints on him.
Who even was the Centaur God? What did it matter if a vampire was disliked by the Centaur God?
The Gods of Light were innately hostile toward dark creatures, yet he was still doing just fine. These deities, unable to manifest in the Main Plane, had very limited influence on him.
Moreover, he had no plans to break the alliance anyway. Unless the benefits far outweighed the losses, tearing up the alliance wouldn't be worth it, and for now, there was no such opportunity on the horizon.