Chapter 371: Centaur Chieftain

It was a young man; he only glanced outward as he passed the window, without stopping, the whole thing lasting less than a second.

Yet that very second was captured by Lei En.

Even though Lei En was several hundred meters from the airship, his Soul Eye saw clearly, even piercing the other's soul and instantly discerning the details.

"Mi Er Dun?"

Lei En felt startled and doubtful, not expecting to encounter someone he thought had long been dead here.

Mi Er Dun was his comrade in the Demon‑Extermination Squad at Longshande, that mysterious Ten Thousand Spirits Wizard. Later, the Shadow Blade's Evil God Followers blew up the dwarf underground fortress, causing the Silver Star Region to subside that night; the squad also joined the fight, and Mi Er Dun vanished thereafter, presumed killed.

His lover A Er Bei Na was grief‑stricken, and the teammates grew estranged from Lei En, eventually quitting the Demon‑Extermination Squad outright.

Nearly two years later, the man on the airship resembled Mi Er Dun only sixty‑to‑seventy percent; even acquaintances might not recognize him.

But Lei En was one hundred percent certain he was Mi Er Dun.

One can alter outward appearance, but cannot change the inner soul traits.

When Mi Er Dun was at Longshande, he publicly claimed to be a second‑rank Ten Thousand Spirits Wizard, actually third‑rank, and now has risen to fifth‑rank—a remarkable leap.

A fifth‑rank wizard under thirty is certainly a prodigy; why would he willingly serve as a squad member?

Lei En had long suspected Mi Er Dun of something, but lacked evidence.

"He appeared on an airship over ParrasFloatingCity; could he be a Parras native?"

"Mi Er Dun claimed to be a graduate of Bruvots Academy, yet traveled thousands of miles to Longshande and later vanished mysteriously. He stayed in Longshande for over a year, then slipped away, timing that coincides with the visiting wizard from ParrasFloatingCity..."

Lei En could almost conclude that Mi Er Dun was the Parras wizard.

The series of incidents in Longshande the year before concealed many doubts; Hong Shi, the Duke, even disguised himself as his own student to appear, mingling within the Silver Star Academy, surely harboring undisclosed motives.

He pried his ears open, listening carefully to the sounds on the airship.

However, aside from a few pilots' conversations, he heard no wizard activity; evidently their quarters were equipped with a Soundproof Force Field.

At that moment, Ai Mi Li Si noticed Lei En's oddity, looked toward the airship, and whispered, "Lei En, what's wrong?"

"When we meet Ha Qi later, also ask him about the airship's condition, but don't appear overly concerned," Lei En said.

Ai Mi Li Si gave a slight nod, "Fine."

The party rode spectral warhorses to the fence outside the great tent, where several centaur warriors blocked the path; Ai Mi Li Si brandished a token and, in centaur tongue, said, "I wish to see Chief Ha Qi."

The centaur warriors could not delay; the token signified the tribe's most honored guest, a status equal to the high priest.

He hurriedly bowed respectfully, "Please follow me."

The two and their two dragons dismounted, entering the massive circular tent whose interior spanned several thousand square meters; at its center stood a great hall praying to the Hunting God, surrounded by a dozen separate rooms serving as the chieftain's and priests' quarters.

Inside a spacious, bright tent, the floor was covered with thick blankets, a few pots of open flame in the corners radiated heat, and all four walls displayed skins and heads of various prey; the décor was simple yet dignified.

At the entrance stood two high‑rank centaur warriors.

Upon entering, an exceptionally tall figure greeted them.

Lei En had never seen such a tall centaur; standing upright, it measured two and a half meters from head to hooves, taller than an Extreme Warrior.

Its bare upper body bore horizontally rippling muscles, power seeming ready to explode as if forged from stone; the lower equine torso was immensely robust, hooves like basins, arms thicker than an adult's thigh, and even unarmed exuded a formidable aura.

The centaur's visage was also distinctive: elongated cheeks, high broad forehead, wide nose, deep eye sockets, a chin and sides bearing dense short whiskers, black hair at the back braided into a thick plait that coiled around the neck several times, giving a rugged, unique bearing.

His gaze was wild yet hinted at wisdom.

Lei En's Soul Eye saw that this centaur chieftain's power was extraordinary, already entering the Mid-stage Legendary tier, equivalent to a thirteenth‑rank Berserker. He possessed over twenty Elements, with Strength alone at eighth rank, Toughness and Swiftness above seventh, the rest melee Elements, making him a terrifying Legendary warrior.

The centaur chieftain spoke in Aurelien Language, "Your Highness, we did not expect your personal arrival at Kas; failing to go out and greet you, Ha Qi was indeed impolite."

As he spoke, his fore‑hoof bent, and his upper body bowed low in respect.

Ai Mi Li Si lifted her hood, revealing a beautiful face, looked at the centaur chieftain, and said, "Ha Qi, my arrival was sudden; it's not your fault, no need for excessive courtesy."

She raised her hand, letting the centaur lightly touch her forehead with his.

Their sizes differed by multiples; Ai Mi Li Si stood before Ha Qi like a child, the towering one bowing respectfully to the short, creating a stark contrast.

Ha Qi then looked at Lei En and the others, surprised, "Lord Asthan did not come?"

"He stayed in Haetok," Ai Mi Li Si replied.

"What a pity; I still wish to ask Lord Asthan about some sword techniques," Ha Qi said, inviting Ai Mi Li Si to sit on a chair draped with luxurious furs, while his gaze swept over Lei En, Jia La De Luo Si and Xin Da La, his eyelids flickering subtly.

As a Mid‑stage Legendary warrior, his perception was far from weak; he sensed that each of the three possessed at least Legendary strength.

"Your Highness, who are these gentlemen?" Ha Qi asked curiously.

Ai Mi Li Si introduced, "He is Lei En..."

Before she could finish, Ha Qi exclaimed, "Earl of Glamorgan!" His face showed surprise and delight, "I have long admired the Earl's great name; I heard of your deeds from my kin, they spread across the plains, and at last I meet you in person!"

The centaur chieftain was extremely enthusiastic, as if meeting an idol.

However, Lei En saw the other's soul hue shift to a pale pink, shallow and not hostile, indicating caution, at least not as enthusiastic as the surface.

He nodded, speaking softly, "Chief Ha Qi is overpraised; I happen to be free and followed Ai Mi Li Si to Kas to take a look; the chieftain won't mind, will he?"

"Of course not; this is a great honor for the Zhuoken Tribe," Ha Qi quickly shook his head.

Later Ai Mi Li Si also mentioned the names of the two dragons, saying they were retainers, without revealing their origins.

Ha Qi also expressed his welcome.

Lei En observed the centaur chieftain's every word and deed, thinking to himself that a scheming individual among the hot‑tempered, straightforward centaurs was as rare as a calculating human; the Zhuoken Tribe's growth from a few hundred‑person settlement to over thirty‑thousand at Kas in just a decade owed not only Ai Mi Li Si's covert support but also Ha Qi's crucial ability.

Ha Qi clapped his hands, and a female centaur attendant immediately entered the tent, delivering abundant food, fine wine, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

"The plains' conditions are modest; please excuse us, Your Highness and the Earl,"

After the hospitality, Ai Mi Li Si got down to business, "Ha Qi, regarding the expedition to Kangjiatuo, I had Zhuo Ao return early from Mo Du to report to you. Wa Luogen has also been in contact with you; he said you wish to meet me, you may speak now."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Ha Qi glanced at Lei En, clearly knowing that for this campaign to Kangjiatuo, Lei En was the pivotal figure.

However, Lei En sat silently beside Ai Mi Li Si; without knowing his identity, others would surely think him merely a retainer.

Ha Qi said, "The Zhuoken Tribe's present standing owes entirely to Your Highness's support; now is the time to repay you. With a single word from you, the tribe will dispatch five thousand elite warriors across the sea to strike Kangjiatuo, but there is a current dilemma..."

The Centaur chieftain's face showed a look of difficulty.

Ai Mi Si raised an eyebrow; the earlier words of loyalty were only a prelude, the main point was to set conditions, so she asked, "What difficulty?"

"ParrasFloatingCity sends tax collectors every year," Na Ha Qi said in a tone that dared anger but not speech, his voice low, "And their taxes are getting heavier. Last year it was only one hundred thousand Gold Shields or equivalent goods; this year it suddenly rose to two hundred thousand Gold Shields. Our Zuo Ken tribe has just over thirty thousand people and simply cannot bear it."

"Why such a big increase?" Ai Mi Si asked, a little puzzled.

Na Ha Qi shook his head. "I don't know. I've contacted several of the larger neighboring tribes, and their taxes have also risen sharply."

Lei En also felt doubt in his heart.

The wealth of ParrasFloatingCity is known to all in the Empire.

After achieving Holy Soul Ascension Wizard, Hong Shi Duke chose Parras City, located at the center of the Empire's northern great grassland, as his domain.

The northern grassland's area equals four to five provinces, accounting for one sixth of the entire Empire, yet it has no clear imperial border.

Hong Shi Duke, with his overwhelming strength and iron‑fisted methods, dominates the whole grassland.

All races living on the grassland—whether Centaur tribes, Orc tribes, or Half‑orc tribes—must pay tribute to Hong Shi Duke.

Meanwhile, beneath the ground around Parras lie vast mines—gold, silver, copper, coal, mithril, and refined gold—contributing countless wealth.

Hong Shi Duke also monopolizes the trade routes between the Empire, the Brantania Knight Kingdom, and the Orc tribes.

Each year, merely collecting passage fees from merchant caravans yields a huge sum.

In just a few dozen years, Hong Shi Duke built his own floating city, and its scale is the largest and newest among all floating cities. Had it not been for its short construction time and lack of deep foundation, Hong Shi Duke would already have become the Empire's fourth great power.

Anyone with a modicum of insight in the Empire would not doubt that this day will inevitably arrive.

Generally, ParrasFloatingCity does not squeeze so harshly.

Now, however, it breaks the norm and doubles the tax outright.

In the short term it's manageable, but over time it will provoke backlash from the races; it's nothing less than draining the pond to catch fish. Could ParrasFloatingCity suddenly be short of money?

Lei En has too little information at hand to make a judgment.

"Your Highness, you've arrived at the right moment," Na Ha Qi said. "I suppose Your Highness also saw that airship outside, which came from ParrasFloatingCity, demanding a payment of two hundred thousand Gold Shields. I'm gathering the funds; in two days we'll have enough."

"But paying this tax will hollow out the tribe."

"It's still somewhat tolerable in summer; when autumn comes and the weather turns cold, the tribe's second half of the year will be hard to endure. Without sufficient support, we'll find it difficult to dispatch troops to follow Your Highness into battle. The tribe cannot live off the mountain forever, and the warriors also need some motivation."

Na Ha Qi stared at Ai Mi Si with longing eyes, almost reaching out to take the money directly.

(End of Chapter)