[317] Maiden

Seeing the pile of gold coins on the ground, all the centaurs' eyes burned with excitement.

So much gold would be enough to sustain their entire village for a long time.

Especially the two young female centaurs, whose eyes were filled with schadenfreude. Among women, particularly between beautiful women and ordinary ones, there often arises jealousy and resentment. Ordinary women can't help but envy those who are more outstanding and beautiful.

Shianus was no exception. Due to her beauty and strength, the other two female centaurs envied her greatly.

Now, with the gold coins in sight, Shianus noticed a subtle shift in the gaze of her fellow villagers toward her. The respect had vanished, replaced by greed and fervor.

As the saying goes, "Desolate regions produce cunning people." In the face of benefit, everything else becomes insignificant.

"So, Shianus, what's your decision?" August asked.

"I'm willing to agree, but I have one condition," Shianus replied.

"Speak."

"I'm not a mere ornament, and I cannot become one."

"Then what do you want?"

"I refuse to be your collection. I am simply Shianus."

August smiled at this, clearly pleased. He found this fiery spirit in Shianus to be more satisfying. If he could nurture her, riding alongside a centaur maiden in the future would indeed be impressive, especially after granting her some power.

Swish~

With a flash of white light, a katana was driven into the ground in front of Shianus.

"Take this sword, and if you drip your blood on it, you will become my knight. How does that sound?" August offered.

Shianus glanced at August, then bit her finger to let a drop of blood fall onto the blade.

She had no doubts about August's words, as there was no need for him to deceive her.

Buzz~

With the blood, a contract was forged, and the katana recognized its new master.

In Shianus's mind, a wealth of information appeared, including the name and abilities of the blade.

Zanpakuto: Wabisuke, a blade that cleaves souls and, upon activation, increases the weight of each successive attack on its target.

August possessed two Zanpakuto. He had given one, Hyorinmaru, to Shinra Tsubaki to help her enhance her strength and aid her in the future. The second was now given to Shianus, with the simple goal of training her into a capable mount.

"From now on, Shianus will be your sword, my lord," she pledged.

Shianus chose to submit to August, fulfilling her dream of becoming a knight.

"Alright, come here. From now on, you belong to me."

"Yes, my lord."

Shianus left the group of centaurs and moved to August's side.

The other centaurs watched in stunned silence. A single sword had been enough to win Shianus over?

Many of the male centaurs were pounding their chests in frustration. Had they known that such a simple transaction would have secured Shianus, they would have acted long ago. Though the katana was valuable, it was a bargain compared to gaining Shianus.

August, smiling at Shianus who had seamlessly transitioned into the role of his knight, said nothing further.

He then left the centaur village, with Shianus following closely behind.

After August's departure, the surrounding Shadowclaws retreated as well.

"These gold coins are mine."

"No, they are mine."

"Get away from me; they belong to me."

"Get your hands off, you scoundrels."

...

As August and his party departed, the centaurs immediately fell into infighting.

Just moments ago, they had been united against a common enemy, but now, driven by the lure of gold, they turned on each other with deadly intent.

This was entirely within August's expectations and, in fact, was his deliberate intention. Even though they had not yet gone far, their tumultuous voices were still audible.

Shianus heard everything, and it filled her with sorrow.

The fact that old allies could become enemies over a mere pile of gold was disheartening. Yet, this was human nature—there was nothing she could do about it.

Moreover, she was no longer one of those villagers; she was now a knight in service to her lord.

"Everyone, continue the hunt," August commanded.

With his words, the surrounding Shadowclaws dispersed once more.

Shianus witnessed scenes of ruthless carnage. The magical beasts, which they had once been so careful to avoid in the dense forest, were now being wiped out without mercy.

Before these black-clad soldiers, the beasts had no means of resistance and were being systematically slaughtered.

It was a massacre of indiscriminate proportions. Carnivorous or herbivorous, ferocious or gentle, all magical beasts were eradicated without exception.

Their carcasses were dragged into dark rifts and disappeared from sight.

The scenes were a continuous assault on Shianus's perception.

"My lord, are you conducting a large-scale hunt for magical beasts?" she asked.

"Yes," August confirmed. "My children need nourishment, and these beasts are the perfect source."

"Your children?" Shianus inquired.

"Yes."

Shianus was initially shocked, but soon began to ponder whether August's children were a young princess or a young master.

Thus, August and the newly joined Shianus continued their sweep through the forest. They had no specific goal, simply advancing forward, hunting every beast they encountered.

"My lord, the path through the dense forest is difficult to traverse. If you don't mind, you can ride on my back," Shianus offered.

"Hm?"

August hesitated momentarily but quickly accepted the offer. Since she had proposed it, he decided to make use of it.

For Shianus, this was her first time carrying someone, and she felt a bit nervous.

"Shianus, do you know where there are more magical beasts?" August asked.

"There is a Moonlight Pond deep in the forest, where the density of magical beasts is highest," Shianus replied.

"Excellent. Our destination is Moonlight Pond. Let's set off."

"Yes, my lord."

Shianus then began to gallop through the forest. Having grown up in this area, she was intimately familiar with the terrain.

For August, riding a centaur maiden for the first time was quite an experience, and it felt rather intriguing.

The surrounding Shadowclaws kept pace closely, their speed far surpassing Shianus's. There was no concern about being left behind.

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