After three days of exploration, Velin chose an excellent location: a shallow valley north of the Centaurs' inevitable route, perfect for an ambush.
"Today is August 6. The Centaurs will pass through here in nine days. That's enough time."
After marking the location, Velin set off back, preparing to organize men, set traps, slaughter the Centaurs, and seize the Azure Purple Horses.
In mid-August, a group of Centaurs slowly advanced, driving more than a hundred Azure Purple Horses before them.
"Young mistress, the scouts reported that there is no danger ahead." A Centaur holding a crude bow approached a white Centaur, dropped to her forelegs, and reported respectfully.
"Keep moving."
The white Centaur, Ariya, proudly gave the order for the group to continue onward.
Before winter arrived, she had to drive this herd of Azure Purple Horses back to the tribe.
At their current pace, they could not afford delays.
At that moment, Velin lay hidden in the brush, calmly observing the Centaurs.
There were around fifty of them.
"Belder, prepare to begin."
"Yes, my lord."
After receiving his orders, Belder went down the hill and began acting according to the plan.
A knight doused himself in blood, slung a bundle over his back, mounted a Red Ridge Horse, and headed toward the trap.
Two minutes later, Belder put on a vicious expression and led several subordinates in pursuit of the blood-soaked knight.
"Stop! Don't run!"
"I'll tear you bastard apart! Leave the goods behind!"
The sudden shouts in the wilderness immediately put the Centaurs driving the Azure Purple Horses on alert, and they looked around in every direction.
Ariya's face darkened as she looked at the humans in the distance. "This is what you meant by no danger?"
"Please calm your anger, Young Mistress."
The Centaur responsible for scouting trembled in fear and hurriedly replied.
"Stay alert. If they come closer, shoot them on sight. Show no mercy." To protect the Azure Purple Horses, Ariya gave the order without hesitation.
The surrounding Centaurs drew their bows and nocked arrows, aiming at the humans rushing toward them. The moment the humans entered range, they would fire.
Suddenly, Belder accelerated sharply and slashed open the bundle behind the horse's rump. Mithril gleaming with a silvery-white sheen was revealed and fell to the ground.
"Mithril! Young Mistress, it's Mithril!"
A Centaur with scouting traits spotted the items two kilometers away and shouted excitedly.
"I know."
Ariya's eyes gleamed as she stared fixedly at the Mithril picked up by the humans.
"Young Mistress, give me a squad. I'll take the Mithril back." A tall, fierce-looking brown Centaur licked his lips, greed filling his eyes as he asked Ariya.
"Doris, could this be dangerous?" Ariya abruptly shook her head to clear her thoughts and asked the Low-level Silver Centaur warrior.
"Young Mistress, these humans are weak. You lead the others in protecting the Azure Purple Horses. I alone guarantee that I'll bring the Mithril back." Doris had already been consumed by greed and could no longer care about anything else.
After thinking it over, Ariya nodded and accepted Doris's suggestion.
Doris immediately led ten Centaurs away from the herd and chased after Belder.
Seeing that the enemy had taken the bait, Belder acted even harder, roaring all kinds of filthy insults.
"They took the bait."
Velin, lying in the brush, excitedly pumped his fist.
At that moment, Andrew led two companies of soldiers inside the valley, operating twenty ballistas as they waited for the target to arrive.
As the hoofbeats drew nearer and nearer, Andrew looked into the distance and spotted his captain, with a Centaur following behind him.
"Get ready. Wait for my command."
The soldiers from the two companies held their breaths, waiting for the knight's order.
"Humans, stop running! Leave the goods behind, and your Uncle Doris will spare your worthless lives!"
Mounted on a Red Phosphorus Horse skilled at running, Doris cursed as he shouted threats.
As one fled and the other pursued, he had no idea that he had entered a valley, nor had he noticed any of the humans hiding around him.
His eyes held only the glittering Mithril.
Combined with the confidence his strength gave him, Doris had completely let down his guard.
"Fire!"
Andrew seized the moment and shouted the order.
Twenty soldiers holding wooden mallets struck the triggers, and twenty Spears forged from Mithril alloy shot forth.
In an instant, Doris saw Spears flying at him from every direction and swung the iron hammer in his hand to block them.
But before the Mithril-alloy Spears, both the hammer in his hand and the iron armor on his body were easily pierced. Scalding blood sprayed everywhere, staining the ground red.
Doris unwillingly looked at the humans ahead of him, then slowly lowered his head.
After one volley, six Centaurs remained in the valley.
"The commander is dead! It's a human trap!"
"Run! Hurry back and report to the Young Mistress!"
Several Centaurs changed direction and ran toward the entrance without looking back.
But when the second volley of Spears flew out, five Centaurs were pierced on the spot. One Centaur barely escaped, pulled out a red pill from his clothes, swallowed it, and ran desperately.
"Young Mistress, there's an ambush! The humans—"
A Spear flew over, pierced the Centaur's body, and nailed him to the ground.
The white Centaur stood as though facing a great enemy. Looking at the humans who had suddenly emerged all around her, as well as the ballistas appearing on the distant hilltops, she raised her bow and began gathering strength.
Velin sat astride his warhorse, staring unblinkingly into the distance.
"My lord."
After the two sides had faced off for more than ten minutes, Belder arrived beside Velin with two squads of infantry and twenty Three-Bow Ballistas, then tossed the head in his hand onto the ground.
"Doris." The white Centaur Ariya looked at the head rolling across the Grassland and wailed in anguish. "Despicable humans, you will pay for this. You will pay a terrible price."
"Prepare."
More than a hundred soldiers took out Spears and loaded them onto the ballistas, awaiting orders.
Once all eighty Three-Bow Ballistas were ready, Velin immediately gave the order. "Fire."
Eighty Spears shot out from four directions, instantly killing more than twenty Centaurs. The survivors trembled in terror.
The white Centaur Ariya could not help retreating several steps as she surveyed her surroundings. Fewer than twenty Centaurs remained at her side. It was simply impossible to resist several hundred humans. Their only option was to abandon the Azure Purple Horses, return to the tribe, and seek revenge another day.
However, before that, she had to learn the enemy's identity.
"Despicable, shameless humans, do you dare give your name?"
As Ariya gestured to her surviving subordinates, she shouted toward Velin.
"Attack."
Velin ignored her and directly gave the order to attack.
To avoid injuring the Azure Purple Horses, they could only engage in close combat from this point on.
Seeing that the enemy would not take the bait, Ariya stopped waiting and turned toward the northwest, where the human numbers were smallest.
"Scatter the herd! Retreat!"
Several Centaurs blew bone whistles. Upon hearing the special sound, the Azure Purple Horses immediately became restless and bolted in every direction.
Taking advantage of the chaos, the remaining Centaurs followed their young mistress and charged toward the northwest, attempting to break out.
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