"Master, should we pursue them?" Belder rode up to Velin and asked.
Watching the Centaurs nearly vanish from sight, Velin shook his head and gave the order. "Have the others capture the Azure Purple Horses. Ignore the fleeing Centaurs."
Their faces had been protected by visors throughout, so the enemy could not possibly have obtained any useful information. Still, they would need to take a slight detour on their way back to the territory to guard against the possibility of being followed.
As night approached, they had gathered a total of 137 Azure Purple Horses: seventeen stallions, 106 mares, and fourteen foals.
Velin was quite satisfied with that number.
Given time, relying on these mares, he could breed thousands of Azure Purple Horses and establish his own Knight Order.
At that moment, Ariya, who had escaped the encirclement, did not leave immediately. Instead, she hid in the surrounding bushes, intending to follow them, gather information, and find the place she would one day strike in revenge.
"Despicable humans, I will make you pay. I will make you pay dearly."
Ariya lay prone in the grass, gritting her teeth as she spoke.
Doris, the slain Silver Warrior, had been one of her only two steadfast supporters. Now he had died in this unknown land, and they had also lost the herd of Azure Purple Horses. When she returned, she would likely be reduced to a tool for an arranged marriage with another Centaur clan.
She was unwilling to accept it. Utterly unwilling.
For several days in a row, Velin followed his original plan, circling around as he headed toward Saipruo Province, the province neighboring Cadro Province.
He had noticed the Centaur following behind them long ago and intended to shift the trouble elsewhere.
The western border region of Saipruo Province was the main frontier direction being developed by the Hax Family.
As a marquis family from Iron Male Territory in West River Province, they were the mortal enemies of the Ex Family.
A week later, after confirming that the Centaur had left, Velin changed direction and headed north along the border, returning to Lake of Star Prayer.
At that moment, the Hax Family members on Saipruo Province's western border had no idea they were about to face the revenge of a powerful Centaur clan.
On the morning of August 25, the group returned to the territory.
"Master." Orlando and Hebrew bowed upon seeing Velin return.
"Not bad. Your strength has improved. You truly deserve to be the Guardian Knights I selected."
Velin patted their shoulders and praised them loudly.
The eight knights behind him widened their eyes. Those two boys had entered the path less than half a year ago, yet they had already reached what had taken them six or seven years of training.
Just then, the Mysterious Orbs he carried with him reacted.
The two Mysterious Orbs he had obtained from a merchant at the entrance to West River Province emitted strange fluctuations.
"Could it be..."
Velin looked at the brothers, Orlando and Hebrew, and suddenly understood something.
"Belder, settle the Azure Purple Horses we brought back and have the stallions breed with the mares as soon as possible."
"Yes, Master."
Afterward, Velin brought his two Guardian Knights into a room and took out the two orbs he had been carrying.
In an instant, the two orbs floated into the air and slowly drifted toward the bewildered brothers.
"Master, what is this?" Orlando could not help taking a few steps back as he asked in confusion.
"These things should be related to you two. Try touching them. You might obtain something unexpected." Velin stroked his chin and spoke unhurriedly.
Hearing this, Orlando and Hebrew extended their right hands, grasped the orbs, closed their eyes, and circulated their Battle Qi.
In that instant, the blinding light made Velin cover his eyes.
The two were enveloped within it. Ten minutes later, the light dispersed, and two Silver Knights appeared before Velin.
"Thank you for your gift, Master."
Orlando and Hebrew knelt on one knee and replied respectfully.
Still bewildered, Velin scratched his head and asked, "What is this...? Explain it to me."
Seeing this, Orlando stepped forward and began explaining the origins of the Mysterious Orbs.
The two orbs had been swept into Space Turbulence and arrived on the Sinapsis Subcontinent. They contained precious and rare Battle Method Cores. Thanks to the Battle Method Cores fusing with them, their strength had been forcefully elevated.
Now, through the Battle Method Cores, they could contract Knight Squires, transform their own Battle Qi into a Seed as a secondary core, and send it into the other person's body to become a connecting hub.
In this way, during war, Orlando could form battle formations with those under contract, link their Battle Qi together, and create battle beasts to fight.
"How many people can you two contract now?"
Facing Velin's question, Orlando answered without hesitation, "Master, my current limit is thirty people."
"Master, mine is twenty-five," Hebrew quickly added, his tone carrying some disappointment.
"Good. You may choose any Knight Squires you want. In the near future, I'll have Belder send people to purchase a group of youths."
"Thank you for your great favor, Master."
Orlando and Hebrew knelt on the ground and kowtowed in gratitude.
Seeing this, Velin hurriedly helped them up and said with a smile, "I told you before, once you became my Guardian Knights, I would devote all my effort to nurturing you."
"In the future, the two of you will use those under contract as your foundation to establish a Knight Order. I will support you with all my strength."
"Master, we will become the sharp sword in your hand. We will serve you for all eternity, until the moment we fall." Orlando and Hebrew looked at Velin with reverence and respect, speaking words from the bottom of their hearts.
Looking at the two youths who were gradually growing stronger, Velin perhaps finally understood what the wings mentioned by Guidance of Fate were.
Over the next few days, the 3,000 mu of Bean Potatoes and 2,000 mu of Root Vegetables planted three months earlier gradually ripened.
Velin placed great importance on this first batch of mature food crops and personally organized the Freemen and serfs to harvest them.
Seeing the Bean Potatoes and Root Vegetables piled up like small mountains, Velin smiled.
"Master, the joy of harvest always delights both body and soul." Looking at so much food, Belder could not help sighing, his voice filled with reminiscence.
"Yes! A harvest brings joy, and it also marks the success of the first step in my endeavor to develop this territory."
Velin picked up a Bean Potato, brushed away the dirt on it, and with a gentle exertion broke it apart, handing one half to Belder.
After taking a bite, its cool texture and sweet juice reminded him of eating sweet potatoes as a child in his previous life.
After five days of harvesting, the 3,000 mu of land yielded 1.35 million jin of Bean Potatoes, averaging 450 jin per mu. The 2,000 mu of land yielded 400,000 jin of Root Vegetables, averaging 200 jin per mu.
According to the tax rules established earlier, he would receive 810,000 jin of Bean Potatoes and 320,000 jin of Root Vegetables.
In addition, for the surplus grain held by the Freemen, Velin had Belder issue an order to collect it, purchasing Bean Potatoes at one Copper Coin per jin and Root Vegetables at two Copper Coins per jin.
Before you continue