Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 688: You Get What You Pay For

After observing Reina’s battle with the Rank Three Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly for a while, Sein decided to leave after informing Natalya.

The fight held little suspense, and Sein found himself more intrigued by the prospects in Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Royal City.

Accompanied by Yuri, Sein swiftly made his way into the Royal City where the demigod-level Deep Sea Giant Eel was leading the battle.

The conflict between the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Army and the Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan had also engulfed the Royal City.

Insect corpses littered the ground as far as the eye could see.

Some impatient minotaurlings had already begun feasting on them.

Despite the relentless lashing from the centaurs, inflicting bloody scars with their whips, the minotaurlings continued their meal undeterred.

Outsiders remained oblivious to the harsh realities of the Centaurworld, especially the dire plight of the minotaurlings as a subjugated class.

The Beastmen World, a large-sized plane within the Magus Alliance, regularly suffered from droughts and famines. Yet, conditions in Centaurworld were even more severe.

Despite being a medium-sized plane, it ranked at the very bottom among its peers.

This world, dominated by centaurs, boasted only eighteen deities of Rank Four or higher—a relatively modest count for medium-sized planes.

In contrast, many medium-sized worlds within the Magus Alliance with better development prospects boasted a greater number of powerful beings.

The foreign gods within the alliance speculated that the Centaurworld was able to grow into a medium-sized realm mainly due to its early defection to the Magus Civilization.

Otherwise, the Centaurworld would have been surpassed by newer, more competitive planes within the harsh environment of the Magus Alliance.

Competition within the Magus Alliance was fierce. Some lesser competitive allied planes found their gods in dire straits, sometimes forced to sell their homeplanes due to excessive debts in magicoins.

Compared to selling their homeplanes outright, merely exporting some enslaved creatures to the Magus Alliance seemed trivial.

Now, with the most challenging phase of the Verdant Leaf World War behind them, the mages of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring overlooked the gluttonous and undisciplined behavior of the minotaurlings.

They got what they paid for and should not expect too much from these cheap minotaurlings.

Their limited intelligence and voracious appetites rendered the minotaurlings unlikely to become elite enslaved creatures.

In contrast, the minotaurs from Beastmen World’s Burr Tribe, though similar in appearance to the minotaurlings, were regarded as elite slaves and fetched high prices within the Magus Alliance.

It was rumored that the Beastmen World also boasted an elite army known as the “Warlord’s Whip”, comprised entirely of minotaurs.

The Golden-ringed Takin, Silver-ringed Rhino, and Bronze-ringed Yak represented the most esteemed minotaur warriors of the Beastmen World.

These physically robust minotaur warriors, known for their high level of endurance, wielded metal totem poles as weapons, each as tall as they themselves were.

In terms of combat prowess, an average minotaur warrior could easily take on three minotaurlings. The three major ringed warriors were undoubtedly even more formidable.

When Sein was still an initiate, he had seen a minotaur in Mystralora City. However, it was likely an ordinary one, not even qualified as a bronze-ringed warrior.

Despite this, that minotaur demonstrated significant wisdom and discipline, defending the city for the black mages.

This straightforward nature was their characteristic; the only downside was their high price.

The export of enslaved creatures and the outsourcing of mercenary corps constituted the two primary revenue streams for the Beastmen World within the Magus Alliance.

Sein’s presence prompted the centaurs to whip the minotaurlings even more ruthlessly.

Crimson scars marred the bodies of the minotaurlings, filling the air with the scent of blood amidst the cries of the insect creatures in the Verdant Leaf World, creating a scene reminiscent of the apocalypse.

Oblivious to their surroundings due to their low intelligence, the minotaurlings focused solely on satiating their hunger.

However, the more intelligent centaurs were aware of their employers’ presence.

Each centaur behaved as impeccably as possible in front of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring mages, knowing their conduct could significantly influence their final gains from this microplane.

If any centaur failed to act appropriately, the tribe’s elders would skin them alive before a demigod-level ancestor like Maya could!

The rules and customs of these more primitive clans and social groups were barbarically harsh.

Despite the Maya Tribe being matriarchal, its ruthlessness matched that of other tribes. This was all for the sake of ensuring the higher-ranking centaurs could maintain strict control over their subordinates.

The intelligence of the minotaurlings indeed appeared severely limited.

Under the harsh lashings from the centaurs, some stood numbly enduring the excruciating pain, while others, undeterred, continued to gorge on anything within reach—be it insect corpses or tree barks.

These minotaurlings seemed capable of digesting almost anything.

To ensure the minotaurlings remained vigorous during the war, the centaurs had deliberately kept them in a state of constant hunger.

Sein had little interest in witnessing the centaurs’ “little acts”. After a cursory glance and a slight frown, he instructed, “Make sure they are well-fed after the battle in Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Royal City concludes. The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring has no issue with rewarding everyone who participates in the battle, especially if it’s merely keeping them fed.”

Following Sein’s gaze, all the centaurs he looked at promptly lowered their heads.

Their Rank One leader bowed its head and respectfully replied, “Yes, Master.”

Sein shook his head, then flew toward the southern part of the Royal City.

***

Before Sein realized it, the Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Royal City was already engulfed in flames.

Constructed entirely from plants and clay, the structures in the city were made sturdy with a bonding liquid injected by the Bamboo Leaf Dragonflies.

Normally, the insect creatures in the Royal City were vigilant about fire prevention.

However, in the throes of war, the millennia-old Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan Royal City was on the brink of destruction by fire.

The sound of burning branches and the scent of dripping burning grease filled the air, sending plumes of smoke skyward.

After salvaging some resources and materials of interest in the royal city, Sein was forced to ascend higher into the sky. The fire had grown too intense and was spreading rapidly.