That was the confidence born of power. Because the Patriarch of the Ironhoof Tribe standing before him was only Level 15. The average centaur level ranged from 6 to 9. Elite units might reach Level 10. In this valley, without heavy siege equipment, he was invincible. Li De couldn’t guarantee he could kill all the centaurs here, but Castro, clad in transcendent armor, and the Level 18 bone dragon were more than capable of crushing this force of several thousand. Their numbers weren’t high enough to make Li De cautious. In fact, as long as the vampires of Dawn City arrived in time, he could bury all the centaurs here, regardless of whether they were a so-called warrior race. What right did a minor centaur tribe have to posture in front of him? Sam’s heart skipped a beat. He heard the certainty and confidence in this human mage’s tone. Though he wanted to scoff and dismiss such absurdity, the bone dragon in the sky, who had endured the centaur archers’ attacks for half a sun-hour without a scratch, was still exuding an oppressive draconic might. Official source ıs 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹~𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮~𝚗𝚎𝚝 And the other steel behemoth clad in heavy armor, whose wings glinted with a terrifying sharpness, just a glance made Sam’s heart tremble. That was undoubtedly a weapon forged for slaughter. He dared not imagine what kind of devastation it would unleash if it dove into his people. Most crucially, they had no heavy weapons to counter it. If the Ironhoof Tribe went to war, they would be completely on the defensive. Sam could already envision the outcome, Ironhoof warriors slaughtered by the dozens, the tribe fleeing in chaos. A brave warrior might have chosen to fight head-on, for centaurs never feared enemies or battle. But as a Patriarch, that couldn’t be his thinking. Ensuring the tribe’s survival was the highest priority. “Human, what is it you truly want?” Li De looked at the seemingly unyielding centaur Patriarch, the corner of his lips curling with amusement. He had heard the subtle concession in his tone. Good. He preferred dealing with smart people. “I already said, Dawn City wishes to establish trade with the centaurs. I have everything you want.” With that, he reached into his system storage and casually tossed a few sets of dwarf-forged armor toward Sam. Sam blinked, instinctively reaching out to catch them. The moment the centaur Patriarch touched the cold armor, he couldn’t bear to let go. This armor… was excellent! He recognized it at a glance as dwarven craftsmanship, just like the set he had once stolen from humans and now wore. The impoverished Dwarven Hills severely lacked armor and weapons. Yet humans blockaded them, which forced the centaurs to use stone and bone for all their gear. The moment he saw the unmistakable dwarven design of the armor in his hands, the Level 15 centaur Patriarch’s heart wavered. Armor grades were divided into Common, Rare, Uncommon, Perfect, Transcendent, and above that, Legendary and Divine Artifact. Each grade was further marked by one to three stars. The three sets of armor in Sam’s hands were all Uncommon ★, high-quality dwarven forged armor. [T/N: Dunno why the author chose to make uncommon above rare in rarity. I’ll keep it since I don’t want to stray from the source material too much.] Perfect grade armor was equivalent to gear for top-tier Level 15 human professionals and extremely rare. Li De had spent a full hundred thousand Gold Pucks to forge just two suits of Perfect grade armor previously. Of course, that was partly due to Kosso and Castro’s enormous body sizes. Regardless, Uncommon grade armor was already considered premium gear. Perfect grade gear was simply too expensive and unsuitable for mass production in military forces. So what Li De had shown was more than enough to move the centaur Patriarch’s heart. Not because of just these few suits, but because of the possibility of trade to come. If Li De could produce one set, could he produce one hundred? A thousand? Thinking of his warriors charging into battle clad in dwarven armor, Sam couldn’t help but grow excited. Maybe… they could finally take off those damned bone frames they currently wore. The bait Li De dangled had deeply tempted Sam, and more importantly, this was a man who commanded a dragon. Such a powerful figure was far more trustworthy than those greedy human merchants. “I am the Patriarch of the Ironhoof Tribe, Sam Ironhoof. Esteemed powerful one, may I ask, how much of this type of armor do you have? And what price must we pay to purchase it?” Sam was direct. He didn’t believe this mysterious human had come to hand out free gifts. Li De smiled, his eyes glinting with a deep meaning no one could fully read. Laying plans was never about immediate gain or loss. To play the game, one needed more than the right to sit at the board, they needed vision and skill. After hearing detailed information about the centaurs from Andabella, he had decided to place a wager on this race. A kind of venture investment, one with low cost. As for the goal, “Patriarch Sam, Dawn City commands hundreds of dwarves in my service. However many you need, I can provide. As for the price, we’ll go by standard armor trade rates. Payment can be in gems, rare ores, magical beast hides, or even various types of mineral veins.” Li De’s tone was meaningful. The centaurs of the Barren Plains had no wealth? No, no, just like how impoverished Africa was still full of gold, the centaurs simply didn’t know how to mine it. Li De’s trade plan was a sudden inspiration. With war approaching, the raw materials needed by the Crimson Mage Tower for magic scrolls were becoming heavily restricted. At present, their stockpile was dangerously low, nearly at the point of complete production halt. Not only was the northern undead launching a frenzied invasion, but the ongoing conflict with beastmen along the borders had also hindered mercenaries from hunting magical beasts. Yet strangely, the centaurs living in the Dwarven Hills had found themselves in a land of peace. While the region was barren, that was only relative to human territory. Though magical beasts in the Dwarven Hills weren’t especially numerous, they certainly weren’t fewer than those on the Barren Plains. It was simply that the centaurs were so dominant that few mercenaries dared to venture in. His plan was simple: directly exchange the weapons and armor produced by Dawn City for large quantities of magic materials or ores. As for whether the centaurs, after acquiring weapons, might pose a threat to nearby powers, Li De couldn’t care less. No matter how dangerous they became, they wouldn’t be able to threaten Green City or the faraway Dawn City deep within the Far Mountain Range. The Dwarven Hills now resembled medieval America in Earth’s history, an undeveloped territory that could easily serve as a colony for Dawn City, used to dump excess goods and extract raw materials. Of course, this idea was still rough, Li De wasn’t even sure if it would work. But that didn’t stop him from trying. If successful, Dawn City’s production capacity would be fully unleashed, and the materials they produced could be exchanged for more wealth. If it failed, so what? He wouldn’t invest heavily in the early stages, there would be no real loss. It was a venture with all upside and no downside. The idea had struck him suddenly after Andabella explained the centaurs background, as he looked at the primitive armor they wore. Trade, at its core, was the exchange of value, and the perception of that value varied between the two parties. “Patriarch Sam, what price would you offer for armor ?” Li De didn’t rush to answer Sam’s earlier question. Instead, he threw the question back at the centaur. “If the offer is acceptable, we trade. If not, then there is no deal.” Li De’s gaze was intense as he stared at the Level 15 centaur Patriarch. His goal today had shifted from seizing Risel City’s elite population to negotiating trade with the centaurs. It was an unexpected development, but he had sensed a large number of humans in the cave behind the centaurs. Vampires were extremely sensitive to the presence of humans, it was in their blood. Since the primary target was currently safe, there was no need to act hastily. Building a relationship with the centaurs and securing this deal came first. Dealing with the nobles of Risel City could wait. After all, the centaurs were the true masters of this land right now. Compared to those lambs awaiting slaughter, the centaurs were the real players in the upcoming game.