Sovereign of the Ashes
Chapter 1173: Deliverance

Chapter 1173: Deliverance

The crystal catalog from the knightly order detailed the female centaur’s graceful figure and praised her striking features.

She was listed as a “comfort slave”, despite being a Rank Two being.

There was something about her long silver hair and gentle eyes that stirred a strong instinct to shield her.

This female centaur was none other than an old acquaintance of Sein’s—Luna Christine Maya.

He never expected that a direct descendant of a Rank Four centaur god would end up like this.

Her tribe and her grandmother, Maya, had played a pivotal role during the early interplanar campaigns led by the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

How had it come to this?

Since he was in the Western Archipelago and not his home territory in the Viridescent Lands, Sein had no choice but to lie low.

After skimming past a long string of low- to mid-grade materials and auction items that seemed worthless to Sein, Luna was finally brought out, marking a small high point in the auction.

To be fair, a few of the items were worth a look, but Sein’s mind was elsewhere.

Knowing Lorianne, there was no way the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring would abandon a trusted ally—or a proven source of reliable cannon fodder.

For Luna to end up like this, something must have gone wrong...

And odds were, even Lorianne was unaware of it.

Luna was brought onto the stage locked in a steel cage. Heavy chains bound each of her limbs.

The once confident and elegant female centaur was gone. Her eyes were filled with panic and fear.

This knightly order clearly knew exactly what kind of buyers a high-quality centaur like her would attract.

She had not even been given proper clothing. The silver robe hanging off her frame was torn and tattered. What little it failed to cover only added fuel to the audience’s imagination.

The bidding began immediately.

Normally, Rank Two enslaved creatures sold for anywhere between one and three thousand magicoins, but it was clear the bidders were not interested in her combat capabilities.

According to the official listing, centaurs of her rank could remain in “service” for up to two thousand years if properly looked after.

Normally, the selling price for a peak Rank Two enslaved creature capped out around three thousand magicoins, but Luna’s price shot straight past that, reaching a staggering 5,421 magicoins!

The auction’s official listing claimed she carried the bloodline of a Rank Four creature, with a trace of “divine blood” in her veins. It also emphasized that she was still a virgin.

With Luna’s potential, there was a strong chance she would eventually advance to Rank Three.

In that case, paying more than five thousand magicoins for her was still seen as a worthwhile investment.

From what Sein could tell, the last bidder was likely a Rank Three Sky Knight, because he was seated in a private booth on the same floor as his.

Since knights generally had far less wealth than mages, it was unlikely a typical Rank Two knight could afford to throw five thousand magicoins at a comfort slave.

The auctioneer called out the final price twice. Just as he was about to bring the gavel down a third time, Sein placed his bid. However, he did not bother with a modest raise of a few hundred.

“Seven thousand magicoins!” he yelled.

The audience stirred. A few guests turned to glance toward his booth.

The Sky Knight in another booth was determined to win Luna. He gritted his teeth, then yelled, “Seven thousand two!”

Sein glanced at the booth and placed another bid.

“Eight thousand magicoins!”

Silence followed. No one placed another bid.

After all, eight thousand magicoins was enough to buy three or four top-tier Rank Two slaves.

Even if the Rank Three knight was rich, spending that much on one slave would still raise eyebrows.

Once Luna’s bidding concluded, Sein rang the bell to summon an auction handler from the knightly order.

After he paid the full price, Luna was quickly delivered to his private booth.

Most of the magicoins Sein had on hand came from the Bouldrak World War. Eugene, the God of Half-Beastmen, had treated him generously.

Aside from the large number of energy crystals and mineral resources, the amount paid in pure magicoins was no small figure.

When they met again, Luna did not recognize the masked man standing in front of her.

The past few years had worn down the once-proud young matriarch of the Maya tribe. All that was left was a terrified female centaur.

It was ironic, really.

The Maya Tribe had built its legacy on the slave trade.

Luna probably never imagined she would one day end up on the auction stage herself.

With a snap of his fingers, Sein used a spell to remove the shackles binding her limbs.

“What happened? Why are you here?” he asked.

Luna froze. Sein’s voice was one she could never forget.

More than once, locked away in dark, damp cages, she had prayed for someone—anyone—to come to their aid.

In her heart, there were only a handful of people who could have answered that prayer.

And of those few, Sein and the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had always been the biggest hope for her people.

Unfortunately, the Maya Tribe had not been able to reach the outside world despite their efforts.

Now, hearing that familiar voice in this unfamiliar place, Luna jolted. She looked up at the man in disbelief.

Without caring about her disheveled appearance or the state of her robe, she rushed forward and threw herself into his arms.

Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

This must be what it felt like to go from hell to heaven.

While Luna was sobbing in Sein’s arms, Leena, standing quietly at Sein’s side, curled her lip in mild annoyance.

Through Luna’s tearful words, Sein was able to roughly piece together what had happened.

The tragedy had not befallen the Maya Tribe directly. It had struck Hephaes, the Rank Four centaur god.

Hephaes had died in an interplanar war launched not long ago by one of the knightly orders from the Western Archipelago.

Centaurworld, a medium-sized plane, had always been aligned with the Western Archipelago, one of the major forces of Magus World.

So when one of the region’s two oldest knightly orders declared war on another plane, Centaurworld had no choice but to join the campaign.

The defenders were strong, and to secure victory, the two orders not only led the invasion but also called upon four gods from Centaurworld.

Whether it was just bad luck or something more unjust, Hephaes ended up being the only one among them to fall.