Purging Pekothas' nobility took two days. Compared to the week I needed to erase Virturia's elite in a single city, it was quite an improvement. I let the children live with two knights from their own Houses for each one of them. If that isn't enough, then I'm terrible sorry-not-sorry. I also raided all their treasures and books. Pekothas might as well be the poorest nation in the world right now. My job here was almost done except for one thing.
The centaur kids that came in the ships and those that were born after that, couldn't come back with us. Some of the adults would stay behind too. The reason was the same that made Moses wander the desert for forty years. That generation grew inserted in human culture. They weren't fit to survive in the harsh barbarian plains.
Most of them were murdered during what entered the annals of history as the Murderer King's Bounty. Thousands of kids and other people were killed for the two platinum coins. An entire generation erased, nipped in the bud before they could bloom. People were leaving Pekothas, migrating west and north in search of new opportunities, or just wishing to forget. Even if I went full genocide mode, I couldn't have caused more damage than that.
But the land, the land stayed the same as before. And now the [Paladin King] had a new challenge on his plate. Keep his Kingdom from being invaded and annexed, drawn and quartered, by the neighboring nations. I understood why he let me kill the adult nobles so easily. With them gone, there was nobody to lead an uprising and take the throne from him.
At the end of the day, nobody was truly selfless. Galbarar got a dozen times more faith than he spent with Rosalinda. His appearance, healing, and speech at the arena ignited the flames of the people's faith. It was all a huge marketing piece. The Gods can't make public appearances on the world anymore, after Bundeus defeat in the bogs southwest of Windemere. Galbarar used my summons as a free meal ticket. That was also why he asked me to not murder left and right. The people were now worth more alive than dead.
After my tour, I returned to the capital.
I reached level 120 with the Exp from the nobles and their guards. I, unfortunately, found another speedbump to my advancement. I needed to do something else to rank up, and I suspected it was the Kingdom quest. Or maybe aspects of Pegasus or Hippogriff. I thought it had little chance of being the latter. One of the former two. Pegasus meant freedom and bravery. Born from Medusa's neck stump, Pegasus became the valiant steed for Perseus. If my mythology was right. I had no way to check.
But I had a lot of Perks and abilities to pick. It was kind of insane.
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Enantinos came to talk to me. I knew it was him before he knocked on the door of the apartment I was using at the royal palace.
"Enter, chieftain," I said, biting my tongue to avoid putting the "former" before his occupation.
"Snowdrop," He came in, his horseshoes clicking against the polished marble floor like a clumsy Fred Astaire.
"Enantinos," I answered trying to be as dispassionate as possible.
"Are you done with the task--"
I raised a hand and glared to stop him. "Nobody tasked me with anything, much less your weakling of a King. Watch your words, traitor."
He lowered his head. The once prideful and strong chieftain I admired was gone. Even if he did it to protect the centaur children, what good did it serve, now that they are all dead? I was done being a good girl.
"Congratulations on becoming the heir to the Unicorn King," he said to revive the conversation.
"Thanks. But it is far from over. I must return to the plains to finish my journey. Lead the centaurs that stayed with the army back home."
"But not the others..."
The sorrow in his voice was enormous. That's what the centaurs got for focusing only on physical Attributes. Without magicians and some kind of defense, they could be mass-dominated. Something I would fix in my Kingdom.
"You city folk became soft. Too used to the comfort of civilization. Do you think the other centaurs would go back to the plains? To roam and fight only to roam more and fight again?"
"I guess they won't."
Even if they wanted to, I wouldn't take them.
"However, they are still our kin. You will stay here and work with the King. Guarantee a place for our people among the humans. Here, have this enchanted amulet."
I took an amulet with the Holy Symbol of Queltphion.
> Queltphion's amulet of mental fortitude.
>
> Estimated price: 50 kingmetal coins.
>
> +20 Willpower
>
> +20 Ego
>
> +75 to all checks to resist mental influence to all centaurs in Willpower meters.
>
> Restricted species: Centaurs only.
>
> Restricted faith: Queltphion only.
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"Wear it and try to keep your wits about you."
He looked at the amulet, {Appraised} it, and wore the item proudly. "This is a treasure!"
I shrugged, "Just something I did in my free time with stuff I got laying around. No big deal."
He was really touched and probably didn't believe what I said. "Snowdro--"
I raised a hand in the signal our herd used to warn of danger. Enantinos shut his mouth immediately. We were about to be...
** CRASH **
The door broke into splinters and flew toward us. I had a Force wall in front of us that deflected the shrapnel. I'd sensed a lot of people moving around in the palace but didn't pay them too much attention as the palace is a busy place. But when some of them gathered under my window, on the roof above us, and by the door, the game was on.
Enantinos drew his sword. I fired a barrage of Force Javelin at the open door before the dust settled, regardless of whom was there. Through my {Ethereal Senses} I could see a magic circle on the roof and the people above channeling MP into it. The same thing beneath our window. I got two kills and a lot of damage notifications from my javelins. Some of them were mitigated by defensive barriers.
A golden glow shone through the still-settling dust from the door. Divinity! [King] Ernest rushed through the broken door, sword poised to strike at me.
"Enantinos, do not attack anyone. Sheath your weapon and stand completely still!" I shouted with a {Royal Order}.
> Manastorm
>
> Eye of the Storm
>
> Royal Aura
>
> Eldritch Presence
>
> Muse Aura
>
> Dimensional Stability
>
> Eldritch Inspiration
>
> Mantle of Power
{Eye of the Storm} would grant Enantinos 97% damage reduction. My {Royal Aura} sapped thirty-seven Attribute Points from everyone except the [King]. {Eldritch Presence} took another thirty reduced by their Ego, after the hit from Royal Aura. Muse Aura gave Enantinos some of the Attributes sapped by my auras back. Stability would block the mages from teleporting around if they could. {Eldritch Inspiration} also mitigated the effects of the presence on the chieftain. Finally, {Mantle of Power} gave me the MP regeneration of those that became unable to act from my aura combo. Everyone in the palace would take damage from the manastorm. I had no time to IFF besides whitelisting centaurs.
Getting all that ready took some of my attention, and Ernest's attack connected. The divinity invested in his [Paladin] perks vanished as it touched me, but he kept on attacking ferociously and heedless of our former relationship.
Most of the mages dropped down, writhing in pain as the manastorm burned their MP and HP. One good thing about the aura combo was that it lowered Magic too. People that would be immune to the manastorm because they had 100 points in Magic suddenly became vulnerable again.
I triggered my rage and felt the rush of the Attribute bonuses. A fourth-tier berserker was really something dangerous, and I was just halfway there. Dodging another blow from the weakened [King], I mercilessly impaled him.
> D̴̤͉̯̤̮̗̙̙̥̄A̴͓͂̐̆́̇͋̕̚Ṃ̸̢̳̻̖̠̀̇Ȃ̴̘̻̲̹̀̒̄̈́̕G̶̡̢̧̨͕̦͓̉͊͘͘Ę̸̠̤̚ ̶̛̺̭̜̗̓͛̀͆͠N̵͕̤̩͉͎̼̦͗̒̑͂́͛O̵̡̻͍̫̝̜̝̲̾́͝T̸͔̗͎̞͗͂͐̋̈̅͊̔̕I̵͔̼̘͊̈̿̾̇́̆́͝ͅF̴͕̼̩̠͍̆̐́͂̾̓͜Ì̴̼͚̊͌͐̂̒̀͜͝C̵̡͓̙̣̜̣͚̝̈́̿͗͒̅͋̈́̐̑A̷̯͈̘͕̥̞̭͋̒̓͗͊̆̂͂͝ͅT̶̞̙̮̥̞͋͐̆͝I̸͍̞̫̠̪̟͒̈́̌͂̏Ǒ̵̘̼̹̦̺̥͚̣̈́̒͆N̶̤̥̂́͗͊͂͝͝
Bleeding, Ernest stopped. He dropped his sword and shouted, "INCURSIO!" A shining golden armor with a dragon-like helmet and golden wings appeared around him. My panties tightened. That guy had become a super-class [Danger Beast]. I felt angry. Why would he pretend to be my friend, why betray both me and Galbarar, just for the power of an Imperial Teigu?
The downed mages started to rise. I could see the red lines of viral energy wrapping around their bodies, snaking up their limbs thirsty for their Ki cores. I should've finished them when I had the chance. Now they were rising as stage 3 zombies. Enantinos too was infected, I realized with horror. He started to mutate in front of me, his hooves turning into vicious claws and his arms into bladed tentacles.
Their strength was rising and broke the level cap. I knew right then that I was in a bind. I had no choice. Throwing my pride aside, I made my last Perk pick.
> You acquired the Perk: Make-Up! Henshin! (unique): Use the power of love to trigger your transformation with the help of your mascot!
"Nenandil, it is time!" I called the fairy.
"Right!" She flew around me, zipping around and covering me with fairy dust. "Insert your Charm in your makeover kit!"
I took the golden bow Zacheia gave me centuries ago. Now that I knew his purpose, there was no turning back. I inserted the charm into the slot and time seemed to freeze. Taking the brush, I applied makeup to my face and used the magic of my heart to color my fingernails. My clothes ripped off and I became naked, but searing light protected my modesty.
Ribbons of bright red {Living Silk} shot from everywhere coming from my item box. They wrapped around me and sparkled, transforming into super cute clothes. I had white stockings, red lacy pumps, a flowing miniskirt, and a skintight vest that had lots of lace and ribbons. The [Unicorn King]'s spear had transformed into a cute rod with a heart motif on top.
"Now, prepare to feel the power of love, villains!"
The wizard-zombies and the [Danger Beast] all came at me together. I jumped up, twirling my rod and sending sparkles and hearts down at them. Breaking through the roof, some of the zombies on top jumped at me. I blasted them by blowing a kiss that expanded into big lips and purified their hearts of all evil.
That's when one of Enantinos' tentacles wrapped around my ankle, cutting my escape. As a magical girl, I knew I was weak against tentacles! The barbs of the second tentacle ripped my clothes, exposing my delicate skin and chest.
Ernest flew up after me. He opened his arms wide, the gauntlets of his golden armor now mimicking dragon claws. Once he saw my sorry state, he grinned. A strange voice coming from his armor started to shout, "Boost, boost, boost, boost!"
I screamed, "No hentai!" right before the tentacle pulled me down, slamming my back against the floor of my bedroom. The zombies dogpiled on me and I couldn't fight back because of the stupid tentacle wrapped around me.
Not willing to suffer the indignity of being eaten by zombies, I boasted, "I'll kill myself here, and then come back later for my vengeance! You lost because I can come ba... ck-urgh."
My heart clenched as if a shadowy claw grasped and squeezed it. I was no longer in the bedroom of Pekothas' palace but in a place of eternal darkness.
"Ah! Hahahahahaha!" Loki laughed. "I can't let you tell them your secrets, my sweet darling waifu!"
He seemed devious and dangerous. I covered my modesty and cowered, scuttling backward on the shadowy floor. He creeped me out.
"Loki! Let me go! You have Sigyn already! And I am a dude! I don't like men! Pervert! Baka!"
Loki stopped. "I'm not here for that, eww. I'm here to give you your new assignment. Now that you achieved this rank-up, you need to go to another world."
I calmed down, but my girly senses were still telling me I was in danger.
"Snowdrop, it is time for you to receive your cutie mark!" Loki said. "Equestria is in danger from the forces of darkness, and you need to help!"
He pressed the searing branding iron to my hindquarters on both sides.
...
..
.
.
.
"WHAT THE FUCK!" I shouted and shot up from my bed. Panting, I tried to make sense of what happened. Pandora floated next to me, her {Gifted Divinity} aspect calming me down.
"Whoa! What happened?" Nenandil came out of my chest, rubbing her eyes.
Breathing heavily, I checked. No, I didn't have anything branded on my thighs. Still the same centaur hindquarters. The room wasn't wrecked, the palace still had people coming and going.
"I think I just had a bad dream," I answered the fairy.