"Your Highness, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting..." Niya said to Roland with a hint of apology. She clapped her hands lightly, and immediately a young Centaur girl came up, holding an exquisite wooden tray.
"Your Highnesses, please try some of the Centaur delicacies. I hope they suit your taste." Niya sat down gracefully. Her tall stature and half-human, half-horse body did not look out of place at all.
"Thank you." Roland and Nyx nodded in greeting, their eyes full of amazement.
As expected, the Centaurs' cooking skills lived up to their expectations! A simple dish of honey-glazed ribs won Nyx's heart.
The wide wild boar ribs were cleaned of blood and then grilled with fruit charcoal. When they were slightly charred, they were brushed with pure honey and sprinkled with Centaur-style seasonings. When they were served on the table, the rich aroma filled the air, and the sweet and salty flavor made them feel very delicious.
"How is it?" Niya looked at the satisfied expressions of the two and asked with a smile on her face.
"Hmm! It's very good! This should be the secret recipe of your Centaurs, right?" Roland actually tasted the flavor of sweet and sour pork in this honey-glazed ribs, which made him feel like crying.
"It's not a secret recipe, it's just a seasoning that's unique to our Centaur tribe! But because we keep migrating, there aren't many seasonings left." Niya said a little sadly.
"The most important herb in this thyme-based seasoning needs to be cultivated artificially. We often migrate for various reasons, so there are not many days when we can successfully harvest it." Niya also cut off a piece of ribs and put it into her mouth, chewing it carefully.
"If you are willing to live here permanently, as long as you abide by the laws of the kingdom and fulfill your obligations, your safety will be guaranteed by the kingdom," Roland said casually.
"Of course, it would be great if you are willing to shelter us! I thank you on behalf of my husband and all the Centaurs." Niya was moved. She knew that as a king, once a promise was made, it meant that it could not be broken.
"If the kingdom wants to go to war... we can provide 50 centaurs!" Niya gritted her teeth and said to Roland.
"Huh?" Roland was shocked. The price of returning a favor was a bit too high. You know, these 50 centaurs almost took out half of the centaurs' strong men.
"Forget it, there's no need to send troops. Your people have difficulty in protecting their own people with their numbers. Sending 50 Centaurs... is too much of a burden for you." Roland shook his head and rejected her kindness. Roland didn't want to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Even if he couldn't use the Centaur army in his lifetime, at least his descendants would be able to use it one day. When hundreds of Centaurs launched a unified charge towards the enemy, Roland believed that his descendants would be grateful for his decision.
"Thank you for your consideration...it's us who can't help you much." Niya was touched but also felt a little ashamed.
"It's okay, oh! Dragon God! My dear, you are such a greedy little cat!" Roland was saying this when he suddenly turned his head to look at the table. He was immediately stunned by the way Nyx ate!
It was hard to imagine that a noble lady like Nix would actually grab a piece of pork ribs and eat it with relish, with thick honey sauce all over her cheeks.
"Mmm... so... smells good! It tastes much better than what the chef in the castle makes!" Nyx hummed happily while trying to stuff food into her mouth.
"Haha... excuse me..." Roland smiled awkwardly at Niya, his eyes full of doting and helplessness.
"Your Highness, you can try this leaf dew! It's very refreshing and detoxifying." Niya smiled and gently pushed a pottery jar over, and a faint sound of liquid came from inside.
"Thank you." Roland took the jar and carefully poured Nyx a glass of Centaur specialty leaf dew.
"Hmm? Centaur Leaf Dew?" Nyx raised her cup curiously and took a sip. The moment the leaf dew entered her throat, Nyx's eyes widened.
"Hmm...delicious!" Nyx leaned happily on Roland's shoulder.
"Hey! My... clothes." Roland looked helplessly at his shoulders covered with honey.
"Girl! You did this on purpose, didn't you? You used my clothes as a napkin?" Roland reluctantly took the wet wipes handed to him by the waiter and nodded Nyx's head helplessly. The key point is that you leaned on her and rubbed her!
"Hey! I didn't mean it!" Nix acted coquettishly and cutely, trying to get away with it.
"Hey... you win! Next time I'll wear plate armor!" Roland pretended to be angry.
"Okay, don't be angry. Try this cookie." Nix handed the cookie in his hand to Roland's mouth as if coaxing a child.
"Oh..." Roland sighed.
"Try this, this fried pheasant is really good!" Nix pointed at the fried golden and crispy chicks in front of Roland with her bulging little mouth. The fried chicken made from these carefully selected full-term chicks is different from the artificial fast-growing chickens in her previous life. The meat is very tender and delicious.
…
After devouring the feast, Roland finally realized just how much girls loved food! They were truly serious foodies. Roland even felt like Nyx ate more than he did!
"Your Highness's guest room is ready. Would you like to take a nap with His Highness the Grand Duke?" Niya said.
"Okay..." Before Roland finished speaking, Nyx came out.
"No thanks! I want to go fishing in the nearby creek with Roland. He always won't let me play in the Rapid River, saying the water is too deep and there are monsters!" Nix pouted dissatisfiedly.
"Of course, Your Highness. In fact, there is a stream outside the entire village, and the fish in it are fat and delicious! I think you will like it." Niya pointed in a direction and said to Nyx.
"Thank you for your guidance! Let's go, dear." Nyx said the last sentence to Roland.
"Oh! Dragon God!" Roland really wanted to say that he was already a grown man and no longer at the age to slack off.
"Why? Do you think it's beneath your dignity as a king? Don't you always say that a man remains a boy until he dies?" Nyx winked at Roland.
"Okay, I'm impressed by you, girl." Roland had no choice but to follow with a wry smile on his face.
This was a tough job for the accompanying knights and centaurs. They searched the entire area around the stream in three layers inside and outside. For the happiness of the two princes, these hard-working soldiers diligently checked every patch of grass.
"Wow!" Nyx happily raised a ball of water. The stream in late spring was still a little cool, but for professionals like Roland and Nyx, it was not uncomfortable at all. After all, they possessed extraordinary physiques. Moreover, as a water mage, Nyx was an expert in controlling water.
"Bang!" A huge water ball flew down and hit Roland directly on the head. Fortunately, Roland reacted quickly, and under the protection of the hot and sacred holy attribute battle flame, the water ball was unable to touch Roland at all.