Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

A faint blush rose on Tarina's fair cheeks, a hint of embarrassment mixed with a strange emotion.

“Your tent is to the left of my door, I can see it at a glance… Adding an extra layer of felt won’t block the fire, and it could easily set your own tent on fire, so be careful.”

"Don't ask me how I figured it out. Your shadow clearly reflected your entire process on the tent. I wasn't the only one who saw it."

"Ahem! ... Although the book for adults has been compiled, it costs a full 21 silver coins, which is a bit too high a cost."

The rather abrupt change of topic made Tersolius burst out laughing, and this laughter earned him a reproachful look from Talina, as if she were blaming him for not following some unwritten rule.

“Alright, alright… 21 silver coins is indeed too expensive. Most people wouldn’t be willing to spend such a large sum of money just to buy a book… I suppose so. But a month ago, I instructed the craftsmen in the camp to make a new type of paper. Take a look.”

As he spoke, Tersolius reached into the table and pulled out a stack of yellowed soft paper, which he placed on the table. The paper was covered with black specks and had rough edges. It was also incredibly thin, looking as if a gust of wind could blow it away.

Tarina curiously picked up the paper on the table, flipped through it a couple of times, and then a regretful expression appeared on her face:

"Sir, although this is indeed a type of paper, its quality is so poor that it's practically useless..."

"That's right. On its own, it's a very poor quality product, but our craftsmen have done their best. This isn't something that can be achieved overnight; they still need to figure out the specific techniques gradually. To be honest, I didn't expect them to be able to make it so thin. It seems they must have borrowed other techniques. Also, if they spread the pulp too thickly during production, the resulting paper will have no flexibility whatsoever, and will even be as fragile as a clay slab... But if a sheet is too thin..."

Thesolius stacked the three sheets of paper together, flattened them, then picked them up, crumpled them in his hands, and smiled with satisfaction.

"By stacking more layers like this, we can avoid the problem of paper that is too thick and easily broken, and also solve the problem of paper that is too thin and difficult to use... Moreover, even with more layers, its cost is still much lower than parchment, and it will be even lower as the technology matures, and the quality will also get better and better. Maybe then ordinary people will be able to afford paper."

Talina hesitated for a moment, then spoke up:

"But sir, even if we stack several more sheets of this paper, the quality is still not good enough for printing books... It's still useless for now."

"Of course, they are just experimental products now. I don't expect them to work. It's just a good start, and the future looks promising."

"Moreover, I think there are some issues with the choice of raw materials. Perhaps there is too much straw. Unfortunately, I don't know which raw material is better... I think it's tree bark, but I don't see that we have that kind of plant here. We'll have to find it ourselves."

"As for now, we can try printing on parchment first. We can afford it. Let's print a few hundred copies first to test the effect."

"Sir, I actually wanted to ask you this yesterday... You must have some other plans, right? If it was just about recording techniques, you would have finished by now. But why are you making so many copies? Are you going to teach more people?"

"That's right, you guessed it!"

Thesolius turned the pages of the book one after another. Of course, his archery skills were much more than this. If he were to record everything, two more books might not be enough. This was just the beginning.

"Before I tell you, let me ask you a question, Doctor: do you know how much it costs to train an elite soldier?"

Tarina frowned, thought for a moment, and then slowly shook her head:

"I don't know that, sir..."

"That's normal, you've never been in charge of this before... Training an elite soldier is extremely expensive, and I've found that even with such a high cost, we still haven't achieved the best results..."

“Our army has sharpshooters who can hit a target from a hundred paces away, masters of spears, warriors skilled in close combat, knights who are one in a hundred, and excellent engineers and craftsmen… Each of them possesses excellent skills, but it is difficult to pass them on to others. At most, they can only teach a few of their own colleagues, and after retiring, they can teach the boys in their hometowns. It is difficult for them to spread their skills within our legion.”

"So I thought, what if we collected our experiences in books, organized and sorted them in more ways, and then disseminated them to the entire army... or even to our country, through more convenient and inexpensive media? Would that have a greater impact?"

Chapter 164 New Blood (1)

The empire's roads were not only smooth but also extremely intricate and interconnected. Almost every village had a road connecting it to the imperial main road. The officials of the villages and towns along the way were also responsible for maintaining the safety and integrity of the roads, especially when the army was advancing. The empire's harsh laws would not tolerate any dereliction of duty or corruption, and once discovered, they would be severely punished.

Such roads are extremely expensive, but their benefits are equally obvious, and even ordinary people can easily enjoy them—the help that smooth, wide, and easy-to-walk roads bring to pedestrians is undeniable.

Such roads will not accumulate water even during torrential rains, nor will they produce large amounts of mud like ordinary dirt roads, making it difficult to walk. As long as your feet are on solid ground, you will feel safe from the bottom of your heart.

The torrential rain caught everyone off guard, leaving them soaked to the bone. The coachman shouted loudly, urging his fellow travelers to seek shelter in the woods.

In the blink of an eye, the road, which had been bustling with pedestrians just moments before, became deserted. People flocked to the dense thickets in the low hills to seek shelter from the sudden downpour.

Wiping the rain from his face, which was almost obscuring his vision, Baria desperately pulled on a stubborn animal, while Maris lashed it with a whip, and the others pushed the carriage together from behind.

The wheels of the carriage got stuck in a mud pit. The slippery mud, washed by the torrential rain, made it impossible to stand. People would often slip and fall, getting covered in mud, and then being helped up by their companions.

Under the tarpaulin covering the wagon were their food and supplies for the journey. They dared not expose themselves to the heavy rain for too long, so everyone worked with all their might, and two more mules were brought over to drag them along.

When they were finally exhausted, Bao Tie's wooden wheel was finally pushed out of the mud pit. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Several people even fell headfirst into the mud pit. The group, looking disheveled, crawled into the woods and began to set up tents to spend the night there.

In such heavy rain, this was the only option. The dense forest that could provide shelter from the rain was a pretty good campsite. Many others also began to set up their own tents and tried to light campfires under the spread-out tarpaulins.

But it was really difficult; everything was soaked through... There wasn't a single dry piece of firewood to be found, even in the forest. Everyone had some resin-soaked sawdust to start a fire, but there wasn't enough fuel.

There was no other way, so everyone was driven out into the woods to find firewood. The wood wasn't completely soaked yet, and if left to dry in the tent for a while, it could still catch fire.

In this situation, these timbers are considered a precious resource. After all, if you can't dry your clothes quickly, you might get sick... and if you need to treat a disease, it will cost a lot of money, which is a considerable expense even for well-off families.

So they had to compete with other pedestrians for fuel. Since they were all strong young men, almost no one could beat them, and soon everyone was back with their loads full.

They placed the wet wood inside the tent, and by nightfall, they had finally managed to start a campfire. They quickly shared the flames so that others could dry their own firewood, and the small grove of trees was ablaze with light.

Young people gathered under a tarpaulin, shoulder to shoulder, all shirtless, their clothes hanging overhead to dry.

When a group of energetic young people get together, there's no such thing as quiet. Someone will always start a conversation, and then everyone will have a chaotic and lively discussion, joking and laughing, with occasional bursts of small cheers that spread their enthusiasm to every corner of the place.

The experienced Maris did not let his guard down. He sent three men to stand guard around the area to prevent wild animals and unscrupulous bandits from approaching without anyone noticing. Every now and then, three men would stand up from the fire and take over from their shivering companions.

"Baria, we'll reach the legion's camp tomorrow. I've heard that things are still a bit turbulent in Cerisonas. Let's travel slowly tomorrow, as long as we arrive before tonight."

Caledo was a handsome young man who seemed to have a lot of ideas among everyone. Others would subconsciously listen to his opinions, and his closest friend was Barea, the two of whom had grown up together.

“I’ll listen to you, Caledo… but I think since General Tersolius is in this province, things shouldn’t be too bad here. Not many bandits would dare to continue operating under these circumstances.”

“Let’s hope so, Baria. After all, this land is too vast. If there really are bandits… the Empire’s soldiers are limited in number, so we still need to be careful in this situation.”

"I'm a little nervous right now. I don't know how they'll assess us."

Baria's face was tense. Even though they wouldn't arrive in the city until tomorrow and recruitment wouldn't begin until the day after, the cautious and honest young man still felt a great deal of pressure...

The family's only donkey had already been sold. If he failed this time, his family's life would be even more difficult... Then his mother would have to get up early and work late again to mend clothes for others, and his father would have to go to the livestock farm to do heavy physical labor.

But at the same time, he couldn't suppress a strong sense of anticipation and excitement—the thought of seeing that renowned legion tomorrow, and possibly even the legendary General Tersolius, made his drowsiness vanish instantly, and he was as excited as a night owl that had caught a mouse.

Everyone else was in a similar state, discussing what tomorrow would bring. There was fear and anticipation, unease and high spirits.

Every now and then someone would boast a few words, only to be immediately ridiculed by the others. The boaster would then blush and try to defend himself, and bursts of laughter would vibrate everyone's eardrums. The dry bread roasting by the campfire had become soft, and the hot soup in the pot had begun to boil.

The group began to pass around bowls and spoons, and after finishing their meal, they rested for the night. They would have to get up early the next day to continue their journey and seize this great opportunity that could change the fate of countless young people.

"Don't overthink it, Baria. Just give it your all this time, and we'll all become glorious soldiers of the Legion."

A bowl of hot soup was handed to him, and Baria reached out to take it, smiling at his good friend.

"Thank you for your kind words, Kalido. We will definitely succeed..."

-----------------------

The carriage wheels chugged along the road. The young people went from being enthusiastic at the beginning to being preoccupied with their journey in just one morning—after all, the scorching sun overhead and the rising heat from the ground made it hard to feel comfortable.

Yesterday's torrential rain was immediately followed by today's scorching sun, evaporating every drop of moisture from the ground and creating a muggy, sticky feeling that made everyone extremely uncomfortable. It felt like your clothes were stuck to your skin.

Even the packhorses pulling the carts seemed listless. Apart from the injured and sick, they mainly relied on their own two legs to travel. After all, the carts were used to transport precious supplies, and the horses pulling them were also precious livestock that could not be overused.

Fortunately, these young people are all quite fit, and they can keep up with the group for a whole day.

As the sun was about to reach its zenith, the young people felt like meat in a steamer, almost suffocating from the sweltering air. They were all listless before they finally found a place to rest.

Under the cool shade of the trees, Baria took out his dry rations from his pocket and drank water from his water bag to quickly replenish his strength.

The young people had all lost their vigilance. After being exposed to the scorching sun for most of the day, these inexperienced young men relaxed and sat here to cool off and drink water.

They weren't even very interested in talking, only exchanging scattered chatter. The exhausted old horse grazed on the tender grass beside them, while Maris was rummaging through a sack, mixing grain and salt—such precious things are usually not given to horses, but if this old horse didn't replenish its strength soon, it might not be able to walk anymore.

Amidst the sweltering heat and the scorching sun that had made the ground blazing, the shade under the trees seemed like a completely different world from the outside, making one reluctant to leave.

The heated air distorted the view, and the distant sky seemed to twist as well. If you looked at it for too long, even your eyes would become blurry.

"Let's rest here until the sun isn't so strong in the afternoon before we continue. If we keep walking like this, we'll all be exhausted."

Maris stroked his old horse's mane and turned to the group of young men.

This is a mountainous region on the way to the province of Chelisunas, covered with many lush trees. A wide road runs through the entire forest. It is the hottest time of day, and the caravans on the road are all taking shelter in the bushes by the roadside, not wanting to be exposed to the scorching sun.

After a while, everyone recovered. After all, they were strong and healthy young people with inexhaustible energy and enthusiasm, and some of them started to laugh and talk.

The days of traveling were tedious and monotonous, which had long been suffocating them. The thought of arriving at the governor's city where the legion was located tonight filled everyone with excitement and anticipation.

When people have nothing to do, they even take out a whetstone to sharpen their short swords or use oil to maintain the shafts of their spears—this is an essential thing, otherwise the hardwood shafts will crack, reducing the overall strength of the spear.

Just as the horses pulling the cart were idly twitching their ears, a commotion suddenly came from the side, mixed with screams and shrill cries. The sound of fallen leaves being crushed by shoes in the jungle quickly approached, immediately alerting the young people.

Caledo immediately got to his feet and grabbed his shield and short sword:

"Get ready quickly, something's happened over there!"

The young men jumped to their feet, gathered together somewhat haphazardly, prepared their weapons, and remained alert to their surroundings.

Even before they stood up, Baria had already strapped his short sword to his waist, then grabbed the trunk of a nearby tree and swiftly and skillfully climbed up. Stepping on the rough bark and outstretched branches, he quickly reached the top of the tree.

Although the surroundings were still covered in dense foliage, the Burners' camp in the distance was still very conspicuous. The figures moving about, the spilled blood, the fleeing and wailing crowds, and the women being abducted—all of this made Baria realize what had happened there.

They actually ran into them... There really were bandits so audacious as to ambush and kill pedestrians so close to the legion's camp?!

He instinctively felt something was wrong. How could ordinary thieves have the audacity to go against an elite legion? Unless they were absolutely certain... or they weren't ordinary bandits at all!

He dared not delay any longer and practically leaped down from the tree, ignoring his hands that were bleeding from the rough work. He told everyone about his discovery.

"Pack your things, we're leaving immediately!"

Uncle Maris made a quick decision. The middle-aged man, who had once been a provincial soldier, immediately realized the danger of the current situation and understood that leaving now was the best option.

These young men have only ever slaughtered cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens at home. They have no chance of fighting against bandits. Taking them there would only be suicide. We must immediately notify the nearby garrison to wipe out this band of thieves!

The young men instinctively obeyed orders. Their past military training had come into play, allowing them to maintain their formation without anyone straying out of the ranks. They also raised their spears and shields, protecting the three carriages as they left the woods.

The bushes ahead suddenly rippled, the sounds of crunching leaves and rustling branches echoing through the air. Someone had already reached for their javelin, ready to deliver a brutal blow to the uninvited guest the moment he emerged...

A woman carrying a child, covered in blood, frantically pushed through the bushes and emerged. This caused Baria, who was about to throw his javelin, to twist his back, wincing and putting it back down.

But what emerged next was not a refugee—a figure with his face covered by a black cloth, carrying a curved knife, and bare-chested, appeared. He then saw the young men waiting in ambush and froze...

Chapter 165 New Blood (2)

The uninvited guest who emerged was dressed in a black sleeveless short-sleeved shirt, with a rough animal hide around his waist. His face was covered by a tattered black cloth, and the curved knife in his hand was polished and shiny. He wore a pointed leather hat, and all the fabrics on his body were covered in black oil stains. Several flies were buzzing around his disheveled hair, and he emitted a foul odor under the sun. At the same time, half of his body was splattered with blood, turning the gray-black cloth a deep black. There were still bits of flesh and dripping blood stuck to the sharp blade.

He clearly hadn't expected to encounter a group of fully armed young men. When he saw that they were holding gleaming spears and swords, he didn't hesitate for a moment. He turned around and disappeared into the bushes, as cunning and shrewd as an old fox.

Before most people could react, a roar rang out among them:

"Kill him! He'll call the other bandits here!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a lithe figure rushed out. Baria, with his plain face, wore a fierce and tense expression. Taking advantage of the fact that the other man's pace was slowed by the bushes, he jumped and slammed his shoulder into the bandit's back, causing him to fall to the ground. Then he reached out and grabbed the other man's waist tightly, refusing to let go no matter how much the man struggled.