Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

………………

It was a busy time, and although Kochkin, as a centurion leading over a hundred men, wouldn't be delayed much even if he took a short break, he seemed to have caused a commotion. Colin still got up from the tent, intending to calm the guy down.

"It's okay, let that guy go. He's doing us a good thing, so let's not dampen his enthusiasm."

Tersolius laughed and stopped the girl, simultaneously delighted by his discovery—he realized that Kochkin, that guy who always liked to cause him trouble, was actually quite the orator. He was a natural-born speaker, instinctively able to stir up the emotions of his audience and guide their thoughts; in just a short while, he had already attracted the remaining young men of his village to his army.

Even with hundreds of people watching him, this guy showed no sign of stage fright. On the contrary, the more people there were, the more excited he became, his speech became more fluent, and his voice became louder and more resonant. At this moment, he had become somewhat oblivious to his surroundings and stood on the village well, towering above everyone else, spitting saliva in all directions.

This is a truly rare talent. It's already quite rare for someone to be able to express their opinions to others in a loud and clear voice without any stage fright, let alone someone whose quick wit allows them to speak fluently and eloquently without needing to prepare a draft. They are a natural talent for public speaking.

After slightly adjusting his thoughts, he turned his attention back to this place... At least under his watchful eye, that guy wouldn't dare to be too reckless, so there was no need to worry.

Saratag held a glass of strong liquor, watching helplessly as his daughter and the young man discussed how to get rid of the remaining young men in the village. He felt a mix of emotions...

Not much time had passed, but his daughter had already become a stranger to him… It wasn't just that she had matured and become more composed; more importantly, the unspoken understanding he had with a stranger left him with mixed feelings. He felt he should say something, yet he also felt that nothing was quite right to say…

The presence of this high-ranking official made him somewhat flattered, but the thought of the potential consequences if all the village's young people were taken away made him uneasy. He decided to voice his objections… After all, Colin was there; she couldn't just watch her father suffer, could she?

"Ahem! Your Excellency Tersolius, the young men in our village are vital to our workforce. If you take them all away, we cannot survive on the old, weak, women, and children alone. So, do you think we could discuss this further?"

"No need to discuss it anymore! Not only their father, but you're coming with us too!"

Before Attorney Teso could answer, Colin announced his decision with great bravado, making Saratag's eyebrows twitch and veins bulge. She almost couldn't resist jumping up and hitting her on the head.

They acted as if there was no need for further discussion, completely disregarding her as their father!

“Mr. Saratag, you may have misunderstood.”

Tersolius began to speak:

"You don't need to worry about the elderly, women, and children being left unattended and getting into trouble, because a new town will soon appear here."

"??!..."

Chapter 172 New Developments (3)

"Although this forest is rich in resources and vast in size, its terrain is too treacherous and complex, and an important trade route passes through it, making it far too easy for bandits to thrive..."

“I reviewed the province’s records from last year and found that there were as many as eight bandit incidents in this area in just one year… Moreover, due to the complex terrain, it is impossible to eradicate them. The nearby residents are also unwilling to live here because the thieves here are almost impossible to kill. New ones always emerge, and it is difficult to guarantee public security.”

"Even if we wipe out all the bandits this time, it will only be a temporary solution. This place is too suitable for bandits to make their fortune. There will always be new desperados who will take the risk and settle here, making the situation here complicated and chaotic."

A clear, melodious voice rang out from inside the tent. A serious-looking Talina put down her thick notebook and gave a final summary to the three people before her:

"Therefore, the way to improve the situation here is to develop the forests, make the resources here truly available to the empire, and truly develop this place. Then, those bandits and robbers will have nowhere to hide, and the safety of this important road can be guaranteed."

"Mr. Saratag, your village is in a very suitable location, so we have decided to use this as a starting point to develop and build around it. More people will move here, and more troops will be stationed here, so there is no need to worry about security. Once these young people join the Imperial Legion, the military pay they can receive each year will be enough to support their families, and this place will become prosperous and wealthy."

"Clap!"

Tesolius was the first to clap, which led the bewildered Saratag to join in. He then looked at his daughter, who looked completely understanding, with a puzzled expression, wondering what she had actually comprehended...

"I have no complaints about this plan, so let's stick with it for now. We can adjust and change it later based on the actual situation. I authorize you to allocate some manpower to be specifically responsible for this matter."

Tersolius was lavish in his praise, and with considerable emotion, he drew a straight line on the map with his finger:

"The transportation between Miles Province and Cherisonas is inconvenient. Whenever the Kurist people cause trouble on the border, the Empire's support is always unable to arrive in time. This should have been done long ago... By developing all the forests around this pass, we will be able to strengthen the connection between the two provinces."

"Alright, we should discuss the matter at hand now."

Tersolius turned to look at Mr. Saratag, who seemed lost and out of place inside the tent. The somewhat weathered mountain chief clearly hadn't understood what they had been discussing and was completely bewildered, having no idea what he should do next.

Seeing that Tersolius had turned to look at him, Saratag, who had been panting and anxious, felt a sense of relief—at least he should be able to understand what was to come.

“Just yesterday, something significant happened on the main road over there in the forest. A messenger carrying government orders was robbed and killed by bandits… You should understand what this means.”

Saratag was immediately jolted awake, realizing what was happening—openly killing someone's messenger was tantamount to rebelling against the emperor! Were bandits these days so audacious?! Daring to steal fish from a brown bear's claws?!

Even though the man's knowledge was limited to his hometown, he quickly realized, through some kind of innate intuition, what was most likely to happen next... The entire forest would be turned upside down, all the bandits would be wiped out, and the Empire's terrifying legions would destroy all the suspicious creatures here.

At the same time, he also felt a sense of relief at having survived a disaster.

Having led his people all the way here and settled down, he certainly couldn't be a fool... so he wouldn't think that all the generals of the empire were so kind and patient as to carefully distinguish who was innocent. The most likely scenario was that they would sweep through the entire area and kill all the suspicious people, and his village might be caught in the crossfire without even realizing it.

If it weren't for his daughter becoming an officer under this important figure, if it weren't for his mark being discovered by those guys, if it weren't for this important figure actually coming here in person... he couldn't even imagine what would happen next, and cold sweat instantly soaked his shirt.

"So, as someone who has lived here for a while, Mr. Saratag, you might know something, so don't overlook anything suspicious and tell me everything."

Seeing his daughter constantly giving him meaningful glances, the man realized that this was a crucial moment. Whether they would eat meat or gnaw on tree bark depended on this, so he quickly perked up and began to think carefully.

"To be honest, sir, we rarely go to other places because the resources here are so abundant that we don't need to cross mountains and valleys to get enough prey. We can also trade with others at the nearby market, so there is no need to travel far."

"And as you said, that forest is indeed teeming with bandits. We've driven away several groups over the past few weeks, but we're still not completely at ease, so basically no one goes there anymore."

“I heard from others that there is a notorious bandit there. Although the others may seem scattered, they all have to obey his orders, and half of all the looted wealth must be given to him. No one here dares to mess with him.”

"So I'm a little worried that he's targeting our village, and he's telling the villagers not to go out unless necessary. If it weren't for the marks I left, it would be very difficult for anyone to find this place, so we don't know much about him either."

“I heard some bad rumors a while ago, so I sent a few young men over there to keep an eye on things, but they haven’t sent any news back for several days. I was just about to go and check on them today.”

…………

Tesorus nodded, having essentially obtained the information he wanted, so he didn't say anything unnecessary.

"Then there's nothing to worry about here... Next, I'll send out troops to thoroughly clear this area. I'll need you to be my guides for this. Call back those young men we sent out; they should know the terrain best in the area."

"I don't expect to wipe out all the bandits this time, but at least I want to reduce their numbers to a reasonable level, instead of them being so rampant now, so that we won't have to deal with them so frequently in the future."

"You stay here to help your father. These 150 people are also for you. More people will come later. I don't need to tell you what they're supposed to do, right?"

"Understood, I will handle this well."

The blonde mountain girl nodded firmly, stood up, picked up the helmet from the table, said hello, and turned to leave, not forgetting to drag her dim-witted old father along before she left.

"Alright, we should head back now. Let's just wait for the results. I believe the Emperor's Black Crow won't disappoint me... Then we'll finally see what this audacious and foolish guy is really like."

As the morning sun rose, Thesolius stood up, stretched his muscles, and straightened his back as he watched the smoke rising from the camp.

Talina had already begun packing up the maps and books on the table, while soldiers throughout the camp were packing up their tents, preparing to return to the city.

This camp will be left to those who come after it, and it will become more and more solid and complete until it becomes a permanent military camp. New settlements and buildings will also emerge around it until it becomes a prosperous town.

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

Tension can disrupt a person's state of mind. The more you focus on this emotion, the stronger it becomes. In extreme cases, it can even cause sleepless nights and loss of energy.

The scene in the large rooms of this hotel particularly confirms this statement—many of these young men looked unwell, even though they had gone to bed early after dinner the day before and should have been well-rested.

Because this matter is so important, many people tossed and turned all night last night. Although their minds were full of things to do, they did not want to bother others, which is why they looked unwell.

Especially after realizing that the important selection they were going to participate in after breakfast was just around the corner, many people fell into a state of anxiety and frustration, already showing signs of defeat before even participating.

Fortunately, they had Caledo, a natural leader among them, who used some tactics to prevent his companions from continuing to be dejected and managed to cheer them up.

They heated up the leftovers from last night on the stove outside, and after eating until they were about 80% full, they began packing their belongings to prepare for their departure to participate in the legion's selection.

There's really nothing to pack, since the weapons they brought won't be needed this time. Just make sure you're presentable and don't let them down at the crucial moment.

After doing all this, Caledo walked to the front, with Barea standing silently behind him. The group gathered at the door but then stopped for a moment. After hesitating for a second, Caledo stepped forward and pushed open the door, letting the sunlight shine into the room and bringing a golden glow to everyone's faces.

"Let's go."

………………

The eligible young men from Mr. Miles and Cerison gathered in a wide open space, a dense, dark mass, divided into different teams according to their respective towns, and entered the military camp in batches under the watchful eyes of the five hundred-man teams.

The elite legionary soldiers were silent and grim. Even though it was a day for the army to replenish its ranks with fresh blood, they showed no joy, their presence as cold and awe-inspiring as walls of steel.

Under their watchful eyes, even the most unruly young people would lower their heads like little ducks, obediently line up in a queue, and dare not rush or make a fuss.

Especially when they saw that the soldiers had their knives and axes in their hands, the gleaming blades reflecting the cold sunlight, some of them even became a little apprehensive.

“Did you see that, Batalius? Did you see how tall that sergeant is? I bet his arms are thicker than your legs! He could take down all three of us with one hand!”

Caledo whispered excitedly in his companion's ear, and his companion immediately responded by rolling his eyes at him.

“Look closely at Kalido, don’t get too excited. He’s a centurion of a legion, and he commands an entire hundred-man squad. He’s a very important figure to us. Don’t point fingers at him.”

The two men were discussing a tall, burly man. This centurion wore light chainmail with a long red jacket underneath, and carried a long-handled crescent-bladed axe. Even when he was still, his imposing presence was undeniable.

It is worth mentioning that this centurion had distinctly Rigut features. He had a head of shiny, white-gold hair, a sharply defined nose, deep-set eyes, and a thick beard that covered his lips, leaving only a fuzzy tuft visible.

The two of them quickly noticed this as well—the excited young people had been curious about almost everything along the way, and would have a good discussion about any unusual person or thing they saw.

"How did a Riggut end up here? And even become a centurion?"

Baria chimed in with some confusion. This honest and simple rural youth also had a straightforward speaking habit, especially in front of his friends, where he was completely unreserved and would ask questions directly whenever he thought of something.

“This is nothing unusual, Baria,” Caledo explained, finding everything new and exciting. “Our army isn’t just made up of Imperials; there are also Asher, Rigut, Kurist, and Western mercenaries among us. It’s hardly surprising.”

“The Kurist people are born on horseback, and they are the best candidates for light cavalry. No matter how much we train, we can hardly compare to them. In addition, the legion offers generous benefits, so many people from there come to us every year.”

"But no matter what ethnicity they were before, as long as they join the army and fight alongside us, they are imperial citizens. You can't just say things like that anymore, or you'll get yourself into trouble."

Baria nodded seriously:

"I understand……"

"Alright, the line is moving forward again, let's hurry up and catch up! Don't let anyone cut in line!"

Chapter 173 The Fallen (1)

"Line up, everyone, and take your clothes off!"

As the officer shouted, the young men took off their clothes, leaving only white underwear, revealing their pale skin, and lined up in a long queue, entering the tent one by one.

Once they go inside, someone will check their physical condition to prevent those with concealed disabilities, infectious diseases, or those whose physical condition is too poor from meeting the requirements.

Many people were eliminated in just this first step, making the others even more nervous. Watching those who left dejectedly through the side door, Kalido and his group also became somewhat uneasy.

They were all confident in their physical condition, but who knew just how high the requirements of this renowned legion were? Perhaps, with their skill level, they wouldn't even be able to reach that threshold…

As the group continued to advance, many people, despite being completely naked, were still sweating profusely with nervousness. It was as if they had been exposed to the scorching sun in the Assele desert.

Balia was behind Caledo in line, and the three of them were coincidentally called in together.

The curtain was pushed open, revealing a young man wearing a white apron, white headscarf, and white mask. Upon seeing them enter, he gestured for them to come over.

Besides the doctor, there were three soldiers guarding the tent, scrutinizing everyone who entered with cold and suspicious eyes, making the three young men's skin crawl and making them even more hesitant.

As expected, after a thorough check, they were confirmed to have no additional disabilities or infectious diseases and to be in good health, so they easily passed this stage, were able to put on their clothes, and proceed to the next area to face the next test.

The only thing that puzzled and surprised them was a fresh twig that the other party had somehow found... It looked like a tender twig that had just been broken off a tree, still with some leaves on it, but when the twig struck them, it emitted bursts of green light, like fireflies gathering on grass on a summer night, which amazed them.