Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

In their view, such tolerant and magnanimous behavior would be extremely ridiculous and self-deceptive if done by a weak coward, but if a renowned and invincible army commander showed such tolerance and benevolence, it would be the rarest and most precious quality, worthy of admiration.

The group returned with the empty carriage. Even if the other party hadn't asked for it, they couldn't possibly take these things back with them... or rather, they could only feel at ease leaving these things here.

Chapter 182 Ending (1)

The east of the empire has been pacified.

Tersolius made this judgment: the Curistes, the greatest enemy in the East, had completely submitted to the rule of the Empire and were no longer capable of turning back.

If it were merely an imperial legion that came and destroyed a dozen or so tribes, it wouldn't have had such an effect. What drove the Kurist people to despair most were the southern tribes who had come with them… With the help of these so-called kin, they had absolutely no room for resistance. They had no choice but to submit.

In just three days, he made the people of the entire grasslands realize this fact, and by the fifth day, he had already met with nobles from various tribes who came to express their submission. Considering the distance they would travel from north to south, they had probably already embarked on their journey on the second day.

Having achieved his goal, Tersolius generously showed them his benevolence, not only without imposing any harsh conditions, but also promising them that the Kurist Steppe would become more and more prosperous, that new irrigation systems would be built, markets would be established, and cattle and seeds would be provided to them, so that they would no longer have to suffer from the hardships of the past under the protection of the state.

As the saying goes, kindness combined with authority yields the best results; authority combined with kindness will only breed resentment. It's essential to first deliver a blow, then offer a reward, rather than giving a reward and then delivering the blow. Doing so will only breed resentment and further resistance.

By using cruel methods to make the Kurist people understand that they have no other choice, and at the same time instilling awe and fear in their hearts so that they dare not overstep their bounds, the subsequent favors will be especially effective and will truly be remembered by them.

The southern tribes acted as his hunting dogs and seemed to have reaped a great harvest, feasting and making a fortune. But would they dare to disobey or despise him in the slightest?

It may seem that he's releasing his hounds to tear apart the prey, letting them drink blood and eat flesh, but in the process, he's also teaching the hounds the consequences of disobeying him and the benefits of obeying. In this way, anyone with a modicum of rationality can make the right choice.

Moreover, their actions of following the Imperial Legion in sweeping across the central grasslands for wealth, people, and livestock had thoroughly offended their northern kin. Now, they had no choice but to follow in their footsteps…

His orders are now more effective and less likely to be disobeyed than those of the former Kurist Khan. No tribal noble dares to be negligent, and like his soldiers, they obey his commands without question, gradually uniting completely around the Imperial Legion.

It is foreseeable that the situation will be very favorable. The Kurist Plains are now imperial territory. As long as they live here for a generation, their descendants will automatically become unquestionable imperial citizens, gain corresponding rights, and live a much better life than before.

As time goes by, with the emergence of intermarriage and the prosperity of commerce, and the increase in population mobility, this people will eventually be fully integrated into the empire and become a part of the country. Everything they receive will further enhance this sense of identity.

With the arrival of a large number of officials, the traditional nomadic lifestyle of the Kurist people will undergo tremendous changes. Advanced farming and water conservancy construction techniques will create a new landscape and a new way of life here.

Two legions stationed by Cerisonas were also transferred under his orders. At least for now, this newly conquered land still needed force to maintain order and suppress dissent. The southern tribes would also do their utmost to assist in order to protect their current wealth and status.

After spending half a year, he achieved remarkable success. At least at this moment, he dared to assert that his name had spread to every corner of the country, and countless painters, sculptors, and orators in the capital were creating works based on his image.

His and the Emperor's prestige has now reached an unstoppable level. The people of the Empire, who are pursuing victory, cannot be deceived or misled by such a magnificent victory. The nobles of the Senate will inevitably face further pressure and will have to make more responses.

All of this requires utmost attention, so he must finish up the current mess as soon as possible and then rush back to the imperial capital to deal with the upcoming changes, preventing this good thing from turning into a bad thing, or even causing greater damage to the country.

So these past two days he's been incredibly busy, making all sorts of arrangements. Talina and the others have been staying up all night with him, dealing with countless things every day. Stacks of parchment are being sealed in wax and sent to every corner by messengers.

This is a kind of happy trouble, since only someone who has achieved complete victory and gained control of the land is qualified to do such a thing and can dispose of the land and its inhabitants at will.

His temporary governorship of Cerison had finally come to an end, but he was confident that the next person to take over the position would not be a nobleman from the Senate, as they no longer had the power to do so.

If Claudina could let such a huge advantage slip by, then she wouldn't be the person she knows...

Sure enough, a few days later, the appointment letter revealed that the new governor was none other than his own legionary deputy, Hersalos, a man of unwavering character and taciturn nature who had followed him since he joined the army.

It seems the emperor has gained an advantage even greater than he imagined... he actually managed to get the other side to concede so much on the selection of personnel. It's as if they've completely relinquished control of the entire Eastern Province.

With that, he was completely relieved. Hersalos was fully capable of taking on this important task and would be able to carry out the plans he left behind without causing any problems.

Of course, everything that needs to be explained must be made clear before leaving, so that nothing goes wrong...

………………

"We must not discriminate against these Kurist people. If it is absolutely necessary, we should not make it too obvious. The next step is a long-term plan that can not be neglected. At least in general, we should treat them equally."

Hersalos nodded steadily. This man was always a man of few words, and even had the nickname "The Stone Man" in the army, but as long as you spent time with him, everyone could understand his reliability.

Although the nod was very slight, Thesolius knew that the man had memorized every word he said, and was slowly pondering and making plans in his mind.

In other words, he is a "reserved" person. Although he has great ideas, he does not easily show them. Moreover, he is a bit stubborn. Once he sets his mind on something, he will do his best to carry it out and will not easily change his mind.

“Rainfall is scarce here and the land is barren, so irrigation must not be neglected. The Kurist people only know how to water their horses and fish by this great river, but this river has never flooded in any record. It is a good place to cultivate fields. Officials and craftsmen will come here in a steady stream, so we must make the necessary preparations.”

"We can't just keep giving benefits to those tribes. That will only fuel their ambition and make them lose their sense of self-worth. When it's time to take action, we have to teach them a lesson so they know who they really are. We need to maintain the right balance and treat everyone fairly before things get done."

As he spoke, Thesolius pulled out one document after another filled with writing from the pile of parchment beside him; the plans and preparations were basically all recorded on them:

"If anything happens, I'll send someone to let you know in advance. Sometimes it's good to be flexible and not so rigid, after all, I can't look after you all the time anymore..."

Hersalos was silent for a moment, then reached out and firmly and heavily took the stack of parchment, his brows furrowed so tightly that his fingers pressed a dent into the paper.

His expression underwent subtle and intermittent changes, and after a long while, he slightly opened his mouth:

“I will accomplish all of this, my lord, I swear on my life and honor.”

Tersoviz laughed out loud:

"This is exactly what I wanted!"

........................

The silent black warhorse always evokes a strange sense of dread, as if it weren't a creature made of flesh and blood, but something pieced together from something else and possessed by an evil spirit.

Despite having enjoyed good food and drinks these past two days, the young man's spirits have been increasingly low, especially after thinking about his possible fate, which has made him restless and even somewhat apprehensive.

The crimes he committed would rank among the worst in the entire country... Such heinous crimes deserve to be punished by being skinned alive or cut into a thousand pieces. The imperial jailers would surely make him suffer every kind of torment before he dies slowly.

Although he was a desperate criminal, he wasn't utterly depraved. He was terrified of the torture of being skinned and dismembered. After all, desperate criminals ultimately want to live a life of eating meat and drinking wine to their hearts' content, dividing gold and silver by the scale, and indulging in unbridled behavior.

No one ever gets enough of such good days; they always feel they haven't gotten enough. If they're caught, they'll rack their brains trying to escape and continue enjoying their ill-gotten gains. Very few will simply accept being slaughtered.

Unfortunately, although he wanted to exploit the loophole, it was simply too difficult to do so...

He initially didn't know where these black-clad jailers came from, but after overhearing their conversation, he realized that these people were actually elite jailers directly under the emperor, the Black Crows, who were on par with the emperor's henchmen...

This made him feel somewhat flattered, since he could tell from what the other party had told him earlier that these people's targets were those who were more heinous, cunning, and cruel criminals, not someone like him.

In the blink of an eye, he turned the 32 ruthless bandits who came to meet him into a pile of mangled limbs in the jungle, barely even getting a drop of blood on them... as easily as a strong man slaughtering an infant. The bandits could only watch helplessly as these bronze-masked men appeared out of nowhere like ghosts and sliced ​​them to pieces in the blink of an eye.

At the same time, he realized just how lucky he had been... that he had actually managed to delay them for several days with those methods, until they finally caught him the day before yesterday.

Traveling day and night at full speed, before he could even figure out what was going on, he found himself back in Cerisonas, once again seeing the vast and expansive grasslands.

………………

He was pulled off the horse and stumbled back two steps, his back slamming heavily against a thick pillar. The force sent a shiver down his spine, and the back of his head was etched into it. The sharp pain and slight dizziness made him frown.

The surrounding noise made him cautiously hunch his shoulders. The dense sounds of clashing armor, neighing warhorses, and shouts of commands made him realize that he had entered a military camp, and a large, well-organized army at that.

The familiar voices around them continued to chat and laugh freely. They were completely unaffected by the solemn and disciplined atmosphere of the military camp, as if they had just returned from a meal with friends and casually picked up a rabbit on the way home.

A strong hand grabbed his shoulder and shoved him forward forcefully.

"Hurry up, the master is waiting for you. You're quite the big shot. Many people of higher status than you don't receive this kind of treatment."

His stomach was practically churning with bitterness, and a bitter smile appeared on his face—he would rather not receive this treatment if he could, or rather, someone like him would never want to receive this treatment.

Although he deliberately dawdled on the road and got kicked several times, the distance was limited after all. He eventually saw the heavily guarded camp, where densely packed armored soldiers almost formed a wall of steel, and all he could see was the gleam of steel.

Upon reaching this point, the chattering fellows who had been talking incessantly along the way suddenly fell silent, as if they were all naturally taciturn, as quiet as crows feeding their food, with a chilling stillness.

After the announcement, he was pushed inside shortly afterward. Passing through a heavy curtain, he was greeted by a very rudimentary space...

The reason it's called a bargain is because there's nothing here, just a bare patch of land, which, although compacted and solid, isn't surprising.

The only truly eye-catching figure was the tall man standing in the very center. He wore a magnificent black robe, the hem of which reached mid-calf for ease of movement. The cuffs were also covered by steel wrist guards and stood up. The leather belt at his waist was inlaid with gold and stone, and a beautiful sword hung from the studded leather strips that dangled down.

The robe was clearly freshly starched, smooth and crisp, with intricate and ornate gold embroidery that accentuated the figure's heroic and extraordinary bearing.

Chapter 183 Ending (2)

The army camp was already buzzing with activity as everyone packed their belongings, preparing to return with the army. Tent poles were dug out of the ground, oiled cloths were folded and wrapped, and the spiked fences stretching for miles around the perimeter were dug out of the ground, tied up, and placed on horse-drawn carts.

Everywhere was filled with shouts of men and neighing of horses, and hurried footsteps. Loud cries and commands echoed all around as this vast camp was being cleared from the land.

Having followed their commander to fight in the East for half a year, they had earned great merit and wealth in the great victory at the Pantas River Bend. Whether soldiers or officers, everyone had reaped substantial rewards. Filled with pride and the prospect of returning to their hometowns, almost everyone was excited.

Driven by this emotion, the camp was dismantled exceptionally quickly. In just one morning, everything that needed to be packed was loaded onto the wagons, ready to depart one by one as soon as he gave the order.

Tesolis's tent had also been cleaned up. The maps, tables, chairs, and other things that were usually there had been packed up, leaving only the clean yellow earth. It was in this place that he met the most audacious and reckless villain in the entire district.

After all, ordinary bandits would never imagine that high-ranking officials could control an entire trade route, but those who could do that were ruthless characters who wouldn't hesitate to skin them alive.

The other person's honest and kind appearance did not surprise him. Although there is a saying that one's appearance reflects one's heart, it is just a proverb. The actual situation is ever-changing, so how can it be judged in a single sentence? After all, if one could judge a person's entire character just from their appearance, then many things would not be so complicated.

The trusted subordinates and officials who had colluded with the bandits, who had been sent back earlier, had already been interrogated. They were not tough nuts to crack. The remaining jailers used only a few tricks to get them to tell everything they knew, even how old they were when they learned to walk.

Having committed such a heinous crime, they certainly wouldn't have a good end. Having squeezed every last drop of value out of them, they must be brought to justice. Now, only the mastermind remains, and he should know far more than anyone else.

Tell me your name.

“Barbustria, the people of the village of Stockholm, in the southern province of Arias.”

The prisoner, now powerless to resist, seemed to be in a state of mind that was hard to fathom, but he answered every question.

"Were you a blacksmith before?"

Tersolius glanced around and suddenly asked a question.

His expression was somewhat surprised. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded, but still looked puzzled.

“I used to be a blacksmith, so I know what kind of marks this job will leave on your body, so you don’t need to be too surprised.”

"Moreover, you use too much force when you grip the hammer, which will increase the wear and tear on the skin of your palms, making your palms harder and less flexible, and thus you will have to say goodbye to those delicate jobs."

"Of course, that's what I mean. I was just an apprentice back then, and I only worked there for two years before my friend and I quit to join the army. It took many years of hard work to get to where I am today."

"Generally speaking, blacksmithing is a highly sought-after profession. People always respect blacksmiths, no matter where they are. Moreover, our country places great importance on this. If you can demonstrate sufficient talent and skill, you might even be able to join the Empire's Craftsmen's Department and live a wealthy life thereafter. So why would you choose to do something that could cost you your head? Is it just because of greed?"

Tersolius asked the question with great interest, while looking at the calluses on his palms. In some places, the hard skin seemed to still feel the touch of holding a hammer, which made him feel a rare sense of nostalgia.

The young man named Babstroia simply shook his head with a bitter smile, his expression complex, his gaze filled with envy, jealousy, resentment, and anger.

"If I could, I would definitely want to be a blacksmith. My father was the most skilled blacksmith in the whole town, as was my grandfather. They even had the honor of making armor and weapons for a great man."

“This is the glory of our family. I started working with furnaces and hammers when I was eight years old. From a young age, I learned about the properties of ores and the nature of metals. I knew how to smelt, fold, forge, and stretch them. At the age of 12, I made a sharp and usable short sword, and at 15, I made my first piece of short armor. At that time, I was my father’s pride. Almost everyone in the village believed that I would inherit everything they had and do even better, surpassing them to become a respected master who would live a life of comfort and wealth…”

As a prisoner, he was speaking far too much and too ramblingly, but Terzoles did not interrupt him, demonstrating a remarkable level of patience.

Having been given this opportunity, he seemed to have a bit of a "what's the use" attitude and began to ramble on about his life... At first, it was all quite normal. As the child of a family of blacksmiths, he had no worries about food and clothing and lived a happy life until he was 16 years old. Under the guidance of his father and grandfather, he had even developed a good skill.

If the story continues in this way, he will undoubtedly have a bright future and bring prosperity and wealth to his family.

But just like every story told this way, the unexpected still happened as expected...

It's not a strange story. Like every young person with a tragic past, an honest and hardworking craftsman's family was ruined and destroyed by the schemes of jealous colleagues and greedy officials. They were even falsely accused and burdened with an inescapable infamy, leaving only a 16-year-old child to escape.

After realizing that he, a young blacksmith, could not avenge his family, he fell into despair and did not even think about earning a living with his skills. Instead, he became numb and apathetic, and completely turned into a beggar, begging in the streets and alleys every day like a stray dog.