Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

After repeated boiling and refining until there were no more visible impurities in the clear oil, he and his wife found a clean wooden bucket, used a wooden stick and a damp towel to insulate it from the heat, and carefully poured the half pot of oil into the bucket, filling it just to the brim.

They immediately grabbed a lid and put it on to prevent anything else from falling in. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief. They then used the hard bread from last night to carefully wipe the remaining oil off the pot, and then handed it to their two children to eat. The couple swallowed hard, smelling the enticing aroma of the oil.

This is the capital of the empire, a great city with countless people and endless wealth, but that endless wealth means nothing to some... They still have to toil for bread the next day, barely managing to gain a foothold in this bustling city.

For a man, it was becoming increasingly difficult to support his two children by simply loading and unloading goods for passing caravans. Although he did earn more than before due to the increase in passing caravans, he was not made of iron and the amount of work he could do each day was very limited, so things were getting harder and harder for him.

Moreover, he doesn't want his two children to end up like him, earning money by selling their physical labor. He hopes they can learn more skills or trades so that their lives will be much easier in the future.

But none of this is free. No one will pass on their precious skills to others for free... except for the imperial army, where, in order not to let you become a useless burden, everyone will whip you and push you to learn more.

Everything here costs money, which had been a real headache for him. But a couple of days ago, he had a stroke of good luck and found a new job that was much easier and paid more than before.

The man picked up a wooden frame with two straps from the side and, with his wife's help, tied the heavy wooden barrel to it, preparing to deliver his goods to the customer. Before leaving, he turned back and instructed his wife to stew the beef spine, which had little oil to extract, into soup for the children.

As he gave instructions, the man walked toward his old wooden door, but before he could even put his hand on the handle, there was a knock on the door, which made him stop in surprise.

He hurriedly placed the goods on his back onto the pile of bricks next to him, straightened his disheveled clothes, and quickly opened the door.

Before them stood a dark-skinned, thin Asel man, dressed in a light blue robe over which, according to Asel tradition, he wore a white overcoat that reached his knees. A gold buckle hung from his belt, and a turban covered most of his forehead. Tiny gold chains, adorned with blue and red gemstones, hung from his hair. Every aspect of his appearance exuded wealth, even the tops of his boots were embroidered with gold patterns.

"Oh, sir, what brings you here? I was going to deliver something to you, but I couldn't bear to let your beautiful boots get covered in dirt."

The man was somewhat flattered and flustered, especially when he saw his dirty clothes and shoes, and the messy little house. He lowered his head in embarrassment.

“It’s alright, my friend. I just came here to tell you something.” The neatly trimmed beard of the Assele man smiled and shook his head.

"My father sent me a message from our hometown saying that there's something important I need to take care of back home, so I'm leaving tomorrow and won't be able to collect your oil for a while..."

"Oh, is that so? Then I wish you a safe journey, sir. Thank you for generously providing me with this opportunity. Our family will always remember your kindness."

The man hesitated for a moment, but quickly recovered, offering a simple smile and wishing him a safe journey. However, a hint of regret couldn't be suppressed on his face—although he knew it would be difficult to continue doing such a good job, he was still reluctant to give it up, and he never expected it to end completely in just one month…

Fortunately, he still made money this month, and as long as he is careful, things should get much better in the future.

The man from Assele noticed his disappointment, smiled slightly, and continued speaking before he could finish:

“You don’t need to worry. I have an old friend who lives in this city. He’s also in this business, but he works with large workshops in Arias. You can sell to him later at the same price.”

………………

Politely declining the man's profuse invitation to stay at his home, the Assele man turned and left with a smile on his lips. His steps were light and quick. His luxurious swamp-dwelling leather boots swiftly traversed the muddy wetlands, navigated the intricate streets, and arrived at a smooth, paved road.

Two burly men with broad shoulders and long arms stood by the roadside with their horses, waiting for him. As soon as he came out, they went to greet him.

The man was still in a very good mood. He went to his Thoroughbred Arthur, whose coat was as smooth as silk, put his feet in the stirrups, and sat up. Then he led the way and rode away, prompting his two sturdy bodyguards to follow closely behind.

It took him a while to get back to his temporary lodgings. As soon as he entered, a servant knelt down and used a brush and soft towel to clean the mud off his feet. Only after his boots were spotless did he step onto the oak floor inside the door.

The city was unusually quiet today, as most people, whether they could get in or not, had gathered near the arena, making their journey back on horseback quite smooth with virtually no stops.

Even many street vendors stopped doing business, or rather, I moved my business to the vicinity of the arena, where I bought a spot at a high price in order to take advantage of this opportunity to make a fortune.

A tender leg of lamb, thickly sprinkled with spices, was served on a wooden platter. The table in front of him was piled high with all sorts of dried fruits, candied nuts, fresh fruits, and other fruits and foods, as well as fine wine. The man ate and drank by himself, while everyone else stood respectfully around him. Only one or two beautiful and graceful maids served him.

After downing the wine in the golden cup to wash away the grease in his mouth, the man, who rarely had a hearty appetite, was about to continue savoring the food when he suddenly frowned and turned to look to the side:

"It's basic etiquette not to interrupt when someone is eating at your host's house. Or can't you even do that?"

The tall, thin eunuch appeared beside him without him noticing. The turban on his head was unexpectedly crooked. Although the other party quickly noticed this and corrected it, it still surprised the man. This guy was usually as fussy as a woman and unkempt was almost unrelated to him. How could he have such a big lapse in composure?

Despite the other party's expressionless face, Prince Asel still sensed something was amiss and subconsciously put down the wine glass he was holding.

"You've gone a bit too far with your game, Your Highness."

The eunuch spoke expressionlessly, but anyone could hear the sarcasm and subtle emotion in his words. Surprisingly, Prince Asel was not angered by his words; he merely frowned.

"They've already been exposed?"

“That’s right. I guess the one in the Golden Palace already knew we were in this city, and even sent someone to play this game with you. If that man hadn’t shown a slight flaw, even I might have been fooled…”

"what do you mean……"

“That’s exactly what I mean, Your Highness. Don’t underestimate the people here… You can’t even imagine how terrifying things are hidden in this city. I was just as careless… To avoid causing any trouble, we’d better leave as soon as possible.”

Prince Asele fell completely silent, his previous good mood vanished without a trace. After hesitating for a long time, he lay back in his chair, waved for the servants to remove the food, and then sighed helplessly.

"I'm such a fool... I thought I could do something, but in the end I still have to rely on you."

Even the fiercest lion can die in the jaws of a hyena when it is young and inexperienced. People always need to accumulate experience to become more mature.

"No need to comfort me... How did he do it? How could he let his wife and children endure poverty? After having that kind of ability, wouldn't it be easy to get money? He completely fooled me..."

“That’s not his wife, nor his child.”

The eunuch stepped forward expressionlessly and said in his shrill voice:

"They're just a group, a group that can be put together whenever there's a need... The so-called children are two dwarfs. If needed, you can see another impoverished family that's completely indistinguishable from the real one, and they can even add an elderly person who's been bedridden for a long time due to illness."

Prince Asele fell completely silent, and after a long while, he waved his hand in despair.

"Go pack your things, we're leaving tomorrow. You're right, I'm still too young."

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

"The rat has left; the target will be detected later."

The man in gray stood on the side of the tall tower, hiding himself in the shadows. Even people with excellent eyesight would have a hard time spotting him. He was like a vine that silently spread out of the darkness.

"He does have some skill. Although he ran as fast as a scaredy-cat, he could at least figure out what was going on."

“If you don’t stop me, I can slit his throat four times, and no one will know where he died.”

"There's no need for that. The investigation in the south has already been completed. He's just a little prince. Once one of his brothers takes the position of Shah, he'll be killed by poison or a hidden dagger. He's not an important figure. But this eunuch has some connections. There's no need to cause him too much trouble."

"If you ask me, it's best to nip it in the bud. It's quite normal for them to die on their journey, isn't it?"

"Don't do anything unnecessary."

The man's face, covered by a mask, was turned toward the darkness beside him, where there seemed to be nothing, but if you focused your attention carefully, you could see a blurry outline at the edge.

"His Majesty didn't mean that, so we can only monitor him and can't do anything unnecessary. Do I need to teach you that?"

"...You're right, I was reckless."

"Let's go, I'm going to the next area. We can't relax during this time. I'm leaving the Black Card area to you."

After speaking, the man silently stretched his hand upwards. Like a feather, he descended along the edge of the tower to the rope below, and moved forward like the most nimble cat, quickly disappearing into the shadows of the building.

A minute or two later, a new shadow leaped lightly down the tower and swiftly and quickly disappeared in the opposite direction.

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

"Coo coo! Beep beep!"

A strange sound suddenly came from the room. The tall and fit Rigut woman looked at the house next to her with some confusion. At the same time, her right hand subconsciously touched the axe behind her, her fingers eagerly reaching out and moving.

After a slight hesitation, Karila ultimately did not make a quicker choice based on her instincts. She reached out and knocked on the door, and waited patiently for a while until Tarina opened the door and peeked out.

"Is something the matter? Karila, didn't that batch of supplies reach your hundred-man team? That shouldn't be the case, I arranged it last night..."

"No, no..." Karila quickly shook her head and explained why she had knocked on the door:

"I heard a strange noise coming from your house... it sounds a bit like a crow or something, I can't quite tell. Could you let me see what it is?"

"Oh, I see..." Tarina breathed a sigh of relief, thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Of course, no problem."

Karila followed behind, looking around the room. It was naturally filled with bottles, jars, and various books, and the crisp, subtle sound was coming from a wooden box...

Chapter 216 Talina's New Discovery (2)

This is an extremely ordinary box, without any decorations that can be described as exquisite. It is just a pile of roughly planed wooden boards nailed together. It is of poor quality and not durable enough. At most, it can be sold for a few copper coins.

The two approached in silence. A sudden, excited smile appeared on Tarina's previously calm face. She nimbly leaped to the box in a few steps, then turned and beckoned to her:

"Look at this little guy, I've put a lot of effort into him."

Karila curiously took two steps forward, then peered into the box lined with clean straw and lint... After a long pause, she whispered:

"This bird is so fat and round..."

Goooo!

Seemingly protesting Karila's words, a clear chirping sound came from inside the box, and the sound of the little creature hopping around inside could be clearly heard, making one feel the unique texture of its claws sliding on the straw.

As Karila said, there was only one big bird in the box, about the size of two fists... a fat bird with a round body and head that did not look like a typical bird. Its eyes were unusually large and bright on its relatively flat face, and its pale yellow beak was small and hooked. Short, coarse gray downy feathers were scattered around its small beak.

Not only its head, but its belly was also round and plump, with fluffy gray-white feathers covering even its two claws, making it look like a soft ball.

At the same time, these fluffy feathers also create a certain illusion—the illusion that the bird is very fat and meaty, but as long as you reach out and pinch it, you can feel the solid flesh and bones under the fluffy feathers.

Karila was now completely captivated by this illusion. She had even begun to consider whether she could have a proper meal with this large bird—she wouldn't have let such a plump delicacy slip by when she was traveling alone. She had even started fantasizing about the soft, crunchy fat beneath the crispy skin after plucking its feathers...

Seemingly sensing Karila's malice, the chubby little bird, which had been chirping incessantly, suddenly shrank its neck in fear, turning into a small ball, and cautiously retreated until it huddled in a corner of the box.

Seeing the little bird's signature two short horns on its head... or rather, its ear feathers tucked up, and even its large eyes closed in a somewhat self-deceiving manner, as if it would die safely if it couldn't see the danger before it, Karila couldn't help but laugh out loud:

"Hahaha! I didn't expect you to be so particular, Doctor, raising birds to eat. They're already so fat, there's no need to keep raising them anymore. I just happened to see the fire in the kitchen being lit when I came in..."

Tarina, both amused and exasperated, quickly shook her head, stopping the other person from this idea that was arguably a waste of resources.

"This isn't something to eat; it's very precious!"

As she spoke, the girl carefully took the chubby little dumpling from the box and held it in her palm, as gently as if she were holding a handful of melting snow.

"The Karasayas Scops Owl... This is the little helper that every spellcaster dreams of. Don't let its unassuming appearance fool you; this little guy is quite clever. Not only can it help deliver messages, but it can also be of great help to me in many other ways... I've wanted to keep one of these creatures for a long time, but their numbers have become extremely rare. If it weren't for the good fortune of finding a similar egg, even then I wouldn't have been sure..."

Karila listened in a daze, and finally frowned, summarizing with some difficulty:

"So you mean this thing can be used to deliver messages but can't be eaten, right?"

Tarina frowned and said with a hint of helplessness:

"Although it's a bit one-sided, this is indeed its main function—this little guy can not only remember dozens of locations without the slightest confusion, but also clearly understand his master's instructions and deliver letters or other things accurately, which can be achieved with very little training."

"Don't scare it. I'll take it to an important place to familiarize it with the environment, and then we can rely on this little guy to deliver messages for you."

Like a mother hen protecting her chicks, Tarina hid the trembling little bird behind her, avoiding Karila's aggressive gaze. She let the sharp-toothed Rigut woman smile, then was startled by the sound of bells outside the window. She hurriedly stood up, her heavy chainmail and scale armor clanging rhythmically.

"Oh no, I'm going to be late!"

Talina also realized what was happening:

"You're participating in a competitive sporting event today, right?!"

"That's right, that's right! I was just thinking of taking a carriage, but I completely forgot about it. I'm running late, I have to go now!"