Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

On the salty, fishy-smelling harbor, the captain seemed to be infected by the delightful haul, a bright smile spreading across his face. After giving instructions to his most trusted lieutenant, he left the harbor with two attendants amidst the knowing laughter of the others, heading towards the city center.

After all, everyone has the right to have fun, right? As long as he has a few coins in his pocket...

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

In the dim candlelight, in a room filled with the sweet scent of perfume, the captain had completely transformed. He looked like an owl perched on a treetop in a cemetery in the darkness, his eyes bright and his spirits high.

Opposite him was a middle-aged woman who still retained her charm. Her face was not particularly beautiful, but it was very pleasing to the eye... She was the kind of woman who could be easily categorized as a virtuous wife and loving mother at first glance. Her face was full and fair, and her hair was lustrous and shiny.

The room was dimly lit, thanks to the drawn curtains and the unnecessary use of candles during the day to create a cozy, intimate atmosphere—quite extravagant, as candles aren't cheap even in the city.

"Have you prepared what I need?"

The captain asked the question in silence, completely unaffected by the alluring atmosphere. The woman opposite him also remained calm, nodding before reaching into her tied-up hair and pulling out a small wooden board.

"It's all here. The money you promised me?"

The captain reached to his waist, picked up a small bag, and placed it on the table.

"I hope you haven't given yourself away. Believe me, this is for your own good."

"Of course I know, after all, I'm not some naive little girl anymore... Alright, money and goods settled, are you leaving now or... want to stay and have some fun?"

The woman's expression suddenly became alluring, and her long, slender, white fingers slithered forward like snakes along the smooth table, slowly touching the captain's hand and gently scraping upwards along his fingers.

In the dim candlelight, the woman's eyes were alluring.

"After all, it's been a year since you last visited me... Do you think I'm old and unattractive?"

This word doesn't apply to her... Everything about this woman seems designed to arouse men's desires, and she does it with ease and fluency, easily manipulating ordinary young men.

The captain remained silent for a long while, then finally sighed and placed his hand, which had been on the back of his hand, on the table.

"Next time, I'll come earlier next time... You should also be careful and not forget who you really are."

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Outside the city, the last reserve force of the Assele Legion was leaving, leaving behind only a mess and mountains of human and animal excrement, kicking up huge clouds of yellow dust as they rolled away.

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A delicate brass teapot sat atop the blazing fire, its heat, like the iron stove itself, was scorching hot from the burning firewood inside, and was now emitting plumes of steam that continuously warmed the tent.

The thick felt tents provide enough warmth even in heavy snow. These materials, made of wool hammered and bonded together, are essential for people in many cold regions to survive the winter. They are also lightweight and durable, and can be rolled up and carried directly on a wagon when needed.

The wooden cup is filled with dried fruit, leaves, and root slices. A fresh, sweet and sour aroma wafts into the nose, instantly calming the mind. At this moment, the vibrant colors have absorbed the moisture and unfurled.

Tersolius was heating his hornbow on the stove, letting the intense heat from the stove dispel the cold and dampness from the bow.

When the bow is unstrung, it bends in the opposite direction into a C-shape. The bow body, made of a composite of sinew, horn, and wood, contains terrifying elasticity. While possessing outstanding performance and power, it also requires careful maintenance to ensure that this delicate weapon will not malfunction at critical moments. Moreover, it is durable and remains powerful even decades later.

Every bow owner has to do this. Light cavalrymen who use horn bows on horseback will dry their weapons by the fire after eating. This is especially important in the humid south, where they have to do it almost every day. Otherwise, if the animal glue on the bow gets damp and softens at a critical moment, it may even burst open the moment it is drawn. Although waterproof measures are taken, there is a limit to the effectiveness.

This white ox horn bow, covered in white snakeskin, is probably the finest craftsmanship in the entire empire, and he cherishes it dearly. Therefore, he often does routine maintenance himself, without having his servants do it for him.

This process requires a lot of attention and patience, otherwise if you accidentally overcook it... he might smell the aroma of the protein being heated.

The cup next to him contained a medicinal tea that Tarina had selected from her own herbs, which was beneficial for maintaining the health of his heart and lungs in this cold and damp weather... He had already gotten used to this targeted and precise therapeutic effect.

And this stuff really does taste good, like drinking tea, it's addictive.

Today, a light snow is falling from the sky. Although it won't accumulate on the ground, it will turn the land into a muddy mess, bringing with it a biting dampness and cold. Walking on it is as uncomfortable as soaking in mud, making it hard to call it a good day.

His army was still assembling—such a large army naturally required more time to operate, which was also within his plan, so the legion needed to wait again. The enemy he was about to face would not allow him to divert his strength or make such a rash move.

Even while waiting here, a steady stream of news and intelligence still reached him. Although there was a time delay, it was enough for him to grasp the enemy's movements more accurately... This was difficult to hide, especially for such a large legion, which would leave countless traces along their route.

The tent flap was lifted, and Talina, her shoulders and hair covered with a thin layer of snow, peeked in. Then she shrank her neck, put her hands in her pockets, and started stomping her feet on the ground, trying to leave the mud on her leather boots near the door. Her smooth, long blue hair bounced playfully around her ears with her movements.

The warmth inside the room instantly melted the snow off Tarina's body, making the girl feel as if her joints were becoming looser in the heat. After adjusting the soft scarf around her neck, she walked back to her seat.

"Yes, you're back just in time, doctor."

Tersolius finally finished his maintenance, put the hornbow into the silk bow case, and placed it on the shelf next to him.

The girl nimbly darted to her chair, then lowered her head, hunched her shoulders, took a couple of sips from her cup, and only then relaxed.

"Is something wrong, sir? Everything should be going according to plan."

"There's nothing wrong with it, it's just that our tea is brewed properly, and the astringent taste will seep out in a little while."

"Hmm... indeed, perhaps too much snake tail root was added, which will have a more stimulating effect on the respiratory tract. The sage should be crushed before adding, as its flavor penetrates too slowly."

"I won't go into the details of each ingredient... Anyway, I had a great time drinking it... The Assele people move very slowly, even slower than a large army marching, and their commander is more cautious than I expected."

"Why are they slowing down? Don't they know that the slower they move, the smoother our progress will be? Facing an Imperial army that is completely prepared and has no worries about its rear, this shouldn't be a good thing for them..."

Tarina took another sip, somewhat confused. Her soft cheeks were tinged with a golden-red hue in the dim firelight. Her hair was neatly trimmed, just reaching her eyebrows, making the girl appear even more gentle.

"The reason is simple—because they don't care."

"?"

Tersolius smiled as he looked at the map on the table, his gaze fixed on the valley in the southeast... This place was like a bag full of gold, containing fertile and abundant land. Whoever occupied it first could completely seal it off, just like pulling up the rope of the bag, and from then on could move freely and without restraint, and could always turn his attention to other lands.

"The Assele people's real target is this place. Whether the Kingdom of Hols is destroyed or not is not the most important thing to them. They just need to make sure we don't get this land... or rather, if this kingdom is destroyed, they can always support another one. But after all, we are fighting far away from our homeland..."

Tarina looked thoughtful, her eyes bright.

"Therefore, they dared not underestimate the enemy and advance rashly, fearing that they would expose their weaknesses in the process... and the remaining land, cities and fortresses of the Kingdom of Hols were enough to allow them to achieve their goals before their destruction, which is why their commander chose to advance in this more prudent way."

Tesorius nodded slightly:

“That’s right, it’s really a pity. Even if we’re slow, the Asel have already entered the southeast valley and are heading north. We’ve already taken too much land, our attacks have been too fierce, and our supply lines have been stretched too long. We need to make further adjustments and arrangements… Even in the worst-case scenario, the Asel can still achieve their most basic objective.”

"Yes, we still have to fight our way through step by step. The Assele people can just travel as fast as they want, as if they were in their own country. No matter how fast we attack, we can't catch up with them."

"I don't plan to be too reckless either. After all, we have the advantage and time on our side. Recklessness and stupidity often go hand in hand, and I believe that the opponent we haven't met yet should also be aware of this."

Heavy footsteps echoed outside, accompanied by the sounds of armor plates rubbing against each other and sword sheaths clashing, fading into the distance. Since the attack, the army's core camp had become even more heavily fortified, with sentries and patrols increasing several times over. The guards could no longer tolerate the humiliation of the previous attack repeating itself; it was a dereliction of duty more unbearable than death for them, a shameful failure worthy of slitting their own throats.

Thesolius's fingers tapped lightly on the table, his thoughts churning and colliding, sparking intense emotions. His fingers traced a path across rivers, reaching the sea between two nations, then eastward to that legendary land of abundance.

"Let's see how long they can stay here..."

Chapter 299 The Gathering of War (1)

Is this the place just ahead?

“That’s right, we are only one day away from Passaldoy, and the supply train will be slower.”

The woman with beautiful black hair frowned and wiped her forehead. Her clear, bright eyes, like pools of water, reflected the scenery of the north. This place was indeed more fertile and lush than Asel, but it also had a damp and cold climate that they were not used to. Many soldiers suffered from acclimatization problems, becoming listless and afflicted with diseases, catching the nobles and generals in the army off guard.

Fortunately, the Assele people had the best medical skills and doctors in the land. Under the care and management of the military doctors, no serious diseases occurred, which slowed the army's progress considerably more than expected.

Feeling the sticky texture of her armor lining, Alva frowned, feeling uncomfortable all over. Accustomed to the dry air of her hometown, everything here seemed excessively damp to her, as if even swords were dripping water and rusting.

Her father, Samir, was soothing his smooth-coated Thoroughbred horse—the muddy roads here were tormenting the creatures, and the supply train behind them was slowed down by the terrible road conditions.

"I have a premonition, about my daughter..."

Water droplets condensed on Samir's beard, dripping onto the scales on his chest armor as he spoke.

“I have a feeling that the eagle from the north has its eyes on us. It is waiting for us to move forward until we reach a place where its talons can reach us.”

Alva didn't speak, but silently turned his head left and right, looking at the endless fields in the distance, his fingers quietly gripping the hilt of the knife at his waist.

"Let Anstaman take his men to scout the east. No one may act without orders, plunder, or desert the army. Otherwise, I will execute him according to the rights granted to me by our sacred order."

These words were addressed to the messenger beside him. As the fast horse galloped down the hillside to deliver his order to the rear of the army, the main force would then react... However, this reaction was destined to take a long time to manifest, and it was very likely that the effect would be poor.

"The weather here is making me very uncomfortable; my bow is almost broken."

His daughter sighed, took the bow from her saddlebag, and showed him the limp bow arm, the bowstring loose and weak—it was a useless bow, the arrows it shot would be like a child's urine, unable to even kill a rat.

"...Okay, it's broken, I need to go get a new one."

Alva shook his head and threw the bow aside as if it were a leftover bone.

"Let's be patient for now. We should have some time to prepare before we officially engage the Imperials. You should go too, and don't forget my previous orders."

"And what about you, Father?"

The man reached out and stroked his large beard, squeezing the moisture from it into his hand, rubbing it between his fingers, enjoying the damp, sticky feel.

"I'll wait here a little longer to avoid these nasty bugs; they're practically draining my blood..."

"Heh! Hah..."

As if he'd heard a joke, Alva turned his head and chuckled softly. Then, without thinking, he lashed his warhorse's rump with his whip, and in the blink of an eye, it bolted down the hillside.

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"Whoosh whoosh whoosh... Ah cough cough! Waaah! Waaah..."

The sleeping baby suddenly pouted and cried in its sleep. Crystal clear tears flowed down its smooth face and onto the soft wool, as if it had suffered some great injustice. Its whole little face was scrunched up, but its eyes remained closed.

Christina hurriedly reached out to comfort her child, but Dolores suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Don't worry, miss, look—"

Christina then realized that Fersitala had stopped crying, and only the tear stains remaining on her little face proved that the crying was not an illusion.

The older female official wore a kind smile and never showed any sign of anxiety.

“This happens often. Don’t disturb the crying children at this time. They are fighting in Grandpa Sonja’s arms… Our little girl probably lost, that’s why she’s crying so hard.”

A gentle smile bloomed on Christina's lips as her gaze involuntarily turned to the old man statue carved from the finest rosewood on the cabinet beside her—it was Soya, the empire's protector of childbirth and infants. Families with newborns would often place such a statue to protect women and children.

This was a very common phenomenon throughout the empire. The death of a child was considered a terrible misfortune and a curse, especially since this age group needed more attention and protection. People believed that the statue of Sonja would protect pregnant women and newborns, ensuring that disasters and evil stayed away from them.

According to historical records, Soya was a medical master from hundreds of years ago who single-handedly promoted the development of medical technology throughout the empire, especially significantly reducing the rate of difficult childbirth and infant mortality. Before that, even the healthiest and strongest women faced considerable risks during childbirth, and often both mother and child died.

As she watched, Ristina suddenly burst out laughing, raising her hand to cover her mouth, but her eyes still crinkled into a smile.

"The thought that my father sent this makes me laugh... I didn't expect him to have thought of this... but he still didn't want to come and see his granddaughter and grandson in person, so he asked that guy Rostoia to send it over."

As she finished speaking, Christina sighed again, her expression a mixture of sadness and regret, but it was faint and vanished in an instant.

“I think the master isn’t unwilling to come, but rather unable to…”

Dolores hesitated for a moment, but ultimately said one more thing:

"The war in the south is going very smoothly, and the newly occupied territories must be dealt with as soon as possible. As the chief elder, the master can't possibly have any free time... Hasn't His Majesty been so busy these past few days that he hasn't had a moment to spare?"

"You don't need to comfort me, Dolores."