Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

Aside from being somewhat elaborate and ornate, the saddle wasn't particularly outstanding; it was just a standard military design, with brass and gilding decorations on the sides and a desert lion pattern carved on the seat... But now, right below the saddle seat, a pattern carved with a sharp blade on a piece of light brown, thick cowhide was as glaring as ink spots on white paper.

It was a male goat with its head tucked in, large ears that drooped to its shoulders, short hair, and a thick neck—a common breed in the Assele region and the emblem of the Abatheris family. Although the depiction was rough, certain key features were accurately captured, making it instantly recognizable.

There wasn't a single fool sitting here; everyone understood what this meant. They had all heard about the major event that had occurred long ago—the commander's daughter, General Alva, had gone hunting yesterday and hadn't returned. Of the dozens of attendants who went with her, only this one horse had managed to return. A large number of cavalrymen had been sent out to search, and in the end, they only found traces of battle outside the city controlled by the Abatheris family.

Up until this point, Samir had only spent a worried night pacing around his tent after receiving the news. What truly ignited his emotions and made the atmosphere so somber and heavy was what happened next...

There were obvious signs of fighting outside the city, but when the soldiers sent out to find people and scouts questioned the garrison on the city walls, they couldn't get any clues at all. They either stammered, delayed, covered up, or even changed the subject. In the end, all they got was that they had defeated the Imperial army here today... but when asked how many kills and prisoners they had taken, they couldn't find anything. Not to mention the captured flags and armor, they couldn't even find a single piece of red cloth.

The searchers dared not slacken their efforts, following the trail left outside the city. They even engaged in several small-scale battles with the suddenly active Imperial scouts, suffering considerable losses. Finally, following the dense hoofprints, they found what was likely Alva's last hunting ground, along with a leopard whose fur had been stripped.

These signs all indicated that a large contingent of Imperial cavalry was lurking in the vicinity, and certainly not for trivial reasons… because the sheer number of them, and the unusually heavy and enormous hoofprints, made the scouts uneasy—it seemed to point to the Empire’s renowned armored cavalry. What kind of scenario would require these war machines to be deployed? This made them begin to suspect General Alva’s disappearance.

What truly complicated and made things most dangerous was the horse that slowly walked back to the camp at noon today, relying on its memory—Alva's thoroughbred, Aselturis… This was the only clue they had obtained after sending out a large number of cavalry to scout, and the scouts had all flocked north, so the horse had gone unnoticed and slowly walked back.

Subsequently, the pattern found on the saddle immediately drew suspicion to the eldest son of the Abatheris family, who had gone hunting with Alva. After all, the man was still hiding in the city and had refused all requests to meet, which seemed extremely suspicious. Alva was the only one who would carve this pattern on the saddle. The message he wanted to convey by carving such a thing at a critical moment was self-evident.

These men were all trusted confidants of the Samir family, which was why the man, after obtaining the saddle, first kept the news secret and then summoned them to discuss the matter… After learning the full story, each of them felt a chill run down their spine. A terrible trouble had appeared before them, and they had to face and resolve it; any misstep would surely lead to horrific consequences.

"The eldest son of the Abatheris family is a coward."

After remaining silent for a long time, Samir suddenly uttered a universally acknowledged truism, causing the others to exchange bewildered glances. However, they dared not say anything more and continued to wait.

"What do you think this coward would do if he were pursued by the Imperial army? What would he do?"

"No need for further questioning, my lord! I can't think of any other possibility besides this coward's betrayal. Alva is a brave general, not a weakling who can't even kill a chicken! How could she be captured by the Empire so easily, and not even a messenger could escape?! What we should be doing now is not sighing here, but going to that coward's door, dragging him out, holding a knife to his throat, and making him tell the truth!"

A burly general, who had clearly been holding back for a long time, erupted his emotions like a volcano. Anger and shame filled every part of his face. If this were not the commander's tent, he might have already started smashing things to vent his emotions.

"Don't talk nonsense here, Samor! Don't you understand our current situation?"

A man of about 30 years old sat to Samir's left, his face resolute and dark. His beard was unkempt and messy, but not dirty, and free of lice or food scraps. He wore a brass helmet edged with chainmail, and a pale blue silk turban was wrapped around the center of the helmet, topped with a blue gem the size of a pigeon's egg, making it look luxurious and expensive.

"The news of Alva's capture by the Empire has spread; it can't be kept secret any longer. Now all the other lords in the army are watching us..." He turned and stared at the other man expressionlessly. "Guess what they're waiting for? The Empire's army is advancing. Whatever their plans, our first priority is to respond! Not to start a war with another family based on a few signs. That would only cause our army to collapse and become something that can be trampled on at will in front of the Empire."

“If we were to start a private feud at this critical juncture, we would no longer be considered a qualified commander in the eyes of other generals and families, and they would lose their confidence and respect for us… I don’t need to tell you the consequences of that.”

"So you mean to just ignore it? Let that coward from the Abbasris family get away with harming our people and continue to go unpunished?! I don't remember us being such cowards as to swallow such a disgrace!"

Although the burly-faced general still appeared to be in opposition, he had obediently returned to his chair... He understood this principle well, but he could not bear this humiliation, so he could only vent his frustration in this powerless manner.

"Who said we should let them off easily? ... It's just that the Empire came in a fierce attack—once the Empire retreats, we'll settle accounts however we want, in our Aselite way, making those damned people bleed filthy blood from their throats, and hanging their corpses on flagpoles."

The situation was already quite clear to them. These experienced generals and nobles quickly figured out what had happened. At this moment, some were gritting their teeth, while others were thinking calmly and gloomily. But without a doubt, each of them was filled with malice. As Samor said, no one could tolerate such despicable and shameful acts. They had only put it aside temporarily because of the enemy's overwhelming force. Once the situation eased even slightly, they would not hesitate to retaliate.

This was the way of life for the Assele people, as important as oases and water sources in the desert.

"...Summon all the generals from all the families. We should prepare to deal with the Imperials."

Samir, who had been silent all along, finally stood up, ending the malicious discussion among his confidants. His lips twitched slightly, like a lion about to roar.

"...Summon the generals of the Abatheris family, and that young lad too, and tell him to get over here."

Chapter 314 Urging (1)

The gleaming spears, as cold as the sigh of death, swept across the formation like a dense iron brush in the blink of an eye! Instantly, they sent flying blood and flesh, and torn limbs flying everywhere. Broken armor plates and scales scattered in the air like snowflakes, shimmering with white light.

The army formation, subjected to such devastation, immediately began to falter. The once relatively orderly lines became crooked and vulnerable, unable to withstand the onslaught of iron hooves that followed.

While the dead were still convulsing and the wounded were still wailing, the heavily armored warhorses, carrying their elite knights, charged into the formation once more. After a thunderous roar, a series of hoofprints mixed with blood, flesh, mud, and entrails were left behind. Flesh and blood seeped from the gaps in the torn chainmail. The helmets, dented by the iron staffs, clung tightly to the shattered skulls. The severed limbs were still twitching.

Wherever the iron hooves passed, only a scene of carnage remained. As this cruel sight and terrifying sound spread in all directions, the morale of the army was instantly depleted, like blood gushing out when one's neck is slashed. At this moment, reason was a precious and pitifully rare thing.

Even as the officers and veterans among them continued to shout and hack at the escapees, more and more people lost their courage, dropped their spears and swords, smashed off their helmets, and turned to run. Some even shouted discouraging words to give themselves more justification and courage, urging those around them to run with them.

Even the bravest and most determined began to waver. First the soldiers, then the sergeants, and finally even the officers and generals turned and fled, with the surging tide of steel behind them.

The screams of horses trampling human bodies and the muffled thuds of swords severing limbs sounded like the mocking laughter of demons, urging them to quicken their pace and escape the nightmare behind them, until they were trampled into a bloody pulp by iron hooves, at which point they would finally squeeze out their pitiful howls from their throats.

In an instant, as if mercury had dispersed the yellow sand, the Asel army, clad in yellow robes, collapsed in disarray, with no chance of recovery. Imperial cavalry followed behind, ruthlessly trampling and ravaging the land, creating countless corpses every second.

This is a paradise of death and wailing, but also a stage for victory and glory...

The flag, soaked in blood, was picked up by a large hand clad in steel armor. Its magnificent gold embroidery and decorations, now filthy from being soaked in blood, fat, and entrails, were now the most glorious and noble trophy, symbolizing the collapse and demise of yet another army under their iron hooves.

The only pity is that it's just a family flag, and it won't hold any important place in my collection.

Tersolius swung his sword and cut off the lower half of the flagpole, then threw his spoil to Arca beside him. The standard-bearer placed it in a leather pouch next to his saddle along with the other flags.

Imperial cavalry have begun to pursue and wipe out the remaining enemy forces. The rampaging light cavalry are the best candidates for this task. Their speed is as fast as the wind, and they can always inflict the greatest damage on the enemy before they can escape the battlefield. They are like a greedy wolf that will not stop until it has devoured all the flesh and blood.

This was an undisputed victory. The army of more than 3000 Asselmens was completely crushed here, while their opponents, a force of 1500 men composed entirely of cavalry led by Tersolius, achieved their first victory in a direct confrontation with a swift and deadly raid.

This was a rather risky strategy when large armies were locked in a standoff, especially since he, as the commander-in-chief, was personally leading the troops... But now that the Aselian reconnaissance forces had been completely suppressed, leading cavalry to clear a path posed a negligible threat to him, and only he could do it so decisively.

While consuming these 3000 men would certainly cause the enemy pain, it wouldn't have a decisive impact on the overall battle situation. These 3000 men were simply slow-moving and unresponsive, which is why they were exposed to the threat of the cavalry... The real purpose of this raid was to put more pressure on the Assele army, and this pressure would prompt some interesting changes—some changes he was looking forward to.

"Let's sound the horn; it's time to call it quits."

After taking one last look at the corpses of the fleeing Asseles piled up on the roads and surrounding fields, Tersolius glanced at the setting sun, stuck a drop of blood from his hand into his saddle, and gave his orders.

The bugles sounded, and the flags waved. After the order was given, the pursuing cavalry immediately turned back, without hesitation even as their blades were about to cleave the enemy's heads and claim yet another kill for themselves, finally giving the panicked fleeing enemy a chance to live.

The banners echoed once more, the horns sounded again, and the large cavalry force kicked up blood-red dust as they gradually departed under the almost blood-red sunset, leaving behind only a battlefield strewn with corpses, blood dripping from their armor and spear tips.

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

Delayed reinforcements often only show the horrific scene of friendly forces being ravaged and destroyed by the enemy, which often deals a huge blow to the morale of the reinforcements.

Countless people's blood flowed into the earth, to the point that it could no longer penetrate, accumulating into wide pools of blood on the surface. In these pools of blood, severed limbs, broken bodies, and foul-smelling entrails were soaked. Valuable spoils of war were hastily looted, leaving behind only crippled armor that was difficult to even repair... The night wind blew, howling across the vast land, like the final cries and screams of the victims.

Before the last rays of sunlight faded from the sky, the piles of rotting, foul-smelling debris on the battlefield had already blended with the overwhelming stench of blood, creating a terrifying odor unique to war and death...

The general who came to reinforce the army was the hot-tempered and extremely warlike Iprah. Half of the more than 5000 men he sent were cavalry. He even complained that the speed was too slow and left his infantry behind.

In his mind, although the Imperial cavalry was renowned, no matter what, a few thousand men couldn't possibly be crushed in less than an afternoon. Moreover, after receiving the news, he immediately mustered his troops and rushed here without any delay... He even had the idea of ​​challenging this guy, Tersolius.

But now, with a gust of cold night wind, he only shivered, feeling a chill run from his toes to his heart... The mountain of corpses before him gave him ample room for imagination, allowing him to think carefully about how they had come to this end...

The severed limbs have a clear and definite origin—they were severed or torn apart by sharp weapons.

The wounds inflicted by spears are smaller, but more deadly—they can reach the internal organs, the most vulnerable parts of the body.

The deformed and twisted helmet and limbs were equally obvious—the horrific damage inflicted by a sturdy, heavy blunt weapon.

And those tangled, indistinguishable mudflats of flesh and blood, the kind of things that only appear in the nightmares of the most insane, make one unwilling to look at them, unwilling to believe them. The answer is found in the acidic water that rises up amidst the convulsions and churning of the stomach—these are horrific objects trampled by countless hooves, containing the remains of countless people.

Occasionally, sounds of vomiting could be heard from within the army—those with weak willpower couldn't withstand the intense visual stimulation and reacted directly to fear and nausea.

General Iprah's face darkened... He suddenly realized that his carelessness had left a terrible opening—the infantrymen he had left behind had no cover from the cavalry in the cold evening...

A kind of fear had silently gripped his heart. The moon in the sky was still bright today, but it no longer seemed beautiful to him. The pitch-black night seemed to harbor ferocious beasts, and a terrible threat was roaming this land... And that man, that man named Tersolius, had already shown him the extent of his power.

Without the slightest hesitation, Iprah, who had just arrived here, had already issued military orders, commanding his scouts to immediately and carefully investigate the surrounding situation, while the cavalry turned back... This place was no longer of any use, and he had no time to collect the corpses here.

………………

As it turned out, General Iprah's worries were unfounded—his mind, consumed by fear and panic, had led him to perceive the enemy's strength as bizarre. Instead of risking advancing in the darkness, his 2000-plus infantrymen, who had fallen behind, set up camp and established a strong defense, thus providing cover for his return.

Looking at the military camp erected by the infantry and the densely packed, colorful tents inside, he finally breathed a sigh of relief in the faint morning light and ordered his cavalrymen to enter the camp to rest.

Traveling in the dark is not without its costs—many people fall off their horses due to a bump or a pothole and never get back up; many others fall behind due to exhaustion; and even more are separated from the main group without realizing it because it is difficult to contact them in the darkness… It is necessary to raise their flags so that they can find this place.

Marching at night in this era was an adventure in itself. The darkness was an obstacle and a threat to them, meant to scrape away their flesh and leave scars as the price.

The exhausted general finally had time to rest. After crawling into his tent, he immediately began to gulp down the cold wine until his stomach was bloated before he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he appeared calm and composed, only he knew that he was truly panicked... On the way back with his army, he was constantly worried that the empire's horns would sound by the roadside and those terrifying armored cavalry would appear to crush and tear him apart.

It's like walking into a deep forest at night—everything seems frightening and untrustworthy, and there are deadly threats everywhere, making you even more cautious when you walk.

He had already sent messengers to deliver what he had discovered to the main army in the rear. His own troops would also retreat south after a short rest, continuing to consolidate their defenses in a more secure and reliable location.

His physical relaxation gradually eased his mental state. Just when he thought that as long as he followed the steps, there wouldn't be any more problems, reality dealt him another heavy blow, making him realize that his worries were perhaps a bit too conservative...

A messenger on horseback rushed into his tent, bringing him terrible news... In the western region, another army of about 2000 men was torn apart by an imperial cavalry attack in the night because of a weakness they had exposed. Before dawn this morning, the imperial army had left behind bloody hoofprints and fled early. General Satomler escaped in a sorry state with only a few men, barely escaping with his life.

Iprah fell silent...

----------

With the help of his guards, Tersolius removed the blood-stained armor from his body, stretched his shoulders, and continued to change into clothes that were not yet soaked by the congealed blood.

He reeked of blood, but not a drop of it was his own. It was the blood splattered from the Asel soldiers he had killed that covered him completely, turning his gleaming silver armor almost red.

In the darkness, he led his cavalry to carve another chunk of flesh from the Asel people. Although under his command, the cavalry were not caught by the enemy and left only with a stench and piles of corpses, non-combat casualties and separations due to the darkness were still unavoidable, albeit in pitifully small numbers.

In this military camp at the forefront of the entire imperial army, the exhausted soldiers finally had a chance to rest. Even the elite, such as the armored cavalry and Passatrian horses, had exhausted their last bit of strength and were now resting amidst the bloodshed after the war.

The horses used specifically to carry vests and other heavy loads were exhausted early on, even with rotations, and the grooms were taking care of these precious animals... The smoke from cooking fires mingled and intertwined in the air, almost forming a unique cloud.

Having changed into clean clothes and washed away the bloodstains from his hair, Thesolius, still faintly reeking of blood, looked up at the scene and sighed softly after a long while:

"It's a bit of a pity..."

Chapter 315 Urging (2)

"What's a pity?"

A gentle voice came from behind him, and the soft footsteps characteristic of deerskin shoes approached, accompanied by the rustling sound of parchment being turned, allowing him to recognize who it was without turning around:

"I'm just lamenting that such an easy opportunity is gone. I hurt them, but now it seems like I hurt them a bit too much. The Assele's reaction was unexpectedly strong... They should be more conservative from now on."

Tarina was still turning the pages of the book in her hands—this was not the kind of small notebook that girls usually used to record information, but a huge book that was much larger and could cover her entire face. The whole book looked incredibly heavy, enough to break a person's nose, and the four corners were protected by brass.

On the thick leather cover of the book, the contents are clearly stated in sharp and neat gold lettering: A Study of the Geography and Customs of the South - Portojanos, written in the third year of Emperor Icyrus.

"Isn't this exactly what we envisioned? The Assele people are already fearful, their actions will become more cautious, and the main force will be drawn to us..."

"Haha, I really have nothing to complain about in this regard, since everything went very smoothly. It's just a bit of a pity that the opportunity to personally command the battle like yesterday is so rare, and I even miss it a little..."

Thesolius straightened his clothes; the morning sun couldn't dispel the chill of the earth, while Talina continued turning the pages of her book, yet it didn't hinder their conversation at all.

"After all, your position is very different now than before, and the responsibilities you should fulfill are naturally different as well. You must be more cautious and careful in battle... To be honest, what you did yesterday was already quite risky. As the commander of an army, in charge of the lives of tens of thousands of elite troops, there was really no need to put yourself in danger. I believe that the excellent generals in the imperial army can also do a good job."

Talina's tone was normal at first, but as she spoke, a subtle resentment crept in, making Tersolius's scalp tingle. He couldn't help but turn his head slightly and glance at the girl beside him from a rather discreet angle.

Tarina continued flipping through the book, which appeared extremely complex and heavy. The slightly yellowed parchment pages were covered with letters slightly larger than a wasp's head, and the various complicated and difficult terms and conjunctions were enough to make a scholar dizzy. The amount of information contained within was dry and dense, making it a book that required a great deal of willpower and determination to read.

But the girl was reading with utmost concentration. Her fingers slid lightly along the pages of the book, moving very quickly. It seemed like she was just going through the motions, but Tersolius knew that she had already read most of the page and understood almost everything she needed to know. She was even filling in any gaps in her knowledge.

She has always been a genius, that's an obvious fact. Wisdom has always favored this girl, and her thinking and handling of many things are even enough to make him admire her... And because of this, many things cannot be simply fooled.

Just like at this moment, Talina couldn't see him at all, so she shouldn't know he was watching her... But Tersolius knew very well that the girl had noticed his gaze, regardless of any signs, just a sudden intuition.