Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

Four of them immediately turned pale, standing out conspicuously. The officer didn't ask any further questions, but simply pointed, and soldiers grabbed them.

"He was detained for neglecting his post and drinking alcohol, which caused serious consequences. He will be punished according to the law later!"

Yak and the others were so frightened that their hands and feet went numb. They could only watch helplessly as the others begged for mercy while being tied up and led away. Their mouths were dry, and they kept swallowing.

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

"Sir, something has happened in the city to the north!"

Tersolius raised an eyebrow as he watched Talina hurry into his tent and take the parchment from her.

"There have been reports of poisoning in two cities and eight towns, covering a wide area, almost the entire second province of Hols. Moreover, the perpetrators' methods are very similar, basically poisoning under the cover of night or distracting patrols."

"It has now been confirmed that the well water is toxic, and 38 victims have died. People are unwilling to drink the water, and rumors are spreading, causing considerable panic. The water sources in the entire city and surrounding towns are no longer safe, and it is foreseeable that the panic will continue to spread."

This time, Tersolius frowned, his eyebrows raised high like swords:

"Has the poisoner been caught? Didn't your henchmen get any prior intelligence?"

Tarina shook her head, her expression equally grave.

"The poisoners are very cautious and well disguised, and their henchmen... well, our network in the newly conquered lands isn't fully in place yet, so it's difficult for them to catch these guys... We still need time to continue tracking them, but one township sheriff did personally kill one."

"...Those guys?"

"Yes, according to the intelligence we received, it's confirmed to be related to the Holy Order of Knowledge. The poisoner who was killed showed obvious signs of mutation, and the body, along with venom samples, has been collected and is being prepared to be sent here. However, the journey is long, and the weather is hot, so it's estimated that it will take a while to get here..."

At this point, Tarina's expression hardened:

"Sir, I wish to leave the front lines first and go there to investigate... The widespread pollution of the water sources will surely cause even greater chaos, and we need to deal with it as soon as possible."

Thesolius put down the parchment in his hand and then gently shook his head.

"grown ups!……"

Talina was about to say something more when Tersolius stood up:

"No need to rush. Things here will be settled soon. I'll order everyone to guard the water sources tightly, and then we'll return together. Even if you set off now, it won't be much faster. And if I'm not mistaken, this is just a test and a disruption..."

Chapter 381 Pathways (1)

"This is a huge problem! Our water tank is only a little over half full; it wasn't filled with water at all before. What are we going to do now?..."

Seeing his wife's worried expression, Yak sighed as well. He licked his dry lips, forcibly suppressing his thirst and preventing himself from looking at the water vat beside him.

The city's wells have been confirmed to be toxic, and many residents who are used to getting up early to work have been infected. Without exception, none of them survived; they all died with their faces turning blue and black. This has frightened the residents so much that they no longer dare to go near the wells, let alone drink the water from them. For the past two days, they have been relying on the water stored in their water tanks at home.

But this is not a long-term solution. Ordinary people's water tanks will be empty after three or four days, and the water in the city is polluted. Even if it has not reached the point of being troublesome, it has already caused unease among the people. In the past two days, rumors have spread throughout the city, and things are quite chaotic... If it weren't for those fierce legion soldiers suppressing the unrest here, there would probably have already started to riot.

Yesterday, some idiots even tried to take advantage of the situation to inflate prices. They were caught and beheaded that same day, which forcibly suppressed the chaos in the city. But anyone can see that the chaos will continue as long as the people in the city still don't have water to drink.

Especially for a bakery like theirs, which needs a lot of water on a regular basis, business has been suspended for the past two days, but the water tank is still visibly half empty, which makes the whole family very worried.

Many residents in the city don't usually cook, and mostly rely on buying bread from him. The fact that his family isn't doing business affects far more than just themselves; residents in the surrounding neighborhoods have been without food for the past two days and have to find their own way to make a living.

"There's no need to worry too much. We've been organizing people to transport water from other places these past few days, so the water supply won't be completely cut off."

"How could transporting water alone possibly sustain the entire population of a city?"

Doris showed no sign of being comforted and continued to sigh with worry.

“This city has over 30,000 people, and I don’t know how much water it would take to sustain it. How could we possibly rely on just transporting water? It definitely wouldn’t last. I’ve never heard of a city that could survive after its water source has been polluted… I suspect there might be danger here soon. Should we hurry and hide with my mother?”

Yak's brow furrowed so deeply it could almost trap a mosquito... He knew, of course, that his wife was right. Supplying drinking water for a city of 3 people with horse-drawn carts was simply unrealistic, and the river outside the city was already thoroughly polluted by the city's garbage and excrement—it was utterly stench-inducing, let alone drinkable.

Leaving the city under these circumstances is certainly a good option, and in fact, many people have already done so. After all, those villages are not worth poisoning, and with the Imperial army nearby, it is not as dangerous as it used to be. Even the city's administrators intend for them to go to the countryside to hide, so that they will not cause any more trouble in the city.

But after thinking for a long time, he finally shook his head firmly and gave a compromise:

"You guys go with Uncle Sacto and his family next door, so you can look out for them. I won't go."

"Um?"

Yak pursed his lips, remaining resolute:

“We’ve just accomplished something, and it looks like we’re about to have a chance to be selected as officials. If I leave the city now because I’m afraid, all our efforts will be wasted… After you leave, the water in this tank will last me a while. If it really doesn’t work, I’ll come back to you.”

His wife hesitated for a moment, a hint of sorrow on her face, but ultimately agreed. After all, she knew very well how much effort Ark had put into becoming an official in the empire, and it was indeed not worth giving up all that effort.

"Take all the food with you. Your mother probably doesn't have much food. You'll be staying there for a while, so be careful."

The two exchanged a few final words, but ultimately remained silent, only sighing.

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

The heavy wooden buckets were lifted by strong, sturdy shoulders and then poured into a water tank next to them through a wooden funnel. This was no easy task; the waterlogged buckets were already quite heavy, not to mention filling them with clean water and then lifting them high above their heads before pouring them into the wooden water tank on the carriage.

Even a strong young man like Cato felt his back aching and his arms were so sore and numb that he couldn't lift them. He had to put down the bucket, rest for a while, and lean his whole shoulder against the carriage to catch his breath.

They chose a stream with dense bushes and tall trees to fetch water, which also provided shelter from the scorching sun. After filling the large water tank, they would have to walk dozens of miles back to the town to deliver the water to the eagerly awaiting villagers.

Moreover, one trip wasn't enough. They borrowed several water tank wagons, divided them into five or six groups, and traveled on the road from morning till night just to barely supply water. And this supply only ensured that everyone wouldn't die of thirst and had water for cooking; forget about anything else.

Accustomed to the convenience of drawing water from the well, everyone was suffering from the trouble and exhaustion of this new method, but there was nothing they could do. After all, the well water had been confirmed to be poisonous, and hastily washing the well had no effect. No one dared to drink the poisonous water... They could only hope that the well water would purify itself on its own in the future.

He didn't come alone. The old man, Lydos, was fast asleep in the carriage, his face covered with a leaf. The task of fetching water was almost entirely left to him, while he was only responsible for driving the carriage. But Cato didn't complain at all. In fact, he had been pestering Lydos for the past two days, hoping that the other man could teach him a move or two of his swordsmanship.

The old man, Ludos, has made quite a name for himself in their town these past two days. He's no longer the sheriff he used to be, but has been promoted to mayor... and the reason is quite simple—there were poisoning incidents in several other places, but only in their town were the poisoners killed on the spot, which naturally earned him credit, and he was promoted that very day.

He knew that Ludos had shattered the inhuman monster with a single sword, since he was there and couldn't hide it from him. It was because of this that he changed his usual frivolous ways and made up his mind to learn the other's excellent swordsmanship so that he could use it to make a name for himself in the future.

But for some reason, the old man suddenly seemed to have become lazy, and no matter how much he pleaded, he refused to agree...

Finally, as the last bucket of water was poured in, he inserted the wooden stopper into the mouth, shook the old man awake with a hint of helplessness, and the two of them got into the carriage and continued their journey back along the road, just as they had been doing for the past few days, only wondering when these arduous days would end...

………………

He was so tired that he didn't want to talk anymore. His arms were sore and numb that they were throbbing. The mud that had soaked into his shoes had made his toes squeeze together, turn white and swollen. He could even pick off the swollen skin with his fingers. Every night he felt as cold as an ice cube.

Even the tent was moldy and damp from being soaked in this damn rain. Sleeping in it was as uncomfortable as sleeping in the belly of a dead cow. The only saving grace was that we could at least drink hot soup and eat bread every day, which was enough to make us barely get by.

These days were truly unbearable, making him feel as if his bones had been softened by the mud, leaving him listless and unable to do anything—after all, what they had to do was to carve out a road through the mountains, and deal with the slippery and soft road after being soaked by rain, not to mention having to do it secretly! This kind of work was a tough job even if done properly.

Although they knew they were doing something big, they were still eager to see some results. After all, it was really unbearable to keep enduring this hardship, as if they were not mercenaries who were risking their lives, but a group of slaves locked in a mine.

"Dinner's ready! Dinner's ready!"

The cook arrived quickly, bringing broth in a wooden bucket and bread in a basket. Of course, the bread was cold and hard, so they had to soak it in the broth before eating it.

This was the only thing that satisfied them quite a bit—although they would return to other places from time to time, they never lacked food, which kept them energetic enough to do hard work that required a lot of effort.

After eating and drinking their fill in a daze, picking the bits of meat from between their teeth and catching their breath, they set off to work again... No one urged or supervised them. Everyone who had worked there knew that they were all in the same boat, and if they wanted to get rich, everyone had to contribute. Otherwise, if things were exposed, no one could escape.

They had already established contact with the other side some time ago, and the other side's requirement for them was to carve out a road that could at least accommodate a horse-drawn carriage. They also sent a lot of money as a reward, which is why they are still working hard and full of energy, swinging sledgehammers and iron spikes with great enthusiasm.

After all, they've already reaped considerable rewards before even getting started. They can't even imagine how rich they'd be if they actually succeeded!

Carving such mountain roads is relatively easy as long as there are no rocks. You just need to loosen the soil and then transport it away or level it on the spot. But if you encounter rocks, you need to use iron spikes to make holes, and then use wedges arranged in a line to hammer them in little by little to divide the road. This is always the most difficult part. If there are no rocks, they can be at least three times faster.

Today, he was very unlucky and encountered a huge round rock that couldn't be dug out directly. He could only slowly break it apart... He would probably spend the whole day on this rock.

He found a helper to hold the iron skewer steady, and then he swung the hammer and began to smash it down. Each time, he made sure the hammer traced an arc over his head, using all his strength from his waist and abdomen to smash it down heavily, sending stone chips flying and steel curling.

Each time he ensured the force was transferred properly, his arm would immediately relax, completely eliminating the recoil, and then he would begin the next swing of the hammer. His movements were extremely powerful and fluid, and even his breathing was very slow. Only the continuous, rhythmic, and crisp sound of the hammer could be heard.

He used to be a stonemason, so he had a lot of skills... but he couldn't even make a living, and his family was on the verge of starvation. In the end, he still ended up in this line of work. Because of his superb skills and outstanding technique, other people were happy to work with him. At least they didn't have to worry about some naive young man missing his target with the hammer and breaking someone's arm or head.

...That's not impossible. There have been two or three unlucky ones in the last two days, but no one has died yet.

After the last hammer blow, he found a hole in front of him where he could put the iron wedge, and he could take a breather before hammering the next one.

He stopped hammering, but the crisp tapping sound didn't stop, making him look to the side with some confusion. He saw that the other guys who were also wielding hammers were taking a break...

His confusion lasted only a moment before he immediately understood. His face trembled with excitement, his eyes fixed on the stone before him, while he listened intently to the sound of steel chiseling against the rock coming from the other side. After a long while, he turned and shouted:

"We've got it through! We've got it through!!"

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

The last pile of shattered stones was loaded into a wooden bucket. As the craftsman turned the turntable, it slowly rose, and then the shaft below was pushed, directly dumping the stones into the valley next to it. In no time, the huge pile of rubble that would have taken two strong men an entire afternoon to clear was cleaned up, leaving the mercenaries watching in astonishment.

The craftsmen and auxiliary soldiers dressed in red moved swiftly and efficiently. At the same time as the rubble was cleared away, some people took tools and began to clear the remaining soil, leveling and compacting the road. Some were even laying stone bricks. Of course, this was not a proper three-tiered road like those in the empire that could be used for hundreds of years. It was just a temporary emergency measure. Otherwise, such a muddy road would easily trap carriages and block the entire road.

"They worked really fast. At least we had a ravine on our side, which saved us a lot of effort. They had to carve the road out of the mountains... No wonder they say the Imperials are the best at handling stones. I've seen it for myself today."

The first stonemason to discover the road had been cleared looked on in amazement at the various machines the Empire possessed, pointing and commenting as he stood by—they no longer needed to do manual labor, or rather, the die was cast, and there was no need to worry about it anymore.

In just over a month, they carved a road through the mountains, attracting the imperial army... In any case, they had done something truly significant, something remarkable.

Chapter 382 Pathways (2)

"Order the Sixth and Seventh Legions to prepare to depart immediately. Send out cavalry vanguards to scout the terrain on the other side of the mountains. General Tostoyar is in charge of overseeing logistics and must deliver the first batch of supplies within three days without fail!"

The drill ground beside the city was now a cloud of yellow dust, trampled by men and horses. More than 20,000 men from two entire legions had gathered there. Their banners bore double-headed eagles flanking their troops, with outstretched olive branches and laurel leaves. The brass eagle emblem gleamed in the sun. The polished armor plates were dazzling, like ice and snow. Bugles and drums sounded intermittently as the soldiers, well-trained, assembled, packed their bags, and prepared to embark on a new journey.

Natamus, clad in gleaming heavy armor, rode his tall, golden warhorse, surrounded by a dense entourage of generals and officials. Above him, a large banner made of golden silk fluttered in the air, and the valiant knights atop it seemed to be leaping forward, spears in hand, charging into battle.

One order after another came out of his mouth, and officials or officers immediately carried it out. The whole city was bustling with activity. The city walls in the distance were filled with enthusiastic citizens, and people could be seen waving at them from time to time. Although the soldiers did not look to the side, they were visibly more excited.

"My lord, please allow me to speak."

An official could no longer hide his worry. After Natamus finished giving his instructions, he seized the opportunity to step forward and bow.

"Of course, but when it comes to the moment of battle, let's keep it short."

Natams frowned, scrutinizing the map before him. His dissatisfaction was palpable, and the reason was simple: compared to the military maps within the empire, the map of the Kingdom of Salanod, concerning the border states of the western nations, was far too indistinct. It only showed a general outline of the terrain and a few major cities, completely lacking details about roads, terrain, and climate—a stark contrast to the maps of the past.

In this situation, he would need to expend more effort to explore the terrain, find local guides, and put in more time to investigate and understand, which would inevitably hinder the operation.

That's why he didn't focus most of his attention on the official who was going to offer advice, even though the official held a high position in the entire province, since he had more important things to worry about now.

“My lord, we have not yet received orders from His Majesty and the Senate. Would it be inappropriate to launch an attack on our own? Moreover, we have not declared war on the Kingdom of Salanod. I fear that a rash attack on their territory would dishonor the glory of the Empire.”

The laws of the empire cannot be violated, and it is a grave taboo to send troops out without orders. That is why he is so worried... There are some things that must be clarified, and no amount of seriousness is superfluous.

Natamus paused, then turned to look around, only to find everyone else watching him, clearly sharing the same concerns. He realized he needed to reassure them now to ensure there were no further worries. So he simply rolled up the parchment map in his hand, which was currently of little use, and solemnly spoke:

"There's no need to worry about that. I received my appointment from His Majesty and the nursing home before I set out on the campaign. I have the authority to mobilize the legions for battle, and..."

He grinned broadly, his voice booming like thunder, and then raised his hand and pointed around:

"Moreover, this Western barbarian is courting death! They've set their sights on us; if we don't strike first and break the wolf's teeth, are we just going to wait for it to bite us?! Are you all afraid?!"

Before the officials could speak, the generals and officers could not bear such humiliation. They drew their swords and sabers, pounding their armor as they gave their unanimous reply: the soldiers of the empire never fear war; they only throw themselves into battle with burning passion until they have plundered enough wealth and glory.