Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

A pair of iron boots slowly walked to his side. The scale armor skirt covering his calves shimmered in the sunlight, and from the ornate scabbard, a long sword with a slightly curved blade was slowly being drawn. The sharp blade gleamed with a lustrous light like autumn water, and even seemed to have a warm feel to it.

"Don't change the layout of the royal city. It was all designed in advance, otherwise that stone will be useless... You may not need it, but you may need it someday."

Tersolius nodded expressionlessly, flicked the blade lightly with his index finger, making the saber ring out in his hand, and then, as another drop of dew fell from the tip of a blade of grass, a flash of light appeared in his hand, accurately splitting the drop of dew in two, scattering it into more and smaller droplets.

Immediately afterwards, scalding hot blood gushed out, washing away the soil and grass, and finally completely submerging the dew that had just dispersed, making it indistinguishable from the rest.

A hairy head rolled steadily into the pit, its eyes still opening and closing in confusion, but eventually opening in relief. It began to slowly lose its warmth in the soil, and its body was pushed into the pit as well. The two fit together perfectly, appearing as one again.

"There's no need to set up any markers here. Let people and horses trample over it, otherwise someone will definitely dig him up and mutilate his body. Just leave his body for insects and ants to eat."

The guards obeyed and went off. Soon, shovels were used to dig up the blood-stained soil from the ground and throw it into the pit until it was completely filled. They even rode their warhorses over it to make it a firm, flat area, which would probably grow new pasture in the future.

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

My legs felt weak and numb, and I had exhausted most of my strength. My chest was rapidly expanding and contracting, craving fresh oxygen, and my whole body ached and felt tired.

But he forced himself to keep going, traversing streets that were much quieter than usual, keeping the bucket on his shoulder steady and balanced, the sound of the water splashing inside constantly urging the thirst in his throat.

Finally, Yak arrived at his house, carefully put down the wooden bucket, took out his key to open the door, then carried the bucket inside and poured it into the water tank.

Looking at the water tank, which wasn't even a fifth full, he gave a helpless bitter smile, then collapsed backward, sitting directly on the bed, utterly exhausted... Of course, a grown man like him couldn't possibly be this tired from just two buckets of water—but that was under normal circumstances, walking two streets to fetch water from the well, not walking dozens of miles and spending most of the day round trip... After all, even the strongest man can't be used like a donkey.

Fortunately, these two buckets of water are enough for him to drink for several days. If he uses them sparingly, he can last even longer, so he doesn't have to work so hard every day, which is a rare comfort.

After catching his breath, he stood up and used a ladle to scoop half a ladle of water from the bottom of the vat. He almost couldn't wait to start drinking it, letting the cool water rush from his throat into his stomach, quickly quenching the thirst that had been plaguing him.

He drank until he felt slightly nauseous before finally stopping, satisfied... He couldn't help it; he hadn't enjoyed such dehydration in ages. Although he always tried to conserve water, he couldn't resist drinking to his heart's content at this moment.

When he was home alone, he was too lazy to cook any formal meals. He would basically bake some bread and make do with the pickled vegetables he had made before for several days in a row. He would even leave the plates piled up for several days before washing them all at once, which attracted some flies. If Doris saw this, she would definitely not let him off the hook.

As Ark cut another slice of dry bread to fill his stomach, he suddenly heard footsteps outside the door, getting closer and closer until they stopped steadily at his door... followed by the sound of knocking on the door.

He immediately became alert, reaching for his short sword. The water shortage in the city had certainly driven many people away, but it had also given some unscrupulous individuals the opportunity to cause trouble. Although there was no chaos yet, he wouldn't regret not preparing earlier when such a thing actually happened. He preferred to strike first in any situation.

,………………

Chapter 388 Water Source (1)

"Ark! Ark, are you there?"

He finally breathed a sigh of relief, dropped the sword, stood up, took two steps forward, opened the door, and began to complain somewhat irritably:

"Zorua, didn't you speak up first?! I thought some bad guys were targeting this place..."

"Are there still idiots like this? Aren't they afraid of dying? There's martial law in place right now. Anyone who dares to cause trouble at this time will probably die a horrible death."

"We still can't be careless. You know, at least 80% of the people in the city have left. There are so many empty houses that it's hard to find anything if you just wander in. I wouldn't be surprised at all if someone were stealing or robbing someone at this time."

This guy named Soloar was someone he met in the literacy class. However, unlike him, who suffered terribly from rote memorization, this guy was quite smart. Even at his age, he learned very quickly and his grades were far ahead of the rest of the class. Even the usually stern Imperial scholar would often praise him. In last month's selection, he undoubtedly succeeded in becoming an official, responsible for assisting the city gatekeepers in recording the entry and exit of supplies.

This sounds like just an ordinary job, but it has already made Ark so envious that he can't sleep at night... After all, this is the goal he has been looking forward to for several months, and he has even developed a lot of jealousy towards his smart friend because of it.

And it soon became clear that his jealousy was not unfounded. After getting the position, Zoroya immediately received a monthly salary of eight silver coins, plus four days off, and instantly became the most sought-after person in the entire neighborhood. Within a week, three or four matchmakers came, all wanting to introduce girls to him...

He wasn't envious of the other man's popularity with the girl; after all, he was already a father of two boys. But the status and privileges this guy had gained were something he had long coveted… This one setback forced him to postpone his plans for several more months, and it was very likely that things would get worse and worse, until he finally missed his chance…

After seeing him open the door, Zoroya, with an air of familiarity, squeezed in sideways, grabbed the water ladle beside him, scooped half a ladle of water from the vat, tilted his head back, and drank it down. In the blink of an eye, he had poured the last drop into his lips, and only then did he smack his lips in satisfaction before putting the ladle back.

"My throat is so thirsty it's burning. The last time I drank water today was when I woke up this morning. I've been busy all day. If I hadn't come to see you now, I think my mouth would have been breathing fire."

"I don't have much water left. I carried this all the way back from Jaselin Town step by step. Do you know how much effort I put in..."

Yak rolled his eyes, complaining to him with a hint of helplessness. As he turned around, he closed the door with his right hand, then stepped forward, pulled out a chair next to the table, and sat down.

"You came all this way for more than just a drink of water, right? I'm exhausted today. If you're free, I'm going to go to bed early."

"Don't rush, don't rush, I came to see you this time because it's good news... Don't say I, Zorua, am not a good friend. When something good happens, you are the first person I think of, Ark! It's also thanks to you that you insisted on staying in the city under these circumstances, otherwise this kind of good thing would not have been delivered to you even if it were free."

Now Ark was truly interested and couldn't wait to ask the other party:

"What did you say, Zoroya? What good news is there?!"

"This is definitely good news. I've been given a task—to thoroughly investigate the condition of the houses in the rat's nest area to the west. I'm also allowed to hire two helpers. If you work with me on this, you'll get two silver coins as a reward. How about it? Are you in?"

"As long as you can get involved in this, it will definitely help with the subsequent assessment. With a little manipulation, it'll be a sure thing!"

The so-called "rat's nest" is not a real rat's nest, but refers to a messy and dirty area on the west side of the city, where most of the residents are beggars, gangsters, and prostitutes. The houses there are of varying heights, dilapidated, and have no unified plan, just like ants randomly digging their nests underground.

What's worse is that the people there are a mixed bag, and even the most powerful locals can't figure out exactly who's in there. In the past, it was a place where crime was rampant, with gang fights and killings happening almost every day, and people dying in the streets at any time.

After the Imperial Legion arrived, the law-abiding Imperials naturally could not tolerate such chaos. The elite soldiers, clad in armor, quickly ransacked the area, rounded up a large number of gang members for hard labor, and hanged the leaders on poles, forcibly establishing an order.

However, while the Imperials could ruthlessly and indiscriminately execute all criminals, they could not simply move the large population living in the entire rat's nest out. Therefore, although they were willing to transform the place, they could only proceed slowly.

Now, judging from Zorua's words, the Empire seems to be preparing to take advantage of this opportunity of dispersing most of the population to thoroughly clean up those most complicated and dirty urban areas, in order to prepare for the subsequent transformation... This is obviously a very important matter.

In the past, upon hearing such words, he would have kicked and punched the guy out the door immediately... But now the gangs there had already been mostly dealt with, and the shady characters inside had to leave the city due to water shortages. For them, who had accepted the empire's orders, the danger was negligible.

"Okay, I'll do it. When do we start?"

With that thought in mind, he no longer hesitated. In any case, his wife and children had already gone to his mother's place, so he had basically no worries. All he needed to do next was to figure out how to handle the matter properly.

"Don't rush, get some rest tonight, I'll come find you tomorrow morning. Remember to eat something beforehand, we'll probably be busy for a long time."

The bald-headed Zoroya smiled contentedly, and at the same time reached for a piece of soft cake on his plate:

“I knew you would be interested, so I reserved this position for you a long time ago. Tonight I’m going to contact another quick-witted and hardworking helper, and the three of us will work together tomorrow.”

………………

It turns out that when a man isn't being supervised by his wife, he tends to eat whatever is convenient. Generally speaking, as long as the food tastes okay and it fills his stomach, he'll accept it, since he still has important things to do that day.

The sausage he brought from his hometown was at its best and had a unique flavor. He could slice it into thin slices with a knife and eat it directly. He could also cut two thick slices of bread, put the sausage, some leftover vegetables, and bean paste inside, and eat it in a few bites with some cold water. This was just the right amount of time he had wasted because he had too many worries and hadn't slept well.

I finished my breakfast in just a few bites. I can deal with the rest of the meal when I get back... but I need to fill up my water bladder first, who knows how long I'll be busy today...

Before leaving, he hung his short sword on his waist, slung his shield over his shoulder, and put on a hard leather vest under his clothes for extra protection. On his head was a thick cowhide cap... This thing was less of a defensive armor and more of a lining to prevent the helmet from rubbing against his hair, but it was still useful for blocking stones and cuts.

Zorua said he was coming to see him, but there was still no sign of him. So after finishing his tidying up, Ark closed his door and sat on a rock outside the house to wait quietly. As the sky gradually brightened and the eastern sun illuminated the entire street, he finally saw the person he had been waiting for.

Soraya was much younger than him, but his hair had fallen out due to an unusual illness when he was a child, making him look somewhat fierce... but at this moment, compared to the person next to him, he could even be described as harmless and kind-looking.

He was a middle-aged man of medium build, thin and bony, with very narrow shoulders that looked like two diagonal lines extending down from his neck, and well-developed trapezius muscles like burls on a tree.

In addition, three connected scars completely cut open the man's left cheek, leaving a bald patch on his forehead. The skin on one side of his cheek was rough and pitted. His eyebrows were short and thick, his eyes were narrow, and his mouth was full of rotten teeth. In short, this was definitely not a pleasing appearance, and in the past, it would have easily attracted the attention of gang leaders.

"You've come to Zoroastriana. And who is this gentleman?"

"Let me introduce you. This is Ark, and this is Morsaforso, from the Empire. This guy is very capable. Morsaforso, and this is Ark, an old friend of mine. Today, it's just the three of us doing this job."

The man named Morsaforso forced a stiff smile at him, which looked chilling, but he could notice the forced goodwill in the man's eyes.

"Nice to meet you, sir. We'll be busy all day. I hope you've prepared enough water; it's the thing the city is short of these days."

"Thank you for reminding me, sir."

A stiff smile returned, accompanied by a brief response. Meanwhile, Zoroya was prepared, holding the measuring tape, paper, and pen.

"Alright, let's not waste any more time. This job isn't difficult, but it's quite time-consuming. Let's set off early and finish it sooner."

The clock atop the city tower slowly tolled, its clear and melodious sound quickly spreading, waking those still asleep and urging them to take a step forward…

Chapter 389 Water Source (2)

The ground was damp and muddy, but there weren't many footprints, thanks to the fact that most people had left to escape the polluted water source. The once bustling crowds had become sparse, which also relieved the three of them of the worry that someone might try to sneak into their pockets during the crowds.

The pickpockets here used to be notorious. They would hold a thin, sharp blade between their fingers and cut open a pedestrian's bag in the blink of an eye, reaching inside to steal valuables. They would even slash the faces of their pursuers with the blade when they tried to catch them, thus buying themselves a chance to escape. So they were known as "knife-and-fingernail pickpockets" here. Moreover, they had close ties with the underworld. When passersby discovered they had been robbed, they often had no choice but to accept their bad luck.

But no matter what, even though it's much quieter here, it's still not a good place. If it weren't for this job, Ark probably wouldn't want to set foot here again for the rest of his life. But now he has to pull himself together and complete the task at hand.

So they decided to start from the northwest corner of the city. There was no particular reason; it was just closer, so they wouldn't have to make a special trip. Also, the houses were most densely packed there, so it was best to deal with them all together.

During this process, they need to simply measure the size of the house and mark its location, but they don't need to record the owner of the house. After all, this place is already so chaotic that it's hard to say who the owner of the house is. Presumably, the empire won't care. This place will eventually be completely cleared out, and those unidentified and mixed-race people inside will also be cleared out, just like opening a long-sealed box and cleaning out the various items inside.

And so, on the blackened wooden planks, they measured and measured with tape measures, struggling to figure out how to divide the messy shacks and cramped houses, while carefully recording it on parchment.

Errors due to skill limitations are tolerable, but if someone deliberately avoids recording things out of laziness and then messes things up later...

No one wanted to test the authority of the imperial laws. Even those who had only been under imperial rule for half a year were keenly aware of this, since those who dared to cross the line usually ended up in a pretty bad situation.

This place is inhabited by people with no hope and no future. The houses here are also the most twisted, filthy, smelly, and dilapidated. As he walks up the stairs, the twisted, dark wooden planks emit a piercing scream. Crows on the roof stare with red eyes. Fat, filthy rats scurry about everywhere, and overflowing sewage can be seen almost everywhere.

Even the measuring tape they brought was visibly dirty from using it here, and the work was far more complicated than they had imagined. It took them an entire morning, and after a careful discussion, they found that they had only just finished a small corner of the work... The complexity and disorder of this place far exceeded their imagination, and it would probably take at least a week to complete all the work.

"Um... how about we go get something to eat?"

The fierce-looking Morsaforso was the first to make the suggestion, and the other two were also interested. After all, they had been busy until now and their hunger was rising. It would be good to eat something to fill their stomachs and take a rest.

Of course, it can't be in a rat's nest... This is definitely not a suitable place to relax and rest.

"Luckily, the Broken Wall Tavern is still open. Let's go, this meal is on me. Let's go try their borscht."

Zorua appeared quite generous, packing his things first and inviting the two of them to leave together. Ark carefully marked the places they had already measured before following them.

The Broken Wall Tavern was an affordable place, and although it was the closest tavern to them, it wasn't too far away either. The time they spent traveling was enough for them to have a good chat.

"Mr. Morsaforso, I heard you come from the Northern Empire, so you must be an Imperial citizen?"

To Ark's surprise, Soloar also knew very little about this person, and didn't even know if the other party was a real Imperial. He only started asking now, but he was just as curious, so he silently pricked up his ears.

"No, I am not an Imperial citizen..."

The fierce and ugly-looking Morsafer shook his head. When he walked, his shoulder muscles remained completely still, making it look as if his upper body was numb and unnatural.

“I come from Turlu in the East… I was a slave sold to the Empire.”

"slave!?"

"?..."

The two of them stared in surprise, forgetting to move forward. They watched as the other took a few more steps forward, still staring blankly at the other's back.

Moorsaforso's fierce face suddenly relaxed, revealing a slightly tense smile:

“You’re surprised, but I was indeed a slave before… When I was 12, my father was conscripted to repair the king’s garden and never came back. My mother remarried and never took care of me… Then my uncle sold me to slave traders. They sold me to the province of Cerisonas in the empire.”

“I fought desperately in the underground arena there for a long time, and by good luck I survived to the end… Then General Tersolius, in order to make up for the labor shortage in the new province, pardoned all the slaves, allowing us to farm and live like commoners.”

"...Then why did you come here?"

Soroya asked with great interest, and although the other party only gave a brief description of his life, speaking lightly, anyone who wasn't a fool would know that this experience was definitely not so easy or simple... rather, it was a complete synonym for bitterness and hardship.

Although he had never been to the Empire, he knew that slaves certainly didn't have a good life—let alone those who survived bloody battles in the so-called underground arenas... To be honest, just imagining it made him feel breathless, and if he were actually thrown there, he would probably go crazy in a couple of days.