Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

"Hey, don't you even know what time it is? If you don't want it, there are plenty of other people who will."

………………

He finally drove away the persistent villagers, but the man seemed even more annoyed.

"I don't know when this awful life will end! I've had enough. If things don't change in a week, I'm going back to the city. I'd rather spend money to buy water from afar than stay here!"

"Don't worry, sir, things will definitely get better..."

The simple-minded young man offered a few words of comfort, finally calming the grumbling man down. He then breathed a sigh of relief and left.

The villages, nestled deep in the jungle, are damp and cramped, and the roads often become muddy from the rain. Even the moss on the tree trunks absorbs moisture at this time, and when you press it with your hand, it oozes out large amounts of dirty water.

The mud on the ground would often cling to his shoes, stubbornly embedding itself in the gaps, unwilling to leave, adding extra weight. When it became unbearable, he would have to find a suitable stone to scrape the mud off the soles of his shoes, which greatly slowed him down.

He continued along the path around the village, rounding a thicket and two beech trees, until he finally saw his destination—a small cabin beside a stream where lumberjacks and hunters rested for the night.

Such houses often lack a foundation; instead, the ground is dug down to a higher elevation, wooden stakes are erected around the perimeter, and a roof is added for shelter from the wind and rain. While not comfortable, they are perfectly adequate, providing protection from wild animals and rain on stormy nights.

Even the wooden door of the house was made of a few rough pieces of firewood, with a bolt made of oak that had been split by an axe. At this moment, a person was sitting on a tree stump outside the house, eating his lunch. Several sheep were leisurely grazing on tender grass around him.

He witnessed this, hurried over, and quite naturally accepted the bowl and spoon offered to him, taking a bite with his head down.

"Oatmeal again? Can't you eat something better?"

The shepherd, with a weathered face and a goat-like beard, his hair and beard completely white, and wearing a tattered sheepskin coat, calmly continued eating his meal.

“A shepherd shouldn’t eat anything good. You should also be careful. Should a servant hired by a merchant be like this? If you mess things up, you’ll be in big trouble.”

"I'm even less likely to be in that situation. As long as I can appease that idiot, I won't have to worry about many things... So, how's it going?"

The shepherd picked up a clod of dirt from the ground, then swung his arm in a swift, precise motion, smashing it against a goat trying to stray from the flock, shattering it against its curved horns.

"We've received word... the target will appear this week, we can start preparing."

The servant nodded solemnly, but did not rush to do anything. He continued to slowly drink the porridge in his bowl until he finished. Then, he suddenly looked up and surveyed his surroundings. The hut was located in an extremely secluded spot, hidden in the shadow of a thicket of bushes and beech trees, where it was almost completely dark. Unless a campfire was lit, few people could find it without a guide.

But this place isn't exactly safe either. Sooner or later, those guys with bronze masks will come looking for him. Quite a few people have already fallen victim to them. In a sense, he's already not safe now.

But neither he nor the shepherd showed the slightest sign of panic, continuing to live there like true shepherds and servants... All of this was for that goal.

They are not intimidated by the formidable swords of the army, nor are they afraid of those seemingly high-ranking nobles... but they cannot ignore the crucial wisdom that hinders them and always destroys their plans at critical moments.

Having suffered heavy losses at the hands of the other side several times in a row, the leaders in the south could no longer tolerate it and were determined to eliminate this hidden danger for the religious association.

This was originally considered a fantasy—after all, the target was located in the Empire's military camp, which was heavily guarded by the Empire's elite troops. Normally, not even a dog could get in, let alone the bronze-masked vultures that were secretly following them... Even the most renowned warriors were powerless against it.

But now, they can indeed begin preparations—the target, just as planned, has broken free of the army's protection and headed to the cities with the contaminated water source, and this result was achieved through some clever little tricks... even the price paid was negligible.

Before the entire South falls completely under the control of the Empire, they must take action to completely reverse the current situation, even if it costs them both their lives.

The shepherd stood up, placed the empty bowl on a nearby wooden post, and then walked over to herd his sheep into the sheepfold, which was fenced with wood. The goats' hooves were scraggly in the damp mud, and several flies were buzzing around them.

As the sky grew darker, a large bird with dull gray feathers flapped its wings and flew away through the dense forest…

Chapter 393 Danger (3)

"Sergeant Sylbastin Nicol of the Sixth Platoon, 300th Regiment, 1000th Company, 5th Army Corps! Led his men in robbing a farm near Quintas in the Third Province of Hols, and subsequently murdered them to cover it up. This has been confirmed, and he is now being dealt with according to military law!"

The trembling Rigut man had been stripped of his armor and uniform. Two strong soldiers dragged him onto a wooden platform like a dead dog, while the military judge in charge of the execution was already waiting there with a large axe.

Then the official in charge of announcing the execution order read out several names in succession. Several soldiers, stripped of their armor and honor, were dragged up with trembling legs. The executioner forced them to kneel on the wooden platform, whose once smooth wooden planks had been soaked in blood and turned a terrible blackish-red.

The other soldiers of their thousand-man unit were lined up around the high platform, and their centurion was standing at the front, having just been whipped as punishment for his negligence and mismanagement of his men.

The atmosphere here was terribly oppressive, like a heavy iron block pressing on everyone's heart. When the sinners looked up, they saw no sympathetic eyes, only contempt filled with hatred and resentment.

The execution order was quite detailed, explaining the cause and effect of the matter clearly. It even made the officials' throats dry, but to their ears it sounded frighteningly short, as if it had been read in the blink of an eye, and the heavy axe was pulled from the wooden board by the tall executioner.

Sylbastin Nicole was the first to be grabbed by the shoulder and dragged forward. The fear of death made his legs tremble, and his face was as pale as if he had been drained of blood. He was sturdy and tall, with muscles tightly wrapped around his limbs, and he looked quite strong, but he dared not struggle at this moment. This was obviously not only because the executioner holding him down was as strong as him, but also because of the figures of his personal guards, wearing lion skins and magnificent heavy armor, standing in a row on the high platform in the distance.

The mere presence of that person, or even just a distant glance, was enough to make him bow his head and accept his fate, daring not to utter the slightest disobedience.

And so, his head was pressed against the tree stump, deliberately tilted to the left with his neck flat, while the executioner held the axe in his hand, aimed carefully, raised it above his head, and then brought it down heavily—

Boom!

The axe cleaved through the bone and then sank deep into the wooden stake. As for the flesh and skin, they were insignificant. Everything was cut cleanly and decisively. His head rolled down the platform and landed in the frame below.

The splattered blood stained the executioner's arms and waist crimson.

What followed was swift and efficient, like chopping vegetables. One criminal after another was brought in, the axe rising and falling repeatedly, blood splattering everywhere. Everything around was as silent as the axe blade. After a few breaths, everything was settled, and soldiers began to clean up the mess.

The severed heads were displayed on long poles for a period of time before being buried. Of course, this time would not be long enough for them to rot, otherwise the stench and filth would bring disease to the military camp.

This was not only a physical punishment for the criminals, but also a spiritual punishment for the thousand-man squad. Under the gazes of the other soldiers around them, almost all of them were too ashamed to raise their heads. Only after the squad was dismissed did they leave quickly as if they had been granted a pardon.

“My soldiers have won countless victories with me. They bravely defy all enemies, and I am proud of them for that… But sometimes that pride turns into arrogance and brutality, making them forget what they are supposed to do, forget the order they are supposed to follow, and become audacious.”

Tersolius sighed softly, slowly sat up from his chair, and looked at the silent old man beside him.

"At this point, it is necessary to make them understand that some things have consequences, otherwise they will become truly lawless and have fewer and fewer scruples, which would be a real disaster for this land."

"Like the soldier executed today, he didn't see this land as our country's land, nor did he see the people living on it as people protected by the law. He only wanted to plunder and enjoy..."

"He made great contributions in the previous war and fought very bravely, but now I have to cut off his head because he raped a citizen of the empire. When the girl refused to submit, he not only became enraged and tortured her to death, but also robbed the family. He left no survivors and hoped that the fire would destroy the evidence of his crimes."

"He must die, but I hope he dies with some meaning, to let others know the consequences of such lawless, self-righteous foolishness, and to nip any similar thoughts in the bud, like uprooting a poisonous weed before it even has a seed. I will not allow any such signs to appear in my army."

Soldiers have begun hanging heads on long poles. The process is quite brutal. To ensure they stay secure and don't fall, iron hooks are passed through the mouths and hooked onto the upper palates to secure them to the ropes.

"...Your approach truly amazes me. I have never seen such a thing under even the harshest lords. Such strict treatment of soldiers often breeds rebellious sentiment."

The old man from Assele let out a heartfelt sigh, unable to even maintain his usually calm gaze.

"That's because they didn't give the soldiers what they deserved."

Thesolius shook his cloak, letting the dew fall off, then gestured and led the old man down from the platform:

“Lead them into battle, respect them, judge and punish them fairly, reward them promptly when they make contributions, and be clear about rewards and punishments… As long as you do these things, it is impossible not to gain their support and respect. Those so-called resistance sentiments are just the lamentations of incompetent people who have messed things up and then tried to absolve themselves.”

The old man was silent for a moment, then nodded seriously:

“I can’t deny that you are indeed very wise.”

"Liao Zan, these are just some words of experience. I suppose you haven't had lunch yet since you've come all this way. We can talk while we eat."

"Respect is not as good as obedience."

Surrounded by their guards, the two gradually walked away, while the blood on the ground was still steaming, echoing the smoke rising from the military camp.

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

The meal didn't go well; after all, people tend to lose focus on food when they're arguing, even if it's a delicious meal.

The beef slices, carefully selected from the marbled cuts and seared on the iron plate, exude an irresistible aroma of fat, like snowflakes. They are wrapped in thin pancakes with strips of onion, cilantro, and celery. There is also sizzling, oily grilled fish, a rich soup with mushrooms and cilantro, a whole chicken stuffed with truffles and porcini mushrooms, and a whole roasted leg of lamb with a crispy crust... This is undeniably a lavish meal in the military camp, though the diners are hardly interested in it.

“Your demands are far too unreasonable. If we were to pay 40 gold coins for the ransom of each soldier, our national treasury would be completely emptied, and we would have to plunder the country indiscriminately. Neither I, nor the Shah, nor any of the lords of the country would agree to such a terrible and unreasonable price.”

“Your Excellency, I believe I have already made many concessions, even waiving half of the general’s ransom, and have been providing these prisoners of war with very generous treatment during this time. The expenses for supplies during this period have not been small, not to mention the compensation I, as the victor, should demand for the losses incurred during the war. This is already a price that cannot be negotiated any further.”

"You jest. I believe that even if the entire southern land were so barren that not a single grain of food could be grown, the price for feeding our captured soldiers during this period would not be this high, let alone in what is considered fertile land in the entire south."

And so, the two men completely forgot about the sumptuous lunch and haggled like two merchants selling goods in a market, arguing over every single gold coin. Although their words were polite, they were full of hidden sarcasm as they decided the fate of the more than ten thousand prisoners of war beside the gradually cooling broth.

Tersolius was indeed making exorbitant demands, and he knew the old man on the other side understood this. After all, negotiations are about reaching a result that is barely acceptable to both sides, so naturally, one cannot reveal their bottom line from the very beginning.

Finally, when the broth had completely cooled down and lost its flavor, they reached a final consensus: each ordinary soldier would have to pay a ransom of 12 gold coins, while the noble lords and generals would have their families pay for their ransoms. Those who could not pay the ransom would remain in the empire and repay it by working and serving.

Both sides have reached an acceptable agreement, which at least appears satisfactory on the surface.

Having finished with these old men, he did not linger and hurriedly returned to his lord. The prisoners would also return in succession. This war, which had been a losing proposition for Asel and resulted in heavy losses, was finally coming to an end and could be considered completely over.

With this, the threat to the south of the empire was completely destroyed, and he was finally able to lead his army back... Of course, he would have to leave two legions to garrison the south.

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

The pale green liquid bubbled inside the glass tube. Tarina carefully adjusted the pressure in her hand, slowly letting the bubbles out until she was sure the liquid was clear and free of impurities. Only then did she carefully drip it into a palm-sized bottle.

The bottle was already filled with a pale purple liquid. The two colors reacted immediately upon mixing, quickly turning the entire bottle of medicine a beautiful pale brown, like diluted soy sauce.

It was shaken slightly, then heated over a small lamp, and finally the egg white powder was weighed on a balance. The finest weights were used to carefully weigh it and add a sufficient amount.

With a "poof," thick smoke suddenly billowed from the bottle. Caught off guard, Tarina was directly hit in the face by the smoke and quickly took two steps back. She gently touched her face with her silver short staff, and a green light flashed. She immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

But the smoke still had a lingering effect on her. A strong, astringent feeling suddenly assaulted Tarina's nose and eyes, causing tears and snot to flow uncontrollably. She also sneezed several times in a row and hurriedly tidied herself up.

This reaction is a typical sign of potion failure, indicating that the active ingredients have reacted violently and been completely consumed, turning the entire bottle of potion into a dangerous waste liquid that requires careful handling.

But just as she was about to pour the potion into her treatment tank, she stopped in confusion when she noticed the color—judging from the color, the potion didn't seem to have failed, since waste liquids usually change color... Then what was that thick smoke from earlier? Had she overlooked some variables?

After only a brief hesitation, Tarina decided to give it a try. She took the potion and turned to a water tank next to her. The water in the tank looked clear and transparent, and had a slightly cool feel to it. It was quite refreshing. If it were hot, few people would refuse to drink a few sips.

But hidden in this water is a deadly destroyer, so small that it is difficult to see with the naked eye. However, once it enters the human body, it will rapidly multiply and grow, turning the host into a walking corpse completely controlled by it in a short period of time.

I used a glass dropper to extract a small amount of the medicine, then gently dripped it along the edge of the water tank. I watched as the brown drop spread rapidly in the water, just like a drop of muddy water, and quickly disappeared completely without a trace.

The water remained calm, but this calm did not last long. After patiently waiting for about 10 minutes, the clear water suddenly began to tinge with a faint purple hue, which spread rapidly and then, after reaching its maximum extent, suddenly split into tiny specks.

Each of these dots is only the size of a sesame seed, but because of their dense density, they are easily visible and quite conspicuous. They are moving slowly in the water at a speed visible to the naked eye, sometimes colliding and sometimes separating, and in no time they make the whole tank of water look strange, like duckweed floating in a stinking stagnant pond.

With a whoosh, the curtains beside the room were pulled shut, plunging the entire room into darkness. The tub of water, however, flickered with tiny drops of purple light in the darkness, flashing on and off…

Chapter 394 Danger (4)

The surrounding air seemed to have turned into a heavy solid, resolutely refusing to enter his lungs, causing a suffocating feeling that seemed to be drying out his throat to surge up continuously. The dry wind from the desert further amplified this feeling, making it increasingly difficult for him to breathe. He subconsciously reached out to tug at his collar.

The stone slabs beneath my feet were quarried from the Periyos Mountains in the north. When the Hols people still existed, they would pay tribute to Asel every year with this special stone to build the floors of the residences reserved for the most distinguished people.

The most skilled craftsmen meticulously divide and polish the material, and finally, the finest sand is wrapped in cotton cloth and rubbed to create a mirror-like surface, allowing the naturally formed beautiful patterns to be displayed, enough to satisfy even the most discerning nobles.

Among the many lords, only the Shah, as the King of Kings, was qualified to order craftsmen to inlay gold threads into the gaps between such floor tiles, making them appear even more noble and majestic... Of course, there would also be some additional benefits, such as giving a thoughtful visitor the opportunity to use the smooth floor tiles to reflect their face.

The reflection in the smooth surface revealed an aged face, devoid of its former vigor. Faint marks from arrow and blade wounds reminded him of his recent escape from a bloody war, and the mental trauma left him utterly exhausted.

On the steps on both sides stood guards clad in golden scale armor. Their faces were covered by intricately woven chainmail, with only their eye sockets visible. They held crescent-bladed axes nearly as tall as a person in their hands. This majestic and imposing ceremonial guard was also a weapon capable of easily cutting people in half. Gold and silver threads were wrapped around the mahogany handles.

They guarded the most sublime and greatest temple in the entire country, where priests served the Lord to light the flames that burned day and night to demonstrate the glory of the supreme God. The guards who protected the sacred fire naturally enjoyed widespread respect in the country. They did not have to bow to nobles, and no lord would blame them for it.

Their eyes held no emotion, yet he felt a strange prickling sensation... as if countless needles were flying from all directions, piercing his skin deeply, leaving him feeling disoriented and his heart being squeezed.

This silence did not last long. In fact, he had no time to back down any longer. He had to go forward and face the most honored person in the entire country... to enter the temple and meet the most esteemed person in the country.

Under the watchful eyes of the guards, Samir strode through the towering stone pillars and wide gates into the spacious hall.