Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

Reaching into a nearby jar, he pulled out a chilled tangerine, took two steps forward, and tossed it to the recovering Tarina, causing her to scramble around in a flurry of activity. Amid her complaints, Tersolius finally saw the contents of the letter.

As Tarina peeled the orange, accompanied by its distinctive citrus fragrance, Tersolius intently read the letter from beginning to end, not missing a single word. Then, his face suddenly tightened, his expression becoming increasingly serious, and he read it over again.

After a long while, he finally slammed the letter down on the table, then looked up at Talina, who was staring at him.

"We'd better act quickly and get going first, Doctor."

"what?"

With a flick of his index finger, the letter flew across the table and into Talina's hand. Tersolius's expression had relaxed, but his eyes held a chilling glint in them.

"It's no longer possible to resolve this steadily; things are about to get complicated."

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

The scorching sun after a heavy rain is always the most uncomfortable, because at this time the soil is still quite moist, but it cannot significantly lower the temperature. Instead, under the sun's rays, it turns into damp and hot water vapor that hits you in the face, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Such weather is unsuitable for working in the fields or traveling. The damp soil will hinder people's activities to a considerable extent, but it cannot stop some people who are determined to go out.

"...So, you've made up your mind? You really want to give up your own plans and follow an old man like me around aimlessly?"

"That's right, I've made up my mind. I've had enough of living like this in this place for ages!"

Ferdiant, the former city guard, now stood tall and alert, his gaze unwavering as he looked at the old man before him, reiterating his conviction:

"After hearing what you said, I realized how boring and stupid I had been living, and how many things I couldn't understand! Once I realized this, I couldn't bear it anymore, and I couldn't stay here any longer!"

"Besides, it's not safe for an old man like you to travel alone. I'm a young and strong man, and I have armor and know how to use a sword. You'll definitely need my help on the journey ahead!"

The young man's attire was completely different from before. His armor had long been removed, and all that remained was a suit of armor and a small piece of woven leather breastplate. A short sword was tucked into his waistband, with some water stains still clinging to it, indicating that it had just been sharpened before setting off—a true last-minute preparation.

"I have no relatives here, no property or assets, so there's really nothing to miss. I might as well go out and broaden my horizons. It'll definitely be very interesting. Maybe that's what I've been living for all this time!"

The old man frowned, looking at the enthusiastic young man in front of him... Like every young person full of curiosity and interest in the world, this lad was full of drive and determination... and this determination seemed a little too much.

But in the end, he decided to give the other person a good talking-to, after all, he was no ordinary traveler, and the troubles he would encounter would go far beyond the wolves, tigers, bandits, and robbers along the way:

“You’re oversimplifying things, young man. Travel can certainly broaden your horizons, but it also means countless threats and hardships. Why do you think I look so old and destitute? You should know that I used to have some wealth, but I got into trouble and ended up in this state.”

“A young man like you could do anything and be better off than me. You yearn to travel, but there’s a high chance you’ll have your throat slit in the first week of your trip and die in some unknown forest, your bones gnawed clean by wolves. Why take such a risk?”

"If I had the chance, I would definitely try to find a good place to settle down and tell this to every young person who wants to go out and make a living, because they have no idea what it means. Heroes are always a tiny minority, and most people are just corpses that no one knows about after they die. But I had no choice at all."

Chapter 424 Emerges (2)

Only today did Bevis realize that a young man could be so stubborn… as stubborn as an old man nearing seventy, having lived most of his life, whose ideas had become outdated and rigid over time. He could no longer listen to other people's opinions, firmly believing that his own choices were the best, and glaring angrily at anyone who tried to change him.

If it weren't for the fact that the other person's face clearly belonged to a vigorous young man, he would almost have thought he was talking to a balding, frowning old man. No matter how much he wasted his breath, the other person remained unchanged, stubbornly sticking to his own ideas, as if he would cling to his leg if he insisted on leaving... In fact, that's exactly what the guy did. After his third attempt to persuade him, he reluctantly gave up and wanted to leave on his own, but the young man stubbornly followed, carrying his bundle on a stick over his shoulder, always keeping a distance of three or four steps from him, never getting too close, but never increasing that distance either.

Whenever he turned his head and stared at the other person with a helpless look, the young man would deliberately turn his head to the side, as if he happened to be walking on the same road... However, he knew very well that the other person did not have a specific destination at all, but was just following him.

The roads were still damp and muddy after the rain, and it was easy to slip when you stepped on them. To cope with these conditions, the locals wore special thick straw shoe covers over their shoes. These covers not only protected the shoes but also provided stability on the slippery mud by using the rough friction of the straw ropes. On the dew-covered grass, they were as smooth as walking on flat ground, making them perfect for the area's perennially bad road conditions.

As a local, Ferdinand was well-prepared, having put ropes on his shoes. But Bevis, a newcomer who had only recently arrived, clearly suffered, finding it particularly difficult to walk on the slopes. Even the donkey he was leading was in the same predicament, its four hooves digging deep furrows in the ground, but the mud made it hard to get a foothold.

Just as he was feeling a little awkward, the young man beside him once again proved just how well-prepared he was. He put down his bundle, rummaged through it, and quickly pulled out several pairs of shoe covers tied together with rope, even one for a donkey… Bivis finally realized he couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to accept the gift. The two of them worked together to put the straw rope hoof covers on the somewhat stubborn donkey so it could continue moving. This time, however, compared to the awkwardness before, the two seemed much more harmonious.

They continued along the road, passing through some dense jungle and trudging through muddy ground, until they came to an open meadow. There, they found themselves at a three-way intersection. In the middle of the triangular patch of ground stood a tall apple tree, its branches and leaves lush and verdant… But in stark contrast to its healthy growth, five corpses hung from the tree's sturdy branches, each with a thick hemp rope around its neck, clearly hanged directly from it.

Most of these corpses had tattered military uniforms on them, and their boots were wrinkled. Although they weren't exactly shabby, they still gave off a sense of something unkind... and the signs hanging on their chests proved it. Bivis squinted and leaned closer to examine them carefully. He found that they were bandits from the area who had been executed for violating imperial law. Their corpses would be hung here for four days to deter any unscrupulous individuals who might try to take advantage of the situation before they were taken away for disposal.

"Sigh, this guy's ear is missing half... I remember now, isn't that the infamous 'Half-Head' from Uthos?! These guys are old bandits, they've been rampaging there for four or five years. I heard their equipment is better than the lord's guards, and they're cunning, ruthless, and vengeful. Anyone who dares to inform on them will have their throat slit in the middle of the night, so even if someone sees their whereabouts, no one dares to speak up, and no one has been able to deal with them... I didn't expect that just a few days later, the Imperial troops had barely arrived and they'd already been slaughtered..."

Ferdiant walked over to him with a look of astonishment, and used the stick in his hand to poke at the head of the hanged corpse. Under the filthy hair, which resembled the fur of a dead rat, he discovered half an ear, its edges already grown into smooth skin, clearly severed long ago. This was a characteristic of a famous member of the bandits:

"Tsk tsk... These Imperials are really something. I wonder how they managed to catch these guys in the forest... They've only been here a few days, and they're already managing this... Sigh, look at this guy, his face is twisted and elongated. He must have been terrified when he died. His eye has even popped out of its socket, and sigh, there's still such a long piece of flesh attached to it—"

As a former city guard soldier, Ferdiant was no stranger to dead bodies, but even he was speechless with shock… not because of the eyeball that had popped out of its socket, but because he had finally seen clearly the gruesome mutilated corpse behind the two bodies—

It was as if he had been meticulously sliced ​​from head to toe by tiny blades. This exceptionally robust corpse was covered with knife marks, not deep, but enough to cause pain... and it was only half a corpse—the body was severed at the waist, and the internal organs were also divided into two parts. The upper part hung out of the chest cavity like a large bunch of green grapes, attracting flies everywhere, and the flesh at the cut was pale as if all the blood had been drained... This could only mean one thing: he was cut in half while he was alive, otherwise the blood in the corpse would have just stagnated in the flesh.

The only weapons he could think of capable of such a feat were sharp, heavy guillotines or broad, long axes… Of course, that would be the best option; otherwise, if a weapon of insufficient power were used to achieve this, the torture would be far more severe than he had imagined. The dislocated jaw and gouged-out eyes of the corpse made his heart tremble. The efficiency and ruthlessness of the Imperials left an unparalleled and profound impression on him at this moment, and he was sincerely glad that he had not directly confronted them.

Such a horrific scene would be enough to keep even the most fearless bandit awake at night. From then on, they would live day and night in fear of suffering the same fate. It was like an efficient and cruel display board, showing everyone the consequences of robbery, murder, and arson in a way more direct and powerful than any words. The Empire had brought a new order and was showing everyone how to face it—whether to obey and live under its protection, or to become a destroyer and suffer the same fate.

The two of them stood there in silence for a while until the stench of decay finally broke through the limits of their noses... Although they hadn't been too close to the corpse just now, they turned around and walked forward, continuing for dozens of meters.

Ferdiant didn't think much of it and just followed Bivis ahead, but after walking a while longer, he couldn't help but speak up:

"Old man, where are we going? You should have a destination in mind, otherwise we'll run out of money sooner or later if we keep wandering around like this."

Bivis didn't even turn his head:

"What? You're worried now? Weren't you fearless and carefree just now?"

Ferdiant chuckled:

"Hehe... Well, we haven't officially set off yet, have we? Once we officially set off, there are many more things to consider, but before we set off, we just need to make up our minds. That's always been my approach."

The old man smiled and shook his head:

"...I'm going to the Empire. I have a feeling I'll see something I've always wanted to see there... As for you, if you're still so stubborn, then come along. Just don't regret it later. Of course, even if you do regret it, there's nothing you can do. It will be too late then."

"Haha, I've finally heard you say that! Don't worry, it's not like I'm a complete novice traveler. I've been with a team delivering supplies twice before, and I even wore out my best pair of shoes back then..."

The two men left the bloody, cruel apple tree behind. The sun-drenched dirt road steamed with hot vapor, which would then evenly steam everyone who walked on it, leaving them drenched in sweat and exhausted... But at least for the time he was on his way, he could still feel the coolness brought by the damp vapor.

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

"What do you mean the person is already gone?!"

The stern-faced, weathered man slammed his hand on the nearby railing in a fit of rage, causing the sturdy wooden frame to tremble. The strong impact returned to his hand, making him grimace as he pulled it back, muttering curses and swinging his wrist. The imperial officer before him watched the man with a somewhat subtle expression, yet still maintaining the appropriate respect.

"Indeed, sir. Unfortunately, they left yesterday. The two of them were traveling together, and since we confirmed they were not suspicious individuals, we did not stop them... Should we send cavalry to pursue them? They shouldn't have gone far, after all, the two of them only had one donkey with them."

"No need, no need, I can go by myself. After all, it's my job... I really don't know why I took on this difficult task... You guys, don't just stand there, go check if our horses are fed, we still have to keep going."

Saratag scratched his head, turning his once neat hair into a messy bird's nest. He grumbled as he walked out, shaking off his chainmail. The scabbard of his greatsword, loosely bound, occasionally thumped against his waist. He now wore a completely different outfit: a knee-length chainmail over a red military uniform, and over that, a hard leather vest reinforced with large and small diamond-shaped rivets. It was lightweight yet offered sufficient protection. His calves and wrists were protected by arm and leg guards made of bound planks. The chainmail below his hips was divided into two pieces, allowing him to move freely.

His current attire has nothing to do with the construction legion anymore; he looks exactly like a seasoned mercenary who has lived a life of bloodshed... And if you want to know why he came here and became like this, you can only mention that Tersolius.

Perhaps people's bottom line is truly broken after one compromise after another. When he came from the north, he initially just wanted to see his daughter. Later, he stayed in the south only because he was worried about that girl and wanted to save some travel expenses. Later, in order to protect himself, he killed several deserters who had become bandits. He could no longer hide and fell into the eyes of the imperial high command, and was promoted to an officer who could manage many people.

Later, because he did a good job in that position, even completing the task ahead of schedule, he took over his current position, specifically responsible for doing things for the imperial consul and legion commander, Tersolius, that required shrewd, capable, bold, meticulous, and ruthless people. These tasks were often not suitable for sending soldiers out, and other people who were suitable for these tasks also had their own things to do and could not spare any manpower, so they fell into his hands.

...In any case, this reason is too absurd. No matter how you look at it, it seems far-fetched. It can only mean that Lord Tersolius had planned this all along, so he came up with this excuse. He has probably been watching him for a long time.

What he was doing now was far removed from his original goals, and he should probably complain about it. But in fact, if he really thought that way, he would feel guilty—after all, he knew his own family best, and if he really didn't want to do this job, he could naturally refuse. Lord Tersolius was also a reasonable man… In the end, it was just that he himself was a little reluctant… Deep down, he was actually somewhat envious of his daughter, envious that girl could live such an interesting life, envious of that life full of glory and iron-fisted courage.

He was ultimately unwilling to live a stable life as a farmer and hunter... and that was the reason he came here. Deep down, he preferred an unknown and interesting life to a monotonous one where he could easily guess what his death would be like.

Chapter 425 Encounter (1)

Navigating slippery roads always requires skill, especially for those riding horses and driving vehicles. They must be extra careful because if something goes wrong, the damage is far more than just bruises, broken bones, and intense pain that needs to be endured and absorbed. Compared to humans, horses, with their large size and slender hooves, are more prone to injury when they fall. Once a horse suffers a leg fracture, it means that this expensive animal can no longer perform its intended function and can only become a crippled beast that eats grass.

When things get to this point, for the sake of long-term considerations, people have no choice but to slaughter the horses. Even for wealthy merchants, this is a considerable loss. Therefore, vehicles traveling on the road after rain often move at a very slow speed to prevent such a terrible situation from happening. Otherwise, once the horse stumbles, it will be too late to regret it.

The same applies to Saratag... but there are some minor differences. For example, he knows exactly how to bypass the muddy sections and travel quickly through forests and hills, thus avoiding winding roads and instead cutting straight and ruthlessly into the travelers' destination.

Perhaps only a mountain hunter like him could do this. After all, for him, the conditions in any forest are not that different. He is like a fish in water in rugged rocks and narrow, difficult paths, and he is very good at sharing these experiences with others, making their tracking twice as effective.

At this moment, he had to be thankful for his foresight—they weren't riding the tall, swift steeds, but rather the ponies used by the mountain people for carrying goods. They were slower, but perfectly suited to the terrain, and their large hooves made it less likely for them to fall. So, by the time the sun had completely evaporated the moisture in the forest, they had already rushed out of the forest and arrived at a tavern by the roadside—this was also the widest part of the road, with dozens of steps of exposed, damp earth. The tavern's outer walls were made of piled stones, and there was a beautiful apple tree growing inside. Because people often drank inside all night, there was no door installed.

At this very moment, several audacious drunkards were staggering out of the gate. They had clearly drunk themselves half to death the night before, and now they were groping around with crooked mouths and squinting eyes. Even a child could easily kick them to the ground... But considering that the Imperial Legion had just plowed through this area, and the smoke of war had only just cleared less than a week ago, even Saratag had to marvel at their exaggerated drinking habits.

At this moment, some of the drunkards were looking at these uninvited guests who had emerged from the forest with curiosity. Saratag and his companions, while shaking off the leaves from their bodies, dismounted and waited by the tavern. He wasn't very confident, after all, this was a necessary route. No matter where their target was going, they would have to pass through here sooner or later. And with the road muddy and difficult to travel, they couldn't possibly be faster than him, who was traversing the forest hills and mountain paths. Not to mention, if they wanted to go around that mountain, it would take them half a day longer... So he wasn't in a hurry at all.

"Give me that picture, I want to take another look."

He reached out and took two parchments from his subordinate. They were sketches of the target drawn by a professional artist based on clues they had gathered in the city. There might be some differences, but the general similarity was enough for them to identify it.

“An old man and a young man. The old man was wearing a light blue shirt and a white turban. The young man was wearing a red short-sleeved shirt. The two of them were leading a donkey. They both had sharp eyes.”

………………

"That guy is too shameless! Grandpa, you shouldn't have stopped me. Let me teach him a lesson, knock out a couple of his teeth, and he'll know how powerful we are. How dare he be so arrogant then?!"

Ferdiant angrily kicked a stone from the roadside, while Bivis simply shook his head with a wry smile.

"You're still too young. I'm not telling you to swallow your anger, but if I don't keep an eye on you, you'll fall into a pit."

"Um... what does this mean?"

Seeing the young man's confused expression, the old man stroked his beard:

"Didn't you notice all those neatly arranged pottery jars behind that man? He deliberately said some nasty things to provoke you, then lured you to his side, and took the opportunity to smash all those jars, claiming that you broke his goods. That way, all the unsold goods could be pinned on you at once. Even if you don't have the money to pay for them, they'll detain you and make you do hard labor, or they might even secretly sell you into slavery... In short, people outside are ruthless. If you act impulsively, you'll fall into their trap."

The young man shuddered, finally understanding the old man's meaning... but a moment later, his brows furrowed again, and veins bulged on his forehead:

"What a bunch of damn bastards! Now I'm even more eager to go back and find a chance to teach them a lesson... I'll set their house on fire in the middle of the night!"

Ferdianto was furious, while Bevis simply smiled and stroked his beard.

"You don't need to worry too much... Their business certainly won't last long. Don't forget those half-heads hanging in the trees. There are Imperial troops stationed nearby—they won't allow anyone to cause trouble in newly conquered territory... Maybe the next time you go home you'll see their dried bones hanging in the trees... Ah, I almost forgot, the Imperials don't leave corpses hanging outside indefinitely. They're worried about disease. What an enlightened and prudent decision! Before this, many people wouldn't even realize this. They would only complain about their bad luck or curse the witches they suspected when disease struck."

The old man seemed quite emotional, perhaps recalling his past experiences, while Ferdiant had already put his hand to his eyes, gazing into the distance, and soon exclaimed with some surprise:

"Ah, we're almost there. Just a little further on is the only tavern between here and the next city. We need to get some water and food there. Otherwise, we'll go hungry halfway there. We also need to feed the donkey some hay and give it some water... Uh... Old man, why are you pulling me?"

Bivis's face turned serious at this moment, like a fox seeing a wolf blocking its path, his cunning concealing fierceness and determination:

"Get out of the way. Kid, something's not right up ahead."

Ferdiant was taken aback, but without hesitation, he followed the old man and the donkey into the bushes by the roadside, where the two of them hid and looked out at the small tavern in the distance.

Soon, he realized something—the tavern was unremarkable, but there was a row of horses parked in the stables outside. Although they weren't the tall, fine breeds, they were strong and their coats were glossy and smooth. Most importantly, none of the horses had any cargo on their backs, nor anything to tie them down. They only had saddles for one person to ride on. This was definitely not a caravan.

If it weren't a caravan, how could an ordinary traveler possibly acquire so many horses? What would they be after? Not to mention the expense of properly feeding and caring for the horses. It also doesn't make sense if it were a nobleman traveling; they often value appearances and prefer riding tall, magnificent horses. These simple, durable ponies would typically only be favored by their servants… In short, the people riding these horses are definitely not ordinary people, and they must have some purpose in coming here.

Bivis frowned and quickly made a decision:

“We have to go around there, kid, they might be here to get me.”

"Arrest you? Why?"

“I’ll tell you later… but you have another option: turn around and leave now. I’ve told you that coming with me will expose you to countless dangers. This might be one of them. You could lose your life in the blink of an eye. I’ve been through this all these years. You don’t need to put yourself in that kind of danger. It’s not too late to turn back.”

"Let's not talk about anything else now." The young man didn't waver for a moment. "Haven't you been doing this all these years? I don't believe you can't handle this situation. Hurry up and come up with a plan, old man! I don't want to die here with only one day left before I leave home."

The old man smiled helplessly, then tugged at his sleeve:

“I already told you, we’ll go around them… Sprinkle this on yourselves, and they won’t be able to smell us.”

A small glass bottle filled with shimmering golden powder was placed in his hand; it looked quite beautiful. The old man, however, had already opened another bottle and poured the powder over his head, evenly covering his clothes with the glittering dust. He then poured some for the donkey beside him as well.