Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

Upon hearing the child cry, Christina immediately turned her head, stood up, took a few quick steps, and snatched her son away without saying a word. She displayed extraordinary agility and swiftness, which also deterred the emperor, who had just succeeded and was still somewhat unsatisfied, from his assailant reaction.

Few people could resist pinching the cheeks of adorable children, and even their mother found it hard to resist. While letting the two children play on the big bed next to her, Christina kissed and hugged them several times before reluctantly letting go, allowing the two little bundles of joy to frolic on the bed.

Only after Christina walked back to them did the emperor continue speaking:

“I have received a reply from Tersolius. He has decided to lead his troops back immediately to suppress any possible rebellion and reminded me to be prepared… Judging by the timeline, he should have already met up with the troops I arranged yesterday and should arrive in the capital soon.”

"Your Majesty, have you confirmed that a rebellion will occur?"

Ingersoll hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking the question. He regretted his rashness for only a moment before making up his mind.

The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingers slowly tracing the armrest of his chair:

"**It's almost certain, Ingersoll... You should have noticed some movements as well. No matter how those rats in the shadows try to hide it, something will always show some signs... And regardless of whether the rebellion will actually happen, I can no longer tolerate someone sitting in his current position. It's too dangerous for all of us."

The Emperor's voice was calm, yet it contained something terrifying and heavy, like an abyss. Ingersoll nodded firmly, then slowly straightened up, her expression becoming deep and serious… Although she usually wore a serious expression, at this moment it carried a hint of bloodlust.

"Then I must make some new arrangements to prevent villains from threatening the throne."

The emperor lowered his delicate chin slightly, giving permission to his imperial guard commander:

"Go ahead. I grant you permission to mobilize all the resources within the palace. You need not come back to ask for my permission if you deem it necessary."

"...Furthermore, please allow me to offer you some advice, Your Majesty."

The emperor looked at Ingersoll with some confusion, then suddenly chuckled, and slowly shook his head:

“I know what you’re trying to say, Ingersoll… but that’s impossible. Once I leave the capital, things will become completely out of control. There are always ambitious people trying to overthrow and seize this country, and they are especially numerous in the capital. Only when I’m here can the situation be kept under control, and some people can only suppress their ambitions temporarily.”

“And once I leave the capital, they will have plenty of opportunities and ways to cause trouble… I cannot give them that opportunity before Tersolius returns, not even the slightest possibility.”

At this point, the emperor sighed softly, rubbed the inside of his eye sockets and the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb, and gently closed his eyes.

"Although I know they harbor malicious intentions, for the sake of the empire's stability, I still hope to subtly undermine their power and foundation and resolve this issue in a relatively mild way. But now it seems we've all been too optimistic... Without bloodshed, this matter will ultimately be difficult to succeed."

"Our generation can't do things perfectly. In the end, we can only achieve the final result by cutting to the bone. Even if we try our best to clean up, we will probably leave a lot of mess for future generations... But there's nothing we can do about it."

………………

"His Majesty……"

This time it was Christina who spoke. The gentle woman looked at her friend with some concern, almost without hesitation reaching out to smooth the emperor's hair at his temple, before continuing:

“And my father, the chief elder of Scripps… Perhaps I can tell him about the signs of rebellion. He will certainly not stand idly by and should be able to help us control the situation.”

The Emperor knew what Christina meant—Elder Scripps had always held a pivotal position in the country, and even as her own imperial faction grew increasingly powerful and prestigious, she could not ignore the old man's opinions. Moreover, she knew that he had fundamental principles and would not tolerate any outrageous behavior that broke the rules or disrupted traditions…

“…I’m sorry, Christina, but I can’t place any more trust in him until Tersolius returns. At least for now, I absolutely will not allow myself to take that risk.”

The emperor ultimately shook his head, firmly rejecting Christina's proposal.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with my former teacher, but now, at this time when rebellion is most likely to occur, his behavior makes me suspicious… He seems to be completely oblivious to everything—that’s the hardest thing for me to believe.”

"Is he truly unaware of everything and being deceived by the other nobles, or is he deliberately turning a blind eye to let things unfold as they will...? At least we can't be sure right now. Since we can't be sure of that, I can't trust him."

Christina smiled gently, seemingly having anticipated the emperor's answer, though a hint of helplessness lingered in her smile.

“I understand, Your Majesty, I understand… In our current position, many things are unavoidable; we can only fulfill our responsibilities. I think that old man feels the same way…”

Chapter 439 Falling short of success (1)

"Your Majesty, please punish me for dereliction of duty and lax management of my subordinates."

In the emperor's palace, heavily guarded by the royal guards, Clautina soon witnessed this scene—her chief of henchmen was kneeling on the ground, and next to him was a mangled, bloody mess that had been tortured and dismembered; only the blood-stained hair and clothes made it clear that it was still a human.

"...Get up first. Ingersoll said you went to investigate the strange events in the city, and it seems you have indeed found something. Tell me what happened first, and then I will decide whether or not to punish you."

A cold glint flashed in the emperor's eyes, and Ingersoll stepped forward and planted his axe on the ground, ready to carry out the emperor's orders at any time.

The woman, dressed in black, was small but sturdy. She was completely covered in black cloth, with only her eyes showing. She was kneeling on the ground in a humble manner. Two emerald green blades and all the other weapons had already been placed on the table next to her. She exposed her head to the axe with an attitude of complete non-defense.

Only after receiving the emperor's permission did the leader of the henchmen speak:

"Your Majesty, our henchmen have discovered the rebels. It is with their help that the rebel leader was able to collude with those scoundrels lurking in the shadows and to connect with those who harbor rebellious intentions... And it is precisely because of my carelessness and dereliction of duty that they were able to complete such preparations in the capital of the empire... Now the rebels are ready to make their move."

"The commander of the city garrison, Turiars, has betrayed us. He will lead his men to attack at dawn, and will use fire as a signal to assassinate His Majesty. Other rebels who have joined forces will also take this opportunity to launch a rebellion in an attempt to seize the country."

"...And this man is the leader of the rebellion among the henchmen, my second-in-command, Sosgraya. I captured him today, interrogated him urgently, and sent him here immediately after receiving the news. I also brought this criminal here with me. I ask Your Majesty to make your judgment."

The emperor fell silent, a thoughtful expression on his face, supporting his head with his hand. The mangled mess on the ground began to struggle, gasp, and convulse. After a long while, it actually began to sway and straighten its head, trying to get up.

The emperor impatiently stretched out his finger, and Ingersoll walked over without hesitation, placing the heavy axe in his hand on the man's back. Instantly, the man could no longer straighten up, and he was like a turtle being weighed down by a weight. He could only futilely stretch and flex his limbs, and the groans he made were as faint as mosquitoes. The filth, sweat and snot on his body made a mess of the ground, staining the beautiful mosaic tiles with a dirty color.

The man's current wretched state needs no further explanation. He is now more miserable than a lowly maggot. His entire body is covered in wounds, all cut out with extremely skillful techniques. Not a single nerve was damaged, but his skin was almost peeled off. Even his eyelids were cut off, revealing his white, bloodshot eyeballs...

At this point, the rebel was doomed. Even if he was still clinging to life, the extensive infection of his wounds would soon easily take his life. In the process, the terrible pain, like being burned by flames, would torment him constantly. Even a gust of wind would cause excruciating pain to his exposed nerves, and the dust he was covered in would burn his flesh like embers. All of this would continue until the end of his life.

This is unimaginable torture for anyone. At this point, living is only a painful torment, while death is the only relief. The mind will collapse under the dual torment of body and spirit... But for this man, this torture was expected. However, he had already lost all hope and knew that all his long-term plans had been in vain. Otherwise, it would not have been impossible for him to endure it without saying a word.

The heavy axe was like the last snowflake that crushed the tree, completely shattering his last efforts to stand up, leaving him only able to lift his eyelidless face in vain.

This was the only part of his body that hadn't been tortured—ensuring his identity could be recognized and his tongue remained unaffected, ensuring he could speak. However, his teeth were pulled out one by one to prevent him from biting off his own tongue and suffocating himself. The tendons in his hands and feet were also severed, leaving him only able to move on the ground like a worm.

The empire never shows mercy to criminals... This was a statement he had verified countless times in the past, and now he would use his life to verify it one last time, to fully savor the cruel methods of the Black Crows.

Of course, what he is currently accepting is far from the limit. After all, he must preserve his ability to speak and his physical strength, which limits many methods that can be used against him. Moreover, because the rebellion is imminent and the entire capital is like a powder keg about to explode, the prison warden who is dealing with him is also a bit crude in his methods.

Whether this is fortunate or unfortunate is hard to say... at least he will have to live in this miserable world for a while longer.

The axe pressing down on his back grew heavier and heavier, almost suffocating him. At first, he thought the captain of the Imperial Guard was deliberately increasing the force, but then he realized that his strength was being drained and he was turning into a pile of minced meat.

Just then, the emperor, sitting on his ornately carved chair, raised his right hand and made a gesture. The heavy axe on his back was immediately removed, giving his already weakened lungs a chance to catch their breath.

Of course, this certainly wasn't free—the thought flashed through his mind as he heard the voice of the empire's most esteemed emperor:

"...I need to know your reasons for betraying me. As the deputy to the head of the henchmen, I think I have given you enough power and status. Why did you choose to betray me? And who promised you anything?"

Even in the emperor's bedroom, the empire's architects fully utilized their ingenuity and wisdom. Next to the desk where the emperor received his ministers, there was also a structure to amplify the sound, ensuring that what the emperor wanted to say could be accurately transmitted to every corner of the room, and that the servants and guards outside the room could detect anything unusual immediately.

Even though the sound was so clear and bright, when it reached his ears, it was still like the chirping of birds falling ethereally from the top of the clouds. Although clear, it only made his consciousness weaker and weaker.

Seeing this, Clautina knew that the man was on the verge of death. She looked at the leader of her henchmen, who immediately understood. He reached into his leather pouch at his waist, pulled out a small glass bottle, grabbed the man's blood-soaked hair, and forcibly poured the powder inside into the bottle.

The effects were immediately apparent. The man, who had been lifeless just moments before, suddenly began coughing violently. Blood mixed with thick saliva flowed from the corners of his mouth onto the floor, and his breathing became rapid and smooth. He suddenly became fully awake.

"Cough cough cough!... Cough cough—Please forgive my offense, Your Majesty, but I was simply unable to answer your question just now."

The emperor remained silent, simply watching him calmly, while the man forced a bitter, pathetic smile.

"As for the reason, isn't it quite simple, sir?"

As he spoke, he turned to look at the leader of the henchmen beside him, who still maintained a humble posture of admitting his guilt, like a black stone statue that had been carved out.

"I just want to go further, but I know that Your Majesty will never trust me as much as you trust her. The power I can gain in this life can only be limited to this. Someone as greedy and arrogant as me will naturally not be content with that. At this time, another person came out and told me that he has the blood of the emperor and can also inherit the throne. So it is only natural that I want to take a gamble."

"After all, if I had succeeded, I would have truly grasped the empire's hidden power, second only to the emperor. It's just that I failed as an opportunist."

"Now that things have come to this, I have no other wish but that Your Majesty, considering my honesty, will order my head to be cut off so that I can die a quick and painless death, without having to endure the agony of my flesh being burned alive. Then I will have no regrets."

After saying this, he seemed to lose all his strength again, collapsing to the ground and even turning his face to one side.

"besides."

"...What are you saying?"

The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly. Something like rolling clouds on the horizon began to squeeze his heart, like sharp teeth emerging from iron scales. Vertical pupils opened amidst the gray smoke, and eyes the color of lava burned almost like flames. An indescribable sense of oppression was crushing him inch by inch, grinding him into minced meat bit by bit.

“I said, you’re still hiding something from me, there’s something else you should tell me.”

Sosgorya's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of his mouth. Fear and excitement gripped him at the same time, making his fingers tremble and cold sweat pour down his body. The cold sweat would then touch his flesh, bringing wave after wave of intense pain, but he remained completely unmoved, only feeling fear for what he had just discovered.

"...You, you are so perceptive...Of course, there is also a reason that is almost negligible, that is, I, a lowly person, also want to break free from your control and want more freedom. It is just some insignificant delusion that has offended your ears."

Did that person promise you freedom?

"Yes, that's true. I just can't bear to give up my current power and want more, and I don't want my life to be controlled by others... I can't think of anything else worth pursuing besides these."

The emperor nodded slightly, then looked at Ingersoll. The captain of the royal guard, who was prepared, simply raised his long axe and swung it lightly at the back of the man's neck, causing his head to roll to the ground. The spurting blood stained a large area of ​​the floor tiles, and the convulsing body went limp after a few breaths.

Immediately afterwards, Claudia curled her index finger and tapped it three times on the table. A servant immediately pushed open the door, bowed, dragged the body out, and quickly cleaned up the bloodstains on the floor, even sprinkling perfume powder to remove the smell of blood.

In an instant, the emperor's bedchamber became clean and new again, as if no one had ever died there. Only the head of the henchmen remained kneeling there as before, because she had not yet received the emperor's pardon or judgment, and therefore would not move an inch before receiving orders.

The emperor pondered for a moment, then sighed softly:

"Get up. I will pardon your dereliction of duty for now, because you have proven to me that you still have enough loyalty and ability... For this alone, you still have a chance to make amends for your mistakes. Now, go and find the rebel Turiars and bring him back to me."

The leader of the henchmen bowed respectfully, then walked to the table beside him under the emperor's gaze. He reached out and retrieved his weapons one by one from the tabletop, inserting the sharp steel spikes into the leather sheaths of his belt, and then inserting two blades that gleamed with an ominous silver-green light like the fangs of a viper into the iron rings on his belt. In an instant, he was fully armed.

After doing all this, she slowly retreated in front of the emperor, then turned into black mist before their eyes and disappeared without a trace, leaving not even footprints or dust behind.

Ingersoll blinked curiously… She really wanted to know how the little girl had disappeared. It couldn't have really turned into a puff of smoke and drifted out through the window crack, could it?… Even if that were the case, the windows in the room weren't open…

But no matter what, she was only curious; she wouldn't be foolish enough to actively seek out the truth—only the emperor knew what was going on, and she wouldn't overstep her bounds or get involved in anything.

"Now, there's one more thing I'm curious about."

Ingersoll turned to look at the emperor beside her with some confusion, wondering what His Majesty meant... The emperor, without any intention of beating around the bush, quickly expressed his concerns.

"The capital of the empire is the masterpiece of countless architects and scholars. The possibility of the city guards rebelling was considered long ago. With you guarding it, even if the entire garrison army rebelled and attacked the palace, it would be destined to be a mountain of corpses and a river of blood, and they would not be able to make an inch of progress."

"What makes Turiars so confident that he can succeed before the quelling army arrives? And if he fails, what's the point of launching such a rebellion?... Or is he not the real mastermind from the beginning? Is he just a pawn used to draw attention?"

In the darkness, the light from the crystal lamps remained bright and gentle, and the emperor's doubts remained unanswered. However, Ingersoll, whose expression changed several times, suddenly turned pale with fright. But after frowning and thinking for a while, he shook his head and rejected his own idea.

“What came to mind, Ingersoll? Tell me.”

“It’s very simple, Your Majesty. I originally thought that there was a traitor among the Imperial Guards… who would open the palace gates before the traitor arrived, but after careful consideration, I think it’s impossible… After all, I know each and every one of them very well. From their selection and training to their current appointments, everything is clear and identifiable. They have also undergone countless repeated investigations. Even if there really is a traitor hiding among them, it certainly wouldn’t be on a large scale, so how could they possibly open the city gates?”

"Besides, even if the city gates are opened, we have plenty of follow-up plans to deal with it. They will never amount to anything. I'm just overthinking things out of concern."

Chapter 440 Falling short of success (2)

The emperor's doubts remain unanswered, and tonight is destined to be a sleepless night. Countless will bleed to death tonight, countless will fall into hell, and countless will rise to power... In the long years to come, the empire's scholars will surely mark this day prominently in history, conducting a thorough investigation into every event that occurred, attempting to gain a deeper understanding of this significant day in the empire's history. But some things they will forever remain unknown.

The area illuminated by a burning wall lamp is limited. A single lamp will always leave dark corners around it, giving those with ill intentions an opportunity. Therefore, the lamps in the palace are spaced very close together, almost one every two steps, and servants are specially assigned to add oil to the lamps regularly to ensure that the place is brightly lit all night long.

This was naturally very expensive, with more than a dozen barrels of the finest lamp oil being used up every night. But for the wealthy capital, it was just a drop in the ocean. This had never changed over the years. So when the lights were sparse in other parts of the city, you could see the towering, magnificent palace in the darkness and easily find your way forward.

Posa couldn't remember how many times he had gazed at the palace like this, but each time he was amazed by its unparalleled magnificence, feeling like an ant crawling beneath a mountain of gold, and he would never forget the sight before him for the rest of his life.

Someone like him would never have been able to enter that palace in his entire life. After all, although the garrison of the capital city had good benefits, it was not as easy to get the opportunity to make meritorious contributions as the field army. Many people spent their entire lives chasing criminals and maintaining order in the streets and alleys. Therefore, most of the recruits were young and middle-aged men from the citizens of the capital.

Many veterans who find it difficult to settle down after retirement are assigned to the garrison. For the skills they possess, this job is a bit of an overreaction, so some people inevitably sigh about the past, but in the end, it is a stable job.