Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

He would never have been so rude under normal circumstances, but now they didn't have time to bother with such trivial matters; there was a huge mess to clean up or suppress.

"It's very simple, Your Majesty. At that time, the troops I brought were exhausted, and then the rebel cavalry attacked. So I had my men wait for the others to enter the city first, while I led the cavalry to scatter the attacking enemy... I had anticipated that Lord Scripps would not stand aside under such circumstances. He would have to get involved no matter what, so I naturally made arrangements in that regard... However, I did not expect that the actual situation would be like this."

"Lord Tersolius, Your Majesty, let this old man explain the details."

Scripps, whose injuries had already been treated, hadn't had time to change his clothes. His elegant white robe was covered in bright bloodstains, a shocking sight, but not enough to be life-threatening... This was because the people who had captured him didn't intend to kill the old man, but Scripps had drawn his blade and fought back. In the chaos, he had sustained quite a few cuts.

The emperor nodded slightly, and Tersolius naturally did not object—after all, even though he had already heard the old man's explanation, it was only a brief exchange in an emergency, and naturally could not compare to the clarity of what the person involved said.

"...Just as I just told you in front of everyone, Your Majesty, more than half of the members of the Senate could no longer contain their ambitions and became traitors who intended to assassinate the Emperor and start a war. Although I had some prior knowledge of this, I was not able to avoid the subsequent attack."

“It had been three days since my student and I fell into their control. I received an invitation to a meeting, and I was also interested in finding out some information and testing the thoughts of a few key people... I also thought that even if the situation changed, it wouldn't deteriorate to that extent in a short time, so I didn't even call any guards and just took my student there.”

"Looking back now, I was indeed too careless... I didn't expect them to have secretly colluded to that extent, and I didn't expect so many people to have broken free from my control... They were already angry and resentful about the power they were gradually losing, and they were no longer the people who were united under me, the chief elder, to try to oppose the emperor."

At this point, the old man's expression became somewhat melancholy... and Tersolius and the emperor could understand the old man's thoughts.

...In a sense, Scripps was always a man full of ideals, and his ideals were exactly the most beautiful vision of the future of the country that the emperor who established the imperial system had for the country—a unified country, a country with highly centralized power, with strong organizational capabilities and an elite army, where the emperor's power, though great, could be checked and balanced, and outstanding individuals who had made outstanding contributions would become elders to contribute their strength and wisdom in order to maintain the stability and prosperity of the entire country.

Scripps dedicated his entire life to this goal. His wish was to see the country prosper and be stable. Having witnessed firsthand the devastation a mad tyrant could inflict on a nation, he was even more convinced of the importance of the Senate and devoted his life to it.

Before this event actually happened, he had never doubted his path, and the prosperity and strength of the country filled him with heartfelt joy. Despite his frail old age, he diligently devoted himself to his work, contributing to the country's development...

The reason why Tersolius's legions were able to establish administrative institutions and maintain a considerable degree of stability in the lands they conquered so quickly was due to the efforts of the chief senator. Only the wisdom and experience of this old man could have accomplished such a feat.

But now, some members of the Senate have shown him through their actions that their control over the situation is far less stable than he had imagined, and that their desire and ambition for power are far more complex than he knew.

Now, if their rebellion succeeds, the damage it will inflict on the empire will be no less than that of any previous tyrant... and may even be worse, plunging the entire country into a crisis of destruction in the worst-case scenario.

“After a brief conversation, I noticed something was amiss—they were probing my thoughts, and for some audacious purpose… I realized then that things were going badly, but it was too late to extricate myself.”

"Then, Turials appeared before me, claiming that he also possessed the blood of the emperor and was equally qualified to become emperor... and promised me more power and wealth, hoping that I would support their arrogant ambitions."

“At first, I tried to get more information from them to know their specific plans and intentions, but the traitors were very cautious and quickly realized that I was not going to collude with them... So in the end, all I could do was draw my sword and put up a final act of resistance. But even I didn’t expect that they would not kill me directly, but instead imprison both of us.”

At this point, Scripps' eyes narrowed dangerously:

“They may have other schemes up their sleeves, but at least on this point they’ve been incredibly foolish… Things would have been very different if my throat hadn’t been slit.”

"Of course, we now face a crucial problem – the roads near the capital have been cut off, and at least three legions have been confirmed to have rebelled… we cannot rule out the possibility of more. We need to deal with the immediate crisis first."

After saying this, the old man seemed a little tired. He raised his right hand to rub his temples and even leaned his back against the ornately carved marble pillar next to him without any regard for his manners, letting out long and deep breaths.

Tesolius raised his head and met the emperor's gaze. Their tacit understanding, honed from childhood, quickly allowed them to grasp each other's thoughts. After a brief exchange, Tesolius spoke first:

"The situation is critical now. We absolutely cannot risk being completely trapped in the capital. We must take control of the situation immediately. Therefore, we cannot hold out in the capital and wait for reinforcements. To do this, we must first defeat the enemy that is currently threatening the capital."

Scripps nodded slightly:

"If it's just about defense, the capital's garrison and the city's strategic location are enough to easily handle ten times the number of enemies. But this city has hundreds of thousands of people who consume massive amounts of food every day... Moreover, this rebellion came completely out of the blue, and our current reserves won't last long. There will be big chaos afterward."

"Therefore, perhaps we should make a firm decision and invoke a special law." The emperor sat up straight, his expression equally serious.

"The capital may not have enough food reserves to supply all the residents for a long time, but the well-equipped military equipment stored in the arsenal is enough to arm five more legions."

"But we don't have enough reserve troops right now...you mean?"

Scripps quickly realized what was going on, and the Emperor and Tersolius nodded without hesitation.

“We don’t need five legions; one more legion will suffice,” Tersolius said calmly.

"And as far as I know, the number of people who have received military training and served in the Imperial Capital is far more than just one legion; we even have room to select them."

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

How long is a night? ... In the past, Bosdor would have said it was insignificant, or even that the night was too short. After a busy day, he would have to keep working as soon as he opened his eyes to keep his business afloat.

Unlike many of his peers, Bosdo enjoys a comfortable life and is even willing to occasionally indulge in the luxury of temporarily setting aside opportunities to make money, allowing himself a day or two to rest. And a good night's sleep, where he can wake up to the aroma of food, is naturally the best thing ever.

But today, Bosideng found himself eagerly anticipating the arrival of daylight, hoping that the rooster in his neighbor's house would crow loudly to announce the appearance of the sun.

Countless people share his sentiment; what happened last night felt like a chaotic and dangerous nightmare… Just thinking about it is enough to send chills down one's spine, like someone standing on a ship seeing a massive whirlpool beneath the surface of the sea, powerful enough to swallow mountains…

Although he had not experienced it firsthand, his father and grandfather understood very well what would happen in that city under such circumstances... When he was young, he did not take it seriously, but after more than ten years of hard work and experience in the city, he had engraved those pure teachings into his very bones.

That's why, when he realized something was wrong, he immediately abandoned his cart and goods, fled back home, and hid with his family in the cellar behind the house, anxiously waiting for the night to pass.

Of course, daylight doesn't necessarily mean safety, but at least he has more ways to get information. Unlike when it's pitch black and you can't see anything, running around in the dark at that time could easily lead to being chopped up by either side, and you'd just die like a fool.

Of course, if possible—even if there's only a sliver of a chance—he'd prefer his car to still be there, so he could at least get the goods back intact. Otherwise, he wouldn't want to lose such a large sum of money for no reason…it could even leave his family destitute.

He endured the ordeal until dawn. As always, the rooster crowed precisely on time. Bosdor had made up his mind. He calmed his wife and children, quietly climbed up the ladder and climbed out of the cellar. Then he carefully covered the place up, went to the wardrobe and found the most tattered and inconspicuous clothes. Only then did he sneak away from his home along the most secluded path.

He hadn't forgotten how to tiptoe when he served as a scout in the legion... but he no longer had the ambition and cunning of that time... Back then, he wasn't brave or fierce enough, but he was quick-witted and cunning enough to have the life he had now.

So he followed a side path, one that no one familiar with the area would ever know, all the way to the place where he had abandoned his goods the day before. Clinging to a last shred of hope, he thought he could bring the goods back and, incidentally, find out what had happened…

He remained vigilant and cautious throughout the journey, never allowing himself to be exposed in open or unprotected areas, and carefully probing every turn... The city he had lived in for so long seemed to have instantly transformed into a perilous primeval forest, requiring him to be constantly on edge.

Finally, after carefully rounding a street corner and crossing the third intersection along the shop porch, he arrived at the place he had scouted the day before—near the market entrance, where he later parked his cargo cart in the corner of the alley.

But as soon as he stepped into the alley, a chill ran through him... Just as he had anticipated the worst-case scenario, the cart was still inside, but it had been overturned on the ground, and the valuable furs inside that could fetch a price had long since vanished!

Forcibly suppressing his urge to curse, and clinging to the last glimmer of hope, he took two steps forward and reached under the car. He felt a protruding wooden knot, and with a gentle pull, he immediately opened the panel disguised as the bottom of the car. After groping around inside for a while, he quickly pulled out a bulging money bag.

Finding his fur was impossible; in the dark, who could know who had taken it? There was simply no way to trace it… only the income he had accumulated before remained. This offered him some solace; he felt the current situation was barely acceptable, though he knew he would likely face a period of hardship from now on.

Just as he was feeling disheartened and preparing to go home and make further plans, the growing noise from the street outside caught his attention, prompting him to hesitate briefly before deciding to go and investigate…

Chapter 449 The Rebels (3)

The spacious and bright streets have always been a source of pride for the people of the Empire, especially those who have traveled to other countries and experienced it firsthand. No matter how large the population of other countries' capitals may be, they can never plan such beautiful and orderly roads and set up such a well-developed and reasonable sewer system in a city with a population of hundreds of thousands as the Empire has. The mountains of dung and the crowded and deformed roads and blocks outside the city walls are the norm for them.

Walking on such roads, you don't have to worry about stepping in feces or sinking into mud. You also don't have to worry about smelly piles of dung and flies swarming around your nose. Apart from dust, nothing else will soil your shoes, allowing you to walk briskly and easily throughout the entire city.

On such roads, even livestock are strictly required to have a cloth bag over their rear ends; otherwise, if horse or cow dung contaminates the ground, the owner will be punished.

Dumping feces and garbage indiscriminately is seen as a provocation against urban order, and three to five smooth wooden stakes buried deep in the ground in each block will come in handy at this time—all you need is a leather rope that you carry with you, and any soldier can teach him a lesson with his whip and stick.

Over the long years, every citizen of this city has become accustomed to abiding by the laws that seem harsh to outsiders, allowing them to live a decent and comfortable life here, and also habitually maintaining the cleanliness and brightness of the city.

Such order and grandeur, coupled with its pristine cleanliness, is a profound shock to visitors and a great convenience for the city's residents. They are spared the sanitation and health problems caused by stinking piles of excrement and garbage. They can move about in an orderly fashion on wide roads, passing through with ease, and quickly gather at any given time.

Halfway there, Bosdo noticed the gradually gathering crowd. The streets and alleys were no longer as deserted as when he had just arrived. Under these circumstances, trying to hide alone in those corners would only make him stand out and look like a scoundrel.

So he chose a place where the crowd was a little sparse, making it easy to escape at any time, and slowly followed the flow of people forward—he also wanted to see what was going on, and since so many people had gathered on their own, there should be no danger.

Of course, it's best to test the waters first...

He glanced around out of the corner of his eye and quickly picked out a kind-looking middle-aged man. The man had short, curly hair, a round nose, and a broad chin that made him look very honest and easy to talk to.

"Sir, do you know what happened? I just saw a lot of people coming over to see what was going on, and I have no idea what's going on at all."

The middle-aged man paused slightly before realizing that the man was speaking to him. Then, just as Bosdor had predicted, he gave him a very kind reply:

"I heard the captain's summons while I was hiding at home... I heard that His Majesty is safe and sound, the turmoil last night has been completely quelled, and there are important announcements to be made, so I quickly came out of the house."

"Oh, I see... Aren't you scared?"

Bosdo initially just nodded in response, but ultimately couldn't help asking another question. The middle-aged man also frowned with some confusion:

What are you afraid of?

"Of course, we're wondering if there's a conspiracy behind what happened today... I saw that commotion with my own eyes last night. There's no doubt that a large army was passing through the streets. How could everything be fine after just one night's sleep? If things haven't calmed down yet, wouldn't we be asking for death if we got involved?"

The kind-faced, middle-aged man nodded understandingly.

"I see... But you don't need to worry about that. There's something else you probably don't know..."

Before the Persian could ask any further questions, the other party gave him the answer on their own:

"Lord Tersolius has returned! His banner has been raised on the white marble walls of the Central Senate! In any case, we certainly have nothing to worry about!"

Perseto suddenly understood, and his heart immediately calmed down... If anyone could unconditionally give the residents of the capital confidence at this moment, it would certainly be General Tersolius, who led his legions on eastward and southward campaigns, ravaging countless barbarian tribes. With such a powerful general in charge, what did they have to worry about?!

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

The bustling crowd maintained a distance of about two palms between each other. Although it was not as orderly and tight as a legion's formation, it still looked well-organized and did not cause too much crowding, allowing the square to accommodate as many people as possible.

However, standing among a crowd of people sweating profusely in this kind of weather is definitely not a pleasant experience. The sweltering smell of sweat permeates almost every corner, and some people wearing relatively light clothing have even had their clothes soaked through with sweat, which clings tightly to their skin.

Yesterday's sun relentlessly baked his forehead, but Bosdo showed no intention of seeking shade. Instead, he listened intently to every word the official in front of him said, not daring to relax for even a moment.

If his ears and brain weren't malfunctioning today, what he had just heard should have been an order to establish a new legion, jointly issued by the Emperor and the Senate, possessing supreme authority throughout the empire and representing the highest power of the state; no one else had the right to interfere.

Moreover, the newly established legion will be led by General Tersolius, and will only recruit soldiers who have received sufficient military training and have service experience. They will also be paid generously until the end of the war, comparable to the elite legions under the commander's command.

He quickly realized he had found another opportunity—after losing all his goods, he thought he was about to face hardship, but unexpectedly, he happened to be there when the new legion was being formed. If he could successfully join it, and even get a position of some rank...

Thinking of the treatment he had just seen on that large parchment, he shuddered violently... He had never been able to join an elite legion before, and now he couldn't help but yearn for it, especially with General Tersolius leading the way, he was sure to gain the glory of victory...

In an instant, a fierce discussion erupted in the square like a tidal wave, almost shattering the surrounding bricks and tiles... The imperial people's enthusiasm for war never needed much incitement; it would burst forth like a molten furnace.

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

The catastrophic consequences of the rapid assault quickly triggered a greater rout, with soldiers utterly losing their confidence and courage. They no longer had the will to fight, and in their desperate attempt to escape, they even began discarding their weapons, helmets, and armor, just to lighten their load and outrun their comrades.

Such a rout, completely disorganized and disorganized, was a sheep flock that posed no threat to the pursuing cavalry. They didn't even need to make their warhorses run; they only needed to maintain a trot to pierce the fleeing enemies from behind with spears or shoot them down with arrows.

In the blink of an eye, their losses had already exceeded the total of the previous battles, and were rapidly escalating at an astonishing rate. Everywhere there were shrill screams and horrific sounds of limbs being severed and bodies being pierced, cries of pain and pleas for mercy, all of which were incessant, but often ended with a desperate wail.

Like red water swiftly engulfing mud and sand, the pursuing light cavalry spread and devoured the fleeing enemies, piercing, slashing, smashing, and hammering them down, shooting them down one after another like ducks, quickly reaping the lives of the enemy. Their warhorses, as swift as the wind, allowed them to do this with ease and to the fullest extent.

The lord in charge of this attack was so pale he looked like a ghost, making one wonder if he might suddenly faint at any moment... This was understandable, of course, since no one had anticipated that an attack that was originally intended as a probe and a perfunctory effort would turn out like this. And the losses he suffered were enough to drive any lord mad with pain and make him grind his teeth in hatred.

No one had anticipated that the cavalry would arrive so quickly, so fiercely, and so directly to the vital points… They even used the forest as cover to rapidly advance from the other side, then swiftly decided the final victory with a fatal rear charge and two volleys of arrows. The reinforcements they had hastily organized hadn't even had time to be sent out. The part of the enemy force that had been ambushed was already engulfed in a massacre.

On the right hillside, green, white, and red flags waved in a crisscross pattern. Several horns sounded simultaneously, and the infantry made way. Then came the heavy thud of hooves. Knights, clad in thick cloth armor with chainmail and tunic underneath, and wearing sturdy helmets, charged out of formation, each with a banner bearing their family crest at the tip of their lance. The various colors and shapes converged into a dazzling sea.

Even their warhorses were clad in thick leather and chainmail armor, enough to keep them alive in the rain of arrows. They charged down the gentle hillside into the plain, their target the approaching light cavalry.

They were the best knights in the entire Western world, and were also known as square-flag knights because they used square flags on the battlefield to show the glory of their families and themselves. In many cases, they were used as officers and had a more prestigious status than ordinary knights. They also had outstanding martial skills honed over a long period of time, which were enough to easily break through the infantry defenses. They were famous throughout the West.

Now they have been assembled and are attacking. Although there are only two hundred or so of them, they still run with an earth-shattering momentum, like a torrent sweeping away weeds and mud, determined to destroy everything that stands in their way.

Faced with this overwhelming attack, the light cavalry, who had just been recklessly pursuing the enemy, showed no intention of engaging in battle. Instead, they turned and fled without hesitation at the sound of a horn, quickly disappearing before the knights' ranks could even get close. During this time, they continued to turn back and fire arrows, harassing the pursuing knights with a dense rain of arrows.

Within the ranks, many immediately began to curse the enemy's weakness and cowardly behavior, scorning them for not even daring to fight their real opponents. But the flag-bearer knights had already achieved their goal and began to slow their warhorses, showing no intention of being pursued by the lured ones, in order to help the remaining troops retreat... Clearly, this was their original objective.

Seeing that the knights had not fallen for the trap, the Imperial light cavalry did not return. Instead, they quickly left along the road, soon fading from the hazy, fiery red sky, leaving only the bloodless corpses lying in the mud of the battlefield, buried by weeds and mud.

Not long after, the remaining remnants finally retreated to their camp... They were in a terrible state since they were sent out, with only one-third of their original number remaining. Everyone was exhausted and barely had the strength to stand up. The terrifying experience of escaping death had drained their will and strength.

The lord, who had suffered a huge loss, finally came to his senses and hurriedly gathered his remaining troops. He was determined to find an excuse to leave immediately. However, he was finding it so difficult to attack a small town with walls. If he stayed here any longer, he was afraid he would lose all his savings. Then he would be nothing.

The returning knights dismounted and allowed their servants to remove their heavy outer armor, leaving them with only a thin chainmail lining and a thick armored suit underneath. Their sweating warhorses were immediately attended to by servants. Both men and horses were exhausted from this all-out assault.