Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

The whole city was filled with celebration. The slaves led in sheep one after another, shouting and yelling. Skilled butchers were already waiting at the table. They swiftly and efficiently cut the throats, bleed the sheep, skinned them, and took the meat. They cleaned out all the edible internal organs and offal, leaving nothing out except the wool, sheepskin, hooves, and horns.

Large piles of tender meat and offal were placed into basins, and bonfires were lit throughout the city, with large pots placed on top. The slaves were as happy as if it were a festival. They put the meat into the pots, sprinkled in some salt, and started cooking. When the broth turned milky white and the aroma of meat filled the entire city, everyone took a bowl and had a bowl of meat and a bowl of soup to drink.

Hundreds of goats were slaughtered in the blink of an eye, and soon they all ended up in the stomachs of the slaves. Many of them had never tasted meat in their lives. It was only after General Tersolius arrived that they were able to eat their fill and occasionally have some dried meat.

But no one could have ever tasted such good meat. These sheep are expensive, and even the bones are fed to the men's dogs. There's no room for them... But now they can finally taste what this kind of meat is like.

Everyone wished they could swallow their tongues and taste the meat again in their stomachs. They couldn't bear to throw away the bones in the pot, so they added water again and again, simmering it from noon until night. The bones were almost cooked until they were soft and mushy. In the end, it was no longer soup, but just hot water with a little oil.

But the slaves kept drinking bowl after bowl. If the bones weren't so hard, they wouldn't mind chewing them up and swallowing them. Unrestrained laughter filled the entire city. This was the first time they had been able to laugh here.

The city's entire city was emptied of wine, but it still wasn't enough for everyone to have a small sip. Tersolius then ordered the surrounding canals sealed off and poured all the wine into them. Although it only had a slight wine flavor, everyone drank to their heart's content.

Some of the cavalrymen even mingled with the slaves. Every slave respected their instructors, and although they were often whipped, they knew it was to keep them alive. Not one of them was unaware of this.

The cavalry had spent so much time with them, and although they still looked down on these slaves, they didn't despise them too much. On the day of their great victory, their attitude towards them became much more amiable, and they were even able to exchange a few jokes with them.

This lively atmosphere seemed contagious. Many passersby were grabbed by the slaves, given two bowls of hot soup and two bowls of wine-scented spring water, and soon they were all mixed together. The whole city was in complete chaos, with fires blazing everywhere.

At this moment, no one cared about the previous order against lighting lamps at night. Even those who hastily made torches from scrap wood joined in, making a ruckus until the sky began to lighten and the streets and alleys finally quieted down.

But inside the city lord's inner hall, a completely different scene unfolded...

Chapter 78 Silencing and the Changes in the City (1)

The infant was curled up in his swaddling clothes, suckling at his mother's breast milk. His digestive system was still so fragile and immature, not fully developed, and could not accept any food other than breast milk. His survival depended entirely on his mother.

Human offspring are so fragile. Some herbivores can stand up and run shortly after birth, and most animal offspring can adapt to many harsh environments. Only human children need their parents to take care of them at all times. They are so fragile that even a little rain can kill them.

But such a fragile little life, once it grows up after more than a decade, possesses limitless possibilities—it can create many things, and it can also destroy many things. It can become a skilled craftsman, a farmer proficient in agriculture, a shrewd businessman, or even a ruthless soldier…

It is precisely this possibility that has created the glorious and splendid civilization of humankind. With wisdom, sweat, and blood, humankind has stood at the top of the planet's food chain, and there is no creature that cannot become their meal, as long as people are willing.

Humans, who seem so powerful, all have to endure a life full of suffering, especially in this world, in this era...

Her husband was the best hunter in the village. In an era when most villagers worried about what to eat for the next day, his skills ensured that neither he nor she ever went hungry...

Although the house is dilapidated, they will be able to save enough money next spring to build a new house, where rainwater will no longer seep down from above and strong winds will no longer damage the windows made of tree branches... That's how it should be.

One copper coin after another was placed in a ceramic jar under their bed. Once the jar was full, they would be able to move into a new house. As the number of copper coins inside increased, her husband's smile became more and more frequent. Every night, he would pour out all the copper coins, count them one by one, and then reluctantly put them back.

The two of them discussed over and over how the new house should be built. It should have sturdy supporting pillars and beams, covered with beautiful red tiles, so that rainwater could no longer seep in. The walls should be made of fine river mud mixed with straw, both strong and beautiful.

Go to Old Hado's place and have a whole set of doors and windows made, and you'll never have to worry about wind and rain blowing into the house again... These whispers in bed still seem to echo in my ears, yet they also seem so far away, beyond my reach.

The woman's heart is not filled with much sadness, or rather, that sadness has become solidified and will no longer easily melt or flow.

The child in her arms was chubby and strong; he would surely grow up to be a strong man, capable of wielding a spear, sword, and riding a magnificent warhorse, just as brave as those cavalrymen…

She sincerely hoped that her child could become one of them, that he could become a warrior, so that he could avenge his father.

Yes, revenge. After all hope and future were shattered, this was the only thought in the woman's mind. She knew nothing of national interests; she only knew that the Holstein army had massacred her village and killed her husband.

A man of the Casso family must never be a coward! ... He must avenge his father's death.

Her husband's bravery earned them preferential treatment. Not only did they survive, but they also lived better than before, with plenty of breast milk to feed him, allowing him to grow strong and healthy.

When the child turned eight, she would send him to Lord Thesolius, even if it meant kneeling and begging, to make her child a servant of the Lord. Only in this way could her child become a warrior, not a burden... She understood this deeply.

They cannot pray that this blessing will always exist; they must hold onto it tightly and exchange it for their own blood and loyalty.

………………

The man before him was a walking contradiction—this was Thesolius’s true thought: cowardly and weak, who would flee on the battlefield, yet would endure torture after being captured without uttering a word.

This was the first time he had ever seen such a brave yet cowardly fellow. The jailers of Alpert also had their share of methods, but these methods were mostly used to deal with disobedient troublemakers. No matter who it was, once they used these methods, they could tell you how many times they cried when they were born.

Most of these jailers were imprisoned, but what they left behind was simple and easy to understand, something anyone could learn at a glance…

A sharp iron nail stood on the man's head, causing a distorted expression on his face, but he subconsciously raised his body higher and higher until the nail was driven into his scalp.

Because his feet were on a red-hot iron plate, he was locked in a narrow cage and could not move at all. In order to get his feet away from the iron plate, he could only grab the iron bars on both sides and lift himself up.

But if he tried to lift his body upwards, sharp iron nails would pierce his head, and his arms would soon become weak and powerless, forcing him to fall back down. As soon as his feet touched the red-hot iron plate, a foul, acrid smell emanated from it, and thick smoke billowed out. Intermittent, weak screams escaped from his mouth.

In this repeated torment, his physical strength and willpower were rapidly depleted, but even though the sun's shadow had moved three feet further, the man remained silent, not uttering a single word, even though the flesh on the soles of his feet had been scalded to the point of being 80% cooked, his face was deathly pale, and he was drenched in cold sweat.

Blood soaked through his messy hair and streamed down his face, making him look incredibly disheveled. Even his signature long nose was wrinkled, but he stubbornly refused to utter a single word.

A layer of grayish-white hard skin had stuck to the iron plate. Both feet had been completely peeled off, and the intense pain made both legs tremble. He lowered his head weakly, and his hands, which were gripping the iron bars on both sides, shook like the wings of a fly.

Tersolius beckoned to the side, and two cavalrymen immediately stepped forward and used the wooden poles above to lift the iron cage down. However, he still dared not touch the ground. His feet, which were no longer protected by the skin on his feet, would be in excruciating pain if they touched the ground even slightly. He could only hang there like a duck.

Or perhaps his legs were never meant to touch the ground. Thesolius had mercilessly broken the bones in his legs, and now they were like limp noodles, unable to exert any force, yet he could still feel the pain intensely.

Tersolius stood up and looked with great interest at the ugly but unusually resolute man in front of him... He might still want to hide his identity, but Colin and the others had already secretly investigated his actions.

The ritual that drove the Holstein soldiers outside the city into a frenzy was orchestrated by this guy. The mountains of corpses piled up above the city walls and the viscous, terrifying pool of blood were also related to him. Such a guy was destined to be insane and inhuman, so it's not too surprising that he could endure such torture.

But Tersolius always felt something was off... He always felt that this guy didn't have that kind of ability.

Although many villains are exceptionally strong-willed, most are bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong. They will reveal anything if they suffer even a little bit. Those who can endure such torture are extremely rare, but he just couldn't believe that he had encountered one today.

Seeing that the man's eyes were unfocused, Tersolius suddenly realized something, reached out and grabbed his jaw to try to pry his mouth open, but the man clenched his teeth and his whole face was stiff.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, and slowly increased the pressure on his fingers. The soft flesh collapsed and tore under the chainmail gloves, and his jaw joint was also forcibly ripped open. A series of muffled screams came out of his throat, but they were indistinct.

Tersolius stared in astonishment. This guy's tongue had vanished... not cut off or torn off, but rather his mouth was completely smooth, as if he had never had a tongue at all. His throat was clearly visible in his moist mouth.

He grabbed the other man's hair and slammed his head against the wall twice, listening carefully to the sounds coming from it, his brows furrowing even more deeply...

When you pull back those two pairs of eyelids, you'll find that the pupils have long since become dilated, just like the eyes of a dead person.

He shook his head, threw the man to the ground, and his body slammed onto the stone slab with a dull thud.

"His head is full of holes; this guy is completely useless."

His plan to get some information from this man completely failed, but at the same time he realized something: at least this man was definitely not alone, but part of an organization, otherwise no one would have killed him in time.

These creatures lurking in the shadows remained unrecognizable, but Tersolius seemed to smell the stench of blood and decay emanating from them…

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

After instructing others to deal with the man, Tersolius rode his horse to the inner city. The imperial legion soldiers had taken over the city's order, and elite soldiers in full armor patrolled the streets and alleys.

Production in the city has been restored. The city gates were opened on the day the siege ended, and a steady stream of merchants came to the city. They were the most well-informed and would never miss any opportunity to make money.

Shops, blacksmith shops, breweries, tanneries, flax mills, and all sorts of other businesses and facilities in the city have resumed operation. The only place in the city that has changed is the slave market that Tersolius ordered to be demolished. It has now become a soldiers' camp, and tents and simple wooden houses are being erected and will gradually be built into a permanent camp.

The streets were filled with large groups of pedestrians and merchants, all kinds of livestock, and carts of all sizes pulling along the roads, with shouts and noise filling the air.

After more than a month of suppressed emotions, the citizens burst forth with unimaginable enthusiasm. They quickly restored the city to its former prosperity. After all, the city had not suffered a devastating massacre, and all the facilities and people were still intact. Restoring it to its former state was quite simple.

However, changes have occurred in many places. All slave traders who come to the city are told that their slaves will be accepted by the city's rulers at fair prices and will no longer be sent to the slave market to be picked over like livestock.

This caused panic among the slave owners in the city. They suddenly realized that they could no longer buy slaves. After earning so much gold, they had planned to buy more slaves to make their industry bigger and more prosperous.

But now, all slaves who enter the city are bought by the Imperial Generals, so they have no opportunity to buy slaves. How can their vast industries operate under such circumstances?

And they soon discovered with horror that they had lost control of the city... These newly arrived Imperial soldiers had taken control of the city in the blink of an eye, and every day countless gang members were beheaded in the middle of the streets, maintaining order quickly and effectively in a violent manner.

The city's former ruling foundation has been completely dismantled. They now possess enormous wealth, yet find themselves powerless to do anything! ... Every corner of the city has been tightly controlled by the new masters, who are now like a group of outsiders.

...Even if they had 100 more lives, they wouldn't have the courage to rebel against the current ruler. This imperial general proved to everyone in just half a month how skilled he was at war and killing—even the nobles who used to pride themselves on being the bravest didn't dare to stand in front of him now.

The corpses that were almost buried at the corners of the city outside were the best proof of this. The stench of corpses and blood that almost permeated the entire city, along with the crows that circled overhead for a whole month without leaving, made them tremble with fear and dare not move.

When they finally decided to send a group of representatives to see General Tersolius, they learned a terrible piece of news from him:

"Why not allow slaves into the market? This is my prerogative as an Imperial General. Until I deem this city safe, the right to purchase all slaves will revert to the Empire, and no one may purchase them without authorization. You've come at a bad time; I will promulgate this law tomorrow... and I will not tolerate anyone disobeying my orders. Do you all understand?"

Thesolius, sitting on his lord's throne, uttered these words with a strange smile on his lips, plunging them into utter despair.

Chapter 79 Silencing and the Changes in the City (2)

Tersolius suddenly reined in his warhorse. This large, sleek black beast was fierce in front of everyone, but it would obey his commands alone. Moreover, it would become excited as soon as it entered the battlefield. It was simply a born warhorse.

He had subtly inquired with his personal guards whether he had named the horse, but the answer he received was that this magnificent warhorse, which was larger than the other cavalry's horses and had black eyes without any other color, was called Moss... meaning "horse".

That's right, he always called his mount simply "horse," without any other meaning. He was just calling it by its species, and he never got it wrong. As long as he uttered those two syllables, the big guy would come trotting over to him.

He stroked the warhorse's black mane and peeked out:

"Are you finally awake? I thought you wouldn't be able to get out of bed until the afternoon."

The dazed mountain girl raised her head unsteadily, her hair disheveled, her eyes bloodshot, and she didn't even realize that she was wearing her shoes on the wrong feet or had put on her leg wraps. Her face was pale and confused.

This was the first time she had appeared before Tersolius without a weapon. She didn't look like the loud and boisterous bandit leader; instead, she seemed like the scatterbrained little girl next door.

She was the most outrageous one last night. Even the other mountain folks almost couldn't hold her back and got a beating from her. She was clutching those big jars of fine wine in her arms as if someone was trying to take it from her. As expected, she slept soundly until now.

"I'm fine... Ugh!... I'm just a little dazed, I'll be fine after sitting for a while..."

Colin covered his mouth and gagged. Trembling, he found a rock next to the flower bed and sat down. He looked like he had lost half his life, with the other half escaping from his mouth. His strong body, which could climb the cliff at lightning speed, was now limp.

Thesolius, somewhat amused, led his horse over, then dismounted.

“You should go find Talina. She’s sure to have something to make you feel better. Besides, how old are you to drink so much? If Talina hadn’t stopped you, you would have been crawling out of the drain this morning.”

"Back in my hometown, people my age already have a child, let alone drink alcohol. Ugh! That guy's collection must be the problem. Who knows where he got it from? This strong liquor is making me dizzy. I've never been this drunk before!"

Tesorus smiled, even seeming to want to say something but holding back:

"Is it possible, I mean, is that... you've been drinking inferior wine before? That's why you feel so uncomfortable drinking good wine for the first time?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!! That's something we traded for from Hisdalfield, how could it be inferior wine?!"

"...If I'm not mistaken, Hisdalfield seems to be just an ordinary town, right? Is it the kind of town where you can drink a lot of alcohol and still hardly get drunk?"

"—Indeed, we could drink from sunset to sunrise, and I was wide awake until dawn... Could it really be cheap liquor!?"

"I think it's more than that. Maybe they just added a little wine to the water. Otherwise, even cheap wine would make you drunk by dawn... This is probably no different from homemade fruit wine, and it might even taste worse than fruit wine."

The girl's expression suddenly turned serious:

"I absolutely can't let that old man in my family know about this... or he'll break my legs. I've been praising it to him as the best wine in the empire."

Tersolius was suddenly intrigued; Colin had never mentioned her hometown before, and he was equally curious whether her father's name was Caladog.

"Tell me about your hometown. Why did you leave? I think no one would willingly leave their homeland unless absolutely necessary."

"Actually, there's no particular reason..."

The girl yawned, and her expression noticeably improved.