Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

Just as the atmosphere was easing, Thesolius, who was laughing so hard he could hardly breathe, suddenly reached behind his waist and pulled out a short knife, which terrified the girl so much that she sat down on the ground and retreated in panic. The sharp blade of the short knife, gleaming brightly, flashed with a blinding cold light under the moonlight, freezing her heart.

Just as Tarina thought she was about to be brutally killed, Terthorius looked at her with a helpless expression:

“What are you thinking, girl? The hilt of this knife is inlaid with gold, it’s worth a lot of money. I don’t have any other valuables on me, so I’ll give this to you… You can sell it for some money, or you can keep it for self-defense.”

As he spoke, he stood up, then pinched the blade between his fingers and pointed the hilt at the other person:

"Take it. If you don't take this, I'm going to renege on my debt... After all, we don't have anything valuable on us except our armor and weapons. We need to keep these things to save our lives, so I can't give them to you."

Seeing that the other party was still hesitant and dared not take it, he impatiently shoved the knife hilt into the other party's hand, then grabbed the other party's palm with his own hand and pulled the other party up from the ground with force. The Talina, who was already terrified and weak in the knees, had no power to resist. He pulled her up from the ground with his terrifying strength and then crashed into his arms without any resistance. She bumped into the hard armor plates and her fair and tender cheeks were covered with several red marks.

The girl recoiled as if electrocuted, clutching the dagger tightly to her chest, perhaps to give herself a sense of security.

"Take this scabbard with you too, aren't you afraid of hurting yourself?"

Tersolius then handed over an exquisite scabbard inlaid with gold and silver threads. Even without these precious metals, the superb craftsmanship alone would have made it worth a considerable sum. However, Talina still felt that he had deliberately tried to scare her earlier; otherwise, why hadn't he taken it out along with the scabbard? This made her puff out her cheeks slightly and cautiously glare at Tersolius, but she didn't dare look any longer. Like a timid little squirrel, she quickly lowered her head again.

'What a strange man...'

I could only complain silently in my heart.

Chapter 13 - A Brief Break (3)

A Holstein man crept furtively outside the house, his expression so fearful and timid, like a frightened deer, constantly worried that some danger might suddenly appear from the side. He nervously looked around with his wide eyes from time to time, and even the slightest rustle of grass could make him drop to the ground in fright.

Despite this fear, he didn't stop moving forward to find a place to hide. He forced himself to slowly grope his way through the waist-high grass, occasionally peeking out cautiously. His coarse linen clothes were stained black with mud, and the fabric at his knees was worn down, revealing bloodstained skin. His fingers, from constantly scratching at the grass, were cut and bleeding in the areas not covered by thick calluses.

The traveler pressed on with difficulty, stopping cautiously every so often, haunted by the terrifying scraping sound of armor clashing around him… In the blink of an eye, soldiers clad in iron scales surrounded the village. Under the iron hooves of those fearsome warhorses, no one could escape; they were all easily driven to the drying ground in the center of the village. Although these cavalrymen did not engage in widespread slaughter, the blood-stained iron staffs and sabers in their hands still terrified everyone. Even their warhorses seemed to have turned into bloodthirsty monsters, occasionally charging madly at the villagers.

After everyone was gathered together, a tall man told the village chief that as long as they stayed there, no one would be harmed and there would be no unnecessary bloodshed. All the food they took would be exchanged for a sufficient amount of money; although the village was far from town, they could use the money to buy even more food.

Seeing that the other party was reasonable, the villagers were no longer so afraid. Although these imperial men were fierce, they didn't intend to kill them for the time being. Otherwise, wouldn't it be easier to kill everyone and then search each house for grain? So they obediently stayed in the threshing ground in the center of the village. Whenever a soldier carried a bag of grain, the tall man would take out a silver coin and throw it into the village chief's hand. This silver coin could buy at least one and a half bags of grain at the market, so they were making a profit no matter what.

The man, however, could not stay there obediently like the others. Although he was immediately captured by the soldiers and thrown into the threshing ground, his wife was giving birth to her child and was not seen in the crowd until later. Worried, the man took advantage of a moment when the soldiers guarding them were not paying attention, and slipped into the waist-high grass. Then, relying on his hunting skills, he quietly slipped away like a cunning venomous snake.

He knew he was doing something stupid. According to the soldiers, if they found someone missing from the area, someone would bleed... But he couldn't bear to leave his wife behind. He just wanted to check on her safety. If she was alright, and if his unborn child (whose gender he didn't know) was alright, he would return immediately. Three or four hundred people were gathered in the center of the village. It would be hard to notice if one or two were missing. As long as he returned before then, there wouldn't be any problems.

Regardless, he had put the lives of everyone else in the village in a dangerous position. He knew that doing so would make everyone despise him, but he had to do it... After all, the lives of his wife and children were more important to him than anything else, even more important than his own life.

He returned to his house without being noticed because the soldiers were all gathered in the center. He then pressed himself against the simple wall of his house, which was made of mud and branches, and quietly peered into the house...

Then a pair of sharp, eagle-like eyes appeared before him... The terrifying killing intent and will carried in those eyes made his legs go weak, and he couldn't help but scream. In the blink of an eye, fully armed cavalrymen appeared around the corner. Before the man could even get up, the other man grabbed his shoulder with a strong hand and dragged him into the house like a quail.

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"Doctor, do you know this man?"

Tersolius watched the spying man with great interest. He had just intended to break off the thin branches blocking the window and drag the man into the house, but considering the dilapidated state of the crumbling building, he abandoned the idea and had Akar bring the man in instead… And at this time, it was hard not to suspect that the commander of this cavalry unit, who dared to spy on him, was a Holsian spy.

Thesolius had a moral compass far exceeding that of his time, but he also had his own principles. If the man in front of him was indeed a spy, he would not hesitate to execute him... He could not risk letting his troops reveal their whereabouts, at least not so quickly.

Akar had already drawn his chain hammer from his waist. A long, thin metal rod was connected to a chain about the length of a hand, and at the end of the chain was a angular metal hammerhead with short, blunt spikes that could smash a person's head to pieces like a melon.

Akar would kill without even blinking an eye, provided his general gave the order.

Just as the man was trembling like a leaf, Talina spoke up in time:

"Please forgive him, sir! This man is just an ordinary hunter from our village, and the woman in bed is his wife. He probably just wanted to come back to see his child and had absolutely no malicious intent! Besides, he wasn't carrying any weapons, which proves that this man is harmless."

Tersolius suddenly turned his head:

"Madam, is this man really your husband?"

The woman, now fully conscious, hugged her baby tightly. The baby's powerful cries echoed in the room once more, causing the man kneeling on the floor to tremble slightly. His head involuntarily wanted to look at the bed, but the terrifying clanking of the chains beside him prevented him from making any significant movements.

Thesolius had been watching the man closely, and when he saw the man's back twitch, he had already made his conclusion. He then waved for Akar to sheathe his weapon.

“Your courage and recklessness have surprised me. You should have heard what I just said in the threshing ground... So you should have thought about what the consequences would be if we caught you, right?”

The man's entire face contorted in pain, his fingers digging into the soil beneath his feet, his voice stiff with extreme fear and frustration:

“My lord, this was all my own doing, and it has nothing to do with anyone else… I am willing to accept any punishment… as long as you can mercifully spare my wife and children, even after death, I will pray for your health in Aifas…”

Silence suddenly descended upon the room. Tersorius stared indifferently at the man before him, and the atmosphere grew increasingly dangerous. The other three people in the room were all trembling. No matter how approachable the officer had been before, it was difficult for him to show mercy when faced with someone who had clearly disobeyed his orders.

The sound of a military knife rubbing against its sheath sent chills down one's spine. The finely polished blade, so sharp it reflected a shadow, had a slight curve and could easily slice a person in two with the help of a horse. Cutting off a person's head would be a piece of cake. The blade was inlaid with intricate and beautiful patterns of gold, giving this terrible murder weapon an artistic beauty.

The suppressed cries of the woman and the baby echoed in the room. The child's mouth was tightly covered by his mother, preventing him from crying out loud. She could only look at her kneeling husband with a desperate gaze; there was nothing else she could do...

A flash of cold light, and a few drops of blood flowed from the tip of the knife. The flickering light and shadow made the woman in labor scream, but the scream stopped abruptly... The man touched the knife wound on his left cheek in astonishment. The wound was not too deep, and only a little blood had flowed, just slightly wetting the blade.

The sharp tip of the knife was pointed at the man's forehead:

“My orders cannot be disobeyed! So I’m making you bleed now as punishment for your mistakes… and as a husband who cares about his children, this punishment should be enough.”

Thesolius wore a gentle smile as he watched the blood dripping from the tip of his knife.

The man bowed his head deeply, so deeply that he wanted to bury his forehead in the earth.

"Thank you for your kindness!..."

Chapter 14 Conspiracy (1)

The majestic eagle flapped its wings, its broad feathers stirring the air currents, allowing it to slowly spiral down the mountaintop. Its sharp eyes searched for prey on the ground. The thin, cold air in the high sky constantly blew, but it was easily blocked by its thick, fine feathers, which kept its body at a relatively high temperature. Its sharp, hook-like claws were tucked under its belly, ready to snap the neck of its prey at any moment.

Layers of thin, veil-like clouds obstructed its vision, yet were easily broken through one layer after another, turning into thin droplets that rolled slightly on its oily feathers before falling off. By skillfully controlling its tail feathers and wings, this sky sprite could reach any place it desired.

The eagle once again pierced through a thick layer of clouds, and before it, a majestic mountain came into view. This mountain was so peculiar that no other mountain range connected to it. It was like the ferocious spine of a huge beast lying on a plain. The peaks, as if cleaved by a knife and axe, were densely packed like a forest of spears along the ridge. Even the most skilled climbers, the most agile monkeys, could not stay on it. It was so ferocious and treacherous that it did not seem like a natural creation, but rather a man-made danger.

And here stands a magnificent city perched atop such a precipitous mountain. Along the thick walls constructed of black rock halfway up the slope, countless spires and bell towers rise proudly, each separated by precise distances, measured hundreds of times. The seams between each stone are so narrow that even the thinnest blade cannot be inserted. Every building is adorned with exquisitely carved and ornate sculptures: voluptuous women, armored warriors, majestic warhorses… each one sculpted with lifelike detail, embellishing every corner of the city. The city's roads are paved with fine bluestone slabs. A comprehensive sewer system runs throughout the city, with canals flowing with clear water at every street corner, supplying the water needs of the entire population… It's unimaginable how much manpower and resources it must have taken to build such a marvel…

The eagle glanced indifferently at the city, finding no prey it needed. Without hesitation, it flapped its wings and soared through the city's sky, leaving this terrifying spectacle behind. Only a thin feather remained, drifting and tumbling with the air currents, eventually landing on a golden glazed tile roof.

…………

“Traitor!! Traitor!!……………………”

These two words were uttered from countless throats, shouted out with trembling lips and desperate cries. A dense crowd thronged together, dressed in all sorts of clothes—some from luxurious silk, others from ordinary linen—yet they were indistinguishable, nobles and merchants, artisans and commoners alike, all angrily shouting these two words, their fists raised as if to strike something, each face flushed red, their terrifying and intense emotions like a magnificent wave threatening to engulf everything before them.

The tiny feather was lifted up by the enormous sound wave, then swayed and fell onto a guard's helmet, sliding down the smooth steel to his shoulder, where it got stuck in the densely packed scales. Then, like a tiny helmet feather fluttering in the wind, it brought a sliver of light to the guard.

An angry crowd was gathering in the square in front of the palace. Although they did not charge the soldiers' lines, they were still shouting loudly. Everyone raised their right arms in unison, venting their emotions like swords wielded in a military formation.

"Tesorius is a shameful traitor!! He has brought enormous losses to our country!! His name shall be engraved on the monument of shame!! That shameful traitor!"

"He destroyed our elite troops; thousands of armored cavalrymen perished because of his erroneous decisions! He is a sinner!"

"Punish his family!!"

………………

The Battle of Colhenide has concluded... To everyone's surprise, the Empire suffered an unexpected and heavy loss. A full thousand armored cavalrymen, due to their commander's erroneous decision, were trapped in the enemy's encirclement and were presumed dead. The esteemed Consul Aristotle made the timely decision to withdraw the troops, thus preventing even greater losses. And now, a meeting is being held in the palace...

…………

“You filthy bastard, stupid parasite, vile maggot!! If you dare to insult my brother again, I will draw my sword immediately and settle this dispute in the way of an Imperial man. I will cut off your fat head!! Then throw it into the latrine in the backyard and let what is rightfully yours return to your brain.”

This was a tall, imposing imperial general, clad entirely in fine scale armor, the heavy chainmail reaching his knees. His heavy iron boots pounded against the smooth marble floor. His right hand gripped the wide, heavy sword at his waist, ready to cleave the fat man arguing with him in two. A deep scar on his lips twitched slightly, and an unspeakable rage gathered in his dark eyes. This terrifying aura caused everyone around him to involuntarily retreat, even though they weren't his target.

"Natamus, are you trying to protect your brother?! Every general on the battlefield can testify for me that it was clearly his disobedience and unauthorized attack that caused this result... According to the laws of the Empire, even if he escapes, he should be executed!!"

A terrifying roar suddenly erupted from the center, and Natamus charged towards the fat man without hesitation. Several people who tried to stop him were easily knocked down like chicks. Like a raging beast, he caused everyone to retreat in disarray.

"You utterly dishonorable bastard! Did you really think you could fool everyone?! My brother had already broken through the Holstein formation, their archers were all wiped out, and you only needed to advance your legion slightly to secure victory... But you did such a despicable and shameful thing to murder my brother!! Arius, today I'm going to rip your head off!! Let's see if it's filled with fat inside, and I'll give you a good scoop!!"

The incredibly strong Natamus reached out and grabbed the obese man by the collar, lifting him up as if he were dragging a sack of cotton. Although the pressure on his neck made his face turn red, the fat man wore a smug smile.

"Stop, Natamus!! Are you trying to be disrespectful to the Emperor?"

Suddenly someone shouted angrily. Natamus's face turned red with rage, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. He tore Arius's collar to shreds, but he didn't break the man's neck. Instead, he angrily threw him to the floor, deliberately using a lot of force so that the man lay on the ground for a long time, unable to get up due to the violent impact on his internal organs, and could only keep panting heavily.

"All of you, get back to your seats... The truth of the matter hasn't even been investigated, and you're already jumping to conclusions... Do you not respect me, the emperor?..."

A clear, resonant sound suddenly rang in everyone's ears. The generals and nobles, who had been arguing, refocused their attention on the high platform, where a magnificent two-headed eagle, its wings poised for flight, was formed from a vast array of metals—gold and silver intertwined and inlaid—intertwined and crafted into delicate feather-like shapes. Each of the eagle's eyes was inlaid with four enormous red and purple gemstones; every detail was exquisitely crafted, even the patterns on the feathers were clearly discernible.

Beneath the towering double-headed eagle lay a magnificent throne, upon which a tall, voluptuous figure in a purple robe leaned, surveying her subjects with indifferent eyes. Her golden eyes, as brilliant as molten gold, held an unspeakable rage that chilled everyone to the bone, causing them to bow their heads in awe.

Looking at these seemingly loyal ministers, the emperor clenched his teeth slightly, and a disdainful smile curled his bright red lips, but it vanished in the blink of an eye, and he resumed his indifferent demeanor.

"Until all the facts are thoroughly investigated, everyone shut up, Arius! Don't think I don't know your tricks. What do you mean by sending your servants to incite the people in the city? Do you think you can dictate my will?!"

The emperor's anger made Galius's fleshy face tremble, and then he bowed even more obsequiously and humbly:

“Your Majesty, I absolutely did not mean that… I simply believe that every citizen of the Empire has such rights and obligations…”

“Until Tersolius returns, you should refrain from urging citizens to fulfill this obligation… He certainly won’t die there. Once he returns, the truth will be revealed. Until then…”

The emperor leaned forward slightly, her silky silver-white hair flowing down her shoulders, and she spoke through gritted teeth, each word distinct and forceful:

"Any act that incites the public will be regarded as treason!"

Chapter 15 Conspiracy (2)

Natamus mounted his horse with a gloomy face. The warhorse ridden by the burly general was a carefully selected breed. Its hooves were a size larger than those of ordinary warhorses, and its coat was the purest yellow sand in the desert, without a single stray hair, reflecting a silk-like sheen in the sunlight.

He gave his horse a slight nudge, and the warhorse, which he had known for a long time, began to move forward. Its large hooves pounded on the bluestone floor with a crisp sound, and several cavalrymen quickly followed, clearing the way for the general with a ceremonial procession.

The commoners, nobles, and merchants who had been loudly protesting in the square scattered in disarray when they saw the imposing general riding towards them. Just moments before, they had been so agitated, as if they wanted to tear the sky down, but when they actually saw the relative of the culprit they were talking about, they were like mice seeing a cat, wishing they could hide their heads in the crowd... simply because Natamus's gloomy eyes were scanning around, and his fingers were trembling slightly. If they were to touch his whiskers at this moment, who knew if they would be chopped off in the street.

When Natamus sighed regretfully and then continued to urge his warhorse forward, everyone realized that he really meant it... It's just that no one was foolish enough to come to him today, so his greatsword remained unstained with blood.

As we continued along the smooth cobblestone road, the streets on both sides were extremely wide, enough to accommodate three carriages side by side. Such a bustling street was incongruous with the quietness at this moment. Almost a third of the city's population had gathered in the square, while others were busy discussing the sudden defeat.

The people of this country are unlike any other. They are extremely enthusiastic about national affairs such as politics and military matters, and although they cannot participate directly, they are full of enthusiasm for discussion. Some people will even neglect their normal business operations because of this, closing their shops and rushing to the square to argue with others... Everyone has a unique sense of responsibility and takes great pleasure in it. They even dare to oppose the emperor in broad daylight when there are many people. This terrible wave of public opinion requires even the supreme emperor to deal with it carefully.

Like a double-edged sword, when the people support the emperor, the entire empire can be united as one, but once they start to oppose the emperor, it will put the emperor in a dangerous situation... This unique political ecology is unique in the whole world.

Every emperor of the empire has felt both proud and troubled by this, but the current Empress, having only been on the throne for three years, finds this unique experience disorienting and infuriating...

Natamus returned to his mansion in silence. The building, constructed of beautiful marble, was not large, even smaller than some wealthy merchants' houses in the city center. However, as soon as he stepped across the threshold, his expression softened, no longer giving off the same oppressive aura as before, like a ferocious beast gathering its rage. Even his guards dared not utter a word.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he dismissed his guards and silently walked into the backyard alone. At the same time, he drew the heavy sword from his waist... This sword looked extremely terrifying, as wide as an adult's palm and as thick as an inch. Although it had a tapering design, its terrifying weight could still easily destroy a person's wrist... But in Natamus's hands, it was as light as a feather, without causing his arm to move for even a moment. The four-foot-long blade gently touched the stone floor.

As his expression grew increasingly ferocious, until his emotions reached a peak, he suddenly opened his eyes wide, let out a roar, and swung his heavy sword with a sharp, piercing sound. The sword shattered deeply into a wooden stake as thick as a person, and with a slight flick of his arm, the hard wood was completely torn apart, and the iron-clad stake crashed to the ground.

The wailing that tore through the air was like the cry of a ferocious beast, recklessly expressing its sorrow. The swinging heavy sword smashed one wooden stake after another to pieces, and the hard iron boots trampled the thin bluestone slabs into fragments. In the blink of an eye, the once clean, tidy, and well-equipped backyard was turned into a pile of ruins. This terrible commotion made all the servants look at each other and hide to the side, afraid of attracting the general's attention.

The heavy blade sank deep into the floor with a dull thud.

"Change it for me again!!"

The servants immediately sprang into action, carrying new wooden stakes to the backyard and clearing away the broken pieces of wood. In the blink of an eye, the backyard was almost restored, except for the broken stone slabs, which couldn't be dealt with for the time being. But Natamus didn't care; he just needed an outlet for his emotions.