Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

If they hadn't finally mustered a shred of shame, they might have even been chewing on the leftover chicken bones... but their current disgraceful state made the servants around them secretly frown.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Kochkin loosened his belt to prevent his stomach from becoming too full and uncomfortable. Everyone leaned back lazily in their chairs, hanging there as if they had no bones.

"Warif, I would be willing to die now... Even if someone cuts off my head right now, I would have no regrets."

"...Even if you cut off my ear right now, I don't want to move anymore. So don't talk to me, I need to digest what's in my stomach."

Warif struggled to lift his head:

“Sir, could you please bring me my sword? Yes, that one. I can’t let it out of my sight…”

"I still have some here, damn it, I almost forgot my orders..."

A male servant, struggling to suppress a laugh, took their swords and placed them in their hands. The two men immediately hugged each other tightly, then collapsed into a state of relief.

"Warif, this meal isn't going to cost us a month's pay, is it? I'm getting a little scared. This might be the most extravagant thing we've ever done."

"You don't have to pay, so what are you afraid of? ... I've lived a worthwhile life anyway."

…………

The two chatted idly, waiting for the respected lady to finish reading the letter and summon them. Before that, they could enjoy a rare moment of leisure.

Thinking of their brothers who were still struggling on the road, they could no longer suppress their sorrowful smiles, and the two of them couldn't help but burst into silly laughter.

"Pfft!..."

Smiles seem contagious; a maid wearing a headscarf could no longer contain herself and covered her mouth with a soft laugh. Even the basin of water she was carrying trembled slightly.

The lady-in-waiting glared at her, causing the young maid to suppress her smile, though her lips still twitched occasionally.

"Gentlemen, the lady wants to see you. Please make sure you are properly dressed beforehand, or it would be extremely impolite."

"Understood, understood! Your Excellency, we'll get ready right away."

The two struggled to their feet, and the maid immediately brought a basin of water to them so they could wash their oily hands and faces.

Two clean and tidy robes, along with matching clothes and shoes, were handed to them. After curiously looking them over, the two of them, now fully dressed, were led by servants to the back of the mansion, whispering excitedly about the towering beams and exquisite railings.

The servants all smiled as they saw the two men, who also greeted them with smiles. The servants responded with gentle nods.

Kochkin felt as if he were dreaming; when they stepped through the guarded gate, it was as if they had entered a dreamlike place.

Not only did no one make things difficult for them, but they also received the best hospitality. The servants here were not as aggressive as the old people in the village had described; on the contrary, everyone was very polite.

Even these two uncouth fellows could sense that no one here looked down on them; their smiles were friendly, and there was even a sense of normalcy about it. On the contrary, the two of them initially didn't know what to do with their hands and feet, causing quite a few laughs.

Moreover, no one told them to follow any complicated etiquette; they were simply told to salute like in the military. Everything they encountered was so beautiful, even the sunshine seemed exceptionally bright.

Even so, the two of them were still a little nervous before meeting the respected lady.

Mountain people are naturally fierce, and these two are the best of the best. But even if they are wild, they would not dare to offend the general's family, so they must make some preparations in advance.

After they had been whispering in each other's ears for a while, and as a cool, moist sensation touched their skin, they finally met the person they were looking for after turning a corner.

Christina smiled, waiting with interest for the two messenger soldiers to arrive. They insisted on seeing her before handing over the letter; if it weren't for the fact that they possessed her husband's keepsake, they might have already been arrested as assassins.

Even though she wanted to see the letter quickly, she still instructed her servants to treat them well before waiting expectantly for the letter to be handed to her. Therefore, the noblewoman didn't even let the two dim-witted soldiers bow before urging them to hand over the letter.

Kochkin and Warif's preparations were thwarted, and everyone wore expressions of regret, feeling disappointed that they hadn't performed to their full potential.

It wasn't until Christina suddenly stood up, her face showing a serious expression, that they regained their focus...

P.S.: I got Crusader Kings III a couple of days ago, though I haven't had time to play it yet. But I guess I can call myself a Paradox Interactive player now...

Chapter 92 Undercurrents (4)

The architecture of the empire has always been renowned for its grandeur, enormous cost, and durability. As the residence of the most distinguished people in the entire empire, the Golden Palace in the capital city naturally represents the pinnacle of the empire's architectural art.

The robust marble columns have simple yet sharp lines, each requiring several people to encircle it. The massive rocks are perfectly joined together by an ingenious mechanical structure, making these majestic buildings stable and enduring.

Every floorboard was meticulously polished, leaving no uneven spots. This level of perfection was achieved in the audience hall, where one could clearly see their reflection in the floor.

The golden tiles covering the top of this palace complex are even more magnificent, so dazzling in the sunlight that they are almost blinding. Each tile is extremely expensive to produce, and no one except the emperor is allowed to touch them.

The various magnificent, exquisite, and complex structures make up this glittering architectural complex, enough to inspire awe in anyone and attract the attention of any ambitious person.

Ordinary commoners and minor nobles were not even qualified to step into this palace; in fact, any slight transgression would endanger their lives.

Only those of truly noble status and possessing honor could enter this place with the emperor's permission and be granted an audience.

Of course, there are exceptions. Some people can even come to visit without prior notice, and no one will deliberately stop them.

A finely crafted carriage slowly approached along the road. The imperial guards, wielding sharp halberds, stopped the carriage, exchanged a few words, and then opened the gates.

At the same time, a nimble messenger swiftly traversed the palace complex, delivering the message to the deepest part of the palace, to the hands of its master.

………………

Empress Claudia Augustus was having a headache in her bedroom. Thick layers of parchment were piled on her sturdy and ornate mahogany desk inlaid with gold. A few drops of ink had spilled on her sleeve, but the emperor paid them no heed.

Reports and requests from all over the empire piled up on this table, and the emperor had to make the decisions based on rational judgment and skillful adjustments.

To achieve this, having a clever mind and insight is not enough; the emperor must understand her empire and gather enough intelligence to avoid being misled by others.

Her spy chief was very talented in this area, but because the emperor's own intelligence network was still limited to the three central provinces, the information she could obtain remained limited...

Three years is not enough time for her to accomplish much... especially since she started from scratch.

Making a judgment in this situation requires determination and wisdom, as well as a certain amount of courage, and she happens to have all of those qualities...

The request from a senator to increase this year's autumn tax was rejected; a suitable pretext was used to divert attention elsewhere, winning over some wavering noble senators and suppressing some excessive speculators...

All sorts of decisions were made at this mahogany table; it was here, amidst numerous obstacles, that the emperor ruled her empire.

Three crisp knocks reached Clautina's ears, causing the emperor, whose thoughts had been interrupted, to furrow his brow slightly, but he still granted permission...

"Your Majesty, Lady Christina has arrived... and is requesting an audience outside the palace."

A rare smile appeared on the emperor's lips:

"Please come in, madam, and tidy this place up properly..."

A dark shadow suddenly flashed in the corner of the room and in the beam, but then fell silent in the blink of an eye, with only a few wisps of dust being stirred up and slowly drifting down into the air.

………………

“You should be more careful, Lina. My royal physician is not optimistic about your health. You are too fragile right now.”

Christina chuckled softly as she stroked her belly, but she was destined never to feel the expected movement.

“This time is different, Your Majesty… I have received a letter from Tersolius…”

The emperor's expression suddenly stiffened, and a hint of guilt flashed across his face.

“I don’t mean to blame you, Your Majesty… I really shouldn’t have known about this so soon, but now is just the right time… I must personally deliver this letter to you.”

………………

Claudia reached out and took the envelope, then opened it and began to read silently. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the crisp crunching of the paper.

"I knew he'd be alright..."

“He’s not just fine…” Christina shook her head with a smile, “He practically turned the Hols Kingdom upside down. He wreaked havoc all over the south, it was like letting a lion into a sheep pen!”

“It sounds like you know more than I do, dear Christina. It must have been the messenger who told you.”

“That’s right… Please forgive me, Your Majesty, but I cannot bring them here without permission, and the news of their arrival must not be spread. So I instructed Dolores to arrange for them to stay.”

"You've done a good job." The emperor's eyes, as dark as molten gold, gleamed with thoughtful consideration. "I'll have Casati handle things later, clean up their tracks... He gave me a good plan, very worthwhile to implement. We need to start preparing now..."

"Do you need my help?"

Christina quietly asked the question.

"No, there's no need... It's not too difficult. You should rest well in the time ahead and leave everything to us."

"Then I won't ask any more questions, but don't keep it from me. I'll let it go this time, but if it happens again, I won't be so lenient."

A rare wry smile appeared on the emperor's face:

"You're still the same as before... your temper hasn't changed at all."

“Aren’t you the same? Even though you’re the emperor now, you’re still the same person. You always want to make all the decisions yourself… At most, you’ll discuss things with Tersolius… We’ve always listened to you, and that’s how it was in the past, and it will be in the future.”

————————————————————————————

Schemers always prefer dark environments, as if in dim light they can hide the darkness in their hearts and not be easily discovered.

Arius had lost a lot of weight. The once bloated fat man now looked haggard. His once expensive and gorgeous robes were now stained with oil at the collar and cuffs, clearly indicating that they hadn't been changed for a long time.

"Rostoia! You promised me, you promised me! But now you've betrayed me, leaving me a prisoner to be slaughtered, you damned oath-breaker!!"

"Shut up, you idiot!"

A richly dressed, muscular man lowered his voice and slammed a punch into Arius's face, his expression one of utter exasperation.

"If it weren't for you, you idiot, taking matters into your own hands, how could we be in such a passive position?!"

Arius was knocked to the ground by the heavy punch, two broken teeth fell from the corner of his mouth with blood and foam, and even his eyes became blurry.

"I told you to take this opportunity to weaken Thales's forces, inflict more casualties on his cavalry, and gain more advantages for us... but you can't even do this simple thing right! You actually betrayed him in front of the army! Do you know how much we paid to clean up your mess!"

"If it weren't for our help, you would have been arrested and thrown into that prison the moment you were defeated! Why would you have waited until now!"

"If Tersolius had died in the south, it would have been fine; there would have been ways to excuse him... But he fought his way out, and now the entire empire is praising his achievements! Don't you understand now? Once he steps one foot through the bronze gates of the capital, you are destined to pay a heavy price for your foolishness."

“We have done everything we could, and it was your own stupidity that ruined you… You know what to do to avoid implicating all of us… As long as you stop being so foolish, the family will absolutely not be affected.”

Arius's lips trembled slightly, and a look of despair appeared in his eyes:

"You mean..."

"Give us a good performance. If you perform well enough, everything will end properly and we can give everyone an explanation... This is not a discussion, but a notification and an order."

………………

You idiot! You idiot! You idiot!!

Rostoia almost ground his teeth to powder. Although he knew that many of his colleagues were of questionable ability, he still felt despair that such an idiot could sit in such a position.

If it weren't for the family behind this fat pig, he would have wanted to give up on this good-for-nothing from the beginning, and there wouldn't have been so much trouble later on.

There might be some kind of conspiracy involved, or he might have just made a stupid mistake, but that doesn't matter now...

Tersolius will arrive in a little over a week at most, and they must be prepared before then... otherwise, if the emperor takes advantage of the situation, they will all be embarrassed.