Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

Just as he was about to say something, a series of sparse sounds suddenly came from outside the window, instantly rousing the two of them...

Chapter 153 Showdown

In the stillness of the night, any slight movement can raise one's guard. This may be something inherited from ancient times. In the darkness, people's senses become exceptionally sharp, and they pay close attention to any slight movement or rustling.

The faint footsteps could be heard clearly, unhurried and slow, as if this were not his own backyard, but a beautifully decorated fountain in the center of the city where people could stroll around at their leisure.

Normally, such footsteps would easily give people a sense of security, leading them to believe that danger is not nearby... but in the dead of night, they seem eerie and dangerous.

The couple immediately fell silent. The shopkeeper reached under his bed and pulled out a broadsword—every citizen of the Empire was required to have at least one weapon, and the short sword was the most common and readily available portable weapon.

Just as the two were holding their breath, the footsteps clearly reached their window, then paused slightly. A small, dark figure jumped onto their windowsill, its fluffy, round head and long tail clearly visible in the moonlight.

The shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief and placed his short sword on the bedside table—it was just a cat wandering in the yard, nothing special.

But the next instant, he suddenly realized—why were the cat's footsteps so heavy?!

The shop owner, with his long beard, instinctively looked back. Perhaps it was an instinct, or perhaps he had considered it beforehand, but he undoubtedly made an accurate judgment.

His wife dared not move in the darkness. A sharp dagger gleaming with cold light was already pressed against her throat. A lean figure was hidden in the darkness, silent, like a living shadow.

The shopkeeper sighed and slowly placed the short sword he had drawn back on the bed. The sharp blade, which could have sliced ​​through flesh and broken bones, could now only come into contact with the soft fabric.

"Stop pretending, Alejandro, I know it's you..."

The room fell silent. After a moment, the dark figure stepped forward, letting the moonlight from the window illuminate his face. The young man with green eyes looked at his old friend with a helpless expression.

“I knew you’d guessed it… Sit down and listen to what I have to say… or rather, listen to my deal.”

“I’m listening, Alicization. Take your dagger away; you’re scaring her.”

The young man nodded, and removed the sharp dagger from the woman's neck. This double-edged dagger, like an elongated triangle, had an extremely thin and sharp tip; with just the slightest force, it could easily pierce a person's throat. But when the dagger was removed, not a single drop of blood appeared on his wife's neck…

“It seems you are indeed different from before, Alic. I had no idea you had such abilities back then.”

“I’ve been through far more than you can imagine…and people always change; a few years is enough to make someone unrecognizable.”

"Okay, tell me what you want to say, I'll listen carefully."

The young man nodded, took two steps forward, placed his dagger on the table, then sat down opposite the shopkeeper. After carefully considering his words, he began to speak:

“You should have thought a lot of things through by now… I will stay here as before, and we will continue to live out our days as before. I will leave once the city is unsealed, without causing you any trouble, and you will receive a large sum of money. Just maintain the status quo; it’s a worthwhile deal, and I think you can understand that.”

“You are my old friends, and I will not hurt you unless necessary. So just act as before, as if nothing happened. You slept soundly that night. When the time comes, I will leave, and no one will know what happened here. You will also get a large sum of money.”

"As for what happened during the day, you don't need to worry too much. That imperial officer was just suspicious. I did everything perfectly. If you two hadn't suddenly become nervous, he definitely wouldn't have noticed. After I leave, it will have even less to do with you."

………………

The young man talked on and on for a long time, explaining the whole story to his two old friends... His meaning was clear—he hoped they would agree, and if they did, he wouldn't have to kill them to silence them.

It seems that he still retains affection for his old friends, and even though things have developed to this point, he still doesn't want to do anything ruthless, which is why he is trying to get the two of them to cooperate with him.

From any perspective, this was the best option, so he was quite confident... His plans to escape had completely failed, and even his escape plans had been exposed, forcing him to resort to such a desperate measure just to escape alive.

Before arriving in this province, he had made considerable preparations, not only creating a flawless identity for himself, but also consistently acting as a disguised Assele for over a year.

Everyone who knows him thinks he is a true Assele. To achieve this, he even spent seven months in the south, diligently learning the local language, customs, and traditions... transforming himself into a perfect Assele.

In this way, if things were exposed, he could remove all his disguises and leave the city without hindrance as an ordinary imperial citizen.

But things still went wrong. Despite sending his own elite soldiers to distract the garrison, Tersolius's terrifying and cunning opponent still exceeded his expectations.

The tactics he had used to deceive the enemy were completely ineffective; they immediately ordered the city locked down. Not even a single goat was allowed to leave, rendering all his plans futile. To avoid arousing suspicion, he had no choice but to seek refuge with his old friend.

This isn't a good option. A person who suddenly appears, even with complete identification, is always more likely to arouse suspicion... But having an acquaintance always provides room for maneuver.

Such a large city could not possibly be under blockade for long; it would surely be lifted soon, and that would be his opportunity...

But his plans seemed destined to fail, and his scheme still went awry. Despite all his calculations, he hadn't anticipated that his two old friends, having lived in the imperial city for so long, possessed an unimaginable reverence for the country's harsh laws, and ultimately slipped up in front of the inspecting soldiers.

This forced him to resort to such measures... As long as he could get through these last three days and as long as there was no riot in the city, even if Tersolius was unwilling, he would lift the city's ban.

Okay, now hurry up and agree... Once you agree, everything will be easy...

He kept hoping in his heart that the mouth with the thick beard would say the words he longed for.

"Arich, look what this is!"

The bearded shopkeeper didn't answer his question. Instead, he suddenly pulled out two things from behind his back and showed them to him, which made the young man's face turn panicked.

These two items were incredibly simple in construction. One was a slightly bulging copper plate strung together with a hemp rope to form a loop, and the other was a short wooden hammer. Together, they didn't take up much space and were just hidden under the other person's clothes.

Although these two things look very simple, they produce a loud, crisp sound when tapped, enough to wake even the laziest person from their bed and light torches in the surrounding streets.

This era was far from peaceful. Even living in the city, there was no guarantee that thieves and robbers would not break into the house. In order to maintain the city's security, every two households would have such a device that could be struck to make a clear and loud noise, which could quickly call on the neighbors to come and help catch the thieves.

As a resident with good relationships in this city, as long as the shop owner rings this copper plate, the surrounding neighbors will definitely come to check immediately. At that time, the whole street will be surrounded, and the young people will definitely have no way to escape.

After his expression changed, Alistair quickly calmed down, even asking with a hint of curiosity:

"You know what the consequences of ringing this thing are, right? I might not be able to escape, but you two will die immediately... Is it really worth it? If you really push me too far, I won't care about anything else, not even old friends can stand in my way!"

"Isn't agreeing to me the best option? How can you be so dense and not realize it! As long as you agree, we'll be fine, I can go back to sleep, you can all get some rest, and then we can part ways amicably... The money I promised you is a huge fortune, equivalent to 10 years of selling pies. Even the dumbest guy could make the right choice."

"If you still think it's not enough, I can add more. I have some money in this city, enough for you all to live a wealthy life from now on..."

"Shut up, Alejandro..."

The bearded shopkeeper interrupted the man's rambling, a slight smile even playing on his lips, his eyes calm and composed. The earlier anxiety had completely vanished from his body.

"You can't fool me... You may not know, but when you lie, you always like to raise your right eyebrow. The bigger the lie, the higher your eyebrow jumps... Just now, your eyebrow almost flew to your forehead."

"You never intended to let us go, did you?"

A terrifying silence descended upon the room. Neither of them spoke for a long time, and after this silent standoff, a bitter smile suddenly appeared on Alicchi's face.

"You idiot, if only you were a little bit dumber... If only you were a little smarter, you would have made a fortune long ago, but you just happen to be at this mediocre level."

Seeing the other party admit it directly, even though he was mentally prepared, the shop owner still swayed for a moment and almost couldn't sit still in his chair. But he held a small wooden hammer firmly above the copper plate, ready to strike it if he let go.

“You’ve changed a lot, Alejandro González, you’ve changed so much. You weren’t like this before…”

“My changes are far greater than you imagine… but what’s the point of doing this? Even if you sound the alarm, you’re still doomed. And even if those adults are merciful and reward you, what good will it do you? Why do it in the first place?”

"You started this unrest, didn't you...?"

"To be precise, it was one of them. I just gave it a push from behind. Those Iris people already had this idea, but they were both stupid and greedy, which is why they ended up like this."

"You are also a citizen of the Empire, don't you know that this will plunge the country into chaos? Don't you know how many people will be displaced, their families torn apart, and their lives lost?"

Arach suddenly became impatient:

"What does that have to do with me? No matter how prosperous and powerful this country becomes, it won't give me a single penny. In today's world, only money is the most important and real thing. You're like a pitiful watchdog protecting the interests of this country, but who will know? Do you think those high and mighty lords will reward you with a couple of bones for this?! You're just being foolish!"

"You're the one who's being foolish!"

Despite sporting a full beard, the still-young shop owner shook his head firmly, his eyes gleaming in the darkness.

“We were born on this land, our roots are here… If you work for those dark and despicable people, in their eyes you are nothing more than a ruthless stray dog, how can you expect a good end?”

"You say that no matter how prosperous this country becomes, it won't give me a single penny... That's even more stupid. Wealth should be earned with one's own hands and brains. Only lazybones and scoundrels would say such unambitious things."

"This country didn't give me a single penny, but I know that it is because of this country's existence that I have the opportunity to stand on the street and earn money peacefully through my own abilities! Those malicious invaders and those treacherous bandits won't harm me. I have long enjoyed the benefits brought by this country's strength. Wasn't this war quelled by the Empire's legions? Without their arrival, what good would have become of us?"

"Even a crude person like me can see this, let alone you? You're just driven by your own ambition, and what you want is definitely more than money. You can't fool me..."

Chapter 154 The Hunt

"So what are you planning to do now? Ring that thing and lure the Imperial army here?"

The young man finally grew impatient. His expression was extremely complex, a mixture of anger and resentment, along with a hint of indescribable sadness... But at the same time, his actions remained resolute, and the fingers gripping the dagger never wavered.

“You’ve become quite ruthless now, Alicization. You’re nothing like you used to be.”

The shop owner's answer sounded irrelevant, but his expression remained calm and serious.

"From the moment you stepped into this room, you made up your mind, and you won't easily change it. You've long decided to plunge that dagger into both of our hearts, yet you still try to deceive us with earnest words..."

"You're not the person I used to know anymore, nor are you my friend who, though a bit cunning, was honest and upright..."

"What exactly are you trying to say?!"

The young man immediately sensed that the other person was planning something and became wary, but the distance between them was more than three meters, and he couldn't kill him before the other person could react.

“I want to say, Alejandro, your greed and ruthlessness have astonished me… I can no longer trust you. Since we are destined to die, why not let you receive the punishment you deserve?”

Suddenly, Arich sprang into action, his sharp dagger flashing like a blur, aimed straight at his opponent's chest...

This attack was swift and decisive, capable of striking even a seasoned mercenary, let alone an honest man who spends his days kneading dough.

But this man never intended to run away.

But before that, the shop owner's wooden hammer had already struck the copper plate, which was as wide as a shoulder, with a sharp and piercing ringing sound that was extremely penetrating. Almost instantly, it broke through the barrier of the house and began to spread in all directions.

The sharp dagger easily pierced through the cloth, penetrating deep into the blood and fascia, finally cutting through the pulsating blood-dripping organ. The gushing hot blood immediately stained the clothes, turning the white cloth crimson at an astonishing speed.

The man fell silently, without uttering any heroic final words. He died so peacefully, his life snatched away in an instant. The copper coin and wooden hammer in his hand clattered to the ground.

………………

Christia felt uneasy all night. The seemingly honest and unassuming young man from earlier in the day made him uneasy. Today, the patrol duty for this area fell to him, so he brought out his two squads to take precautions.

The torches of the night patrol soldiers were made of hard wood and grease-soaked linen. Once lit, they could provide light for a long time, but they could not withstand strong winds. If the wind was strong enough, the torches might go out or flicker and become difficult to light.

The soldiers' chainmail rustled, the fine rings rubbing against each other and making a soft, crisp sound. In the firelight, the grease on the rings reflected tiny glints of light, rising and falling with their footsteps.

Under his command, all the soldiers were fully armed. They carried their shields on their backs, swords at their waists, and sharp javelins in leather pouches hanging from their waists for easy access at any time.

This state is perfectly suited for a bloody battlefield, let alone the quiet streets at night. At most, only thieves with ill intentions would appear here, which feels like a waste of talent.

Two squads of legionary soldiers marched through the city's streets and alleys. They did not deliberately conceal their movements; rather, they intentionally made their footsteps heavier to deter thieves lurking in the darkness.

Just as a group of cats roaming around a house will cause mice to hide in their burrows, no matter how audacious a thief is, he wouldn't dare to show his face in front of them. He would tremble with fear at the mere sound of armor clashing in the distance.

These patrols continue until late at night, after which they are relieved of their duties. Until then, they remain responsible for the safety of the area.

The night was so quiet, with only the sounds of armor rubbing together and torches crackling. Even Christia and his soldiers had little interest in talking, simply patrolling the streets and alleys in silence.

Just as the tranquil atmosphere of the night was about to completely solidify, a sharp metallic tremor suddenly pierced the night sky! It relentlessly drilled into everyone's ears, instantly tightening their nerves and making their hearts beat faster.

Shouts, both loud and soft, rang out from the surrounding houses. The men realized what was happening and loudly contacted their neighbors to retrieve spears and short swords from under their beds or other places. They hurriedly put on their clothes, lit torches stuck in the walls, opened their doors, and rushed out.

The scattered torches gathered together to form a bright, fiery dragon. Every street had such a dragon, and then, like streams flowing into the sea, they rushed towards the direction from which the sound came.