Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

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

79. The Extermination of Witnesses 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 leaned 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.

"It's just that we can't survive! ... There are fewer and fewer prey in the forest, and our crops have failed due to lack of rain. Even the mountain streams have completely dried up. The people of the plains are having a hard time too. Their caravans haven't come to our village for three whole months."

The sun's heat intensified, making the pool behind them shimmer and the girl's brilliant blonde hair sparkle like real gold thread.

“People started starving to death in the village. First it was old Torres, then Aunt Macart, and the Dorigin family all starved to death... The only way to survive was to leave, but we didn’t know where the way out was. So the old man and I each led half the people in a different direction. That way, if we were lucky, only half of them would starve to death, and the other half would survive…”

"certainly……"

Colin suddenly smiled slightly and turned to look at Tersolius:

"We're pretty lucky. We survived, and we're doing much better than my old man... I just don't know how they are doing. But my old man is much tougher than others. Maybe under his leadership, the others will be able to survive too."

"You probably have no idea how outrageous my old man is. When he was young, he went hunting in the mountains with Uncle Kochkin. He slipped and fell into a ravine. The ravine was bottomless. Uncle Kochkin watched him crash against the cliffs on both sides more than ten times. He thought he must have been smashed to pieces, but when they found him, he only had one broken arm."

"Everyone says that Monbas's ancestors were protecting him, but the old man insists that he was physically strong, which is why he didn't die from the fall. That's not entirely wrong, anyway, I've never seen him get seriously injured since I was old enough to remember. Even if he was bitten by a wild boar, it wouldn't break his arm."

"The old man is so tough, maybe he can share some of his life with everyone so that he and his people can survive... I'll go back and take a look when I've earned enough money. Maybe by then everyone will have returned to the village and be waiting for us with honey-glazed flatbread baked in the hearth."

"I'll give you a note then, and you can borrow the imperial post station's carriages and horses. That should get you back faster, but don't forget to return them on time." Tersolius slowly stood up, patted the dust off his knees, making the steel scales rustle.

"Then I owe you a huge favor! Not only do you give us such good jobs, but you also always think of us when good things happen. I dare say there's no better employer in the world than you." The girl finally regained her spirits, jumped up from the rock, and returned to her usual lively self.

"Also, thank you for listening to all my nonsense, General... You are truly different from other important figures."

"Of course they are different; they don't have my abilities."

Thesolius laughed freely and triumphantly; the morning sun sculpted his face into sharp angles and shadows, making him resemble a proud eagle.

“I am no ordinary general; you should have realized that long ago.”

——————————————————————————————————

Alpert has a well-known specialty made from the finest local flour, mixed with honey, nuts, and other ingredients. It has a smooth, sweet, and creamy texture, and while it can get cloying if you eat too much, the first bite is often surprisingly delightful.

These pastries aren't exactly cheap; ordinary people would only buy them on major holidays or special occasions. But now, a whole plate of them is piled up on a simple cabinet, neatly arranged, and topped with a layer of honey, making them look exceptionally tempting.

Tarina was pondering an important question... What did this thing covered in translucent honey taste like? No, no, no... Anyway, it must taste delicious with sweet honey on it, right? So there was no need to investigate further.

The girl, who was about to turn and leave, suddenly stopped again, her face filled with strong hesitation, and she focused her gaze on the sweet food.

Honey isn't a cure-all, you know. Maybe I should give it a try... Yes! That's it! It's to find out if this dessert is actually good or not, absolutely no other reason!

If you don't like it, you can always switch to something else. This is also a way of contributing to everyone's well-being, so there's definitely no problem!

The girl slowly extended her finger, gently pinched a stalk, and then picked it up from the plate with extremely slow movements. Her face was full of tension. She carefully looked around before putting it in her mouth.

As you gently bite down, the rich, sweet flavor melts in your mouth, like taking a bite of spring sunshine, with a warm and sweet taste.

Tarina's eyes narrowed slightly, her cheeks puffed out, and she was deeply amazed by the delicate and unique sweetness. Even her chewing speed unconsciously slowed down.

"doctor?"

"Hmm! I didn't steal any food..."

Tarina's ears twitched violently. As she hurriedly put her hands behind her back, she saw Thesolius walk in through the door, the bright sunlight following behind him, gilding the edges of his hair with gold.

"What are you doing, Doctor? I think I smell something interesting."

Tersolius's high nose twitched slightly, and he immediately noticed something. Then his gaze focused on the girl's glistening lips... which looked like honey.

"You seem to be being a bit disrespectful, doctor..."

The girl's expression immediately turned panicked, as if she wanted to explain something, but Thesolius's next words silenced her:

"You didn't offer the delicious food to your general first, but instead secretly enjoyed it all by yourself? This is a serious offense. Now that I've caught you, you must be punished."

Taking advantage of his height and long legs, he approached the girl in just two steps, peeked out slightly, spotted his target, and then directly reached out and picked up the plate:

"As punishment, you must make amends for your mistake now and share the precious food with your respected general."

He picked one up and put it in his mouth, his brow immediately furrowing:

"You have excellent taste, Doctor. I never expected to find such delicious food here."

A lively expression finally appeared on the girl's face, and she said with a hint of helplessness:

"You've startled me, sir..."

"Oh, sorry."

………………

"So you bought all of these with your own money, doctor?"

"Yes, everyone at the clinic works very hard, and I want to buy something to thank them..."

“Look,” Tersolius’s smile was wide open. “What did I say again?... Doctor, you have exceptional talent. In such a short time, you have already managed the entire clinic perfectly and gained everyone’s acceptance of your leadership.”

"Just based on this, it's something many people can't do in their entire lives. I can now confidently entrust you with more tasks. Why are you looking at me with such a shocked expression? You know, a salary of 67 gold dinars a year isn't easy to earn."

"Sir, I can't take your money!..."

"Alright, don't question my decision. I will allocate an extra 300 gold dinars to you every year to store medicines and medical supplies. My expectations for you go beyond that, so please accept it. Whether we survive after leaving the battlefield depends entirely on you."

Thesolius reached for the last pastry and ate it without hesitation:

“Like I said before, this money won’t come easily, but I believe you are fully deserving of such treatment with your abilities… and get ready, we’re about to set off.”

"What do you mean?!"

“That’s right.” Tersolius licked his lips, the sweetness of honey traveling back through his tongue. “We’re going back to the Empire. Be prepared, Doctor. This won’t be a easy journey. We all need to be ready.”

“I’m in charge of pulling out the jackals’ teeth, but I don’t know how many more are in the dark… so it’s always good to be prepared.”

The girl nodded nervously, but her expression revealed a firm resolve: "Understood, sir. I will make preparations as soon as possible."

“That’s good. By the way, here’s your first month’s salary.” Tersolius took out a small bag from his pocket and placed it on the table. Although it was pitifully small, it was full of real gold. “Go buy some things you need. Buy more of these snacks too. One plate like this isn’t enough for everyone. If you can’t carry it, ask that kid Kochkin to help you. He’s been free these past few days anyway.”

80 Departure

The city's wounds are being repaired; the battlements shattered by heavy catapults are being rebuilt with new stone, and the city's craftsmen are being paid handsomely in exchange for completing the work as quickly as possible.

So even at night, countless braziers were lit on the city wall, and the craftsmen used the firelight to use adhesives to rebuild the huge stones on the wall. Their shouts and calls to work never stopped throughout the night.

Many buildings in the city were completely razed, either because they were too damaged to be repaired, or because there was no longer any need to preserve them—such as the former slave market and slave exchange.

The nobles and slave owners in the city almost daily begged him for permission to buy slaves, lamenting how difficult it was to maintain their businesses and how they would go bankrupt soon without slaves.

Thesolius, without even raising his eyes, told them: They had voluntarily sold their slaves for gold, so their current predicament was entirely their own fault. You've already obtained the gold, yet you want more slaves? Even the most greedy person should have a limit!

All the slave owners were left speechless with bitterness, unable to voice their grievances... and dared not refute the renowned general. They were almost driven to despair. Their businesses were incurring enormous costs every day, yet they lacked sufficient manpower to operate them. If this continued, all the gold they had earned would be lost, and they might end up as penniless vagrants.

Just when they were being driven to the brink of madness, Thesolius saw that the time had come and, quite naturally, offered a solution, showing them a sliver of mercy:

As the city's administrator, he couldn't bear to see his people suffer such enormous losses, so he allowed them to use slaves in their own industries. However, due to the city's laws, they were not allowed to buy slaves, but they were allowed to hire slaves they had purchased.

All slaves would be under his unified management, while other respectable citizens could hire slaves to work for them by paying him a certain amount of money. In this way, not only would their businesses not be abandoned, but the slaves could also find work.

The slave owners and city nobles were dumbfounded. Although they sensed something was wrong, they didn't know what to say... They came here to complain to the lord about their plight, and the lord did indeed provide a solution that resolved the problem.

But this solution was completely different from what they had expected. Some people were unwilling, but dared not say a word. After all, looking at the gleaming armor and fierce soldiers around them, everyone knew that the "reason" was in the hands of the other side, and they were the ones who had no "reason".

Everyone was satisfied with this and praised the lord's wisdom.

Just as they were about to leave, panting and uneasy, Thesolius suddenly uttered these words:

"Remember, the slaves are my property, and I do not wish to see any loss or damage to my property. Do you understand?"

Everyone nodded vigorously, almost dropping their headscarves and hats to the ground.

“Very good. I will have Marcus post a charter in the central square later, and all matters shall be handled in accordance with it. I also believe that everyone is willing to be a law-abiding citizen of the Empire.”

There was another round of frantic nodding, and this time two jeweled hats were actually thrown to the ground. However, the owners of the hats did not dare to squat down to pick them up immediately. Only after everyone else had begun to back down did they pick up their hats with a fawning expression and hurriedly leave.

…………

"Marcus, put this up next to the well in the center square so that everyone can see it."

Once everyone had left, Tersolius pulled a parchment from his pocket, clearly having been prepared beforehand.

Paper is very expensive in this world. So far, he has not seen any cheap paper made from plant fibers. Most of the paper is made from thin leather, which is of good quality but very expensive and can only be used by nobles and wealthy merchants.

Of course, educational resources were also basically controlled by the privileged class. Commoners might not be able to recognize a single character in their entire lives, so they naturally had no need for paper. As long as they saw such a thing posted somewhere, they would understand that it was a decree announced by the lord.

Furthermore, there were specially appointed announcers who would stand before the proclamations and loudly read their contents to everyone. This was an enviable profession, usually held by a close servant of the lord. According to custom, after they announced the decrees, everyone who heard them should receive a certain reward. Of course, the reward could only be received once, mostly in copper coins, but it was extra income in addition to the monthly salary.

Marcus reached out and took the paper, ready to get to it, but Tersolius told him to wait, as he had something else to say:

“Marcus, after I leave, you should manage the city with this attitude. As for the specific administrative matters, I think you handle them very well, so I don’t need to say anything more.”

"Sir, do you mean I should stay here?"

“That’s right. Among us, only you are capable of shouldering such a heavy responsibility and governing this city that we have just taken over.”

Marcus frowned slightly, his fingers twirling his beard—a gesture he often made when deep in thought.

“I understand, sir.” Marcus nodded heavily, his crimson beard trembling slightly. “Although I don’t believe I have that talent, I will do whatever you command.”

“There’s no need to look so gloomy, Marcus.” Tersolius stood up with a smile. “If you’re not capable, then the rest of us are even less likely to be… The infantry of the Fourth Legion in the Southern Province will remain in this city, and their commanders will take orders from you. I will leave the Third Squad behind to have Dors assist you.”

“I won’t ask too much of you, Marcus. Just keep the city in our hands… In other words, you’ll be doing a good job if you can just maintain the status quo.”

He adjusted his shoulder armor, ensuring the large gilded plates draped neatly over his shoulders:

“I need to get an explanation and a resolution for those who didn’t rush out with me. It’s been too long… Some dirty blood needs to be released into the earth. I can already hear their wails in my veins. The blades of my swords can’t wait any longer; they are demanding from me.”

His red beard trembled violently, and his lips were quivering slightly.

"Then I will await your victory, my lord. Those despicable men will never be your match."

Tersolius said nothing more, but patted his subordinate heavily on the shoulder, then turned and walked out, leaving his logistics officer in the lord's hall. The surrounding cavalry immediately followed, and as the clatter of their armor faded into the distance, a dazzling flash of steel gleamed the moment they stepped out of the hall.