Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

………………

The warhorses galloping through the night caused a stir in the city streets. Some people got up and looked out the window, only to see wisps of dust being kicked into the air.

The garrison immediately opened the gates, allowing the cavalry to rush out of the city unimpeded, heading towards the military camp lit up with fire on the side of the city.

A quarter of an hour later, Tersolius appeared in his tent and then encountered Nathamus, who was still inside staring at the map.

"Looks like you've been treated very well, my brother. Look how red your face is."

Natamus chuckled, reached out and pulled over a wooden bucket from the side, opened the lid, poured out two glasses of ale, and placed one on the table, then slid it over.

Tersolius reached out and took the cup:

“I’ve had enough to drink at today’s banquet, and I even took a nap there.”

"It's perfect timing to have a drink with me. Drinking right now is a good way to stay alert. You should believe me, this is based on my experience."

Thesolius rolled his eyes, completely disbelieving his brother's nonsense. An instinctive feeling told him that the other man simply wanted to see him make a fool of himself.

But it's just one glass of wine, so there's no problem.

He brought the glass to his lips, took a sip, and his brow twitched slightly the moment the orange-yellow liquid entered his mouth.

"Something was added to this wine."

A cool sensation spread from his mouth, making the originally warm ale even more refreshing.

"The girl you met is a genius. This amazing plant is considered a weed here and grows everywhere, but who would have thought that putting it in wine would make it taste so good? I'm definitely not going to live without it from now on."

Knowing who his elder brother was referring to, Tersolius's face revealed a smug expression:

“I told you long ago that Talina is an extraordinary talent. If I hadn’t found her… no, I should say she found me, we might have lost twice as many people in the city. We wouldn’t even have enough space to bury the dead, let alone hold off those Hols who have gone mad.”

"You went out for a short while and found two pretty girls. What, are you finally thinking about settling down? You used to never let us urge you, but now you're taking action on your own?"

The topic shifted so abruptly that Tersolius nearly choked on his drink:

"Cough cough cough! What nonsense are you spouting?! How did you suddenly get onto that topic..."

Natamus shook his head helplessly and downed the rest of the wine in his glass in one gulp.

“If you don’t listen to your older brother, you’ll suffer sooner or later… Sometimes you need to be a little smarter.”

"Let's not talk about that. How is Christina? I heard she's newly pregnant. I hope nothing goes wrong."

An image flashed through Tersolius's mind: a woman with smooth, fluffy black curly hair, a fair and beautiful face, and a voluptuous figure.

That was his brother's wife, the daughter of Chief Elder Scripps, and his sister-in-law.

According to Captain Natamus, his wife was pregnant, but upon receiving the news, he immediately led his army to Alpert, traversing the central and southern parts of the empire in the shortest possible time to support him.

Nathamus was silent for a moment, and just as he was about to reach for the wine, Tersolius stopped his hand:

"Stop drinking! Has something happened?! Answer me first."

Nathamus released his grip, letting the glass fall into the bucket, and sighed deeply.

"It's nothing...nothing at all. The best doctors in the entire empire are taking care of her. No matter what the situation, there will be someone to handle it. After all, my wife is the daughter of the chief elder."

Tell me the truth.

Tersolius stubbornly insisted on his stance.

"...I didn't tell her anything about this. She didn't know you were in danger until I left...How am I supposed to tell her?! Am I supposed to tell her that her father might be plotting against my brother?! I don't even know how I'm going to face the woman who gave birth to my child when I go back!"

Natamus pulled his hand back somewhat irritably, leaned back in his chair, and stared silently at the top of the tent. The heavy armor made the wooden chair creak.

"Just because of this?..."

Tersolius shook his head, pulled over a chair, and sat down.

The wealthy people of Dalifia clearly know how to enjoy life. In order to be able to lie down comfortably anywhere, the craftsmen cleverly designed this foldable chair, and this time they also sent them several.

“Christina is now your wife. She has no relation to her original family anymore... Any rational person in the Empire knows this, and even after she dies, she wants to be buried in our family graveyard, to be with you.”

"And don't forget how much we've been through together. Now that things have come to this, how can you just abandon her?"

"Of course I won't! But..."

“There are no buts. You’re just overthinking things. Since you’re not going to abandon Christina, isn’t it clear what to do next? We’ll explain everything to her when the time is right… At least for now, put your mind at ease.”

"Besides, you're oversimplifying things. This matter might not necessarily be the Chief Elder's intention... At least he wouldn't use such an obvious and foolish method, nor would he harm the Empire's interests in the face of external enemies. The capital is currently a chaotic fishpond; we need to stir things up to wake up those with ulterior motives."

Natamus was silent for a moment, then vigorously rubbed his hair:

"Forget it, you're always smarter than me, so I'm not going to think about these messy things anymore... Maybe you're right, I was indeed thinking too simply. I almost drove myself crazy because of this before."

Tersolius stood up from his chair with a helpless expression. Despite all he had done, the situation he faced remained complex. This vast country was rife with intricate details and deeply entrenched power structures, and his journey ahead was destined to be anything but smooth.

"Go and get some rest. We need to leave early tomorrow. We'll be leaving the southern province within a week, and we'll have a lot to do next."

"Okay, okay. Damn it, I drank too much... After adding that stuff, the liquor became too smooth..."

Natamus left the tent complaining. The moonlight in the sky was still gentle, but it was difficult to truly illuminate every corner.

88. Undercurrents (1)

The next day, the army broke camp and set off amidst cheers from the city. The wooden stakes that made up the camp were uprooted and loaded onto horse-drawn carts with fresh soil. All sorts of miscellaneous items and supplies were loaded onto large carts pulled by tugs of cart. Before sunrise, the camp had become a flat open space.

As they advanced along the empire's flat, wide roads, disappearing into the distant horizon in no time, the excited imperial people lingered, reluctant to return to their cities. Some self-important orators had already found a rock or something to elevate themselves and began to deliver their opinions and newly produced masterpieces.

These people make a living this way every day. Once they open their mouths, they speak fluently and loudly, easily attracting the attention of those around them. This time, however, their speeches were all about General Tersolius, who had just left the city.

These street orators loudly praised General Tersolius's great achievements. They especially mentioned the city of Alpert, which had previously thwarted three consecutive attempts by the Imperial legions, yet General Tersolius had captured it in a single battle with only a few hundred men; his wisdom and courage surpassed that of all soldiers…

At the same time, they openly and subtly mocked certain cowards and timid individuals, ridiculing their selfish and shady behavior. Their words revealed some key information, almost explicitly naming someone. The surrounding imperial people listened with great interest and cheered loudly.

This scene could only be seen in the empire: a group of ordinary people gathered together, loudly mocking the powerful and wealthy. Although they dared not be too blatant, their veiled meaning was quite clear, and even a fool could understand what they were saying.

Of course, this situation only occurs when large numbers of people gather, and only when someone stands with them can they have such courage and boldness.

The orators displayed their eloquence and skill to the fullest, enough to make even Thesolius blush. They spoke fluently and tirelessly until the sun began to set, before finally stopping, seemingly unsatisfied. The wealthy citizens were certainly not stingy with their generosity at this moment, throwing copper and silver coins at their feet, enough to keep them comfortable for a month or two.

After the revelry, the satisfied imperialists left to do their own thing. Some travelers passing through the city were also amazed by what they had seen and heard, and couldn't wait to go to other places and their hometowns to show off their newfound knowledge.

A surge of enthusiasm is brewing across the empire's lands, originating in the city of Dalifia, and it is foreseeable that it will grow stronger and stronger until it becomes unstoppable.

………………

As Teresus gathered his thoughts in the sunlight streaming through the window, Talina stood at the table behind him, holding a brass pen. A sheet of parchment lay on the table, and she watched him from behind, waiting for something.

Indeed, despite his immense glory, Tersolius was still not very familiar with the language of this world; in short, he was practically illiterate here... He usually gave orders to others orally.

He was certainly unwilling to remain semi-literate, but changing his situation was not something he could do overnight... Although he could read simple words, writing letters and orders on his own was a pipe dream. He could read short military orders and maps without any problem, but writing a long letter like this required help from others.

It is worth mentioning that the person teaching him to read is now Talina. The doctor not only knows the script of the Kingdom of Hols, but also the script of the Empire, and even has some knowledge of the script of the desert kingdom in the south. He can be described as very knowledgeable.

He wasn't planning to become an expert overnight; he wanted to learn the most important imperial script first, so that he could at least write orders and letters himself in the future. But for now, he had to rely on his doctor to do it for him.

“Written by: Your Majesty, this is the first time I have written to you in the past three months. What I have experienced during this time may surprise you. I am currently in the southern province of the empire, heading towards the capital. Because of the presence of some cowardly and despicable fellows, I must let you know all that I have been through.”

Tarina moved her pen with focused concentration, leaving black ink marks on the parchment. One letter after another was neatly arranged on the paper, with the occasional protruding corners and curves appearing incredibly beautiful.

“My lord, I have reason to suspect that the battle of the Bone Basin was a complete deception from the very beginning. Our enemies within the Empire had already decided to attack us back then. They are hiding in the shadows, and we don’t know who made this decision, but the current situation is very unfavorable for us…”

"Therefore, in order to change this situation, we must take immediate action, and now I have such a plan..."

Tarina grew increasingly terrified as she wrote. The handwriting on the paper was far beyond what a lowly army doctor like herself could possibly see, and even many generals and nobles were not qualified to see it. Logically speaking, the only people who should know were Tersolius and the emperor.

Although she had complete trust in her general, the girl couldn't help but feel flustered. She didn't know if she was capable of holding such a position, such an important and confidential one...

Although that's what she was thinking, her hands moved quickly. Neat and beautiful words soon filled the entire sheet of paper. And because the paper was expensive, the girl seemed to have made use of every corner, without any extra ink spots or corrections.

As time went by, both large parchment scrolls were covered with neat handwriting. The girl handed her work to Teresa with some difficulty, wanting him to check it again.

Somewhat helplessly, Tersolius picked up the parchment and examined it closely. This reminded him of his high school days, when his English was the worst among all his subjects. When looking at English test papers, he could occasionally find words he recognized, but it was extremely difficult to connect them. He could only vaguely understand the general meaning.

This reading process was extremely agonizing and a great test of his mental strength, but fortunately he still managed to understand the general meaning, albeit intermittently, and it was no different from what he had dictated.

"You're really putting me in a difficult position, doctor..."

After reading it for a while, Tersolius had a real headache. But no matter how much he trusted the girl, according to the rules of the empire, he had to read the letter carefully and have it checked again by a reliable person of sufficient standing before it could be sent out.

And the obvious choice was his older brother, Natamus… Yes, his elder brother was literate…

While he may not have any particular writing skills or technique, Natamus is indeed able to write and read the vast majority of letters on his own, far surpassing those of others.

Just by looking at him, you could tell he was definitely not a person who liked studying. The reason he could read was because of Christina. As the daughter of the chief elder, Christina was naturally not illiterate. In those two years, his older brother had also stumbled through learning the Imperial script, but he was the only one who remained illiterate...

Determined once again to get out of this awkward situation as soon as possible, he handed the parchment to his elder brother.

Natamus reached out and took it, then naturally began to read it. However, from the slight upturn of his lips, Tesorus knew what he was thinking... which made him roll his eyes.

“I can’t see any problem. You always come up with good ideas. We need to hurry up and send it out.”

………………

The army camp was located at a crucial crossroads, from which three cities could be reached, and caravans from all over had to pass through here to continue their journeys.

Although there was an army nearby, it did not affect the prosperity of the market at all. Caravans coming and going formed a small market, and many people would choose to hire guards or exchange goods to replenish their resources.

Although bandits within the empire are wiped out by the garrisoned legions every so often, groups of bandits still roam in the more remote areas, and they can never be completely eradicated.

For merchants, it is essential to have some strong guards. In many cases, this can even deter weaker villains and save them a lot of trouble. Everyone knows that a caravan without protection is easy prey to be slaughtered.

Therefore, in this place with convenient transportation, there has always been a thriving market for guards. Many men who think they are capable want to use this method to accumulate a sum of money to buy a set of equipment, and then make meritorious contributions in a war to win land and wealth for themselves.

Cliftus is a fur trader who is urgently looking for guards. He is heading to the north of the empire to buy high-quality furs. The journey is long and he is likely to encounter bandits. If he is not careful, he could lose his wealth and his life. Therefore, he is determined to find qualified guards to ensure his safety, even if it costs more money.

There were many men carrying bows and arrows and short swords, looking for a suitable employer. However, he keenly sensed that these men were clearly novices. They deliberately put on fierce expressions, but they hadn't even adjusted the position of their swords correctly and couldn't draw their swords immediately.

Such a person is clearly unqualified, but those elite guards are in high demand, and he has arrived too late. Others in the same trade have already gained the upper hand. If he is really unlucky, he may have to set off with his caravan like this.

Although his face remained calm, Cliftus, who was becoming increasingly anxious, suddenly stopped looking. Two mountain people leading mules and haggling with a merchant caught his attention...

Their mules had a dozen or so pelts piled on them, clearly indicating they were there to exchange them for money.

The tightly bound leg wraps, the worn greatsword on his back, the longbow gleaming with a soft light, and the quiver at his waist were all neatly arranged and meticulously arranged... This clearly showed the marks of an army.

A thought struck him: these two mountain people were likely archers who had served in the imperial army, but had now retired and returned to their hometowns, which was why they had brought furs here to sell.

The fierce and brave mountain people have always been excellent warriors, especially those who have served in the Imperial Legion. Once they have acquired discipline, they become even more sought after, and it is easy for them to find ways to support themselves. Many people are willing to hire them.

Seeing this as an opportunity too good to pass up, he decisively walked towards the two men. At the same time, he reached into his pocket, felt his purse, and decided that this time he could appropriately increase his offer to finalize the matter as soon as possible.

"Two warriors, are you here to sell these furs?"

The two mountain men turned around, and surprisingly, they were quite different in age. One had a full beard, while the other was obviously much younger. The wariness that naturally appeared on their faces only strengthened his judgment.

“That’s right, kind and wealthy man. We brought these furs from our hometown. They are all top-quality, with fine and smooth down, without any excess damage. They are definitely worth a good price. Are you interested? Perhaps we can discuss it.”

The younger mountain dwellers spoke first, immediately promoting their furs, and Cliftus readily agreed:

"Of course, I'm very interested. If you two would like, I'd like to invite you to a tavern for a drink, and we can talk over drinks."

"Of course, no problem. Thank you for your generosity, sir."

"Haha, this is nothing. May I ask your names?"

“My name is Dochikin…” The young man smiled and stroked the mane of his mule. “As for him, his name is Vodov. Please forgive him, he doesn’t like to talk much. He just got a sore in his mouth a couple of days ago, and the doctor told him not to talk too much during this time.”

“Alright, alright, then please follow me. I know exactly where the best tavern around here is. The ale here will definitely surprise you. You know, they even dug a huge cellar here to store the beer chilled to the bone…”

Clift spoke warmly with the two men, secretly pleased with his good fortune. These two mountain men were clearly serving in the legion and were quite easy to talk to. They were far from the unpleasant temperaments of other mountain men, which was perfect.

If he could successfully recruit them, these two mountain warriors would be worth a whole squad of guards, and he would be lucky no matter what.

The setting sun had dimmed, and bugle calls echoed from the nearby camp, but the people in the market weren't too panicked. Those who had served in the legion even proudly showed off their knowledge to others:

"Listen, the legion is preparing to rest."

89 Interlude

A long, sharp arrow flew straight out like raindrops, accurately shooting down a large bird on the treetop. The terrifying arrow pierced through its body on the spot, and the bird was already lifeless before it even hit the ground. A rough hand grabbed its long neck, ripped open its chest, and threw its messy internal organs into the grass.

“Mr. Dochikin, I must admit that you are the best archers I have ever seen. The best hunters in my hometown would be ashamed and break their bows after seeing your archery skills.”

The merchant laughed heartily. He was in a wonderful mood. These two excellent mountain warriors could guarantee his safety throughout the journey. Even if they left his caravan upon reaching the capital, he would still be willing to pay more money.

"This is just average in my hometown. Sir, you haven't seen the best archer in our area. He can shoot an arrow right through a bird's eye."

"Oh, I'd really like to go and see if I have the chance. I've heard the furs there are quite good. I happen to be in that business, so maybe we could even have a chance to work together."

"The younger generation of Montbas welcomes any guests, and we are happy to sell our furs."