Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

“My lord, my name is Tarina… To Tarina… that’s my name.”

The man placed his fingers on his chin, giving her a look of keen interest as he sized her up. This intensely aggressive gaze immediately made her think of something unpleasant, and her fingers gripped a sharp knife in her herb-gathering pouch…

“You don’t look like a Holsian… Holsians are usually more slender than you.”

“My father is an Imperial, sir, and my mother is a Holstein.”

The soldier nodded, seemingly having instantly resolved his doubts, and then continued with a smile:

"Then, Talina, come and stitch up my eyes... or if you have other ideas, that's fine too; I'm open to the doctor's advice on this."

The man in the darkness beckoned to her. Despite his striking good looks, Tarina trembled with fear. But after he called her a second time, she went over.

"Please forgive me, madam, but I cannot tell you my name. This is for the good of everyone here. The less you know, the better, so that you can survive more easily."

Talina, the only one in the village who had seen the world, immediately understood what the other party meant. At the same time, her heart was filled with the joy of surviving a disaster. The other party's words meant that they did not intend to harm their lives, which greatly reduced the fear in her heart.

"Please forgive me, sir, but the condition of your wound is not good. It should be washed with boiling water made from clover to prevent contamination, and then it should be stitched up..."

The man nodded:

“That sounds like a good idea, but do you have any of those plants called double clover here? Otherwise, we don’t have time to look for them.”

"Yes, yes, that's what's being cooked in that pot outside... It was originally meant for this new mother, and it's already cooked."

The soldier immediately shouted outside, and a moment later the tall cavalryman came in carrying a wooden basin full of blue solution, put it down, and left immediately.

"Then treat me, doctor, just go ahead and do it."

The man rubbed the corner of his eye and said calmly.

12. Take a short break (2)

After the steaming hot medicine cooled slightly, it was used to rinse the whitish wound. Soon, Tersolius felt that his forehead was no longer so numb, and the coldness that had been coiled on his face like a snake had subsided considerably. As the steaming water flowed down his face and dripped into the basin from his chin, the whitish flesh at the wound slowly returned to its red color, and even a little blood seeped out, just like when he had just been stabbed.

Tersolius knelt down, cooperating with Talina's treatment. The girl, who had been terrified just moments before, seemed to have transformed completely after the treatment began. Her expression was so serious and meticulous, her slender fingers deftly cleaning the wounds on her head with a clean white linen cloth. Her emerald green eyes were fixed on his forehead without blinking. As the cleaning was completed, she even gently lifted his head with both hands. At that moment, her courage was frightening.

As the girl bent down to wash the linen in the basin, Tersolis suddenly noticed how adorable her profile was. It had just the right amount of plumpness, but it didn't make her cheeks look bloated at all, like a perfectly steamed bun... This analogy might be a bit inappropriate, but that's really what he thought at that moment.

Unlike the slender Holsteins of the average age, this girl was remarkably well-developed. She was voluptuous yet without any excess fat, possessing a perfect sense of proportion throughout her body. She was also tall and graceful... It could only be said that this girl did not seem to have lacked nutrition during her growth, which made Tersolius momentarily lose himself in admiration.

He only came to his senses after the other person took out their small bag and pulled out the suture needles inside.

"What kind of thread did you use to stitch the wound? Was it hemp thread or cotton thread?"

Tarina realized the other person was talking to her, and she continued to take out a bundle of white silk thread from her small bag:

"No, that's not it. To suture a wound, you need to use fine thread extracted from sheep intestines, and it must be scalded with boiling water before it can be used. During this process, you need to use Freud's Primary Protection spell to protect the sheep intestine thread so that it won't be completely burned. Afterwards, you need to keep it sealed with magic, and it can only be opened when it is needed."

Her clean, white fingers deftly threaded the translucent white thread through the silver needle eye. The girl muttered something to herself as she looked at the needle until a glimmer of blue light appeared at the tip, at which point she stopped, satisfied.

When she turned her head, she found that Terthorius was staring intently at her fingers, his expression so stiff and surprised, as if he was utterly shocked by the spell she had used.

Tersolius was truly shocked. This was the first time he had ever heard of magic in this world. Even after being ravaged by battles involving tens of thousands of people, he had never encountered any trace of magic during those experiences. Logically, with such immense power, why wouldn't he use it in war?

He thought it over and over and came to believe there were only two possibilities: one was that the power was not yet mature enough, or even too weak; the other was that the spell was only applicable to a very narrow range, such as medicine, and could not be used in other areas, otherwise it would be inexplicable that it was not seen in war.

It wasn't until warm fingers pressed against his temples that he realized he was about to be stitched up... He raised his head, even leaning slightly back against the wall, letting those slender fingers press on his forehead. As the sharp needle pierced his skin, the shocking wound on his forehead was gradually stitched up. He was no longer as horrified as before. The girl was completely focused on stitching up the wound on his forehead, her body very close to his. A unique herbal fragrance wafted into his nose, and his sensitive ears could even hear her soft breathing. The warm air rushed against the skin on his forehead, making the back of his neck suddenly itch and his whole body feel a little uncomfortable.

He merely furrowed his brow slightly and made no other move. This furrowing of his brow made Talina's fingers tremble. She thought she had inserted the needle too deeply and hurt the man in front of her, so she could only be more careful and the stitching speed was much slower. But no matter how slow it was, the wound would eventually be stitched up. After making a beautiful ending, the girl cut the thread and looked at the wound on his forehead with satisfaction.

Thesoris reached out to touch her, but the girl slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch it, it will make the wound flare up..."

Before they could finish speaking, both of them froze. The girl stared at her hands in surprise, a pale color gradually appearing on her face. She even lost her balance and looked as if she was about to fall to the ground at any moment.

At that very moment, the girl had already resigned herself to her fate… Those terrifying cavalrymen would hack her to pieces in the blink of an eye, dump her body in the wilderness, and then have the wild beasts of the jungle devour her until only bones remained… Why had she suddenly become so bold as to actually dare to strike them? It was as if she had lost her mind…

Just as the girl was trembling and about to cry, Thesolius's lips curled up into a smile, and he chuckled.

"Hahaha!!... Doctor, you're really funny. You did a great job, I should repay you properly..."

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.

13 Take a short 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!..."

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: