Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

…………

This particularly pleased him; the two mountain people were easy to communicate with and efficient, saving him a lot of trouble. The discipline they had developed while serving in the Imperial Legion meant he didn't have to worry about them doing anything out of line—the cost-effectiveness was excellent.

"By the way, Mr. Dochikin, please forgive my intrusion, are you going to the capital to seek refuge with someone? This city is not easy to get by in. Even merchants are much more cunning than in other places. Ordinary people cannot gain a foothold there."

The young mountain man's face stiffened slightly, but he quickly recovered.

“That’s right. An elder from our village has made a name for himself there. We’re going there to rely on him, planning to invest the money we’ve saved over the years into starting a business…”

The two men chatted as the three carriages slowly made their way through the dense foliage, and the small caravan gradually disappeared into the distance.

………………

Tersolius was once again certain of one thing... that he was indeed very intelligent.

A short article that seemed obscure and difficult to understand yesterday can now be read fluently by Talina after she explained it to him once. At this rate, he may be able to master the Empire's language in just one year.

His warhorse continued to snort and move forward slowly. Although the pace was not fast, each step was extremely long, and Talina's pony had to trot to keep up. He always held a few pieces of parchment in his hand, studying the grammar and words on them.

Having received higher education in the past, he couldn't even read properly in this world... A strange sense of disparity made him concentrate on completing this task, and he didn't want to waste any time, even during the march.

The last time I studied this intensely, forgetting to eat and sleep, was during the college entrance exam...

His warhorse suddenly stopped, shaking its head restlessly, as if something was blocking its path and preventing it from moving forward.

Tersolis frowned slightly, keenly sensing something amiss: his warhorse had become noticeably alert, as if some danger lurked nearby…

He scanned the surrounding woods and bushes with his sharp eyes, while gently patting his warhorse's neck to soothe his mount.

Learning to get along with warhorses is something every cavalryman must learn; these behemoths, once out of control in formation, often bring terrible consequences.

When a qualified rider goes into battle, he will often choose the horse he is most familiar with, so that he can calm his warhorse in time and prevent any trouble.

But he soon realized something was wrong; his judgment was inaccurate.

His warhorse was not feeling fear, but anger, and was trying to charge somewhere, but its movements were restricted by the reins in his hands and the spurs on its hooves, which is why it appeared restless.

Reaching out from beside the saddle, Tersolius drew a large arrow from his quiver, nocked it, glanced briefly at a dense thicket, and then fired it.

The arrow was as fast as lightning, disappearing into the grass, but a scream rang out. A ferocious beast leaped out of the grass, its brown fur stained red with blood. It staggered forward a few steps before collapsing to the ground.

The marching soldiers were startled by the sudden turn of events, but their long-standing training made them instinctively raise their shields and nock their spears. Shield walls were erected on both sides of the road, ready to defend against enemies rushing out from the nearby woods.

At this moment, Thesolius was taken aback, because if his eyes were not mistaken, the beast he had shot looked like a lion...

The two cavalrymen spurred their horses toward the beast, and just in case, the moment their horses passed the beast, their spears pierced its hide, turning it into a mangled mess.

After dismounting, he reached out and grabbed the beast's mane, lifting its head up. The cavalryman seemed somewhat surprised, but he quickly tied a rope around the beast's neck and dragged it to Tersolius's side with his warhorse.

His arrow tore open the beast's side, penetrating halfway in. Gradually, the arrowhead emerged from the other side, piercing both lungs. A large amount of bubbly blood flowed from the beast's gaping maw, staining its long brown fur a deep black.

Tersolis reached out and nudged the beast, looking at its slightly rounded ears, the long brown fur protecting its neck, the four sharp fangs and chisel-like molars in its mouth, its thick limbs, and its tail with a tuft of brown fur at the end...

Unless this creature has another name, what appeared before him was undoubtedly a lion... and a young male lion whose fur hadn't even grown long yet.

But the key question is, how could he encounter a lion in this temperate forest with its mild climate? This guy doesn't seem like the kind of creature that would appear here. How could he encounter a lion in a place full of towering trees and high mountains, shrouded in clouds and mist all year round?

Moreover, this creature doesn't look like a pet; it shows no signs of human society whatsoever—it's just a wild animal born from the wild...

"How could there be lions in the forest?..."

Talina also squatted down beside him, and upon hearing Tersolius's words, she replied quite naturally:

“There are many lions in the Sarigon Forest. They are the most dangerous beasts here and cause great losses to the nearby villages and towns every year. Hunters in the nearby villages and towns can hand over two lion skins every year to offset their population tax. This is a special policy given to this place by the Empire.”

Tesorius paused for a moment:

"Doctor, have you been here before?"

Tarina tapped her chin with her finger and nodded affirmatively:

“I came here once to collect herbs, but I was terrified and didn’t have the money to hire hunters to protect me… I heard the roar of lions from afar and ran away in fright.”

Well, it seems that the existence of lions in the forest is common knowledge in this world... so there's nothing to be surprised about.

The lion's skin was severely damaged, and it was unclear whether the meat was edible, but it might still be useful. So the three slaves carried the lion onto the empty carriage, and the caravan continued on its way.

His warhorse finally quieted down, barely moving even though the lion's blood was flowing under its hooves. It just kept shaking its head, as if urging him to set off quickly.

"Doctor, what does lion meat taste like? Has anyone ever eaten it?"

He mounted his horse and, with great interest, posed this question to Talina.

"I don't know, sir, but the hunters here don't eat lion meat. They only skin and sell the fur and teeth. It's said that eating lion meat can cause poisoning, so no one dares to eat it."

"Is this so..."

Tersolius didn't know if this was true or not, but in his memory, he had never heard of anyone eating lion meat, nor had he heard of any claim that the meat was inedible. Most of the poaching incidents he had heard of were for the lion's skin.

The advancing troops paused only briefly before continuing their march. But before they could even leave the forest, one of the mountain people who had been scouting the area returned with some interesting news.

"You mean there's a pride of lions nearby, and one of them is particularly large?"

Colin nodded eagerly, while the mountain girl, her face beaming with excitement, urged Tersorius to agree to her idea.

"Yes, the footprint I found was as big as a bowl! It's definitely the biggest lion I've ever seen. If I miss it, I'll never sleep a wink for the rest of my life! Let's hunt it together! We'll become the most famous warriors!"

“I am now the most famous warrior…” Tesolis looked at Colin with amusement. The mountain girl was almost restless, her feet shifting back and forth on the ground, her eyes filled with expectation, but also with worry, afraid that she would refuse her suggestion.

Sure enough, as soon as he said that, Colin's face quickly showed disappointment, and his little face fell down, but he was still unwilling to give up and was about to say something else to make him change his mind.

"...But I'm also very interested to see just how big the lions in the forest can grow, so let's get ready quickly, this can't take too long."

Colin's expression immediately brightened, and he even cheered loudly.

…………

"Arka, flank it from the left! Don't let it get away!"

With an excited expression, Thesolius spurred his warhorse to gallop at full speed, deftly skirting the sparse trees, while a huge white lion ran frantically ahead of them.

Twenty elite armored cavalrymen were cheering, waving their gleaming spears and banging on their shields and armor, creating a piercing noise as they drove away the enormous white beast.

Colin said it was the biggest lion she had ever seen, but that might be an understatement; this lion could very well be the largest in the world…

What's even rarer is that this beast has snow-white fur all over its body, with only the mane on its neck having a faint golden hue, radiating a lustrous glow in the sunlight. It doesn't look like a wild animal, but rather like a work of art made of white jade.

Such a beast was certainly extremely dangerous, but the cavalrymen were even more dangerous to it. So the lion fled for its life the moment they made a sound, rapidly exhausting itself.

And that was exactly their goal. A beast full of energy is dangerous and difficult to deal with, but a beast that is exhausted is much easier to deal with. Their warhorses have far more stamina than this lion, and they can completely wear it down in this way, and then safely take its beautiful fur.

Logically speaking, it would be difficult for a wild animal with white fur to hide in the jungle. Although the colors that wild animals can see are different from those of humans, white is still dazzling to them. Whether it is a predator or a prey, white is a disaster.

For predators, white makes it impossible for them to hide, making them easier targets.

For predators, white makes them more visible to prey, thus losing hunting opportunities and making them more likely to starve to death.

It is truly remarkable that such a white lion could grow so strong and become the leader of a pride.

…………

The majestic lion opened its fangs and gaped, panting heavily. The beast had almost no strength left, but the persistent monsters were still chasing after it, keeping a distance that prevented it from turning around to retaliate or getting rid of them.

The beast's muddled instincts sensed an extreme threat. Its simple mind prevented it from thinking too much, and it could only try to escape the terrifying pursuer behind it by relying on its instincts and experience.

The lion didn't understand why these humans were so terrifying, even though it had eaten many of them. Cracking open those round heads like walnuts and licking the sap inside had become a great hobby for this beast, causing fear and unease among the people in the surrounding villages and towns.

But a powerful instinct drove the beasts to flee desperately, as if they would be killed if they stopped... but they dared not look back, and could only run with all their might.

Saliva dripped from the lion's gaping maw, soaking the ground. Its lungs were about to burst, yet it still struggled to move its paws, its tail dragging weakly on the ground.

The king of this forest seems to be reaching his end today…

90. Undercurrents (2)

The stone-paved road is flat and orderly, and it is a unique pleasure to look at. Whether it is a warhorse, a vehicle or a pedestrian, they can travel a greater distance on it than on a rough road.

The stone slabs on the road ahead are even more expensive; each one is a lustrous bluish-black color, carefully polished to such a smoothness that even a fly would slip on it.

It's unimaginable how much cost and manpower it would take to make these stone slabs, let alone laying these expensive slabs on the streets and letting pedestrians trample on them...

Kochkin thought he was quite knowledgeable, having finally achieved a good life by following General Tersolius and even conquering a city.

Such achievements were enough for him to look down on people in his hometown, and women willing to marry him would wear out his doorstep.

Alpert, built of white marble, was an eye-opener for him... He almost thought the city was created by the power of the gods... Otherwise, how could those huge stones have been piled up so tall and majestic?

But now, he realizes that he is still just an ignorant country bumpkin...

If the Alps were built with the help of the gods, then the city before us was built by the gods themselves...

A constant stream of caravans and people flowed past the three massive city gates. Each gate was more than half a meter thick, encased in sturdy iron plates and studded with countless diamond-shaped copper nails. Standing before the gates, they looked as tiny as two mice standing in front of their door.

The entire city's outer walls are constructed of solid, dark blue-black boulders, with barely visible seams, joined together by a unique adhesive material so fine that even the thinnest blade could not be inserted.

The two stood in front of the city gate, looking up at the top. Even though their necks ached, they were unwilling to look down. The highest tower almost stretched into the clouds above the mountaintop, and several eagles with golden feathers were circling above it.

The soldiers patrolling the city walls were all dressed in fine and neat armor, with only their eyes and mouths exposed, their foreheads and cheeks protected by steel.

Their spears gleamed in the sunlight, the oiled wooden shafts possessing a lustrous, maroon sheen. Their shields were painted with the Empire's double-headed eagle emblem, its two talons extending to the sides and its sharp beak pointing upwards.

Those wishing to enter the city gates had to undergo inspection, contrary to their initial assumption that they could simply pay a fee to enter. This fact was only clarified after the soldiers stopped them…

Where are your signs?

This question completely baffled Kochkin and his companion; they had no idea why they needed to produce such a document. Fortunately, their hired businessman came to their rescue in time.

"Sir, these two are my hired hands from the province of Losca. This kind of thing isn't common there yet..."

As he spoke, he bent down slightly, and a small bag of copper coins slipped down his shoulder and into the other person's hand. If you didn't look closely, you wouldn't even notice it.

The soldier nodded with a smile on his face.

"Since that's the case, you can go in this time. Don't forget to get a replacement later. They'll check again when you leave the city. If you don't have one by then, it won't be so easy..."

The merchant nodded eagerly and led the two, who were wide-eyed with amazement, inside.

The livestock pulling the carts all had a cloth bag tied around their laps to prevent their droppings from falling onto the street. The city's thriving commerce had led to numerous shops lining both sides of the road, with all sorts of signs hanging in front of their doors, indicating the goods they sold.

The city is filled with numerous towers that emerge from various two- or three-story buildings, all of which have red tiled roofs, making it look like a sea of ​​red flowers from afar.

Most of the houses here are of brick and wood mixed structure, sturdy and easy to build. There are several squares and markets decorated with various ribbons and flags, each crowded with people, with large numbers of merchants and citizens jostling and arguing inside.

There were just too many people. Kochkin had never seen so many people in his entire life... Men and women, young and old, were everywhere.

Their clothes weren't necessarily clean, but they generally didn't have many holes, which was considered a luxury in their village.

Even the beggars on the streets and alleys were few and far between, and the clothes these beggars wore were much better than his previous clothes... How could he expect to get food while wearing such clothes?

The young mountain man was in a daze, completely stunned by the magnificent scenery before him. Even his strong legs went weak, as if the towering towers and buildings around him could collapse at any moment and crush him into a pulp.

The two were utterly terrified, and in a daze, they followed the merchant through the streets and alleys until he suddenly called out to them:

"Alright, Mr. Dochikin, you can get your identity documents replaced here. You can't leave the city without them, so don't forget."

Kochkin finally realized what was happening:

"Okay, thank you so much, sir. With the two of us looking so pathetic, we probably wouldn't even know where we are in this city today."

The businessman smiled and shook his head:

“You guys are actually alright… When I first came to this city, I was so scared that I didn’t dare to stand up. It was like I had come to the land of giants. I was much more humiliated than you guys.”

"Oh, right..." The merchant took out a money pouch from his waist. "This is the money I promised to give to your spouse. Now that we're here, I should hand it over to you."

"No, sir."

Kochkin suddenly became serious and shook his head:

"Just give us half. We are so grateful for your care along the way, otherwise we would have suffered a lot. Besides, you paid for us at the city gate, so we only need half of the commission."

The merchant was slightly surprised, but a pleasant smile still appeared on his face.

"It was a pleasure working with you, Mr. Dochikin. If we meet again, I'll definitely treat you to a drink."

………………

"Let's go in and take a look... Hopefully, we won't make any more mistakes... Or should we go and do the important task the general assigned us first?"

Warif finally spoke, reaching up to scratch his thick beard.

"Let's get down to business first, that's the most important thing. Be careful, we can't let anyone see us..."

………………

The nobles of the empire always preferred to live in spacious and bright residences, often with a large backyard with a pond. This was an extreme luxury in the empire's capital, where land was incredibly valuable, and it was also a standard by which a nobleman was judged as a respectable person.