Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

"Any act that incites the public will be regarded as treason!"

ask for leave

I got back a bit too late today, and I'm a little short on time, so I'll take a day off and make up for it tomorrow. (°ー°〃)

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15. Conspiracy (2)

Natamus mounted his horse with a gloomy face. The warhorse ridden by the burly general was a carefully selected breed. Its hooves were a size larger than those of ordinary warhorses, and its coat was the purest yellow sand in the desert, without a single stray hair, reflecting a silk-like sheen in the sunlight.

He gave his horse a slight nudge, and the warhorse, which he had known for a long time, began to move forward. Its large hooves pounded on the bluestone floor with a crisp sound, and several cavalrymen quickly followed, clearing the way for the general with a ceremonial procession.

The commoners, nobles, and merchants who had been loudly protesting in the square scattered in disarray when they saw the imposing general riding towards them. Just moments before, they had been so agitated, as if they wanted to tear the sky down, but when they actually saw the relative of the culprit they were talking about, they were like mice seeing a cat, wishing they could hide their heads in the crowd... simply because Natamus's gloomy eyes were scanning around, and his fingers were trembling slightly. If they were to touch his whiskers at this moment, who knew if they would be chopped off in the street.

When Natamus sighed regretfully and then continued to urge his warhorse forward, everyone realized that he really meant it... It's just that no one was foolish enough to come to him today, so his greatsword remained unstained with blood.

As we continued along the smooth cobblestone road, the streets on both sides were extremely wide, enough to accommodate three carriages side by side. Such a bustling street was incongruous with the quietness at this moment. Almost a third of the city's population had gathered in the square, while others were busy discussing the sudden defeat.

The people of this country are unlike any other. They are extremely enthusiastic about national affairs such as politics and military matters, and although they cannot participate directly, they are full of enthusiasm for discussion. Some people will even neglect their normal business operations because of this, closing their shops and rushing to the square to argue with others... Everyone has a unique sense of responsibility and takes great pleasure in it. They even dare to oppose the emperor in broad daylight when there are many people. This terrible wave of public opinion requires even the supreme emperor to deal with it carefully.

Like a double-edged sword, when the people support the emperor, the entire empire can be united as one, but once they start to oppose the emperor, it will put the emperor in a dangerous situation... This unique political ecology is unique in the whole world.

Every emperor of the empire has felt both proud and troubled by this, but the current Empress, having only been on the throne for three years, finds this unique experience disorienting and infuriating...

Natamus returned to his mansion in silence. The building, constructed of beautiful marble, was not large, even smaller than some wealthy merchants' houses in the city center. However, as soon as he stepped across the threshold, his expression softened, no longer giving off the same oppressive aura as before, like a ferocious beast gathering its rage. Even his guards dared not utter a word.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he dismissed his guards and silently walked into the backyard alone. At the same time, he drew the heavy sword from his waist... This sword looked extremely terrifying, as wide as an adult's palm and as thick as an inch. Although it had a tapering design, its terrifying weight could still easily destroy a person's wrist... But in Natamus's hands, it was as light as a feather, without causing his arm to move for even a moment. The four-foot-long blade gently touched the stone floor.

As his expression grew increasingly ferocious, until his emotions reached a peak, he suddenly opened his eyes wide, let out a roar, and swung his heavy sword with a sharp, piercing sound. The sword shattered deeply into a wooden stake as thick as a person, and with a slight flick of his arm, the hard wood was completely torn apart, and the iron-clad stake crashed to the ground.

The wailing that tore through the air was like the cry of a ferocious beast, recklessly expressing its sorrow. The swinging heavy sword smashed one wooden stake after another to pieces, and the hard iron boots trampled the thin bluestone slabs into fragments. In the blink of an eye, the once clean, tidy, and well-equipped backyard was turned into a pile of ruins. This terrible commotion made all the servants look at each other and hide to the side, afraid of attracting the general's attention.

The heavy blade sank deep into the floor with a dull thud.

"Change it for me again!!"

The servants immediately sprang into action, carrying new wooden stakes to the backyard and clearing away the broken pieces of wood. In the blink of an eye, the backyard was almost restored, except for the broken stone slabs, which couldn't be dealt with for the time being. But Natamus didn't care; he just needed an outlet for his emotions.

He reached into the stone slab, pulled his sword out, and without hesitation charged back in…

Natamus only felt a little relieved after destroying hundreds of wooden stakes. His worries grew day by day. The only reason he hadn't killed Arius yet was because his brother's return would be affected by it.

…………

He refused to believe his brother had died so easily, even surrounded by tens of thousands of troops. This wasn't wishful thinking; he knew his brother well enough… and he understood why his brother had been framed and betrayed. As the emperor's confidants, they were already thorns in the side of the nobles. But even so, he hadn't anticipated that Aristotle would be so shameless and despicable, actually sacrificing thousands of armored cavalry to frame his brother!

Those soldiers were all elites of the empire, its most valuable assets. They had all undergone rigorous training since the age of 12, and each of them could move freely while wearing heavy armor weighing hundreds of pounds. Once they formed a battle formation, they could easily defeat enemies several times their size. Each of them required a huge price from the nation to cultivate, but they were wasted because of that fool's despicable selfishness. Thinking of this, Natamus almost felt a pang of heartache and could hardly breathe.

All of this burned within him like fuel, fueling his anger and causing his chest, which had just begun to calm, to heave again.

"Go get the target again, hurry up!!"

16 urgent travel

The cavalrymen were gathering, like tributaries flowing into the main stream, continuously converging from the corners of the village towards the road at the village entrance. The horses' hooves trampled the ground into a muddy mess, the black mud making it a complete disaster, where feet and hooves would sink deep into it. The restless horses thrashed about, eager to escape this wretched place, but their masters held the reins firmly, preventing a single hoof from trespassing into the farmland beyond the road.

Several horse-drawn wagons were protected in the middle, piled high with sacks of grain and smoked meat. There were no vegetables or fruits that would spoil easily; it was standard marching rations.

These elite cavalrymen waited for their general to give the order to depart. Their chainmail faces, freshly greased, concealed all their expressions, making them appear as silent as statues, yet exuding an unsettling sense of discipline.

"You've surprised me, Doctor."

The scar on Tersolis's forehead was stitched up beautifully, looking not at all grotesque, but rather like a strange decoration, revealing the author's delicate thoughts. And now he was smiling at the girl standing at the village entrance:

"I thought you were looking forward to my departure, and everyone else in the village must have thought so too... so they all stayed in their homes, but you were waiting at the village entrance early this morning. Did you come to see us off?"

Talina's cheeks puffed out slightly:

“You went back too early yesterday, and your cavalry wouldn’t let me come looking for you… Take these herbs with you; the wound on your forehead is still at risk of worsening. You can just boil it in water and drink the broth, which can also prevent illness… Also, take these clean white cloths; your wound needs to be changed every day, otherwise it will easily rot in the damp jungle climate…”

The doctor gave Tersolius instructions in an almost nagging manner, while stuffing packet after packet of herbs and other things into his hands. This gave Tersolius the illusion that he was a great savior of the village, which was why he was being thanked so much.

But the truth is, they terrified everyone in the village yesterday. Some of them must have had a sleepless night, fearing the soldiers would suddenly burst into their homes and kill them all. This kind of thing happens all the time, especially in this forest, where villages are often completely destroyed by bandits and armies.

"Aren't you afraid of me, doctor? You were so terrified yesterday, your fingers were even shaking, so why are you bringing me these things today?"

Thesolius accepted the girl's gifts without hesitation, putting them in his saddlebag, and asked her what she wanted, saying that he would grant her whatever she asked for at that moment.

Seeing that the imperial general had accepted her gift, Talina couldn't help but smile. Upon hearing his question, the girl answered without hesitation, almost instinctively:

"Because you are my patient."

"ah?!……"

Caught off guard by this answer, Thesolius gasped in surprise, while the girl continued her eloquent speech:

“If I hadn’t given you these medicines and what you’d need later, you might have died from the infection. What would have been the point of my treatment then? A doctor’s duty is to save lives. If someone can’t do that, they’re not a doctor, especially if they’re capable of it… Besides, you’re a good person, sir. Even though you seem fierce, didn’t you spare Peso yesterday? You’ve been more merciful than all the nobles. What do I have to fear…”

Tesolis looked at the girl in front of him with an interesting gaze until she stopped her incessant chatter, looked at him somewhat uneasily, and felt that she might have said something wrong.

Thesolius was concealing a trace of shame in his heart; he was deeply embarrassed by his rash guess and opinion, but his face remained expressionless. Looking at the girl who liked to use rhetorical questions, he suddenly leaned down and put his head next to her ear:

“I want to apologize to you, Doctor… and, a piece of advice, leave this place as soon as possible. People will be after us soon. Although we have tried our best to clear the area, you have helped us, and this could easily get you into trouble… Those people may not be trustworthy, so be careful. It would be best to leave today… I originally wanted to take you with me, but it would be more dangerous for you to come with us.”

The girl, whose face had been flushed from the heat of the breath on her ear, suddenly became nervous because of Tersolius's words, and the man's next actions even made her a little flustered...

Thesolius reached out and placed his hand on the girl's waist, where a hard hilt of a knife rested:

"No matter which empire's town you go to, just take out this knife and you'll get help... Don't attract attention, and set off as soon as possible... We'll clear out all the bandits along the way. If possible, wait for me in Labfia..."

He straightened up abruptly, waved to the doctor, and then gave the order to leave, but at the same time, the soft touch from just moments before kept replaying in his mind...

This girl really doesn't seem like a Holstein...

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The empire's finest warhorses panted as they traversed the jungle roads. These roads were not particularly narrow, as the nearby towns were bustling with commerce, and the merchants who came and went had long since expanded the jungle roads to a considerable extent, allowing even large armies to move freely.

The sound of their armor plates rubbing against each other was faint but continuous. All the soldiers were silent; they were survivors, avengers, and seekers of survival... No one knew where the Hols' pursuing forces were. The only way to ensure their safety was to reach the nearest imperial town. Although they were not afraid of any Hols army, if they were slowed down by wave after wave of attacks, they might be hunted down by the enemy's large army, and then escape would be difficult.

Dozens of scouts, dressed only in light chainmail, scattered into the surrounding jungle to scout the way for the army. The wagons behind were firmly protected by fully armored cavalry. Horses were precious, so they bought five packhorses from the village to pull the wagons. The food was not only their own rations but also the most important thing to ensure the strength of the horses. If they only ate grass, these precious horses would lose weight at an astonishing rate and never regain their strength.

They marched unimpeded through forest after forest, letting the thin mist settle on their oiled armor. Silent and unspeakable, they were like an army of the dead, advancing stealthily through the fog, ready to reap the lives of the living… or to exact revenge on those who had murdered them…

17. Attacked (1)

The cavalrymen advanced cautiously yet recklessly along the road. Although they were fleeing from the Hols, their deep-seated pride wouldn't allow them to cower like despicable thieves. They still held their lances high and gripped their shields, displaying the double-headed eagle emblems on them without any attempt to conceal their power, charging arrogantly and rampaging through the area.

Although the road was wide, it wasn't wide enough for them to launch a massed charge, so the cavalry maintained a tight formation, ready to respond to any attack they might encounter. Even if they couldn't urge their warhorses on a devastating rampage, their rigorous training from childhood and superior equipment meant they feared no enemy.

A somber atmosphere permeated this formidable cavalry. Tersolius knew exactly where this atmosphere came from. After calming down from the joy of breaking through the encirclement and the hatred driven by resentment, everyone felt anger and sorrow for the heavy losses they had suffered. They were the noblest soldiers in the entire empire, each requiring a full 400 gold denarii a year to support them. This time, they had lost more than half of them, and they had been abandoned by their nominal supreme commander among the enemy. No experience could be more humiliating and infuriating than this.

But they also felt a sense of uncertainty. Although they had successfully broken through, and although their aim was revenge, the governor held a high position of power throughout the empire. Could they truly achieve their goal?

Tersolius understood the doubts and anxieties of his cavalry, but he said nothing to boost morale. Instead, he silently walked to the front of the column. His face remained steadfast and calm throughout. All the cavalrymen saw this and silently tightened their reins, making their ranks even more disciplined as they followed the man at the front.

They were willing to follow their general into hell, so what was there to worry about now? ...The situation couldn't be worse than when they were surrounded...

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Tersolis gently pulled on the reins of his warhorse. The massive black horse stamped its hooves twice in agitation before coming to a steady stop, shaking its head and snorting, clearly frustrated by the sudden obstacle in front of it.

All the cavalry came to a steady stop, maintaining their tight formation as orders were relayed. A large tangled mass of trees blocked the road, seemingly washed away by a flash flood, their roots intact and covered in mud. Several large, millstone-sized boulders stood in the middle of the road, reaching up to the middle of the other tree trunks, forming a natural wall that firmly held them back.

Thesolius frowned as he looked at the sudden obstacle. The trees seemed to have appeared here due to a natural disaster, and they had been blocked here by bad luck. But he felt that things were not so simple, especially looking at the chaotic wheel tracks and messy footprints that had suddenly become disordered after reaching this point. He picked up his shield from his saddle, dismounted, and went to the messy tree trunks.

Reaching out, Thales brushed a thick clod of earth away from the tree roots and saw what he had suspected: tree roots severed by an axe and marks from a shovel…

A slight tremor of a bowstring suddenly came, and he almost instinctively raised his shield. An arrow was stuck straight into the shield, its fletching still trembling slightly.

"Enemy attack!!"

With a shout from an officer, all the shields were raised, stacked on top of each other like scales, forming an impenetrable formation. One deadly, sharp spear after another emerged from the gaps between the shields. Two cavalrymen practically dragged him away from the area, and just as they raised their shields, a dense rain of arrows flew in.

It was as if the ambushers were specifically coordinating with them, only unleashing their arrows after they had formed an impenetrable formation. But Thesolius knew very well that this was because their movements were simply too fast; the moment the arrow flew, all the soldiers had already raised their shields in perfect unison, giving the enemy no chance to react. As a dense rain of arrows struck the shields, the dull clanging sound was as dense as raindrops. The soldiers silently protected themselves with their shields, while simultaneously gripping the swords and iron staffs at their waists, ready to launch a devastating charge at any moment.

The arrows did not last long. Each arrow was difficult to make, and only a prosperous and powerful nation could supply its army with a dense and continuous barrage of arrows like a torrential rain on the battlefield. These ambushers obviously could not do that.

Tersolius gestured for the two cavalrymen holding shields to step aside, and then he saw the men who had been lying in ambush on both sides of the road...

This was a group of people dressed in heavy but tattered clothes. They wore roughly woven animal hides, dark green checkered shorts, and heavy animal hide boots. A very few of them had a tattered piece of chainmail, but everyone held a longbow with a thick arrow shaft nocked on it.

Their faces bore fierce expressions, but Tersolius could clearly sense their weakness. Although these men appeared physically strong, their faces bore the pale complexion characteristic of hunger. They looked incredibly fierce, but upon seeing their fine armor and weapons, they dared not utter a sound and could only stare at them with menacing expressions.

Although there were quite a few of them, at least three or four hundred judging from the dense shadows of the area they occupied, after firing a burst of arrows, they merely bluffed and surrounded them without daring to take a step forward. Even when Tersolius showed his face, the archers did not intend to shoot at him.

The crowd stirred, and after a burst of excited cheers, they parted to make way for a small, thin figure who stepped out and stood before the cavalrymen…

"Leave the food in your car! We won't make things difficult for you... Otherwise, you won't be leaving this jungle."

It was a hoarse yet clear voice. Among those people were tall, burly men, but they had chosen such a thin man as their leader, which surprised Tersolius greatly. What surprised him even more was their purpose; they seemed to have been eyeing their food from the very beginning…

Looking at those fierce-looking but weak-legged strong men, Tersolius twitched his ears and keenly heard the cry of a baby behind them. Seeing their longing gazes drifting towards the wagon... he already understood what was going on.

This was a group of starving refugees, or rather, refugees who had turned to thievery because of hunger... and they were almost driven mad by hunger, which is why they dared to attack them.

18. Attacked (2)

Sunlight pierced through the jungle weapons, dappling the thick fur and quickly heating it up. The man with the unkempt beard was drenched in sweat. But he dared not take it off; the damp and unpredictable climate of the jungle could easily make one sick, especially since they had been starving for days. Even though he was known for his strength in the village, his legs now felt weak and trembling. The intense hunger was tormenting him, turning his once-strong muscles into a gaunt shape.

The longbow in his hand was made of the finest yew wood, covered with a thick layer of deer tendon, and wrapped with waterproof bark. It could shoot extremely powerful heavy arrows, but in his current weak state, he could only shoot two more arrows at most before he would be too weak to even resist. He would be sweating profusely and at the mercy of his opponent.

He was indeed sweating profusely, not just because of the sudden rise in temperature, but also because he was terrified by what they had done... Look at those cavalrymen, look at those cavalrymen who were wrapped up so tightly that only their eyes were showing, their armor was so shiny and tight, their bodies were so tall and strong... He was sure that even if such a cavalryman stood still and let him shoot arrows at him, even if he emptied his quiver of the last arrow, he might not be able to kill the other man.

This formidable and imposing cavalry force numbered over 400, crowding the wide road. Their dense armor gleamed with a chilling light, and their powerful warhorses and superior weapons instilled fear in the crowd. No one dared to imagine what a terrifying sight it would be if these cavalry suddenly charged at them, yet they still gathered here... relying on their longbows and the few tattered pieces of armor they possessed, they stood in front of the cavalry.

This sounds like a decision only a madman would make, but they did it not only because of extreme hunger, but also because they had their own trump card…

He turned his gaze to the small, thin figure at the front... The reason everyone dared to take this risk was because this guy had convinced them all. Moreover, they had no way out. Even an insect in this forest had been eaten... If this continued, they would start eating people!

Ancestors of Montparnasse, bless your child! ...

With a fervent prayer in his heart, the man gripped his bow tightly. He was the best archer in the village, but now even survival was a luxury…

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Even though the cavalrymen, due to their strict discipline, did not move an inch without permission, they still exchanged strange glances: These ridiculous bandits actually dared to rob them!! Even the empire's finest clown poet could not tell such a joke. The gap in strength between the two sides had reached a point that was utterly hopeless, yet these people still dared to utter such arrogant words.

They initially thought they had been ambushed by the Hols, until they saw those ragged men... If the general hadn't given the order, they would have spurred their horses forward and slaughtered them without hesitation.

“Your audacity has impressed me.” Tersolius could barely contain his smile. He didn’t believe these people couldn’t see how powerful his cavalry was. Although they were a group of starving refugees, they should know which was worse: starvation or death. “You should know that your words are a threat to us… and we will respond to such threats. We are in a hurry, so if you surrender now, I will spare your lives.”

Thetholys's words stirred the bandits, but the only response he received was an arrow that suddenly flew towards him. He casually deflected the arrow to the ground with his shield, and then gave the order with a sigh: "Rout them! Hurry up!"

The officer immediately sounded the horn, and like a school of fish suddenly scattering in a river, the cavalrymen on their tall warhorses brandished their weapons and charged towards the bandits. The tall, strong warhorses effortlessly leaped up the forest slopes, nimbly avoiding the thick trees, and led the cavalrymen into the bandits' formation.

In that instant, the dust kicked up by their horses' hooves almost covered the entire road. The invincible cavalry would, in the blink of an eye, turn these audacious bandits into a pile of corpses and mud.

With a sharp whistle, before the cavalry even made contact, the bandits showed no intention of resisting and scattered into the dense jungle behind them in the blink of an eye. Their steps were so light that the complex bushes and branches posed no obstacle to them at all, just like a cunning fox, as they disappeared into the lush forest.

The cavalry's charge was inevitably hindered by the tall and dense thickets. Some cavalrymen with sabers hurriedly swung their swords to chop at the bushes in front of them, but after they cleared one pile, more would appear behind them. As far as the eye could see, endless trees filled the entire jungle; it was a green world.

Seeing those cowardly rats escape in the blink of an eye, the cavalrymen angrily shouted and brandished their chain hammers, urging their warhorses to give chase. However, the terrain was too much of an obstacle for them. The dense bushes and deciduous forests formed fence-like structures, and unless they were carefully cleared, there would be no place to set up camp.

The massive warhorses struggled to move, while the lone bandits, with their agility, darted swiftly through the woods at an astonishing speed, even faster than people running on flat ground. Once the last bandit had completely disappeared from their sight, the cavalrymen, having achieved nothing, could only angrily strike the nearby tree trunks with their weapons before reluctantly letting their horses run back.

"Bandits!"

A loud roar suddenly came from the side, and all the cavalrymen then realized that several figures covered in mud had already carried several bags of grain from their vehicles and quickly disappeared into the bushes. Although they were small, they ran very fast carrying the heavy grain. They didn't even care if they lost their shoes, and they desperately tried to squeeze into the thorns and bushes. Even if they fell to the ground, they would desperately pick up the bags in their hands and get up.

All eyes were drawn to the fleeing bandits, who, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, suddenly attacked the grain wagons while everyone was distracted, snatching several large sacks of grain. Enraged, Akar dismounted, grabbed his shield and chain mace, and charged forward without hesitation. The dense bushes hindered his tall frame, but his sturdy armor shielded him from the sharp branches and splinters, as he desperately pushed his way through, swinging his chain mace to send the bushes flying. Some cavalrymen followed, but they were no match for the bandits, even with their heavy loads of grain.

Seeing that the men were about to escape, Thesolius squinted as he took the large bow, a trophy of war, from his saddle, pulled an arrow from the shield beside him, thought for a moment, then broke off the arrowhead, and then steadily drew back the bow...

"Archery skill requirement: 95"

Archery skill level: 332

The test has been passed.

An arrow without an arrowhead is destined to fly short, but the arrow that flew accurately struck the last bandit in the knee, causing him to fall to the ground with a painful scream. The large pile of grain fell beside him. The man frantically covered the grain protruding from the bag with his hand, shouting loudly to his companions. A bandit with a full beard also ran back without hesitation, but instead of paying, he hoisted the grain onto his shoulder and then turned and quickly left...

When Akar brought his prisoners back, he saw his general squatting beside the carriage with great interest, looking thoughtfully at the hole dug out under a large tree on the roadside and the mud scattered around it, with a peculiar smile on his face. The large bow, which was as tall as a man, was casually placed on the carriage next to him.

"These guys are really interesting..."