Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

But the wiser ones would notice the emperor's right-hand men... Both Tersolius and Nathamus were exceptionally talented, and even the garrison general, that always-smiling middle-aged man, possessed remarkable abilities.

With the help of these rare talents, the emperor quickly established himself in a short period of time, and with his superb political skills, he rapidly expanded his power over the next few years.

Given General Tersolius's remarkable achievements this time, it was only natural that the elders did not retain their three seats.

This was the first major breakthrough the Empire had achieved in the south in decades. The cowardly Hols hid behind the mountains like turtles in their shells, leaving them helpless.

But now this hard tortoise shell has been cracked open... As a result, the entire northern defense line is now rendered useless.

Just like an iron pot that is very difficult to break when it is intact, but if you make a small hole in it first and apply force around the hole, it is easy to break it... After realizing this, many imperial generals were already eager to try.

General Tersolius, who brought about such a victory, naturally gained immense prestige throughout the empire and the army, becoming unparalleled in his prominence. Every soldier hoped to join his ranks and be led by this invincible general to achieve victory and wealth.

The entire capital and surrounding areas were abuzz with talk of Tersolius's exploits. Everyone was curious about the young general's experiences, and with all sorts of rumors and embellishments circulating... it was anyone's guess what the final outcome would be.

………………

Some travelers returning from the south brought news of Pontra, a city that had previously suffered from the ravages of lions. Because the garrison had been taken away, the beasts were almost lawless, attacking people and livestock everywhere, causing widespread panic. The city lord had even requested assistance from the governor.

When General Tersolius passed through the city, he happened to encounter the pack of man-eating lions. With the help of his army, these lions, which had previously been almost impossible to control, were slaughtered in an instant. The general even killed a huge white lion with his own hands.

This story was known to every resident of Pontra, and each of them swore they had seen the lion with their own eyes. It was twice the size of an ordinary lion! Its fangs were as long as daggers, and it could bite off a sheep's head in one bite.

Moreover, the lion's pelt was tanned and processed by artisans from Pontra, and that skilled leatherworker still boasts to this day about how smooth and enormous the pelts he processed are.

To ensure that the world remembers this disaster and the heroes who ended it, the lion's bones were cast in molten bronze and placed atop a fountain in the square next to the city gates, so that everyone entering the city could see them at first glance.

The lord of Pontra also issued an indefinite bounty, available to anyone who could bring him a lion's pelt, for which he would receive two silver coins.

This is far more expensive than the normal price of a lion's skin, and the city lord made it clear that he only wanted lion skins from around Pontra, nothing else...

So in no time, the forests and mountains of Pontra were thoroughly searched, and all the remaining lions were slaughtered. Even now, there are still resentful hunters wandering in that forest... after all, even lion cubs can be taken for 10 copper coins.

Such a legendary story clearly appealed to the Imperials. As it spread, it was soon mentioned that General Teresius did indeed wear a white lion skin over his shoulders. This completely confirmed the rumor, and the story of the white lion hunter began to circulate.

Just as Thesolius was enjoying immense success and rising fame, his brother was suffering a terrible calamity... but his brother was destined to receive no help from him.

Natamus's adjutant noticed that his general seemed restless and distressed lately, his short, spiky hair now a mess from scratching.

After they returned to the Second Legion in the capital, Natamus, as the legion's commander, should have had much work to do, handling the pile of large and small matters with the assistance of the army's civil servants.

But now, this man who once roamed freely on the battlefield is scratching his head in distress, hiding in an ordinary tent, and has even pulled his adjutant over to give him advice.

"My brother sent me news... Christina is almost here! Help me think of a way!"

Despite his distress, Natamus was somewhat relieved—thankfully, his brother had delivered the message in time. Otherwise, if his wife had come knocking on his door unprepared, he would have been completely flustered and wouldn't have had the chance to prepare as he did now.

The adjutant looked at his commander with some confusion—wasn't the wife's arrival a good thing? Hadn't the general not seen his wife for over a month? He always talked about her so much, why did he seem so frightened now?...

Moreover, his wife was pregnant, which was the time when she needed the most care. Given his personality, he couldn't possibly avoid her.

Could it be? ...That's understandable, but if that's the case, then it's troublesome.

“I didn’t tell her anything about my brother! She’s definitely here to settle scores with me, and she might even think I don’t trust her… Plus, she’s pregnant!”

Natamus, seeing through his adjutant's wild thoughts, explained the situation with a dark expression, while urging his adjutant to come up with a solution.

However, the adjutant showed no sign of letting up—this was hardly something he should be involved in! After all, the lady was the daughter of the chief elder! The second most honored woman in this empire after the emperor!

Besides, he couldn't think of any good solutions... but a strange intuition told him that avoidance wasn't a good idea. After all, the master and his wife would have to meet sooner or later, and if he kept avoiding and making excuses, it would only cause more trouble.

"...Didn't Lord Thesolius tell you what to do?"

After hesitating for a moment, the adjutant asked cautiously.

“He did give me a suggestion, but it didn’t seem very reliable—he told me to just do what I was supposed to do and explain everything to Christina when she arrived.”

"My lord, I think you should listen to Lord Tersolius..."

Natamus paused for a moment, then suddenly stood up, the rings of his armor rustling as they rubbed together.

"Alright, since you all say so, then I'll do it that way! Go and have the clerk bring me all the military documents; I need to handle them on the spot!"

The adjutant, noticing the other party's excessive responsiveness, paused for a moment before realizing: Natamus had already made a decision, but was still somewhat hesitant and needed further confirmation...

The adjutant, who had just been worrying unnecessarily, immediately went to handle the matter. Soon, the central command tent of the imperial commander was piled high with documents, and all sorts of things that had accumulated over this period and required the commander's attention began to be resolved.

But as time passed, Natamus became anxious again—this time not because he was worried about what Christina would do to him, but because, judging from the time, she should have arrived long ago, and most likely encountered some trouble on the way.

Finally, it was almost time for dinner, but the long-awaited carriage still hadn't appeared on the road. Natamus couldn't wait any longer. He threw his copper pen into the ink bottle, ordered a squad of cavalry to mount, and charged out of the camp. They rode along the wide roads of the empire, the dust kicked up by their hooves like a short, yellowish-brown snake slithering across the road.

The adjutant was left behind to handle the remaining official business, listening to the reports from others with a blank expression, occasionally making notes on parchment.

………………

How fast the cavalrymen, clad only in chainmail, were when they galloped at full speed! Coupled with their fine warhorses and the well-maintained roads of the empire, it didn't take long for Natamus to lead his cavalrymen to cover more than half the distance.

But even now, the scouts in the team still haven't seen the person or any trace of them they're hoping for, which is making them increasingly anxious...

109 Emergency (1)

The sharp blade sliced ​​through the air, but failed to penetrate the thick leather shield, bouncing off with a muffled thud.

The shield user was experienced. Taking advantage of the interval between attacks, he raised the shield and slammed it heavily into the opponent's face. After landing a successful blow, while the opponent was disoriented, he used his right hand to swing his short hammer in an arc and smashed the knee from the side.

As the opponent fell with a groan, the short hammer in his hand deftly turned and slammed into the enemy's face, the hard, multifaceted head smashing the nose, lips, and teeth into a mangled mess. After two blows, there was no more sound.

The short hammer, stained with viscous blood and other unidentified liquids, was returned to the inside of the shield. The guard leader, clad in exquisite chainmail, shouted for the others to move closer to him and protect the carriage behind them.

The surviving servants hid behind the guards in panic, their low cries and screams filling the air. The bodies of the unfortunate servants who had been killed lay on the ground, their clothes soaked in blood, pools of blood connecting one after another, staining the entire ground crimson.

The guards calmly linked their shields together to form a solid defensive line. Even though the number of enemies attacking them was twice theirs, these veterans who had retired from the legion showed no fear. They skillfully used their weapons, maintained their formation, and slaughtered any assassins who dared to charge forward.

The captain blew a heavy whistle, and with a sharp, trembling sound, sharp spears emerged from their shields, covering the entire formation with sharp steel spikes.

The black-clad cavalrymen who charged out from the nearby woods, attempting to break through their formation, were instantly smashed to pieces by the sharp spears. Their warhorses were easily brought to a stop by the spears, and the light cavalrymen, having lost their speed, immediately fell into a horrific massacre. The heavily armored guards used their spears to stab them off, or simply dragged them off their horses and slit their throats.

When the heavily damaged cavalrymen tried to retreat, more than a dozen crossbows were immediately aimed at their backs, shooting the remaining soldiers off their horses one after another, leaving only the strong horses scattered on the surrounding grassland.

With a whoosh, the attackers retreated en masse, rearranging their formation like hungry wolves lurking around a sheepfold, eyeing the convoy with predatory intent.

Only one carriage survived the entire caravan; the rest were burning fiercely by the roadside, and corpses lay everywhere—both guards and servants from the caravan, as well as these men in black who had emerged from the forest.

Their losses were considerable... The guard captain pondered deeply.

These attackers were clearly prepared. They didn't fly any flags, but they still managed to find them accurately... Their purpose was so clear that it was obvious that information had been leaked, which allowed them to prepare here and attack the unsuspecting team.

Since the other party was coming for them, they must have made up their minds and would not back down because of the status of the distinguished person in the carriage. So he didn't say anything unnecessary and just firmly maintained the defensive line.

The guards were down to 32 men, but that was more than enough to protect a carriage. In addition, each of them carried a powerful crossbow, which caused the assassins, who were only wearing light leather armor, to suffer heavy losses and beheadings.

The well-trained guards began to tighten their defenses. They didn't know if reinforcements would arrive in time. The nearest village was 20 miles away, and caught off guard, they didn't have time to send a messenger.

But the noble lady in the carriage must not be harmed! Even if they all die here, these despicable scoundrels must not be allowed to lay a finger on her.

Sharp crossbow bolts were jammed into the grooves, and powerful crossbows were raised from the gaps in the shields, ready to send these deadly little things into armor and flesh at any moment.

These despicable assassins are destined not to stay here long; they cannot risk being captured by the army. So, as long as the current situation can be maintained...

For some reason, he always felt uneasy, and even his palms were sweating, making the hilts of his swords slippery.

The enemy on horseback charged again, and the crossbow bolts fired immediately caused more than a dozen men to fall off their horses. But the others ignored the danger and continued to charge. When they were about 10 paces away from the carriage, they suddenly reined in their horses, reached out and picked up two jars tied with hemp ropes, spun them around like a shepherd tossing stones, and then threw them out hard.

The ceramic jars shattered as they hit the shields, and a pungent, familiar smell made the captain's face change drastically. The attackers charged forward, braving the crossbow bolts, and smashed the jars they were holding into the middle of them.

"Oil!"

The captain's roar snapped everyone back to reality, and they hastily retreated away from the ground splattered with the pungent liquid. The situation took a sharp turn for the worse in an instant...

………………

A few minutes earlier, on the highest slope around, which was covered with trees, three mysterious figures, their bodies wrapped in black cloth with only their eyes showing, were watching the Blood Battle in the open space below.

The leader in the very center sighed, his voice filled with regret:

"As expected of the elite veterans of the Imperial Legion... We won't be able to catch the target with just these new logs. Let's finish this quickly, or it won't look good if we get caught."

"understood."

The man in black on the left nodded slightly and took out a strange object from his pocket—a wooden tube attached to a raven skull devoid of flesh, with the gaps filled with silver metal.

He lifted his face mask, put the round mouth of the strange little gadget into his mouth, then took a deep breath and blew hard—

"Crack! Crack! Whoosh!..."

………………

A strange sound came from behind. The men in black, who had gathered together, exchanged a glance, nodded slightly, turned their horses, and charged toward the tough nut to crack in the distance.

They no longer tried to break through the enemy's formation; their only goal was to smash the jars in their hands.

The pungent smell did not escape the notice of the veterans of the Imperial Legion. At the captain's loud shout, the guards immediately took action, surrounding the carriage closely and then urging it to move away from the place covered in oil.

But everyone knew it was futile... As they watched several men in black with crossbows begin loading rockets—hollow arrows filled with fuel—a desperate sigh echoed among the guards...

A cloud of dust suddenly rose from one side of the hill, immediately attracting everyone's attention. As the glint of metal came into view, a terrible commotion began to spread among them.

The men in black immediately panicked, and the guards immediately began to cheer, even though their clothes and shields were still stained with oil, they looked as if victory had already been achieved.

The silver torrent approached swiftly like a sharp arrow, giving the men in black no time to react. The cavalry, riding magnificent warhorses and wearing light chainmail, crashed in, instantly tearing the black-clad crowd to pieces.

Too fast! In the blink of an eye, these warhorses, which had been charging at top speed from miles away, pushed their speed to the limit. Using the hills as cover, they plunged into the waist and abdomen like deadly daggers in an instant! In a flash, a large amount of flesh and blood was pulled out!

Riding a yellow warhorse, Natamus charged at the forefront of the cavalry, like a frightened and furious lion. He swung his greatsword, cleaving body after body in two. The torn flesh and flying entrails splattered on the ground beside him. Those who couldn't dodge in his way were even cut down along with their horses.

In the blink of an eye, the ground was covered with the dead bodies of the men in black. The fierce cavalrymen mercilessly slaughtered each assassin. In the instant they passed by, their sharp weapons easily sliced ​​open the bodies, leaving the black-clad men's bodies like tattered sacks from which blood and internal organs flowed out.

Natamus's greatsword tore through the last obstacle. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief after seeing the carriage still unharmed and the guards protecting it, he saw two or three men in black raise their flaming crossbows as they prepared to flee!

In an instant, Natamus understood everything.

"coward!!"

A thunderous roar erupted from his mouth, as if real lightning had struck the ground, terrifying everyone. The man in black, who was preparing to fire his crossbow, paused for a moment. In that instant, he grabbed a spear stuck in the ground and hurled it with all his might.

Using the momentum of the charging warhorse, this strike was extremely powerful, easily piercing through a body dressed in black, penetrating a thigh, and then embedding itself deeply into the horse's back!

The warhorse collapsed with a mournful cry, and the black-clad men, strung together like meat skewers, were lifted up, but one of them still pulled the trigger of the crossbow...

In Natamus's wide-open eyes, the sparkling point of light flew towards the distant carriage. The black oil flowing on the carriage was so dazzling at that moment that it made his head buzz as if it were about to explode.

In that split second, a figure suddenly leaped onto the side of the carriage and caught the crossbow bolt with his back!

It was the captain of the guard! The instant he saw the enemy raise their crossbow, he turned and lunged at the carriage, catching the fire arrow at the last moment!

Because the arrowheads for loading fuel were hollow, the crossbow bolts weren't very penetrating. But the moment they embedded themselves in the chainmail, a shower of sparks flew everywhere, directly igniting the black oil on the captain's shield and armor!

Flames immediately ignited, and the captain of the guard, scorched by the flames, stumbled to his feet, rushed out of the formation, and then collapsed to the ground, howling in pain.

Natamus, who had charged on horseback, leaped off his horse, rolled on the ground, and rushed to the Burning Captain. He reached out, grabbed the burning chainmail, and ripped off the straps with brute force, tearing the flaming metal off.

The burning flames seared his skin, but Natamus didn't stop. He reached out and ripped off his burning jacket again, then dragged a still-living black-clad corpse from the side and chopped off its head with his sword, letting a large amount of blood pour down on it!

The gushing blood instantly extinguished the remaining flames, turning Natamus and the captain of the guard into blood-soaked figures. After doing all this, he threw away the corpse in his hands and took two heavy breaths.

No assassin could escape... The speed of the unarmored warhorses was unmatched by their horses, and the elite cavalry would not let them easily pass through the encirclement. In the blink of an eye, most of them had been killed, and the remaining few were bound with whips and dragged over by the necks by the cavalry.

"Get him to Dr. Talina! And quickly!"

The guard captain, still groaning in pain, was helped onto a strong warhorse and securely tied to a cavalryman with ropes. With a crack of the whip, a small squad carrying the seriously wounded headed toward the distant army camp.

As the squad disappeared into the distance amidst the dust, Natamus finally relaxed. The other dozens of cavalrymen were scavenging the corpses, searching for anyone still alive.

The burning pain in his arm, scorched by the flames, began to irritate him. Natamus reached up and wiped the sticky blood from his face to clear his vision.

Smoke and blood mingled on his face, creating a filthy appearance. His eyebrows were stuck together with blood, and the remaining blood flowed down the rugged curve of his cheeks to his chin before dripping down.

He clenched his fists tightly, trying to calm the turbulent emotions in his heart. The intense pain from his burned skin made his face even calmer.

Ignoring the guards and servants who bowed to him, Natamus rushed to the carriage, reached out and ripped the wooden door off...

A beautiful woman with thick, long, curly hair and a fair, full face looked at him with a smile. Her white robe was stained with dust, and her slightly protruding belly was clearly visible beneath the silk. The slightly aged female official was carrying a shield and a short sword. When she saw him, she put away the shield that was protecting her mistress.

…………

"I'm coming to find you."

Natamus remained expressionless, but his cheeks twitched slightly, as if he were chewing every word away.

"……I know."

Christina's eyes were glistening with tears as she lowered her head, climbed out of the carriage, and then stretched out her hands to him.

Natamus hesitated for a moment before glancing at his blood-stained hands. Before he could even wipe them off, a soft figure bumped into him. He instinctively hugged the person, as if catching a child.

A soft, warm touch pressed against his lips, and smooth, black hair cascaded over his shoulders. He saw those bright eyes, so close, like stars reflected in a river…