Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

19 Mountain People (1)

All the cavalrymen realized one thing: they had been tricked, fooled by a group of ragged bandits, and had several bags of grain stolen from them... Although it was only a small part of their total food supply, all the cavalrymen felt an uncontrollable rage. These proud knights could not tolerate being fooled by a bunch of rabble, and almost every one of them was roaring loudly that they would find the bandits and slaughter them all.

The terrifying aura, carrying a strong stench of blood, immediately made their only prisoner, the one shot in the knee by an arrow, tremble with fear. Every one of these fully armed cavalrymen seemed to be staring at him with vicious eyes. He could hardly imagine what his fate would be, especially with those terrifying weapons, still stained with blood, constantly hovering around him, as if they would swarm him and cut him into mincemeat at any moment.

The arrow, its tip broken, hadn't pierced his knee; it had only left the inside of his knee bruised and swollen, causing unbearable pain, and he couldn't even bend his knee slightly. Now he could only lie on the ground, completely helpless, unable to move an inch.

"Marcus, come here."

A middle-aged man with a goatee walked over, carrying his helmet. Then Thasorius grabbed his arm and made him squat down with him in front of the big tree.

"These guys are clever, aren't they? Look, they completely hollowed out the space under this tree, dug out a hole big enough to hide three people, and then sealed it with mud, leaving only a small opening for ventilation. Those people shooting arrows at us were just bait, meant to distract us. From the beginning, their only goal was to steal a few bags of grain; they never intended to confront us head-on."

"They are indeed quite clever, but what they are doing is extremely dangerous. Once our cavalry catches up with them, most of them will probably die here."

Tersolius smiled and shook his head, not affirming his subordinate's opinion:

“You’re wrong about that. They probably already planned their retreat before they even made their move. In this complex jungle, they’re faster than monkeys… and our strong warhorses can’t keep up with them at all. Do you see? They’ve cut down a few bushes and trees, creating a gap that someone could squeeze through. They’ve probably trained like this before… and to avoid provoking us too quickly, they’re shooting arrows at our shields, not a single one at our unarmored warhorses… They have a meticulous leader.”

“And look at these arrows…” Tersolius reached for an arrow on the shield beside him, showing Marcus the bare, rough shaft and the arrowhead, which was carved from a stone. “I have never seen such poorly made arrows. They can only be used once before breaking. A man with even a little bit of handiwork could make a dozen a day. They traded these inferior arrows for our food without any intention of losing out…”

Marcus had to admit that the general was right; one or more clever ones among the bandits had devised the plan to take the grain from them, and apart from a pile of useless arrows, they hadn't lost anything... Well, to be precise, they had captured a prisoner...

Everyone turned their attention to the pale-faced man sitting motionless on the ground.

"Marcus, take care of his leg. Don't let him become crippled. We'll need him to lead the way later."

The middle-aged man stood up, pulled a sharp dagger from his waist, and, amidst the other man's pale face, reached out and ripped off half of his pants, revealing the bruised and swollen back of his knee. He then skillfully made two cuts on it, shallow enough to allow blood to flow out without damaging any major blood vessels. As the blood flowed out quickly, he tore off a strip of cloth and tightly bound the back of the knee together.

After this process, although the pain was still there, the man was able to walk slowly...

The man, still looking apprehensive, glanced at everyone. He had heard what they had just said, and was also struggling intensely within himself. He didn't know whether he should lead the way to save his own life... but he could foresee that if he refused, he would surely face the most miserable fate...

"Marcus, who are they?"

As Teresolus looked at the animal skins draped over the man and the short coat with its green checkered pattern, he had a sense of déjà vu.

“My lord,” Marcus said with a smile, “they are mountain people from the province of Norsca, mainly living in forests and high mountains. They are known for their excellent archers and infantry, and many of them make a living as bandits, causing significant security problems in the area. The governor of Norsca once said, ‘I am ruling more as a band of bandits than as a group of civilians. They occasionally spend a couple of days as civilians, but the rest of the time they are busy with their main work.’”

A smile crept onto Tersolius's lips as he examined the distinctive short sword at the man's waist with great interest. The unique patterns on the sword quickly made him realize why he felt a sense of déjà vu... This was clearly a group of Battanians, the mountain people who appeared in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, along with the invincible Fiona Warrior Champion... However, the mountain people of today were clearly not a nation, nor did they have a concept of ethnicity; they were still under the rule of the Empire.

Although he knew the world had long since changed beyond recognition, the situation he was facing was still beyond his expectations... He had initially thought he had arrived in the world of Mount & Blade II, but now it seemed as if someone had installed a whole bunch of messy mods on it, even the most basic structure had been greatly altered, and it was completely unlike anything he was familiar with. Basically, this world was completely foreign to him...

Battania's excellent archers were soldiers he would definitely recruit in large numbers when playing the game, and thinking of those men who almost all held longbows, Tersolius couldn't help but have a new plan... He looked up at the man, then waved his hand slightly, and two cavalrymen grabbed his arms and carried him over.

“You must have heard what we were saying. So, have you made your decision? If you take us to your shelter, I can assure you that as long as they don’t resist, no one will die. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to execute you here and continue on my way.”

The officer spoke casually, but he was terrified. The officer's disregard for life made him tremble all over, and he couldn't utter a single complete sentence.

"I...I...I..."

"No rush, I'll give you some time. You must give me an answer when the shadow of this tree moves to my feet. My patience will only last until then."

20 Mountain People (2)

This is a rusty iron pot, looking unusable. It's unclear how long it's been sitting in a damp place, but today it's been cleaned up again. A gaunt man is vigorously brushing the rust off with a large, dirty piece of fur, occasionally rinsing it with the nearby water, letting the rusty red liquid flow into the clear stream.

A commotion arose nearby as everyone gathered around the bags of grain, occasionally reaching in with astonishment to grab a handful, as if it were the first time they had ever seen grain in their lives. The plump grains of wheat filled everyone with a sense of awe and shock. It seemed as if they hadn't seen so much grain stored together for over a decade. The rich, full texture of the grains was simply addictive.

Several women were washing wild vegetables, which they had relied on to survive for the past month... Further on, they could eat some sweet potatoes, and the men who needed to hunt could barely feed themselves halfway. But after the sweet potatoes were all eaten up and there was no living thing to be found in the surrounding forest for several miles, they could only fill their stomachs with those sour wild vegetables... They only dared to eat the kinds of wild vegetables they recognized. This unfamiliar forest was full of all sorts of plants they didn't recognize. Before, a reckless man had eaten a handful of tender grass with purple leaves, and that night he bled from his mouth and nose and died in his hut.

Most of the wild vegetables I knew were sour and unpalatable, and they couldn't fill my stomach; they were only enough to keep me alive. Even then, only strong men and children who were starving could eat more. Those who couldn't work were the most miserable, only able to eat scraps, and were already nearly starving to death.

But today they did something big: stealing from those terrifying cavalry. This idea, which would normally be considered crazy if mentioned, actually succeeded... The two men who carried the grain back were almost exhausted, but their eyes were filled with excitement. To give them the strength to carry the grain, all the food they could find was provided to them the day before they decided to pull off this heist. And they did not disappoint, carrying back three large bags of grain, enough to feed them for several days.

Poor Kedo, I heard he was shot in the leg by an arrow and has been captured by those cavalry. His body is probably cold by now.

The iron pot was finally cleaned, and the stove made of a few stones was quickly lit. The forest lacked almost everything, but wood was absolutely plentiful. Just picking up dry branches from the ground was enough to cook the meal. The hungry people didn't care about any elaborate processing. They simply washed the wheat a little and poured it into the pot, then threw in the wild vegetables as well.

Several men kept throwing firewood into the stove, their eyes fixed on the large pot, their hands mechanically stuffing firewood into it, completely ignoring the fact that the stove was already packed full and the flames were about to go out, until a short figure came in front of them and punched them on the head, bringing them back to their senses.

No one cared about anything else; they all gathered around the three large pots, their mouths watering at the aroma of the cooked grain wafting from them, each holding their own wooden bowl… Even the men assigned to guard the perimeter were distracted, glancing back at their camp every now and then, hoping the food would cook quickly so they could have a bite.

As everything in the pot was cooked into a mushy mess, under everyone's excited gaze, the short guy took out a pale yellow crystal from his pocket, placed it on a flat stone, pressed it into powder with a wooden stick, and then poured it into the pot. After stirring it evenly, he announced that dinner was served.

Everyone started shouting, and no one knew what they meant. They pushed and shoved each other towards the pot, desperately stretching their dirty, broken bowls forward, trying to get their food as quickly as possible. They pushed and shoved each other, even resorting to physical violence and loud cursing. As the situation became increasingly chaotic, and the cries of children could be heard, the short man who had cut two holes in a ridiculous burlap sack and was wearing it as a head covering suddenly pulled a large sword from his back and began to strike the crowd with the scabbard.

The hardwood-covered leather scabbards mercilessly lashed their faces and legs. The intense pain caused everyone to howl and scatter in all directions. Some even forgot about their broken bowls and ran away with their heads in their hands. At that moment, no one was thinking about grabbing food. One skinny man even tripped and fell in his haste, smashing his bowl into pieces on the stone.

Under this unique form of 'spare the rod and spoil the child,' they finally learned to stop crowding around and started eating from their own bowls one by one. Even the unlucky skinny guy started eating from the same bowl as the others. A series of muffled sounds rang out, and no one paid any attention to anything else. The only thing they cared about was the hot porridge in their bowls.

Everyone ate very quickly, especially the strong men. They finished their bowls in a few bites, then immediately stood up and ran to the pot, scraping the bottom with the large wooden spoon until every last drop of soup was gone, leaving the pot cleaner than if it had been washed. Only then did they reluctantly put down their spoons.

The entire camp was enveloped in a harmonious atmosphere. After eating their fill, no one wanted to move, and they lazily lay down on their animal skins. Those who had been on guard duty were finally allowed to return for their meal. The hot porridge that had been specially cooked for them in a small pot was now steaming...

The short figure, who held considerable authority among the group, looked around and, seeing that everyone else had eaten, filled his own bowl before crawling into his tent.

He removed the rough burlap sack from his head, revealing short, dark golden hair that just reached the back of his head. The sack had compressed it, making it look somewhat messy, but it still possessed a unique texture. His bright emerald green eyes were very expressive, showing both alertness and cunning. Although his face was covered in dust, the delicate features and smooth skin were still evident. Almost no one would have imagined that beneath that tattered burlap sack was such a handsome young man; though still somewhat immature, he already possessed remarkably striking good looks.

The boy cautiously looked around, and once he found no one had entered his tent, he quickly began to eat, completely ignoring the black, oily layer of grease on the wooden bowl in his hand. He used a wooden spoon to shovel food into his mouth, even choking on it so fast that he coughed up some into his lungs, but he didn't dare to cough loudly. He just covered his mouth tightly and made a few muffled sounds.

His stomach, which hadn't had proper food in a long time, warmed up immediately after receiving a bowl of hot porridge. After finishing the bowl, the bluish-green color on his face caused by hunger faded considerably. Just as a smile appeared on the boy's lips and his expression relaxed, a terrified scream made him stand up in his tent...

Chaos erupted outside, with everyone shouting and yelling. Even amidst the chaos, an unsettling sound reached his ears: the terrifying clatter of armor plates rubbing against each other. Just hearing it sent a stench of blood wafting into his mouth. The sounds outside grew increasingly despairing. He pulled the sack over his head, grabbed his bow and greatsword, and rushed out.

The moment he emerged, a blinding light nearly dazzled him. When he came to his senses, he saw a tall figure standing before him, the smooth iron armor reflecting the sunlight...

………………

The boy squatted dejectedly on the ground, all his weapons taken away, while the terrifying officer stood before him, scrutinizing him with a suspicious look.

"You're quite handsome, kid. You don't look like the kind of person who would do something like this... Okay, what's your name?"

The boy's expression grew even more dejected, and he practically forced out two words through clenched teeth:

“...Colin..."

"what?"

"...I said my name is Colin..."

The officer looked at him strangely, but his eyes were filled with surprise. Then he suddenly squatted down and approached him, whispering:

"...You're not a woman, are you?..."

The boy jumped up immediately, like a startled rabbit.

21 Mountain People (3)

When someone's gender is questioned, especially a man's, his reaction usually reveals the truth. Those who look angry and feel insulted, even trying to compare sizes with you, are generally men. Those who look flustered and loudly deny it are usually women whose identities have been exposed. Therefore, Tersolis easily deduced that the handsome young man in front of him was a girl...

A normal man would feel immense anger if his male identity were questioned, even feeling insulted. Many cultures have similar expressions used to question someone's gender, often as profanity. When Tersolius uttered those words, he was prepared for a violent reaction. After all, although the boy had a name he recognized—he even had a fleeting urge to ask if his father was named Karadog—the world had been drastically altered by mods, and he couldn't be sure his guess was correct.

But the boy's face, turning deathly pale with panic, and his attempts to flee proved that at least this time he hadn't misjudged the situation. This boy... oh no... now she should be called a girl... a girl named Colin, is the daughter of High King Caladog of Battania in the game Mount & Blade II. In the game, she has outstanding attributes and a terrible personality, along with a short stature and a face that is quite beautiful by Mount & Blade standards... She's a notoriously grumpy little girl in the game.

I never expected to meet her like this, and she seemed to be doing quite poorly, resorting to such a dangerous method just to steal a few bags of my food...

"You... don't worry, I won't tell anyone..."

His mind was filled with all sorts of chaotic thoughts, and he even subconsciously wanted to say something like, "Miss Colin, you don't want others to find out you're a woman..."—words that were full of negative connotations. But at the last moment, his tongue got tied and he managed to straighten himself out, barely maintaining his current cold and powerful persona.

The girl named Colin didn't speak, but just looked at him warily, her eyes filled with intense fear... She had no idea how her identity had been discovered. Everyone else she spent every day with had never noticed anything amiss, but this officer understood everything just by hearing her name... In his mind, either the other party possessed some terrible witchcraft, or her face had exposed her identity. After all, such a beautiful face didn't seem like something a bandit who robbed and plundered in the forest could have.

Being a girl in this world is definitely not a lucky thing, unless you are the daughter of some high-ranking noble or wealthy merchant, you are destined to suffer, especially in this terrible situation, where you have become a prisoner in the hands of these fierce cavalrymen, and your identity as a girl has been exposed... Colin didn't even dare to think about what he would encounter next, and his whole body trembled as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water.

Although the man in front of them looked respectable, he might be some kind of psychopath. Otherwise, why would he be so petty about a few bags of grain and even chase after them? Their camp was so remote, and these people were wearing heavy armor. Weren't they tired from trekking like this?

Unaware that the girl was desperately slandering him, Tersolius felt quite pleased with himself. He looked at these sensible bandits, who, after being completely surrounded, dropped all their weapons without a word, obediently squatted on the ground, and surrendered without resistance. They showed none of the recklessness typical of desperate criminals, which convinced Tersolius that they were not professional bandits.

Especially when they saw the young children and the thin women, all of them were so hungry that they looked pale and emaciated. They were not as brave as the bandits. It was already a testament to their strong will that they did not faint on the spot when they saw them. Moreover, professional robbers would not bring their families with them. Otherwise, they would not be able to escape after being surrounded by the army.

This made him even more satisfied. After all, he was unwilling to let a group of hardened bandits join his army, as that would only corrupt the discipline of his troops. Perhaps some commanders might think that bandits were braver than ordinary soldiers, but on the battlefield, such lone-wolf bravery had very limited effect. What truly led to victory was strong organization, discipline, strong will, and fearless courage, not such reckless bravery. They might be able to rob and plunder in the jungle, but on the real battlefield, they were often useless, and their fierce tempers made them difficult to control and train.

Having made up his mind, Tersolius reached out and lifted the girl from the ground, then patted her shoulder forcefully, causing her to stand up straight involuntarily. Although he didn't know why she was looking at him with such panicked eyes, this little girl wasn't as fragile as she seemed now. Just now, she was the only one who resisted, wielding that greatsword with great skill. He really didn't know where that small body got such great strength.

“If you were any more skilled, I would have had to break one of your arms… From that perspective, you’re quite lucky.”

After using the wooden handle of his iron staff to knock the girl to the ground, this was the first thing Thesolius said, which infuriated her greatly, but she couldn't refute it, since she had only withstood three moves before being knocked down, and even her sword flew out of her hand.

Just when Colin thought he was about to suffer terrible treatment as a helpless prisoner, he heard Tersolius say these words:

"Why would you take such a big risk to steal a few bags of grain? Don't you know that if anything goes wrong, you'll all die there?"

This sentence completely ignited the girl's anger, and she replied with a face that was almost ashen:

"Of course it's because we're hungry! We're starving, we're so hungry we're practically cannibalistic! We've been lying in ambush on that road for three days, and only you guys came... If we don't get any more food, we'll really go crazy from hunger, so even if it's dangerous, we have to do it. Besides, I succeeded, didn't I? You didn't catch me on the spot. If it weren't for that traitor leading the way, you'd never have known where I was for the rest of your lives!!"

As she spoke, she angrily looked at the person surrounded by the cavalry. The person trembled as if electrocuted and quickly lowered his head, not daring to meet her eyes.

In her impotent rage, she heard Thesolius's voice, tinged with amusement:

"So, do you want a job that will at least give you enough to eat?"

Colin immediately understood what the other person meant, and asked in surprise:

"Are you going to hire us? If you hire us, will we be fed every day? You won't be able to eat our fill every meal, will you?"

Tesorus paused for a moment before continuing his speech:

"As long as you pass my test, I can give each of you two gold dinars every month..." he said, reaching out to grab a bag of grain beside him. "And one gold dinar can be exchanged for at least ten bags of grain like this..."

The girl's face flushed bright red, and she was breathing heavily through her nose; extreme joy had left her stunned...

"Alright!! Let's do it!!"

22 Racing

The words of Tesorus were undoubtedly very tempting. For these people who could not even get enough to eat and could only fill their stomachs with sour wild vegetables, having dozens of bags of grain to eat every month was enough for them to risk everything. With this grain, they could fill their stomachs and no longer have to suffer from hunger. Their children would no longer be so thin and weak, and their women would no longer be unable to produce milk due to hunger, causing all the newborn babies to die.

These mountain people live in a dense mountain forest. The climate there is humid and the environment is harsh. Arable land is extremely scarce, and most of it is distributed in narrow areas between valleys. Not only is it barren, but it is also extremely difficult to cultivate. Only these mountain people, who can traverse mountains and valleys as if walking on flat ground, can go there. All other livestock would face great risks if they were forcibly dragged there and would fall to their deaths in the valleys.

Therefore, such places are destined to lack developed agriculture, and it is difficult to support too many people by hunting and gathering alone. This barren environment has also shaped the fierce character of the locals. Because they mainly rely on hunting for a living, every man or woman among them has excellent archery skills. When the empire conquered this area, they caused a lot of trouble for the army. Those fierce and cunning locals could always dive into the forest before the army could catch them, and disappear in the blink of an eye by relying on their familiarity with the terrain.

It wasn't until the emperor, having reached his limit, declared that he would set fire to every forest he encountered, and until these mountain people, who had been hiding in hiding, came out on their own and actually burned down a forest, that these unruly mountain people were finally subdued under the emperor's rule. And over the years, due to their fierce nature, they still occasionally stirred up riots, leaving the province of Norsca with numerous large and small rebellious forces. Although they were usually quickly eliminated, a new batch would soon emerge.

Every mountain dweller is both dangerous and valuable to the empire. With a little training, they can become excellent infantrymen and top archers. Although their fierce and unruly nature often causes trouble during marches, they can truly demonstrate their value when they actually point their longbows at the enemy. Their heavy arrows, as dense as raindrops, can become anyone's nightmare, and wielding a two-handed greatsword can also strike fear into the hearts of the enemy.

These mountain people, who are now considered well-behaved, are, in Tersolius's eyes, a large group of excellent archers. However, much work still needs to be done to get them to obey his orders.

…………

“Listen carefully, we’re leaving these bags of grain for you. You can use them to fill your stomachs as much as you like, even if you eat until you burst. But then we’ll have our horses trot along the road. There’s a three-way intersection at 32 gallons. You’ll have to catch up with us on foot…” Tersolius slowly observed the enthusiastic mountain people.

"If you can get there before us, I will pay one of your warriors three gold dinars per month. If you arrive at the same time as us, you will receive two gold dinars. But if we arrive and wait until the shadow of the tree has moved three feet, you will only receive one dinar. If the shadow has moved six feet, I will consider you unworthy and you will only receive food, not a single penny..."

"Of course, you can leave if you don't want to, as long as you stay here."

Just when Tersolius thought he had made very demanding demands, he heard the group erupt in loud cheers...

"They're providing meals! Archie, did you hear that? They're actually providing meals!"

"You can still get a meal even if you miss it? Only a fool wouldn't take such a good deal!"

"Hurry up and pack your things, throw away all that rotten leather, we'll have enough to eat soon, we don't need this stuff! When we go back to our hometown, I'm going to make those poor relatives call me Master Ke Qijin! Then I'll eat three big loaves of bread in one go right in front of them! I'll make them starve to death!"

"Then I will be Master Archie! I will definitely marry the daughter of the Kochika family! I will give them ten sacks of grain as a dowry!"

………………

With boundless enthusiasm, the mountain people discarded all their superfluous possessions, carrying only longbows, weapons, and essential provisions. Some were already eager to set off. These mountain people, with agility surpassing even that of apes, climbed the steep cliffs and rugged peaks, disappearing into the forest like fish into the sea. They vanished into the woods at a speed that left the cavalry speechless…

"Are these people descended from monkeys? How did they climb up those mountains?!"

Marcus watched in astonishment as the mountain people marched away. Given the terrible terrain of this area, if they were to march, they would all choose to bypass those mountains. But these mountain people dared to climb 90-degree cliffs with just a leather rope. Some women even tied their children to their backs with a tattered leather rope and climbed just as fast as the men. The slightly older children were even more like monkeys, climbing faster than the adults.

“Don’t be too surprised, Marcus. They’ve grown up in this kind of environment since they were little… We need to hurry up and get going, otherwise they might actually get ahead of us after they cross a few mountains.”

"Of course, sir! They can't keep up with our warhorses. We'll give these barbarians a good laugh at them at the finish line!"

The sound of Akar's sharp, metallic clang echoed through the forest. The cavalrymen sheathed their weapons and began to advance towards the road beyond the jungle. Their horses remained there, guarded by 50 cavalrymen. None of them believed they would lose the contest. They were the proudest and most powerful knights, especially aware of the speed of their fine warhorses. When they rode across the plains, they were as swift as the wind, and no one could escape their pursuit.

………………

"Let's go! My lads! Don't let them get us!"

The furious neighing of warhorses echoed along the road. The cavalrymen formed a shuttle-like formation, urging their horses to gallop at a brisk pace, like a river of steel. In the blink of an eye, they surged into the dry riverbed, rapidly spreading forward, determined to engulf everything in their path. They raised a long, yellowish-brown trail of dust on the dry road, billowing towards the distance.

23 Archers (1)

The powerful cavalry was trampling the road, a road usually used only by merchant caravans and farmers entering the city. Now, the road was being repeatedly trampled by the thick horseshoes. These ferocious warhorses wanted to run at full speed, but they were always restrained by their masters, which kept them at a moderate pace.