Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

The figure that appeared before him was completely unrecognizable from his former disheveled appearance. His face, which had been covered in dust and grime, was surprisingly clean after being washed. His greasy, messy hair had become somewhat smooth after being carefully washed. It was still tied behind his head with a tattered leather rope, but it looked very different from before.

As for that face... if I had to use an accurate word to describe it, it would only be "handsome"—both the bright, sharply defined eyes and the long, sharp eyebrows complemented each other perfectly on this handsome and heroic face, but without any overly harsh angles. It had a touch of just the right amount of softness, making people realize that this face belonged to a woman, rather than mistaking it for a handsome man.

Although she was tall and her limbs and torso were still strong and powerful, without the cover of the tattered burlap and wolf skin (a wide, uncut burlap with only a few holes in the key areas), it was clear that her shoulders were not broad and her waist and hips had a full curve. Although her female characteristics were not well developed, they were still recognizable. She combined strength and softness in a just-right way, possessing a kind of vigorous beauty.

From any angle, she was a beauty with a strong wildness—but her overly rough personality and unkempt filth concealed these characteristics, and even Thesolius didn't recognize her... Just a moment ago, he firmly believed that she was a man, never expecting that reality would jump out and slap him in the face the next moment.

Carila had a noticeable bruise on her face, causing her forehead and one eye socket to swell. This was the mark left by Attorney Tess, who had knocked her unconscious with his helmet. It wasn't very noticeable when her face was covered in dust and grease, but it became quite glaring after she washed her face.

She wore a red, legion-style robe with an undershirt that reached mid-thigh. On her legs were black cotton trousers, and on her feet were newly taken-out shoes. Clothes make the man, and suddenly she looked like a respectable person.

…………

Silence enveloped Tersolius's central command tent; not only was he silent, but his opponents were as well.

Thesolius was silent because of embarrassment... Just moments ago, he had been absolutely certain that the other person was a man, and even thought that she had become delirious with fear and was talking nonsense.

Who knew that after cleaning her up, this person would become a completely different person! Like a sheep that has been skinned, it would be hard to recognize what she was at first glance... Moreover, she was able to grow up so well in that harsh and barren northern land. If she said that she was the daughter of a northern prince or nobleman, Tersolius would believe her to some extent.

After all, in harsh environments, a person's appearance will naturally become more rugged, and even the best genes will inevitably be affected. If one can still maintain an outstanding appearance in such an environment, it can only mean that genes play a very significant role.

Karila remained silent because of embarrassment... No matter how rough she was, she knew who she had just fought with—the loser had no right to resist, so she obediently followed the other party's orders, washed herself clean in the large pool, and changed into this outfit. But standing here, she still felt cramped and embarrassed, and even her toes kept moving around in her shoes, unaccustomed to it.

This silence lasted for quite some time before Thesolius finally spoke:

"I didn't expect you to actually be a woman..."

“I told you long ago, I didn’t make up any lies… so I’m not a coward, cowards don’t deserve to live in the North!”

Carila's tone was quite harsh, and the resentment it contained was completely undisguised, and it seemed to be escalating, indicating that she was still holding a grudge against Tersolius for what he had said earlier.

Tesolius hadn't expected that the two words he casually uttered would hurt her so much. It was as if he had been stabbed in the lungs with a knife, which was why she was so vulnerable. In fact, the difference in their status was so great. He was the commander of a legion, and she was just a lowly slave, yet she still dared to talk back to him... Ordinary slaves wouldn't even dare to speak to him.

Without much hesitation, Thesolius decided to keep his words simple and direct, otherwise he doubted the other party would understand at all:

"Would you dare to be a centurion with those ninety-odd men under your command?"

"What's there to be afraid of? They've always listened to me."

“And…” Tersolius’s expression turned serious. “If you become this centurion, you must abide by my rules and restrain your personality, otherwise you will be court-martialed if you cause any trouble.”

Carila's brow furrowed immediately. She seemed quite averse to the cumbersome rules, but after a moment's hesitation, she sighed.

"You beat me, so you're in charge of these things, and I'm supposed to follow your rules... But I'll keep challenging you! If I win, you won't be able to control me anymore."

Tersolius nodded slightly—just as he had expected, the other party's thinking was very simple and clear: overwhelming power was the best justification, and victory was the best rule. There weren't many twists and turns; it was simply the most basic law of the jungle.

Such a person is very easy to control. All you need is one thing – you must be stronger than him. As long as you are stronger than him, you can drive him with confidence.

As for the other party saying that they would continue to challenge him in the future... that's not a problem or a concern at all. Rather, he has the same idea—it's not easy to find an opponent with some skills, and he happens to be his subordinate, so of course he should make good use of him. Who will challenge whom in the future is still uncertain.

Although his elder brother was quite skilled, the two of them couldn't fight together every day because of their status, which made him feel that his martial arts skills were starting to stagnate. The other party's words were exactly what he wanted to hear.

So he immediately nodded in agreement:

"I can agree to that, but only when we're stationed in a city. When we're on the move, I won't let you do whatever you want..." At this point, he suddenly had a brilliant idea:

Do you know about the Grand Arena in the capital?

"I know, I've heard people mention it. It's that place where lots of people gather to fight, right? I've always wanted to go there, but I lost to you before I even set off."

“Then you have a chance this time.” Tersolius smiled from the bottom of his heart. “The triennial athletic competition in the capital is in two months, and you happen to be eligible to participate.”

144 Hidden Line (1)

Since the slaves' hundred-man units were difficult to assign to any one general, they were placed under the direct command of the legionary commander, Tersolius, and used as a supplementary force for the central army.

But this decision caused turmoil within the legion. The proud and powerful legion soldiers were puzzled as to why these slaves were given such honor, since the commander's direct troops should have been the elite of the legion...

However, due to Tersolius's powerful prestige, the soldiers, despite their doubts, did not voice any complaints... but they certainly could not help but harbor deep suspicions about these slaves who had risen to such heights overnight.

But the soldiers' idea of ​​instant advancement was a bit too exaggerated. These slaves had not performed any merits. They were only placed under Tersolius's command for ease of control. Apart from being provided with food, clothing, and equipment, they were not even paid military pay, and their treatment was far inferior to that of ordinary soldiers in the legion.

Of course, this was compared to the wealthy and powerful imperial legions; to these slaves, what they received was already unimaginable…

........................

This is a flag as tall as two people, with a pole made of hard Andean oak, brass-wrapped edges, and a red silk banner hanging down from a small branch pole.

The flag had no superfluous symbols; it was just an ordinary identification flag, and the slaves were not entitled to add any marks of honor to it.

Tightly woven scale armor and sturdy chainmail have been delivered here, along with bright riveted helmets and slatted arm and leg guards... all of which the slaves earned through their own efforts.

In a sense, the military is a relatively simple place. As long as you have enough skills, it is easy to gain the respect of others and receive more supplies.

These trained slaves proved their worth yesterday. Although they were ultimately defeated, their performance was commendable, so Tersolius immediately granted them a quota of fine iron armor.

There was no shortage of other items such as robes, headscarves, shoes, socks, and leggings; everyone received their own share, and there were even clean, spacious, and bright barracks provided for them to live in.

Many slaves were constantly on edge, marveling at everything they saw, even wondering if they were dreaming. The sound of slapping themselves or others echoed intermittently for several days in a row.

The slaves, who were originally just used to being obedient, were immediately grateful to Tersolius and were flattered by the favor they had received. Although these slaves had been raised from childhood and had never lacked food, they had never been subjected to abuse and beatings, and had never experienced respect before...

Even though each of them could wield swords with great skill and pierce fluttering leaves with spears, no one would consider them warriors. From beginning to end, they were treated as useful tools, and when they were not needed, they had to stay in the cold and damp basement all day long.

In the process of raising children into slaves, at least half of them would die for various reasons—whether from the beatings of whips, from the terrible living conditions, or simply from being used to establish authority…

Everyone who has survived to this day has the blood of their former comrades on their hands. In the harsh environment, they have become increasingly taciturn, and even their emotional fluctuations are not very obvious, like a sculpture carved from wood.

This situation would have continued...until the arrival of a northern barbarian.

Karila's personality can be described as willful and capricious. No one knows what kind of environment would produce such a person. The slaves are completely under her control. Without their masters' knowledge, Karila has become the leader of everyone.

The other party's brutal and tyrannical nature subtly changed the slaves, making them no longer as lifeless as before. It was as if their previously suppressed emotions had rebounded violently.

Because of their simple minds, once they were truly respected and treated as soldiers, they immediately developed a strong sense of belonging to the army. The Sorelius who rescued them naturally gained their loyalty.

Whenever Tersolius came out to inspect the camp, the slaves would kneel down from a distance to greet him with the utmost deference—this was nothing new to Tersolius, as the slaves they had trained in Alpert in the south behaved the same way.

Now, those former slave soldiers have truly integrated into the Empire's legions. The preferential treatment their families received in the south made them fight even more bravely, becoming fearless and the most eager to fight among the legions.

-----------------------

He put on the greased chainmail, fastened the leather buckles at several key points, then put on the scale armor vest, bound his waist with the plate arm guards and leg guards, and finally put on the helmet decorated with black plumes.

Karila moved her arms and legs a little uncomfortably. In her hometown, she had never worn such fine armor. She felt as if she were encased in steel, giving her a strong sense of security that made her feel somewhat disoriented.

Back in my hometown, there were always people who advocated that warriors should fight shirtless to be considered brave, but most people actually understood that everyone would want to wear armor if it were available, it's just that most people were too poor to afford it.

Going into battle shirtless could mean being killed by a flying rock, so even those arrogant guys who usually boast will at least get a leather armor to wear when they go to rob.

But precious iron armor is not something ordinary warriors can even dream of. Even princes and nobles would not equip their elite guards with iron armor. For an ordinary warrior to be able to get a helmet is considered to be from a wealthy family... But now, she can encase herself in steel.

She was once again awestruck by the wealth of this country... even someone like her could be allocated such excellent weaponry, and she couldn't help but imagine what a magnificent and resplendent sight the capital city, the center of the empire, must be...

Do the people there really use gold for their floors?

While praising the achievements, Carila was also very confident about her future. Now it seemed that leaving her hometown was indeed the right decision. Although her original idea was just to find a few strong opponents, she never expected to gain so much.

Not only have they found a formidable opponent, but it also looks like they can make a fortune.

Just as she was chuckling foolishly, the helmet's protective panel suddenly hit the bruised area on her face, and the pain made her frown slightly... Finding this opponent might be a bit too formidable.

She was able to put up a fight at first, but she was quickly defeated and even knocked unconscious by the other person's head. She had never lost so badly in her life.

From the age of 12, her father was no match for her... She beat up the entire tribe. Because she was bored and wanted to go out and see the world, she hitched a ride with a slave trader. Unexpectedly, she ran into a powerful guy.

Karila is actually quite arrogant and rarely respects anyone, but after this blow, she has gained another person she respects...

Thinking of this, she felt a little unwilling, but also a little eager to try—after all, the other party had agreed that she could challenge him at any time as long as the army was stationed there, and now was the perfect time to do so, right? Maybe she could get revenge.

Once the thought crossed her mind, she couldn't wait a moment longer. She picked up two axes from the box next to her—these were also standard equipment she had received from the armory. They were short-handled axes with armor-piercing spikes on their backs, and their quality was much better than her rough iron axes.

Amidst the astonished gazes of her subordinates, Karila used the blade of her axe to pry open the tent door and walked out, but she didn't forget to hang the axe on her waist. Otherwise, walking openly with a weapon in the army without orders would cause quite a bit of trouble.

As she excitedly headed towards the central camp, Tersolius was dealing with another matter.

………………

"So this is your result, Fitzgerald?"

A lean, middle-aged man bowed respectfully. He was Fitzgerald, who had not participated in the war, but was now in the tent, reporting his progress to Tersorius.

This former cattle ranch owner was meticulous and decisive. After completely siding with Tersolius, he was entrusted with the important task of establishing an intelligence network for the emperor and his people in the Eastern Province.

This was no easy task. Although Cerisonas had been reduced to ashes and everything that used to hinder them had been cleared away, their intelligence work was also greatly hampered by the drastic reduction in population, making their work extremely difficult and fraught with setbacks.

It wasn't until recently, when slaves from Cerisonas were assigned to this land to resume production under the orders of Tersolius, that the land regained some of its former vitality. Large numbers of slaves moved into villages and pastures that had been burned down, and slaves and poor people from other provinces continued to pour in. It was during this opportunity that a still rudimentary intelligence network was established in this province.

"Yes, my lord, thanks to the help of those lords sent from the capital during this time, everything I've done has gone very smoothly. Now we have informants in every village and town in this land, and we're expanding into the surrounding provinces..."

Fitzgerald reported his condition respectfully and quickly, while Tersolius listened quietly and calmly, occasionally asking a question or two, pondering for a moment after receiving an answer, and then gesturing for him to continue.

"Now that you've made contact with your henchmen... is there any progress regarding that message?"

"I regret to inform you, my lord... We have compiled intelligence gathered from all the secret agents in the empire, but we have found no trace of such a thing, only some ambiguous rumors and legends... Most of them are nonsense, and the others are difficult to investigate."

"Similar records exist in the capital's main library... I have compiled them all and recorded them here."

As he spoke, Fitzgerald handed over several sheets of white parchment with neat handwriting in black ink and simple drawings in charcoal.

Tersolius reached out and took it, then carefully examined it—he was no longer the same person he used to be; he could even understand complex and rigorous academic knowledge, and he had now begun learning the language of the Kingdom of Asel…

The records on the parchment lack precise dates, but they do specify locations. It's unclear whether they were lost during the book's preservation or due to some other reason.

'...The governor of the province of Miles, Turicart... assassinated...'

'The Illinois province rebellion...lasting for 3 months...with many suspicious points...'

………………

These intelligence reports may seem disorganized, but careful analysis reveals that most of these strange disturbances are concentrated in provinces closer to the west. Although most of them are resolved in a short time, the strange elements involved cannot be hidden from truly intelligent people.

Although the Capital Library is called a library, it undertakes many functions and is a very important national institution. The scholars inside also have a strict organizational structure, unlike the academic organizations in other countries which are often disorganized.

One of the most important tasks of one of the academies was to gather information from all over the country, verify its authenticity, and then analyze it to provide the emperor with specific advice. Such strangeness naturally could not be hidden from them.

The emperor's henchmen had also put a lot of effort into the western provinces of the empire, but had gained very little... Those behind the scenes handled things very cleanly, leaving no trace after causing several disturbances.

After their fruitless mission, the scholars of the empire still recorded all the information in the library, which is why these parchments are now in Tersolius's hands, allowing him to understand what happened decades later.

The concentration of these large and small unrests in the west of the empire couldn't possibly be due to favorable feng shui or easier rebellion there… On the contrary, because of the long-standing wars with the Hols and other western states, the empire's west maintained a large and elite military force. Therefore, such unrest was often swiftly quelled by the imperial army's brutal suppression, leaving one wondering what the motives of those who instigated these disturbances were. Or rather, what did they gain that made them willing to do such things…?

No one would do something thankless and exhausting. These ridiculous upheavals must have had some purpose, but unfortunately, decades have passed, and even if one wanted to, it would be impossible to verify.

…………!

Teresolus suddenly raised his head—wasn't this commotion in Cerisonus highly suspicious? How come he hadn't noticed it?

145 Hidden Line (2)

"Have all those guys been detained?"

"As you commanded, except for those executed during the rebellion, all the Iris organizers who instigated this uprising have been captured, and the prison guards in the capital have arrived."

"They've moved quite quickly... Let's go see these brave gentlemen and hope they still have enough courage to face their fate."

Tersolius scoffed – the unique skills of the prison guards in the capital were not something everyone had the chance to taste. Ordinary criminals were not qualified to be sent there, and only these despicable and laughable fellows could enjoy this honor.

Of course, they haven't tasted that feeling yet. As the most powerful and prestigious commander-in-chief and governor of the entire province, the jailers wouldn't act rashly without his permission.

Fitzgerald bowed and then took his helmet from his waist and put it on—he was now dressed as a standard elite legionary soldier, armed from head to toe, responsible not only for laying out a covert intelligence network, but also for earning the position of captain through his own merits.

His feat of chasing a murderer at midnight and avenging himself that very day has spread throughout the entire legion. Although his position is still relatively low, everyone knows that he has won the commander's favor and has been granted permission to join the imperial legion. Sooner or later, he will rise to prominence. Therefore, even if he reports to Tersolius without going through the proper channels, no one will think there is anything wrong with it. At most, they will feel a little envious and jealous.

After the guards raised their flags, finished their preparations, and escorted the two away, a tall figure with long golden hair appeared in front of the tent. When stopped by the guards, she spoke without hesitation:

"I'm here to fight Tersolius! Make him come out and see me!"

The guard gripped his halberd tightly with a creak, eyeing the now-respectable-looking fellow with ill intent... If he hadn't known what kind of barbarian this was, he would have already attacked.

But since it was a promise made by Thesolius himself, he still had to explain the previous sentence:

"The master has important business to attend to and has already left."

"Do you know where he went?"

"do not know."

………………

After being forcefully pushed back, Karila wasn't discouraged at all. After leaving the central command tent area, she strolled to the main road. Then, without hesitation, she squatted down and began examining the marks on the ground…

After observing for a while, she seemed to have figured something out, but an excited smile appeared on her face. She stood up, stretched her legs, and followed after them, only to be stopped at the entrance of the camp…