Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

All of this helped the two of them evade the terrifying cavalrymen who were almost within reach time and time again, stumbling and staggering towards a safer and more secluded place.

But she knew that this would lead to failure. The cavalry's speed was far beyond what they could match, and moreover, the enemy clearly had excellent trackers who were always able to find their trail intermittently. The terrifying sound of hooves was like the footsteps of death, never completely disappearing.

To shake off these pursuers, more effective decisions must be made... even if those decisions are quite risky.

Talina made up her mind and told the mother her plan. Although the mother was pale, swaying, and almost unable to make a decision, letting her know what she was going to do was crucial for the next move. There could be no hesitation, or the three of them would lose their lives.

She found another tall, dead tree that had fallen, with a completely rotten hollow in the middle. This tree had fallen after being struck by lightning. She still remembered the shock she felt when she witnessed that moment. The fallen tree cleared a space, allowing sunlight to shine in directly. Other plants that were weaker than it were crushed and buried completely under the corpse of the giant tree.

The two carefully crawled into the branches of the giant tree. The tree trunk was surrounded by dense vegetation and was inconspicuous in the shadows of the jungle, but it was enough to provide them with temporary cover.

Still panting, Tarina suddenly touched the hard hilt of the knife at her waist. It was an exquisite and expensive short knife. In the city, this gorgeous weapon could fetch an astonishingly high price, at least more than she earned as a doctor in a year.

Looking at the dagger, Tarina couldn't help but think of that powerful imperial general, his hawk-like, sharp eyes, his resolute, hard-edged lips, and the advice he gave her before he left...

Then, Tarina couldn't help but think of that powerful cavalry... If that cavalry were still in the village, would they not have suffered such a tragic fate today? ... The girl already had the answer in her heart, and gently bit her lip.

28 Night Escape (2)

He brandished his curved sword listlessly, the still blood-stained blade gleaming coldly. The blood of the victims had long since dried, leaving no moist liquid to replenish it.

Just like its owner, it slumped listlessly and dejectedly in front of the saddle. They had come looking for some fun, but for some reason, the two women had managed to escape so quickly...

It was as if they had suddenly burrowed into the ground. Although they could always find the footprints and follow them, they could never see them. Such a pursuit with no results was very easy to lose interest.

The cavalrymen, who had been so enthusiastic just moments before, driven by a strong bloodlust, had now become bored and their search was no longer so thorough.

The warhorses snorted boredly, slowly trampling over the scattered weeds in the jungle. These warhorses, fed with grain, had long since looked down on such weeds; only lush pastures could arouse their interest. This kind of forest was not a place they liked.

The Holstein cavalryman looked impatient; he was already reluctant to go any further. After all, the sky was already beginning to lighten, and it was almost dawn, yet he had still gained nothing.

Forget about having some fun; instead, I was exhausted after a whole night. I had already found a pretty village girl and was ready to enjoy myself, but because of the emergency assembly order, I had to waste my time and have to cut her up...

But thinking of the huge sum of money wagered on those energetic cavalrymen, he licked his lips and gripped his curved sword tightly again.

He enjoyed this interesting activity, especially since it could make money. Even if the chances were slim, if he managed to catch those two women first, he could make a large sum of money, enough for him to squander for six months.

He urged his languid warhorse on again, sending it traversing possible routes and through the woods. His sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, noting the unusually broken branches, the tangled grass, and the unevenly distributed fallen leaves on the ground.

He moved swiftly through the woods, the sound of his warhorse's hooves becoming much softer on the thick layer of fallen leaves. His long, narrow, and ruthless eyes watched every blade of grass around him. If his prey could not withstand the fear and made the slightest sound, it would be unable to escape the warhorse's pursuit.

Unfortunately, nothing was found.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly noticed a huge shadow out of the corner of his eye. The shadow was quite continuous, looking like a large object illuminated by the moonlight, and it seemed perfect for hiding...

A cold smile appeared on his lips. In order not to alert the other party with the sound of the warhorse and chainmail, he even took off his chainmail and dismounted. He walked over with only a curved sword in his hand... After all, they were just two village women. He slowly parted the grass with the sharp blade.

The massive tree trunk before him had long been hollowed out by borers, revealing a wide cavity. There couldn't be a better place to hide... He was almost certain of his opinion. His excitement grew, and his heart began to pound. He marveled at his good fortune.

A sinister smile crept across his face. He suddenly stepped forward and rushed into the tree hole. With only one entrance, his opponent had no way to escape, and he could enjoy the spoils at will.

………………

There was a white headscarf on the ground, which looked like something women in those villages would often wear, but there was nothing else besides that...

Before he could react, a powerful impact slammed into his back, slamming him to the ground. A soft body, warm and inviting, emanated a scent that seeped through his clothes—but this wasn't tender intimacy; it was the venom of a deadly fang…

The sharp dagger tore through the clothes without any resistance, pierced the back where there was no chainmail, and even went all the way through the chest and into the inside of the tree trunk.

The Hols man, whose heart had been pierced, stopped moving completely after a few struggles, leaving only the ornate hilt of the knife embedded in his back. A large amount of blood slowly seeped out from his clothes, soon forming a pool of blood beneath him.

A pale-faced Tarina plopped down on the side, her fingers stained with fresh, warm heart blood that emitted waves of steaming aroma. But the smell made her feel nauseous; it seemed more foul and repulsive than anything else, arousing her physical disgust.

A strong sense of panic and fear caused Tarina's hands to tremble. She was usually an excellent doctor, her fingers always so steady, but now they were shaking like a stroke victim.

The new mother, carrying her baby, walked in from outside with a look of fear on her face. The two of them had been lying in ambush in the bushes nearby, just trying to avoid being searched. But she didn't expect the doctor to be so brave, launching a surprise attack while the enemy was searching and killing the soldier.

The peasant woman had slaughtered the game that her husband had captured alive before, but the dead man in front of her was unlike any other animal carcass. Just looking at this pile of dead flesh made her feel stiff all over, as if every part of her body was out of her control, and she could only stand there in a daze.

Talina took two more breaths and then calmed down.

The girl reached out and grasped the dagger on the corpse, slowly pulling the sharp blade from the flesh and bone surrounding it. Sticky blood gushed out continuously, even splashing onto her cloth skirt.

The girl stood up and ran outside. A moment later, hearing the warhorse's anxious neighing, she pulled on the reins and dragged the soldier's horse back. The finely crafted chainmail and other weapons were hanging on the saddle. Looking at the exquisite chainmail, Talina felt even more fortunate…

If the other party hadn't been so arrogant, searching for them while wearing this chainmail, they would probably already be a corpse.

The girl wasn't a real soldier, after all; she couldn't calmly stab the unprotected part of the opponent with a dagger under such tense circumstances.

"Great! With this horse, we can reach the city in two days..."

An expression of excitement appeared on the mother's face. Horses were much faster than they were, especially since they were two Holstein women who were not known for their physical strength.

"No! We can't ride this horse..."

Under the mother's astonished gaze, Tarina's face held a resolute expression:

"The horses are too loud; they'll attract everyone around. Besides, neither of us can ride a horse, so there's no way we can escape from them..."

"What should we do then!..."

The mother's face had turned to despair, but Talina stood up and patted the horse's neck:

"Use what I just told you, use it to lure those people over..."

29 Night Escape (3)

The Holstein cavalry were groaning and complaining as the sky began to lighten and the surrounding scenery became clearer, but they still hadn't found anything...

Just hours before, the cavalrymen had been cheering loudly for their commander's orders, but now they were resentful of the young nobleman who was leading them. These greedy soldiers had not only failed to get what they wanted, but had also wasted an entire night.

A cavalry unit of 300 men spent an entire night searching in the woods surrounding the village for such a ridiculous reason… Keep in mind that the truly important figure in the rear guard is known for his ruthless methods; if he knew his vanguard was wasting so much time…

Everyone looked at the young nobleman, who was still searching resentfully. He seemed to think his dignity had been insulted and insisted on continuing the search regardless of the consequences. He made a big fuss over two insignificant peasant women, which made everyone think he was ridiculous.

A group of veterans began whispering among themselves, determined not to continue following this fool's orders. The others also looked at their unexpected leader with disdain.

Their original commander was inexplicably replaced by this useless man who knew nothing but money and glory. Because of this, in order to quickly gain control of the soldiers, the newly arrived commander issued an order for them to plunder at will...

This is a common practice among commanders: letting soldiers plunder freely can effectively boost their morale and is also the simplest way to build their identification with the commander.

If this method goes smoothly, there will naturally be no problem, and the soldiers will look at him with more respect because of the money they have stolen. But if something goes wrong, the commander who cannot control the troops will become the target of everyone's criticism.

At least in the soldiers' eyes now, that minor nobleman is a complete waste and an idiot, and because of his ridiculous obsession, he is about to drag everyone down with him.

Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, a monotonous sound of hooves suddenly reached everyone's ears. They involuntarily focused their attention in that direction, and a warhorse without a rider was slowly walking towards the herd with light steps.

Anyone with even a basic understanding of warfare would have realized what was happening. Cavalrymen wouldn't abandon their mounts unless faced with an emergency…

Especially such strong and precious warhorses, the price of one is enough to bankrupt a merchant with a little wealth. They can be said to be the most valuable thing they own. Even if they flee in disarray, they would never abandon their horses.

"I knew it!!"

The minor nobleman stood up excitedly, his eyes fixed on the warhorse as if he were looking at his lover.

"I knew those two women weren't ordinary village women! They must be spies sent by the Empire!! Look! Another one of our soldiers has died at their hands!"

He uttered these words almost at the top of his lungs, the young nobleman's face flushed red, his expression twisted with excitement. Then he charged ahead of the horse towards where it had come from. The cavalrymen looked at each other for a moment, and then dozens of those who were really unwilling to give up also got excited and chased after it in a swarm.

Following the trail they left behind, they arrived at a large open space almost in the blink of an eye. The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves and the terrain was very flat, making it look like a perfect place for horses to gallop.

Just as the cavalrymen were about to scatter and search, a short scream suddenly rang out, and everyone's eyes were drawn to the opposite hillside, where a shadowy white figure was rapidly disappearing into the distance...

"Haha! Hurry up! Catch this bitch!"

At the command of their nominal commander, the cavalry, already impatient from the all-night search, cheered and spurred their horses toward the other side without hesitation, their shrill cries and ferocious roars filling the air...

Having finally gotten the thrill they wanted, these cavalrymen, eager for amusement, were enraged and became bloodthirsty and savage, vying to capture the two women who had been hiding all night.

"what!!!"

A panicked scream suddenly rang out, but it wasn't a woman's voice; it came from a man with a deep, gruff voice.

The veteran who charged at the front, under everyone's watchful eyes, spurred his horse toward the flat open space. The moment the horse landed, it sank deep into the mud, and a large clump of black mud splashed out, instantly covering the horse's hooves and reaching the soldier's shoes.

This sudden turn of events caught the cavalrymen, who were still in a state of shock, completely off guard. With the added speed of their warhorses, they leaped in one after another, kicking up clouds of mud.

The panicked neighing of warhorses and men filled the clearing, which then revealed its true nature... It was a foul-smelling swamp, bottomless, rapidly swallowing the heavy soldiers and warhorses.

The fallen leaves from the trees layered upon layer on the mud, completely obscuring its original appearance. It was precisely because of this mud that such a rare, flat spot existed in the forest…

Everyone was struggling in a panic. These soldiers were all seasoned veterans, but none of them had ever experienced being stuck in such a terrible quagmire. Their desperate thrashing limbs, along with those of their warhorses, stirred the sticky mud, making it thinner and softer, causing them to sink faster and faster...

An old soldier, his face filled with despair, desperately reached out towards the shore. His legs, however, continued to kick in fear, and his body was slowly and relentlessly sinking inch by inch.

The cries for help around him were chaotic, but they slowly disappeared one by one until the mud completely engulfed his head, submerging his gleaming iron helmet in the mud.

The bloodthirsty nobleman's face had lost all its smugness; his warhorse was struggling desperately, trying to stick its head out of the mud.

But it was all in vain. The warhorse's massive body was sinking at a visible speed, and its feet had already sunk into the mud. The filthy, putrid mud was spreading up to its waist. It frantically clawed at its surroundings, trying to find something to support itself.

But in this soft mud, what could he possibly use for leverage? So he could only desperately pull on the soldiers who hadn't yet sunk in, stepping on their shoulders and armor. The group of men struggled frantically in the mud, trying to use each other's bodies to escape.

But this only made them sink faster... As the last cavalryman's head was completely submerged in the mud, the swamp slowly quieted down...

30 Slaughter (1)

The temperature drops sharply at night, especially in this forest. As autumn draws to a close, the outdoors can feel chilling, and one can exhale puffs of white breath. Experienced hunters carry a thick fur coat to help them get through the cold, damp nights.

But these two frail women had nothing—no thick fur, only a short knife as their weapon, their legs aching from walking, and they were even carrying a helpless child…

Dozens of cavalrymen died in the mud, none of them managing to escape back to deliver the message. These cruel and reckless soldiers paid the price for their carelessness with their lives, but also bought the two women precious time.

When the cavalrymen left outside come in to search, they will find their own men stuck in the mud by following the tracks. No one will think that this situation was caused by an insignificant, foolish village woman. The cavalrymen will only be surprised by their commander's negligence and greedy stupidity. At the same time, they will be terrified of losing their leader.

Without their own commander, they would find it difficult to make decisions... and no one would be foolish enough to continue to cause trouble for two village women when such a major event has occurred.

Although the Hols' army was cruel and barbaric, often massacring villages and towns, and the Hols people feared them even more than their enemies, they also knew what was important... So Talina was almost certain that they had gotten rid of that terrible trouble.

This plan was extremely risky, and every step had to be flawless, but for the two of them, this crude plan was the best idea they could come up with...

The terrifying sound of horses' hooves had disappeared from their ears. Without their pursuers, they could travel at a more normal pace and no longer exhaust themselves.

Just as the two women were clinging to a rare glimmer of hope, a rapid hoofbeat suddenly sounded from the mountain road ahead. To the two women, this sound was the most terrifying thing in the world... They would rather face the demon than hear this sound again.

The sound of galloping hooves reached their ears in the blink of an eye. The two wanted to hide, but their legs, which had been walking on the rugged road all night, were sore and weak that they could hardly move. In this situation of seeing hope and then suddenly despairing, even Talina no longer had the strength to run away. The two of them waited for their fate with deathly pale faces.

A massive black warhorse charged out of the forest. The clear sun shone on its black fur, giving it a golden, satin-like sheen. Its incredibly strong muscles slid beneath the smooth coat, exuding a breathtaking sense of power and beauty.

The knight on horseback was covered in heavy armor, with fine scale armor covering the saddle. The armor plates and chainmail rubbed against each other, making a rustling sound. However, he was not wearing a helmet, which revealed his cold and handsome face. A clear scar extended from his forehead to his side.

"Doctor...and this lady, what are you doing here?"

The questioning voice of Tersolius reached their ears, and suddenly Talina's legs went weak, all the strength in her body melted away like ice and snow, and darkness began to rapidly invade the world in her eyes. Before her consciousness completely disappeared, the girl felt a rare sense of relaxation.

All her previous strength and composure vanished at this moment, and all the girl who fainted could show was vulnerability.

————————————————————————————————————————

Hot soup and a blanket can quickly restore one's energy. Adding some wild vegetables and grains from a bag to the well-cooked meat broth can not only relieve fatigue but also fill one's stomach.

Exhausted, Tarina sipped the broth in her hand slowly. She knew she absolutely couldn't drink too fast at this moment, or the scalding soup might burn her throat.

Many starving disaster victims suffered because of this. After their throats were burned, they often couldn't eat anything for days and could only pour thin porridge into their stomachs through a wooden tube. Some people couldn't endure it and died.

After finishing the hot soup in her bowl, she looked at the Imperial General who was waiting quietly across from her. The man was thoughtfully tapping his knee. In addition to the fearsome cavalry, there was also a group of noisy mountain people in the camp. They were savage and strong, and they were fighting over the meat soup in the pot.

"So they massacred the whole village, right?"

"Correct."

"So Peso also died at their hands... his wife and children?"

"Yes."

"Those cavalrymen are still stationed outside the village, right?"

They're still there.

………………

The man suddenly stood up, and two soldiers immediately came over to attach weapons to him. The whole camp was in turmoil. The mountain people were ordered to extinguish the campfire, eat and drink their fill, and then pick up their weapons and prepare themselves.

The cavalrymen began to mount their horses, calming them down, and then surged out of the camp in rows of four along the road beside them.

"Wait here for our doctor. We'll come back after we've finished our business, and then we'll take you away with us."

The man who mounted his horse said this and then tried to urge the horse away... Although the mountain people seemed to want to make a fuss, they obediently shut their mouths after being glanced at by his eyes.

"Wait a minute!!"

The man turned his head.