Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

“Back then, that guy Harijek wanted to seize our land. The three of us broke one of his legs, and I used that hammer to knock out half of his cousin’s teeth. We made a huge fuss and disturbed the peace of his whole family. Then we forced him to buy our few acres of poor land at a high price, and that’s how we managed to save up a little money.”

"Looking back now, we were pretty awful back then, and we offended a lot of people back in our hometown."

"I'm afraid it's no longer considered offending anyone," Christina said with a smile, taking a bite of the fruit in her hand, then wiping the water droplets off it before continuing:

“I heard that guy has claimed to be your friend, which is why he bought those barren fields at a high price... Others are trying to get involved with you whenever possible. Some people try to use this to exonerate themselves after committing a crime, and others have abandoned their businesses and fled to other cities.”

"Heh... Let them be. If anyone dares to do anything outrageous, they should be dealt with by the laws of the Empire. If local officials fail to enforce the law impartially because of this, then it is their dereliction of duty and they should be dealt with as well. Why bother with these people?"

“I didn’t expect you to still be concerned about things there. We haven’t been back for years, and we don’t even know if our hometown has developed or declined.”

"Nothing has changed much; it's still the same as before, except that there are definitely more merchants there now."

Tesorus smiled and shook his head helplessly:

"I wonder how many of them are genuine businessmen..."

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

Dried fruit and candied fruit are generally not something that poor people can afford, especially those that are crystal clear and preserved with sugar. Basically, only nobles and wealthy families can afford to eat them as snacks. Poor parents don't even dare to take their children around, for fear that the children will be unable to move after smelling the aroma.

In this prosperous city, goods are abundant. Merchants from all over the world transport all kinds of goods here, exchanging their wisdom and hard work for wealth.

The best crunchy nuts come from Assale. After roasting and drying, they are mostly fragrant, crisp, and oily, with a delicious crunch that can really tantalize the taste buds. However, because of the long journey, these oily goods are prone to mold if they get damp, making them even more expensive.

The best candied fruits come from the west of the empire, where fertile land and abundant sunshine nurture the best fruits on the entire continent. Due to the difficulty of long-distance transportation, most of what can be transported here are dried fruits and preserved fruits, which are not affordable for ordinary people.

For Tarina, although she can't eat these as snacks right now, it's okay to splurge occasionally, buy a little bit, and satisfy her cravings.

Even so, the girl, who was used to a simple life, was still very hesitant. Clutching the coins in her arms, she lingered at the entrance of the shop where the fragrance was emanating. Every time she wanted to make up her mind to leave, the sweet smell would pull her back like a rope.

Finally, when she realized that people around her were looking at her strangely, Tarina made up her mind to resist the temptation. After all, if she developed a bad habit, she would easily spend all her money, no matter how much she had... She could forget about other things, but this kind of thing was really too expensive and not worth it.

"Doctor! What are you standing there doing, just standing there in a daze? Come here quickly!"

A familiar voice suddenly came from behind her, and Tarina turned around in shock. She found Colin standing at the shop entrance, greeting her, chewing on something and spitting out a fruit pit every now and then.

Tarina's heart skipped a beat when she saw the large bag the other person was carrying—it was an ordinary burlap sack, but it was surprisingly large; if it really contained dried fruit and candied fruit…

As the other person walked up to her, reached into their bag, pulled out a handful of translucent objects, and stuffed them into her hand, feeling their heavy weight, Talina couldn't help but ask:

"Miss Colin, these are very expensive. Won't it cost you a lot of money to buy so many?"

The mountain girl reached into the burlap sack again, pulled out three or five oily nuts, and popped them into her mouth to chew.

"I'm going to the battlefield to fight, and I might die one day. If I don't enjoy myself before then, wouldn't it be a miserable death? I don't do business that loses money, and I'll save some of it anyway, it's okay."

Talina nodded blankly, subconsciously agreeing that what the other person said made a lot of sense.

“It’s rare that we’ve met, let’s go for a walk together. The market here is very lively, and there are quite a few dirty hands in there. It’s not safe for you to walk around here alone.”

…………

Colin generously shared the expensive nuts and preserves in the sack. The shrewd mountain girl wouldn't give the merchant a chance to cheat her, making sure she bought only the best quality goods.

At first, Tarina was a little embarrassed, but she couldn't resist the other person's repeated urging, so she reluctantly started eating. The two of them ate and walked along the bustling market, looking left and right at the dazzling array of goods on the stalls.

The city is open and inclusive, so it's easy to see what's sold at these stalls—even some strange foods. The two even saw a stall with four or five small pots set up next to it, with wriggling fat snakes in bamboo cages. If an interested customer paid, the merchant would reach out and catch the specially raised fat snakes, skin them and take the meat in front of the customer, and cook them in the pot on the spot. And it was quite popular, with people gathering around from time to time.

The business here is booming and highly competitive, so every merchant pulls out all the stops to attract customers. Each one has their own unique skills, and being eloquent is just the most basic requirement. After all, if your voice isn't loud and fluent enough, it will be difficult to attract the savvy residents of the capital.

The two of them walked and stopped frequently, buying things that interested them now and then. The thieves who mingled in the bustling crowd could not escape the sharp eyes of the mountain girl and could never succeed.

They walked until they reached a bustling, well-maintained street. Suddenly, the noise emanating from a nearby tavern caught their attention. A wild, piercing voice made them exchange a glance, and then they walked towards the tavern without hesitation…

197 Interlude (3)

A strong, burly man was in a sorry state. A long, powerful hand grabbed his neck, lifted him up, and slammed him against the wall. He struggled desperately like a trapped chick, his face turning purple as he struggled to breathe.

The scene was filled with a terrifying sense of power, as incredible as Hercules lifting a mountain, because the one pressing this burly man against the wall was not a stronger man, but a tall woman with a beautiful and elegant face...

No matter how the man struggled, that slender hand was as firm as a blacksmith's clamps used to hold steel blocks, blocking the last sliver of air from entering the man's path.

"Wait until I finish this drink, then I'll kill you."

Karila grinned and picked up a large oak cup from the cabinet next to her. The tavern waitress didn't dare to say a word and watched as he held the freshly poured beer in his hand. The orange-yellow beer still had a hint of chill, and with each swallow, it was reduced to just a few strands of foam in the blink of an eye.

boom!

The sound of a cup hitting the table sent a shiver down everyone's spine, a sense of unease creeping in, along with a growing doubt—would this woman really dare to kill someone in the capital? ...

But after putting down her glass, Karila didn't show any fierce expression, which relieved the onlookers. After all, if someone had really died here, they, the bystanders, would also be implicated.

The cold glint of a drawn blade flashed across the face of a nearby patron in the blink of an eye, sending chills down his spine and causing him to fall backward and crash heavily to the ground.

A sharp dagger appeared in the woman's hand, and without hesitation, she slashed it towards the other person's throat. The movement was slow, as if she were carefully cutting open a lamb's throat to catch its blood.

The maid's scream was choked in her throat, and a large amount of blood was about to splatter onto the surrounding walls, but the sharp blade remained an inch from the other's neck, unable to cut through.

"What are you doing, drunk and acting crazy here? Did you forget your brain when you went out? How dare you pull a knife here!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Karila turned her head with a hint of helplessness on her face, and loosened her grip slightly, allowing the man who was almost out of breath to take a deep breath. He opened his mouth desperately like a fish thrown ashore.

The blonde Rigute woman opened her mouth, hesitated slightly, seemingly unsure how to organize her thoughts. After a long pause, she finally spoke:

"This guy tried to drug my drink, thinking I wouldn't see his ridiculous little trick... I should be able to do whatever I want with this kind of despicable person, right? In my hometown, guys like this would be doused with cold water, frozen to a tree, and then skinned alive."

"This is not your hometown."

Colin couldn't help but roll his eyes:

"You can't do it yourself. You should hand it over to the people in charge and let them do it. If you do it yourself, you're challenging the authority of the law, and you'll be in trouble. Don't you even know some basic common sense?"

“I see…” Karila nodded, then released her left hand and threw the panting man to the ground. He immediately turned into a puddle of mud, unable to move at all.

"That's actually quite good. When I traveled in the past, many princes didn't care about me, and I had to solve everything myself... This is a good thing, right?"

Seeing the look of sudden realization on the other person's face, Colin couldn't help but sigh. She already knew what was going to happen next...

Soon, hurried footsteps sounded outside, and a panicked tavern waitress led three soldiers in, clad in chainmail, wearing shiny helmets and carrying iron-inlaid wooden clubs, into the room. They immediately pointed in their direction.

The soldiers immediately surrounded him, and Colin turned to meet them. After a few brief exchanges, the other party's tense expression relaxed, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed. Soon after, they pulled out chains from behind their backs and tied up the limp man on the ground.

Four more soldiers arrived, led by a captain. After listening to what had happened and carefully questioning the surrounding customers, they went directly to the backyard of the tavern, locked up the owner, pulled him out, greeted them, and then left. The tavern immediately announced its closure, and all the customers were kicked out.

"They suspect the owner of being involved in human trafficking because this suspicious man has been staying in his tavern for several days without being reported. So now he's being taken away for investigation, and even if there's no problem, he'll still face some form of punishment... See, isn't this a very easy solution?"

Colin spread his hands, looking at the stunned Karila, his words tinged with a degree of smugness, as if the brilliance of knowledge was shining brightly behind her head.

"I don't think this matter is over yet."

Tarina suddenly spoke up, and Colin looked at her with some confusion. After a moment's thought, he suddenly understood.

"Yes! That man couldn't have done something like this alone. He must have accomplices... a whole group of accomplices who could help him accomplish this! It's not something a dozen people could do here!"

“That’s it.” Talina nodded.

"He dared to do this because there must be something profitable to be made, a way to turn trafficked people into money. Otherwise, he wouldn't risk enduring torture, beheading, or hanging."

"After their accomplices were captured, they may have already taken action, most likely to find an opportunity to leave immediately."

"Do we have a way to catch them?" Colin asked with great interest. The mountain girl's eyes had already turned into those of a hunter, eager to catch her prey.

Talina thought for only a moment before giving an affirmative answer:

"There's a way!..."

………………

Several patrons gathered outside the tavern, grumbling that they had paid their coins but hadn't received the drinks they were entitled to. However, no one dared to push open the blocked door, otherwise, their misfortune today would have been more than just losing two coins...

A simple-looking washerwoman carrying a large basket of clothes walked past the tavern with some curiosity. After briefly inquiring about what was happening, she joined in the chatter for a while before casually picking up the clothes and continuing her work.

A beggar, dressed in tattered clothes, with unkempt hair and covered in flies and fleas, trembled as he walked past the door amidst the disgusted and disdainful gazes of others. He casually turned his head and then disappeared into the alley next door.

As soon as he entered the alley, his previously weak and slow steps immediately became strong. After confirming that no one was around, he quickly jogged through the dark alleys.

A man, rubbing his hands and feet, walked expectantly to the tavern only to find it closed. After grumbling a few times and asking a few questions, he could only turn and leave dejectedly.

…………

Among the crowd, some rough-looking, shrewd men followed without making a sound, like hunting a wary deer in the mountains, their movements were calm and natural, allowing them to blend in seamlessly into the surrounding crowd.

The people being followed were completely unaware that someone had caught up with them. They were all exhausted and panicked, and the fear they had just forcibly suppressed was now surging up again. They couldn't wait to take action to avoid the terrible fate that was about to befall them.

Of course, they still retained a sliver of rationality. Instead of rushing back to their stronghold, they deliberately circled the streets a few times before cautiously making their way back to an ordinary residence.

The trackers surrounded the area. They were clearly not professionals in this field, and their actions were clumsy and flawed. Fortunately, their prey was anxious and lacked exceptional abilities, so they never discovered anything.

What happened next was quite simple—accompanied by the loud shouts of the city guards, the gate was smashed open and screams and cries from inside rose and fell. The sounds of blunt force beating flesh and breaking bones echoed continuously; clearly, they had no intention of showing mercy to those who were still restless, breaking their limbs without hesitation.

The prison wagons, specially dispatched to transport prisoners, were quickly filled. The chaotic pleas for mercy and cries for justice were ignored. Like transporting a large group of fat pigs to be slaughtered, the horses began to gallop along the streets with the crack of the whip, delivering this bountiful harvest into the prison.

"Alright, boss, we've got everything done. None of these guys are going to get away. I picked out some expert hunters. Even a half-grown rabbit that darts into the bushes won't escape our sight."

"Well done! I'll treat you to drinks later!"

The mountain people cheered. It wasn't that they couldn't afford to drink, but rather that their leader rarely had the opportunity to treat them to drinks—in the past, they were too poor to afford so much alcohol, and now they simply didn't have the time.

In fact, this was an incredibly easy task. All the hunters had to do was wait around the tavern and watch out for those sneaky guys. Then, they simply used their unique cunning and shrewdness to easily find the hideout of these guys and wipe out these despicable scoundrels hiding in the city.

………………

"This city is just too big. The current garrison can't control every corner, so this kind of thing is hard to avoid... I heard that several young girls were rescued from the basement of that house. They're all beauties, and we're planning to put them in a carriage and sneak them out of the city in a couple of days..."

Colin placed his half-empty glass on the table and suddenly gave Carila a meaningful look:

"So you've also been targeted by them... Should we say they're blind or have good judgment?..."

"Of course they're blind!"

Carila nonchalantly gnawed on the lamb, still dripping with blood, while rolling her eyes at Colin.

"Look at the kind of warriors this coward has provoked! It won't have any impact on the world if all these cowardly and stupid guys die; on the contrary, it will bring quite a few benefits."

"Actually, they were quite lucky."

Colin, whose face was already flushed, became quite talkative. Even though he had just fought with his opponent a couple of days ago, they were now having a pleasant conversation.

“I’ve heard how you used to handle these kinds of things. If we hadn’t come, you probably would have torn that guy to pieces, and maybe even stolen all the money from his pocket.”

"Actually, that's actually lucky."

Tarina, munching on a bright orange dried fruit, letting the sweet and sour flavor spread, suddenly interrupted the conversation:

"They won't die so easily now. Crimes in this city will be punished much more severely... even being torn apart by an axe might be better, but of course, that's what they deserve."

The scene fell silent for a moment, until Kochkin remarked:

"I doubt anyone as skilled as those enthusiastic men in black are at this kind of thing. The things they know are terrifying. I never want to be sent to jail and run into them."

"They said you've learned a lot of tricks from them, and maybe you can go and rely on them when you're done with this line of work."

Wolf, standing next to him, chuckled and teased his friend, stretching his legs out onto the table with a contented air; to him, this was a privilege reserved only for this place.

"Alright, but don't get into any trouble and end up in my hands. I won't show you any mercy. If you want to keep your life, you'd better be prepared to give me your last penny! Hahahaha!..."

The drinking continued until evening before the group, tipsy, left the tavern and began their return to their camp. Today was a rare day off, which was why they were behaving so recklessly; normally, they wouldn't dare to do such a thing even if they had three lives.

In the end, only Talina and Karila were left to carry the drunk Colin to their temporary accommodation. Talina rarely drank because of her work, while Karila had a high alcohol tolerance, so this little bit was not even an appetizer for her... Only Colin, who used to drink diluted fake alcohol, had drunk too much because he was in a moment of pleasure.

This city is so vast that living within it is like ants living on a giant tree. The bustling crowds sweep over those who come here, forcing them to live according to the city's ways, ultimately becoming completely integrated into this clamor and a part of it all...

198 Interlude (4)

The vast and solid training ground was filled with a firm and serious atmosphere. All the soldiers gathered here were serious and unsmiling. If you looked closely, you could see that there was tension in their expressions.

The soldiers were all divided into rows according to their respective units, each holding a wooden board. The officials, who had placed parchment on the boards, called out the soldiers' names in turn, calling them out to the front of the open space.

This is not about distributing rewards or giving commendations—if that were the case, the place would already be filled with cheers and praise.

This is an even more demanding and rigorous necessary process—regularly assessing the soldiers of the elite legion.

The soldiers of the elite legion enjoy incredibly generous treatment. Once they obtain this status, they will not only have no worries about food and clothing, receive high military pay, and use the best equipment, but their families will also receive a series of preferential treatments. Even if the whole family consists of idiots and morons, they can still live a good life.

However, such excellent treatment is not easy to obtain. Joining the legion is not the end of the story. They must guarantee to earn these privileges with the best qualities and discipline. They must prove themselves to be the best soldiers in the entire empire in order to receive such an honor.

Therefore, such assessments occur every so often. All soldiers are instructed to prepare a month in advance. During the assessment, the entire army lines up on the training ground to prove their strength under the watchful eyes of thousands of people.

This is not only a test of martial arts skills and physical fitness, but also puts great psychological pressure on the test takers—because if they fail the test three times and do not make any contributions, they will have no chance of staying in the elite legion.

Being in such a glorious army, enjoying the most generous soldier benefits in the entire empire, who would be willing to leave? Especially because of their own incompetence... Therefore, every soldier would diligently hone their martial arts skills, refine their discipline, and practice teamwork before the assessment, all to prove that they were worthy of their current status.

As names were called out one by one, more than 300 archers lined up in the wide field, wearing tough chainmail, pointed chainmail helmets with nose guards and neck guards, and leather and steel plates for their wrists and ankles.