Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

This was Tersolius's impression after finishing a thick bear paw. Although it tasted good, it wasn't as wonderful as he had imagined. What was even more remarkable was its soft, chewy texture, as if it had been coated with leather glue, which almost glued his lips and teeth together.

As dawn broke, everyone gathered here to savor the tenderly stewed bear paws. Because the charcoal fire was constantly heating them, they were still very hot. Except for Talina, the others were all martial artists and didn't care about etiquette. They ate in a daze, devouring the food in no time, and even the soup was gone.

"I never thought this thing could actually taste so good..."

Colin licked her lips, as if the sticky feeling still lingered there. Even though it had become lively outside, she was still immersed in the peculiar taste she had just experienced.

Especially when I think back to the bear paws in my hometown that were cooked directly, and might even have a few hairs left on them... the deliciousness I just ate became even more intense in comparison.

"Let's go catch bears whenever we have the chance! I just realized that the best part of them is their four legs!"

Karila wiped her mouth rather roughly, leaving a noticeable grease stain on her sleeve. This made Talina, standing beside her, frown and about to speak.

Do you have bears like this in your hometown?

Tersolius's curious question interrupted Tarina's words, and also made the girl look at Karila with great interest. Karila, who had already wiped her mouth clean, replied without hesitation:

"Of course there are, and they're even bigger than this one! Those fat guys stand by the sea and river to fish every year around this time. Sometimes they're even bold enough to come and rob us. If we can't deal with them in time, we have to send someone to guard them. Otherwise, they can eat us clean in one night. And we can't go with too few people. We have to keep torches burning all night and bring all our weapons."

“My dad told me that there are even bigger bears further north. He said he went there with a fleet when he was young. Nothing grows there, and it’s all ice and snow.”

"The bears there are almost as tall as two people when they stand up. They can slap a person into a meat patty with one slap. They are covered in white fur and are frighteningly fierce. Hunting one of these things requires dozens of people. My carpet is made from the leather of one of these things, and it covers almost half of the house."

"That bear's paws are as big as a cow's head. If we could cook it like that, we could definitely eat our fill!"

Seemingly in particularly high spirits, Karila chattered on and on, while heavy horn sounds began to sound outside the tent. It wasn't until it was time to depart that everyone reluctantly dispersed, all the while looking forward to the two bear paws in Hsinchu that evening.

The remaining two were the bear's hind paws, which were far less fleshy than its forelegs... Karila, whose appetite had already been whetted, had even started pestering Colin to go hunting for more bears nearby.

Before such a plan could be answered, Tersolius ruthlessly thwarted it, driving everyone away to do their own thing.

Now is the time for marching and fighting. If he encounters one on the road, he can shoot it down at will, but he cannot allow anyone to waste their energy on such a thing just for the sake of food.

The sunlight slowly peeked out from the sky, dyeing half of it golden red. The colors of night had not yet completely faded, and a hint of purple glow lingered on the horizon. It was the perfect time to travel.

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

"Just as expected..."

Ahmed sighed deeply and turned to look at the magnificent palace—the imposing, rigid lines of the columns and high walls stretched towards the camera lens, and the golden tiles reflected a dazzling light under the sun, making it impossible to look directly at them.

As expected, his mission failed. Neither the emperor nor the elders of the empire showed any intention of stopping the war... They even thought that Asler would also get involved and were somewhat eager to try... Some had even suggested sending more legions south.

The carriage passed through the bustling streets without attracting much attention, which was Ahmed's intention—to keep a low profile in the city and not to travel in a luxurious carriage.

The city was as bustling as ever. Crowds of people could be seen everywhere on the streets, and carriages traveled on the right side of the road. The garrison soldiers responsible for maintaining order occasionally reprimanded those who wandered around.

Even though the imperial legions have been dispatched, and even though a fierce battle is about to break out in the south, it seems to have had little effect here... No, to be precise, the effects of war are visible everywhere, but not in the desolate, dilapidated, and bleak way.

Everywhere you look on the streets, you can see Imperials standing on high places giving speeches. Their eloquence may not be very good, but their voices are definitely loud and their pronunciation is clear. They express their views on the war to others, and depending on their level and arguments, these impromptu speakers often receive a round of applause and praise or a barrage of insults. What they get depends on their individual abilities.

There was no need to send anyone to investigate. Even sitting in the carriage, through the thick wooden planks, the old man could clearly hear the passing imperial people excitedly discussing the war. Their words contained no resistance or disgust towards the war, but rather they were discussing whether the young men of their families could gain merit and wealth in this war and bring honor to their families.

Those who were not included in the southward march were all sighing and complaining, their discontent evident everywhere, filled with envy for those lucky enough to fight under the governor of Tersolius.

The fact that ordinary people are like this only proves that this war was launched by the entire empire, and that this enthusiasm is unlikely to be diminished until it suffers a real setback or achieves a complete victory.

Moreover, the empire's army is well-supplied for its southward campaign, relying on the great river that runs through the entire country to transport supplies in large quantities... At least in the short term, he sees no possibility of this terrifying war machine stopping.

Now, the only hope is to hold off the enemy's legions on the battlefield and drag the war out until the empire is unable to continue.

After all, Asel was far from peaceful, and those who secretly coveted the Shah's throne certainly wouldn't be willing to shed blood for the Hols.

As they pondered this, the carriage slowly returned to their current residence—a sturdy and beautiful three-story house, specially provided for envoys from other countries, guarded by soldiers nearby, making it impossible for ordinary people to approach.

The members of the delegation gathered silently in the courtyard. At Ahmed's command, they returned to their rooms. The old man, supported by his servants, also returned to his room and began writing a letter under the protection of elite guards.

The old man slowly unfolded the slightly yellowed parchment. He hadn't used any expensive paper with fine, smooth textures inlaid with gold threads; it was just a very ordinary piece of paper that any ordinary citizen with a little wealth could afford.

Although he looks quite old, he is still full of energy and has a meticulous mind. He writes at a steady pace, with clear and neat handwriting. Sometimes he even stops to think for a long time before carefully making a single stroke.

Led by his ever-victorious general, the Empire's elite legions marched south with overwhelming force, like a sharp axe cleaving down from above. The Hols, having lost their northern defenses, would certainly suffer a series of defeats at first, but their king was no incompetent, and they could hold out for a while.

This war was also closely related to Asel – once the Kingdom of Hols fell, the vast, fertile plains of the south would fall into the hands of the empire, making this already powerful nation even richer. They would also lose their northern bulwark, lose a relatively weak and easily controlled neighbor, and welcome a powerful and ambitious adversary.

The Us Sea, which had always been in Asel's hands, brought countless riches to their country. Once the land across the sea fell into the hands of the Empire, the entire northern coast of Asel would be exposed to the Empire's military might, and the most fertile and important eastern plains would also be threatened... Thinking about it carefully, I felt a cold sweat and a chill run down my spine.

He did not believe the country would be satisfied with this... Once the Hols were destroyed, it would be impossible for Asher to live in peace with the Empire.

In short, no matter what, they must participate in this war and thwart the empire's intentions, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous.

The old man's pen grew heavier with each stroke. He was the most trusted minister and friend of the Shah of Asel, and also the strategist who helped the current Shah ascend the throne. Although he appeared to be just a minor physician, no one in the entire Sand Kingdom dared to underestimate this old man, and he never lacked the necessary decisiveness at crucial moments... One of his suggestions was to eradicate the bloodline left by the Shah's brothers, which made the Shah, who was still hesitant, finally make up his mind. This brought long-lasting peace to Asel, and no one could easily instigate internal strife as before.

Because he was trusted so much and knew how important his position was, he felt that every stroke of his pen was so difficult... The old man clearly realized that the advice and opinions he gave would be seriously considered by the man he had watched grow up, and would indeed affect the future of his country, so he had to be extremely cautious.

He wrote from the bright afternoon sun until the brightly lit night, his eyes bloodshot and his fingers trembling, before finally writing the last word on the parchment. Then he sighed deeply, rubbed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair.

He wrote down every suggestion and piece of intelligence he had carefully considered on this parchment. This letter would be sent to the south as quickly as possible, to that country in the yellow sands, and would return before him, so that the Shah could respond in time.

The war horns have sounded, and this time, no one can escape...

————————————————————

Duke Fosalis hadn't slept well for several days. Neurasthenia, insomnia, and headaches had been tormenting him, leaving this once robust and healthy man pale, with dark circles under his eyes, looking as if a gust of wind could knock him over.

He couldn't help but worry, and he couldn't help but fear—the imperial legions were advancing south, the northern defenses, which had become virtually nonexistent without Alpert, had long been abandoned, and the new defenses, lacking their near-perfect natural barrier, were barely better than nothing.

And his territory, that of Duke Fosalis, was so fortunate to be located directly facing the Imperial army... Whenever the Imperial legions set out from Alperth, his land would be the first to be hit.

The Duke was no fool. He realized this as soon as the city fell, so he desperately plundered every bit of his wealth to build more and more castles and fortresses in his territory. But he still didn't expect the Imperials to arrive so quickly, in just six months! Many projects had only just begun. The castles were only foundations and outlines. They couldn't possibly stop or delay the Imperial's elite legions, let alone stop a pack of wild dogs!

Despite having forcibly assembled every man in his territory who could wield a spear into his army, plundered every grain of food he could find, and borrowed countless sums of money from merchants, he remained fearful, worried, restless, and emaciated.

This was not only because of the imperial legions, but also because of that terrifying and illustrious name—Tesolius! Tesolius, who had rendered their tens of thousands of troops helpless and caused them to suffer heavy losses at the gates of Alpert, ultimately forcing them to flee in disarray like a pack of wild dogs!

He led an army of 3000 men from his own territory into battle that time, but only a little over 1800 returned alive after the brutal pursuit. He himself nearly died at the hands of the Imperials. How could he not be afraid?

They were defeated like this with only a few hundred cavalry and a group of slaves. What's more, this time the enemy is marching south with tens of thousands of troops, and they have lost the natural barrier in the north... To be honest, the Duke is now somewhat impressed with his own resilience—he hasn't gone crazy yet, only sometimes talking nonsense to himself.

The appeals for help from the king and the nobles had already begun, and in recent days he had been personally taking charge, writing a letter of appeal to the capital every day. Before the previous messenger even arrived, the next messenger had already caught up with him, but he had not received a reply for a long time, which made him even more uneasy.

Just as he was once again enraged by a group of unruly people in his territory who dared to disobey his orders and hoard grain, an excited minister, his face flushed, pushed open the door to his study and shouted at him in a very poetic manner.

Normally, such behavior would certainly be reprimanded, but at this moment he just wanted to hug the other person and give them a big kiss to vent his ecstatic emotions.

The reinforcements have finally arrived!!

239 Actions of all parties (2)

Generally speaking, it is difficult for a person's emotions to change drastically in a short period of time, unless they encounter some outrageous event or see something incomprehensible, in which case their emotions will be destroyed in an instant, causing them to jump from one extreme to another.

Duke Frosaris had just been basking in the joy of the arrival of reinforcements. Before receiving this news, everything had been depressing, gloomy, and something he wanted to escape from.

The impending, terrifying enemy was so powerful that it filled him with despair. The unruly people in his territory were always dragging their feet, refusing to hand over all their food and wealth… only when he was forced to take decisive action would they settle down. The reinforcements he had been hoping for were always late, and the letters he sent out received no response—this was what troubled him most; the possibility of the king and nobles abandoning him filled him with constant worry.

So when he heard news of reinforcements, he was so excited he almost kicked his boots off, rushed down the castle tower at top speed, ordered the soldiers to open the castle drawbridge, and welcomed His Majesty the King with the utmost sincerity and enthusiasm, inviting him to rest in the castle. Although he was somewhat puzzled by the large, constantly shaking chest in the ranks, he didn't think much of it. Until the chest was placed in the dungeon and opened… and then, things turned out like this.

“My most respected Your Majesty, I do not mean to doubt your wisdom, but this kind of thing…”

The Duke felt his legs trembling, every muscle and tendon shaking violently, his nerves rebelling and urging him to turn and run away immediately, to get as far away from these terrifying things as possible.

What is this thing?! Just looking at it makes me feel like insects have crawled into my eyes, and my heart feels like it's being gripped by something cold and sticky, and is contracting heavily.

His fingers were trembling, and he didn't loosen his grip on the sword for a moment, but he dared not actually draw the blade—after all, King Julius of the Hols was standing right next to him, so how could he dare to be so disrespectful and presumptuous?

But he dared not let his guard down, simply because those wriggling things were far too terrifying...

At first glance, it looks like five or six people are hugging each other, their hands and feet intertwined, forming a comical pose. But upon closer inspection, you can see that their soft, pale skin has a disgusting texture, like the tender white skin of wriggling larvae.

The monster in front of them was two or three times larger than an ordinary person. Its four hands and feet clearly showed signs of being pieced together. Its skin was stitched together with needle and thread, and its bones were spliced ​​together, glued and inlaid... as if a skilled carpenter had used bones as materials to assemble it.

The ends of the hands and feet are protruding black bone blades with sharp serrations. The smooth, uneven lines are clearly something that grows naturally from the organism, not something that was artificially installed by that horrific flesh "craftsman".

On the bald head, where all hair had been shaved off, were three black, shiny eyes on each side. However, these were not the kind of eyes with eyelids and pupils; instead, they were encased in a layer of black, shiny, hard shell, like insects. It was impossible to see what was inside; they looked like three eerie, protruding eyes.

Add to that the dense tentacles hanging from the severed mandible, the disgusting sounds of their constant wriggling, and the clattering of the reversed joints on the ground—all of which were terrifying and made one want to turn and run away immediately.

The Duke, being a border military noble, was not as easily frightened as those pampered good-for-nothings. However, he was still sweating profusely, constantly suppressing his urge to draw his sword in self-defense. At the same time, he subtly made a gesture by putting his left hand behind his back, signaling his trusted ministers who had come down with him to turn away quietly, just in case.

He is now awaiting the king's reply...

Three iron chains were fastened to the neck and arms of the monster, binding it firmly inside a sturdy wooden box with iron bars embedded in its interior. A short man dressed in a black robe stood beside it, occasionally muttering incantations and striking the monster's limbs with a small staff made of intertwined vines.

The scene before one's eyes is undeniably evil, no matter how bold one may be... This is not due to any significant differences in religion, country, or race; a normal person would instinctively feel disgusted by such a thing.

“Vorsaris… my dear brother, my most loyal friend, I have no intention of hiding anything from you about this…”

King Julius looked somewhat listless. This man had always been known throughout the country for his energy and vigor. Now, however, he appeared somewhat withered, and the white hair at his temples was particularly striking.

"This is part of our way of survival... My dear friend, this is our way of survival..."

"With this?! Your Majesty, with this twisted monster! I admit it did startle me, but how can this thing possibly stand against the Empire's army?"

The Duke, already driven mad by the pressure, could no longer contain himself. He stared wide-eyed, shouting about his past in a fit of rage… He wasn’t a fool; he immediately understood His Majesty’s meaning—their greatest threat, their most tangible danger of annihilation, was the tens of thousands of troops under Consul Tersolius! Their country would fall and they would perish in an instant; how could something like that possibly stop them?!

Julius didn't speak, but simply nodded to the short man in black, who immediately bowed to him, then took out a key from his pocket and unlocked the monster's shackles.

As the heavy iron chains hit the ground, the Duke immediately took a step back, lowering his body warily, and drew his sword halfway out of his hand.

"Watch, my friend, there's a reason I made this choice."

Julius said expressionlessly, his fingers stroking the sword at his waist.

Although the shackles had been removed, the terrifying monster remained motionless, standing there stiffly as if it were just a corpse, until the man in black put a whistle in his mouth and blew it forcefully...

A strange, low sound brushed past their ears, like an insect flapping its wings across their faces, sending a chill down their spines and making them instinctively want to shrink their heads.

With the sound, the monster finally began to move... Only then did the Duke see clearly that below the monster's two long arms were two slightly shorter, but thinner arms, making a total of three pairs of legs, making it look more like a large worm.

With its long, slender arms, each with four or five joints, gently extended forward on the ground. The eerie monster before them slipped past them silently, like a feather, until it reached the dungeon wall. Then, it stood up and, relying on its long limbs, dug deep into the cracks in the stone bricks, silently beginning to climb upwards, just like a giant white spider.

The duke was initially bewildered, not understanding what his king meant. Then he saw the soft, white leather suddenly begin to darken… in the blink of an eye, it became the same color as the black stone bricks of the dungeon. After a slight tremor and movement, he was horrified to discover that he could no longer find the strange object!

He immediately became uneasy, just like someone who can't sleep after knowing a venomous snake has crawled into their room. Once he realized the strange monster was out of his sight, he lost all sense of security and was about to yell for soldiers to surround the place.

"Don't panic, look—"

Julius pressed down on his shoulder and pointed to the spot illuminated by the torchlight beside them… A pale white figure was slowly emerging from there, like a fish swimming up from the bottom of the water. A moment later, the eerie, twisted thing reappeared before their eyes…

That's why.

………………

The army has arrived in Alpert!

A vast expanse of red flags, like an ocean, surrounded the city. The dazzling light of the flags was almost blinding, and the thunderous cheers made every tile of the city tremble.

Tens of thousands of elite soldiers are cheering together. This is the formidable military strength of an empire, the sharpest and most invincible weapon of the nation. Armed with superior equipment, rigorous training, and fearless courage, the soldiers are about to conquer more land for their country and defeat more enemies.

Now, a smooth road lies before them, with no more treacherous passes, fortified cities, or continuous mountain ranges to hinder them. They are confident that they will crush all their enemies and claim victory and honor for themselves!

Marcus, the logistics officer that Tersolius had left here, was now flushed with excitement, his dark red beard trembling. He was already fully armed and ready for battle, leading his well-prepared and trained army to join Tersolius's ranks.

"My lord, please allow me to wield my sword for you!"

Thasorius reached out and took the sword from Marcus, who presented it to him with both hands. He then pulled Marcus up from the ground and hung the sword back on his belt.

“You’ve done a great job, to be honest, much better than I had hoped for at best… This land is as fertile as ever…”

The farmland that was destroyed in the last great war has been completely restored, and the wheat in the fields has begun to turn golden. The grain stored in the city warehouses is no longer enough, so new warehouses have to be built to store the grain.

Everything here seemed vibrant and prosperous. A large number of elite troops were gathered under his command. With tens of thousands of troops and ample supplies, he had no worries about the rear. What enemy could possibly stop him?

"Get ready, we're heading south to conquer this land."

In the twilight sunlight, Thesolius's armor plates were gilded with gold as he gazed at the vast southern plains and the low hills... speaking to his confidants in a very casual tone.

“We have been waiting for this for a long time, General.”

Marcus smiled and stroked his mustache, his eyes crinkling with laughter, making him look like an easygoing businessman.

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

For any lord, having a large forest in his territory is a cause for celebration—it means a steady stream of timber, furs, meat, and other resources, as well as a steady stream of gold coins flowing into his pocket.

The growth of trees cannot keep up with the rate at which people cut them down. No matter how dense the forest is, it will eventually be cut down, and the resources inside are even more limited. It is precisely because he knows this that Viscount Mattearus, like every respectable nobleman, will not allow those ambitious and unruly people to enter his forest to cut wood and hunt. In order to make an example of others, he also hung several audacious people on beech trees that led into the forest, letting them rot into white bones, becoming a bright sign to warn anyone who dares to disobey his orders.

Of course, even so, it was impossible to completely stop these lowly creatures... This annoyed him quite a bit, but there was nothing more he could do, since such a large forest would always give them a chance to sneak in.

As a minor nobleman in the southeast, Mattearus lived a comfortable and easy life—relying on the vast forests in his territory, he could earn a considerable income every year, enough for him to live a comfortable life.

Moreover, because his location was indeed too remote, he was often spared from misfortune—for example, he was not involved in the last war that caused considerable losses to many nobles, which made him secretly rejoice for a long time.

His territory had no minerals, not much suitable farmland, and not even a river with abundant water. The most valuable thing was the forest, which not only produced valuable furs, but also brought in a lot of income from timber and charcoal.

That's why, even though he wasn't exactly a diligent person by nature, he would take his soldiers to patrol the forest and surrounding areas every day. If they encountered any audacious and unruly people, they would hang them on the spot. This was to protect his timber and furs and ensure that no money he could get his hands on would be stolen.