Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

After leaving enough soldiers to guard the castle, the army that had captured it began to return to the main force, and the fall of the castle definitively declared that the land had come under the control of the empire.

One castle after another near the north fell easily, and the imperial army proved just how vulnerable these scattered castles were before their might...

242 Coming on strong (2)

Years later, as Baliado lay dying, he would always tell his children about what he had seen that day, about the general he had met, about the armor plates that gleamed in the sunlight, about the banners that stretched like clouds, about the scene that made his blood boil and his army move in unison…

The late autumn sun is no longer scorching; instead, it brings a sense of warmth. It had just rained yesterday, and the ground was still damp and cold. Walking on the ground, you could feel a chill that ran from your heels straight to your lungs, making you instinctively wrap your fur tighter around yourself.

After securing the straps of his iron boots tightly at the back of his calves to ensure they wouldn't come loose, Bariah exhaled a breath of warm air into the morning sunlight. A thin wisp of white mist appeared before him, only to vanish in an instant. A chill ran down his spine, causing him to pull his clothes tighter around himself.

The camp gates slowly opened, and soldiers, their armor still stained with blood, filed in in neat rows, their footsteps kicking up dust. Cheerful laughter echoed among them, and smiles graced every face – this was a victorious army returning home. The soldiers who remained in the camp watched them with envy, occasionally turning to their comrades to grumble about their own lack of luck or complaining that their officers lacked the courage to take the missions away from them.

Watching his brothers' troops return laden with glory, Baria couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. But he wasn't impatient, because this honest and resilient young man knew very well that their goal this time wasn't just those few small castles, but to conquer the entire Kingdom of Hols and plant the imperial flag in every corner of this land.

Therefore, he has countless opportunities to make achievements in the future, so there is really no need to feel jealous.

The food was ready at the mess camp, and he took out a bowl and spoon from his bag to get some. The steaming porridge warmed his numb limbs on this cold morning, and the group ate it all in one go without even realizing it. Then they went back to packing their things. Everyone knew they had to set off again today, and after thoroughly clearing the area around Alpert, they had no reason to stay any longer.

Having shamelessly gone to the mess hall to use the hot water they had prepared, he washed his face and cleaned up the bowls and spoons. Then, Baria and Kalido began packing their belongings, arranging them according to military regulations. They bundled their bedding and other miscellaneous items into sturdy bundles, which they carried in large leather backpacks, making walking safe and effortless.

Just as the two of them were helping each other put on their armor, their squad leader suddenly rushed in, his face beaming with joy, and said hurriedly:

"Hurry up, everyone! We have a new mission. Remember to put on all your armor, don't forget a single piece!"

The two immediately quickened their pace, and no one asked any questions. The barracks were filled with the clanging and clattering of armor plates. The soldiers helped each other adjust the position of their armor plates and the tightness of their straps until they were sure there were no problems. Then they immediately went out to assemble and formed a neat array in a very short time, armed to the teeth.

Their captain hurried over, glanced at the ranks, and showed a satisfied expression, but suddenly his face stiffened, and he reached out and grabbed one of them:

"What happened?! Why is the armor skirt rusty?!"

Under the captain's stern questioning, the soldier, slightly flustered, offered his explanation:

"The weather here is so humid, Captain... It wasn't rusty at all yesterday."

"That's utter bullshit! Everyone else is fine. It's clearly because you've been lazy and haven't used the oil! Why didn't you use it when I gave it to you? Do you know you're going to mess things up today?!"

The soldier was verbally abused, but after the captain finished, he gritted his teeth and still kicked him.

"Get back there and wipe it again! Two people come help him, and hurry up while there's still time... You should have received ten lashes, but I'll remember that and deal with you when we get back!"

Seeing that it was his fellow countryman who had made a mistake, Baria stepped out of the ranks without thinking. Calido looked left and right, gritted his teeth and followed. The two of them practically dragged their fellow countryman back to the barracks, found a clean rag and began to vigorously rub the rust on his skirt armor, speeding up their work as much as possible. Seeing the brownish-yellow rust on the shiny armor plates disappear at a visible speed, they rubbed even more vigorously.

The soldier who had made the mistake stood firm, refusing to budge an inch no matter how hard the other party tried to wipe it, only wanting to clean it up as quickly as possible.

After rubbing until my arms ached, I finally couldn't find a single trace of rust, and the entire skirt armor regained its shine. I immediately applied some grease to a cotton cloth and carefully polished it before I was done.

The three rushed out of the tent and joined the ranks. The captain immediately led them to set off and joined their centurion squad. The centurion of the centurion squad then led them to join the thousand-man squad. The entire thousand-man squad, consisting of thousands of armored soldiers, quickly assembled and moved around the camp, drawing a chorus of surprised and doubtful discussions.

The military camp, stretching for dozens of miles like a huge city, was located on a manor outside Alpert. The original owner of the manor had voluntarily offered this prosperous estate to the governor of Tersolius after the army arrived, and the army then stationed itself there.

The entire thousand-man squad thus passed through the military camp and arrived at the most central building of the manor, an exquisite building constructed of white marble, which was the residence of the legion's lord, Archon Tersolius.

Only then, just before they approached their destination, did the officers explain the mission to them by word of mouth—the Hols had sent a peace delegation, and they were to serve as the ceremonial guard during the meeting, hence the high requirements for their appearance.

The news caused a slight stir among the ranks. Under the officers' reprimands, the astonished soldiers quickly composed themselves, straightening their backs even more. Like a river of steel flowing into the manor, they then, under the direction of their officers, slowly spread out on both sides, completely surrounding the spacious courtyard. It became a chilling, gleaming wall of steel, adorned with armor, axes, hammers, iron staffs, and swords.

After they had all quieted down and regrouped, a bugle sounded, followed by another dense clatter of armor scraping against armor, which came from the backyard. Surrounded by hundreds of guards, Thesolius strode in, his head held high. The armored soldiers, led by their officers, saluted in unison as they rolled past with the clanging of their armor. Thesolius glanced at them with a smile, nodded slightly, turned, and stepped onto the raised platform in the center, where he sat down on a chair.

The morning sun bathed the entire courtyard in a chilling light. Anyone with a slightly weaker constitution would flee in terror at the mere sight of it. Especially now, with the courtyard utterly silent, where even a mosquito flying in would be noticed by everyone, it was all the more terrifying.

A few moments later, the sound of horse wheels rolling over the ground came from outside, and a cloud of dust rose up, signaling to the soldiers that someone had arrived.

Such a menacing and imposing scene startled the group of Hols who entered the courtyard. After all, they hadn't heard anything outside, but the moment they stepped inside, they were met with armored soldiers filling their entire field of vision. Anyone would be suspicious and afraid, and those with a weaker constitution might even collapse to the ground.

After all, in this situation, if the person sitting on the high platform were to point a finger, these elite soldiers would swarm forward in the blink of an eye and chop them into pieces.

The leader of the Holstein delegation remained unmoved. He walked steadily to Tersolius and bowed respectfully.

"It's been a long time, Your Excellency, Consul of Tersolius."

Tesorius smiled slightly:

"I think I haven't seen you yet, so why do you say it's been a long time?"

The somewhat weathered old man, Hols, raised his head:

"You have never seen me, but I have seen you."

"Oh, I'd love to hear the details."

"Just when you, my lord, launched your earth-shattering attack with your cavalry in Alpert, you charged all the way to a place very close to our Yingzhai. I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of you from afar at that time, so I can say that I have seen you... I am the chief steward of His Majesty the King, Taloris."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Taloris. Please have a seat. Even though we are at war, we should still treat envoys with the proper courtesy."

Although that's what they said, because he was sitting on a high platform, no matter how things were arranged, the other party could only be looked down upon by him... Fortunately, no one cared about this, and after everyone sat down, they were about to begin their formal conversation.

"I won't say anything useless, Lord Tersolius. We don't want to start a war. If you can take back your wolf pack, our entire Kingdom of Hols is willing to submit to the Empire. His Majesty is also willing to send his eldest son to the Empire as a hostage. The previous promises to cede land and cities are still valid, and we are also willing to pay more gold and silver in compensation."

"How about this...?"

Thesolius spoke with a sincere expression:

"Please invite Your Majesty the King and all the nobles of your country to reside in the capital of the Empire. We will absolutely not mistreat them, and they will certainly enjoy wealth and honor for the rest of their lives. As for the land here, the Empire will send officials to take over it, and it will certainly be more prosperous and flourishing than before. In this way, the dilemma is resolved and both sides are satisfied. Isn't that wonderful?"

"...Are you joking, sir? What difference would that make from the destruction of our country?"

Taro Lis remained unfazed, as if the words had not come from his own mouth.

"It's because you haven't recognized reality... Let me tell you the difference: the difference is that the nobles of your country can all survive..."

Thesolius's eyes sharpened like swords, and his brows exuded undisguised authority, as if his words were unquestionable truth and fact:

"From now on, if I encounter any of you noblemen on the battlefield again, I will not be as easy to talk to as I am today. Not to mention wealth and honor, I will hardly be able to keep my life. Their heads will become the merits and glory of our imperial soldiers."

"This war was not driven by a few individuals; it is the wish and pursuit of our imperial soldiers, our imperial people, and our entire nation. This is our will."

"In other words, the people and everything on this land are already ours. The people here are destined to become subjects of the empire, and the land here is destined to be taken from your hands... So you don't need to worry about it. We will do all of this, and we will not tolerate anyone going against our will."

"So you should understand now."

Thesolius smiled slightly, surveying the surroundings with disdain. None of the Holstein delegation dared to meet his gaze, like sheep being watched by a tiger.

“I wasn’t joking just now. That was the most generous offer we could make. There was no other way… No matter who tries to stop us, our only answer will be the sword in our hands, and their blood and sweat will be used to fertilize the land.”

"If your country can agree to what I just said, then we can also guarantee your future peace and prosperity... After all, this kind of thing will happen frequently in the future, and as a 'role model,' you will certainly be treated well. Do you understand?"

The entire courtyard fell silent. More than 1000 armored soldiers remained silent, not even the rustling of their armor plates could be heard… Being locked onto by their gaze was a terrible torture, like sitting among a pride of lions, feeling utterly unsafe. One could even faintly smell a bloody stench emanating from these elite soldiers—the stench of blood that churned up as one walked through the piles of corpses, the blood dripping from the steel tips of swords, axes, and spears—the bloody scent of slaughter.

The silence lasted for quite some time before Taloris finally spoke with difficulty:

"Could you please answer a question for me, sir?"

"Please say."

"Why must we be wiped out completely?"

"Perhaps you should ask why I let you go? ... Besides, you've done a poor job in this position—to be precise, you've done a terrible job, so bad that I can't stand it anymore. So I have to come and change things, which is also His Majesty's intention."

A distant horn call suddenly rang out from outside the courtyard, and the heavy war drums brought a terrifying sense of oppression, like a heartbeat. Tersolius rose from his chair and dusted off his armor skirt.

"Now, please return. Perhaps you can reconsider my proposal before my army arrives; it would be in your best interest."

243 Planning (1)

This was an extremely sturdy building, requiring at least 200 steps to walk around. It was constructed overnight by artisans from the army, who felled solid timber from the mountains and built it as a command center for the imperial army.

The fresh wood has not yet lost most of its moisture, so it is destined to crack and warp in the future. This building is also destined to be temporary, and it will lose its usability in just a few months due to the shrinkage and cracking of the wood.

But neither the craftsmen nor the officers cared about this, nor even the ordinary soldiers, the auxiliary soldiers who fed the horses, or the people who did odd jobs—no one thought that the imperial army would stop here. In fact, the original plan was that this place would be considered acceptable if people could stay for more than ten days.

Once the battle lines have advanced once more, this massive wooden barracks will naturally be dismantled, and the timber will be put to use, either as barricades for building fortifications or as building new barracks.

As the battle lines advanced, the empire's roads would quickly follow suit. The muddy and difficult dirt roads would be repaired to ensure that wagons could pass without hindrance. Subsequently, large quantities of supplies would be delivered and stored in cities and warehouses according to a meticulously planned schedule, ensuring that the army would have no worries about supplies for at least the next year.

Countless clerks and officials were busy, their work almost never-ending. New supplies arrived every day, and new troops were mobilized, all of which needed to be recorded and documents issued according to orders.

Before a sturdy mahogany table, Tersolius was working with his generals and advisors to devise the next battle plan.

"Sir, if we want to continue south, we can't avoid these three cities..."

Marcus stroked his beard and pointed to three points on the parchment map:

"First is Doliaro, located in the southeast. This city is situated at the angle between two mountain peaks, and a river runs through it, blocking a vital passage to the southeast. It is also very easy to defend and difficult to attack, so we must be prepared."

His finger moved towards the middle:

"Then there is Torakasi, located in the central part of the country. This city is the second most prosperous city in the entire Kingdom of Hols. It is quite large, and more importantly, it is the transportation hub of the country, where the largest military force is concentrated. For the nobles of the Kingdom of Hols, blocking us here is the best outcome, so that their rich southern plains will not be affected."

"Finally, there's To. Caper Pass, located along the Satak River. This is the most important river in the entire Kingdom of Hels. To ensure the smooth supply lines for our troops, we must control this river. It will definitely be heavily guarded, and we will certainly be adding more and more troops in the future."

"Moreover, the city is very well constructed, with a great river flowing through the entire city and relying on the surrounding mountains and hills as its defenses, which minimizes the attack points available to attackers. If a direct assault is to be launched, a considerable price will inevitably be paid."

Everyone focused their attention on the three points on the map, their expressions serious.

"In short, we can't avoid this place. These three cities must be destroyed or conquered, especially considering the actions of the Assele..."

The parchment map on the table was extremely vast, encompassing almost the entire south—it was the most detailed and accurate map in the entire empire, brought to him only after dozens or even hundreds of scholars had repeatedly examined, surveyed, corrected, and proofread it.

To complete this map, countless scholars began exploring the south long ago, traveling with caravans and travelers to various regions, recording their geography, customs, and culture. They then returned to the empire to document this knowledge and store it in the Great Library.

"Let's all share our thoughts, what do you all think?"

Tesorus scanned the map before him expressionlessly, then looked up to signal his generals and advisors to offer their opinions.

Tarina carefully observed the geography surrounding the three cities. The quick-witted girl soon grasped a vague idea, and after composing herself slightly, she spoke:

"My lord, I believe the truly important target is not Doliello..."

"Give your opinion."

Tersolius nodded slightly, encouraging her to continue.

Talina said while thinking:

"Although it seems that the strategically located city of Dolialro controls the main road to the southeast, we cannot ignore it if we want to control the southeastern region of the Kingdom of Hols."

"But if we look at the overall situation in the south, we can see that although this place is easy to defend and difficult to attack, even if we concentrate our forces here and eventually break through the city, it will not make a significant breakthrough in the overall situation. The main transportation routes will still be controlled by the enemy, so their defenses will not collapse. In the end, the benefits we can gain will be pitiful, and there will be no progress. On the contrary, there will be losses beyond our plans."

"So, in my opinion, the truly important one is Tolacasi! Besides that, there's Tocapaya. We should deploy our main forces here first, especially Tolacasi—the city is surrounded by wide plains with convenient transportation, which is conducive to our deployment of troops without too many limitations... This place isn't like the natural fortresses of the north. Although the city is sturdy and tall, we can rely on the siege equipment carried by our army..."

Tersolius nodded slowly, and the others began to express their opinions. In the clash of words and thoughts, one flaw after another was eliminated, and one weakness after another was discovered. Experience and knowledge collided and merged, producing wonderful sparks. Their plan became more and more perfect and clearer.

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

Toracasi is a very strong and tall city. Although it cannot compare with the northern stronghold of Alpert, it still has towering walls, numerous towers, and dense siege equipment, enough to give any powerful army a hard time.

This fortified city was not originally built to deal with foreign enemies... or rather, not to deal with foreign enemies that were too far away.

The northern empire doesn't need to be worried too much while the natural defenses still exist; it can be held securely with a relatively small force. As for the southern Asel, the existence of the empire also requires a country to act as a buffer and barrier in the middle, so there's no need to be too wary of them. Such a fortified city is mainly guarded against by other Holstein great lords...

Indeed, civil war among the Holsteins was never uncommon, not only among the smaller lords in various regions who frequently clashed and quarreled, but also among the larger lords with vast territories who were always eyeing each other covetously, constantly seeking to gain more benefits from their neighbors.

Sometimes, when the king's authority is sufficient, he can mediate disputes between the two sides and nip war in the bud. However, in other times, when the king's authority is weak and friction between nobles becomes irreconcilable, war will break out on this land.

No one would refuse to have more land and wealth, nor would they refuse more power and status. So, once the oppressive power weakens even slightly, this kind of thing is very easy to happen. The lords in the Holstein interior are far more wary of their own colleagues than of external enemies.

At least when dealing with the Empire's attacks, they only need to send soldiers to the north to provide support according to the ancient treaty. However, in the indefensible plains, the other lords who are eyeing them with predatory intent are clearly the greater threat.

The city is ruled by the Torayaro family, which has a long history and prestigious status throughout the kingdom. The current Count Torayaro is at odds with his neighbor. A small war broke out two years ago, with both sides suffering losses. The war was finally brought to an end with the mediation of King Julius.

It was precisely because he was well aware of his neighbor's wolfish ambitions that the Earl never skimped on his city. He would always hire excellent engineers at great expense to reinforce and renovate his city, adding more towers, catapults, crossbows, or oil tanks, making it as impregnable as a fortress.

But now, the Earl is experiencing the same anxiety as his lord—everyone can see the perilous nature of his current location. In the past, thanks to its strategic position as a transportation hub, he could amass a fortune simply by collecting tolls from caravans and travelers, not to mention the taxes generated by the city's thriving commerce. But now, precisely because of its importance, the Imperial army will certainly not let it pass. He is destined to face that terrifying army…

His lord, Duke Fosalis, also understood the importance of this place, so he spared no effort in providing support, sending most of his army to the city. He also said that His Majesty the King would come with reinforcements later, and that he should be careful.

Prior to this, His Excellency the Earl had always been proud of his fortified city, which had repeatedly thwarted the attacks of his old rival, leaving the latter helplessly enraged beneath the city walls, suffering heavy losses but unable to retaliate, and enduring his mockery.

But now, his confidence doesn't seem so strong anymore...

The scattered castles in the north, which served as outposts, were destroyed faster than he had imagined... It was as if the imperial army hadn't paid any attention to those castles at all, simply passing by and crushing them to dust, just as a person walking in the forest wouldn't care about the fallen leaves under their feet.

This unintentional display of power had already filled him with unease. The city that had initially seemed safe now appeared riddled with vulnerabilities and weak points upon closer inspection... It seemed that every corner needed more stone, more defensive equipment, and more soldiers...

If he had a choice, he certainly wouldn't want the war to break out in his city, because whether he won or lost, it would be a huge loss for him, meaning his wealth and his land would be ravaged.

But now he had no choice. All he could do was struggle to make his city more fortified, hoping to deter the Imperial army.

This kept him extremely busy. Although he received a lot of resources and didn't even have to pay for the construction and reinforcement of the city, he still couldn't feel at ease unless he personally oversaw many things.

It wasn't until a trusted subordinate suddenly came to inform him that His Majesty the King had sent someone that the count snapped out of his busy state. Under the current circumstances, he dared not be negligent in the slightest and went to greet him personally.

His mansion in the city was equally grand and magnificent, with warm and sturdy oak floors and a constantly burning fireplace, making it extremely comfortable. On ordinary days, he could simply lie in a soft chair and watch gold coins jump into his pockets one after another.