Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

The workers here are all strong and robust, or rather, they wouldn't have been sent here if they weren't strong enough—in order to get the canal completed as soon as possible, almost all the human resources in the south were poured into this area, and countless supplies were transported here by horse-drawn carts like a flowing river every day.

Two scholars, each holding a parchment scroll, stood on a high place, pointing and directing the work below. They were the commanders who controlled the plan, as different from the workers as the brain and the palm. How to repair, where to dig, and how to arrange the plan were all their jobs. The foreman, who was in charge of leading the workers, would at most consult with them and offer his own opinions.

Fortunately, both scholars are easy to talk to and willing to listen to advice, so so far there are no problems.

Wheelbarrows pushed excess soil and rocks from the riverbed onto the banks, erecting high embankments on both sides. Everywhere, there were shouts of people and neighing of horses, and dust filled the air. But unless they encountered obstacles that were difficult to overcome by human power, they mostly relied on people to solve the problems, and they would not easily use the precious animal power to prevent the cattle and horses from being directly exhausted to death under this high-intensity labor.

Of course, this is because there is plenty of time and the task can definitely be completed. In a really urgent situation, we can't care about this kind of loss. At that time, the livestock used for transport and labor will die one after another, and new ones will be constantly replenished. People will also have to work overtime.

Saffodo was just an ordinary worker who was responsible for driving hard steel chisels into the rock, breaking up solid stones, and clearing a road.

This is an extremely strenuous job that demands a great deal of physical strength. After all, one has to swing that heavy hammer all day long, enduring the recoil force from hammering steel and rocks. Without arms as strong as iron and skillful technique, even a strong young man would feel soreness in his waist and knees and be unable to move.

Saffodo's technique can be summed up in one word—jump. Not only must the body be as flexible and agile as if jumping, but the hammer in the hand must also be used to strike as if jumping. Never accept any extra force, and dissipate all the counter-force. Just like dancing, it is flexible and rhythmic like rain. After a whole day, apart from being a little tired, the shoulders are still relaxed.

But the rock in front of him was far too big for him—it was a boulder as big as an elephant. He and several others worked together for a long time, but they still couldn't budge it.

If it cannot be broken down directly, some time-consuming and laborious methods must be used—such as burning a large fire to heat the stone until it is red-hot, and then pouring cold water on it, which can directly cause the hard rock to break into pieces, making it very easy to clean up.

Although the trees they cut down hadn't dried yet, they had collected a lot of dry branches, more than they could use for cooking these days. All they needed was a cow, and they could use a wooden shovel to haul a huge pile of them.

Their foreman quickly agreed to the idea, gave Saffo two helpers, and told them to hurry up and choose the strongest ox to haul all the firewood back at once, so they could also get the firewood for dinner that night.

The men worked quickly and soon piled up a small mountain of firewood on the wooden shovel. Safudo took the initiative to go to the place where the cows were tied up in the depths and picked out a cow... He moved aside two speeding carriages and plunged into the place that smelled of livestock. He looked up and spotted a white bull with large yellow spots on its body.

The cow's limbs and back were full of firm, full muscles, and the skin below its neck and on its abdomen was loose with a strip of skin hanging down. At this moment, it was snorting and shaking its head, and the horn on its forehead was black and shiny, making it look very healthy.

He reached out and untied the rope around the cow's nose ring. The cows here were generally docile, so there was no need to worry about provoking it. He simply pulled on it and dragged it outside, ready to finish the task quickly.

The first pull did indeed feel heavy and slow, but as he took his second step, he suddenly felt a terrifying force in his hand, as if he were dragging a mountain of flesh, almost injuring his arm.

Safdo thought the bull was being stubborn, so he frowned and prepared to kick it a few times... But just a few breaths after he turned around, the strong man's face turned to surprise, and he dropped the reins.

The bull that had just been healthy and strong, seemingly capable of dragging a tree down, was now slumped forward on the ground. Its hooves, as thick as a small tree, were trembling violently, and large amounts of white foam were oozing from its nose. Heavy breathing was exhaled violently from its massive chest, and its tail lay lifelessly on the ground like a dead snake.

The man stood there stunned for a moment, then rushed forward without hesitation, stroking the bull's thick chest, even prying open its eyelids to examine its eyeballs... After a while, he turned and ran away in a panic, standing amidst the bustling construction site, and grabbed his foreman:

"There seems to be a sick cow in the livestock pen! And it's very sick. In the blink of an eye, it's already foaming at the mouth on the ground. Come with me to take a look!"

"Wait, wait! Explain yourself! How did you get sick? This morning those cows were throwing a tantrum and almost butted me. How did you become so sick and dying in such a short time?!"

“Why would I lie to you? It’s true, boss! I looked after the livestock in the village when I was there… To be honest, this situation is actually quite similar…”

"It's a bit like what? Don't drag your feet now!"

“Because I’m a little hesitant to say it…” Safdo gritted his teeth:

"That condition was very similar to rinderpest! And a particularly severe one. That's how all the cattle in our village died back then!"

The foreman's eyes widened, but after only a moment's hesitation, he turned and ran uphill without a second thought, roaring at the two scholars who were still pointing and gesturing.

282 The Possibility of Plague (1)

The two scholars were comparing the newly excavated site with the drawings and recording some data. They thought it would be another ordinary day, and they could go back to camp to drink soup and sleep after finishing their work. But unexpected disaster struck, leaving them completely stunned.

But being scholars from the Imperial Library, they could distinguish what was important. They quickly stopped all the workers, gathered them together, and forbade anyone to wander off. They also completely sealed off the livestock pens, summoned soldiers to guard them closely, and then hurriedly reported the matter to their superiors.

The news was thus spread by fast horse and reached Tersolius's central army that very afternoon.

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

"What? There is a suspected outbreak of plague at construction site No. 27."

Upon hearing the news, Thesolius even broke his pen in two without realizing it, frowned deeply, and turned to look at Arka, who had brought the message:

Is it definitely true?

"It's confirmed. All the livestock at construction site number 27 have shown the same symptoms. So far, there have been no cases of it affecting people. Dr. Tarina has already set off to inspect the site, and we should have results soon."

"plague……"

Tersolius scratched his temple, feeling a headache coming on—the appearance of plagues was not uncommon in this era, but it was relatively rare within the Empire due to good public order and sanitation, but each occurrence still represented bloody decay.

No one wants to face this, these insidious and deadly diseases... but generally, plagues occur in densely populated areas or places where large-scale wars have taken place. In a sparse forest with dozens or hundreds of workers, this situation should theoretically be rare.

After thinking for a moment, he decided to go and take a look, but before that—

"Arka, are there any other documents delivered today?"

"No more, my lord."

"That's good. You wait here. If there's anything else, just send it to construction site number 27. I need to go check on things too."

"My lord, please forgive my overstepping my bounds! You should not risk your life going to a place where there may be a plague. If anything were to happen to you, it would be a disgrace I could never wash away for the rest of my life... At least, please let me go first!"

"Don't worry, don't forget that Dr. Talina is there too. At this point, don't you trust her medical skills? The risks can be controlled, and if there really is a problem, I can only deal with it properly after seeing it with my own eyes... Besides, if there really is a plague, the more people there are, the more trouble it will be. Just obey orders."

"...as you command."

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

"This is where the problem occurred, Lady Talina. This morning, one of our workers found a cow that should have been healthy and strong had suddenly fallen ill. It was foaming at the mouth, convulsing, had bloodshot eyes, and was oozing yellow pus from its nose. It hasn't improved at all."

"By the afternoon, other livestock also showed the same symptoms, including cattle, horses, mules, and donkeys. We were worried that the disease would continue to spread, so we completely sealed off the area."

"The only saving grace is that the workers here show no signs of infection; it appears to be spreading only among livestock."

Tarina wore a white mask with a solemn expression, and her body was covered in a white protective suit soaked in medicine and special oils. The other scholars around her were dressed the same, and even their hair was carefully wrapped in headscarves.

“I brought some preventative medicine. All the workers will drink it later, including you, and the soldiers guarding the perimeter. We need to be careful of everything… Now, let’s go check out the livestock pens.”

The scholars nodded in agreement, and the distribution of the potion began immediately and systematically, overseen by Talina's deputy, Yelia. She watched as the workers, soldiers, and scholars drank the bitter green potion and then sprayed themselves with diluted water to wash their clothes.

The simple wooden fence of the livestock pen had long been reinforced, with deep wooden stakes driven in and tall wooden planks nailed around it, sealing the place off like a box. As the wooden door was opened, a stench mixed with a sour, rotten smell rushed out. Even with masks on, many scholars stumbled and hurriedly moved away from the front.

Tarina was also brought to tears by the smell and lowered her head, but she quickly got used to it and led the others in.

This time, in addition to her ever-present white lion-skin bag, she also brought the box her teacher had left her, clearly having made ample preparations. She even carried a silver cane in her right hand.

This short staff was something even Thesolius had never seen before. It was exquisitely and meticulously carved, covered with fine lines as thin as hair. The overall shape was that of a grapevine, and at the end of the handle was a lifelike leaf. It looked so fragile that one worried it would fall off at the slightest touch.

This was actually the staff her teacher taught her to use for proper spellcasting. The reason she hadn't used it before was simple—she didn't have the money or the time.

Back when she was still a traveling healer, Talina could hardly save up enough money to make such a staff. After all, it would cost an unknown amount of silver to make, not to mention hiring a skilled craftsman to shape and carve it. At that time, she even thought that she would be using the knife in her hand to cast spells for the rest of her life.

Although he became wealthy afterward, he continued to fight alongside the army in various places, and it was still difficult to find skilled craftsmen... It wasn't until now that he finally managed to make his own staff.

Each time someone walked in, Tarina would gently tap them with her staff, accompanied by a flash of green light, giving each person an extra layer of protection.

The first cow to be infected was placed in the very center. Notably, its belly was visibly swollen, like a bulging water bag strapped to a frog's stomach, completely disproportionate to the rest of its body. The cowhide was stretched so thin that the shape of the blood vessels underneath was visible.

Even in such a miserable state, the strong creature was still alive, and one could clearly see the bubbles in its nostrils being blown around with each breath.

Tarina, her face grave, reached out to touch the bulging belly, surprised by the unusual elasticity she felt. She then tentatively pressed her staff against the bull's belly, silently reciting three obscure syllables:

“ki,tne,tuk.”

The tip of the staff trembled visibly, a tiny flash of blue lightning streaked through the air, followed by an extremely loud and ear-piercing writhing sound. The cow, which had been on the verge of death, suddenly opened its eyes wide and then opened its mouth to its maximum.

With a whoosh, a large amount of yellow pus gushed out, mixed with blood-red gel-like clumps, while the massive abdomen began to shrink at a visible speed, the skin stretched to its limit and looking like it was about to explode slowly rebounding.

The surrounding scholars immediately stepped back to avoid getting themselves contaminated by the filth. Only after watching the large amount of filth stain the ground and the cow's belly return to its normal size did they approach to observe the shape and state of the vomit.

"The vomit contained red, gelatinous material... Based on this, I think it could be septicemia."

"But septicemia does not cause abdominal distension, the rate of deterioration is definitely not that fast, and its infectivity can only be described as low."

"Perhaps some special mutations have occurred, and we cannot ignore the occurrence of this situation. Moreover, saprolegniasis happens to be non-infectious to humans, which is somewhat consistent with our current situation."

The scholars had already begun exchanging ideas, while Tarina, still looking grave, pried open the cow's nose, used a tool to collect the yellowish mucus inside, and then put it into a glass bottle.

Other scholars also immediately took action, collecting the same samples from other livestock and gathering them all together for future experiments.

Seeing the cow's belly slowly swell up again, Talina sighed, but still told everyone to step back first.

"I should have brought the other lab equipment too. I shouldn't have cut corners just to save time..."

"Isn't it a coincidence that I brought them all with me?"

A familiar voice came from the side, and the scholars immediately bowed. Talina also looked to the side in surprise:

"My lord, why have you come in person?"

"I was a little worried, so I rushed over. I even packed everything you might need from your room. I guess my timing is just right?"

"That medicine..."

"It has already been drunk, and it has also been sprayed and wiped clean, so there is no need to worry."

"And to prevent the plague from infecting our warhorses, we left them in a nearby town and walked here on foot—how is the situation now?"

Tresolius, supporting his waist, looked around. He wasn't wearing his usual full-body heavy armor, but only light chainmail with a sword hanging at his waist. Construction site number 27 was now tightly sealed off, and everyone was confined to this place. Soldiers guarded the perimeter to ensure that no one could leave without Talina's permission.

"It is not yet certain, sir, but it is basically certain that this sudden plague is extremely harmful to livestock, and it is highly contagious and deteriorates at an alarming rate. Our primary concern should be the warhorses in the army that develop the same condition, which would be a catastrophic consequence for us."

“You’re right, Doctor… An army can’t conquer a city without warhorses. We need to start taking precautions now.”

"I've already made arrangements for that. Precautionary measures should have begun gradually in the stables throughout the army. We can now focus our efforts on dealing with this matter, though it will take some time..."

Tersolius smiled and nodded, waving his hand. His servants immediately brought over large and small bags, which, under the direction of his assistant Talina, were quickly placed in a nearby hut.

"Then go ahead and do it, Doctor. As always, I will give you my absolute trust, and nothing will disturb you during this time."

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

In the pitch-black night, the bright torches stood out starkly. A troop of soldiers, fully armored and armed, marched along the road with serious expressions, leaning on their gleaming swords and spears. During their march, they would actively probe for any disturbance, even the slightest rustling of a rabbit would arouse their suspicion.

The dense antlers have blocked off the surrounding roads, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving at will. Horses are extremely rare here; only messengers who need speed have to ride them, but they will tie their horses far away early and walk over to deliver letters and reports.

In the deep darkness, the chill of the night seeped in through the cracks in the door, but it did not sway Talina's resolve in the slightest—this was partly due to the blazing fireplace providing ample warmth, but also because her current actions were of paramount importance and allowed no room for error.

There was a drop of viscous red liquid in a clean ceramic dish, and another drop of clear, blue liquid was teetering in a glass tube, about to drip in.

She practically stared at her own breath until the drop of liquid fell from above and gently dissolved into the red slime, only then did Talina breathe a sigh of relief. She hurriedly picked up her staff from the side.

“ds,pae,yt.”

A blue ripple rolled across the surface, and the drop of liquid in the plate began to tremble rapidly before returning to its original state within a few breaths, bringing a hint of joy to Tarina's face.

Without even looking, he accurately picked out a bottle from the side by touch and pulled out the stopper. The light black powder inside looked like coal ash scraped from the bottom of a pot, and also had a unique coke smell.

“ku,saw,ty,io.”

The powder and ink were sprinkled evenly and neatly across the entire plate, and then the side was gently tapped with a staff.

"Ding!"

Accompanied by a crisp and melodious trembling sound, the coal ash began to fluctuate, constantly changing its shape along the liquid in the center, until the trembling stopped. In many places, the white porcelain plate was revealed under the black, and the black and white formed strange patterns, sharp and angular, with sharp turns, which spread all the way to the edge of the plate.

rest for a day

As usual, I'll take a day off to let my thoughts catch up. I'll continue updating tomorrow.

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283 The Possibility of Plague (2)

"Damn it, how did that thing become so smelly?! Ugh! I can't take it anymore. Wait here for me for a bit, I need to catch my breath, or I'll suffocate here."

"Wait, I'm here..."

The strong man's face was ashen, every hair on his beard trembled, and his eyes narrowed to the extreme with utter disgust. He turned and fled as if a tiger were biting his rear, disappearing into the woods before his companion could even utter a complete question.

The young man who was left behind had a sparse, soft mustache and looked like he had just come of age. He still had a youthful and flustered expression on his face. When he saw that his companion had already left, he turned around and looked at him with even more worry.

About 50 meters to his right rear, a livestock pen surrounded by deer antlers and enclosed by thick wooden planks exuded an ominous aura in the darkness. Armored soldiers stood guard around the area. Despite the cold weather, they had long since donned warm, thick cotton-padded coats under their armor and wore fur-lined boots with multiple layers of leather soles. The cold night wind blew in gusts, but they remained unmoved, observing everything around them with vigilant eyes. Even a fox that suddenly appeared would be driven away and shot down by them.

To be honest, he really didn't think there was any need for the two of them to be standing there—after all, with these elite soldiers guarding it, he couldn't imagine anyone other than an army getting close to that heavily guarded livestock pen. Their foreman, for some reason, still sent the two of them out to stand guard with spears at a road intersection outside the soldiers' defensive perimeter, on the way to their sleeping shed.

Aside from each person carrying a long spear, along with a matching short sword and shield, they had no other armor. They wore cotton-padded clothes, which weren't too uncomfortable in the cold night wind, but what was truly deadly was the constant stench coming from behind. Every moment, it felt like a slimy slug, burrowing into their noses and brains, and into their stomachs, trying to scoop out everything they had eaten that night.

After his companion left, he felt the stench seemed even more intense. In the past, he thought the smell was the worst thing that could stand up on the ground, thanks to the unhygienic, slovenly boy next door. That guy only had one pair of socks, and to avoid having to wear shoes barefoot the next day, he often didn't change them for months at a time. Wherever he went, everyone avoided him, and no one wanted to associate with him unless absolutely necessary.

Now he was witnessing what it meant to be outmatched by others and to be exposed to all sorts of dangers—the stench emanating from behind him was like someone's stinky feet had been stuck in the rotting entrails of a fish, fermenting for many days before being covered by rotten mushroom stumps, eventually accumulating into a rich and pungent stench.

"Ah! What the hell is that?!"

Just as he was feeling dizzy from the fumes, a panicked shout suddenly came from the nearby forest, which jolted him awake. He straightened his back immediately and realized in the next instant that it was his companion who was shouting.

In the utter silence, this sudden shout was remarkably loud. Not only the soldiers guarding the area nearby, but also the workers' resting quarters below lit up with fires. Of course, he and the soldiers beside him arrived even faster. In the blink of an eye, a squad of guards gathered here, spears in hand, swords at their sides, bows drawn and arrows nocked.

"What's wrong? Who's screaming in the night?"