Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

Those things stained with the blood of innocent people were laid bare before everyone's eyes, yet no one felt that they shouldn't exist...

In the eyes of the Alpers, a slave was not a living being, but something distinct from humans and livestock, existing somewhere in between...

Therefore, whether someone is beaten bloody or sold at will, it is an acceptable and legitimate behavior, and only respectable citizens can engage in such business.

Thesolius knew exactly what these slaves wanted... they just wanted a promise that would put their minds at ease and allow them to continue being slaves...

They had long lost the courage to face change, and only hoped that things would not get worse, asking for nothing more.

………………

He sighed silently to himself, his face still bearing an arrogant expression.

"You must know how kind I am to you as your master... but this kindness is not free. You may cultivate your own land in peacetime, but when I request it, you must come to the city to receive the training I give you, and then step onto the battlefield with us when necessary!"

"If you can contribute to me in the war, my mercy will not stop there. You will gain property, land, and even freedom! I can promise you all of these!"

"But you will have to pay with your blood, even your lives, to get all of this, and I will give you that opportunity, the opportunity to achieve everything!"

The slaves quieted down, watching their masters silently... The numb expressions on their faces disappeared, and some vibrant lives emerged.

They were no longer fearful or confused... They heard everything clearly: they could gain land, property, and even freedom... and the price they could afford was to fight for their master.

………………

"My slaves, do you want your own land?!"

The loud and powerful question from Thesolius reached the ears of every slave, making their hearts clench as if being violently tugged, causing them to tremble in pain.

"We want land, sir..."

A jumble of weak, disordered voices emanated from among the slaves, but were instantly swallowed up by the surging crowd.

…………

"Answer me! Answer me loudly! Do you want your land?!"

The sounds were initially chaotic, but then all the slaves began to shout loudly… from as faint as a mosquito's buzz to as loud as thunder:

"We want our own land, sir!"

"Do you want your own property, you slaves?!"

"We want our property! Sir!!"

The slaves' cheers nearly lifted the surrounding houses off the ground; they squeezed out these sounds from their emaciated chests.

"Do you want freedom?!"

…………

All the slaves were as if they had been choked, unable to speak for a moment. Some inexplicable emotion made them even fall into a dazed state.

"You heard me right! It's freedom! Offer me your loyalty, offer me your blood! ...Then I will grant you freedom, you will receive my protection, you will receive land, you will be able to live freely! From now on, you will become my people, and no one will ever treat you as slaves again!"

Thesolius stood upright on the high platform, the afternoon sun casting his shadow so long it stretched all the way to the houses beside him… His bright eyes seemed to sparkle, containing an unquestionable will.

…………

At that moment, in the eyes of all the slaves, this tall man seemed as majestic as a god...

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

The cloth merchant from the city was summoned, and the seemingly honest and kind Hols man was trembling all over.

"I heard you've been in the business of recycling old clothes from authors, is that right?"

"Yes...yes, sir, I've been doing this business all along. I buy old clothes from other places and then supply them to the nobles here...these are usually for slaves to wear..."

"It sounds like your business is doing quite well here, considering the sheer number of slaves in this city."

"Actually, it's just average... Slaves usually only have one set of clothes, since they don't live that long..."

The man's fingers, which had been tapping on the table, paused for a moment, then continued to tap out a clear rhythm:

"I need you to provide me with 2078 pieces of used clothing. They can't be too worn out, but they must at least be warm enough. How long will it take to prepare them?"

"Soon, sir! Soon! I've just received a batch; they all have fewer than three holes, perfectly meeting the requirements, it's just a matter of the price..."

The Holsteins were no longer as timid as before; they even dared to bargain with him...

“Go talk to my logistics officer. He’ll tell you the details. I need to see those clothes before the sun completely sets tonight…”

"Of course, no problem, Your Excellency."

…………

"So, you mean they want these clothes too?"

Tersolius looked at the short mountain girl in front of him with a strange expression. Colin also looked a little embarrassed, but still came up to her without hesitation.

"The slaves are receiving their clothes, and we see that the quality is quite good, much better than what we usually wear. So, could you give us some...? You could deduct it from our money. Many of us have clothes that are so worn out we can't wear them anymore..."

Thesolius looked on with a sudden realization, then reached into the cupboard, pulled out a bag of gold coins, and tossed it to the other man.

"Go find Marcus and that clothing merchant, and have them make a set of uniforms for each of you according to the standard design of the Imperial Legion. Don't take those tattered clothes. You are my soldiers, and it would be a disgrace to you to wear such ragged clothes."

The girl was momentarily stunned, the clinking gold coin in her hand sending a tactile sensation she only experienced in her dreams.

Do we all have it?

"Of course, make one set for each person, using the best cotton fabric. Otherwise, if the other legions see us, they'll think we can't even afford clothes... No, let's make two sets, and make your winter clothes too, then it won't be so troublesome."

"Also, buy the leggings and shoes, and the headscarf... Don't forget the belt and insoles, just follow the Legion's regulations... You can ask Marcus, he's my logistics officer."

An excited look appeared on the girl's face. Just as she was about to turn and run away, she suddenly stopped and forced herself to turn around with great difficulty.

"But even if we each buy one, it shouldn't cost that much... The rest... how about... you... take... it... back...?"

Colin spoke the last few words with great difficulty, her face contorted in a fierce struggle, indicating that it had taken a tremendous amount of effort for her to utter those words.

Tersorius couldn't help but laugh out loud at Colin's comical appearance...

"Heh! ...Heheha! ...With the remaining money, use it to buy some good stuff like dried meat and grain. Don't forget to give some to the slaves. Buy as much as they can, don't feel bad about it. We may be going to have a tough time from now on."

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

A bizarre and unheard-of event is unfolding in the city's central square... slaves who should be locked up outside the city are here receiving gifts...

Seeing those old clothes with few holes handed to the slaves, each slave was flattered and overwhelmed. Some even prostrated themselves on the ground, weeping uncontrollably, blocking the way for those behind them.

These clothes didn't fit properly, but they were enough to cover the body, which was already a great thing for the slaves.

After receiving their clothes, the cavalrymen drove them into the river, where they meticulously scrubbed off layers of mud from their bodies, turning a large section of the river yellow.

From above, the entire river was crowded with naked slaves. In the afterglow of the setting sun, they finally had the opportunity to clean themselves and their families.

A dark cloud quietly gathered in the sky, summoning its companions to obscure the starlight of the night, and then showered the earth with dense raindrops, soaking the land that had been scorched by the sun...

The slaves chatted merrily amidst the raindrops, opening their mouths to the sky as if trying to catch the falling rain, like a group of free men who had been reborn.

51 Preparation (2)

The precious gems and gold in the underground storage room had all been taken out. The gold was melted down into coins, while the gems were placed inside the safer castle. These glittering little stones were easier to carry and had a value no less than that of gold.

Among the lord's collection, there is another large part consisting of precious furs, armor, and weapons. These exquisite armors, crafted with painstaking effort by skilled artisans, are inlaid with fine gold and silver threads, and the thick leather used for edging is also of the finest quality, smooth and even.

The only concern is that each of these armor plates is carved, which makes one wonder about their durability...

Tersolius pressed a piece of armor with his finger and then applied slight pressure... The quenching technique on this steel armor piece was quite good; he could clearly feel its hardness.

But as he continued to apply force, the hard armor plate visibly deformed... He frowned and pressed down hard, bending the entire armor plate into an arc shape...

When he finally got his hands on the armor plate, he discovered that the inside of the steel plate was intricately carved, which greatly reduced its durability.

With a dark expression, he threw away the armor plates in his hand. These armors were purely decorative items, though valuable, but he would never wear them to the battlefield; that would be playing with his life.

Using the best materials, the most skilled craftsmen, and the finest techniques, they poured their hearts and souls into creating something that could never be used on the battlefield, even after months or a year of painstaking effort… Tersolius was at a loss for words.

After removing the helmet from the armor and examining it closely, I discovered that its interior was also intricately carved, making the helmet extremely lightweight while giving it a very elaborate and beautiful appearance... Of course, it was also a piece of junk.

They didn't go to the extreme of making the swords hollowed out. These swords were of excellent quality, extremely sharp, and could be considered a batch of fine blades, perfectly capable of being used on the battlefield. It just seemed a bit too extravagant.

Tersolius carefully examined the items, selecting those that could be used on the battlefield, and then left the artifacts there.

When he had taken his 59th step, he had reached the end of the wall and was about to turn around when Thesolius suddenly stopped...

How many steps does it take to walk from the starting point to the end of this room in the hallway outside? ...

He recalled for a moment and gave the exact answer—79 steps…

He looked up at the wall in front of him; the blue bricks were pieced together seamlessly, appearing without any flaws, but Tersolius knew that there must be another space inside...

His hand touched his iron staff, wanting to tear the wall apart, but he thought about it and gave up. After all, the wall might be quite important, so he could only look around for anything suspicious.

His fingers slowly traced the smooth brick wall, searching for that unusual tactile sensation. His boots were also testing the looseness of the tiles. His entire posture looked like he was dancing the foxtrot, clean and efficient without any hesitation, as if he were dancing with the wall.

This strange state didn't last long; he soon noticed something unusual... The three floor tiles in front of him, although they looked no different from the other tiles, had much less dust on them, only a thin layer...

He tentatively stepped on it, then pressed down hard.

The rough sound of stone bricks rubbing together came from the wall next to us. The bricks on the wall cracked along the grain, then sank inwards, and then moved to the right, creating a dark doorway in the wall.

He raised an eyebrow, then walked in without hesitation...

The moment his feet stepped into the passage, the glass lampshades on both sides lit up, allowing him to see a corner of that enormous space...

…………

One by one, the gleaming chainmail pieces were neatly stacked and placed into the box. Exquisite scale armor, maintained with grease, was hung on a wooden frame, arranged in a neat and dense array. Various sharp and sturdy weapons stood in rows against the wall, like rice seedlings cultivated by a farmer in a field.

The space was larger than he had expected, and inside were thousands of exquisite suits of armor and weapons...

"What a great find..."

Tersolius casually picked up a piece of scale armor, and looking at the gleaming scales covered in oil that had clearly been applied recently, he immediately understood what was going on.

It seems this lord... is not content with merely being the lord of a city...

However, all the wealth he had accumulated would ultimately benefit himself.

Tersolius tossed the scale armor back casually, in high spirits. It was undoubtedly a valuable treasure, even more valuable than gold... After all, in this era, only those who possessed such things could keep their wealth.

Wandering around, he came to a large wooden rack displaying helmets. Looking at the dazzling array of helmets, some with Holstein and others even Imperial styles, Tersolius suddenly realized…

He had a persistent concern: his helmet was left on the battlefield, and no one else had a spare. So, he had been exposing his head to the elements for some time. It was fine normally, but it wasn't safe on the battlefield.

The helmets here look to be of good quality, so I'll pick one for myself...

Just like choosing vegetables at a market, he walked past helmet after helmet, slowly passing by these sturdy and exquisite steel creations, selecting the one he liked.

Thesolius suddenly stopped in his tracks. A cluster of bright red plumes caught his eye, just like the one on his lost helmet, only longer...

He reached out and took out the helmet; the small scales woven into the neck rustled, and underneath was a layer of chainmail lining.

The four large, curved armor plates are connected together by sturdy steel beams and rivets, capable of withstanding the chopping of a large axe. The steel-plated gold faceplate is shaped like a soaring eagle, with long, slender wings dividing the eye sockets and protecting the entire face.

Several steel thorns protruded from the top of the helmet, and among the thorns was the long plume. The eye sockets of the visor were long and sharp, carrying an inorganic coldness and sharpness, as if they possessed their own will and were scrutinizing him, the visitor, with cold eyes...

He made his decision almost immediately, not only because the helmet was of excellent quality and provided good protection... but more importantly, it looked incredibly cool. The wings on the helmet were definitely an extra bonus, making him stand out from the crowd.

He examined the helmet in his hands for a while before removing the lining of his chainmail, putting it on his head, adjusting its position slightly, fastening the leather straps to secure it completely, and then straightening his neck.

Surprisingly, the field of vision inside the helmet was quite wide, unlike the narrow field of vision of a typical visor. He moved his neck a few times and was even more satisfied after finding it quite flexible.

It seems that the lady of the lord's house is hiding something from me... I'll go and ask her about it later.

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

Thesoris, wearing a winged helmet, was extremely eye-catching. Although his unique majesty and sharp aura made him recognizable to everyone, the exquisite helmet undoubtedly added to his charm. Almost everyone who passed by stared at him, and when his helmet turned around, they would bow their heads in awe.

His logistics officer was busy haggling with merchants from all over the country. Because the city was under strict lockdown, no one had been able to leave so far. The nearby garrison, whether due to prolonged peace or because they were all incompetent, hadn't even realized what was happening yet...

But they couldn't let this opportunity go to waste, so they started purchasing supplies in large quantities this morning, buying everything they could use from every passing caravan and continuously transporting it into the city...

These merchants, of course, would quickly spread the news, meaning he had given up his last chance to escape the city unscathed...

Marcus was rubbing his beard with a troubled expression, but he didn't slow down at all. The merchant in front of him was forced to back down by his words and could only lower the price of his goods with a wry smile. Then he called his caravan to drive into the city and unload a large amount of goods.

His logistics officer was troubled by his beard because it seemed to have undergone some inexplicable changes...

The color is getting redder and redder. At first, it wasn't obvious, with only the tips of the beard showing a reddish sheen. I don't know if it's because the blood splattered on it wasn't washed off properly in time, but now it looks like half of the length has turned into a light red, which looks rather strange.

Most Imperials had dark hair and beards, and this oddly colored beard certainly didn't fit the Imperial aesthetic. As far as he knew, Marcus had considered shaving it off and letting it grow back...

He tossed a bag of coins into the merchant's hand. Seeing the dark-skinned merchant with a turban and a long robe, counting the coins with a smile, he knew that the miserable look on his face earlier was all an act, and that the merchant had definitely made a lot of money.