Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

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New military camps are being built in the city, and their locations are quite interesting.

In addition to the massive camp in the city center, various important areas of the city are also guarded by troops. In the event of an emergency, elite legion soldiers will arrive at every corner of the city within 5 minutes, completely changing the situation in which the city was previously controlled by gangsters and nobles.

At first, the citizens seemed a little lost, but they soon found that without the gangs that often extorted money from them, they could still live their lives as usual, and even better and more easily than before.

A notice was posted in the city center, and everyone, whether slaves or ordinary people, gathered around it out of curiosity. Marcus, who had come prepared, arranged for more than ten literate people to explain the contents of the notice to the others until no one expressed any doubts.

The contents of that parchment instantly caused a huge uproar throughout the world... All wealthy citizens could hire slaves from the city's slave office, but they could not allow the hired slaves to be harmed by human intervention, otherwise they would be considered to have damaged the general's property and would be whipped in the center of the city.

Slaves are obligated to complete their work and in return receive their own food, shelter, and other necessities. If a slave commits a crime, he or she shall be punished in accordance with the laws of the Empire. No one shall arbitrarily impose private punishment; otherwise, he or she shall also be punished in accordance with the laws of the Empire.

The homeless people lying on the streets of the city also got job opportunities. As long as they registered at the management office, they could earn money through their work. However, if they refused to work for reasons such as laziness, they would be punished with caning every time they were caught on the street.

…………

The law consisted of twenty-two articles, each of which was explained over and over again by the officials who were hoarse from proclaiming it. People were also explaining it to each other, and a flurry of discussion and whispers gradually spread throughout the city.

Hiring slaves? ... This is a novel idea, but many people are very interested in it. Buying a slave is expensive, but hiring one is much cheaper, and you don't have to take care of the slave's food, lodging and other issues. It is an idea worth considering for shop owners and workshop owners who urgently need workers.

Moreover, the imposing and fierce soldiers in the city are enough to make any law an inviolable ironclad rule. Since there is no way to resist, it is better to prepare to accept it now...

So the way things turned out disappointed some people. The law was accepted by the city without causing much of a stir. It was like throwing a small stone into a calm lake; the ripples didn't spread far before the center calmed down.

Amidst the hoarse, sweating voice of the messenger, a steady stream of workers were transporting large and small packages of supplies to camps outside the city. They carried them on their backs with ropes or by horse-drawn or oxcarts, delivering a continuous supply of food, seasonings, water, and many other essential travel necessities out of the city.

After this group left the city, another group arrived, transporting a steady stream of supplies by vehicle and on their shoulders. This time, the supplies mainly consisted of medicinal herbs, fine white cloth, and other miscellaneous items whose purpose was unclear.

As soon as they left the city, another commotion broke out. Squads of cavalrymen slowly rode through the streets, shouting at pedestrians to make way. The cracking of their whips sent everyone scattering as if stung by bees.

The next moment, the thunderous sound of hooves exploded across the street. The cavalrymen were fully armed, their packs slung across their backs, their sharp spear blades gleaming in the air. Swords and short hammers at their waists struck the saddles, and their scale armor skirts rustled.

Strong, powerful horses pulled one large wagon after another, laden with heavy warhorse armor. The wooden, iron-clad wheels made a continuous, rhythmic sound as they moved forward on the road. Large quantities of grain were then piled onto the wagons behind. Before long, the vanguard of this troop had already broken through the city walls, while the rear had not even risen from their camp.

The armored torrent lasted for a long time before finally leaving the city. During this time, all the citizens were dumbfounded, cowering like quails on both sides of the road, too afraid to utter a sound, and were shocked by the terrifying military power of these cavalrymen.

For a long time, the entire city was completely silent except for the cries of livestock, as if it had suddenly become a dead city.

………………

The sounds of people shouting and horses neighing filled the air. Everyone was busy, but some people always had a little bit of privilege.

Tersolius turned his horse around and looked at the magnificent white city. He had gone to great lengths to finally obtain it, and the immense value it held would not be in vain for the blood and sweat he had shed.

"Everything is ready. Do we need to wait a little longer? We seem to have been in a bit of a rush."

"No rush, not at all, now is just right."

Thesolius pressed down slightly with his feet, and his warhorse immediately turned around. The huge army was waiting for his command to continue their journey, which they had long planned to complete. What else awaited him ahead?

"Let's go, we're going to travel a long way this time."

As the bugle sounded, the steel torrent surged forward on the road. Mountain men in red military uniforms rode in the middle of the column. Many of them had just learned to ride and were a little clumsy at first, but they burst into hearty laughter, looking forward to the journey they were about to witness.

The carefully selected army of 1000 slaves also silently began their march. Their bodies were strong enough to support the long journey, and they did not hesitate in the slightest.

…………

On the third day after Hols' army withdrew, Tersolis and his brother led their troops toward the interior of the empire.

81. Camping

The lush green grass and trees sway in the breeze, where a large number of creatures live. Insects chirp among the branches and leaves. They are the most vigilant creatures. The slightest rustle of wind will make them stop all movement and fall silent.

Various kinds of birds are their main natural enemies. Most of these clever creatures rely on insects to fill their stomachs, so they are never quiet all day long, hopping among the branches and leaves, catching their food.

These two creatures are the most sensitive early warning systems in the forest, and they are often the first to detect danger. Their extreme weakness makes it impossible for them to ignore any risk.

A few wary birds suddenly flapped their wings and flew away, while the others, more oblivious, were still busy searching for insects and fruit among the branches and leaves, completely unaware that several figures had already parted the bushes and leaves and slowly passed through the jungle.

He took out the ceramic water bottle from his pocket and took a sip. This kind of water bottle was heavier than the leather water bag, but the water inside was sweeter and had no strange taste. If you wrapped it with thick straw or cloth and leather, it would be a very useful water bottle.

The water in the pot smelled of alcohol, causing the two people next to him to turn their heads, but Kochkin calmly put the stopper back on.

"Don't overthink it. This is a method I heard from someone in a tavern. Just add more wine to the water, and it won't spoil for several weeks."

"I've never heard of such a thing. You're not just making up an excuse to sneak a drink, are you? Don't get yourself drunk, or you'll be tied to a tree and whipped. You can't blame anyone else for that."

The bearded mountain man next to him rolled his eyes, adjusted the water bottle on his belt, and squinted as he observed the surrounding vegetation. He picked up a stone and examined the distribution of moss on it...

"Definitely not. I only added a tiny bit of alcohol. I could drink it all day and not get drunk. Warif... considering I shared some with you yesterday, could you please not tell the boss about this yet? I want to try it for a couple more days to see if the water will spoil."

"Try it if you want, I'm not in the mood to complain, but if you get caught, no one will risk offending the boss for that."

"Haha... How's it going? Did you find any traces? Is there a water source nearby?"

Kochkin quickly changed the subject, looking around curiously.

“There are some clues. Let’s search further ahead. We must find a place to set up camp before dinner. The army’s encampment cannot be delayed. We also need to check if there are any ambushes in this forest.”

"Then we need to hurry. Oh, and if we spot any prey, we can't let it escape. We'll have a good meal tonight."

"Do you even need to tell me? Alright, let's not waste time here. We need to hurry. I think there might be a water source if we go down this slope."

The three immediately got up and quickly explored forward. In this dense thicket, even warhorses could not outrun them.

…………

"Got it! This is it."

With the sound of flowing water, the three quickened their pace and rushed out of the bushes. What came into view was a small stream that flowed into the distance along the gullies between the hillsides. There were large flat areas around it, and a raised hill behind it, making it a good place to set up camp.

Kochkin volunteered to stay behind and continue scouting the surrounding area, while the other two immediately returned. They untied the warhorses left at the edge of the jungle and relayed the message to the army behind as quickly as possible.

Before long, the slaves arrived at the wide open space. After resting for a while, they immediately began to cut down the surrounding trees and trim the felled trunks into suitable stakes. These were the building materials needed to construct the temporary camp.

It was a very tiring job, but for the strong slaves, it was just an ordinary task. Before long, they had built the walls of two camps, leveled the messy land, and dug a trench around the entire camp, with a short bridge over it.

Such walls don't offer much in terms of defense, but they are sufficient to allow the army time to regroup and respond to an attack in the event of a surprise assault. They can also control unexpected bombings, offering many advantages despite the time and effort required.

One team after another arrived at the camp. The flag bearers of each team would find their team's campsite according to regulations. Each team built tents and cooked together in their designated locations. Before long, wisps of smoke rose above their heads as dozens of large pots burned with dead tree trunks dragged from the jungle, cooking their dinner.

Tomorrow morning's meal should be prepared while the stars are still twinkling in the sky. After everyone has eaten, we should break camp and set off, taking advantage of the cool weather and lack of sun to travel as quickly as possible. We should find a place to camp and rest when the afternoon heat becomes unbearable.

The wooden stakes used for setting up camp will be placed on specially prepared wagons, allowing for a faster setup of the camp when arriving at the next campsite, without having to spend extra time cutting down trees.

Large numbers of mountain archers were scattered throughout the surrounding jungles. Each one was well-fed and energetic, and they would take turns serving as scouts to ensure that all kinds of threats were detected as early as possible.

Apart from the sentries, everyone else rested early. They were to set off early the next morning. After finishing their meal and tidying up their camp, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and they took advantage of the cool weather to march quickly along the road.

The times for setting up and breaking up camp vary from season to season, and these subtle differences are often the key to maintaining the army's combat effectiveness. Straight roads must be left in the camp to allow the army to assemble quickly, and each tent must be reasonably spaced. Soldiers set up their tents in small teams, leaving passageways between each other.

Various flags fluttered atop the tents, allowing soldiers to quickly find their place and reducing confusion when they rose the next day. The elite cavalry were already adept at this, while the slaves and mountain people were doing it for the first time, inevitably causing all sorts of trouble and being loudly scolded and berated by the cavalry.

Almost every soldier carried a peculiar tool, standard equipment of the Imperial Army: a pickaxe for digging and an axe for felling trees. It could be used as a weapon when necessary, but its main purpose was to dig trenches and cut down trees when setting up camp.

They also carried water bottles, shovels, and other odds and ends, almost everything of which could be put to use. The cavalry would teach them all the regulations of the legion, ensuring that every soldier could perform his duties in a timely manner.

The slaves and mountain people had never imagined that being a soldier would require learning so much; it was truly an eye-opening experience, but they dared not slack off. Anyone with a sound mind knew the consequences of not learning these things.

By now, every slave and mountain man could be considered a qualified legionary soldier, truly becoming a unified army.

In the pitch-black night, only the sentries on the makeshift towers remained vigilantly watching the darkness outside. Most people had already fallen asleep, their heads resting on their shields. Only scattered firelight dotted the vast camp, highlighting the discipline that prevailed there.

Thesolius stood in front of his tent, watching the military camp rise up in a very short time... It was as if it were an instinct, as if he naturally possessed this knowledge, which told him what to do. His brother also seemed to be used to it, letting him make the decisions.

There were still some questions in his mind: Was he Tesolis, an invincible general, or Xu Ning, an ordinary college student...? All of this seemed to have become blurred, making it impossible for him to distinguish between them.

However, he has a good habit: when he can't get an answer to something right away, he will choose to put it aside and focus on finishing what he is doing now.

He turned and entered the tent. Two cavalrymen stood on either side of the tent, leaning on their lances, as silent as stone statues.

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"If nothing unexpected happens, we should be able to enter the Imperial road tomorrow, at which point our progress will be much faster. These terrible roads the Holsteins are taking up too much of our march. I doubt they've even bothered to repair them. Do they think that just because people have walked on them, they've made a road?"

"They occupy such good locations, so what does it matter if mobilizing troops is a bit slow? They can still get there, and the lords won't be willing to spend money to repair roads. So this situation is not surprising."

Faced with his brother's complaints, Tersolius seemed unfazed. The arrogant imperial people disdained to learn about the Hols' country, since they generally posed no threat to them. As long as they dared to step out of the mountains, they would be crushed to pieces on the plains.

But he had truly fought his way out of the Hols' territory, so naturally he would know more about it than his brother.

Moreover, even if all the lords support the king, the enormous wealth required to build the road cannot be raised in a short time, and it may not even be used for the road in the end.

“This time we will not only go back, but we will go back in a grand manner. Tomorrow we will send an advance team to enter every city along the way to publicize our arrival and achievements. We must let the people of the Empire know where we have arrived. I plan to send Alka with the 6th and 5th teams.”

“You’re definitely smarter than me… Then I’ll lead the rest of the cavalry to cover your retreat. We need to scare that Arius guy out of his wits before we even reach the capital. Let’s just hope he doesn’t die of fright on the spot, otherwise it’ll be much less fun…”

"We can slow down the march a bit. We still need to be cautious and prudent. We can't be complacent just because we've won. We need to hold our swords tightly, especially now."

…………

The brief meeting ended quickly. Under the dim light, the two said goodbye to each other. The female members of the medical team were placed in a separate camp area, and patrolling sentries would prevent any idiots from barging in.

Tersolius yawned. After finalizing the next plan, he needed to rest quickly. After all, he wasn't Superman and would eventually get tired.

Wearing only light chainmail, he lay down directly on the makeshift bed, pulled over the wolfskin rug next to him and covered himself with it. Before long, he was breathing evenly and heavily.

The moonlight is perfect, ideal for sleeping, but some people are still making preparations...

The girl with pale blue hair was sorting through herbs. These were processed medicinal materials that could be stored for a long time, but they were very susceptible to moisture. Moreover, once they became moldy, they could easily damage the entire package of herbs, so they had to be checked frequently.

She doesn't need to worry too much about the order to get up early tomorrow. The medical team members travel by carriage, so they don't have to ride horses or walk. She can sleep a little longer in the carriage. The only time she can work in peace is now.

The mountain women and slave women chatted as they worked, their mouths never stopping, yet their hands and feet moved nimbly, rarely making mistakes. Every now and then, they would let out a small burst of playful banter, causing some of the patrolling troops passing by the camp to turn their heads in curiosity.

The women were not afraid at all, and several of them even dared to make suggestive remarks to the soldiers, but they kept their voices very low because of military regulations, which made them seem somewhat comical.

Tarina looked at them with a hint of envy. These women seemed to be born with an optimistic personality, or rather, if they weren't optimistic, they wouldn't have been able to persevere until now. Having experienced the most difficult times, they were now very satisfied with their lives, and in just two months, they had smiled more than in the entire previous years combined.

They rummaged through the large bags of medicinal herbs, picking out those that had gotten damp. If the damage wasn't too severe, they would find a chance to dry them the next day. Some people were also sewing bandages for bandaging wounds. These bandages had several protruding thin straps at the end of the long strip of cloth, which could quickly tie the wound. Some even had a space sewn in the middle to hold dressings such as wood ash, which could stop the bleeding even faster.

Each soldier was required to prepare at least three such bandages. The ones being made now were for potential casualties later. Even with more, some people felt it wasn't safe, so the women would pick up needles and thread and sew whenever they had free time.

Once the entire camp had quieted down, the women went back to sleep. Before leaving, each of them greeted their commander, Tarina, and the girl calmly responded to each of them.

When only she and Colin were left in the tent, Talina unconsciously looked up at the sky...

It's rare to see such a clear night sky; even the stars seem exceptionally bright. Tomorrow looks like it's going to be a hot day.

ask for leave

The author has an interview tomorrow, so they need to prepare well today and will take a day off (＝。＝).

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82 Break camp

He took a deep breath, then brought his mouth to the mouthpiece of the horn, pouring in a powerful yet balanced stream of air, producing a loud sound that shook the entire camp, like releasing a wolf into a sleeping herd, causing the whole camp to stir.

The sound of the horn was desolate and distant, with a strong penetrating power, carrying far into the dark forest. Two eyes slowly opened, and a yawn was heard.

"Hurry up and pack up, we need to break camp."

The young mountain man, kicked by his companion, chuckled, rubbed his eyes, got up, stretched, and shook the dew off his fur.

"It feels like I just closed my eyes, and it's almost dawn already...?"

"Stop talking nonsense. If we delay any longer, we'll both be in trouble."

His companion interrupted him, and the two hurriedly packed their things and headed towards the camp.

From the surrounding woods, countless groups like theirs emerged, some in pairs and some in groups of three. They moved quickly and scattered, but soon became orderly and lined up in the camp.

The stars in the sky were still bright, and the moon was clearly visible, but anyone with a little experience knew that it would soon get light, and now was the perfect time to travel.

Everyone was drinking hot soup from their bowls and eating dry bread and salted meat. The mountain people were the last to arrive; everyone else had already eaten their fill.

Kochkin tore the bread in his hand into pieces and then soaked it in the soup. This not only lowered the temperature of the soup but also softened the hardened bread.

He quickly shoveled the large bowl of food into his mouth, and his stiff body soon warmed up. After finishing, he rinsed his wooden bowl in the stream, threw it into his bag, and hurried to pack the rest of his things.

Although they didn't sleep at the camp yesterday, they left all their miscellaneous belongings here, which now need to be packed up and loaded onto the mules and packhorses.

Each mountain dweller has their own mount, as they are important scouts who need to be at the forefront of the army to scout and ensure that any possible ambushes can be detected in time.

Although their mounts were ordinary mules and horses, which were fine for transporting goods but not for galloping, they were able to ensure that each of them could safely carry their belongings.

When they were scouting, they didn't rely on ordinary mules and horses. They would usually advance a short distance and then rely on their own two fast legs to search the surrounding mountains, forests, canyons, and other suspicious places as quickly as possible. They would often stumble upon some prey, adding some meat to the army.

The cavalrymen were the second to set off. They would clear the way forward, eliminate any enemies spotted by the mountain people, and pave the way for the army.