Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

The old man stood up from his ornate high-backed chair, which was covered in leather. Although he looked quite old, his hands and feet were still nimble and strong. He slowly walked to the window. The golden buildings in the distance were shining brightly in the sun, making it hard to look away. It was as if several small suns had appeared.

"Emperor... Emperor! Emperor."

He let out a long sigh, a look of weariness and determination in his eyes.

He suddenly turned his head and looked at the students who were still waiting:

"If you have any questions, just tell me."

The man hesitated for a moment before slowly saying:

“Teacher, I don’t understand. Why are we targeting General Tersolius? He is a glorious and upright imperial man, and a man of great talent, far more valuable than that good-for-nothing Balia…”

The old man nodded slowly:

“You’re right, those two brothers are the most honorable citizens of the Empire…and they love this country. They are far more valuable than many others…”

"Then why..."

"Because they are variables."

A sense of helplessness almost welled up in the old man's eyes:

"They are dangerous variables..."

95 Variables (2)

"I don't understand... teacher."

Rostoia's face was filled with doubt. His teacher's words had a mysterious and enigmatic quality, making them difficult to understand and leaving him full of questions.

"Rostoia, do you still remember Igulus?"

The old man lowered his eyelids slightly and placed his hand on the wooden window frame.

"Are you referring to Emperor Igulus?... Of course I remember. The disasters his madness unleashed throughout the empire have yet to subside, and he is still known as the Mad Emperor in the empire..."

“Igulus, he is also my student…”

Rostoia was stunned. Extreme shock and panic made his eyes tremble. A terrible secret was suddenly placed in front of him, and he was completely unprepared.

"Everyone who knew about this except me has turned to dust... and now there's one more like you."

"And you will learn more secrets next... Listen carefully, Rostoia, I am very old... Listen carefully."

The man swallowed hard, feeling his throat so dry it was about to crack, and he could barely breathe.

“He was once my best student, and also one of my gentlest and kindest… I imparted all my knowledge and experience to him, almost treating him like my son… I thought he could be different…”

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

In this warm, dry, and spacious study, Rostoia heard a secret he would never have known in his life. Although the sun was shining brightly outside the window, he felt cold all over and his hair stood on end.

For a fleeting moment, he had an urge to kick open the door and run away without a care in the world, but in the end, he forced himself to stay, absorbing those terrible secrets...

A yellow-beaked sparrow hopped and skipped on a treetop, catching small insects with weak wings that couldn't fly very far.

A slender snake with black and yellow stripes silently crawled along the tree branch, its supple body coiling and writhing on the round trunk, slowly approaching its prey at the top.

A large, fat cat with black markings stood on the windowsill, its nimble limbs poised to leap out at any moment.

The heavy, carved door was suddenly pushed open, and Rostoia walked out with a dazed expression, startling the sparrows in the treetops, scaring away the small snakes in the branches, and causing the fat cat to shriek and leap onto the roof.

Rostoia took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and stood up in the quiet courtyard, each breath deep and long, as if trying to toughen his lungs into leather bags.

After a long while, he slowly breathed a sigh of relief. His expression remained inscrutable, but he did not turn back and quickly walked out of the courtyard.

Only the small snake tentatively poked its head out from among the branches again. But frustrated by the escape of its prey, it could only curl its body back up.

————————————————————————————————————————————————……——

The closer one gets to the capital of the empire, the more prosperous the land becomes; the slaves and mountain people have never seen a place with so many people.

Moreover, these people were not slaves driven together; each of them had a decent set of clothes, which, although faded from washing, rarely had any holes.

They had all sorts of professions and worked in all sorts of places, carrying large buckets, washing leather and wool, or driving horse-drawn carts to transport goods... Everyone had their own things to do, and smiles always outnumbered sorrows on their faces.

Every short distance they traveled across this land, they would encounter a new village or market. The empire's wide and excellent roads allowed merchants to save a great deal of time transporting goods, and also made the flow of money and trade in this land unprecedentedly prosperous.

His standard-bearer, Arka, with his steely arms, kept the thick flagpole firmly in place, ensuring that the majestic and magnificent black banner fluttered above the ranks.

His saddle had a special steel groove for securing the flag, which, with the assistance of two other cavalrymen, allowed the flag to stand firmly upright even during a charge.

The flag was so dazzling and magnificent in the sunlight that it could be clearly seen even from a distance, and the glory of using the black military flag throughout the empire belonged only to Tersolius.

Therefore, news of his arrival spread faster than his own army. Before long, some well-informed people already knew about it, and it quickly began to spread throughout the capital.

This prosperous and fertile land was so vibrant that all kinds of livestock and humans filled every habitable place. In the most commercially prosperous cities, the crowds on the streets would even wear out the clothes of pedestrians.

Walking on such a land, anyone would be amazed and yearn for its wealth and prosperity.

Throughout the empire's history, countless invaders have coveted the richness of this land, launching attacks time and again only to be crushed on the plains by the empire's powerful legions.

Sometimes they would gain the upper hand and plunder some wealth, but the country's immense power and large population always enabled them to turn the tide, and the fertile plains remained firmly in the hands of foreigners, without losing an inch of them.

Even so, countless ambitious individuals are drawn to the wealth and resources here, resulting in numerous small-scale invasions every year, and every ten or twenty years, there are always restless individuals eager to make their move.

The fact that the empire was surrounded by enemies on all sides made it vastly different from other countries in the region. Every adult male here had to participate in training at specific times to learn how to use spears and the techniques of formation.

They are definitely not ordinary conscripts who don't even know where to aim their spears. With enough equipment and wise commanders, they can be transformed into a usable army.

This is why the empire can temporarily conscript a large number of troops whenever needed, and quickly replenish qualified soldiers when the standing army suffers losses.

The people of the Empire value honor and are happy to gain wealth for themselves in war. Victory is also the easiest way to gain the support of the Empire. If a nobleman cannot win merit on the battlefield, it will be difficult for him to obtain his rights and he will be ridiculed by others.

………………

His army always managed to cause waves of disturbance on the road, and after this period of marching, these soldiers, who used to be easily alarmed by the slightest disturbance, had become used to it.

All vehicles and pedestrians would give way to them until the army had passed before continuing on the road. During this process, the Imperials would not feel fear, but would instead comment on the soldiers, guessing which legion they belonged to, and evaluating their equipment and discipline.

A stench of livestock wafted over from the side, the mooing of cattle rose and fell, and billows of dust erupted from the dusty ground under the trampling of their hooves.

Thousands of cattle of various colors gathered in the pen. These fine livestock, driven by professionals, were transported along the roads to various cities. Most of them were directly bought by nobles who ran farms and worked the land alongside slaves to create value.

Of course, these cattle were also an excellent source of meat. Fresh beef was an extremely delicious food, but because it was very expensive, it was generally only available to wealthy merchants and nobles.

A healthy and strong ox can fetch a high price in the market. With proper management, a cattle ranch can bring in huge wealth. This is a cattle ranch that is doing quite well. These strong oxen are very energetic and their bellies are full of energy.

This scene, though uncommon, was not particularly unusual either, but Thesolius suddenly reined in his horse and turned to look at the chaotic herd of cattle…

Perhaps it was an intuition, or perhaps he had indeed sensed something. Tersolius raised his right hand and waved it slightly—the cavalry immediately prepared their weapons and became alert.

The advancing infantry and archers received the order immediately, but before they could make a move, a piercing scream suddenly came from inside the cattle pen:

"Come quickly and help! The cow is startled!"

Chaos quickly spread, the dense herd of cattle stirred, these powerful creatures suddenly startled, frantically scrambling left and right, trying to escape this place filled with threatening messages.

The crowded cows also became flustered, their animal instincts making them accustomed to conformity.

With a loud crash, countless hooves began to pound the ground. Under some influence, the herd of cattle charged toward the fence that was blocking them, and in the blink of an eye, they pushed down and trampled the fence made of thick wooden blocks.

The enraged cattle spread in all directions, instinctively lowering their heads and charging at anything in their way with their sharp horns. The crowd that had gathered outside the cattle farm had no time to dodge and suffered a terrible disaster.

Driven by instinct, the livestock trampled any obstacle with all their might, and bloodied corpses rolled under their hooves. They would not stop moving forward until they encountered setbacks.

Now, Terrence's army is ready to stop this disaster.

A frenzied herd of cattle has a terrifying impact, but they are, after all, animals that fear pain and danger, and sharp steel is enough to bring them back to their senses.

At Tersolius's command, the archers and crossbowmen in the center of the formation unleashed their arrows without mercy. The soldiers, who had just received their orders, had already formed a square, placed their shields on the ground, and then mounted their sharp spears on top of them.

A dense rain of arrows poured down on the frenzied bulls. The dozen or so at the front immediately collapsed to the ground, while the mad bulls behind, unable to dodge in time, crashed into the corpses. In the violent collision, countless thick necks were cleanly snapped.

The herd's frenzied pace immediately slowed, but their numbers were still considerable, and the animals behind continued to drive their companions forward, albeit at a slower pace, and they were still crowding towards the middle of the road.

A second volley of arrows flew in, the thick, heavy arrows easily piercing the thick cowhide with the aid of powerful bows and crossbows, tearing open the muscle and churning the internal organs into a mess.

Dozens more bulls were shot dead on the spot. The thick smell of blood finally instilled fear in these herbivores, making them dare not approach any further. The vanguard, which had completely lost its speed, was also swiftly and decisively pierced down by spears.

"go ahead!"

The soldiers shouted in unison, slamming their spears against their shields, the sounds coalescing into a thunderous roar, just as they had been trained—holding their spears level, and then slowly advancing forward with their comrades.

Because they were on the march, many soldiers were not wearing full armor, but it was enough to deal with such a herd of cattle. Like a thick wall made of oak and steel, the cattle, crowded together, began to retreat as the infantry approached, avoiding the sharp spears and the terrible roar.

And so, the raging cattle finally quieted down. The fully armored cavalrymen had been flanking the cattle from the beginning to prevent them from escaping. Under the cold glint of steel, the cattle finally became completely docile and quietly huddled together in the wide pasture between the road and the cattle pasture.

The workers at the cattle farm finally arrived, and these skilled veterans immediately rushed in to guide the cattle back to where they came from, leaving behind only a messy ground and piles of carcasses.

The survivors cried out in grief for their misfortune, and a crowd gathered to search for those who had survived the attack, rushing those still breathing to nearby doctors.

Thesolius frowned deeply, wary of this unexpected turn of events. Had he not noticed the commotion of the cattle beforehand and allowed these heavy behemoths to charge his army, he might have suffered considerable losses.

It might be a coincidence, but he still felt something was off...

When large numbers of strong livestock gather together like this, it is common for the herd to become agitated. The skilled workers on the cattle farm are adept at handling such situations, and it should not have happened so quickly that such an irreparable disaster occurred.

Moreover, the cattle went berserk precisely when his army passed through the area... Such a coincidence would arouse suspicion in anyone.

Their medical team had already begun searching for lucky survivors among the mangled corpses. An open space was cleared, and a simple white tent was erected on it.

But with such severe injuries, how many of these survivors will survive depends entirely on their own luck...

96 Variables (3)

The owner of the cattle ranch prostrated himself before the massive black warhorse, trembling with fear. He was so terrified that he could barely speak, and sweat poured from his temples, down his cheeks, and dripped from his nose and chin onto the ground.

The pitiful screams of the injured around him felt like sharp steel needles piercing his ears. The commotion caused by the rampaging cattle had already killed more than a dozen people on the spot, and many more were receiving treatment, but it was estimated that many more would die...

What drove him to despair was that most of these people were merchants who had bought strong oxen with money, and many were his old friends, yet they had suffered a terrible disaster right next to his cattle farm.

Even if he manages to escape this time, all the wealth he has accumulated and worked hard to this day will vanish, and he will never be able to pursue this profession again.

His fate might even be worse...

The cattle he bought and raised caused such a terrible loss that he, as the cattle ranch owner, should definitely be held responsible... If the officials in charge of his trial believe that he should bear more responsibility, he may even be sold into slavery or sentenced to death!

What's even more despairing is that an imperial general happened to be returning with his legion, and his own raging herd of cattle just happened to be charging into the enemy army!

Moreover, the mess was actually resolved by the army. If it weren't for these well-trained legionary soldiers using arrows and spears to stop their maddened cattle and drive them all back, the mess would have been even worse.

So after settling the remaining livestock, he rushed over and humbly prostrated himself at the other man's horse's hooves, begging for forgiveness.

This magnificent horse had hooves as large as plates, seemingly capable of easily crushing him to the ground. Its heavy snorts stirred up dust, and its massive body cast a shadow like a mountain peak.

"Stand up."

He felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and he tremblingly got up from the ground, his back still humbly bent. The hot sweat that broke out had soaked through the clothes inside his coat, and the hair on his forehead and temples was stuck to his skin in clumps.

"Your Excellency, this is a terrible accident. I am willing to give all my wealth to make up for everyone's losses! I only hope that you can give me a chance to make amends."

The survivors were already standing by, watching intently. Each of them glared at the negligent cattle rancher with hatred. If the soldiers hadn't been lined up around them, they might have already rushed up and tore him apart.

“This matter can be discussed later. Now I have some questions that you must answer honestly and without reservation.”

"I will tell you anything I know, sir, I swear to any god!"

"I don't need your oath, I'll judge... I'm asking you, is this a situation that would normally occur?"

Tesolis remained expressionless, but the rancher was trembling with fear. He had been in a state of confusion and terror until now, when he finally saw the black flag clearly...

News of General Tersolius's imminent arrival had already spread throughout the capital and surrounding areas four or five days prior. The black double-headed eagle banner caused a great stir wherever it went, and travelers and merchants from the south brought a steady stream of new information, which became a popular topic of conversation for everyone around.

He had talked about this with a few of his buddies in his spare time, but he never expected that this special lawyer, General Tersolius, would appear in front of him in this way!

"My lord... this kind of thing is very rare. To be precise... in my more than 1 years of life, this is the first time I've encountered such a thing."

He trembled as he made his tongue move, not standing still like a fool. Although his whole body was shaking violently, he still managed to keep himself from fainting from fright.

“These animals may get startled by certain things, but most of the time they’ll be scared back by the spiked fence, and there’s never been a scale like this… My men are all experienced old men; they would never make such a stupid mistake!”

The man, who already looked quite old, blushed, and even his speech became fluent as he desperately tried to defend himself:

“Each of us could calm a mad cow down with our eyes closed. I’ve been working with livestock since I was 10, and their agitation is definitely not normal! ... Respected sir, I’m not trying to shirk responsibility, but I absolutely do not want anyone to escape their guilt!”

…………

The imposing general remained silent, causing the cattle rancher to buckle and bend deeply, drenched in sweat. Had he not received an order, he would have already knelt on the ground.

"You need to be clear about what you just said... If you try to shirk responsibility by making baseless accusations, you will only increase your guilt and make your end more miserable."

"I understand what I'm saying, sir." The cattle rancher's eyes flashed with anger. He was absolutely certain that he had been framed, and that the other party wanted to ruin him, destroy his family, and kill him!