Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

But she suddenly noticed a smug smile on Tarina's face, as if she had gotten a great deal, and asked in surprise:

"Doctor, do you like this box that much? It's worth 14 silver coins, and it's not even pure silver; the inside is made of wood. No matter how you look at it, it's a loss for us!"

"Hmph... Hmph!"

Tarina's joy finally became uncontrollable; the happiness she had been suppressing earlier was finally revealed, tinged with a hint of smugness and cunning.

"This isn't just an ordinary silver box, otherwise I wouldn't have spent so much money to buy it, even if it looks interesting..."

“Look, although it’s just ordinary patterns, it emits an extremely subtle green glow in the dark… If I’m not mistaken, there must be some kind of ‘message’ in this box!”

The girl held up the box with a joyful expression, and the two of them leaned in to examine it closely. Of course, they didn't stand on the street, but found a large tree by the street and began to verify Tarina's statement in the shade of the tree.

Colin's eyes widened, completely intrigued, and he began to intently search for that glimmer of green light...

And as it turned out, Tarina was right. Right before their eyes, a faint blue light flashed through the patterns, moving with astonishing speed, like a flying insect darting past. Without exceptional luck and keen eyesight, it would have been impossible to spot.

"Great! It really is a treasure! We've gotten a great deal, doctor! So, what exactly is this treasure for?"

The confusion and bewilderment she had just felt vanished, and Colin became excited—she had never seen anything that glowed regularly before, and this was undoubtedly a treasure; buying it for just over a dozen silver coins was a huge bargain.

Tarina's expression suddenly froze, and after stammering for a while, she finally said:

"I...I don't know either."

"ah?!……"

Tarina blushed and quickly explained:

"The information in these magical items isn't something that can be used directly. It requires a long period of interpretation and analysis, trial and error, and correction before we can find the useful parts... We're already very lucky to have encountered them. Next, we just need to decipher the information inside."

"Really? How long will it take to decipher it?"

"About three years. This box isn't big, and it doesn't contain much information. Excluding the trial and error phase, it should take about that time..."

As the girl spoke, her voice grew softer and softer, and she realized just how much time and effort it would take to obtain the so-called information.

"Three years... Does that mean I have to study every day for three whole years? That would be hellish. Just thinking about it makes me tremble."

Colin shuddered. The girl, who wouldn't even blink at swords and arrows on the battlefield, now seemed to exude a deep-seated fear, clearly having suffered a lot in this regard.

………………

Suddenly, the sound of hooves came from the street. A cavalryman in full iron armor, looking imposing, was the first to pass by, waving his flag. Soldiers patrolling the city immediately began to clear the road, making way for the wide city streets.

Immediately following them came a troop of cavalrymen in fine clothes and spirited horses, their general flanked by his personal guards in magnificent heavy armor. They rode through the wide streets amidst the awe-inspiring gazes of the imperial populace.

Their magnificent warhorses, each with tall shoulders and long legs, and their gleaming spears, axes, halberds, and hammers, still seemingly stained with blood, were exposed to the air without any obstruction, ready to tear flesh and break bones.

Amidst the rustling of their armor, this formidable cavalry unit was about to pass through the street... but with a command given, they seemed to become one with their warhorses, stopping in the middle of the road in perfect unison within a short time.

"Doctor, what are you doing here?"

Wearing a winged helmet, Tersolius called out to a large tree nearby, drawing the attention of the people hiding by the roadside. They then noticed two striking girls standing in the shade.

"Sir, we are here to investigate the situation of medicinal herbs in the city. Colin is coming with me."

Thesolius nodded, then suddenly had a brilliant idea:

"That's perfect. Let's not worry about purchasing the medicinal herbs for now. You two come with me. There are some things we need to prepare for in advance."

A spare warhorse was led to the roadside. Without hesitation, the two girls mounted, adjusted their positions, and joined the cavalry. At a command, the swift cavalry vanished at the end of the street, leaving behind only the Imperial soldiers whispering and discussing animatedly…

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

This was an ordinary shop, but now a group of soldiers broke in, drove away the shop owner and all the customers, and then tightly controlled a well on the side of the shop, not allowing anyone to approach it.

Turning a corner, a bakery suffered a similar fate—Imperial Legion soldiers drove away all the civilians present, then took a large axe and felled the dead tree behind the bakery. After the tree trunk collapsed, a cave hidden in the roots was exposed to everyone.

As the stones used to build houses nearby were requisitioned, this originally hidden cave was filled in completely, so that not even a mouse could squeeze through the narrow gap. A team of elite soldiers also guarded the place.

Meanwhile, although the mansion had long been deserted due to its owner's imprisonment, it still received uninvited guests today... Hundreds of elite soldiers poured into the luxurious building and quickly took control of every corner, even the toilets, to ensure that no one could sneak out under their noses.

The city has been placed under lockdown: in order to apprehend spies who are undermining the country, everyone must return to their homes and is not allowed to linger on the streets; anyone found doing so will be arrested.

Before long, the city's streets and alleys became quiet. The imperial people were very familiar with this process, and they were used to obeying official orders. Even the thriving black markets saw all the stall owners pack up and go home, with no one daring to linger.

The entire city was under martial law when Tersoly finally arrived at his destination…

The luxurious mansion before him was somewhat unexpected. Even some nobles in the capital might not be able to live in such a lavish place. Every pattern and every corner was a testament to the owner's wealth and status—of course, that was something from the past.

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. This was perfectly demonstrated here—not only the servants, but even the blood relatives of the Ilis merchant had long since fled, leaving only an empty mansion.

The house is now home to many stray cats. The lack of care over the long term has allowed many insects to breed everywhere. When disturbed, these small animals that have taken over the house scatter in all directions, making the scene somewhat chaotic.

The iron boots of the legionary soldiers pounded on the smooth marble slabs, and the sounds of searching and shouting filled the air. In the third bedroom, the large bed had been moved, revealing a hidden door underneath.

It is worth mentioning that two poisoned arrows flew out when the hidden door was opened. If the soldiers of the legion had not been wearing armor and deflected the weak arrows, there would likely have been casualties.

But this also reminded Tersolius that these spies in the shadows would certainly not hesitate to set traps and mechanisms in their tunnels and basements. The more insidious the better, and if he were to launch a direct assault, he might fall into their trap... He had no intention of suffering heavy losses over such a small matter.

Although it's certain the other party can't escape, the question remains: how to catch these rats in the gutter?

He stood at the entrance of the tunnel, silently looking at the tunnel built of blue bricks. Although the entrance was not wide, it was wide enough for a strong adult to enter and exit without bending over. The blue hard bricks were paved with a total of 5 steps, and there were shiny iron seats on both sides of the wall, with half-burnt torches stuck on them.

Just by looking at this entrance, you can tell that this place has been in business for a long time. The blue bricks that paved this place are quite old, with thick moss growing in the gaps. It is damp and cold, but sturdy and reliable, so people can walk in with peace of mind.

Tersolius was silent for a moment, then suddenly reached out, grabbed a protruding blue brick, and with a little force, pried it out, spilling soft soil all over the ground...

149 Hidden Line (6)

Although the bricks and stones were sturdy, the soil beneath was unexpectedly loose, which startled Thesolius for a moment, before he continued to reach out. With his iron gloves, he peeled large swaths of soil off the wall.

Unlike typical underground soil, which is damp and heavy, this soil is extremely dry and loose, much like loose soil piled up at the foot of an earthen cliff. It has no adhesion and will scramble down in heaps with the slightest force.

He understood perfectly – it was probably because of the weak soil that the tunnel was luxuriously paved with blue bricks, and because of the fear of collapse, the tunnel was extremely shallow, with the top only two feet from the ground.

He nodded slightly, immediately having a plan, and then waved for two centurions:

"Get my soldiers moving! Use your axes and pickaxes to dig up the ground here. Be quick, don't give these bugs any time to react."

The centurions immediately... The soldiers gathered in the mansion pulled out their pickaxes used for digging trenches, pried open and smashed the fine marble floor, and began digging in the dirt.

The soil below the platform was indeed not firm enough; it would become loose after digging a couple of times. Since there were no tools for transporting it, the soldiers simply took off their cloaks to hold the soil, and then dumped the excavated soil and other debris directly onto the street outside.

Hundreds of strong and elite soldiers worked simultaneously, and in the blink of an eye, a layer of the entire mansion's surface was stripped away, and a large amount of loose soil piled up into a small hill on the street outside, making the house seem like a hindrance. The soldiers simply demolished the house, then threw away the wooden beams and bricks, turning the area into a flat plain in the blink of an eye.

A large amount of soil was cleared away, and soon the crisscrossing network of tunnels and basements was exposed to everyone, with sturdy blue bricks forming every turn and line.

The legionary soldiers stopped in unison, awaiting the final order to dismantle the barrier. Everyone gripped their shields, ready to fight.

As Thesolius waved his hand forward, dozens of soldiers immediately took out the two-handed hammers they had found and began smashing the brick surface. The sounds of shattering bricks and violent collisions were incessant, along with the twang of taut bowstrings.

Broken bricks and stones kept falling, like the first domino toppling. A chain reaction ensued, the originally solid structure was completely destroyed, and the entire tunnel began to collapse. The dust and smoke kicked up by the collision of bricks and stones and the dense and crisp sound of the collision, like a rainstorm, filled the air.

The soldiers exchanged glances and relaxed their guard a little—even if there were thieves hiding in the tunnels and basements, this terrible collapse would bury them underneath, and even if they were lucky enough not to be crushed to death, they would be seriously injured.

Even Tersolius hadn't expected things to turn out this way. It seemed like he'd saved a lot of trouble, but he remained vigilant. His current concern wasn't about a counterattack—those guys hiding in the gutter certainly didn't have that kind of courage.

He was now worried that he would come up empty-handed, since the commotion they made in dismantling the tunnels was quite loud. Logically, even someone who had fainted should have been alerted, but so far there had been no movement... The most likely explanation was that the tunnels and basements had been completely deserted, leaving nothing behind.

As the whistle blew, at the officer's command, the soldiers immediately began clearing the collapsed tunnels and basements. They tossed the sturdy bricks onto the ground, and with their close and coordinated work, their efficiency was astonishing; thousands upon thousands of bricks were cleared away in the blink of an eye. This completely exposed the scene below to everyone's view.

Although a thick layer of dust still covered the ground, the basement, bearing the marks of life, was still clearly visible.

Dozens of wooden stakes stand in one corner of the basement, with a hammock hanging between every two stakes, isolating the user from the damp ground and greatly saving sleeping space.

The corners of the walls were covered in damp moss, and the ground was covered in wet mud. Living here would probably not be a pleasant experience. The body of a normal person would reject this kind of environment. Apart from the hammock, the only thing that could be called furniture was the table in the center of the basement.

This is an extremely well-proportioned large round table, made of solid hardwood as thick as a hand, with a full 12 sturdy legs underneath, allowing the table to stand firmly on the ground and fully support a tremendous weight.

Aside from that, the table had no other decorations, just plain, smooth wood. It wasn't even coated with moisture-proof oil, and some areas showed obvious cracks, giving it a rugged and durable feel.

There were 17 chairs around the table, 6 of which had been smashed by bricks. The chairs were of the same style, made of hard wood, sturdy but not concerned with details or appearance.

Some broken pottery shards were scattered on the table and the surrounding floor, clearly broken tableware. Some moldy bread and broth were also spilled on the ground, giving an ominous impression.

Tersolius flipped down into the basement and stared at the rampant mold—the food was moldy, proving that no one had lived here for a long time. In the end, they had come up empty-handed. The other party was more cautious than they had imagined. Even with the seemingly foolproof method of using parasites, they still left immediately when the situation turned slightly unfavorable.

It's hard to say whether this caution is ultimately correct, but in most cases it helps avoid the worst outcome.

Just as he chose to demolish the basement directly, the broken bricks and stones certainly destroyed most of the traces, making it difficult for them to find these guys, but also avoiding the losses that might have been suffered if they had originally stormed the place.

That guy named Dorit has dozens of shrewd and capable men under his command. If he were to use some underhanded tactics, even the Imperial Legion could suffer heavy losses in this narrow tunnel. This is something we must be wary of.

Of course, another solution was for him to lead the way, but even with absolute confidence in his martial arts skills, his decision would certainly be met with opposition from everyone... and it would also seem too frivolous, so he had to give up.

It now appears they are about to return empty-handed. The target they were supposed to capture had already left ten to fifteen days ago. Their only gain was the demolition of a luxurious mansion... But Tersolius always felt that something was amiss, something felt off...

After carefully examining his surroundings and confirming that he found nothing unusual, Tersolius turned his head to look to his upper left:

"Doctor, come down and examine me. I suspect there's something else strange here."

Before long, Talina, who was quite agile, jumped into the basement. The girl, who often had to collect medicinal herbs, was well-trained in some ways, and at least had quite good endurance.

"Is there any way to check it? It would be best to find some traces."

“A little.” Tarina nodded, but her expression showed a lack of confidence. “But this method is what I use to find herbs in hidden places; I’ve never used it in a place like this before, so it might not be very effective…”

“It’s alright. You’re the only scholar here, and there’s no other way.”

Tarina nodded and put the silver box in her hand into the deerskin pouch at her waist, a pouch she had been using ever since... It's worth mentioning that the pouch made from the giant lion's skin was also hanging on her body, used to carry important medicines.

"Do we need to make any preparations? I'll have them arrange it."

"No need this time. It's just a little trick, no need to make too much preparation."

Tersolius nodded slightly, then stepped back two paces to give the space to Talina—professional matters should be handled by professionals, and there just happened to be an expert here.

At Tarina's request, fresh branches were cut from a large tree on the street outside, and one-year-old branches, about the thickness of a baby's arm and of uniform size, were selected and their bark was peeled off.

Eight such branches moved continuously in Tarina's hands, splicing together with specially cut grooves, eventually forming a pyramid-like frame on the ground. Molten resin dripped onto the seams, temporarily serving as an adhesive.

The pure silver knife was held in slender fingers and dragged across the surrounding ground with precise force. The pure silver, which should have been relatively soft, was not worn down. Instead, it carved deep marks on the ground like a steel knife, as if it were guided by a ruler and compass, drawing perfect straight lines and rounded corners.

Everyone watched this scene with great interest. Tarina always easily attracted attention when she was working, especially with this special ritual. It made people feel both impressed and reasonable, especially with the various natural materials used, which added to its persuasiveness.

As the design was completed, a silver knife was used to gently touch the wooden pyramid, and a blue light was injected into the grooves it had carved. Just like a wide green silk being unfurled, a green light swept across the ground, climbed up the wall, and suddenly dissipated upon contact with sunlight.

At the same time, one of the branches that made up the pyramid turned into black charcoal and broke with a crisp sound... This was supposed to disrupt the balance of the entire structure and cause the framework to collapse.

But those tender white branches defied the constraints of gravity, connecting tightly in a regular way, as if iron nails were piercing through them.

As the green light swept across, several dark green spots suddenly appeared on the surrounding walls. The food and plates that were growing mold also developed a deep dark green color, which was very conspicuous in front of everyone.

The silver knife fell again, turning another branch into charcoal. The green light swept across once more, this time increasing the number of dark green spots, and large patches of light appeared in some corners and shadowy places.

After eight consecutive attempts, the fresh, moist, tender white branches had turned into a pile of charcoal, looking like they only needed a spark to roast meat, even better than what the charcoal burners could produce.

The surrounding walls and ground were also covered with dense green dots, looking like fireflies gathered in the dark night.

Talina, who had been slightly nervous, breathed a sigh of relief—the spell had indeed worked, marking all the "anomalies" around her, and those things with magical traces were marked with a dark, dark green.

But the sheer number of these unusual items still shocked the girl... They were practically everywhere. She had only seen so many traces once before, in her teacher's laboratory. Could this place also be some kind of experimental site?

Attorney Tess stepped forward. What caught the eye most were the rotten food and tableware—the large patches of greenish-blue mold on them proved that the food had been rotting for a long time. Originally, this was the most direct evidence that they had arrived too late, but now it was emitting the most intense green glow…

"Doctor, what do these lights mean?"

"My lord, this means that there are remnants of magic here... Only those residual 'elements' could cause this reaction, and the quantity and range are so vast, which can only mean that the magic occurred here not long ago, which is why there are so many remnants."

Will this residue decrease over time?

“That’s right, and it has a fixed pattern and cycle. Generally speaking, it can’t be detected after three days, unless it’s something that automatically emits ‘essence’. That’s how I find those unique herbs.”

Tersolius glanced back at the rotting things again, the sour smell already reaching his nose... and he finally realized something was wrong—there were very few insects here, especially near the dining table.

Logically, rotting food like this should breed a large number of insects, especially in this damp underground environment where soil might even seep out from the cracks in the brickwork. It would be incredibly easy for insects to get in, but the fact that no insects have appeared despite the food's rotting state is quite strange.

unless……

"Doctor, is there a way to make food rot and mold quickly?"

“I haven’t heard of that, sir. Generally speaking, food mold growth follows a fixed pattern… but judging from the residual effects of the spell, there might actually be such a method.”

"If the food rotting and moldy was indeed caused by them, then these rats in the sewers are definitely trying to mislead our judgment... to make us think that they left a long time ago, and even to make us give up on further tracking and capture."

"If that's the case..."

Tersolius narrowed his eyes slightly, a smile playing on his lips as if he had spotted his prey.

150 Fighting

The messengers, waving their flags, dispersed from the city center, delivering the order to every corner in a very short time.