Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

Countless bugles sounded in the military camp, and amidst the officers' shouts, soldiers began to march out of the camp in full gear. The gleaming torrent of steel flowed into every area of ​​the city along the street's ditches, and the entire city was immediately placed under the strictest military control. No one was allowed to leave the city walls, and the entire city was controlled like a huge, disciplined military camp.

The discipline of the Imperials was on full display at this moment. No one tried to disobey the order, and no one gathered in the streets to cause trouble. Even though the order to seal off the city came so suddenly, the people of the city returned to their homes in an orderly manner, as if they had been prepared.

The entire city fell silent instantly, making those who were still moving around stand out starkly...

The sun in the sky had unknowingly moved a distance. In the myths and legends of the empire, this was the hunter god Polotinus chasing a burning red dragon with his spear. But the dragon was always faster than him, and the hunter god was unwilling to give up his prey, so the chase never stopped. The burning red dragon would burrow into the ground in the west, make a big circle, and then emerge from the ground in the east, repeating this cycle every day.

The burning dragon was currently positioned in the western sky, yet it remained intensely hot, baking the earth until it emitted a distorted white light that made it difficult to open one's eyes, as if one had been implanted into an oven for baking bread.

In such weather, even elite soldiers would find it difficult to wear full-body heavy armor, as it would cause them to become dehydrated from the heat... Therefore, the soldiers guarding the city gates wore chainmail over their lower garments, which was both lightweight and flexible while providing a considerable degree of protection.

Being in the shadows of the city gate was much luckier than their colleagues patrolling elsewhere. They hardly had to sweat all day, and there was a well nearby where they could drink cool water anytime. They could spend their days on duty comfortably, which was considered a pretty good job by the soldiers.

With the city under martial law, additional troops were stationed at the city gates, and caravans and pedestrians awaiting inspection were also controlled. Every package was required to be opened and searched, and every carriage was tapped with swords to ensure there were no extra compartments.

Meanwhile, archers armed with powerful bows and crossbows were advancing onto the city walls, preparing to completely seal off the area... Once they completed this operation, even a well-equipped hundred-man squad would find it difficult to break through this region.

The entire city is being transformed into a terrible cage, locking away those with ulterior motives and despicable intentions. What awaits them next is definitely not good.

The caravans and trustees who had been inspected were not allowed to leave. Instead, they were driven into a large circle surrounded by soldiers, separating them from those who had not yet been inspected.

For those with guilty consciences, the scene before them would bring unimaginable psychological pressure. The soldiers' gleaming swords and crossbow bolts seemed to be aimed at them, ready to take their lives and bring death at any moment.

Whether it's escaping for their lives or fighting for their lives, this is their last chance...

A seemingly ordinary caravan was mixed in with the others. The wagons were carrying high-quality wool from Cerisonas, which was used to make fabrics as white as clouds. Each trip could bring in a lot of profit. Such caravans could be seen everywhere in Cerisonas now that order had been restored.

The soldiers checked vehicle after vehicle, but finding nothing amiss after a long time made them slightly less vigilant. After all, the city had six gates, and they weren't sure if they would run into any of them.

In that instant, the sound of the crossbow's bowstring vibrating reached the ears of everyone around. A powerful crossbow bolt pierced a soldier's throat, leaving him with a blank look in his eyes. But before he could even touch the wound, he lost his strength and collapsed to the ground.

The sound of crossbow bolts firing was incredibly dense in that instant. The wool-carrying caravan simultaneously pulled out loaded crossbows from nearby bundles, aimed at their pre-selected targets, and fired. Caught off guard, the legion's soldiers suffered heavy losses immediately, and roars and frantic cries for help erupted.

These men, dressed like caravan members, were exceptionally skilled. Crossbow bolts seemed like extensions of their bodies, accurately hitting even the smallest targets. These powerful, armor-piercing arrows were beyond the reach of ordinary chainmail. One squad guarding the city gate had already suffered over half its casualties, and the remaining men were unable to mount an effective resistance.

Meanwhile, they abandoned the goods used for disguise. Drawing heavy, double-edged scimitars from the wagons, they charged towards the city gate with the swiftness of a pack of wolves.

A soldier attempted to stop the enemy before him, his high-quality longsword thrusting fiercely into the enemy's chest and abdomen from beneath the shield, while simultaneously skillfully protecting his own vitals, making a relatively safe choice in the blink of an eye.

But his opponent, a dark-skinned, slender young man, moved with the agility of a wildcat darting through the bushes, crouching low and slipping past him on his right in the blink of an eye. The instant he reached behind him, he leaped up lightly, his curved blade tracing a full moon arc...

In the blink of an eye, the outcome was decided. The soldier's head fell to the ground, the gushing blood staining the surrounding yellow earth red. The boy who had just made such a dangerous move simply turned and rushed towards the city gate without looking back, his fierce and resolute expression already somewhat distorted.

The remaining soldiers were scattered in the instant of close combat. These enemies, disguised as merchants, quickly won the battle with their ruthless and amazing martial arts. Just as they were about to approach the city gate, a dense barrage of arrows suddenly flew down from the top of the wall, pinning five or six assassins to the ground on the spot. They died without even uttering a cry of pain. The archers finally climbed the city wall and quickly organized a counterattack.

The remaining enemies reacted quickly, immediately seeking cover for themselves. The thin, dark-haired boy tried to hide behind a carriage, only to find a merchant hiding there with his wife and child.

Without the slightest hesitation, he expressionlessly swung his curved sword, the sharp blade decapitating the merchant in the blink of an eye. The blade then flipped, poised to strike the woman's neck…

"Hahaha!……!"

Just then, amidst the screams and howls of terror and despair that could be heard everywhere, a maniacal laugh suddenly broke out, revealing surprise and a bloodthirsty will. A dark figure leaped from the carriage, instantly blocking out the sun.

There was no time to dodge. With the sound of steel crushing bones and tearing flesh, a short-handled spiked battle axe cleaved straight into the black-haired boy's skull, tearing all the way to his chest before stopping. It split his upper body in two, scattering his viscous internal organs and flowing brain matter along with blood all over the ground. A terrible smell of blood and stench swept over the area.

With a terrifying laugh, her long golden hair shimmered brightly in the sunlight. Half-covered in blood, Karila ripped her axe apart, pulling out a rib still attached to her flesh. Without hesitation, she transformed into a whirlwind of steel and pounced on the enemies who were still dodging crossbow bolts.

Just like a lion charging into a flock of sheep, with its strong arms swinging, the sharp axe brought out gusts of evil wind, and in the blink of an eye, it tore up flying flesh and spilled internal organs, and the severed arms and fingers scattered everywhere like birds in the air.

These enemies, who had just defeated the city's defenders with surprise and superior martial arts, became the targets of slaughter in the blink of an eye. They were as vulnerable as infants in front of Karila, and were swiftly slaughtered and crushed amidst her terrifying laughter.

The enemy's curved blade, which he was trying to parry, was deformed and bent by the heavy axe. At the same time, another axe cleaved into his shoulder, tearing off his shoulder and large chunks of flesh with a twist and pull! Exposing his bloody lungs to the air.

Before the axe was even pulled out, she nimbly stepped back, dodging a slash from the side. Then, with a vicious kick, she sent the charging enemy's head slamming into the carriage. The back of the axe followed, crushing his head into a mangled mess, with red and white liquid splattering everywhere.

Karila didn't care that she was surrounded by enemies; in fact, she was more than happy to be surrounded.

They're back! They're all back!

An indescribable joy made her burst into laughter. With a heavy swing of her double axes, she severed both arms of the man before her. Amidst his screams of agony, she swallowed the hot blood that flew into her mouth. Her serrated fangs were stained red with blood, making her look like a ferocious beast tearing apart a corpse.

Although she had lost to Tersolius fair and square, and it took her over a hundred moves to finally fall... she still felt extremely frustrated, since she was constantly being pressured by Tersolius and basically never had the upper hand.

This even made her doubt whether her martial arts skills had deteriorated, and she had been feeling down for the past few days. But at this moment, these guys who were clearly skilled were no match for her, which made her completely abandon her previous self-doubt and also gave her more confidence in her upcoming challenge against Tersolius.

In the instant she was distracted, a shrill scream came from behind her. The sound of a blade tearing through the air sent shivers down her spine. Just as she was about to scramble to avoid it, a volley of arrows suddenly flew by, turning the two attackers into pincushions.

"Haha! Thanks!"

Karila laughed loudly and swung his axe towards the city wall. Then, he suddenly turned around and threw the axe in his right hand. The spinning blade, accompanied by a vicious whistle, chopped off half of the enemy's head, causing the crossbow bolt in the enemy's hand to fall to the ground. The mechanism was activated by the impact, and the arrow flew out but could only stick into the ground.

The female warrior, her long, golden hair stained with blood, stomped her foot heavily on the ground, kicking the shield that had fallen to the ground into the air. She then caught it firmly and intercepted two incoming crossbow bolts.

After throwing an axe, Carila continued to drive the enemies back with a shield and another axe. With her beast-like instincts, she was always able to block the crossbow bolts that the enemy attacked from behind. The axe she swung would tear open large pieces of flesh as soon as it touched the body, causing blood and internal organs to gush out like a smashed water pipe.

With the constant support of archers on the city wall, the assassin squad of more than twenty people was quickly wiped out. Only the area in front of the city gate was turned into a bloody swamp, which soon attracted swarms of flies as dense as bees.

Karila let out a long sigh of relief. After such an intense battle, even she felt her fingers were a little sore and numb. Just as she was about to stretch them, a gust of wind suddenly flew past her ear, bringing a chilling, stinging sensation...

She quickly turned her head and saw a man dressed in ordinary clothes nailed to the tall city gate... A black arrow, as thick as a finger, pierced his chest as easily as pinning an insect to a wall with a needle. A lot of blood and foam gushed from his throat, and the crossbow bolt in his hand, already cocked, gleamed with a bluish-green light.

The man twitched a few times and then stopped moving, while the fletching of the long arrow was still trembling slightly. Looking in the direction the arrow had come from, Tersolius slowly lowered his great bow, hung it on the saddle beside him, and then strode toward the city gate.

A large contingent of legionary soldiers, their armor gleaming, surged forward from behind him, herding together the still-scattering merchants and pedestrians with commands and shouts. Any disobedience was met with a brutal whipping. Those who dared to resist were killed on the spot…

Karila swallowed hard, still shaken—she hadn't even noticed how the arrow had flown over; her usually sharp intuition seemed to have malfunctioned, and her presence outside the military camp without permission made her somewhat guilty… Moreover, even the most oblivious person would sense that this wasn't a good opportunity for a challenge…

Tersolius remained silent, only quickly scanning the bedrock among the surrounding corpses before frowning:

"My personal centurion, is there a bearded, green-eyed Assele among these men?"

Faced with Tersolius's question, Carila subconsciously recalled the scene of carnage she had just witnessed, analyzing what she wanted to know, and then came to a definite conclusion:

"No, none of the people here escaped, and none of the guys I killed looked like this."

151 Transfer (1)

What lay before them was a scene of utter devastation, a veritable slaughterhouse. Torn limbs and gooey entrails were scattered everywhere, and not a single scream could be heard – no one was lucky enough to be among the injured.

This doesn't seem to be the work of a single person, but rather like releasing a pack of hungry lions into unarmed slaves, leaving those horrible beasts to tear human bodies apart.

The cause of all this was the woman next to him, with a pretty face, who was drenched in blood from head to toe. She looked rather embarrassed, and the two axes in her hands were still covered with broken bones and bits of flesh, with blood seeping into the handles.

Fortunately, most of the dead were still recognizable, and the so-called bearded, green-eyed Assele was not among them.

This man with such distinctive features is, if nothing unexpected happens, the mastermind behind the turmoil in Cerisonnas. He instigated and facilitated the rebellion through various means, turning this important horse-breeding area of ​​the empire into scorched earth.

Having committed such a heinous crime, no one in the city would be willing to let this guy go. However, he displayed the cunning and shrewdness of a schemer, not only using special methods to prepare rotten food in his lair to mislead his pursuers, but also sending his elite men disguised as a caravan to leave the city.

If Karila hadn't suddenly appeared out of nowhere, they probably would have succeeded... Of course, even if they had broken through the city gates, how they would have escaped the army's pursuit was another question altogether.

Carila, on the other hand, wasn't too worried at this point. After all, she had definitely made a contribution, and a significant one at that.

Although she was just passing by, she understood what was going on with just one glance—like those bandits who were about to escape after looting in Boyar's territory, the lord would generously reward the warriors with a lot of money as long as they could cut off their heads. She had made quite a bit of money from this.

Her hometown was extremely poor and harsh. The people there were tough and fierce. Whenever they felt they couldn't make ends meet, they would consider robbing their neighbors or other people in other places. So even a short trip between two villages would have a very high chance of encountering robbers.

Some villages may appear to be ordinary fishing and farming villages, but given the chance, the villagers will pull out their axes and spears from their houses and play the roles of robbers and bandits... Sometimes, only by doing this can the village survive the harsh winter, and it has even become a way of life for some people.

Of course, this has nothing to do with her. If these people dare to rob her, she will kill them all. She doesn't care whether others starve to death, but she certainly can't let herself starve to death or be killed. When she encounters bandits plundering in the lord's territory, she will also take the initiative to help in order to earn a reward fee and some travel expenses.

Of course, you should also take as much money as possible from the bodies of the murdered bandits...

She was now rummaging through the pieces of flesh on the ground, trying to find some shiny coins or other valuables, completely ignoring the sticky blood and other mess, her fingers digging into the flesh and making a sticky, unpleasant sound.

But after searching for a while, Karila was very disappointed to find that these guys were a bunch of paupers—not to mention money, they didn't carry anything except for scimitars and crossbows, no flint to start a fire, no bags of dry food, and not even a water bottle.

Most of the scimitars and crossbow bolts were damaged in the chaotic battle. The sharp blades were unable to collide with the axe blades, and were either bent or broken. Even if they were sent to the blacksmith shop, they would need major repairs.

Needless to say, those sophisticated crossbow bolts were something she couldn't possibly figure out...

Just as she was feeling somewhat dejected, Thesolius slowly walked up behind her, looking thoughtfully at the mess on the ground:

"I didn't expect you to think of this."

"Well?……"

“How could a group of guys preparing to escape only carry weapons, especially when being chased by a large army? They didn’t bring any food or water… They’re just here to die and draw attention; their real escape route isn’t here.”

"Oh...! Hmm... Ah... I see..."

"The information contained in these subtle details is often easily overlooked. I didn't expect you to have such thoughts... It seems that I can consider assigning you some tasks that require more autonomy. You did a very good job this time."

…………

Caught off guard by the unexpected praise, Karila could only nod repeatedly... Ultimately, she didn't reveal her true purpose. Besides a vague sense of unease, the more important reason was... that the feeling was surprisingly good, which improved her mood somewhat.

If a weak coward said such a thing, she would only feel insulted. Cowards have no right to speak... Before this, she had never met anyone strong enough to be worthy of her respect, and she had never cared about the words of weak people.

An itchy feeling spread from her heart, like a sapling stretching and spreading... but it made her smile from the bottom of her heart, too lazy to even scavenge the body parts on the ground.

Meanwhile, Tessolius was issuing new orders, and he already had new plans in mind:

"Yuriedos!"

The well-built centurion immediately stepped forward to obey the order, his helmet with a red tassel held at his waist.

"Lock up this city and the surrounding area. For three days, I will not allow even a single sheep to leave. Do you understand?"

"Order!"

As the order was given, the city gates suddenly opened, but the caravans that were stranded in the city were still not allowed to step out. A large force of elite light cavalry roared out and quickly occupied the surrounding roads and fields, firmly controlling the area around the city.

Furthermore, their constant patrols made it even more difficult for those trying to break through the blockade; escaping from these swift and agile warriors was virtually impossible.

Now the city has become a complete cage, and he can reach inside and grab that venom-spraying pest...

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

The huge earthen stove was burning with charcoal. The flames were not scorching hot; you could even put your hand in without getting burned. It always emitted a constant, gentle heat.

A huge flatbread was spread out and sprinkled with a thick layer of sesame seeds. A nimble middle-aged woman, her head covered with a headscarf, bound all her hair. With a small tool adorned with sharp points, she pricked the flatbread with numerous holes. Then, she sprinkled it with a generous amount of chopped onions, diced tomatoes, and lamb, spread fresh butter on top, and then deftly wrapped the flatbread around, twisting it twice in her hands to form a semi-circular dough ball.

The bearded man next to him reached out and took the dough, then leaned his upper body into the earthen stove and slapped the wet dough against the scorching hot stove wall.

One after another, the two quick-witted people finished pasting all the pies in no time. Then they covered the pies with the lid and waited for the remaining embers to bake them.

This food originated from Asel in the south, but the method of preparation has changed a lot in the process of spreading it, and it is far from the original... or rather, it has become more imperial in style, and it can definitely not be called the authentic Asel flavor.

However, because the juicy and delicious hot pie was so tasty, this pie, which had been improved by the Imperials, was accepted by many Asel people and spread throughout the Empire in just a few years.

The couple makes it twice a day, and it sells out before the afternoon, allowing them to use the afternoon to buy ingredients for the next day and prepare.

This kind of life wasn't easy; they had to get up very early every day to light the fire. They started working before the roosters crowed and didn't go to bed until very late at night... but they could earn a lot of money and live a relatively affluent life in the city.

After finishing their own business, the couple finally had time to see what was happening outside. There had been some unexplained commotion outside since earlier, but because they had been given orders, they dared not open the door to see what was going on.

Only when the ban was lifted did they dare to find out what had happened... and then they saw elite soldiers patrolling the streets and alleys with their gleaming swords and spears, as if the city had suddenly become a huge military camp, with fully armed legion soldiers everywhere.

They watched with some worry as a patrol of legionary infantry left the street, exchanged glances, and were about to say something when a sound of footsteps suddenly came from the side.

The footsteps were very leisurely, as if they were visiting a good friend next door. Each step was steady and coordinated, but the speed was not slow. Before long, the person who made the footsteps appeared in front of them.

"Arich, what are you doing here!?"

The bearded male homeowner exclaimed in surprise. The man in front of them looked young, with smooth, wrinkle-free skin and a clean-shaven beard.

His facial features appear to converge in the center, but not very obviously. Overall, he can still be considered a spirited young man. His thick eyebrows give his face a touch of honesty and simplicity, which is further emphasized by his slightly drooping eyes.

It is worth mentioning that this young man has a pair of bright, clear, grass-green eyes that reveal a cheerful expression and highlight the unique energy of youth.

"I just arrived here a couple of days ago, didn't I? This whole mess has really scarened me so much that I'm too scared to leave. So I had no choice but to swallow my pride and come find you, my old friend..."

The young man named Alicize blinked and spoke to the shopkeeper with a hint of sarcasm, while adjusting the bundle on his shoulder.

The only thing on his body that could be considered a weapon was a short sword at his waist, and it didn't look very good. Apart from the blade, there was no extra metal on it, and even the handle was made entirely of wood. Such a handle could not protect his hand from sword attacks; its only purpose was to prevent his hand from slipping onto the blade.

Add to that his dusty and tattered burlap clothes and shoes with his big toe showing... this young man looked quite destitute, almost ready to become a beggar.

“Yalich, what happened to you... Didn’t you used to go into business with Hado? You even bragged to me about how you made a fortune…”

A wry smile appeared on the face of the young man named Arich:

"Don't even mention it... If I hadn't been lucky, you wouldn't be seeing me now."

Just as he was about to continue speaking, the shop owners realized that they had made a customer stand at the door for so long, so they quickly opened the door and invited him in.

The young man didn't refuse and walked into the shop with a smile... Just as he entered, a group of fully armed soldiers walked over from the street corner, only to find the street clean and empty.

………………

"Hado and I used to run a wine business in Karicuya in the south. The grapes there are famous throughout the empire, and they produce a lot of wine every year. In those big cities, a bottle of that wine would cost at least six silver coins!"

Six silver coins!

The shop owners both exclaimed in unison... Their lives were relatively comfortable in this city, but six silver coins were still not something they could just casually spend, and certainly not the kind of luxury they would use to buy a bottle of wine.