Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

"That's utter nonsense. I'm already doing pretty well to have been a centurion in my life. But you two are still young. What will happen if someone speaks lightly in the future? Now is the perfect opportunity, we can't miss it."

265 Offensive (2)

The situation seemed to be settled. The Holstein soldiers, who had given up resistance, were being stripped of their armor, left only in their linen undergarments, bound, and driven to the city walls, shivering in the cold wind. They would then be sent to prisoner-of-war camps to join the road-building teams, where they would be provided with warm clothing and food to prevent them from freezing or starving to death.

The streets and alleys of the world have been cleared away, and anyone who dares to resist will be attacked without mercy until the blood and broken limbs are enough to make the rest of the people sober and dare not do anything hostile.

All residents were forbidden from stepping outside their homes, or they would be arrested as suspicious persons. The bloodstains and the smeared flesh and entrails on the streets served as the best lesson, enough to make even the most arrogant person cautious. They were taught to cherish their lives and think twice before acting.

The only place still fighting against the imperial army is the inner fortress of the castle. The remaining elite soldiers have retreated there, closed the castle gates, and are determined to make a final stand with the fortified inner city. Several probing attacks have been repelled and some losses have been suffered. It seems that only by transporting engineering equipment into the city can they possibly break through the inner fortress. The soldiers are exhausted after a morning of fighting and need to rest.

In the central area of ​​the castle, underground springs flow out and merge into the surrounding canals. These are the water sources for the residents' daily lives. Even when contaminated by blood, they quickly regain their clarity, appearing crystal clear and making one's throat involuntarily parched.

Baria quickened his pace and rushed to a ditch. A thin layer of moss grew at the bottom of the ditch, staining the stone slabs below a very pale dark green. The cautious young soldier first took a few steps towards the source, and only after confirming that there were no corpses lying there did he feel relieved enough to untie his water bag, fill it, and then lie down and drink to his heart's content. He drank until his whole body felt cool and his mind became clearer, before reluctantly stopping.

Balia looked up, glancing left and right. The scabs on her neck and wrists seemed to have become even stickier, making her feel disgusted. So she quickened her pace, picked up a wooden basin from a nearby house, filled it with water from the ditch, and squatted down by the roadside to wash herself. With the splashing sound of the water being stirred, a faint tinge of blood quickly stained the clear water in the basin.

He forcefully swept his wet hair back, then wiped his face with his sleeve. He casually splashed the water into the nearby ditch, threw the basin back, and then straightened up and breathed a sigh of relief.

The lapels around his waist allowed him to easily keep his back straight for extended periods. To ensure his armor was in the most secure and reliable condition, he tightened the lapels, a requirement explicitly mandated in their military code. Armor must be tight; otherwise, loose armor would become a hindrance, something only foolish idiots and greenhorns would do, something that would earn them a good kick from any captain.

This also made him appear robust and upright, exuding an aura of competence and strength, a stark contrast to the naive and honest boy he once was. Even if his parents came in person, they would probably be surprised and proud of their son's transformation.

Thinking of his parents, his thoughts drifted back to the letters he and others had sent home five days earlier—such opportunities were extremely rare in the south, occurring only once every three months, keeping the clerks and officials in their thousand-man unit busy for two or three days. The messenger caravan would transport the soldiers' letters home back to the northern empire, then distribute them along the way according to different destinations until they reached their families.

Generally speaking, the safety of letters is not a concern. The postal system, which is spread throughout the country, always delivers their items back accurately thanks to its excellent and wide roads. As a soldier in the legion, his generous military pay had long been sent home, and his family's reply confirmed that the amount was correct, which put his mind at ease.

This might seem petty and overly cautious to others. After all, in the empire, the risks of embezzling the pay of elite legion soldiers are terrifying. In comparison, even robbing wealthy merchants is a safer and more desirable option. At least they won't be chased to the brink of despair by those dreadful jailers... Of course, in most cases, they'll be caught off guard and subjected to torture.

Moreover, they were soldiers under Lord Tresolius, honorable legionaries in their armor. That esteemed lord would not allow such a thing to happen, not even the slightest hint of it. The hundreds of heads chopped off in the southern provinces haven't even rotted yet.

But this was the first time Baria had ever seen such a large sum of money, so he dared not be careless in the slightest. At first, he even slept with the bag of money under his head, counting it every day during his rest time. Thinking that life at home must not be very good, he sent all the money back home. Anyway, he had no worries about food and drink in the army, and there was nothing he needed to spend money on. He didn't even have to worry about clothes and shoes, as they were issued to him early on.

From the inner fortress, crossbow bolts continued to be fired. The thick ballistae bolts pierced through the houses like short spears. From the nearby houses, screams and shrieks could be heard from time to time. Stones thrown by small catapults also easily destroyed the wooden houses of the civilians. The defenders deliberately tilted their firepower towards the surrounding houses, seemingly trying to clear these obstacles so that the imperial soldiers could not hide among them, showing no concern for the lives of the civilians hiding in their own homes.

Under such a terrible attack, people quickly fled their houses in a panic, completely disregarding the prohibitions previously issued by the empire. Imperial soldiers were about to step forward to stop them, ruthlessly carrying out their military orders, when a general in magnificent armor waved his hand lightly, immediately clearing the way and allowing these civilians to escape to a place far away from the catapults and crossbows.

This inner fortress is troublesome enough for everyone. The craftsmen are dismantling the catapults and other engineering equipment outside the city, but this will take time. At least for the next two days, they cannot risk unnecessary casualties by launching a direct assault.

The centurion was standing far from the catapult's range, deep in thought, seemingly considering something, but that was beyond their knowledge. As soldiers, their duty was simply to execute orders without question.

A tap on his shoulder, the familiar voice made him release his grip on the battle axe at his waist, and turn to look at his fellow villager and friend:

"Didn't you go pack your things? How come you're here so fast?"

"There's not much to pack, just a few things... Speaking of which, do you think this inner fortress will trouble us for a few days?"

Calido scratched his slightly disheveled hair. This sharp-faced young man was handsome, even more so than his fellow countrymen, deserving the title of "handsome." Now, clad in heavy armor, he was even more imposing and strikingly handsome, easily attracting the attention of girls.

"It should take two days... As long as we can concentrate our firepower, it should be easy to overwhelm the remaining enemies."

Baria took another look at the sturdy bricks and towering towers of the remaining fortress, and after a moment's thought, he gave his judgment, in his usual style—cautious and reliable.

"What a pity... If we linger here for two days, the other castles might be taken by others. I wanted to accumulate more merits."

The two looked up at their distant target, exchanging a few words here and there. The afternoon sun was warm and bright, illuminating the streets and making some things that were originally hidden in the shadows more visible.

Baria silently stopped speaking and narrowed his eyes slightly, while Calido also drew his short sword without making a sound... The two exchanged a glance, and after confirming that they were not mistaken, they tacitly separated to the sides, one in front of the other, and slowly approached an alley ahead.

During this process, they both simultaneously removed their helmets from their waists, fastened them to their heads, and tightened the straps to ensure that this important protective gear would not loosen or tilt, instantly returning to a state of war.

The creaking of their armor as they moved made it impossible for the two silent soldiers to move without making a sound. But their prey seemed confident in its concealment, remaining motionless among the pile of tattered crates and burlap sacks, hoping that the two Imperial soldiers were just taking a leisurely patrol rather than discovering something and deciding to capture the hider.

Unfortunately, this expectation was destined to be dashed. Hearing the footsteps, accompanied by the scraping of metal, drawing ever closer with no sign of stopping, the Hidden One finally lost the courage to continue feigning death. Amidst the dust kicked up by a tattered rag, a small, thin figure darted out and charged resolutely towards the dark passage behind, moving at an astonishing speed. For a moment, Baria even wondered if he had seen a large gray rat fleeing for its life.

"stop!"

A roar came from his throat, and the surrounding Imperial soldiers immediately realized that something was wrong. More footsteps rushed over, making him realize his negligence—he should have called more people earlier so that he could have surrounded the guy and subdued him immediately.

With that imposing shout, the voice didn't stop; instead, it ran even faster. Its two slender legs moved as fast as wheels, and it was about to disappear from sight, hiding in the dark gullies and corners.

Baria moved with incredible speed, his two strong, long legs moving at breakneck speed, but he couldn't keep up with his opponent's pace. By the time he reached the corner, all he saw was a dark ditch filled with various debris. The thin layer of mud on the ground had long been trampled into a mess by the chickens and pigs that lived there. He couldn't make out what those messy marks were.

Then came the sound of footsteps. The Imperial soldiers who arrived looked around warily, gripping their weapons and shields, and bombarded him with questions:

"What's going on? Baria, did you see something?"

"Yes, we just heard you shouting here. Is there an attacker? Where is he?"

"Could there be someone so bold as to attack us at this time? We must find him!"

Baria frowned and looked around. He then went over and carefully searched through all the odds and ends before scratching his head, looking back at his comrade with a puzzled expression.

"I just saw a suspicious guy hiding here. Before we could even get close, he stood up and ran away. He was faster than a rabbit; in the blink of an eye, I couldn't find him anymore. He might be hiding somewhere nearby..."

"Let's find out what that guy looks like too."

"Hmm... he was a skinny guy, very skinny, his hands and feet were just covered by a layer of skin, and his height was about my height."

As he spoke, Baria gestured to his chest, and everyone immediately understood that he was a thin and short guy... But these kinds of guys are the most troublesome because their bodies are small enough to squeeze into gaps that many adults can't fit into. Who knows where he might be hiding? And they can't possibly know the area better than him, making him even harder to find.

Even so, the group was unwilling to give up, so they scattered and searched carefully. They even looked into the corners in front of and behind houses and the crevices between walls, but ultimately found nothing. Just as they were hesitating and preparing to retreat, they suddenly heard a call from Kalido beside them:

"Come here quickly!"

………………

The crowded sewers reeked. Sewage flowing from the drains washed over the area, carrying solid and semi-solid substances of various colors. It was impossible to tell exactly what kind of filth it was, but it was enough to keep one far away to avoid feeling uncomfortable for a long time.

The sticky mud on the ground made a damp, greasy sound when you stepped on it. Black rats with damp fur and bare, worm-like tails scurried past, their small eyes gleaming with cunning, sniffing the surroundings.

"Come here quickly!"

The loud sound, like thunder, reverberated in all directions, causing the black-furred beast to turn and flee in panic...

266 Offensive (3)

With hurried footsteps, the soldiers surrounded Kalido, looking at him with slight confusion.

"What's wrong? Kalido, have you found something?"

Caledo was rummaging through a pile of rotten wooden frames. After pushing aside the messy burlap sacks and broken pieces of wood, everyone finally saw a very narrow hole hidden behind it, which looked like only a dog could squeeze through.

The moss around the entrance of the cave clearly showed signs of scraping, but everyone just stared at each other in bewilderment—because the cave was so narrow that it was hard to imagine how a person could squeeze through such a narrow space. They preferred to believe that it was some kind of stray dog ​​or cat that had crawled in and out of the cave and left these marks.

"This shouldn't be the place, right? Aside from toddlers, no one could possibly squeeze in here. Does he have no bones?"

A soldier with a messy beard scratched his chin in confusion, held out his palm for a brief comparison, and then came to an affirmative conclusion.

Caledo was also somewhat unsure, because based on the size of the figure he had just seen, even if he were folded into three pieces, it would be impossible to fit it in here, but there were fresh scratch marks here, which made him suspicious.

"How about we dismantle this place and take a look? I've already had Tognaro report to the centurion. We can search here a little longer to make sure there aren't any spies spying on us."

Baria caught up from behind, and his words drew nods of approval from the others—both because the method was indeed worth trying and because of his cautious and thoughtful approach.

As soldiers of the legion, each of them carried an axe and pickaxe, which were needed to dig trenches and cut down trees when setting up camp. They were perfect for this task. Several men worked together, hammering and chiseling, and soon they pried open the entrance. The huge blue stone block was lifted from the ground, revealing wriggling worms and smooth, slippery moss underneath. It was damp and slick, and several times it almost slipped from their grasp and hit a soldier's foot while being lifted to the ground.

The exposed portion was now large enough for a strong man to crawl inside. Several people quickly peered inside, then their eyes widened in astonishment—

Under the bright sunlight, several dark footprints were clearly visible on the moss inside. They were all mud stuck from the alleyway. The footprints clearly showed the arches and toes of the feet, indicating that the people who passed by were barefoot and that the trail was leading in one direction.

The sewer wasn't very deep, but it was deep enough for a person to walk through while hunched over. The only thing that surprised them was how this guy managed to squeeze in. Unless they broke their own bones, they couldn't imagine how he could get into the sewer through such a small opening.

"I'll go down and check."

Caledo took the short axe hanging from his waist, called out, and jumped down without hesitation. He stumbled slightly on the slippery moss and barely managed to stand by holding onto the rock wall beside him.

"Don't be reckless, Caledo. Those scoundrels inside might try to ambush you. Let's retreat first and then make further plans."

"It's okay, I'll be careful... It looks like this guy hasn't gone far. If we can catch him... we can't miss this opportunity!"

Before he could finish speaking, Kalido was about to duck and crawl inside when he heard another dull thud behind him. Turning around, he saw Baria removing his armor.

“Take off the outer armor and we’ll just wear the chainmail. Otherwise, we won’t be able to turn around in this kind of place. It’ll be more reliable if the two of us look out for each other.”

Without even hesitating, Kalido reached out and untied the leather straps from his shoulders.

"Then we need to hurry..."

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

This is an extremely crude underground space. The surrounding walls are not covered with blue bricks; they are just a huge hole left after the damp, hard soil was dug out. There are still traces of tools used for digging on the surrounding soil.

It was cold and damp here. With each breath, my mouth felt even wetter, and waves of chill washed over my respiratory tract. It felt as if a coldness permeated my entire body, spreading from my mouth to my lungs. The only light was a torch stuck in the wall, its tip wrapped with strips of cloth coated with resin, which had just been lit.

This is not a place suitable for living. Not to mention living here, even passing by here would make one feel uncomfortable, especially since sewage is constantly flowing from the sewers next to it. The pungent stench lingers in this confined space through the cracks that can be squeezed in. Living here is nothing short of a terrible torture... Of course, if you get used to the smell, this is also an extremely secluded and safe place, enough to evade most of the pursuit.

The small, thin figure walked barefoot on the ground, tucking the fire-starting tools he had stolen from above into his waistband... The ground here was paved with pebbles, which he had brought back bit by bit from outside and embedded in the ground to keep the place somewhat dry.

The figure appeared extremely thin, with only a thin layer of muscle covering his arms and legs. A tattered burlap garment covered him, stained with various kinds of dirt and grime. His skin was equally dirty and dull, and his messy hair covered most of his face, making it impossible to recognize him.

Both feet were also covered in scars, but calluses a finger's thickness had grown on the soles of his feet, tougher and stronger than cowhide, enough to support him running fast on sharp, hard ground. However, he had also lost the ability to bend his toes, and his five toes were crowded together, with the gaps between them looking more like strange cracks, separating the hard, yellowish-black calluses.

Its palms were equally tough and rough, its nails rough and black, and its crevices filled with black mud. At this moment, it was carefully touching the mud wall.

He cautiously turned his head and leaned against the mud wall, listening carefully for a while before finally relaxing a little and continuing to walk into the space.

In the innermost corner, hidden by a large clump of collapsed earth, there was a small shack built from various bamboo, wood scraps, rags, and cotton wadding. It was just big enough to fit a half-grown boy, and looked more like a large dog's kennel.

Upon seeing the shack, his whole body visibly relaxed, his steps became lighter, and he naturally darted forward, disappearing into the shack before he even stopped. He wrapped himself in the tattered cotton and rags inside, and then knocked down a rotten wooden support pole next to him.

The roof of the shack collapsed downwards as he moved, like a clam closing its two shells together. The roof, framed by bamboo and wood, completely covered him, and the mud-bonded gravel on top provided excellent camouflage, effectively concealing him.

Now, this already hidden corner looks even more flawless. Anyone who comes here would think it's just a pile of worthless rubble.

With a tug on a rope, the torch stuck in the wall fell and was buried in the soil, extinguishing the light and plunging the area into darkness once more.

After shutting out the cold and dampness outside, he finally felt at ease. His spirit, which had been spying on the situation since the early hours of yesterday, could no longer hold, and he soon fell into a deep sleep.

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

"I kind of regret it..."

"Aren't you afraid I'll shove your face down a sewer to wake you up if you say that?"

Baria, somewhat annoyed, muttered a low grumble to his friend, while simultaneously gripping the shield in his left hand even tighter, tensing his nerves, and using the torch in his hand to light the way ahead.

"Who would have thought this place would be so disgusting... I feel like throwing up. Did you see that? There's that pale and bluish dead child over there!"

Calido's face was also pale and bluish. Looking at the small corpse floating down the sewer and the various small creatures wriggling on it, his face revealed a complex expression, and he had a strong urge to turn around and leave right now.

"Now that you're down here, stop complaining. Haven't we seen enough dead people?... Now it's time to tell me your thoughts, isn't it?"

"What?"

Barea rolled her eyes:

"Stop pretending in front of me. You're in such a hurry to come down, you must have something on your mind. I know your character all too well."

"Hehe..." Kalido chuckled dryly, speaking softly without turning around:

"It's not really an idea, just a guess... Did you notice that the direction of this sewer seems to lead all the way to that inner fortress..."

"what do you mean……"

Baria, of course, wasn't one to be left behind, and instantly understood his friend's intentions. A look of surprise immediately appeared on his face:

"Then why don't we report it first? If it's really possible, wouldn't it be easier to succeed if we gather our elite forces? What can the two of us accomplish on our own?"

"Don't panic, look here..."

Caledo raised the torch slightly, letting the light illuminate more areas—after traveling a distance, they were surprised to find that this was not the narrow sewer they had expected, but rather quite spacious. They could now stand up and move around, and there were holes of all sizes and winding gaps everywhere, like some kind of natural maze that made them feel daunted.

“This place is definitely not a simple place... I originally just wanted to check the situation, but now we have to catch that guy... I noticed earlier that the kid was frighteningly thin, like a skeleton covered with skin. How could a spy be so thin? He must be a beggar living near the sewers. Although I don’t know why I haven’t seen any other beggars, they must be the most familiar with the terrain here.”

"If we could get that guy to help us, maybe we could..."

"There must be other reasons."

"Of course... once we capture him and get the way out, the credit will go to our team. It's a rare opportunity, we can't let it slip by."

"I still think you're being too reckless; you should be more cautious."

"You're too honest. With tens of thousands of troops, who knows when it will be our turn to shine? How can we succeed if we don't make some great contributions? Sometimes, decisive action is a sign of wisdom. Wealth and glory always go to those who can seize the opportunity."

"We are young and strong now. If we don't make more contributions and accumulate more wealth now, it will be too late later."

Baria chuckled softly, but said nothing more.

The two of them walked along the sewer, occasionally squatting down to examine the footprints left on the moss, and then using these as clues to follow the trail. They turned into a crevice and carefully crawled in one after the other.

After taking only seven or eight steps forward, the space suddenly opened up, the narrow crevice widening into an underground space the size of a house. The surrounding soil showed signs of digging, the ground was relatively flat, and small pebbles were embedded in it, making it firm enough to walk on.

The two men simultaneously raised their torches, and the light from the burning branches and pine wood illuminated everything around them, casting a hazy yellow hue over it.