Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

This was a rather risky strategy when large armies were locked in a standoff, especially since he, as the commander-in-chief, was personally leading the troops... But now that the Aselian reconnaissance forces had been completely suppressed, leading cavalry to clear a path posed a negligible threat to him, and only he could do it so decisively.

While consuming these 3000 men would certainly cause the enemy pain, it wouldn't have a decisive impact on the overall battle situation. These 3000 men were simply slow-moving and unresponsive, which is why they were exposed to the threat of the cavalry... The real purpose of this raid was to put more pressure on the Assele army, and this pressure would prompt some interesting changes—some changes he was looking forward to.

"Let's sound the horn; it's time to call it quits."

After taking one last look at the corpses of the fleeing Asseles piled up on the roads and surrounding fields, Tersolius glanced at the setting sun, stuck a drop of blood from his hand into his saddle, and gave his orders.

The bugles sounded, and the flags waved. After the order was given, the pursuing cavalry immediately turned back, without hesitation even as their blades were about to cleave the enemy's heads and claim yet another kill for themselves, finally giving the panicked fleeing enemy a chance to live.

The banners echoed once more, the horns sounded again, and the large cavalry force kicked up blood-red dust as they gradually departed under the almost blood-red sunset, leaving behind only a battlefield strewn with corpses, blood dripping from their armor and spear tips.

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

Delayed reinforcements often only show the horrific scene of friendly forces being ravaged and destroyed by the enemy, which often deals a huge blow to the morale of the reinforcements.

Countless people's blood flowed into the earth, to the point that it could no longer penetrate, accumulating into wide pools of blood on the surface. In these pools of blood, severed limbs, broken bodies, and foul-smelling entrails were soaked. Valuable spoils of war were hastily looted, leaving behind only crippled armor that was difficult to even repair... The night wind blew, howling across the vast land, like the final cries and screams of the victims.

Before the last rays of sunlight faded from the sky, the piles of rotting, foul-smelling debris on the battlefield had already blended with the overwhelming stench of blood, creating a terrifying odor unique to war and death...

The general who came to reinforce the army was the hot-tempered and extremely warlike Iprah. Half of the more than 5000 men he sent were cavalry. He even complained that the speed was too slow and left his infantry behind.

In his mind, although the Imperial cavalry was renowned, no matter what, a few thousand men couldn't possibly be crushed in less than an afternoon. Moreover, after receiving the news, he immediately mustered his troops and rushed here without any delay... He even had the idea of ​​challenging this guy, Tersolius.

But now, with a gust of cold night wind, he only shivered, feeling a chill run from his toes to his heart... The mountain of corpses before him gave him ample room for imagination, allowing him to think carefully about how they had come to this end...

The severed limbs have a clear and definite origin—they were severed or torn apart by sharp weapons.

The wounds inflicted by spears are smaller, but more deadly—they can reach the internal organs, the most vulnerable parts of the body.

The deformed and twisted helmet and limbs were equally obvious—the horrific damage inflicted by a sturdy, heavy blunt weapon.

And those tangled, indistinguishable mudflats of flesh and blood, the kind of things that only appear in the nightmares of the most insane, make one unwilling to look at them, unwilling to believe them. The answer is found in the acidic water that rises up amidst the convulsions and churning of the stomach—these are horrific objects trampled by countless hooves, containing the remains of countless people.

Occasionally, sounds of vomiting could be heard from within the army—those with weak willpower couldn't withstand the intense visual stimulation and reacted directly to fear and nausea.

General Iprah's face darkened... He suddenly realized that his carelessness had left a terrible opening—the infantrymen he had left behind had no cover from the cavalry in the cold evening...

A kind of fear had silently gripped his heart. The moon in the sky was still bright today, but it no longer seemed beautiful to him. The pitch-black night seemed to harbor ferocious beasts, and a terrible threat was roaming this land... And that man, that man named Tersolius, had already shown him the extent of his power.

Without the slightest hesitation, Iprah, who had just arrived here, had already issued military orders, commanding his scouts to immediately and carefully investigate the surrounding situation, while the cavalry turned back... This place was no longer of any use, and he had no time to collect the corpses here.

………………

As it turned out, General Iprah's worries were unfounded—his mind, consumed by fear and panic, had led him to perceive the enemy's strength as bizarre. Instead of risking advancing in the darkness, his 2000-plus infantrymen, who had fallen behind, set up camp and established a strong defense, thus providing cover for his return.

Looking at the military camp erected by the infantry and the densely packed, colorful tents inside, he finally breathed a sigh of relief in the faint morning light and ordered his cavalrymen to enter the camp to rest.

Traveling in the dark is not without its costs—many people fall off their horses due to a bump or a pothole and never get back up; many others fall behind due to exhaustion; and even more are separated from the main group without realizing it because it is difficult to contact them in the darkness… It is necessary to raise their flags so that they can find this place.

Marching at night in this era was an adventure in itself. The darkness was an obstacle and a threat to them, meant to scrape away their flesh and leave scars as the price.

The exhausted general finally had time to rest. After crawling into his tent, he immediately began to gulp down the cold wine until his stomach was bloated before he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he appeared calm and composed, only he knew that he was truly panicked... On the way back with his army, he was constantly worried that the empire's horns would sound by the roadside and those terrifying armored cavalry would appear to crush and tear him apart.

It's like walking into a deep forest at night—everything seems frightening and untrustworthy, and there are deadly threats everywhere, making you even more cautious when you walk.

He had already sent messengers to deliver what he had discovered to the main army in the rear. His own troops would also retreat south after a short rest, continuing to consolidate their defenses in a more secure and reliable location.

His physical relaxation gradually eased his mental state. Just when he thought that as long as he followed the steps, there wouldn't be any more problems, reality dealt him another heavy blow, making him realize that his worries were perhaps a bit too conservative...

A messenger on horseback rushed into his tent, bringing him terrible news... In the western region, another army of about 2000 men was torn apart by an imperial cavalry attack in the night because of a weakness they had exposed. Before dawn this morning, the imperial army had left behind bloody hoofprints and fled early. General Satomler escaped in a sorry state with only a few men, barely escaping with his life.

Iprah fell silent...

----------

With the help of his guards, Tersolius removed the blood-stained armor from his body, stretched his shoulders, and continued to change into clothes that were not yet soaked by the congealed blood.

He reeked of blood, but not a drop of it was his own. It was the blood splattered from the Asel soldiers he had killed that covered him completely, turning his gleaming silver armor almost red.

In the darkness, he led his cavalry to carve another chunk of flesh from the Asel people. Although under his command, the cavalry were not caught by the enemy and left only with a stench and piles of corpses, non-combat casualties and separations due to the darkness were still unavoidable, albeit in pitifully small numbers.

In this military camp at the forefront of the entire imperial army, the exhausted soldiers finally had a chance to rest. Even the elite, such as the armored cavalry and Passatrian horses, had exhausted their last bit of strength and were now resting amidst the bloodshed after the war.

The horses used specifically to carry vests and other heavy loads were exhausted early on, even with rotations, and the grooms were taking care of these precious animals... The smoke from cooking fires mingled and intertwined in the air, almost forming a unique cloud.

Having changed into clean clothes and washed away the bloodstains from his hair, Thesolius, still faintly reeking of blood, looked up at the scene and sighed softly after a long while:

"It's a bit of a pity..."

315 Urge (2)

"What's a pity?"

A gentle voice came from behind him, and the soft footsteps characteristic of deerskin shoes approached, accompanied by the rustling sound of parchment being turned, allowing him to recognize who it was without turning around:

"I'm just lamenting that such an easy opportunity is gone. I hurt them, but now it seems like I hurt them a bit too much. The Assele's reaction was unexpectedly strong... They should be more conservative from now on."

Tarina was still turning the pages of the book in her hands—this was not the kind of small notebook that girls usually used to record information, but a huge book that was much larger and could cover her entire face. The whole book looked incredibly heavy, enough to break a person's nose, and the four corners were protected by brass.

On the thick leather cover of the book, the contents are clearly stated in sharp and neat gold lettering: A Study of the Geography and Customs of the South - Portojanos, written in the third year of Emperor Icyrus.

"Isn't this exactly what we envisioned? The Assele people are already fearful, their actions will become more cautious, and the main force will be drawn to us..."

"Haha, I really have nothing to complain about in this regard, since everything went very smoothly. It's just a bit of a pity that the opportunity to personally command the battle like yesterday is so rare, and I even miss it a little..."

Thesolius straightened his clothes; the morning sun couldn't dispel the chill of the earth, while Talina continued turning the pages of her book, yet it didn't hinder their conversation at all.

"After all, your position is very different now than before, and the responsibilities you should fulfill are naturally different as well. You must be more cautious and careful in battle... To be honest, what you did yesterday was already quite risky. As the commander of an army, in charge of the lives of tens of thousands of elite troops, there was really no need to put yourself in danger. I believe that the excellent generals in the imperial army can also do a good job."

Talina's tone was normal at first, but as she spoke, a subtle resentment crept in, making Tersolius's scalp tingle. He couldn't help but turn his head slightly and glance at the girl beside him from a rather discreet angle.

Tarina continued flipping through the book, which appeared extremely complex and heavy. The slightly yellowed parchment pages were covered with letters slightly larger than a wasp's head, and the various complicated and difficult terms and conjunctions were enough to make a scholar dizzy. The amount of information contained within was dry and dense, making it a book that required a great deal of willpower and determination to read.

But the girl was reading with utmost concentration. Her fingers slid lightly along the pages of the book, moving very quickly. It seemed like she was just going through the motions, but Tersolius knew that she had already read most of the page and understood almost everything she needed to know. She was even filling in any gaps in her knowledge.

She has always been a genius, that's an obvious fact. Wisdom has always favored this girl, and her thinking and handling of many things are even enough to make him admire her... And because of this, many things cannot be simply fooled.

Just like at this moment, Talina couldn't see him at all, so she shouldn't know he was watching her... But Tersolius knew very well that the girl had noticed his gaze, regardless of any signs, just a sudden intuition.

She was waiting for an explanation... no, that wasn't quite right. To be precise, it was a kind of reassurance. She was waiting for her own reassurance, a promise she knew was a lie, asking for it in a subtle and cautious way, like a gentle cat cautiously probing him with its soft paws.

He didn't know where this intuition came from... but he realized it might be right and he should do it.

So Thesorius no longer hesitated. After a moment's thought, he devised his plan, as swift and decisive as he had been on the battlefield, ruthlessly and aggressively crushing the enemy's army.

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

The book is dry and complicated, but it's not difficult for me. It's just that holding such a heavy book in my hands is really uncomfortable... Such a large and heavy book should be read on a sturdy table with bright light.

This way of reading is completely torturing her wrists; Tarina can even feel her arms aching, and the prolonged soreness has even made them tremble a little… Who on earth put copper corners on this backpack?! It could practically smash someone's head in!

Despite how difficult it was, Tarina still had no intention of leaving. She even used the time to continue learning the knowledge on the pages of the book, while feeling happy and encouraged by the sunlight shining on her.

The man beside her fell into a subtle silence, while Tarina's mood became increasingly cheerful... Just standing next to him in the warm sunlight made the girl have to try hard to suppress the corners of her mouth.

The human mind is a wondrous thing; no matter how wise a person is, it is difficult to predict its course. All sorts of wonderful chemical reactions brew up colors that are so sweet they glow, freely painting over the mind and making even the most mundane and boring things exceptionally interesting.

She even hoped that this time would last a little longer—Tesolius rarely had any free time. As the high-ranking and powerful commander of the empire, all his time was precious, and he needed to think about more important things and make more important decisions.

Opportunities like this are rare and precious, so despite the increasingly unbearable weight of the book in her hands, Tarina forced herself to stay... At the same time, a greedy hope arose within her... a hope that her request would be answered...

Until a hand firmly gripped her shoulder, the girl was still quite at ease, but this sudden contact quickly shattered her calm facade. The sudden loss of strength in her wrist, which was aching from the heavy book, had a terrible consequence—the book would break her toes!

For a moment, Tarina even forgot her shyness and tried to get away in a slightly flustered manner.

A foot clad in an iron boot suddenly emerged, then kicked upwards steadily, striking the corner of the brass book with its toe. This caused the heavy book to bounce backwards for a moment, only to be caught securely by Thesolius's outstretched hand.

"...Hmm? This weight is indeed quite unusual... You must have had a lot of trouble carrying it, Doctor."

Before Talina could answer, Tersolius tossed the book to the guard standing beside him, then freed his hand to knead Talina's soft cheeks, as if stroking a cat's soft ears.

In the morning sunlight, Tarina's long ears visibly turned rosy, the light seemingly penetrating through her thin skin and cartilage, making the blood vessels inside shimmer like carnelian. The powerless girl could only utter a cute protest before quickly giving in and allowing Tersolius to ravage her.

"Don't worry about me, doctor. I'm not so impulsive as to put myself in danger for some trivial reason... Sometimes only I can do certain things, or do certain things to a certain extent. That's an honest statement, and you should be able to tell."

"And don't you have me? Even if I really act impulsively, you'll stop me in time, won't you? I have many trustworthy people around me, and you are the reason I dare to do this."

…………

Tarina covered her face and hurriedly ran away without hesitation. Her last bit of courage had vanished. She didn't even bother to take the book with her. As she ran away, her conspicuous ears were as red as two autumn leaves.

Having easily defeated Talina, Tersolius watched the warm sunlight melt the thin ice around him, and his heart brightened and warmed along with the sunlight... This rare good state made him feel comfortable, but it didn't last long - another problem, not too big, not too small, popped up.

316 Urge (3)

It was a clean and warm house with neatly cut oak floors and walls, a roof covered with red tiles, and thick parchment lining the inside of the windows to let in a little light while blocking out the cold wind. The rest of the furnishings, while not luxurious, were exquisite and detailed, making it comfortable enough to be called comfortable.

But at the same time, it is also an ingeniously designed cage. Not only is the roof sealed with layers of wooden beams, but even the windows are covered with nets woven from fine wire, just like birdcages woven with gold thread, revealing a suffocating pressure.

Alva sat calmly on the bed, his hair neatly combed. The arrow wounds on his face had mostly healed, leaving only faint traces. Although he wasn't wearing armor, he was still wearing the clothes he had worn when he was captured. His light blue robe was embroidered with gold patterns, interwoven with images of lions and waves, and the hem was decorated with violet embroidery.

The table in front of her was smooth and flat, made of sturdy oak. Although simple, it was solid. The toast and stewed meat served on it in earthenware plates and bowls had lost their heat and become cold and sticky, making it unappetizing to look at and completely devoid of the color, aroma and taste that had been there before.

Although hunger continued to torment Alva, she forced herself to ignore the food in front of her, to disregard her body's protests from prolonged fasting, and to ignore wave after wave of weakness, even as she became pale and dizzy. She remained seated upright, persevering and waiting.

She knew what she was waiting for, and believed she would eventually get what she wanted, as long as the other party didn't want to watch her starve to death... as long as she still had value, she could achieve her goal.

The house was comfortable and sturdy. The two guards at the door were heavily armored warriors, one hand on a halberd and the other on a saber at their waist. They rarely spoke to each other, and someone would come to relieve them when it was time. They were as silent as statues cast in steel, dangerous yet quiet.

Next to the house was a tall arrow tower, a defensive structure belonging to the military camp... Of course, it was also perfect for surveillance. Four crossbowmen were always on guard there to ensure that no suspicious people appeared nearby. The surrounding patrols were also closely coordinated, guarding the place like an iron barrel. Not even a nimble mouse could escape their sight.

This made her give up on leaving by other means early on—the soldiers wouldn't kill her, but a foolish and reckless attempt would only worsen her situation.

The most important thing now is to speak with the true leader of the Empire—the legion commander Tesolius, who is in charge of the conquest of the south. Only in that way can we salvage the current terrible situation and find a sliver of hope for a turnaround.

So after realizing this, she began to refuse the food and water offered by the Empire, forcing herself to suppress the terrible hunger and thirst with a cold will, until she was pale from hunger, her lips were cracked from thirst, and she became so confused and weak that her body ached.

Anyone could easily see that she was about to die of thirst and hunger... but she still wouldn't even glance at the food on the table, stubbornly waiting.

………………

How much longer can she hold on?

Tersolius expressionlessly wiped the saber in his hand, observing the sharp, upturned tip and the slightly curved blade, as well as the four-section weight-reducing grooves on the blade, and finally the brass guard inlaid with emeralds, the ebony hilt, and the eagle-head-shaped counterweight.

Tarina thought about it carefully for a moment, and finally gave an affirmative answer:

"If it doesn't affect their health, we'll have to intervene by tomorrow morning at the latest."

"Then let's wait a little longer..." The sharp blade grazed the silk, and with a metallic clang, the soft silk was cleaved in two:

"I want to see just how far she can go."

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

A mouse poked its head out of its hole. It was very weak. In this cold winter, it had not only failed to accumulate enough fat, but it had also become so thin and its fur was dull. Among its many kind, it was a failure and could be eliminated at any time by the lack of food and the cold weather.

Even in its current state of destitution, the rat remained agile and showed no weakness due to hunger or exhaustion. After emerging from its hole, it darted swiftly along the cracks in the wall, always remaining hidden in the shadows.

Its nose is very sensitive, so in just a short while, the mouse can smell the aroma of food—a wonderful smell of fat, grains and meat mixed together, representing precious energy and calories that can make any mouse's mouth water.

As it turns out, seeking things beyond one's capabilities is an extremely dangerous endeavor. This thin rat hadn't even crawled out from the base of the wall when, very close to its food, it was pierced by a spear that fell from the sky. The sharp spearhead easily tore its body apart, almost splitting it in two. It died without even a scream or a struggle.

The silent guard tossed the corpse from the tip of his spear as easily as plucking a fallen leaf from his shoulder, then continued to perform his duty, watching over the important prisoner in the space illuminated by braziers and torches, eliminating any anomalies, even if that anomaly was a pitifully thin rat.

The grease on the broth in the room had solidified into a white layer, and the bread had become even drier and harder, enough to challenge one's teeth. Alva, now delirious, could no longer maintain his sitting posture and collapsed onto the bed.

Hunger is a truly terrifying enemy. It is unstoppable and inescapable, existing in plain sight and constantly tormenting you, driving you to search for food to fill your stomach and water to quench your thirst... Rejecting it requires immense resolve... especially when there is plenty of food in front of you.

Her body, which was originally healthy and robust, was no different from those of the emaciated slaves when threatened by hunger. Even thinking became a luxury and a difficult thing. Her body's instincts were driving her toward the place where food was placed, but her last will was rebuking her for this weak behavior.

As time grew tedious and the night deepened, and she herself thought she would never see that person again, a thunderous and magnificent sound suddenly entered her consciousness amidst the scraping of heavy armor. Accompanied by a sudden burst of light, in her hazy vision, a tall figure clad in heavy armor appeared, his body gleaming with the cold light of steel.

This figure was all too familiar; the impression he had left on her was etched far too deeply. Even in such a terrible state, Alva's eyes widened in shock:

"It's...it's you!..."

Thesolius looked at the prisoner without any emotion, then turned to look behind him:

"Let's save her first, doctor. At least we need to get her to speak clearly."

This was the last thing she saw before she lost consciousness: a familiar, gentle figure in pale blue appeared before her, and that familiar coolness surged into her heart again... making her feel inexplicably relaxed.

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

"It's you!..."

In the bright sunlight, the beautiful young girl from Asel was overwhelmed with surprise. She stared at Tersolius in front of her, completely disregarding her composure, almost speechless. Although it was almost the same sentence, this time it was clearly tinged with different emotions.

Thesolius gazed at her with a subtle expression, scrutinizing her face from head to toe as if seeing it for the first time:

"Although I have seen it before, I still admire your determination and courage... At least before you anger me, you have temporarily earned my respect. Now, you can say what you want to say."