Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

388 Water Source (1)

"Ark! Ark, are you there?"

He finally breathed a sigh of relief, dropped the sword, stood up, took two steps forward, opened the door, and began to complain somewhat irritably:

"Zorua, didn't you speak up first?! I thought some bad guys were targeting this place..."

"Are there still idiots like this? Aren't they afraid of dying? There's martial law in place right now. Anyone who dares to cause trouble at this time will probably die a horrible death."

"We still can't be careless. You know, at least 80% of the people in the city have left. There are so many empty houses that it's hard to find anything if you just wander in. I wouldn't be surprised at all if someone were stealing or robbing someone at this time."

This guy named Soloar was someone he met in the literacy class. However, unlike him, who suffered terribly from rote memorization, this guy was quite smart. Even at his age, he learned very quickly and his grades were far ahead of the rest of the class. Even the usually stern Imperial scholar would often praise him. In last month's selection, he undoubtedly succeeded in becoming an official, responsible for assisting the city gatekeepers in recording the entry and exit of supplies.

This sounds like just an ordinary job, but it has already made Ark so envious that he can't sleep at night... After all, this is the goal he has been looking forward to for several months, and he has even developed a lot of jealousy towards his smart friend because of it.

And it soon became clear that his jealousy was not unfounded. After getting the position, Zoroya immediately received a monthly salary of eight silver coins, plus four days off, and instantly became the most sought-after person in the entire neighborhood. Within a week, three or four matchmakers came, all wanting to introduce girls to him...

He wasn't envious of the other man's popularity with the girl; after all, he was already a father of two boys. But the status and privileges this guy had gained were something he had long coveted… This one setback forced him to postpone his plans for several more months, and it was very likely that things would get worse and worse, until he finally missed his chance…

After seeing him open the door, Zoroya, with an air of familiarity, squeezed in sideways, grabbed the water ladle beside him, scooped half a ladle of water from the vat, tilted his head back, and drank it down. In the blink of an eye, he had poured the last drop into his lips, and only then did he smack his lips in satisfaction before putting the ladle back.

"My throat is so thirsty it's burning. The last time I drank water today was when I woke up this morning. I've been busy all day. If I hadn't come to see you now, I think my mouth would have been breathing fire."

"I don't have much water left. I carried this all the way back from Jaselin Town step by step. Do you know how much effort I put in..."

Yak rolled his eyes, complaining to him with a hint of helplessness. As he turned around, he closed the door with his right hand, then stepped forward, pulled out a chair next to the table, and sat down.

"You came all this way for more than just a drink of water, right? I'm exhausted today. If you're free, I'm going to go to bed early."

"Don't rush, don't rush, I came to see you this time because it's good news... Don't say I, Zorua, am not a good friend. When something good happens, you are the first person I think of, Ark! It's also thanks to you that you insisted on staying in the city under these circumstances, otherwise this kind of good thing would not have been delivered to you even if it were free."

Now Ark was truly interested and couldn't wait to ask the other party:

"What did you say, Zoroya? What good news is there?!"

"This is definitely good news. I've been given a task—to thoroughly investigate the condition of the houses in the rat's nest area to the west. I'm also allowed to hire two helpers. If you work with me on this, you'll get two silver coins as a reward. How about it? Are you in?"

"As long as you can get involved in this, it will definitely help with the subsequent assessment. With a little manipulation, it'll be a sure thing!"

The so-called "rat's nest" is not a real rat's nest, but refers to a messy and dirty area on the west side of the city, where most of the residents are beggars, gangsters, and prostitutes. The houses there are of varying heights, dilapidated, and have no unified plan, just like ants randomly digging their nests underground.

What's worse is that the people there are a mixed bag, and even the most powerful locals can't figure out exactly who's in there. In the past, it was a place where crime was rampant, with gang fights and killings happening almost every day, and people dying in the streets at any time.

After the Imperial Legion arrived, the law-abiding Imperials naturally could not tolerate such chaos. The elite soldiers, clad in armor, quickly ransacked the area, rounded up a large number of gang members for hard labor, and hanged the leaders on poles, forcibly establishing an order.

However, while the Imperials could ruthlessly and indiscriminately execute all criminals, they could not simply move the large population living in the entire rat's nest out. Therefore, although they were willing to transform the place, they could only proceed slowly.

Now, judging from Zorua's words, the Empire seems to be preparing to take advantage of this opportunity of dispersing most of the population to thoroughly clean up those most complicated and dirty urban areas, in order to prepare for the subsequent transformation... This is obviously a very important matter.

In the past, upon hearing such words, he would have kicked and punched the guy out the door immediately... But now the gangs there had already been mostly dealt with, and the shady characters inside had to leave the city due to water shortages. For them, who had accepted the empire's orders, the danger was negligible.

"Okay, I'll do it. When do we start?"

With that thought in mind, he no longer hesitated. In any case, his wife and children had already gone to his mother's place, so he had basically no worries. All he needed to do next was to figure out how to handle the matter properly.

"Don't rush, get some rest tonight, I'll come find you tomorrow morning. Remember to eat something beforehand, we'll probably be busy for a long time."

The bald-headed Zoroya smiled contentedly, and at the same time reached for a piece of soft cake on his plate:

“I knew you would be interested, so I reserved this position for you a long time ago. Tonight I’m going to contact another quick-witted and hardworking helper, and the three of us will work together tomorrow.”

………………

It turns out that when a man isn't being supervised by his wife, he tends to eat whatever is convenient. Generally speaking, as long as the food tastes okay and it fills his stomach, he'll accept it, since he still has important things to do that day.

The sausage he brought from his hometown was at its best and had a unique flavor. He could slice it into thin slices with a knife and eat it directly. He could also cut two thick slices of bread, put the sausage, some leftover vegetables, and bean paste inside, and eat it in a few bites with some cold water. This was just the right amount of time he had wasted because he had too many worries and hadn't slept well.

I finished my breakfast in just a few bites. I can deal with the rest of the meal when I get back... but I need to fill up my water bladder first, who knows how long I'll be busy today...

Before leaving, he hung his short sword on his waist, slung his shield over his shoulder, and put on a hard leather vest under his clothes for extra protection. On his head was a thick cowhide cap... This thing was less of a defensive armor and more of a lining to prevent the helmet from rubbing against his hair, but it was still useful for blocking stones and cuts.

Zorua said he was coming to see him, but there was still no sign of him. So after finishing his tidying up, Ark closed his door and sat on a rock outside the house to wait quietly. As the sky gradually brightened and the eastern sun illuminated the entire street, he finally saw the person he had been waiting for.

Soraya was much younger than him, but his hair had fallen out due to an unusual illness when he was a child, making him look somewhat fierce... but at this moment, compared to the person next to him, he could even be described as harmless and kind-looking.

He was a middle-aged man of medium build, thin and bony, with very narrow shoulders that looked like two diagonal lines extending down from his neck, and well-developed trapezius muscles like burls on a tree.

In addition, three connected scars completely cut open the man's left cheek, leaving a bald patch on his forehead. The skin on one side of his cheek was rough and pitted. His eyebrows were short and thick, his eyes were narrow, and his mouth was full of rotten teeth. In short, this was definitely not a pleasing appearance, and in the past, it would have easily attracted the attention of gang leaders.

"You've come to Zoroastriana. And who is this gentleman?"

"Let me introduce you. This is Ark, and this is Morsaforso, from the Empire. This guy is very capable. Morsaforso, and this is Ark, an old friend of mine. Today, it's just the three of us doing this job."

The man named Morsaforso forced a stiff smile at him, which looked chilling, but he could notice the forced goodwill in the man's eyes.

"Nice to meet you, sir. We'll be busy all day. I hope you've prepared enough water; it's the thing the city is short of these days."

"Thank you for reminding me, sir."

A stiff smile returned, accompanied by a brief response. Meanwhile, Zoroya was prepared, holding the measuring tape, paper, and pen.

"Alright, let's not waste any more time. This job isn't difficult, but it's quite time-consuming. Let's set off early and finish it sooner."

The clock atop the city tower slowly tolled, its clear and melodious sound quickly spreading, waking those still asleep and urging them to take a step forward…

389 Water source (2)

The ground was damp and muddy, but there weren't many footprints, thanks to the fact that most people had left to escape the polluted water source. The once bustling crowds had become sparse, which also relieved the three of them of the worry that someone might try to sneak into their pockets during the crowds.

The pickpockets here used to be notorious. They would hold a thin, sharp blade between their fingers and cut open a pedestrian's bag in the blink of an eye, reaching inside to steal valuables. They would even slash the faces of their pursuers with the blade when they tried to catch them, thus buying themselves a chance to escape. So they were known as "knife-and-fingernail pickpockets" here. Moreover, they had close ties with the underworld. When passersby discovered they had been robbed, they often had no choice but to accept their bad luck.

But no matter what, even though it's much quieter here, it's still not a good place. If it weren't for this job, Ark probably wouldn't want to set foot here again for the rest of his life. But now he has to pull himself together and complete the task at hand.

So they decided to start from the northwest corner of the city. There was no particular reason; it was just closer, so they wouldn't have to make a special trip. Also, the houses were most densely packed there, so it was best to deal with them all together.

During this process, they need to simply measure the size of the house and mark its location, but they don't need to record the owner of the house. After all, this place is already so chaotic that it's hard to say who the owner of the house is. Presumably, the empire won't care. This place will eventually be completely cleared out, and those unidentified and mixed-race people inside will also be cleared out, just like opening a long-sealed box and cleaning out the various items inside.

And so, on the blackened wooden planks, they used a tape measure to measure repeatedly, then painstakingly tried to figure out how to divide those messy shacks and cramped houses, while carefully recording it on parchment.

Errors due to skill limitations are tolerable, but if someone deliberately avoids recording things out of laziness and then messes things up later...

No one wanted to test the authority of the imperial laws. Even those who had only been under imperial rule for half a year were keenly aware of this, since those who dared to cross the line usually ended up in a pretty bad situation.

This place is inhabited by people with no hope and no future. The houses here are also the most twisted, filthy, smelly, and dilapidated. As he walks up the stairs, the twisted, dark wooden planks emit a piercing scream. Crows on the roof stare with red eyes. Fat, filthy rats scurry about everywhere, and overflowing sewage can be seen almost everywhere.

Even the measuring tape they brought was visibly dirty from using it here, and the work was far more complicated than they had imagined. It took them an entire morning, and after a careful discussion, they found that they had only just finished a small corner of the work... The complexity and disorder of this place far exceeded their imagination, and it would probably take at least a week to complete all the work.

"Um... how about we go get something to eat?"

The fierce-looking Morsaforso was the first to make the suggestion, and the other two were also interested. After all, they had been busy until now and their hunger was rising. It would be good to eat something to fill their stomachs and take a rest.

Of course, it can't be in a rat's nest... This is definitely not a suitable place to relax and rest.

"Luckily, the Broken Wall Tavern is still open. Let's go, this meal is on me. Let's go try their borscht."

Zorua appeared quite generous, packing his things first and inviting the two of them to leave together. Ark carefully marked the places they had already measured before following them.

The Broken Wall Tavern was an affordable place, and although it was the closest tavern to them, it wasn't too far away either. The time they spent traveling was enough for them to have a good chat.

"Mr. Morsaforso, I heard you come from the Northern Empire, so you must be an Imperial citizen?"

To Ark's surprise, Soloar also knew very little about this person, and didn't even know if the other party was a real Imperial. He only started asking now, but he was just as curious, so he silently pricked up his ears.

"No, I am not an Imperial citizen..."

The fierce and ugly-looking Morsafer shook his head. When he walked, his shoulder muscles remained completely still, making it look as if his upper body was numb and unnatural.

“I come from Turlu in the East… I was a slave sold to the Empire.”

"slave!?"

"?..."

The two of them stared in surprise, forgetting to move forward. They watched as the other took a few more steps forward, still staring blankly at the other's back.

Moorsaforso's fierce face suddenly relaxed, revealing a slightly tense smile:

“You’re surprised, but I was indeed a slave before… When I was 12, my father was conscripted to repair the king’s garden and never came back. My mother remarried and never took care of me… Then my uncle sold me to slave traders. They sold me to the province of Cerisonas in the empire.”

“I fought desperately in the underground arena there for a long time, and by good luck I survived to the end… Then General Tersolius, in order to make up for the labor shortage in the new province, pardoned all the slaves, allowing us to farm and live like commoners.”

"...Then why did you come here?"

Soroya asked with great interest, and although the other party only gave a brief description of his life, speaking lightly, anyone who wasn't a fool would know that this experience was definitely not so easy or simple... rather, it was a complete synonym for bitterness and hardship.

Although he had never been to the Empire, he knew that slaves certainly didn't have a good life—let alone those who survived bloody battles in the so-called underground arenas... To be honest, just imagining it made him feel breathless, and if he were actually thrown there, he would probably go crazy in a couple of days.

Morsaforso's movements were very steady, each step seemingly leaving a mark on the stone, while his slightly hunched shoulders and the occasional twitching of his fingers made him look like a lion ready to pounce at any moment... It seemed a bit strange at first, but after learning about this guy's past, his movements suddenly became inexplicably dangerous.

In particular, the other party had a simple-looking short sword and a dagger with a curved blade like a crescent moon hanging on his waist. Upon closer inspection, one could see traces of blood on the wooden handle.

"That's quite simple. I came with the army... the so-called follow-up construction legion. Since we were granted the right to cultivate the land, we naturally had to perform labor service during times of war. I was among the first to leave, setting off with the conscripted Kurist people."

“We were responsible for transporting supplies and carrying out construction projects. I’ve almost completed my military service. I heard it’s easy to make money here, so I thought I’d stay here for a while and then go back.”

Zorua nodded thoughtfully... The reason he approached the guy back then was because he thought this guy seemed quite capable and could fight well. Now it seems he was indeed very prescient!

With such a ruthless character who fought his way up in the underground arena, he wouldn't be afraid at all even if someone robbed him now... This is the vigilance and preparation that must be taken into account when doing this job, and so far, the money spent is really worth it.

"Um, sorry, no offense intended, but I still want to ask, will the Imperial Legion really allow you to stay in other provinces for an extended period of time? The Empire seems to be quite strict about this."

Even Ark has become exceptionally polite now. He is considered to be well-informed and has seen a bit more, so he knows better than the person next to him what the so-called underground arena is all about. The Empire’s regular arenas do not allow bloody battles that take human lives for pleasure, but the rich and nobles really want to seek that kind of unique thrill, so this kind of thing naturally came into being.

Strong men were bought from slave traders, trained, and given rudimentary weapons. Wild beasts were also purchased, and a spacious, secluded area was found. Such places were thus established. Because those willing to spend money were wealthy and powerful nobles and merchants, they were often not stingy with the lives of slaves, resulting in an alarmingly high mortality rate.

If the man in front of me wasn't lying and really did come from that kind of underground arena... then I'm afraid he's killed countless people or beasts, making him a ruthless character who kills without hesitation, just like an elite soldier of the empire.

“Normally, it’s not allowed. After we complete our service, we’ll be organized to return to our hometowns… But the South has just been conquered, right? Everything is in ruins and there’s a shortage of manpower, so staying here for a month or two shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I plan to save up some more money and then go back to buy a cow. Our place is very close to the Kurist people's territory, so it's cheaper to buy a cow there and I can save more money. There are also a bunch of other things I want to buy. Right now, the house I live in is still a thatched hut. I need to get a sturdier one that I can't stand the cold wind.”

“When I first went there, I suffered a lot. It was completely different from my warm hometown. Especially in winter, it was so cold that your fingers would freeze off. I was relatively lucky because I could fight, so I received some preferential treatment and was able to sleep in a room covered with straw. The others with me had to share a room with dozens of people and were whipped from time to time. At least half of them would die after a winter.”

The previously rather sullen Morsafso was now completely open and talkative, all traces of his earlier awkwardness gone. He chattered on and on, even slowing his pace to speak, his lips constantly curving upwards as if to say that he was also happy to share his story with others.

But the two people listening beside him didn't seem as optimistic as he was. In fact, what Morsafso said with a smile were all rather cruel and terrible things, completely devoid of any element that could make people feel happy or joyful.

"One of the friends I made in the first month was named Little Ears. I'm sure you can guess why. He was gutted by a hyena, and the beast started eating his internal organs while he was still alive..."

“I cut along the side of his neck with the knife. He was shaking violently when he died, so I moved quickly and cut off his head directly.”

Moorsaforso continued talking with great interest, but the other two had completely fallen silent, exchanging glances from time to time with contorted and conflicted expressions.

Upon glancing back at them casually, Morsafoso suddenly realized his mistake, a sheepish smile spreading across his face as he awkwardly shut his mouth… He clearly understood his abruptness; after all, who says such things to someone on the first meeting?

"Ahem!... Mr. Morsafso, you sound like a warrior with extraordinary skills. Since you have such abilities, why don't you join the Imperial Legion? I've heard that the elite soldiers there receive very generous treatment. After retirement, they even receive land and monetary compensation from the state. In any case, it's better than what you're doing now, isn't it?"

Yak was definitely the quicker one. He quickly changed the subject, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere... then he realized that the awkwardness might have only been between the two of them from beginning to end, because the other person smoothly took over his new topic:

"That's true... but someone like me is not really suited to be an excellent soldier."

"Why do you say that? Don't armies all admire warriors?"

"Haha—that's what most people think, but the army has never needed a so-called warrior who is good at fighting alone and being brave. I've survived all by myself and I'm used to doing everything myself and acting on my own initiative. If I were in the Imperial Army, I would definitely have my head chopped off."

"For me now, being able to survive without resorting to murder is already a blessing, so I won't think too much about it... After all, my life is so easy now, and I have something to look forward to, so I won't make any unrealistic expectations."

The two nodded, feeling a significant reduction in the distance between them. Just then, they were about to exit the intersection of the Rat's Nest district and leave…

390 Water source (3)

When that eerie noise came from behind them, the first to react was Morsaforso. The fierce-looking man almost instinctively drew the curved dagger from his waist, gripped it like a beast's claws, and then ducked and spun to make way for the thing that was being thrown at him.

Before his opponent could leave his attack range, Morsaforso lunged forward without hesitation, his gleaming curved dagger striking the area below the back of the head where the spine connects without any resistance. As he pulled it out, he also made a vicious hooking motion, pulling out a wisp of scarlet, net-like material.

In the blink of an eye, the sprayed blood had already landed on the faces of the other two men, while the man whose neck he had severed with a sharp blade fell straight to the ground.

Morsaforso's already fierce face was now completely stained crimson with blood, making him look even more terrifying, like a monstrous demon... But at this moment, this demon-like face was gradually revealing a hint of astonishment and fear of rapidly conquering and expanding territory. His fingers even began to tremble rapidly, and he could not hold the dagger in his hand at all, which fell to the ground with a clang.

"What did you do!"

Ark felt his legs go weak and he trembled so much that he couldn't stand up. He took two steps back and, unable to find anything to support him, fell to the ground, shouting in terror. Meanwhile, Zoroya shakily grabbed the short sword at his waist, but in his haste, he lost his grip and dropped it. In a panic, he quickly lay down and tried to pick it up.

Just moments ago, the three were chatting and laughing, but now one was covered in blood, one was sitting on the ground, and one was groping around on the ground like a blind man, with a convulsing corpse next to them.

The scene was chaotic and strange, filled with some odd humor, but Morsafso couldn't laugh at all. He was completely consumed by fear, looking more terrified and desperate than the other two... The despair was like someone who had finally climbed out of a bottomless well, only to fall back down because of their own stupidity.

"No! That's not it! I didn't mean to kill him! I didn't mean to kill him, he just suddenly rushed at me! I didn't do it, I didn't do it!!"

In the end, he even roared, his whole being exuding a sense of collapse and madness. At this moment, Ark could no longer care about anything else. He struggled to his feet and drew his sword. He cautiously pulled Zoroya to his side, but his body was stiff and he couldn't take a step.

Just now, before he could even react, Morsaforso had already killed another person with a dagger, as easily and naturally as killing a chicken… It was completely an instinctive action. This guy was more dangerous than he had imagined. Who knew if the other guy would go berserk again and kill them both?