Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

Not to mention those who cheat, violate curfew, drink all night, make noise, and fight—this was not a problem for them in the past, after all, what mercenary doesn't do these things? But now it will really bring whipping and punishment. Some people are even afraid of being beaten. They will tremble with fear when they see soldiers carrying whips and whose armor is edged with red leather.

Under such strict laws, some mercenaries soon couldn't take it anymore, constantly complaining, and quite a few even wanted to run away. Anyway, they had already received their rewards, and they had done a great job. Next, they would just take their money and go home. Why would they want to be supervised by anyone? Although they were paid a lot and the treatment was good, if they had to suffer like this, they would rather go back to the old days when they could do nothing all the time.

Diyul knew things might get worse, so he immediately contacted several other mercenary leaders and had them gather the guys who wanted to leave. Using some of the experience and methods he had accumulated over the years in this line of work, he finally managed to bring these guys back to their senses.

He knew there were bound to be short-sighted individuals among his men, but he never imagined there would be so many! Each and every one of them only cared about the money they had just received, completely unaware that compared to their future gains, that sum of money was nothing at all!

Those who plotted this from the very beginning knew exactly what their goal was—to gain status and wealth, to rise above others, and to break free from their current lowly position! And if they wanted to achieve this, what better way was there than to become a member of the Imperial Legion? What better opportunity could they have?

They had already received considerable preferential treatment for their previous contributions in surrendering to the empire. If they could make further contributions in the upcoming war and climb the ranks... or even think further ahead, after the empire conquers this land and the local nobles are purged to establish a new ruling institution, would these meritorious officials be ignored?

All of this is far beyond what that sum of money can buy. Those guys couldn't even tolerate a moment of restraint. They gave up as soon as they got a little taste of success, just like a very hungry mouse that was fed with straw. They couldn't even see the heavy wheat at the end of those straws.

The vast majority of those who had given up were persuaded by them, and many were even glad that they hadn't acted rashly and run away. However, there were a dozen or so reckless guys who were determined to leave. As for them, Diyul and his men didn't waste any more words on them. After reporting the matter to their superiors, they dealt with them secretly.

With a major battle imminent, they didn't even think about who would let them go now, or what if they betrayed them?! ...So when they insisted on leaving despite our repeated attempts to persuade them to stay, they were already doomed. Either we would take action, or the Empire would. It was better for them to take action themselves and at least show their loyalty to General Natamus, the commander of the Empire.

In such forests, corpses are always easy to dispose of. They don't even need to be buried too deep. As long as they are a little far from the camp, various wild animals will come to help. And the bones that have been gnawed clean will have no way of finding out who it belongs to, and will eventually just stay with the forest.

The remaining people became much more obedient. Under the management of the Empire, they gradually adapted and lost the unbearable feeling they had before. After all, someone had pointed out the goal to them, so most of them were naturally motivated.

Now even their camp is no longer as chaotic as it used to be. Under the reprimand of the officers sent by the Empire, it has been planned neatly and orderly, with roads and drainage ditches, as well as toilets and garbage pits. It is clean and tidy. With a few bloody heads hanging at the edge of the camp, it immediately has the feel of strict discipline, making it clear to anyone who looks at it that this is a military camp.

Everything was quite satisfactory to Diyul. The only thing that puzzled him was that they had been waiting here for far too long. He had thought that the Imperial Army would launch an attack immediately after the rallying cry, but a whole month had passed since the road was opened, and the entire army was still motionless, hiding in a valley in the mountains. The army was training every day, but no orders to attack had been issued.

He wasn't worried that the Empire would return empty-handed. After all, the current situation was that the enemy was completely unaware, with a blade pointed at their back. A single strike would easily annihilate this western gateway that had been blocking the Empire's path. No general could resist such a temptation. Besides, such a large army wasn't meant to be hidden in the mountains for two months; that would be a complete waste of money. Even if the goal was to intimidate the enemy, they should at least be brought out and made visible.

During this time, he had also been gathering information about the empire's internal affairs, increasing his understanding of the country he would be serving in the future. Therefore, he also understood better what kind of person Natammus was... If such a hero were to back down because of some insignificant setbacks, then he would have to wonder if he was dreaming.

Without a doubt, the commander of the Empire's western legion was brewing a plan that would tear off the most flesh and blood in one blow, and he sincerely looked forward to being able to taste the delicious flesh and blood that he had never dared to dream of before, in order to soothe his restless heart.

He couldn't wait to see those once high and mighty lords drown in mud and blood, falling headlong from their noble seats, their heads bleeding profusely, while the places they vacated would be taken by more capable people, like himself...

Thump thump thump! Thump! !

A dull thud came from the side; it was the sentry on night patrol tapping a thick plank hanging from a tree branch with a wooden mallet, urging the soldiers in the camp to get up... This thing was originally made of copper or iron, producing a crisp, noisy sound enough to wake even the laziest and sleepiest man from his bed. But now, to avoid creating too much motive before it was even started, they had to use wood instead, and if that wasn't enough, the officers had to use their initiative.

Upon seeing this figure, he knew what he had to do. He quickly went to the tents next to him and called out the former mercenary leaders one by one. Before long, their camp became lively, and soldiers could be seen everywhere fetching water to wash up.

The flag in their camp was a simple red banner with a unique number embroidered in gold thread, and no other markings—meaning they were a newly formed unit that had not yet earned any honors. However, their shields were uniformly painted with the image of the Imperial double-headed eagle, signifying their current affiliation.

Today seemed like another ordinary day, and he was prepared for nothing to happen. He had already started to figure out where to go to make a move, but suddenly he heard a commotion coming from the entrance of the camp, which was getting more and more lively.

Before he could even go over to see what was going on, he saw the camp gate slowly open. A carriage, driven in by soldiers, slowly drove in, and on the carriage were neatly arranged pine crates, each marked with a number in black paint.

As soon as the carriage came to a stop, the driver immediately began to shout:

"Come quickly and unload the things from the carriage, there's more to come!"

405 Preparations (2)

Pine wood is generally not a good material for making boxes. This type of wood must be old enough to be considered sturdy. In most cases, the wood you can find is about the thickness of an adult's waist. The wood is soft and brittle, making it difficult to use for a long time and unable to bear too much weight.

People with even a little bit of taste will request that more sturdy wood be used when purchasing furniture. However, sometimes chests made of inferior, low-aged pine wood are very popular... for example, they are used in large-scale transportation by the military.

A large army consumes countless supplies every day, and the transportation process is not as careful and meticulous as that of ordinary people. If all of them are made of good wood, it is difficult to avoid damage, and the cost will be quite high. On the contrary, pine boxes that are not old but can be used are more popular.

In the cold provinces of the empire, one can often see dense pine forests stretching for hundreds of miles. The timber there is virtually inexhaustible. Workers cut it down, let it dry in the shade, and then craftsmen quickly make it into boxes through large-scale collective cooperation, which are then sent to the legions in various provinces for use.

They had become quite familiar with these boxes over time, so they didn't hesitate when the other party called out to them. They called over a few people to help them move the boxes, but today's boxes were unusually heavy compared to usual.

One of the sturdy young men thought the box was no different from the usual one and tried to lift it with all his might, almost straining his back. As the box shook, the people around them heard the clanging of metal coming from inside.

Several quick-thinking individuals immediately understood what was inside and hurriedly called over a few more people to help carry it. The soldier who had driven the carriage over also took out a booklet bound with paper from his pocket and began to write and draw on it... This kind of paper was quite unfamiliar to Diyul. Unlike parchment, which was thick and tough, it was as thin as a feather, but a sharp brass pen could write on it without tearing it.

"These are the weapons assigned to your thousand-man team. Repair and replace them immediately. There will also be corresponding armor, distributed according to your specific situation and number. If there is any shortage, report it in time."

Someone nearby couldn't resist using their sword to pry open the box, and then couldn't help but exclaim in amazement—the long, rectangular wooden box was filled with neatly polished swords, the gaps carefully filled with straw, each one without any extra burrs or twists, and covered with protective grease, without a single rust spot.

These standard-issue swords, of course, wouldn't have been painstakingly polished to a mirror-like shine, yet they remained smooth and even. Their sharpness was sufficient for use while maintaining adequate sturdiness. The blades were thick, with flowing, beautiful lines, and remarkably, each one was roughly the same shape. Only minor details showed signs of hand-finishing.

Besides these, the other boxes also contained heavy, sharp spiked battle axes, balanced iron staffs, powerful chain hammers, and various other standard short weapons of the Imperial army—each a rare find they seldom saw in their daily lives. When they were mercenaries, they would have to mentally prepare themselves for half a day before daring to buy them from the blacksmith… but now, they were piled up like a mountain in the middle of the camp, seemingly enough for everyone.

The empire's wealth and grandeur once again deeply shocked these poor mercenaries, but because they had been whipped quite a bit in the past two days, no one dared to start looting right now; they just moved things with even more enthusiasm.

The long-handled weapons were bundled together with hemp rope, the steel parts wrapped in a layer of straw, like bundles of sugarcane, and were carried down and piled together.

One carriage after another arrived, followed by bundles upon bundles of arrows, categorized into several types based on their intended use—some were sturdy and sharp, specifically designed to penetrate armor; others were wide and thin, used to cut through flesh; still others were slender and long, specialized for dealing with chainmail; and some even had wings with vicious barbs…

Each arrow is painted and oiled, making it shiny, sturdy, and not easily broken or damp. Occasionally, an arrow might be twisted due to pressure during transport, but it can be easily bent back into shape by simply heating it slightly over a fire.

Next, the last few carriages brought over one square box after another. Inside were neatly stacked breastplates and backplates, each piece made of fine steel that had been quenched, punched, and woven together, with the edges wrapped in cowhide to prevent the hard steel from scratching the user.

Although these armors only protected the chest and back, they were undoubtedly much better than what they were currently using. Even a powerful bow might not be able to penetrate their defenses and harm them. So many people simply couldn't resist and started putting them on, adding another layer of protection on top of their original chainmail and leather armor.

Then came a series of helmets stacked one after another, all of them pointed helmets with nasal guards and chainmail neck guards. They were of better quality than most of their armor, not to mention that the quality of the Empire's steel was unparalleled among all nations and its reputation was far-reaching. Even their king particularly favored swords forged from the Empire's fine steel. These helmets clearly possessed defensive capabilities that did not match their simple appearance.

Once all the equipment had been inventoried and confirmed to be complete, the officer in charge of transporting the weapons and armor handed the booklet to Diyul and asked him to sign his name in a designated spot.

He couldn't write the Imperial script, so he simply used his own country's script, which inexplicably gave him a greater sense of immersion... It wasn't until now, after truly receiving weapons and equipment from the Empire and truly signing his name on military documents, that he truly felt that he was now a soldier under the Empire's command.

After a brief moment of reflection, his mind suddenly clicked, and he realized something. He reached out and grabbed the officer beside him who had finished his task and was preparing to leave:

"Wait a minute, brother. Are we about to start fighting because we're suddenly being given weapons and equipment?"

The officer shook his head:

"I don't know. I'm here on orders, but you'll have to be prepared sooner or later. After all, the army has already spent so much money and supplies stationed here. They can't just leave like this."

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

A fox darted through the grass, its fur as bright as flames, except for a patch of pure white, milky white, from its chin to its chest and abdomen. The rest of its body, even the tips of its four paws, was covered in red down. Its fur was glossy and smooth, gleaming with the unique sheen of a well-nourished animal.

This is a strong and beautiful male fox. When it moves through the forest, it is as dazzling as a flowing flame. You might even worry that sparks might fly from its fur. Anyone would stop to watch this beautiful creature and marvel at its wonderful color and physique.

For a hunter, nothing is more coveted than this – foxes are inherently cunning, nocturnal, and suspicious, making hunting them, while not inherently dangerous, quite challenging. This drives up the price of fox fur, especially a beautiful male fox like this. Once caught, its fur carefully skinned, processed, and sold, it's easy to earn enough to cover several years' expenses.

For Bakas, who was hiding in the bushes, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If he missed it, he might never have another one for the rest of his life. If he really let this fox get away, he would probably be so angry that he would jump out of bed with gritted teeth when he was about to die.

Before coming here, he had made thorough preparations. He not only fumigated his clothes with leaves all night, but also took a good bath with hot water boiled with herbs to make sure that he was completely free of human smell before carefully entering the mountain in the early morning.

That's why the suspicious and cunning fox didn't notice him, but it was too late. After all, if he hesitated any longer, the fox would have run away... It clearly had no intention of staying there. Its purpose was clear from beginning to end, and it quickly moved through the narrow gaps between the trees and bushes.

The best way is to catch it with a trap and then strangle it with a rope. This way, the fur won't be damaged, and you can easily peel off a perfect pelt... But the problem is that it's quite difficult to trap a fox. So far, he's only succeeded twice. After watching the fox easily bypass his two traps, he realized he couldn't just wait here foolishly anymore and had to take the initiative!

A crossbow was already strung—this is one of the advantages of a crossbow over a bow; once the string is pulled, there's no need to expend energy maintaining it. You can wait and aim at your leisure, and fire it at any time.

He was confident he could hit the guy accurately from a distance of less than 20 paces, but the key was that he had to hit a spot that wouldn't damage the fur. He would be heartbroken if such a fine pelt was damaged even slightly.

Just like that, quietly, he hooked the crossbow over from the side. The whole process was extremely slow and subtle, like the sound of a breeze blowing through the grass. He imagined himself as a dead man, a dead man whose flesh had rotted into ashes and only bones remained. Dead men don't move, and even if they do, it's not because of themselves.

Only after he slowly extended the crossbow and his finger gently pulled the trigger did he take a deep breath, calming his mind and body. Watching the fox about to disappear into the bushes again, he composed himself slightly, then decisively pressed the trigger—

Whoosh!

The crossbow bolt flew off the bowstring. His crossbow didn't have a high draw weight, but it was still quite effective against such small creatures. In an instant, the corners of his mouth began to curl up uncontrollably. Even before seeing the result, he knew that this arrow would definitely hit the target! This was the confidence of an old hunter.

Ouch!

The crossbow bolt flew out, but a scream followed. The fiery red fox suddenly leaped up, letting the bolt pierce its belly without even touching it. The bolt, still powerful, embedded itself in the bushes, from which a man dressed in black suddenly jumped out, the bolt still lodged firmly in his knee.

"damn it!"

The fox quickly ran away again. This creature, which seemed to have become a spirit, moved swiftly through the bushes and soon blended into the lush green mountains. Bakas could no longer bear it and jumped up in a fit of anger, slamming the crossbow to the ground.

The hide that was supposed to be a sure thing and a sure thing for a lot of money has vanished, and instead, an arrow has hit someone else. Now, forget about making money; he'll probably have to pay medical bills too… It's hard to say if this will end well. If someone's bones or tendons were broken, things will be really troublesome.

He never dared to enter this forest before. The lord would hang anyone who entered his forest to hunt anything other than rabbits and wolves. Those who dared to poach foxes and deer were all audacious and vicious desperados. Although he was so poor at the time, he still didn't dare to risk his life.

In other words, after the Imperials arrived, this rule was abolished, but new rules were introduced. They can now hunt, but only at fixed times each year, and they have to pay taxes based on the value of the hunted game... These past two days haven't been the season, and he sneaked in. If he's caught, he'll definitely get a beating and a fine.

He had just cursed, but he could only force a smile... It was too late to hide now. When the fox ran away, he was so furious that he couldn't control himself and jumped up. Even a blind person would have seen him.

"Hey, friend, are you alright?"

He walked toward the other person with a forced smile, his mouth never stopping the whole way, but it was mostly just small talk to try and get closer to him. In essence, it was to soothe the other person's potentially agitated emotions. After all, if he were walking in the mountains and suddenly got shot with an arrow, he certainly wouldn't be in a good mood.

"...It's nothing, get lost."

At first, the other person didn't answer at all, but angrily scratched at the tree trunk. After a long while, he suddenly turned his head and stared at him with bloodshot eyes, looking at him with a sinister and angry expression. He was so frightened that he didn't dare to move. But in the end, the other person just took a couple of deep breaths, spat to the side, and limped away, seemingly not intending to pay any attention to him or even care about being shot with an arrow.

He was genuinely terrified by that one glance from the other person… For a moment, he almost had the illusion of being devoured alive, as if he wasn't making eye contact with a person at all, but rather suddenly seeing a brown bear staring into his eyes in a deserted forest…

406 Each with their own ulterior motives (1)

"Are you really alright?"

Logically, he should have turned around and left after encountering such a good thing, since the other party had personally promised not to pursue the matter. He should have tried to distance himself as much as possible, ideally running straight home through the woods. That way, even if the other party regretted it later, they wouldn't be able to find him, and he could get rid of this huge misfortune.

But seeing the crossbow bolt embedded in the man's knee joint, he still felt waves of guilt—this level of injury could easily cause disability, and the man might never be able to walk normally again. How could he possibly feel at ease causing such great harm to someone for no reason? So, in the end, he couldn't help but ask one more question.

He regretted saying those words as soon as they left his mouth, fearing that the other party would realize what he meant and grab him to demand compensation. It might even be worse; he might have to support the other party for the rest of his life. He was only a 20-year-old young man and couldn't afford such a sudden turn of events.

Upon hearing this, the other person waved at him even more impatiently, their face filled with annoyance and anger.

"I told you it's nothing, get out of here! Get out of here..."

Just as he breathed a sigh of relief and decided to seize the opportunity to leave quickly, the other person's tone suddenly slowed down, and a strange change appeared in their expression before his eyes... He immediately realized that things were going to get bad.

Sure enough, the other person seemed to suddenly come to their senses, and a pained expression appeared on their face:

"...You must have lost your mind! I almost let you go, kid. That arrow you just shot was from you, wasn't it? Look at my leg!"

"This is terrible." His face immediately fell, but he forced a smile and prepared to explain:

"I'm so sorry, sir. I didn't expect you to be here. I was just about to shoot that fox. If the fox hadn't jumped up, the arrow wouldn't have hit you... Anyway, I'm really sorry. It's all that cunning beast's fault..."

"Stop talking nonsense. Can't you see I can barely walk? We can talk about what to do later. Right now, at least get me down the mountain... You've crippled my legs with your bullets, you can't refuse something as small as this, can you?"

Of course, that was the proper thing to do, since he couldn't refuse now. So he could only keep saying nice things and getting closer to the other person, preparing to help this strange man in black robes down the mountain... Although he was puzzled as to why this guy was here, he wasn't so afraid to get closer.

Of course, even as he approached, he remained somewhat wary. After all, something about this guy was definitely off—what normal person would dress like that in the mountains? He looked like someone who would set up a huge pot in the middle of the night to boil dead cats and dogs. Unless there was something he didn't want others to know, why would he do something like that?

So he always held a short knife in his hand—his small sickle for skinning and bleeding—close to his wrist, ready to strike quickly and decisively should his opponent make any move.

Fortunately, the other person seemed to be an unfortunate passerby whom he had accidentally injured. He accepted the help while cursing, and the two of them walked down the road to get to a place with a doctor as soon as possible while it was still bright.

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

This was an excellent opportunity; he himself hadn't expected such a great opportunity to come.

The man in the black robe glanced at the young man beside him with a sinister look, trying to suppress the sinister smile that was creeping up his lips. He was amazed at his good luck... Ever since the empire took over this land, hunting in the mountains during the breeding season of wild animals was not allowed, so he never thought he would encounter anyone in these deep mountains. But he never expected to be so lucky as to run into a poacher.

He was still worried about how to find materials to change his identity—after all, even a fool could tell that there must be heavy security measures in the nearby villages and towns, and anyone who dared to approach would be walking into a trap. If he didn't find a way to change his identity as soon as possible, he would be caught sooner or later.

As for now, everything is fine. He just needs to coax this guy to a place far away from that cliff, then take his bones, peel off his skin, and suck his brains dry... and then he can quietly become another person.

As for now, we can't rush things. This place is still too close to that place, and this guy, to make matters worse, shot himself in the leg with an arrow. Even with his physical abilities, it will take him several days to recover. If we really scare him away now, we might not be able to catch him. We need to lure him to a place where it's easier to make our move...

Thinking this, his gaze grew increasingly cold, moving back and forth across the other person's head like a knife, almost already planning how to deal with his prey... like a farmer contemplating how to prepare the rabbit he had caught in his trap.

But he seemed to have forgotten—even a rabbit has teeth that can draw blood, and strong hind legs that can kick an eagle over…

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

I'm in deep trouble this time, the kind of trouble that could ruin me forever!

Sneaking into the mountains to hunt during the off-season might only result in a beating and a fine, but if someone also injures another person with a crossbow, it's not so easy to resolve... Not to mention, this guy doesn't seem like a kind person at all. If he's so merciful as to forgive me this time, he'll most likely use this incident to extort money from me in the future.

My family isn't exactly wealthy, otherwise I wouldn't have taken the risk of sneaking into the mountains to hunt. If this guy extorts me twice, my family will probably be ruined... If the officials find out that I'm poaching and injuring people, I'll probably be severely punished, and my already impoverished situation will likely become even worse.

The young man, who was initially frightened, became increasingly terrified as he thought about it. He quickly realized that he seemed to be at a critical point where his family would be destroyed and he was about to suffer a terrible fate. After realizing that he was likely to fall into an extremely tragic situation, he was so frightened that he felt dizzy and his head was buzzing.

He absolutely did not want that outcome. Life had finally improved a lot, and there seemed to be hope for the future! No one could allow him to fall back into that kind of life!

But unfortunately, he had just found himself in this awkward situation because of his fleeting act of kindness. Now he couldn't think of any way to get away—he could feel the guy's hand gripping his shoulder tightly, making it impossible to break free and escape easily.

What should I do? What should I do? He felt restless, as if a fire was burning inside him, and sweat beaded on his forehead, but he forced himself to remain calm.

In his anxiety and desperation, just when he was at his wit's end, a terrible idea suddenly and naturally emerged, gently whispering in his ear.

His fingers trembled instantly, and he could barely hold the dagger in his hand, but he still concealed it on the inside of his wrist, carefully hiding it with his sleeve... A black chill began to spread in his heart, as terrifying as a cold poison.

He realized where he was—a deep, secluded forest with dense trees, where the ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves due to the lack of sunlight, and the bushes were so thick that they could block out the view. Snakes, insects, and rodents scurried among them, and wild wolves and beasts could often be seen here, their green eyes roaming around in the darkness.

In such places, whatever dies will quickly disappear; its limbs will be devoured by ravenous beasts. Its internal organs will be the first to be emptied, considered a delicacy, until only a few broken pieces of bone remain to rot in the grass... This applies whether it's the carcass of a dead animal or a human.

A sudden realization flashed through his mind. He realized the best solution to the problem—no one would know there was a corpse in the deep forest, and no one would know that he had come here to hunt secretly and had injured someone. He could tidy himself up properly afterward, and then quietly return home as night approached. The next day, he could live as usual without any difference.

The temptation was too great for him at the moment, so great that even after a moment of panic, he calmed down and began to seriously consider what he should do. He quickly and coldly came to a conclusion—he could not take action directly.

He could sense that the guy was clearly wary of him. His hand was on his shoulder, his fingers intentionally or unintentionally pointing at his neck, leaving his throat exposed. The risk was too great, and he needed to think of a better way.

As he pondered this, he walked forward, and as he passed a broken tree stump, he quietly came up with a plan... He was very familiar with this forest. Even when the lords were still around and anyone caught would be hanged, he had sneaked in quite a few times—after all, sometimes being hanged was much better than starving to death. He would rather end his life quickly on a noose than struggle for a long time in the torment of hunger before slowly dying.