Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

"hiss!!"

He gasped, his whole body trembling three times, before realizing that he had forgotten his face was already swollen from being hit, but it was not easily noticed because he was numb.

A cockroach, its antennae twitching, scurried past his feet. Its cold, hard shell scraped against his toes, making a soft, rustling sound. He expressionlessly extended his right big toe and pressed the insect to the ground, then wiped the splattered white pus off onto the dirt.

If nothing unexpected happens, he will have to spend a long time here. Before that, he needs to think carefully about what to do next.

"Damn it, I might be stuck here until I rot..."

"That's unlikely."

Just as he was venting his emotions with his usual complaint, the old man next to him picked up where he left off, shaking his head and saying:

"Locking so many people in one place is probably just a temporary solution. After all, there aren't that many places in the city that can hold people. The more people there are, the easier it is for diseases to spread. Even if they want to sell us into slavery, they still need living slaves, don't they? If they just leave it alone, I estimate that many people will die here in no time."

As the old man spoke, he wiped the small knife in his hand clean and put it in his pocket—it was actually a delicate little silver knife, with concentric grooves engraved on the handle for a non-slip grip, and he suddenly became interested in it amidst his boredom:

"How did you know that, old man? This is the first time I've ever heard of the saying that the more people there are, the more likely they are to get sick. Aren't those people corrupted by evil because they didn't worship the gods sincerely?"

The old man suddenly hesitated, seemingly unsure whether he should continue, but ultimately couldn't resist and leaned slightly closer:

"This is what I've observed, you know? I've observed that large-scale infectious diseases rarely occur in sparsely populated villages. Such diseases tend to appear in crowded, dirty cities, and once they do, they spread very quickly. The corpses of the dead will further deteriorate the environment, making the situation worse and worse."

"Back then, the air was filled with a pungent stench of decay, and the ground was covered with blood, vomit, and pus, making it sticky to walk on..."

The young soldier shivered. The description was so detailed that it made his face turn pale... It was as if this old man had really been to many such places. But the key point was that such hellish places were so dangerous that even a strong man would have a slim chance of survival. How could such an old man possibly survive?

"Have you really seen it?"

He couldn't help but ask as well, and the old man opposite him pursed his lips with a serious expression, then nodded slightly to him:

“That’s right, young man. I’ve been to more places than you can imagine, and I’ve seen a lot of things… So I can give you some sincere advice based on my experience, such as trying to keep yourself clean, not touching dirty things, and not going to crowded places when it’s dangerous. These can help you survive a plague.”

"You should wash your blankets and clothes regularly, and air them out in the sun for a day when it's sunny. If possible, clean your room and keep your body clean..."

The old man started rambling on again, but he didn't find it annoying at all. On the contrary, he felt that what the other man said made some sense... Many things that he couldn't understand in the past suddenly became clear, so he listened very carefully and asked questions from time to time.

The old man seemed surprised by his attitude and equally interested, answering almost every question and constantly guiding his thoughts to ask more questions.

Before he knew it, Ferdiant had sat up straight. His heart was pounding, and he was filled with a mixture of tension and excitement, as if a door to a new world was opening before him, and all he could see were sights he had never seen before, which truly moved him.

The old man was clearly good at teaching others. While everyone else was sitting on the ground with their heads down, the two of them were unusually talkative. Although most people were in a state of confusion and fear about the future and didn't bother to pay attention to them, the two of them still stood out and attracted a lot of attention.

Time passed slowly, and the two talked until their mouths were dry and their throats ached before finally stopping, still feeling unsatisfied. Just then, footsteps sounded outside, causing a commotion throughout the entire cell.

creak!

The old, poorly maintained iron gate emitted a sharp scraping sound, and then the blood-red sunset of the evening shone into the corridor, casting a large patch of bright light.

Then came several heavy footsteps, one after the other, but maintaining a unique rhythm, as if advancing together in a square formation. The soldiers, clad in iron armor and wielding halberds, entered the old room and then stood in tacit agreement on both sides.

Ferdiant narrowed his eyes, realizing that something was about to change, and quickly reached out to pull the old man next to him, making him shrink into the corner like himself... Whatever happened next, it was unlikely to be anything good, so they should stay away.

In the glow of the setting sun, there was another set of light footsteps, soft leather boots treading on the floor. A middle-aged man in a black robe walked into the corridor in front of the cells and stopped outside their cells with a clear purpose.

The guy was also holding a wooden cane that was almost as tall as a person. The wood grain was naturally grown into a twisted spiral shape and was shiny from long-term use... It's hard to imagine how one could find such a suitable piece of wood.

The middle-aged man nodded to the soldier beside him, who immediately took a key from his waist and opened the cell door, completely unconcerned that the city guards imprisoned inside might take the opportunity to riot.

Of course, the guys locked up here certainly wouldn't do that. After all, even if they succeeded, what good would it do to break out of this cell? The city is full of Imperial troops, and they would only suffer even more.

After that, the middle-aged man exchanged a few words with the soldier, who then calmly nodded and pointed to a corner of the cell:

"The old man squatting in the corner, yes, that's you, come out quickly, someone wants to see you."

Ferdian scratched his head in confusion, but the old man showed no surprise. He calmly stood up and walked out, turning back to nod at him as he left.

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

The cell door slammed shut. The old man squinted at the sun outside. The streets had been cleared clean, and the residents were all hiding in their homes, too afraid to come out. Surprisingly, the area looked much cleaner and emptier.

The middle-aged wizard in front stopped in the street, also looking up at the setting sun, without turning around, and suddenly spoke:

"It's been a long time, Bivis, my old buddy on the run... Who would have thought that our reunion after ten years apart would be like this?"

The old man sighed softly, then suddenly reached out and grabbed the cane from the other person's hand.

"You have the nerve to say that? You took away my handy tool back then, and it caused me a lot of trouble afterwards!"

"Cough cough cough! -- I was forced into it back then..." The middle-aged man coughed awkwardly twice, then released his cane and let the old man take it away.

"...Speaking of which, how is that little girl you adopted in the south doing? I haven't been back to Hols since."

The old man fiddled with his cane, lightly tapping the end to the ground. A shimmering blue light immediately spread upwards from the tip, flashing swiftly like the cold glint of a knife's tip when the perspective shifts. This improved his expression considerably, and he nodded in satisfaction, not forgetting to refute the words of the person beside him:

"Don't talk nonsense. I can't say I adopted that child. I just took pity on her and taught her a few things... And because I was afraid of implicating her, I didn't teach her for more than a few years. I guess she's only at a level where she can make a living... But anyway, it's definitely better than farming and hunting there."

"Looking back now, I'm glad I didn't take that child with me when I left. Otherwise, she would have had to suffer the hardships of traveling with me. I wouldn't have had to worry about all that stuff. I could handle things much better on my own."

The wizard turned his head to look at him, then couldn't help but shake his head:

"You make it sound so easy, but just looking at you, I know you must have suffered a lot. You don't know that we are the same age, but you are already all white-haired and look like an old man."

419 Trip

Before dawn, a rooster kept in a coop had already opened its eyes, shaken its feathers, stretched its neck, and begun to fulfill its daily mission, waking up the morning with its loud, penetrating crowing.

Even those living in houses with thick walls could not completely block out this sound; one could faintly hear it even with a pillow over one's head. Moreover, this strong and healthy bird would not just call once, but would call out one after another until the sun rose and the dew dissipated. In this era, it was also most suitable for waking up those who were still sound asleep in the early morning.

However, for some people, being woken up so early is not a good thing, because their sleep patterns are different from those of ordinary people, and it is not yet time for them to wake up.

When the loud and penetrating cry reached Tarina's ears, the girl also woke up from her dazed state. She looked at the roof in front of her, which was made of wooden planks and plastered with clay and lime, with a very confused expression. She felt a tight pain in her temples and complained to her body's owner about their fatigue and discomfort.

The last sample processed last night is now on the cabinet next to me. The tissue inside has stabilized, so there's no need to worry about it rotting. The pale green preservative solution even has a gem-like texture under the sunlight. If you ignore the clump of flesh with tentacles in the middle, it's truly a sight to behold.

This wasn't exactly a suitable decoration, but it was a very important material for Tarina, like the most important pillars in building a house, and she couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

Seeing that the sample was normal, Tarina immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyelids involuntarily closed again as she was overcome by exhaustion and sleepiness, and she was about to drift off into a sweet dream once more.

"Giggle!!—"

The rooster's loud crowing once again pierced the house, mercilessly dispelling the sleepiness that Talina had just managed to muster. Her eyes, which were about to close, opened a crack again, then slowly closed again when the crowing subsided—she was utterly exhausted, and besides, there wasn't much important work to do today; perhaps she could indulge herself a little?

"Giggle!!————"

Without even taking a breath, the energetic rooster crowed again, causing the blanket covering Talina to tremble. She opened her eyes with a resentful expression... Even the usually gentle Talina felt an urge to kick the rooster... But after thinking about it, she was too lazy to move and slowly lay back down, only this time pulling the blanket up a bit to cover her head, just in case.

"Giggle!! --~~"

"Ugh—" The girl, who had covered her head with the blanket, kicked it off in dissatisfaction. She had made up her mind to have the chicken coop moved further away, but now she had no choice but to get up, just like a playful child who had to give up their plans after being caught by their parents.

"Giggle!! -- Gaa!"

The rooster crowed again, but this time it was cut short. The final note was abruptly interrupted before it could fully develop, and then complete silence fell outside.

Tarina looked out the window with some surprise—the window had a frame made of willow wood covered with a thin layer of paper, which was an early product of their attempt to make paper. It was too thin, but later they found that as long as it was coated with a layer of oil, it would be perfect for sticking to the window to block out light and wind, so it became popular. At present, it is only common in the Central Province and Cerison.

She didn't know what was happening outside the window, but the noisy rooster certainly hadn't stopped because it had something stuck in its throat... Just as she frowned, wondering whether she should go out and check, a dark figure appeared outside the window.

"Sleep peacefully, sleep a little longer. I've already had the chicken coop moved away. I'll come and wake you up for dinner later."

Tarina's eyes widened instantly, all sleepiness gone, and she even sat up somewhat flusteredly, tidying her disheveled hair.

The person outside the window sighed helplessly:

"Didn't I tell you to sleep a little longer?... I feel like I've made things worse... Anyway, there's nothing for you to do this morning. You'll ruin yourself if you keep going like this."

As soon as she finished speaking, the person outside the window turned and left, leaving Tarina sitting thoughtfully on her bed, letting the thin silk quilt fall off in the summer, revealing her round, fair shoulders. She was in a state of surprise and confusion, and it was clear that she could no longer sleep as easily and peacefully as before.

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

In the morning, the broth and hot bread were served on a tray. Chopped scallions floated on the surface of the broth, and small pieces of chicken, all stewed until tender, floated in the broth. The chicken skin had a bright and appetizing golden color.

Of course, eating only meat would be too bland and greasy, so there are also white taro pieces to garnish the soup. They have absorbed the soup broth, making them soft and flavorful. The loose, dispersed starch also enriches the texture of the soup.

As for the bread, it was nothing special. The imperial army would bake bread once a week, and the bread baked in one batch was enough to supply the army for a whole week. Then, a new batch would be baked before it was completely eaten up. After all, although bread is relatively durable, it is still not as good as real flour. When producing bread on a large scale, it is natural to choose a more reliable method.

This bread becomes dry and hard after a day, and hard enough to crack someone's head after three or four days. It is only soft and delicious when it is freshly baked, and you can easily eat two without any side dishes.

The nearby roads had been carefully leveled and paved with a layer of fine sand and lime, so even in heavy rain, there was no need to worry about them becoming muddy and difficult to traverse. Along both sides of the roads, an armored soldier stood guard every five steps, and archers were positioned atop nearby towers, providing a commanding view. The military camp, almost like a town, exuded an atmosphere of grim determination and iron-bloodedness. The towering walls were sharpened into menacing shapes, like machines constructed of steel and wood, ready to ruthlessly grind the enemy to pieces.

Under such tight protection, Yeliya walked steadily with the tray in her hand. She was already used to the indifferent yet murderous gazes of the soldiers around her, and walked calmly in this place where outsiders dared not even glance at her.

The place protected by this entire elite hundred-man squad was just a simple wooden house with a roof covered with the empire's distinctive red tiles and windows with willow wood frames and paper lining—it looked ordinary, but it was the most heavily guarded forbidden area in the entire military camp, and anyone who approached it without orders would surely die.

And so, passing by those gleaming spears and halberds, Ye Liya walked to the door, gently knocked, paused for a few breaths, then pushed the door open and went inside, followed by a sigh, unsurprisingly:

"I knew you hadn't tidied up yet. Never mind, I'll do it."

In the room, Tarina was standing intently in front of a pile of bottles and jars when Yelia walked up to her without hesitation, grabbed her shoulders, and dragged her backward.

"I've brought you the food. Please eat here. I know everything about the food and there won't be any problems. You can rest assured that it's safe to leave it to me."

"Wait! Yelia! There's only this one, only this jar. Don't touch it, this is..."

“I know, it’s a three-stage parasite culture tank. You told me about it before, so I know how to pack it. Your priority now is to finish your meal quickly and then tidy yourself up properly, because you’ll be leaving soon.”

“…Oh, yes, that’s right.” Talina rubbed her temples, looking a bit of a headache, sat down at the dining table, dried her hands on the towel Yelia handed her, grabbed a piece of bread, picked up a spoon, and began to eat.

"But I still have a lot to do... I finally got the latest samples, and many of my previous assumptions should be verified. I should hurry up and make the most of it—"

"What you should do now is hurry up and dress yourself up, put on some suitable clothes, and then go for a walk in the nearby forest with Lord Tersolius..." Yelia placed three purple bottles in the upper left corner of the shelf and nagged at Talina without turning her head:

“There’s no rush now, my Lady Talina. If you keep running away like this, you’ll mess things up sooner or later. Going out and seeing the world will do you good for your health. You’re the one who taught me that. Besides, it’s no use hiding from Lord Tersolius.”

"I don't know what you're talking about—" Tarina, with a piece of bread in her mouth, turned her head to the left, but her voice grew softer and softer, whether because of the bread in her mouth or for some other reason, it was unclear...

The knives and clips on the silver plates were neatly placed into their respective compartments, and the stains spilled on the table were carefully wiped off with disposable tissues and then thrown into the earthenware jar next to it—all the waste coming out of here would be sent to be incinerated to ensure nothing went wrong.

Ye Liya handled everything efficiently while simultaneously continuing to persuade her superiors and teachers. This young woman was surprisingly earnest and earnest in her persuasion.

“You must have been the kind of person who was immersed in your own world in the past…and you definitely know what I’m talking about. In our village, even a teenage girl knows what’s going on. As they get older, some girls will secretly sneak into the bushes with guys they like. You just didn’t know how to deal with it, so you buried yourself in what you were good at.”

"...And to say something somewhat offensive, I think Lord Tersolius is actually quite similar to you—a remarkable person like him seems to be born to prepare for war, and when it comes to fighting, he is very skilled and has plenty of methods and ideas, but he rarely has the energy to devote to other things...so the situation is in this awkward state as it is now."

"So sometimes you can't just keep avoiding it; today is a perfect opportunity..."

Tarina's face flushed red, and she quickly lowered her head to drink her soup, showing no intention of continuing the conversation, while Yelia confidently clenched her fist:

"You are a smart person. As long as you are determined, you will definitely succeed!"

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

The ground, damp from a light rain last night, was covered in lush, verdant moss that had climbed about three feet up the roots of the trees. The forest was verdant and the leaves were glistening from the rain. With each breath, one could feel the refreshing air cleansing the lungs.

Poplars, willows, elms, ash trees... just like in most forests in the south, this place was quite protected because it belonged to the lord's private property. In the past, a large, leafy tree would be specially chosen at the entrance of the forest to hang those who dared to disobey the lord's orders.

Nobles, who were keen to put every penny into their own pockets, never lacked enthusiasm for protecting their wealth. As a result, the forest resources here are still quite abundant, with a large number of straight hardwoods that can be produced continuously with just a little logging.

The only things civilians could get in the forest were rabbits, dry branches, and mushrooms on the ground. These were the only things they were allowed to take. Rabbits, of course, were a given, as these rampant animals were difficult to hunt completely. Mushrooms were also an important food source for civilians, especially during the humid and warm seasons when these delicious fungi were everywhere in the forest... Of course, there were also some ill-intentioned creatures mixed in with them.

At the base of an elm tree grew a dozen brightly colored fungi with broad, round caps covered in dense white spots. Below the caps were oval stems. They looked fleshy and plump, seemingly very edible, but their vibrant colors directly and clearly conveyed a warning to any animal that might want to eat them... a warning about toxins.

"This is a fly agaric mushroom, a poisonous mushroom that is quite common in many places. It is said that in some places it is used to make poison to murder one's enemies. Through some special methods, a colorless and odorless liquid can be extracted from it. It is easy to find in damp places."

A pair of deerskin boots were placed next to the fly umbrella. Tarina squatted down and gently poked the canopy with a silver knife, but she didn't break it. Instead, some fine dust fell out from below.

Thesolius stood on the road and took a deep breath, letting the fresh, moist air fill his lungs. A smile involuntarily appeared on his lips; he was clearly in a good mood.

"It really does look like something poisonous. I guess the person who tried it must have had a lot of courage."

420 In the Woods

The air in the forest is so refreshing that it cools your lungs. The lush jungle is a feast for the eyes, but if you carelessly find a place to rest, the insects and ants crawling among the moss will often teach such a careless creature a lesson.

Here, it's not just plants that thrive; even in the smallest places, life grows tenaciously and vibrantly, building its own communities and territories, no different from those that wander in the jungle.

A deerskin boot stepped into the thick moss. The rainwater that had accumulated overnight immediately seeped out, wetting the upper. However, due to the tightly sewn waxed stitching, it couldn't penetrate completely, only wetting the surface layer. The real problem was the mud that had accumulated in the low-lying ground floors. Once it stuck to the boot, you'd need a stick to remove it, or you could scrape it off against something else.

Tersolius stroked the bow tip at his waist, his fingers rubbing against the lacquered surface covered with birch bark and snakeskin, using his keen sense of touch to feel the subtle variations in the texture, but he never pulled it out of the bow case. The arrow hanging on the other side of his belt obediently displayed its bright feathers, without a chance to reveal the cold glint of steel.

This made him feel a little uncomfortable, because he was used to shooting prey with a bow and arrow when he came to the wild, using hunting as a way to relax and unwind. He was used to hitting the vitals of his prey with arrows at the finest detail, killing them perfectly without damaging their fur.

The forest was unusually quiet today, with only the footprints of animals remaining on the ground and squirrels jumping around in the branches... But he didn't care for such little things, so he temporarily fell into a state of idleness.

Tarina, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at home in this place. She would always explore the various plants around her with great interest, and before she knew it, she had pulled out a small parchment book and started writing and drawing notes in it.

The area within a radius of several miles had already been cleared. The other two happened to have things to do today, so he couldn't call them over. As a result, the two of them ended up strolling together in the forest, breathing in the fresh air after the rain... The coincidences had made him a little uneasy.

Fortunately, he was enjoying the atmosphere—it was like immersing himself in warm, clear water, everything was peaceful and serene, and he didn't have to worry about anything, he could just enjoy the atmosphere.

Having not worn armor for so long, he felt light as a feather, as if he could leap up a tree in a single stride... Although he could do it even in armor, he might break a branch if he did.

A bird with yellow feathers landed on a branch. Next to it was a round-headed creature dozing with its eyes closed. Its two tender yellow claws were buried under the feathers on its belly, and only a fluffy ball of feathers could be seen. The golden tassels on its head would occasionally lift up, but it remained indifferent to the unexpected guest beside it.