Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

No one understands the difference in martial arts skills better than soldiers who fight on the battlefield, and therefore is more aware of this terrible gap.

Of course, some people can hit the bullseye every time, and quite a few at that, but to do it so that each shot doesn't collide with the others and precisely fills every gap... especially with such a powerful bow, is something that probably only Tersolius could do in the entire legion, the entire empire.

What soldier wouldn't want to follow such a brave and invincible general? What officer wouldn't want to serve under him? And what legion wouldn't be honored to be under his command?

Only a general like this can lead them to victory after victory, bringing them supreme glory time and time again, wealth, dignity, and precious yet rightful victories. Who wouldn't want to follow in his footsteps?

Amidst the soldiers' murmurs, Tersolius turned to look at Talina beside him:

"Doctor, please write this down..."

"The force with which you strike the string is crucial, and on this point I recommend... paying attention when pushing the bow with your lead hand..."

"Adjusting your breathing is a crucial step; don't panic, that's the most foolish and cowardly thing to do... Don't move your shoulders unnecessarily, that's a key part of your structure..."

Tarina used a brass pen to write neat and beautiful characters on the parchment on the wooden board. She not only recorded the language of Thesolius, but also organized and arranged it accordingly. After finishing, she bound it with silk thread, and it could be regarded as a complete book.

"Sir, are you planning to write a book about archery? Are you intending to distribute it and have it recorded in a grand library?"

After finishing her notes, Tarina couldn't help but ask the question; the girl with sparkling eyes was clearly very interested in it.

ask for leave

I'm taking a day off to rest. I'm exhausted today. I need to organize my thoughts and give myself a break.

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163 Germination (2)

The Empire's army is a professional army and an important channel for the common people of the Empire to achieve upward social mobility. Every commoner who aspires to this goal will prepare his own weapons and protective equipment, and their ultimate goal is to join the elite legions and become a respected legionary soldier.

Once their skills are recognized and they receive this honor, they will become full-time soldiers for the next 15 years, fully supported by the state. They will be responsible for honing their martial arts skills and training their discipline, constantly tempering themselves in war until they become the best soldiers.

Even if they don't achieve enough merit, or even if they spend all their military pay, as long as they live to the point of retirement, they will receive a piece of land and a sum of money from the state, enough for them to support themselves.

Such a professional, off-the-job army, honed through the flames of war, possesses a will and combat skills that ordinary conscripts cannot match. Naturally, the financial resources required are also incomparable, costing countless gold coins and consuming massive amounts of resources every day.

It is precisely because of such a large pool of excellent soldiers that the empire's army has been able to achieve victory after victory on the battlefields on all sides, crushing any enemy who dares to covet this vast and fertile land into mincemeat and using them to enrich their own land.

Countless commoners and slaves worked on the land, in the mines, in the forests, and in the workshops... The immense wealth generated supported the country's vast and formidable army. Relying on the Pantalis River, which runs through the entire country, smooth and developed shipping attracted merchants from all over the world. Amidst the prosperous commercial activities, rivers of gold and silver flowed through the lifeblood of this nation.

That is why becoming a legionary soldier is an honorable thing in any corner of the empire. Their families will be so proud that they will shed tears, the most beautiful girl in the village will cast admiring glances at them, the other young men in the village will be so jealous that they will break their own bows, and the tribunal of the village will take good care of their families.

Even after retirement, these veterans are still respected by the people of the Empire. Whenever there is something to discuss in the village, their opinions are always sought, and slightly wealthier merchants are very willing to hire them as their bodyguards.

Therefore, whenever a legion receives permission from the Senate and the Emperor to issue a recruitment notice, all the strong young men of suitable age in the vicinity will gather here, hoping that they will be the lucky one selected from among ten.

………………

"Baria, hurry up! Grab your sword! And eat this pie quickly, and finish this soup! Don't forget to tie your boots!"

A plump middle-aged woman was wiping the sweat from her hands with an oil-stained headscarf. The sweat wasn't from the heat... Her heart was pounding, a mix of fear, anticipation, and nervousness coursing through her mind.

Despite being so nervous she was about to faint, the woman forced herself to maintain her usual capable and assertive demeanor, urging her son to prepare as quickly as possible while keeping her hands busy packing his luggage.

The dry food I made last night is emitting the aroma of grains, and it also contains crunchy nuts. Just two pieces are enough to fill you up.

The water bladder, made from thick cowhide, is the work of the village's best leatherworker. When filled with water, it won't leak a drop even after a week of walking around, and it will remain smooth and supple for several years.

There were also two sets of clothes to change into, leggings and sturdy shoes, straps for hanging ornaments, ropes for hanging a shield, and an oilcloth cover to keep out the rain... After packing all these into the package and tying them up properly, it could be carried securely on one's back.

Her husband was polishing the tip of a spear with a fine whetstone until it gleamed and sharp enough to pierce cowhide with a light touch. He then handed the spear, with its oak handle, to his son, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small cloth bag from which came the crisp sound of coins jingling.

“Old Boris is a heartless bastard! He only paid such a price for such a fine donkey of ours… Keep these safe and don’t show them to anyone, not even Caledo! Don’t stare at me, kid. I know you’re close to him, but anything can happen in front of these shiny little things. Use the copper coins I gave you for everyday use, save this money for more important things…”

Their child was a robust young man with curly black hair, a big nose and small eyes like his father, and a similarly honest, round face, though he looked much younger.

The young man had a simple and honest personality, just like his appearance. He nodded repeatedly under his father's tutelage, seemingly having absorbed a lot of his teachings. His mother, having finally finished packing, came over and began to put various things on him.

"Don't panic when the time comes. Even if it doesn't work out, it's okay. We have other options. If it doesn't work out, come back early to avoid any danger on the way... I'll contact the sawmill and ask that old guy to find you a better job."

"Don't listen to this old man's discouraging words!" The middle-aged woman glared fiercely at the man beside her, then muttered to her son:

"This is General Tersolius's legion! You must work hard! Who knows when the next opportunity like this will come? Maybe by then we will all be gone, and you will be an old man."

"Cough cough cough... Your mother is right, this is a great honor, and you must do your best to strive for it, but you still need to be careful to protect yourself. I asked your Uncle Maris to take care of you on the road. If anything happens, listen to him. Be sure to stay on the main roads and travel with your buddies. Don't go alone..."

The couple seemed to have endless things to talk about, constantly giving their son instructions and advice. The young man, however, showed no impatience, listening attentively to every word and nodding repeatedly.

"Balia, we need to get going. Let's hurry."

A loud shout came from outside. A large group of young people, dressed like Baria, carrying their own spears, swords, shields and other weapons, gathered together and boarded the carriage at the village entrance. A handsome young man was waving towards their door, calling his companions to catch up with the group.

"Calido is calling me, I'm off!"

"Be careful on the road! Stay with everyone."

"understood."

"I will take good care of Balia, old man, you should go back and rest."

"Be careful, all the young men in this village are on your carriage."

“I know, my son is inside! Even if it costs me my life, I can’t let anything happen to them.”

"goodbye!!"

"goodbye!"

"..."

………………

Teams like these are everywhere in the western region of Cerisonnas and the neighboring province of Miles. The recruitment orders of the Golden Legion have attracted all the young people to gather here, each of them filled with hope and expecting to reap that glory.

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

"You always manage to surprise me, Talina."

Tersolius smiled and put down the book bound in parchment. The supple leather was strung together with sturdy twine, the edges were neatly trimmed, and the words "archery" were written on the pale yellow leather.

"I just tidied things up, sir, it's nothing."

“You didn’t just tidy it up…” Tersolius couldn’t help but turn the pages again, admiring the neat handwriting that looked as if it had been measured with a ruler.

"It was just one night, Doctor. In just one night you transcribed everything I said, removed all the unnecessary parts, and extracted the most concise sentences. They're not complicated or awkward at all. Even a child who has only had a few years of schooling could probably understand what it means..."

"And you probably didn't sleep last night... Don't cover your face. I know you have plenty of ways to hide your fatigue, but you can't keep the lights off in your tent."

A faint blush rose on Tarina's fair cheeks, seemingly a little embarrassed, but also mixed with a different kind of emotion.

“Your tent is to the left of my door, I can see it at a glance… Adding an extra layer of felt won’t block the fire, and it could easily set your own tent on fire, so be careful.”

"Don't ask me how I figured it out. Your shadow clearly reflected your entire process on the tent. I wasn't the only one who saw it."

"Ahem! ... Although the book for adults has been compiled, it costs a full 21 silver coins, which is a bit too high a cost."

The rather abrupt change of topic made Tersolius burst out laughing, and this laughter earned him a reproachful look from Talina, as if she were blaming him for not following some unwritten rule.

“Alright, alright… 21 silver coins is indeed too expensive. Most people wouldn’t be willing to spend such a large sum of money just to buy a book… I suppose so. But a month ago, I instructed the craftsmen in the camp to make a new type of paper. Take a look.”

As he spoke, Tersolius reached into the table and pulled out a stack of yellowed soft paper, which he placed on the table. The paper was covered with black specks and had rough edges. It was also incredibly thin, looking as if a gust of wind could blow it away.

Tarina curiously picked up the paper on the table, flipped through it a couple of times, and then a regretful expression appeared on her face:

"Sir, although this is indeed a type of paper, its quality is so poor that it's practically useless..."

"That's right. On its own, it's a very poor quality product, but our craftsmen have done their best. This isn't something that can be achieved overnight; they still need to figure out the specific techniques gradually. To be honest, I didn't expect them to be able to make it so thin. It seems they must have borrowed other techniques. Also, if they spread the pulp too thickly during production, the resulting paper will have no flexibility whatsoever, and will even be as fragile as a clay slab... But if a sheet is too thin..."

Thesolius stacked the three sheets of paper together, flattened them, then picked them up, crumpled them in his hands, and smiled with satisfaction.

"By stacking more layers like this, we can avoid the problem of paper that is too thick and easily broken, and also solve the problem of paper that is too thin and difficult to use... Moreover, even with more layers, its cost is still much lower than parchment, and it will be even lower as the technology matures, and the quality will also get better and better. Maybe then ordinary people will be able to afford paper."

Talina hesitated for a moment, then spoke up:

"But sir, even if we stack several more sheets of this paper, the quality is still not good enough for printing books... It's still useless for now."

"Of course, they are just experimental products now. I don't expect them to work. It's just a good start, and the future looks promising."

"Moreover, I think there are some issues with the choice of raw materials. Perhaps there is too much straw. Unfortunately, I don't know which raw material is better... I think it's tree bark, but I don't see that we have that kind of plant here. We'll have to find it ourselves."

"As for now, we can try printing on parchment first. We can afford it. Let's print a few hundred copies first to test the effect."

"Sir, I actually wanted to ask you this yesterday... You must have some other plans, right? If it was just about recording techniques, you would have finished by now. But why are you making so many copies? Are you going to teach more people?"

"That's right, you guessed it!"

Thesolius turned the pages of the book one after another. Of course, his archery skills were much more than this. If he were to record everything, two more books might not be enough. This was just the beginning.

"Before I tell you, let me ask you a question, Doctor: do you know how much it costs to train an elite soldier?"

Tarina frowned, thought for a moment, and then slowly shook her head:

"I don't know that, sir..."

"That's normal, you've never been in charge of this before... Training an elite soldier is extremely expensive, and I've found that even with such a high cost, we still haven't achieved the best results..."

“Our army has sharpshooters who can hit a target from a hundred paces away, masters of spears, warriors skilled in close combat, knights who are one in a hundred, and excellent engineers and craftsmen… Each of them possesses excellent skills, but it is difficult to pass them on to others. At most, they can only teach a few of their own colleagues, and after retiring, they can teach the boys in their hometowns. It is difficult for them to spread their skills within our legion.”

"So I thought, what if we collected our experiences in books, organized and sorted them in more ways, and then disseminated them to the entire army... or even to our country, through more convenient and inexpensive media? Would that have a greater impact?"

164 New Blood (1)

The empire's roads were not only smooth but also extremely intricate and interconnected. Almost every village had a road connecting it to the imperial main road. The officials of the villages and towns along the way were also responsible for maintaining the safety and integrity of the roads, especially when the army was advancing. The empire's harsh laws would not tolerate any dereliction of duty or corruption, and once discovered, they would be severely punished.

Such roads are extremely expensive, but their benefits are equally obvious, and even ordinary people can easily enjoy them—the help that smooth, wide, and easy-to-walk roads bring to pedestrians is undeniable.

Such roads will not accumulate water even during torrential rains, nor will they produce large amounts of mud like ordinary dirt roads, making it difficult to walk. As long as your feet are on solid ground, you will feel safe from the bottom of your heart.

The torrential rain caught everyone off guard, leaving them soaked to the bone. The coachman shouted loudly, urging his fellow travelers to seek shelter in the woods.

In the blink of an eye, the road, which had been bustling with pedestrians just moments before, became deserted. People flocked to the dense thickets in the low hills to seek shelter from the sudden downpour.

Wiping the rain from his face, which was almost obscuring his vision, Baria desperately pulled on a stubborn animal, while Maris lashed it with a whip, and the others pushed the carriage together from behind.

The wheels of the carriage got stuck in a mud pit. The slippery mud, washed by the torrential rain, made it impossible to stand. People would often slip and fall, getting covered in mud, and then being helped up by their companions.

Under the tarpaulin covering the wagon were their food and supplies for the journey. They dared not expose themselves to the heavy rain for too long, so everyone worked with all their might, and two more mules were brought over to drag them along.

When they were finally exhausted, Bao Tie's wooden wheel was finally pushed out of the mud pit. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Several people even fell headfirst into the mud pit. The group, looking disheveled, crawled into the woods and began to set up tents to spend the night there.

In such heavy rain, this was the only option. The dense forest that could provide shelter from the rain was a pretty good campsite. Many others also began to set up their own tents and tried to light campfires under the spread-out tarpaulins.

But it was really difficult; everything was soaked through... There wasn't a single dry piece of firewood to be found, even in the forest. Everyone had some resin-soaked sawdust to start a fire, but there wasn't enough fuel.

There was no other way, so everyone was driven out into the woods to find firewood. The wood wasn't completely soaked yet, and if left to dry in the tent for a while, it could still catch fire.

In this situation, these timbers are considered a precious resource. After all, if you can't dry your clothes quickly, you might get sick... and if you need to treat a disease, it will cost a lot of money, which is a considerable expense even for well-off families.

So they had to compete with other pedestrians for fuel. Since they were all strong young men, almost no one could beat them, and soon everyone was back with their loads full.

They placed the wet wood inside the tent, and by nightfall, they had finally managed to start a campfire. They quickly shared the flames so that others could dry their own firewood, and the small grove of trees was ablaze with light.

Young people gathered under a tarpaulin, shoulder to shoulder, all shirtless, their clothes hanging overhead to dry.

When a group of energetic young people get together, there's no such thing as quiet. Someone will always start a conversation, and then everyone will have a chaotic and lively discussion, joking and laughing, with occasional bursts of small cheers that spread their enthusiasm to every corner of the place.

The experienced Maris did not let his guard down. He sent three men to stand guard around the area to prevent wild animals and unscrupulous bandits from approaching without anyone noticing. Every now and then, three men would stand up from the fire and take over from their shivering companions.

"Baria, we'll reach the legion's base tomorrow. I've heard that things are still a bit turbulent in Cerisonas. Let's travel slowly tomorrow, as long as we arrive before tonight."

Caledo was a handsome young man who seemed to have a lot of ideas among everyone. Others would subconsciously listen to his opinions, and his closest friend was Barea, the two of whom had grown up together.

“I’ll listen to you, Caledo… but I think since General Tersolius is in this province, things shouldn’t be too bad here. Not many bandits would dare to continue operating under these circumstances.”

“Let’s hope so, Baria. After all, this land is too vast. If there really are bandits… the Empire’s soldiers are limited in number, so we still need to be careful in this situation.”

"I'm a little nervous right now. I don't know how they'll assess us."

Baria's face was tense. Even though they wouldn't arrive in the city until tomorrow and recruitment wouldn't begin until the day after, the cautious and honest young man still felt a great deal of pressure...

The family's only donkey had already been sold. If he failed this time, his family's life would be even more difficult... Then his mother would have to get up early and work late again to mend clothes for others, and his father would have to go to the livestock farm to do heavy physical labor.

But at the same time, he couldn't suppress a strong sense of anticipation and excitement—the thought of seeing that renowned legion tomorrow, and possibly even the legendary General Tersolius, made his drowsiness vanish instantly, and he was as excited as a night owl that had caught a mouse.

Everyone else was in a similar state, discussing what tomorrow would bring. There was fear and anticipation, unease and high spirits.

Every now and then someone would boast a few words, only to be immediately ridiculed by the others. The boaster would then blush and try to defend himself, and bursts of laughter would vibrate everyone's eardrums. The dry bread roasting by the campfire had become soft, and the hot soup in the pot had begun to boil.

The group began to pass around bowls and spoons, and after finishing their meal, they rested for the night. They would have to get up early the next day to continue their journey and seize this great opportunity that could change the fate of countless young people.

"Don't overthink it, Baria. Just give it your all this time, and we'll all become glorious soldiers of the Legion."