Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

In a sense, Alec was actually treated well here; at least he was able to eat about 70% full and was in pretty good spirits, unlike other important criminals who were weak and listless from hunger.

Moreover, he lived in a separate cell, so he didn't have to share with other prisoners. The ventilation was decent, and it wasn't too damp. Although it was still dark, it was bearable.

However, the shackles on his feet and hands were not something ordinary prisoners could enjoy. Heavy iron balls weighing dozens of kilograms and tightly fastened iron chains held his wrists and ankles firmly in place, and they could not be moved even slightly without the sledgehammer and chisel of a blacksmith's shop.

Compared to when he was first captured, the conditions now are much more lenient. Back then, steel hooks pierced his collarbone and clavicle, suspending him on a wooden frame. Even when he was still, he was constantly subjected to inhuman torture, which caused him to grind three of his teeth to powder.

Although he is now under heavy control and surveillance, at least he has no worries about food and clothing and basically doesn't have to worry about his life. On the contrary, he has completely settled down and keeps regular daily routines and eats on time. Anyway, he has already said a lot of things that he should and shouldn't have said, and he has also broken free from the organization's control. Those people will not allow him to live any longer. At this point, he has no other choice.

He even found a certain comfort in this life without constant fear. Having grown accustomed to the days of living in constant anxiety, he now cherished this time all the more. If no one disturbed him, he might even live here for half his life...

It wasn't until he heard that chilling knocking sound coming from the wall that he finally realized he had never truly escaped that terrifying shadow... Now they had found him...

The pale-faced young man froze like a terrified sheep, his movements completely halted, even his breathing becoming barely audible. He lay stiffly on the bed.

But at the same time, a small section of pomegranate branch appeared in his hand, which was tucked into his tattered sleeve. It was covered with tiny, tender leaves and was so green that it looked as if it had just been broken off the tree. At that moment, he bent and folded it with the force of his index, middle, and thumb, and then it broke off. A sliver of pale blue light flashed across it.

………………

Fitzgerald appeared silently in the tent. The former owner of the cattle ranch now always had a cold and ruthless look in his eyes. Because he hadn't seen the sun for a long time, his face was pale, and he always looked at everything around him with a cold and suspicious gaze.

He no longer holds a military position; his former centurion post has been taken over by his deputy, and he is now fully committed to his duties.

A dashing figure sat in an oak chair, thoughtfully examining the parchment on the table. The moment this figure came into view, the doubt and caution in his eyes were replaced by awe, and he immediately bowed and stood respectfully to one side.

Is everything ready?

Tersolius was still flipping through the parchment on the table. His legion was preparing to replenish various supplies. Goods were being continuously transported to the army from warehouses throughout the province. Many goods were also being traded in the nearby still prosperous villages. All of this required accurate accounting to record.

Processing this scattered data is extremely difficult, requiring the collaborative efforts of more than a dozen computing personnel to summarize and organize it. This is all thanks to Talina, who has saved him a lot of time and energy on these trivial matters.

"Everything is ready, sir."

Fitzgerald raised his head, a cunning and cold glint in his eyes:

“We have people in every corner of the prison, and the surrounding streets are also completely surrounded and monitored, but…”

"Just nothing."

Fitzgerald said hesitantly:

“The adults who came from the capital did not tell us their whereabouts, and we have now lost contact with them.”

"Let them be. Those guys all have their own methods. As long as we are prepared, they are just here to fill in the gaps."

"Yes."

Has Babstria woken up yet?

"Yes, I was just about to report that he has just woken up and is in good condition. Dr. Tarina said he is available for questioning."

"Then go and wait for orders. It should be within the next day or two. Be careful and don't mess things up."

"Yes, my lord."

Fitzgerald nodded deeply again, then turned and left silently.

Having finished all official business and confirming that there was nothing else for him to handle for the time being, Tersolius pondered for a moment, then waved for Alca, who was standing at the door:

“Bring Moss out here, and come with me to see what’s going on over there.”

………………

A quarter of an hour later, surrounded by three guards, Thesolius stepped onto the stone steps and quickly ascended them, arriving in front of the elevated building in the blink of an eye.

This is a pretty good location, with just the right amount of sunlight every day. It's dry and mild, and the flies that are everywhere in the city are extremely rare here because all the garbage has been cleaned up so they can't find anything to eat.

The defenses here are extremely tight, with guards every three steps and sentries every five. Anyone who enters without orders will be killed on the spot. Every ten or so breaths, a small patrol will pass by, each of them an elite veteran of the legion. The nearby high points and sturdy houses have all been occupied, and elite archers are on high alert, enough to make any enemy's scalp tingle.

They entered the sanatorium without any hindrance. Inside, they saw well-armored warriors everywhere. The cold glint of their scimitars and short swords made passersby quicken their pace and avoid their gazes, which were even sharper than swords.

Amidst a series of bows, Tersolius stepped through the elmwood door that Arka had pushed open, while his guards remained outside to stand watch.

The room was very small, only big enough to fit a bed, a cabinet, and a table. The young man with his head wrapped in gauze leaned against the headboard. Tarina and several capable assistants were busy checking on the patient's condition.

As soon as he entered, everyone looked towards the door. Upon seeing that it was him, they all breathed a sigh of relief, even the young man with shackles.

"I'm glad you woke up in time, otherwise I would have had to take some measures, since we're leaving tomorrow."

He sat down quite naturally in the chair that Talina had placed behind him. After observing the person in front of him, Tesoris came to a satisfactory conclusion—although he seemed a little listless, he was clearly conscious and his eyes were calm and rational.

His gaze shifted to the side, and Talina's gentle nod further confirmed his judgment.

Babstroya wore a complex expression, his heart heavy as if filled with molten iron... In the past, he was a true outlaw driven solely by revenge, daring to do anything to achieve his goals and never hesitating to sacrifice his life or health.

But after learning that he still had a relative living in this world and recognizing that relative, his cold-hearted attitude towards the world underwent a huge change. He was no longer disheartened or self-destructive... but unfortunately, he never had the chance to turn back.

Knowing the gravity of his guilt, he ultimately harbored no illusions. Now, his only wish was to exonerate his sister from the situation and prevent her from being implicated by her good-for-nothing brother.

"I am fully prepared, Your Excellency."

With the help of the attending physician, Babstria sat up straight.

"Now that my last concern has been resolved, I will answer all your questions and share everything of value I know without reservation."

"Please allow me to thank you one last time for your mercy... for giving this unforgivable bastard one last chance."

"It's not necessary."

Tersolius leaned back comfortably in his chair.

"Ultimately, it's because what you know is valuable enough, otherwise you would already be hanging on the execution ground and being skinned alive."

“I have no mercy to give you, I just want to know what you know… Even your head, which was just healed, will be cut off today, and then a leatherworker will sew it back on before it can be buried.”

"Of course I know that."

The young man's expression was calm, as if he had seen through everything and let go of everything.

"But for me, the fact that this worthless life could still be of such use at the end is already a mercy... Now, I dare not ask for anything more."

Tersolius nodded:

"Then I won't say anything more to you. Now tell me how you went from a beggar to a ruthless bandit, and a ruthless bandit who organized the entire province's outlaws."

"This happened by chance."

Babstroya's eyes shifted slightly upwards, a sign that he was deep in thought.

"At that time, I was heartbroken and despondent. I felt that there was no hope for anything and that I had become the most lowly beggar. One day, while begging in the city, I accidentally wandered into a wide sewer, hoping to take shelter from the wind and rain there."

"It was in that place that I encountered a group of terrifying people..."

…………

"It took me a year and a half to integrate all the gangsters. They also contributed a lot in the process. Otherwise, it would have been very difficult for me to do it on my own."

“They gave me a lot of tasks, and with the money I stole, I was able to get things done and build up my own power, which gave me the qualifications to complete these tasks.”

"But they never said what they wanted me to do. They just assigned me all sorts of tasks from time to time, with all sorts of random and different objectives."

"At the same time, I also have to set aside half of the money I collect from my bandits."

"Although I was able to avenge my great grudge through their hands... these guys are just too mysterious and terrifying. I have never escaped their control. Even my death is not something I can decide for myself. Every move I make is controlled by them. I am even more lowly than those castrated slaves."

"Most of the things they asked me to do were kidnap or kill someone. They would give me detailed addresses and whereabouts, and all I had to do was send my capable men to carry them out... But to be honest, I think they could do these things better, and I don't know why they insisted on making me do them."

"This is the relevant roster. I compiled it after that day and am now handing it over to you, sir."

"I have also compiled information on several officials who had close ties with us in the past and several notorious thieves who were hiding in the shadows. As long as we follow the clues, we can catch them one by one."

“I have never seen their faces clearly… no, not a single one. There is always a layer of black mist on their faces, as if damp wood has been burned and put into their robes, so you can’t see what they look like at all… except that their accents are like those of the Western countries and Assele, but I don’t know if that is some kind of disguise.”

…………

Babstria finally stopped talking as the sun began to set in the west, in the sultry afternoon air, and sat up straight with a calm expression.

Tersolius nodded:

"I am satisfied with what you said, and I will keep my promise."

A complex expression crossed his face, a mixture of joy and relief. He finally struggled to his feet and bowed deeply to Teresolus.

"Thank you for your kindness, my Lord."

"Take him out and execute him, and do it swiftly."

………………

The strong soldier grabbed the young man's arm, lifted him up, and dragged him out of the ward. In a daze, he seemed to hear again the sound of a hammer striking a red-hot, sparking iron block—crisp and hot, hard yet soft… How interesting…

187 Rectification

The long-handled, broad-bladed axe in the army swung out a spray of blood with a single swing. Before the head even hit the ground, it was caught by a hand. The eyes were still blinking, and it was only after a few breaths that the person completely lost all signs of life.

The steaming head was thrown into lime by soldiers to be nitrated, and then sent to the city's central square for public display. It would not be taken down until a week later, when it was allowed to be buried with the body.

Thus, the bandits who had plagued Cerison and the neighboring provinces were wiped out. The vital trade route through the forest was once again safe. In just over a week, more than 1600 bandits had been beheaded. The few prisoners who were not beheaded were made government slaves and then sent to the dark and dreary mines to work until they died.

Throughout the entire forest, plants were covered in blood. One camp after another was carefully cleared out. With the help of the mountain people, these cunning bandits had nowhere to hide, and even escape became a luxury. In this lush forest, they had no chance of escaping the pursuit of the elite mountain hunters.

Meanwhile, Colin and her men finally achieved their goal.

………………

This is an extremely deep and vast dense forest, where trees so large that it would take several people to encircle them can be seen everywhere. Some are so old that even seven or eight people cannot encircle them. Vines, weeds, and bushes fill the gaps between them, making it truly difficult to move an inch.

Although the vegetation here is lush, a closer look reveals a lifeless atmosphere—the bushes, vines, and weeds are so deep and dense that there are no traces of animal life, no paths trampled by wild beasts. The only rulers here are the plants.

In the cold, damp air, a crisp chopping sound suddenly rang out. The clanging sound of hard wood being split by an axe blade echoed all around, accompanied by shouts of exhalation and exertion.

Two strong mountain men wielded large axes, chiseling at the thick tree stump in front of them, splitting the hard wood into small pieces that piled up in a thick layer on the ground beside them.

Even deep in the cold, damp forest, the two of them were sweating profusely and panting heavily. They wore only thin linen shirts with the sleeves rolled up to their elbows, and their axe swings became heavier and faster with each blow. Soon, they had hacked a gap in the thick wooden stake in front of them, which was as thick as three people could hug.

However, the gap was still too small compared to the thick tree trunk. It would take a lot of effort to cut the stump completely, and it was definitely not something that the two of them could do alone. There were two or three other teams waiting to take their turn.

As they continued to exert force in this alternating manner, the gap grew larger and deeper, and the sharp axe blade warped and deformed under such use, forcing them to replace the axe several times in succession.

After chiseling a full half-meter deep, the axe, swung with such force, seemed to have collapsed into the floor, sinking in more than halfway. It was as if the axe had cleaved into soft tofu instead of a tree stump. The recovered mountain dweller was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized what had happened and a look of delight appeared on his face.

"Found it! Found it! This is it!"

The surrounding bushes suddenly rippled, and a group of figures swiftly emerged from within, quickly gathering here with orderly and disciplined movements. They instinctively lined up in small teams.

"Really? You must be mistaken again. We've already found fifteen or sixteen such tree stumps in the last two days. If we delay any longer, we'll be in big trouble."

"It was the same this morning. Everyone said they had found it, but after all that effort to break open the wooden stake, it turned out to be just a rat's nest! All that effort was for nothing."

"Why did those damned cowards leave so many tree stumps here? They've made us feed on those long-legged mosquitoes for days in this mountain hollow..."

"Is that even a question? They obviously don't want us to find it."

…………

Faced with the crowd's doubts, the man holding the axe was clearly somewhat insecure. In his excitement, he had shouted it out, but if he actually opened it, it might just be a pile of rotten wood, and he couldn't possibly see through the wood to the inside.

In his eagerness to verify, he and his partner, each wielding an axe, increased their strength and quickly enlarged and extended the hole they had created until it was large enough to fit half a body inside.

He reached out and took a torch from the side, then prepared to peek inside, but was stopped in time:

"Throw a couple of stones first to scout ahead. Aren't you afraid the badgers inside will bite your nose off?"

"How could there be badgers in a hole like this..."

Despite saying that, he still picked up two stones from the ground and threw them in. After hearing them clanging and clattering inside without any unusual noises, he felt relieved and, with a torch in hand, leaned inside.

…………

"We're rich! We're rich! We're really rich this time!"

Kochkin paced back and forth excitedly, not staying still for a moment. In his excitement, he refused to stop and ran around wildly until Colin kicked him down, which finally calmed him down.

"You'd better be a little more normal! Go and bring the carriage over here."

Colin was clearly not very calm, as her face was flushed and she was breathing rapidly, but she was still able to make decisions and urge the stunned crowd to take action.

They had already cleared a path through the dense bushes nearby, and soon three carriages were driven in. The people guarding and driving the carriages were their fellow villagers, who were called over to help because they knew each other well.

The clearing in the jungle was piled with boxes of all sizes. These boxes were of very poor quality, consisting of only a thin wooden board, eight wooden strips glued together, and a few nails. They would fall apart if dropped on the ground. Because the contents inside were extremely heavy, they had to be handled with extra care.

The mountain people deftly loaded the boxes one by one onto the horse-drawn carts, filling all three carts to the brim. A layer of boxes piled high on top, and the wheels were pressed into the mud by the immense weight. In the end, the horses couldn't even pull them anymore, so they had to unload some boxes and transport them a second time.

Everyone's face was filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest—after working so hard for so long, with the long-legged mosquitoes sucking away several kilograms of blood from their bodies and their legs covered in leeches and ants, it was all worth the trip.

Although it hasn't been inventoried yet, a quick glance is enough to tell you how enormous this fortune is. If someone were to set their sights on it, they could easily raise a well-equipped army with it... Of course, it would only be well-equipped; well-trained soldiers wouldn't be easy to recruit.