Chapter Seventy-One: Plans for the Cavalry

“There are now thirty-seven combat professionals in the kingdom. Including myself, that makes thirty-eight…” Of these thirty-seven, thirty had already been assigned to the Night Watchers, charged with safeguarding the realm. Together with the freedmen warriors currently training with the catapults, there were fifty people in total with combat abilities—more than enough to defend the Block Kingdom.

The other seven had been assigned by Mo Fangyuan to the newly established Field Army, under his direct command. The purpose was obvious: to eventually campaign beyond the borders of the Block Kingdom, securing external interests and, incidentally, plundering from the various monster factions. Essentially, it was akin to the standing armies of his previous world.

Of course, when speaking of war, one must mention horses. Horses are incredibly useful tools—no, companions—for block people! Whether in a fantasy world, a magical realm, or a technological era, as long as productivity remains underdeveloped, horses are an essential means of transport. With their speed, people can move swiftly, reaching distant destinations in a fraction of the time. They also enabled the creation of cavalry—the tanks of the cold-weapon age—whose destructive power on open plains was unrivaled.

The functions of horses can be summarized as follows:
1. They serve as formidable military units in war.
2. They provide transportation and communication.
3. They can be sources of food—horse meat and milk, for example.
4. They offer entertainment, as in races and competitions.

Though some of these traits might not exist in the Block World, their importance remained indisputable. Mo Fangyuan had long coveted horses; their mobility alone could multiply the speed of any march. A journey that would take two days could be done in half a day. For someone like Mo Fangyuan, who frequently ventured out to recruit new people, this was invaluable.

In his plans for campaigns against monster factions, horses were seen as a core resource. He could organize cavalry, using their flexibility for raids and guerrilla tactics deep within enemy territory. In “Minecraft,” after all, horses had many interesting features—like immunity to fall damage and the ability to leap over half-blocks. Perhaps in the Block World, these curious traits persisted.

Just a few days earlier, while Mo Fangyuan was bringing back the last batch of survivors from the western plains, he’d been lucky enough to capture a few horses. Though their number was small, they included both males and females. Once they began to breed, perhaps a full cavalry force could be assembled.

Mo Fangyuan had another idea: to transform the kingdom’s army into an all-cavalry force. Given the unique nature of the Block World—where every block person was, by default, an adept horseman—there was no need to invest years and countless resources training cavalry as in his former life.

And in a world where block people were even less prolific than horses, forming an army comprised entirely of knights wasn’t out of the question. Every soldier would have a mount. When facing monsters, they could simply kite and charge en masse; mindless monsters would be trampled into oblivion with ease. And if the fight turned dire, they could always retreat.

If only the kingdom possessed blueprints for lances—pairing them with cavalry would make the army unstoppable. One charge could sweep away a host of monsters.

Mo Fangyuan found this plan entirely feasible. At present, the Block Kingdom owned five horses—one stallion and four young mares.

“No, I’ll have to prod the stable hands later and urge them to get those four mares pregnant as quickly as possible!” He thought of the scrawny old stallion and, trusting his instincts, suspected it wouldn’t last much longer. It was essential for the stallion to sire offspring with the four mares before it became nothing more than a few sheets of leather and a pile of horsemeat.

“I must squeeze every bit of value from it before it dies!” His Majesty, thinking like a true capitalist, refused to let the horse off so easily. It ought to enjoy itself a little more before the end.

With this in mind, Mo Fangyuan decided to visit the stables once the blizzard abated.

The blizzard howled outside. Monsters slumbered, block people toiled, the “world war” in the Nether raged on methodically, and the corruption’s advance continued unabated… Yet, for all that happened, the world remained serenely untroubled.

Mo Fangyuan had underestimated the endurance of the storm. It lasted a full four days before signs of abatement appeared. For ordinary folk, four days might be neither long nor short, but for Mo Fangyuan, it felt like a century. During those days, the people’s working hours were drastically cut; apart from a short period at midday, they could only stay indoors. Mo Fangyuan saw it and felt a pang of regret—this was essentially a free four-day holiday for everyone!

“No, I must make up for this!” For the sake of the kingdom, everyone would have to work overtime. He planned to deliver a rousing speech in the central square once the snow stopped, inspiring his people to labor harder and stay committed.

At midday, the sky remained gray, snowflakes drifting down. It seemed the snow would not stop for some time yet.

“What’s there to fear? It’s just a little snow! Such a trifling inconvenience can’t bring down the working man! To work is to be noble!” Thus spoke Mo Fangyuan, the people’s leader.

But he hadn’t forgotten his real business—helping the old stallion breed.

Anticipating this, he brought along a bottle of precious liquid he’d been reluctant to use, just in case it proved useful.

“Greetings, Your Majesty!”

The kingdom’s stables were nothing like the sprawling horse farms of his past life. This one resembled a sports stadium, covering a hundred blocks, surrounded by walls. In the center, a well-lit lawn of two hundred blocks; along the perimeter, stalls separated by wooden planks. Yet, the place seemed empty—likely a result of housing only five horses.

On entering, Mo Fangyuan immediately spotted the stable hands, all looking rather glum.

“How are things going?” he asked.

“Your Majesty?!” The workers clearly hadn’t expected his arrival, and were a little flustered, opening their mouths as if to explain, then sighing.

“Ah, Your Majesty… This stallion is just too stubborn!” One pointed toward the lone stallion, surrounded by the four mares, while another clutched his face in despair.

“I just don’t understand! With four mares all to himself, he won’t even appreciate his good fortune!”

“Alas!”

“Alas!” The other stable hands lamented as well—what a world, when even a horse’s life was better than theirs!

“Let me see… My word, what an ungrateful fellow!”

On the lawn, the five horses stood out. In the center, the lone stallion—tall but frail—was doing its best to avoid the four young mares. And as for those mares, Mo Fangyuan couldn’t help but exclaim internally. If they were translated into human terms, each would be a rare beauty.

There was the petite white mare—she’d be a silver-haired, dainty girl in human form. The black mare, tall and sleek, would be the long-legged, elegant lady. The yellow mare closest to the stallion was the archetypal blonde airhead. The last, a white mare with black spots, gave the impression of a voluptuous beauty.

“Such an opportunity, and he doesn’t appreciate it. Let me give him a hand!”