Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 221 Strong Army and Mighty Horses
Su Mu took the treasure and returned to Cangmu first, pondering Raymond's warning along the way.

It is common knowledge that Raven, the former marshal of the Kingdom Legion, is at odds with the Emerald Kingdom, and rumors say that several tribes in the fortress are mortal enemies of Raven.

Therefore, the kingdom requested support from the Emerald City, on the condition that Raven be removed from his command; otherwise, the fortress would not fight alongside Raven.

This situation is quite normal in the Emerald Lands, which are a confederation of tribes. Although they are powerful, decision-making power is shared by many tribal chiefs, unlike the human king who can make the final decision.

Even if the princess of Finaxia were to marry the largest state, Hares, the other state would still have to consider the feelings of the other states and choose a compromise.

As for how much the Emerald Lands wanted to help the Kingdom, they could only lend a hand through marriage. But neither they nor the Arcane Empire wanted to see Elton annexed and Isildur become the sole power.

When the kingdom is in peril, it is only natural for the fortress to send troops to help, but the responsibility of defeating the barrier still rests with the humans.

Raven was renowned in the fortresses and wilderness in his early years, which earned him many enemies. However, these tribes were not the most elite royal families, and although the conflicts were open, they were not irreconcilable.

Most importantly, would the fortress dare to abduct and kill a human marshal within the kingdom? If they did, the fragile alliance would likely crumble immediately.

"Wayne, go check the checkpoints leading into the plains from the east. Have any outsiders entered recently?"

Wayne donned the Speed ​​Necklace, brimming with fighting spirit, and led the Silver Snow Bandits to scout ahead.

The magic ball was handed to Maggie, and the Marquis, who had been unhappy these past few days, immediately turned from worry to joy, showing off her new treasure to Valentine.

Maggie's best friend naturally understood her thoughts and elevated her status in the lord's heart, making Maggie smile with delight.

Su Mu originally intended to give the final prophecy card to Ivan, but Ivan already had the combined treasure Cursed Armor, as well as magic amulets and magic scrolls, which were already full and could not hold any more treasures.

Ouling could receive some enhancement, but the effect wouldn't be significant, and he didn't need this level 1 treasure.

After some thought, Su Mu decided to entrust the item to the Mystic Prayer who had come for advancement, so that they could deliver it to Sederos. Since the alchemist's travels, he had brought back many magic scrolls. Although Su Mu had the support of gold coins and resources, he was still lacking something. The Prophecy Card was a good fit for the Sage's identity, and perhaps he could make greater use of it.

While these treasures may not be top-tier, their suitability for a hero is the more crucial factor. Only by allocating resources and treasures appropriately can subordinate generals unleash their full potential.

If a leader doesn't care about the interests of his subordinates or their development, they will eventually become disaffected and alienated.

It's a very simple principle: people follow you because they have something in mind, whether it's money, fame, treasure, or ideals. In short, it's about satisfying some kind of need. Otherwise, who would risk their life to fight for you?

Governance skills are indeed fundamental to Su Mu, allowing heroes to grow faster, but if combined with other rewards, they will better enhance the heroes' loyalty.

They were too poor before, but now that they have money, they naturally want to arm their heroes to the teeth, and Su Mu is not stingy in this regard.

With the boundary stone deal finalized, the construction of the council is drawing ever closer. Once the kingdom gathers the remaining pieces, everything will be ready.

Although the council cannot build an equestrian training ground yet, it can at least make up for the temple's shortcomings, and the Hall of Medals can also be upgraded, at which time the power of leadership skills will be greatly enhanced.

Cavalry heroes are a good idea, but they are not easy to find. People familiar with cavalry combat are all in the capital or duchy.

Wayne did find some self-recommended individuals, but after careful examination, he discovered they were all charlatans with no real skills. These guys were beaten up and driven away, and a suitable leader has yet to be found.

Finding a reliable cavalry hero is a bit difficult for the time being, since even the Salman family doesn't have the resources right now. Su Mu is planning to train one from scratch, and perhaps he should ask Conrad.

During this period, Sumu developed steadily, accumulating hundreds of troops every week, and the legion's prestige grew even greater.

In reality, the war had not ceased. Leven, leading Isildur's army, had conquered more territory and was approaching Winterfell. Sumu and the Inquisition Priests were both attacking northward, engaging in several skirmishes with varying degrees of victory and defeat. On Bearhold's side, Orling was leading the attack, accompanied by Crystal Ballistae and Arcane Prayers, to snipe at Isildur's small units, often striking from where the enemy could not see them.

Levin, not an inflexible commander, ordered his magic-wielding heroes to engage in battle, equipped with artifacts that amplified their range, seeking opportunities to fight Orling. The two sides exchanged blows from a distance of several thousand meters, suffering casualties on both sides. Overall, Orling's archery combined with his ballistae proved more threatening; had the ballistae been easier to transport, Orling would have already led a large force to the North to cause trouble.

The judges, on the other hand, focused primarily on clearing out the undead forces. They used special dimensional magic to drive the Frost Night Skeletons northward. Since they couldn't completely eliminate the undead, they diverted the trouble northward, letting Isildur deal with these undead monsters.

The Kingdom's army marched north to intercept them, but was stopped by Lloyd. Isildur, as expected of a seasoned empire, had reinforcements several times the size of the Kingdom's. They not only supported the northern border but also sent a large army to block the hills while simultaneously fighting against the fortified army in the valley.

The battle lines stretched for thousands of miles, filled with killing and confrontation.

Overall, the offensive in the rest of Isildur was temporarily halted, and all efforts were focused on attacking the northern border.

The elven dragon knight Orlando Greenleaf has led his unicorn army into the Fal Forest and will soon arrive in the North, at which time the pressure on the human race will be even greater.

As the war intensifies, Elton and Isildur engage in fierce competition for control of the North.

By this point, both sides have basically revealed all the tactics they could muster, and the rest will depend on the outcome of the large-scale battle.

Su Mu felt that the final battle in the North was not far off, and it would begin in two months at most. At that time, Bear Fortress, as the front line of the plains, was expected to suffer a fierce attack.

While the situation hasn't deteriorated yet, we must accelerate castle construction and build up our military strength.

Two weeks, without any troop bonuses during the Gold Rush Month, the recruitment speed was a bit slower, but we still made some progress by accumulating small gains.

[Shieldbearer +238, Earthbow +192, Gale Gryphon +120, Fearless Swordsman +78, Arcane Prayer +64]

These soldiers cost a fortune, a full 20 spell power coins. If it were before, Forrest would have complained about being broke again.

But now, with the haunted gold mine and double the Advanced Dream Investment Technique, after half a month, besides paying for recruiting soldiers, there was even a surplus of nearly 25 Cursed Power Gold Coins, which were used to trade Boundary Stones. With the gold coins gradually becoming plentiful, some of the accumulated logs were consumed.

With this expense, Su Mu felt that his luck had been maximized, and everything he did went very smoothly. At least the expense during the Gold Rush Month was definitely worth it.

However, he still needs to work harder; Su Mu felt that this was far from the limit of the Luck spell.

To put it bluntly, war is about fighting the economy, and specifically, fighting the effective economy.

Only by converting money into military capabilities can we truly enhance our strength.

Although Kuraki was a minor official, as a lord, he was able to spend money where it was needed. With soldiers, he could gain a foothold and develop.

The trading city, incredibly wealthy, was still engaged in highly profitable businesses, unable to even borrow money from the king. This demonstrated the lack of control within the Elton royal family; the kingdom was deeply mired in crisis, only being held together by a few.

In Su Mu's view, such malignant tumors must be painfully exposed before vigorous reforms can be implemented. Unfortunately, with the war raging, Finaksia lacks the courage and can only play the role of a mere patch-up man.

The disease was not formed overnight, so it was difficult to change immediately. Su Mu could only do his best to maintain the plains, and there was nothing more he could do.

"Report! Lord Wayne has sent word that Marshal Raven is about to enter the country, but a legion of beast tamers is approaching from the valley, seemingly plotting something nefarious!"

"Let's go! Gale Griffins and Fearless Swordsmen, follow me on this expedition! To aid Marshal Raven!"

(End of this chapter)