Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 259 Race against time
Ivan and Orin are currently Kuraki's two top heroes besides the lords.

Su Mu sent them all, which shows how much importance he attaches to this battle.

The Fearless Swordsmen are currently the most powerful unit overall, best suited for siege warfare, and they are in dire need of sword intent, making them ideal for large-scale battles like this.

However, from the perspective of the cavalry, the troops in front of them were indeed elite, but there were too few of them.

Even if the Fearless Swordsmen are incredibly skilled, aren't all of you here among humanity's strongest warriors? With a cavalry force numbering in the thousands, isn't it a bit disrespectful of Kuraki to send only 500 swordsmen?
"With this many men, they would probably be wiped out before they even reached the city walls, but they would be suitable as cannon fodder."

"Swordsmen must have undergone a special baptism, but even so, they can only serve as auxiliary troops, after all, they are level 4 troops."

Some cavalrymen familiar with Kuraki spoke up to defend him.

"Their speed is no worse than that of the champion cavalry, and they can charge ahead to absorb damage."

"The commander is Ivan. I've heard of him. He's a master of defensive magic and would be an excellent tank in battle."

Even the most optimistic cavalryman only thought that the fearless swordsman could serve as a meat shield, which was already a very high compliment.

Conrad ignored these comments and rode up to the two heroes: "I am very grateful for your support. Su Mu has high praise for you both, and you must both have extraordinary abilities. We will rely on you for this siege."

Ivan and Orin felt greatly honored by the knight commander's praise and both performed the knightly salute to express their respect and conviction.

Conrad first looked at Ivan: "You are proficient in defensive magic, so you will lead the army to the front and withstand the enemy's first wave of damage."

If you feel you can't hold out, retreat immediately and let the cavalry from the rear take your place!

He valued Ivan quite a bit and was prepared to assign him important tasks, but unlike the others who thought he would use them as cannon fodder, he arranged for them to retreat if they couldn't hold out any longer.

Conrad then looked at Orling: "Your specialty is ballistae and ranged attacks. I see you have a level 3 ballista with you. In that case, how about we position it in the rear and have it continuously provide ranged fire?"

The two exchanged a glance, and Ivan explained, "The lord sent us here with only one purpose: to be the first to capture the city, pursue and kill the enemy, and recover the lost territory."

"Don't worry, sir, we won't back down. Ouling will come with me and use water elemental magic to teleport into the city, disrupt the enemy's formation, and buy everyone time."

Upon hearing this, even Conrad, who held Kuraki in high regard, fell silent.

“There is no joking in the army. Do you know the enemy’s arrangements at Frost Fortress?”
Although Leven's army withdrew, the city still had tens of thousands of enemies stationed there, mainly composed of Archemon and Silver Pegasus, along with nearly a thousand Frost Treants, some of whom possessed elemental damage, which couldn't be stopped by physical immunity alone.

Conrad, having fought countless battles, was well aware of Ivan and his men's strengths. However, the enemy was not stupid either. Seeing that they could not harm the fearless swordsmen, they would naturally resort to other means. At that point, their small force would probably not be able to hold out.

The only surprise was that Orling actually had advanced water elemental mastery (only high-level water elemental teleportation can enter the city walls). Conrad had originally contacted a light priest who was skilled in high-level water elemental, but the other party was still on his way. With Orling, there was no need to wait, and a surprise attack could be launched at any time.

He looked at Ouling: "Why don't you send the champion cavalry into the city, and then send the fearless swordsmen into the city in the next few waves? I will personally lead the vanguard into the city to buy you time."

Both men advised, "You are the commander-in-chief of this great battle and should not put yourself in danger. Rest assured, since we dared to make this statement, we are definitely prepared. The first wave will enter the city and hold out until the subsequent cavalry arrives, which will minimize our losses."

Seeing that Ivan was unwavering, Conrad stopped trying to persuade him.

He rode back, gathered his cavalry and gryphons, and headed toward Frosthold.

1500 cavalry (including upgraded units) and 9000 Holy Shield Griffins – this is actually a very strong lineup, capable of conquering any town. Previously, we were struggling to find a way into the city, preparing to withstand several waves of ranged attacks before storming the gates. Now, with Olling, we are truly fearless.

Although other units were approaching, Levin possessed reconnaissance skills. If they waited any longer, the enemy might send reinforcements, making the battle much more difficult. Therefore, he decided to act quickly. "Follow me!"

……

The commander of Frosthold is Vidal Silverwing, a hero specializing in silver pegasus. He primarily commands blood elves and earth-shaped pegasus to defend Frosthold, each with 5000 men, along with several thousand other miscellaneous troops and over a thousand treants, making him a formidable force.

He had received word that Conrad had captured Norton and was heading west, likely with Frosthold as his target.

Vidal was equally uncertain about the outcome of the Knight Commander's counterattack. However, the Marshal only ordered him to hold out for another week before reinforcements arrived, which was still within his acceptable range.

Furthermore, the scrolls and materials for the defensive magic array's void restriction are being transported over and should arrive in at most half a day.

Previously, their attack on this fortress was hampered by the magic circle, which restricted their movement; otherwise, they would have easily breached it by teleporting. Now, Levin is using this same technique to find a magic circle for Vidal. As long as the cavalry's movement is restricted, even if the enemy is fiercely defending the city gates, it will be useless.

However, the time since the last breach of the city was too short, and only the city gates and walls were repaired. The satellite cities and towers were not fully restored. Otherwise, even thousands of knights would have been riddled with arrows.

As for the reinforcements a week later, Vidal had some guesses.

Only the Void God Cult possesses the Void Restriction. The fact that they are willing to give up this scroll must mean that the Elders have reached some kind of agreement with them.

Rumors are circulating that the Arcane Empire is going to join forces with Elton to attack the North, while others say they want to act alone, or even that they want to negotiate with the Barrier and reap the rewards without lifting a finger. It's all a mix of truth and falsehood, and nobody can tell what the Arcane Empire is really thinking.

Given the current situation, the Elders' Council is likely to reach an agreement with the Arcane Empire, ceding the North to them. The so-called reinforcements are actually the Void Forces that will come to take over the city later.

Although there was some regret, fighting on two fronts was indeed disadvantageous to Isildur, especially since they were currently occupying the city. If the Arcane Empire wanted to take it over, they would definitely have to pay a heavy price.

Exchanging human cities for resources doesn't seem like a bad idea, especially since the empire has even grander goals.

"My lord, the Void Cult troops transporting the forbidden artifacts have arrived. They say the journey has been bumpy and they would like to rest for a while!"

Just as Vidal was about to agree, he suddenly heard a tremor in the distance, and the sound of thousands of horses galloping. It was Conrad's cavalry arriving.

"Stop resting! Have them prepare a magic circle immediately, or if the enemy breaks through, no one will survive!"

He immediately climbed the city wall and looked out into the distance.

Surprisingly, the enemy's vanguard that came into view was a group of swordsmen, leaving the soldiers puzzled.

What? The champion cavalry are afraid of dying, so they sent a bunch of cannon fodder to charge into battle?

Cavalry casualties may decrease, but once the void barrier is installed, Conrad will be no longer laughing.

The human forces are nothing special.

"Blood elves who inherit the great dragon blood, send these ignorant fools to their graves!"

"promise!"

(End of this chapter)