Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 303 Some people are useless if you give them face.

The swamp werewolves were still driving slaves outside the city, binding more than ten people with ropes and stringing them together, transporting them to the camp outside the city.

Usually, they would squeeze the free people dry until they were completely exploited, then tie them up and send them to be slaves.

When Ivan arrived outside the city with the swordsmen, the werewolf hadn't realized what was happening and thought it was just that human messenger coming to beg for mercy again.

"What good stuff did you bring? Lord Kaido won't see someone empty-handed!"

Ivan grinned menacingly, raised his longsword, charged forward, and cleaved the werewolf leader in two.

The other werewolves were terrified by this scene and immediately turned and ran away, retreating into the castle.

But with the werewolf's speed, how could it possibly escape the pursuit of the strongest swordsman?

"Lauren, take 100 men and charge into the city to wipe out the rioting fortress soldiers."

"Alan, you take the rest of the men and occupy the defensive positions on the city wall. If you encounter any bulls, don't fight them head-on. Wait for Oling to handle them!"

Ivan waved his hand, and the two swordsman commanders led their troops into the city to begin a bloody suppression.

Because the fortress troops were all in a state of disarray, with only a small number of lizard warriors guarding the city walls, the strongest swordsman captured the city walls with almost no effort.

The other fortress troops, facing Ivan's strongest swordsmen, had no ability to resist, let alone being out of combat and unarmored. They were instantly slaughtered and scattered in all directions.

Dragonflies and flying dragons are formidable opponents, but they cannot utilize their advantages in the narrow streets of the city. They barely manage to hold off the swordsmen at the front, but are quickly caught in the swirling attacks and suffer a crushing defeat.

The most ferocious creature in the fortress is the bull. The bull warriors hastily gathered hundreds of bulls, trying to stop the strongest swordsman's slaughter.

【Bull (Fortress Tier 5, Tier 2 Unit): Attack 11, Defense 16, Damage 12-16, Health 70, Speed ​​6, Huge Size】

Element: None.

Death Gaze: The bull glares at the enemy, summoning special magical power from the underworld, with a chance to directly deprive the enemy of their life (instant death skill, below 5000 health).
Evaluation: An absolute tank, the embodiment of death, even the mighty holy dragon trembles before it.

This group of large, brown men blocked the only way, facing off against the strongest swordsman.

"Traitorous humans! You dare to attack our allies! I will report this to our nation and make you pay the price!"

Ragon roared at Ivan, but Ivan didn't directly confront them. While the strongest swordsmen are undoubtedly powerful, they too can suffer damage under the death stare of a bull.

The best way to deal with these cumbersome troops is naturally to leave it to Orin and his ranged legions.

While the strongest swordsman occupied the city wall, Ouling had already led the Arcane Prayer to climb the city wall and occupy various high ground towers.

The fortress troops, having enjoyed a night of "enjoyment," were clearly exhausted. After being ambushed, they didn't even have time to put on their armor before dying from the cursed arrows.

Only when faced with the hordes of bulls gathered by Ragon did Orling finally take a proper look.

With a wave of his hand, the Spirit of Vengeance floated out, and together with the Arcane Prayer, they launched a volley of arrows. Even though the bulls were tough and thick-skinned, they couldn't withstand the enhanced fire of the Soul Arrow. Hundreds of bulls died on their way to the charge, pierced by the Arcane Arrows and exploding into dust.

Minotaur is a decent unit, but that's about it. Arcane Prayer units are capable of fighting dragons, so why would they fear them?

The bull leader beneath Ragon was also blasted to death, narrowly escaping fatal damage by rolling several times. When he stood up, seeing the shattered bones and minced flesh scattered everywhere, even the bull warrior who had fought in the swamp for years trembled with fear.

He was well aware of Su Mu's reputation; he had heard that Su Mu was the one who had stopped the dragon knights' reinforcements and was Conrad's most trusted general.

I had thought the opponent was very strong, but I didn't expect them to be this monstrous. Their archers alone could slaughter the bulls.

Lagon was filled with regret. If the army hadn't been so unruly yesterday, its fighting strength wouldn't have been so weak, allowing the humans to easily capture the city walls. It was perfect for ranged units to exert their power.

The best course of action now is to stall the enemy. Beastmaster Kaido has already gathered his troops, and the fortress army numbers in the tens of thousands. The enemy, with only a few thousand men, can only catch us off guard. If we can successfully organize a resistance, we can still suppress the enemy.

"It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! We thought this was the stronghold's city. The warriors were furious about the slaughter caused by the orcs, and their actions were inevitably a bit excessive."

"Since Earl Sumu is displeased, I will have my men release all the humans, and the orc slaves are yours to keep!"

"We came from afar to help in the battle. Although we were not of great help in the Battle of Sunset, we still worked hard in chasing the deserters all the way."

King Elton is marrying his princess to the Nine-Headed King. The swamp and humans are natural allies; let's not let this trivial matter spoil the harmony between our two families.

At this point, Ragon became as soft as a persimmon, only mentioning the hardships of the swamp and the friendship between the two sides, and no longer speaking of the human's faults.

Ragon could tell that the commander of the swordsmen was a killing machine; his brutal killing intent practically overflowed from his eyes. If he were to utter any more nonsense, he feared he would perish here.

Ragon kept today's events in mind. If he successfully returned to his kingdom, he would immediately rally the other tribes to attack human cities. At that time, Elton would be surrounded by enemies and would make the man before him kneel and kowtow to him.

Ragon walked forward with a smile on his face. Seeing that Ivan did not move, he thought that his persuasion had worked. Suddenly, a lizardman's head flew from a distance, rolled a few times on the ground, and landed at his feet.

Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Kaido, the beast tamer!

"How...how is this possible!" Kaido went to regroup his troops, so how could he have been killed? There are tens of thousands of troops in the water camp!
Ivan dragged the heavy sword to Ragon and said calmly, "You were waiting for him? Here it is for you."

Kaido, leading a group of Dragonflies and Flying Dragon Kings, attempted to retreat out of the city but was blocked by the Gale Griffin. Unfortunately for him, his body was torn apart by sharp claws, leaving only his head. You don't mind, do you?

Lagon was terrified and involuntarily shook his head: "No, no... Warrior, spare my life! The massacre of the city was Kaido's idea. He said that the treasure given by Elton wouldn't go into our pockets, so we should let our troops plunder it and everyone would get a share."

I was so confused that I believed his lies.

"As long as you let me go back, I promise I won't say anything, and our two countries will remain friendly."

Upon hearing this, Ivan scoffed, "So, the bull's wanton killing and trampling of citizens in the streets is also Kaido's fault?"

Friendly? I think we've been too friendly the whole way, giving you the wrong impression that we Elton people are easy to bully.

If reinforcements are obtained in this way, then I would rather my country perish!

Ragon retreated desperately, and seeing the situation was dire, he drew his longsword, attempting to break free of the encirclement. The strongest swordsmen surrounded him, hacking the bull warrior to pieces.

The slaughter continued for another day, but this time the targets changed. The monsters of the swamp were slaughtered in droves, and the city was surrounded by griffins. Not even a fly could escape.

Sumu ordered the destruction of the prisoner-of-war camp and the release of all the slaves inside. Humans, orcs, and even fleeing swamp monsters were all released.

Having survived this massacre by sheer luck, they have atoned for their past sins. They can no longer remain in the border cities; they must find another way out.

The prisoners suffered heavy casualties and lost their loved ones. The first thing they did after escaping was to pick up weapons and kill the werewolves and lizardmen who were already dead, to vent their hatred.

It's already difficult enough to survive in chaotic times. People have to be humble and subservient just to beg their families for a way to live. If they can't even do that, then they might as well not live at all.

“Wayne, take some men to liberate the southern border cities, tell them that the borderlands are about to become dangerous, and tell them to migrate north as much as possible to find shelter in the valleys.”

Wayne has a background in logistics, making him the perfect candidate for this task.

Currently, the stronghold has suffered a major defeat, and the border cities have no defensive capabilities, making them vulnerable to even thieves who can easily conquer and seize territory.

Maggie then walked in: "Many humans from Flash Sand City want to return to Cangmu with us; there are more than 40,000 of them in total."

Su Mu thought for a moment and then instructed, "The new city in the hinterland needs people. Arrange them in the new city. As long as they are willing to work, I will ensure they have no worries."

Maggie nodded and went to make the arrangements.

The border region is affected by war and is unlikely to be peaceful. Since the kingdom has abandoned this place, there is no problem for him to take some people back.

Congressional envoy Gale glanced at Sumu, wanting to speak several times, but then swallowed his words, unsure of what to say.

So Su Mu said, "They said the fortress legion is insane and wants to destroy several border cities in the south and massacre free people."

Count Kuraki, unable to bear it any longer, offered a few words of advice.

Gale, imagining the bloodshed outside, finally couldn't help but say, "Is this what you call a minor punishment? You slaughtered tens of thousands of troops, Earl. How is Parliament supposed to explain this to the Emerald City?"

Ivan scoffed, “Our lord can kill tens of thousands of troops from Orlando, plus a hundred dragons, without hesitation. Let alone these chickens and dogs in the fortress.”

"Ragon and Kaido combined aren't even worthy of carrying the shoes of a dragon knight, what right do they have to be so arrogant?"

That is true. Su Mu single-handedly killed the elven dragon knight. Conrad has already reported this to Congress, and the whole country is shocked.

Compared to unreliable outsiders, Su Mu is, after all, the lord of Elton, and his actions this time are for the sake of the free people of humanity, so he has a legitimate reason to act.

Now is the time to defend against Isidore and use capable generals; I'm afraid they won't do anything to Count Kuraki.

Su Mu waved his hand: "Just report the truth. If Congress insists on punishing me for this, I will accept it."

Gale sighed: "I know what Count Kuraki is thinking. This is not your fault. I will explain it to the Speaker."

There's no point in saying anything now; after all, Su Mu was a hero of the Sunset Campaign. However, he's prickly and clearly difficult to control. Let Congress worry about this.

Just as Ivan said, the dragon knights have all been defeated, so dealing with Su Mu will not be easy.

Moreover, although this matter was handled somewhat improperly, it was truly gratifying.

Should the people of humanity be expected to endure and sacrifice? Such a notion has never existed in the land where Bai Yu was born. The castle forces were once a powerful and influential power, constantly proclaiming their intention to restore their former glory. If they kneel for too long, will they ever be able to stand up again?
A castle hero should have the ruthless means to protect his people and punish the disrespectful.

Recalling Lagon's fawning manner as he begged for mercy at the end, and comparing it to his arrogant demeanor just a day earlier, the difference was like night and day.

Some people are beyond saving, and this isn't just true for the swamp troops.

Gail decided to do her best to protect Sumu; the rest was up to the kingdom's higher-ups to decide.

(End of this chapter)