Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 310 A Minor Incident and a Test
The territory had expanded considerably, but Su Mu still hadn't expected to encounter someone like Hammondar.

Fire and earth elements are rare even among ordinary units, and if they are not baptized by buildings but are born with them, they are even rarer.

Is he a local from Kuraki?

"No, he wandered from the heartland. His identity is unknown, but he has abilities."

Forrest actually had some doubts about Hammondale, which was why he wanted the lord to take a look; he felt that no one could hide anything from Sumu.

After all, it's worth taking some risks to find someone who might inherit the forging technique. Even if the other party has some flaws, as long as they aren't extremely wicked, they can be taken in.

Su Mu wasn't worried about this. Hammondar's loyalty was unquestionable; as a subject, that was enough. After all, he wasn't a soldier under his command, and a normal person might even be less loyal. The fact that he chose to reside in Kuraki long-term indicated that he valued the place.

I dare not boast about anything else, but in this chaotic world, Kuraki's safety is at least guaranteed, which is the ultimate hope of many ordinary people.

“He is probably not a native of the heartland. He is likely related to the underground city or the fortress, and has some dragon blood lineage.”

To obtain the title of Unburnt, one must be associated with dragons, phoenixes, or fire spirits and fire elements. The latter two are generally not in human form, and phoenixes are also rare. Only the dragon race likes to spread its seeds, making it easy for hybrid offspring to appear.

Hammondell likely possesses dragon blood and has a certain sensitivity to fire, enabling him to better control/resist it, which is why he was able to become Randall's apprentice.

That's understandable. What surprised Su Mu was, what was the deal with the taboo of the earth and the ominous curse? With the dragon's resistance, even a thin bloodline shouldn't be tainted by something ominous. Could it be that Hammondal has another secret?
Just as Su Mu was pondering, a considerable disturbance broke out below.

The incident began when a dramatic reversal occurred between the two fighters in the corner cage just before the end of the match. Hammondell had bet on the underdog and was on the verge of victory when the fight was unexpectedly interrupted.

Several thugs surrounded him and a few other lucky people. The leader of the thieves patted him on the shoulder: "Brother, you tampered with things in the dark, didn't you?"
"Bahar the mangy dog ​​is someone nobody takes seriously, yet you've thrown in a hefty sum right off the bat. Looks like you're brimming with confidence!"

Hammondell remained unperturbed, simply continuing to drink: "I've always enjoyed taking risks; betting on sure-fire winners is no challenge at all."

Zoe the Warrior has won 7 consecutive matches. I think 8 is a lucky number; there's nothing suspicious about it.

"Behave yourself, kid. Do you know who you're talking to?"

"Don't play word games, you can't escape our eyes!"

"If you dare to be arrogant again, I'll throw you into a water dungeon!"

Hammondell's expression turned serious: "What right do you have to arrest me? In Kuraki City, do thieves have the right to do whatever they want?"

The thieves leader waved his hand: "Someone deliberately set up a scheme, bribing underground boxers to disrupt the fair market, which is why this investigation is underway."

Zoe was the executor, but the person who set up the scheme hasn't been found yet; you're a prime suspect.

Hammondell stood up to leave: "I work for the blacksmith and have nothing to do with this. You've got the wrong person."

"Get out of the way, I need to go back to forging!"

Seeing that the suspect was about to leave, the thieves rushed forward and surrounded Hammondell.

“Master Randall? He is indeed a guest of honor of the city lord, but the more so, the more suspicious your identity becomes. Could you be a guy who sneaked in from outside the city to steal information?”
Come with me!

After saying that, they were about to arrest him.

The surrounding patrons sighed. This young man, new to the area, was unaware of the power of the Pale Hand. This was a thief organization established by the Silver Snow Bandits, specializing in investigating lurking enemies. Offending them would likely lead to trouble. Being caught in the crossfire was bad luck, but his bluntness and lack of manners were certainly inappropriate.

Hammondell walked to the brazier, picked up some burning charcoal, and drew a circle around it. The intense heat of the flames kept the thieves away, and for a moment, no one could get close.

"I'll say it again, I wasn't involved in this, and I'm a member of Honor Blacksmith Shop, not some nobody!"

Enraged by the tough Harmondale, the thieves, who had never been so disrespectful to them in the tavern, decided to teach him a lesson.

Suddenly, several thieves in the shadows behind him launched an attack, targeting Hammondal's calves, while those on either side dodged the flames and drew their knives to stab him in the ribs.

Hammondell was clearly prepared; he simply kicked over the brazier, and a fire immediately broke out. He leaped into the ring of fire, using the flames to block the thieves.

The commotion in the tavern was clearly a bit too loud, and the guards outside had already noticed it. For some reason, they didn't rush in, seemingly acquiescing to the Pale Hand's enforcement of the law.

Although Hammondell was immune to fire, he was not a combat-oriented class, and he was no match for the thieves. He was quickly knocked down and pinned to the table.

"Let me go! I'm an apprentice at the blacksmith's shop! You can't treat me like this!"

"Don't even mention apprentices, even if you're a full-fledged blacksmith, we'll show you what we're capable of!"

Just as the bandit leader was about to throw a punch, his arm was caught in mid-air. He turned his head and saw a somewhat familiar figure.

"Lord Forrest...how could you..."

"Do you know that Randall is a distinguished guest invited by the lord? You dare to touch the blacksmith? What kind of Pale Hand is that powerful?"

The bandit leader turned pale with fright and hurriedly knelt down: "My lord, we are here to thoroughly investigate the case of the arena manipulation, we have no selfish motives!"

Forrest ignored him; the underworld was rife with shady dealings. Judging by the outward clues, the Thieves' Leader had done nothing wrong. But before that, was everything truly clean, without anyone manipulating things?

Why didn't they investigate earlier, but waited until now to investigate, and now they've caught them red-handed?

There are too many intricacies involved. When to make an arrest and when to be lenient is like a chain around a dog's neck, where power is manipulated.

When you are in a position of power, even going to extremes is considered virtuous; when you are not in a position of power, even trivial matters are considered illegal.

Forrest was well aware of the problem, but to be honest, he was also caught in the vortex and couldn't be asked for too much.

He stepped forward, gently waved his sleeve, and extinguished the fire. Then he patted Hammondell on the shoulder: "Come with me, someone wants to see you!"

Faced with such enthusiasm from Forrest, Hammondell was clearly a little stunned and felt extremely apprehensive.

Even if he was extremely arrogant, he knew the man before him held a position in Kuraki that was second only to the king. Normally, it would be difficult to even see him from afar, let alone meet him. So, for him to personally come to invite him, it wasn't hard to guess who was behind it.

The onlookers held their breath, staring in astonishment and envy at the invited Hammondale. Who would have thought that such a VIP would grace the tavern with their presence and even notice him? He was truly a lucky fellow.

Occasionally, even the unlucky ones get struck by luck.

Hammondell followed Forrest upstairs and saw Marquis de Maggie of Longlet Castle in the box, as well as a man sitting and drinking, who was none other than Sumu, the true governor of the plain.

(End of this chapter)