Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 313 Reward
Following the grand award ceremony, Sumu announced a city-wide celebration with a three-day break. Wages and rewards would be paid by the council, and everyone was free to enjoy themselves.

The tavern is open unconditionally, offering free drinks to everyone. Chefs can obtain ingredients to prepare dishes such as roasted potatoes and roasted meat for everyone to enjoy.

In short, it's about sharing joy with the people.

People may not care much about or have access to the affairs of the higher-ups, but everyone can feel these tangible benefits.

For ordinary free citizens, life is actually quite simple: security, increased income, and opportunities for advancement—that's enough.

For the rapidly developing Kuraki, all of these conditions are met.

As for whether doing so would arouse suspicion from the royal family, Su Mu didn't care much. Living in his city meant he should enjoy the benefits he was entitled to; if the capital couldn't provide that, it would be foolish to force others to do the same.

Besides, this is spending his money, not a single penny of the kingdom's money, so what's the problem?
This time, Congress bestowed upon him the title of Marquis, but without any gold coins as a reward; however, the land granted to him was delivered.

The heartland of Cornerstone, the hundreds of miles of hilly mountains, and a snowfield extending out of the north were all completely under the control of Marquis Kuraki.

As the governor of Sumu Plain, he not only controls the plain, but also has a considerable area under his actual control, and even involves multiple battlefields. His strategic depth has also gradually increased, and he is no longer as constrained as before.

Of course, this doesn't mean the officials in Congress are being kind. More likely, they want Sumu to withstand Isildur's advance. Since he's capable, they'll entrust him with the most difficult battlefield, ensuring he enjoys the honor while also bearing the responsibility.

Su Mu didn't care about this. He always took credit immediately. If it wasn't a battle that others couldn't win or a territory that they couldn't defend, would it be the turn of generals like them who had climbed up from the bottom?
Dream on!
To survive in chaotic times, you have to beat everyone up, at least to the point that others are unwilling to pay too high a price for mutual destruction.

Su Mu felt that with his current strength, he already had some foundation and was able to step forward.

The larger the territory, the more resources, and the more talent, the more troubles will naturally follow; this is unavoidable.

In addition to the land, the kingdom also brought special crossbows and catapults.

【Divine Sacrifice Cannon (Tier 5): The ballista can attack enemy troops from a distance in battle, increasing the attack range by 2 times, adding the Light Spell, enhancing the damage to the undead and demons (based on the hero's spell power, which increases by 10%-50%), and dealing additional area damage when attacking them.

1200 resistance value, attack 30, defense 30, damage is (hero attack +4) × (8~10) +60, base ammo 28, transport speed 10.

The cannon's ammunition capacity is affected by Hero Knowledge, while the ballista's attack power is affected by Artillery Skill.

This Tier 5 ballista has truly become a giant cannon, with its power greatly enhanced. Though called a giant cannon, it is actually a combination of alchemy and magic; the thick barrel is infused with spell-infused projectiles, combined with the magical grooves of the human race's light priests, making it devastating against special units.

If Orling were to use the Divine Sacrifice Cannon to fight the undead, the scene would be unimaginable.

The kingdom's artisans are quite capable; they can even build Tier 5 artillery vehicles, and they delivered 10 at once, so it seems they have a considerable stock.

In addition to the artillery vehicles, Gwen also brought 10 siege engines, which are relatively scarce weapons of war for Kuraki at present.

【Raging Feathered Chariot (Tier 4 Siege Machine): The Feathered Chariot attacks city walls and nearby soldiers during siege battles, dealing piercing damage. Arrow towers and city walls (including magic circles) take an additional 30% damage, and there is a 15% chance to destroy the fortifications around the city walls.

2200 resistance value, attack 19, defense 19, damage is (hero attack + 1) × 4 + 15, base ammo 36.

Ammunition can be replenished with feathered arrows; attack power is affected by ballistics skills.

Tier 4 siege engines can easily breach most Tier 3 castles and also inflict damage on surrounding soldiers. However, their greatest strength lies in their ability to destroy defensive fortifications, which is crucial.

Castles have moats, towers have alchemical mines, and other factions have their own defensive fortifications. These structures are not just protective rings provided by castles; they also possess special magical effects that can inflict considerable damage on enemies.

If ground troops cannot quickly enter the city, those surrounding the walls are likely to encounter delays and attacks. Archers in the towers can easily aim for their heads and kill them.

Advanced cities, such as those with towers, can even set up air defense facilities to inflict damage on air units.

Without siege weapons like the Feather Chariot, it would be truly difficult to conquer a fortified city. While the Bastion possesses powerful magical abilities, castle-based forces are still superior in terms of constructing war machines. Compared to the Feather Chariot, the Falling Wood Chariot is rather lacking.

It's clear that Congress doesn't have many gold coins right now, and not only is it unwilling to give them, but Congress also believes that Kuraki isn't short of money. Giving him some special war machines would be more beneficial, and would also increase Sumu's gratitude.

Su Mu was very satisfied with the two rewards. It would be even better if there were blueprints. He would try to get one after he made more contributions.

In addition to the war machine, Congress also specially allocated a treasure: the divinely bestowed hip.

【Heavenly Gift (Level 2 Treasure): The city where this treasure is placed (or the hero wearing it) will have its Level 3 troop production increased by 4. This effect is unique to this city and cannot be stacked.

Evaluation: One of the five components of the combined treasure, Heavenly Weapon.

Evaluation: You arrive at a ruin and find a statue among the rubble. You carefully pick it up, wipe off the dust, and put it in your bag.

When Su Mu heard about the divinely bestowed treasure, he basically guessed which one it was. After all, if the Congress were to bestow a reward, it would definitely be something that Kuraki didn't have. Raven should have known about Kuraki's city treasures before, so they would definitely ask Raven.

However, Congress would be reluctant to give up a more advanced treasure, so the God-given hips are the most suitable.

Although it is only a level 2 treasure, in terms of its nature and effects, it is no worse than those level 3 or 4 treasures.

Su Mu readily accepted, since the divine weapon required five treasures to complete, and collecting even one more would make it even more useful, as it would eventually be needed anyway.

He knew the royal family possessed the Prophet's Sword, but it was a symbol of the kingdom and unlikely to be bestowed lightly. Rather than harboring unrealistic fantasies, it was better to secure it now; only what he had in hand was truly real.

The final highlight was naturally the boundary marker stones, a full ten cartloads, which was the largest reward ever bestowed upon a marquis.

However, for Sumu, who aspires to serve in Congress, this is still somewhat insufficient.

However, he wasn't in a hurry. To establish a duchy, besides the boundary markers, he also needed a legitimate name. This required him to achieve even greater merit before he could apply.

He didn't want to become a traitor, after all, he wasn't that bad yet. But he also needed to show the kingdom's upper echelons his strength, that he was no longer a puppet to be manipulated; that was the way to maintain balance.

I've heard that Isildur has carried out a large-scale migration, settling elves and dwarves around the Forest of Fal. This will surely require the use of boundary stones to reallocate the spirits of the land.

Previously, if it was just a war, it wouldn't have been so troublesome. Even if we invaded Elton's territory, we would only occupy the city and not actually control the surrounding area.

If one truly wishes to migrate and settle there, then one must gradually occupy the land, rewriting the magical nature of the territory with boundary stones—a task that cannot be accomplished in just a few months.

This filled Su Mu with immense joy. Since he couldn't get enough boundary stones from the Congress, he figured he could just take them from the enemy.

The Forest of Fal is about to become his swordsman training ground.

Right now, we still need to mass produce troops and strengthen our defenses. We need to find a way to stop Lloyd first. We also need to guard against the Arcane Empire to the north. With this wave of boundary stones, building tower cities should be on the agenda.

Of course, it would be difficult for him to hold off the bulwark army on his own.

The Kingdom will continue to mobilize its army, reinforcing the valley and reaching the hilly battlefield from the south to hold Lloyd back.

After bestowing the honors, Gwen met with Sumu alone to discuss the important matter of future defense.

But it seems that this was not the only thing the court officials did.

(End of this chapter)