Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 316 Construction in Full Swing
With the arrival of the Crimson Moon, the earth became unbearably hot, and the snow on the mountaintops slowly melted, flowing into mighty rivers that irrigated the land of the North.

Some areas benefit from the river's irrigation, while others are ravaged by floods.

After Kuraki took control of parts of the northern region, he connected with Bear Fortress and acquired large tracts of fertile farmland and mineral deposits.

Previously, when Leven marched into the heartland, he built a Frosttreeway in the North, connecting east and west. After defeating the Bastion army and recapturing Winterfell, Sumu began dismantling the treeway, easily felling the giant Frosttrees using the Black Crystal Axe crafted by Forrest.

Having decided to build a new tower city atop the snow-capped mountains, Forrest began to gather workers and relocate tens of thousands of people to the snowy landscape to begin the new construction.

This snow-capped mountain has winding river channels and is the source of many rivers downstream. Forrest simply built a reservoir to control floods, store water, and manage the river channels.

This idea was inspired by Cedrus, an astrologer who read the Elder Scrolls and learned about the legends and stories that preceded the Void Temple.

"While they are said to be rumors, most of them are actually true. For example, there are mobile castles covering hundreds of square kilometers, void warships carried on airships, and artificial star pools that store water and magic. These are all creations of the ultimate alchemy."

Each and every one of them sounds incredible, thus becoming legendary. The actual resources and prerequisite buildings required are extremely difficult to construct; some even require special branches of racial artifacts to support their creation. They also require the combined efforts of legendary architects and legendary alchemists, brimming with creativity and imagination—truly magnificent!

Watching Cedrus's passionate speech, Forrest was at a loss for words, especially since there was a decision-maker listening attentively next to him. Clearly, they were not on the same wavelength; they were going down different paths.

The lord chose Cedros, and Cedros was willing to follow the lord. In addition to their mutual recognition of talent, their similar ideals were also a key factor.

One dares to think, the other dares to do.

The construction of Silver Dome City was already quite difficult, but there are ways to do it in the extraordinary world. After all, Forrest possesses advanced civil engineering skills, and city building has become an art.

In just one week, the most basic passageway was built, and the dirt road around the mountain was also arranged. Although it could not pass through large troops, it was enough to transport stones and resources.

This is inseparable from the hard work of the workers, but the main productivity comes from the earth element heroes, whose spells can make road construction twice as efficient.

The Earth and Wood Convergence spell, though only a level 1 spell, is an essential spell for production and is even more useful than many advanced spells.

Now that Longlet Castle is in existence, all heroes can learn Earth Convergence, but the main help comes from heroes with advanced Earth elemental mastery. Their efficiency is equivalent to eight novice masters, and a novice master is basically equivalent to 500 ordinary workers. If you include the series of troublesome things after construction, the efficiency of advanced Earth heroes is even higher.

Although Cedrus is not a hero proficient in earth element, his alchemy is very powerful and often produces unexpected results. With Maggie's assistance, the four heroes paved the road within a week, and the next step is to build the city.

"Guys, the construction of this new city is to resist the invasion of the northern enemy, so we must not be careless."

All due compensation will be paid in full, and all aspects of your life, including food, clothing, accommodation, and transportation, will be taken care of. If you can complete the task on time or ahead of schedule, there will be a large bonus.

Furthermore, all free citizens participating in the construction will receive priority residency in the new city, enjoy a 10-year tax exemption policy, and be provided with free temperature-controlled tower housing. Those with outstanding performance may receive shop deeds. If they do not wish to stay in the new city, they can exchange their deeds for timber or gold coin rewards.

I hope everyone can muster their energy and create miracles!

"Woo!"

"Long live the lord!"

Experience has shown that if the rewards are high enough, there will naturally be people willing to work hard. Often, people complain because they are expected to do the work, but the pay is meager, and they are also expected to give a long lecture, hoping to understand the reasons behind the rules.

If those in power have any difficulties, they can simply step down; there are plenty of helpful comrades out there. As for grand principles, everyone understands them, but what about family members—wives, children, frail and sick parents—who doesn't need care? Given a choice, everyone would choose selflessness; it's just that history hasn't reached that point yet.

Money! Don't call it vulgar; who isn't a vulgar person at heart!
With huge rewards, the snow-capped mountains can become a new home, and it's okay to live here every day.

Feeling the enthusiasm and initiative of everyone working, and with the construction site still brightly lit as night approached, the magical oil lamps illuminating the site like daytime, Su Mu felt a strange sense of warmth.

[Observe the carpenter from a distance, Governance Proficiency +10]

[Observe road construction workers from a distance, Governance Proficiency +50]

[Observe Kuraki officials from a distance; Governance proficiency +100]

It's like returning to the very beginning; observing the different characters again still brings new insights.

With his current governing skills, adding dozens of points to his proficiency would be of little use. But setting aside the advancement of his magical skills, observing these living, breathing, and diverse free people with his own eyes, Su Mu would have questions in his mind: What kind of governance do the people crave? What kind of governance do the heroes yearn for? And how should a ruler act to truly gain the trust of the people?

Yes, his word was law, and no one dared to contradict him. With his strength and power, he could easily have become a tyrannical dictator, overthrowing Elton, seizing all the beautiful women in the land, and enjoying his rule over his own small territory. Instead, he chose to remain ignorant and allow his people to live in blissful ignorance, suppressing dissent through force.

Such situations are not uncommon, and even frequently occur in this era. They are simply more easily destroyed by more powerful forces.

Perhaps it was because of his unusual background that he didn't want to do such a vulgar thing. Moreover, based on the lessons of history, isolation and brutality would inevitably lead to decline, and Su Mu's sense of crisis constantly reminded him of this.

The individual skills of the Governance Art are not very strong; it requires perfect teamwork and the discovery of talent. This means that he needs a powerful regime to unite more and stronger heroes.

What he did may seem insignificant, but it was the will of the people and the inevitable trend. In times of chaos, protecting the people, accumulating sufficient resources and food, cultivating a powerful army, and safeguarding the peace of the territory was already remarkable, naturally attracting countless heroes to join him.

In this era of competing to be the worst, these most basic governing principles are already invaluable.

Keep going, and you'll get good results.

After pondering for a moment, Su Mu's figure became imposing under the magical lamplight.

[By observing the myriad faces of humanity and contemplating the essentials of governance, one gains a more thorough and profound understanding of the art of governance, thus embarking on a legendary journey!]

Legendary heroes are no longer promoted solely through war; they must achieve unparalleled mastery of a particular skill to have a chance to advance, provided their attributes meet the requirements. Skills like Governance, for example, offer virtually no opportunity for advancement unless one is a powerful ruler with a unique understanding of governance.

Su Mu's territory is gradually expanding, and he has been granted the title of Marquis and Governor of the Plains. He already has the qualifications to glimpse the legends. He must forge his own path to go further.

The new city, which integrates the power of the towers, is a significant attempt of his.

(End of this chapter)