Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 353 Reason? Or Madness!
Dark clouds covered the silver-roofed city, and heavy snow fell incessantly, burying the entire city in white.

Kuraki's heroes were gathered outside the magic tower, anxiously awaiting news.

"Has the lord not recovered yet? Is it because the disordered magical power has affected his mind? Should I go and concoct a potion to calm him down first?"

"Congress has not dared to say a word so far, and has even claimed to the outside world that it was a misunderstanding, that there are no irreconcilable contradictions between the two countries, and that everything is waiting for the situation to ease."

"That's utter nonsense! Even the Knight Commander has been killed, so many cavalrymen have shed their blood on the battlefield, and they're still suing for peace?"

"I heard that the war outside Winterfell was extremely fierce. Although Lord Conrad died in battle, the knights' charge and the disciplinary priests' full-force spellcasting dealt a devastating blow to the Arcane Empire's legions."

At least ten thousand people died, perhaps more, including high-ranking units like the Divine Monster Lord and the Naga Queen, who were wiped out in entire units. This is why the enemy was enraged and demanded that Gwen bring back the Knight Commander's head.

Crocodile tears are only shed for the weak, and the Arcane Empire, having been badly beaten, is clearly afraid. They wanted to use such despicable means to intimidate Congress, but unfortunately, Elton's leadership is truly a cowardly bunch.

"What does the Congress mean by this? The death of the Knight Commander, the fall of Winterfell, are they just going to be left unexplained?"

"They say that the overall situation should be prioritized, and the Congress has already dispatched envoys to the northern and eastern fronts to tell the lords to be patient for the time being. At that time, they may issue a declaration to clear up the misunderstanding, and the two sides will let bygones be bygones. The northern territory will belong to the Arcane Empire, but they must send troops to help the kingdom resist Isildor."

"I tolerated him &***"

Enraged, Ivan plunged his sword into the ground, causing endless flames to erupt and instantly melt the snow, making the entire tower tremble.

Who would have thought that the kingdom was being treated so arrogantly, yet everyone was expected to tolerate it? It's simply incomprehensible.

Just then, the gates of the Magic Guild opened, and Maggie walked out.

"What's all the commotion about? Can't you see the lord is resting?"

The crowd immediately surrounded them: "So, did the lord say anything?"

What do we do next?

Maggie didn't speak, but simply opened the door wide, and Su Mu's voice came from inside: "Come in, all of you. This matter is of great importance, and I want to hear your opinions!"

So the heroes filed in and finally met the lord in the center of the guild.

Seeing Su Mu dressed in a black magic robe, sitting cross-legged on the magic stone, his breathing even, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

In any case, the lord is their backbone, and there can be no mishaps.

Soldiers die on the battlefield, their bodies wrapped in horsehide—this is their destiny. Heroes, upon their promotion to lordship, should be prepared for this. The Knight Commander's death was largely due to the Parliament's flawed decisions and the Arcane Empire's despicable methods; they felt resentment and sorrow.

But when asked what to do next, everyone was somewhat at a loss.

The kingdom may be weak, but that doesn't mean it's completely without anger. But given its limited strength, what can it do?

To mobilize the entire nation's army to attack the Arcane Empire and reclaim lost ground? The already dire situation would collapse instantly, and the fall of the nation would no longer be just a possibility.

Everyone knows they're just barely surviving right now, but since they're not really going to die, they all want to prolong the time.

As for Kuraki, everyone wants revenge and to teach the Arcane Empire a lesson, but facing tens of thousands of enemy troops head-on, including the army of the Naga Queen and the legendary hero Somra, they are bound to suffer heavy losses.

It's easy to say words of revenge, but they are all lords, responsible for the people of their own territories. The heavier the burden they carry, the more they need to think twice before acting.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming situation?

Su Mu was the first to ask a question. He may have had an idea in mind, but he still wanted to hear the suggestions from his subordinates. After all, Cangmu was no longer just his Cangmu, but a territory built by all the heroes together.

After a long silence, no one dared to speak first. Forrest was the first to speak: "As you all know, I am a strong advocate for construction and in charge of finances. I certainly don't want Kuraki to be burned to the ground because of a moment of impulsiveness."

"The Arcane Empire is currently very powerful, and the Kingdom is exerting subtle pressure and appeasing us. This is certainly not the best time for revenge."

Forrest looked at the lord, and Su Mu nodded: "I have already met with the kingdom's envoys. They said that the cavalry regiments heading south, the priestly legions on the western route, and even Duke Peter of the Highlands City are all furious about the Arcane Empire's actions and are all planning to raise troops to march north, but they have been temporarily stopped."

I don't know how Congress persuaded the others, but they certainly offered me very favorable terms.

"15 cartloads of boundary stones, 10 gold coins, 20 each of logs and stones, and 500 punitive priests will be sent to help deal with the undead."

If we can hold out for another month, and together with the Witcher Kenway Haytham, defend the hill front and repel Isildur, then I will claim the title of Duke of the Rock for myself!

Upon hearing the conditions offered by the kingdom, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. The usually stingy parliament had offered such generous terms simply to quell public anger. Ironically, this wasn't due to Su Mu's military achievements, but rather because of Conrad's death; they feared their generals would become disloyal, hence the compromise.

If you don't experience it firsthand, you'll never know how absurd this world can be.

When Su Mu said this, he didn't express any personal feelings, and no one knew what the lord was thinking.

After all, Kuraki is only a step away from the parliament. If we include the previous royal rewards and the boundary stones plundered from the Far Forest, we could build a parliament with another 15 cartloads. This is something Su Mu has always longed for and has been preparing for for a long time.

Moreover, with the kingdom's recognition this time, once the parliament is established, the kingdom will have to acknowledge the status of the Principality of Kuraki, even if it is unwilling. At that time, everyone's titles will rise accordingly, which is definitely a positive development.

For a moment, the magic guild fell silent. Faced with extreme danger and tempting profits, what should they choose? It seemed simple enough.

But at that moment, Forrest continued, "When I said that, I suppose everyone thought I wanted the lord to accept the appeasement from the parliament?"

Yes, no matter how you look at it, it's a good choice to let this matter rest for now, or even wait until we're stronger to take revenge.

But what I want to say is, what is the purpose of all the hard work we put into building Kuraki?
Is it all so that these sons of bitches in power can oppress us? And so that our passionate and dedicated generals can be sacrificed innocently?

Just for this bit of dog food thrown out by Congress, are we supposed to extinguish our humanity and grovel before them?

"boom!"

Forrest slammed his hammer down on the stone slab, forcing even the magical energy of his curses to retreat a great distance.

The heroes had never seen Forrest so angry. In everyone's impression, this architect had always been confident and knowledgeable about all architecture and craftsmanship, only slightly greedy and stingy, and very strict about controlling the economy.

At this moment, no one dared to speak first, and everyone was still speculating, unsure of the lord's previous statement. Only Forrest dared to express his opinion in front of Su Mu. His aura was like a tiger, ready to devour someone; this was the true majesty of Cang Mu's second-in-command.

Others might find Forrest's remarks puzzling, but Orling could guess some of the reasons.

He was one of the first heroes to join Kuraki, besides the architect, and had some knowledge of the early events in Kuraki Town. The lord and Forrest became acquainted through fighting side by side against the forestry owner, avenging Forrest's wife's murder.

Fundamentally, Forrest had no goodwill toward the Elton nobles. It was this group of parasites, who were obsequious to their superiors and ruthlessly suppressed their own people, who ruined the architect's life.

If it were truly for a little benefit, he would kneel and submit, and Forrest would not have ended up in the state he was in. Deep down, he is an unyielding person.

At this moment, Ouling also stood up to support his old comrade: "Are the kingdom's promises reliable? They have broken their promises many times before. If we believe them, will we become the next knight commanders? The Congress is best at using carrots and sticks to control its subordinates. They may get some resources, but then they will have to keep working hard for them, always hanging on, and never getting a bite of the leftovers until they die."

If they treat such a loyal and valiant hero as the Knight Commander this way, what hope is there for us country nobles? I find it unbelievable! If we continue to be manipulated by them, we'll be sold out sooner or later!

It's clear that Ouling has also suffered greatly from this. He knows the kingdom's nobles all too well, and his words are sharp, directly exposing the false lies.

The crowd then snapped out of their reverie about the generous rewards. Even if the other party made many promises, could Congress still trust them?
Hearing the words of the two commanders, Ivan also mustered up his courage and expressed his opinion: "I think we have to fight a war, and we have to make our stance clear no matter what."

Putting aside feelings for the Knight Commander, from Kuraki's perspective, with the loss of Winterhold and Frost Fortress, the Arcane Empire would definitely want to occupy the entire Northern Territory.

However, we have just built Silvertop City, which is located in the northern part of the plain. The enemy will never allow this city to exist and will definitely mobilize a large army to attack it.

Rather than passively taking a beating, it's better to take advantage of their heavy losses and launch a preemptive strike. Afterwards, we should steadily defend Silvertop City. If we can withstand this initial attack, the Arcane Empire will realize they're a tough nut to crack and will find it difficult to break.

Most importantly, we've severed ties with Congress. Even if the Arcane Empire wants to continue its invasion, they should carefully consider which side would be easier to breach.

These words were already quite treasonous, yet Ivan said them in public, which shows how utterly disappointed he was with Congress.

To some extent, Conrad was the banner and soul of the kingdom. When people see how the country they fought for treats him, who will still be loyal?
Maggie only said one thing: "You are our banner, and whatever decision you make, we will follow you!"

The rest, like Cedrus and Wayne, all had the same mentality: whether they fought or not, they obeyed their lord.

They didn't know much about Congress or the Knight Commander, but they would carry out Su Mu's orders without question.

Su Mu nodded and smiled with relief.

"To be honest, I always make decisions unilaterally and rarely ask for other people's opinions."

On the one hand, we are confident in leading everyone to victory; on the other hand, having too many people makes decision-making difficult. We are still small in number, so we must unite as one to attack.

"The reason I'm asking you all today is because the next decision will determine Kuraki's life or death."

The construction of this territory is not solely my achievement; everyone has put in unimaginable effort, and I do not want to let all that hard work go to waste because of personal reasons.

I sat alone in the Magic Guild, pondering all night, and finally decided to launch a counterattack against the Arcane Empire to avenge the Knight Commander!

Su Mu rose and activated the Titan's Arrow, as if the king of gods had descended, with lightning flashing and the entire magic guild trembling.

"If we're going to fight, it won't be a bluff. I'm going to lead my most elite legion straight into Winterfell and have a go at Somra!"

Seeing that the lord had made up his mind, the generals naturally responded one after another.

Forrest's eyes were a little red: "I knew it, you're not a coward, you're still the same guy from the lumberyard!"

Everyone held their breath until the dust settled before letting out a sigh of relief.

If you're capable, why would you want to back down?

In this life, we're afraid of everything. We might as well just wait for the Arcane Empire to come to our doorstep and offer our necks to be slit.

The Knight Commander's sacrifice was not in vain. He led the cavalry regiment in cooperation with the punitive priests and wiped out more than 10,000 troops. The enemy was unable to revive due to the Soul Binding effect.

Even the Arcane Empire, having suffered such a severe blow, would find it difficult to recover quickly.

"My lord, I have discovered that the Arcane Empire is mobilizing troops to replenish the defenses of Winterfell, and they have also dispatched a large army to occupy Frost Fortress."

As soon as the Knight Commander was in trouble, Wayne sent scouts and thieves deep into the North to investigate.

The Silver Snow Bandits moved swiftly on the snow, and with Wayne's special skills, they quickly gathered information about the enemy.

At that time, Su Mu had not yet made a decision, but for the benefit of Kuraki, it was natural to know as much as possible so that the lord could make the most advantageous decision.

Now it has come in handy.

Su Mu unfolded the map and placed the battle flags around Winter City. Wayne used magic to simulate the enemy's route and find the weakest link in the march.

"Silvertop City is newly built and should not be moved lightly. Forrest should stay in the city to continue developing and accumulating troops to prepare for the next step of defense."

“Maggie, instruct Liliana to move around the hills again to distract Isildor. If necessary, send in a large number of skeletons to create the illusion of another attack.”

"Kuragi is still our main base and cannot be left unguarded. Ivan, you take the remaining shield soldiers, archers, and wild griffins and hold Kuraki. Black Cliff is a feint, but it is actually an empty city. If the enemy wants to attack, let them have it. We must not suffer any losses."

Su Mu first deployed his guard forces. His northward expedition was not a reckless, mad revenge, but a targeted strike against the Arcane Empire's forces, preventing them from invading the rest of the northern territory for a short period.

It's impossible for Kuraki to destroy the Arcane Empire on his own, but he still has a chance to deal with the heavily damaged Tower Army.

"This time, the strongest swordsman, the arcane prayer, and the Gale Griffin are being dispatched. Wayne is leading the Silver Snow Bandits and thieves ahead to scout out the enemy's situation!"

“Ouling and Maggie are coming with me. Cedros will also go to the battlefield to experience a major battle, which will help you defend the city later.”

The reason why Cedros wasn't allowed to stay in Silvertop City was to help him improve his strength and contribute to his growth.

Moreover, Su Mu has a new idea: if he can improve the skills of the Astrologers, he can become a high-level Astrologer. Combined with Ouling's Soul Arrow Technique, the attacks of the Mystic Prayer will reach a terrifying level, and they may be able to fight against the Tower.

Seeing everyone's high morale, Forrest stepped forward and said, "Sir, don't forget that we have accumulated quite a few troops this month."

The number of Gale Griffins has increased by more than 300, the number of strongest swordsmen is more than 200, and even the number of Arcane Prayers has increased by more than 260.

就算留下一部分守卫，您也可以领军1000狂风狮鹫、500最强剑士、600奥秘祈祷者，5阶神祭巨炮和4阶狂暴飞羽车。

Facing a city that has just experienced war, it will be a piece of cake to take it.

They understood the power of governance all too well. With the lord's combat strength and leading such a powerful army, he was not without a fighting chance against tens of thousands of tower troops.

Since the other party dared to cut off Conrad's head as a threat, Su Mu will make the heroes of the Arcane Empire pay for their blood debt.

"Keep the kingdom's envoy locked up for now and do not reveal any information."

Since Congress wants appeasement, let's seize this opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the Arcane Empire and let them taste the bitterness of being deceived!

"May the lord be victorious!"

(End of this chapter)