Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 354 Rumors
The generals withdrew and prepared their armies, leaving Su Mu alone at the Magic Guild.

After a while, Maggie slipped in through the secret door. Seeing that the lord was still strategizing in front of the war sand table, she sighed, took a cloak to put a coat on Su Mu, and also served him a delicious late-night snack.

Su Mu glanced at Maggie, casually picked up a pastry and tasted it. To his surprise, it was delicious, so he took a few more bites.

"This is a pastry made from the dew-kissed spring water of Erakru and flower stamens collected by the elves. It has a very mild flavor, but a pleasant fragrance."

"I'm surprised you have such culinary skills. Did you learn them from Valentine?"

"No, I am a proper marquis's daughter, and I have mastered various skills since I was a child."

Seeing Maggie's face flushed red with anger, Su Mu let out a hearty laugh, casting aside his recent gloom and worries.

Seeing the lord smile, Maggie gradually felt relieved. He told the heroes that he had pondered the matter all night before making his decision. He seemed relaxed, but in reality, he had spent the entire night battling his own thoughts before finally deciding on a life-or-death decision.

Seeking revenge for Conrad nearly cost Kuraki Mako his life.

No one knows how the war will unfold. The enemy possesses incredible flying abilities, and if they fail to strike, the Arcane Empire will retaliate tenfold. Even if Silvercaps is impregnable, what if the enemy bypasses the north and attacks the plains directly?

Kuraki was already facing the dangers of war with Isildur and the ancient ruins, and now he has another powerful enemy. He is surrounded by enemies and is in real danger.

Moreover, openly confronting the Arcane Empire is tantamount to a complete break with the Elton Parliament. If they cannot prove their worth, they will not receive any support.

This was the most difficult path. Even with complete trust in Su Mu, the future seemed uncertain. But Maggie saw it as an excellent opportunity.

"If you can avenge Conrad, you will be the new banner of the kingdom, and given the current situation, no matter how angry the kingdom is, it must continue to cooperate with us."

Spiritual leaders are not abstract concepts; rather, they are sources of immense power. Knights are the most widespread heroic profession among humans, and cavalry regiments, as a level 6 unit, play a crucial role. From the moment they become cavalry, they are required to uphold the code of chivalry. Regardless of their actual actions, they are the banner of the human kingdom.

Conrad used to be a standard-bearer, so there were generals everywhere calling for revenge. Parliament was only temporarily suppressing the calls and couldn't solve the problem at its root. Once someone stood up and raised their voice, a large number of nobles would definitely respond.

After all, in this era of aristocratic rule, lords had to tell their subordinates that certain rules had to be followed.

"Most of the kingdom's lords are just lacking a leader. If you can set an example, everyone will definitely support you. When the army besieges the northern border, the Arcane Empire may not be able to stop it."

If the Congress were to conscript soldiers, it would require a large amount of gold and grain, and many nobles would still need to bring their own weapons. However, if the nobles were to mobilize their private armies, they would use their own savings, so they would not have any financial worries, and each family would still have some savings.

To put it bluntly, the central government has fallen into disuse, the royal family is weak, the parliament only cares about the interests of the great nobles, and the lands that are conquered do not belong to those who send troops. Those who go to the front lines are used as cannon fodder and their passion is slowly worn down, which is why things are like this now.

Congress always talks about the nation's impending doom and the need for unity, but their actions are disheartening.

Su Mu said in a deep voice, "I didn't have much hope for Congress anyway. I just hoped they could maintain a semblance of fairness and act as a fixer in these difficult times. That would be enough."

But now it seems we were too naive; following these fools only led to our deaths.

After pondering for a moment, Su Mu said to Maggie, "Have Liliana find a chance to find a few more cartloads of boundary stones. The kingdom will likely only provide a small amount of resources. We must upgrade the parliament next, otherwise our strength will still be insufficient."

Maggie was somewhat worried: "If we establish a private duchy without the kingdom's approval, the royal family can use the earth spirits to prohibit our production and recruitment, just like they did with Isildur. In that case, it would be a lose-lose situation."

Su Mu pointed north: "Therefore, we must win this battle." ...

A week after the fall of Winterfell, the Parliament finally declared: "The war between the Arcane Empire and the Kingdom of Elton in the North was instigated by Isildur, which damaged the relationship between the two countries."

After the mission's explanation, both sides made every effort to restore their friendship.

To prevent Isildor's treacherous scheme from succeeding, the North is temporarily under the control of the Arcane Empire, with its core territories and ownership controlled by Duke Rhodes.

Both sides agreed to put aside their differences and unite against Isildur.

At this point, no mention was made of compensation, resources, or even a public trial by the joint chamber of commerce.

After all, both sides know the truth of the matter. If the matter of attacking the caravan is reported to higher authorities, the Arcane Empire may not care, and the loose alliance can back down at will, but it will lose face, and the situation will be overshadowed when things ease.

Now that the Congress has lost its most powerful knightly order, it has lost its confidence and is even less likely to start a war.

Such a perfunctory announcement thoroughly broke the hearts of the lords. Powers including Murak, the Priests, and Duke Peter were all vehemently denouncing the Parliament, and the entire kingdom faced the prospect of disintegration.

However, Congress offered generous rewards to appease the various warlords and promised to avenge Conrad in the future, only to tolerate him for the time being.

Just as Orling had predicted, the huge compensation promised by Congress was merely a way to appease the public and stabilize morale.

As the frontline position, Congress directly approved five truckloads of boundary stones for Kuraki to use initially, as long as he obeyed, there would be sufficient resources to supply him. They were instructed not to mention Conrad again, and even if other lords caused trouble, Kuraki was to cooperate in suppressing them.

During this period, two cavalrymen came to join the army, but were convicted of spreading rumors by Congress.

Because they were among the last cavalry regiments to retreat from the south, they heard about Conrad's exploits from fleeing merchants, and were therefore indignant and spread the word everywhere. They even went to the territories of various lords to tell the so-called "truth".

This is completely inconsistent with what Congress has been promoting, so even Tier 6 units are being labeled as rumor-mongers and are being arrested everywhere.

Forced to wander, the two arrived at a city in the eastern part of the interior, where they were taken in by Kuraki.

There must have been lords who helped them escape along the way. Kuraki had always been at odds with the National Diet, and the lords were also quite tough, making it easier for them to take them in.

So Congress provided resources while demanding that Kuraki hand over the rumor-mongers.

Forrest first obtained the boundary stone, demonstrating a friendly attitude and indicating that Kuraki would not believe such words. However, he did not hand over the cavalry, but secretly kept them under guard and protection, and the rumors outside ceased to circulate.

Although the Diet was not satisfied with this compromise, it also regarded it as Kuraki's concession.

As long as they don't cause trouble, Congress warned that if any further outrageous rumors emerge, the remaining boundary markers will be lost.

Upon hearing this news, Forrest simply smiled and said nothing more.

Next, Kuraki will tell the people of Elton what it means to spread rumors and who the rumor-mongers are!
(End of this chapter)