Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 359 Anti-Demon Cloak
The arguments among the members of Congress did not affect the overall strategy in the North.

In fact, even if Su Mu didn't send anyone, he could guess the final decision of the parliament. It would be nothing more than verbal support, with no real help whatsoever; Kuraki would have to rely on himself.

If they win, it's because of their skillful leadership; negotiating peace and using trickery were decisions they had already made. If they lose, they're traitors; they'll have to cede territory and pay reparations. The kingdom simply doesn't have such a rebellious lord.

Su Mu was prepared for this.

If it weren't for this war where there was no chance of victory, would it have been left to rural nobles like them to fight? If the kingdom hadn't been on the verge of destruction, would he, the Marquis of Kuraki, have risen so quickly?

He had no powerful backers, no influential connections, and he even built his own army by himself, without taking any advantage of the kingdom.

But ultimately, this is a world of heroes, and heroes are made by the times.

Might makes right. As long as he wins, Kuraki can obtain the most resources, suppress all discontent, and no one will dare to raise any questions openly.

Therefore, the upcoming war is of paramount importance; we can only win, not lose.

However, there was some good news. Just as Maggie had predicted, when Kuraki stood up to avenge the Knight Commander, Su Mu immediately became the new banner of the kingdom, receiving responses from many heroes and lords from all over the country.

Those with money donated money, those with resources sent resources, and those with soldiers even came north to provide support.

Murak was the first general to respond. He already had a close relationship with the Knight Commander and was already furious after being obstructed by the Congress. Now that Sumu had raised his arm, he naturally joined the army to carry out the punitive expedition.

During the Battle of Sunset, many lords in the heartland, having received favors from Conrad, were eager to avenge him. Led by Duke Peter, the lords specifically supported Murak with several thousand troops, including high-ranking priests and swordsmen, and sent him to the northern battlefield to help Sumu besiege Winterhold.

In a short time, more than a dozen large and small armies were assembled and entered the northern border. The banners of the human kingdoms fluttered above the snow-capped mountains, and the mighty and majestic armies were trained like dragons and snakes, a magnificent sight.

"It seems that humanity is not lacking in courage, but rather that the decision-makers in Congress are too weak!"

Anyone who sees this army of vengeance will have this thought in their mind: at least Elton has warriors who refuse to kneel.

Su Mu did not specifically welcome the northward-bound legion; he merely sent troops to cut off the passage north of Winterfell to prevent the Arcane Empire from escaping north. His focus remained on attacking Winterfell.

According to the prisoners, Winterfell currently has 2 mixed troops remaining, mainly composed of Iron Golems and Golden Golems, followed by Divine Golems and Mages. The Naga Queen was almost wiped out in the last battle.

No wonder they had to send Brukan to fetch reinforcements. Winterfell's defenses were inadequate, even meager. Conrad had caused the Tower's fatal destruction before his death. Even if Sumu attacked, or even if Congress were to send a large army, they might still be able to retake this northern city.

The only problem is Somra, the tower hero who is skilled in air elemental magic and can inflict massive damage on attackers if defending the city.

The kingdom has already offered a high reward for the Thunder God pendant, but unfortunately, they cannot find any special treasures for the time being.

Kuraki has Ouling, who possesses the Qi Control Technique, which can at least block half of the damage. Moreover, with the Phantom Divine Bow, he is not afraid of enemies at range as long as he positions himself well.

However, given Su Mu's wariness of legendary heroes, he still sought out Cederos and carefully inquired about Somra's information.

"Do you know anything about this legendary genie hero? I know a little about his skills, but I'm still a bit worried. Especially the wish-granting ability of the lamp, to what extent can Somra utilize it?"

Ordinary skills, even with enhancements, are still insufficient against the art of governance. However, certain special skills, such as the forgetting magic of ancient ruins, are particularly effective and must be guarded against.

Although Su Mu was confident in avenging Conrad, he was not an arrogant person. He understood the importance of knowing yourself and your enemy in every battle.

Cedrus recalled carefully and gave his opinion: "I heard of this genie's name when I was at the Throne of Wisdom. Although the characteristics of each generation of genies are different, Somra is still the most legendary representative among them."

Chain Lightning is his signature move, I don't need to elaborate, but he also has another identity: a secret protector of the Void God Cult, and most likely possesses the cult's special skills.

This news wasn't surprising, given that the Void Cult was the main force in the Arcane Empire's war effort, and Somra's dispatch for the surprise attack likely represented the will of the Void. However, this presents a thorny issue: even a siege might not be enough to hold Somra.

"If it's a shackle of war? Does the Void God Cult have a special way to break it?"

After thinking for a moment, Sedros replied, "If it's just ordinary war shackles, I'm afraid they won't be able to stop the legendary genie. Unless it's a special combination of treasures that seals space, it wouldn't be difficult for Somra to escape." Su Mu already knew this answer.

During their raid, although they successfully besieged Brukan, they failed to prevent the enemy from sending messages, and Somra must have known what was happening in the north.

The entire 20,000-strong support legion, including mages and gargoyles, was annihilated at the border. Even the air elementalist master, Brukan, couldn't escape. With Somra's intelligence, she couldn't be unaware of the enemy's strength. Yet, even now, the defenders of Winterfell remain motionless. Somra hasn't used any means to evacuate in advance, nor has she considered breaking out or sneaking away. It seems she's not worried about being trapped at all.

"We still need to think of a way to deal with these guys from the Void God Cult."

Each faction has its own strengths and weaknesses, and their methods of survival vary greatly. For example, the undead have soulfire that allows them to be resurrected even if they die on the battlefield; the Void Cult uses mysterious spatial techniques that allow them to quickly escape the battlefield. Ordinary people might be able to use the shackles of war, but it's much harder for legendary heroes.

Fortifications and castles are less effective in this regard, but special stables and mounts increase their mobility and provide unique escape routes.

From a strategic perspective, this siege of Winterfell is not a decisive battle. Even if Somra is defeated, the Arcane Empire still has a powerful legion that can still threaten the North.

No matter how powerful Su Mu is, he can't be in two places at once if he has to divide his forces to guard two locations.

The purpose of attacking Winterfell is twofold: first, to eliminate the heroes of the Arcane Empire and avenge Conrad; second, to inflict a heavy blow on them, deterring the Tower from making any rash moves and forcing them back to the negotiating table.

To reiterate, the strategy is to use force to promote peace and dialogue. The Arcane Empire is rife with internal strife between two factions, and as long as the enemy's invasion continues unimpeded, they will incite infighting within the opposing faction.

The premise is that we win the war.

Brukan is a good example. Once the opponent's flying magic hero is killed, the towers will not be able to easily cross the snow mountain, and any subsequent troop deployment will be detected.

The Air Elemental Master also brought many treasures this time, one of which was a Knight's Gloves.

【Knight's Gloves (Tier 3 Treasure): Increases land movement speed outside of combat (equivalent to a speed increase of 5), increases cavalry charge speed by 20%, and is a component of the Windrunner Treasure.

Review: You make a brief stop at a country tavern. Inadvertently, you take the wrong bag. Inside, you unexpectedly discover a pair of magical gloves.

Brukan certainly wouldn't command the knights; he used this treasure simply to increase his speed, which, combined with his flying magic, would allow it to function even more powerfully.

【Anti-Magic Cloak (Level 3 Treasure): Increases magic resistance chance by 10% (levels 1-6 magic), one of the components of the Magic Sanctuary combination treasure.

Review: A wizard plotted to kill a ranger. Just as the evil wizard was about to succeed, you intervened and saved the ranger. The ranger was extremely grateful and gave you his beloved cloak.

It seems that Brukan wasn't just relying on the Divine Mirror Shield, but also on the Anti-Magic Cloak as a backup plan. Unfortunately, his luck wasn't good, and he didn't trigger the treasure.

This is also a characteristic of anti-magic treasures: they are either all zero or all one.

A single anti-magic item is rather useless, but I obtained a necklace from the last battle against the elven dragon knight, and now I have enough for a cloak. If I can combine them into a new combination item, that would be a decent upgrade.

Brukan also possesses two other attribute-enhancing treasures, but they have been sealed away by mysterious means and he hasn't had time to deal with them yet.

For now, the focus should still be on offense.

"My lord, we have arrived in Winterfell!"

Su Mu and his companions crossed the snow-capped mountain peak and looked into the distance, where they saw a fortified city standing on the icy plain.

Even after being ravaged by war multiple times, it remains magnificent and extraordinary.

Su Mu crossed thousands of meters of clouds and mist, his gaze fixed on the top of the city wall. Without even looking closely, he could see a genie, a hundred meters tall and made of blue mist, floating in the air.

The two looked at each other, and the entire earth seemed to freeze.

This battle is about to begin!
(End of this chapter)