Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 366 Lucky Hut
Sumu only met the appeasement envoys sent by Congress once politely, and then took them to Murak and the other generals to share the credit with everyone.

Although the cavalry regiment did not engage in direct combat, its flanking maneuvers were highly effective and intimidating, striking fear into the hearts of the enemy.

Of course, this was because Su Mu had seen through Congress's tricks and was too lazy to play along.

Wayne had already found out about the delegation's northward journey; they weren't there to celebrate their victory at all, but were simply frightened by Su Mu's terrifying achievements and turned back.

In any case, Congress certainly wouldn't give them the boundary stone; in the eyes of the nobles, Kuraki was already a threat.

Winterfell was captured, but this ancient city in the North was almost completely destroyed. Even the various military camps suffered devastating damage, and repairs would require a great deal of resources and time.

Su Mu's current shortage of time means he can't simply hold out in Winter City while waiting for the Arcane Empire to assemble its legions to attack.

In this siege of Winterfell, they had the advantage of the attack, taking advantage of the enemy's belief that Elton had surrendered and their lack of preparation, only sending a portion of their reinforcements. This allowed Sumu to defeat them one by one. Meanwhile, Murak and his men, seeking revenge for Conrad, had already arrived at the border, only temporarily held back by the Congress. Once the attack was launched, the cavalry regiment moved with considerable speed.

The most important factor is that this border is closer to the territory of the Throne of Wisdom, where the two major factions of the Arcane Empire are locked in a bitter struggle. One faction destroys another's genius, the other obstructs another's decision; they are irreconcilable enemies, on the verge of splitting the empire apart.

The Void Throne faction was the pro-war faction, including leaders like Somra, Brukan, and Lisa, all generals from the Void Cult. Their main force was only partially drawn from the existing forces, without the assistance of the Throne of Wisdom, and even faced opposition. They had originally intended to use this war to demonstrate the Void Cult's power, but instead suffered a crushing defeat.

Enraged, the enemy will surely gather a large army and march south to avenge the Tower troops; otherwise, they will be unable to govern the country from the Circular Tower in the future.

Su Mu wasn't sure how many people the Void God Cult could send, but it would definitely be no less than 5. If they mobilized their entire nation, 30 would probably be no problem. However, the Arcane Empire wasn't a monopoly; the competition between the two cults was mutually restraining, and they might not necessarily launch a full-scale southward offensive.

What Su Mu needs to do is to pull one side against the other. As long as he can suppress the arrogance of the Void God Cult, he can gain the favor of the other faction. They will also prove their strength, which will give them the opportunity to have an equal dialogue.

Unprincipled groveling like Congress will not be heeded; instead, it will only make them think you lack the strength to defend your territory. Even the Throne of Wisdom is ready to fight if they can. Their opposition is simply due to their dissatisfaction with the Void God Cult.

When people are weak, they will be bullied; when a country is weak, it will be humiliated.

Therefore, as Su Mu continues to grow stronger, he may not be able to govern other territories, but he will definitely protect Cang Mu.

[You displayed your prowess during the siege of Winterfell, leading the heroes to a glorious victory. +1 Attack, learned Advanced Money Luck Spell]

[Advanced Money Luck Spell: Increases the unit's luck by 3 points. If you spend excess gold this month, most luck-based judgment skills will favor you, and you will receive an extra chance when making certain spell power choices. This bonus can exceed the luck cap.]

Having finally mastered the advanced luck spell, Su Mu felt blessed by the goddess of fortune, as he could find a cartload of riches even when he went out for a stroll.

The feeling of "I can just wait for a windfall" was so obvious.

At the same time, the Advanced Governance Technique and the Advanced Luck Technique interacted, resulting in a new special building construction item appearing in the Eight Kings Palace.

【Lucky Hut (Support building of the Prison Hall, Tier 3, requires an Archon with advanced Governance skills to use): Grants all heroes under your governance in the hall +2 Luck, and this effect is maintained even when they leave the main city.

Additional building costs: 30 gems, 30 crystals, 10000 gold.

Next Tier: The ruled gains +3 Luck and allows the ruled hero to exceed the Luck cap. Requires a Parliament building.

Kuraki now has a council and can build a level 3 Lucky Hut, which grants all governed heroes a +2 Luck bonus – a significant improvement.

In other words, generals who go out to fight will have the characteristics of +2 luck and +2 morale at the start of the battle, no matter where they are. Therefore, Kuraki's troops are definitely a legion full of high spirits and passion.

But that's not enough. The real qualitative change in luck and leadership will depend on the post-Congress architecture.

Now that Winterfell has been recaptured in the North, he doesn't intend to actually keep the city. He'll simply pass this hot potato to Parliament and see their reaction. Many want to be King in the North, but few have the power to keep them in check.

If they are unwilling to allow Kuraki to further strengthen his power, then they might as well let the Diet defend itself.

Before leaving, Su Mu took some resources with him, including some second-tier resources and some blank boundary stones. As expected of a powerful figure in the Northern Territory, these gains were more than enough.

……

Congress was presented with a sweet dilemma: with Sumu withdrawing from Winterhold, the North was leaderless, and no one dared to go to the front lines to defend it.

It's clear that this has pushed the Arcane Empire to its limits. They still have a fierce counterattack to come, and only if they can weather that storm will the matter be settled.

Anyone who goes to the Frostwinter now is just going to their death.

Although he called himself a nouveau riche from the countryside, Su Mu's record was truly terrifying. No one expected that he could actually kill a legendary hero and reclaim Winter City.

Elton had not won such an exhilarating victory in a long time. Even in the previous Battle of Sunset, when they barely held the border, the Hills front was suddenly attacked, and the whole situation was unfavorable for Elton.

Su Mu's siege and annihilation of Somla this time was like a dream come true.

Regardless of whether it's a surprise attack, proper tactics, or targeted military intelligence.

War is about using every means to defeat the enemy; that's what makes a great general.

Su Mu can now be considered Elton's number one combat force, without any doubt.

Everyone thought he would ask Congress to appoint him King of the North, granting him control over the northern territories. Congress had even hesitated for a long time, trying to come up with an excuse. Now, he's simply refused, throwing the title away like trash, and nobody dares to claim it.

Although some noble families wanted to seek wealth and power through risk, they lacked the corresponding strength and could only go up to make a show of it, so it would have been better not to grant them titles at all.

"The position of the Northern Territory is temporarily vacant and will be granted to various lords for governance. Whoever makes a great contribution in the future may be granted the title of Duke!"

It was the same old trick of making empty promises, and it certainly worked. This was a duke, after all. Generations of people had to work hard to even get close to it. Apart from the founding members, only families that were historically renowned could receive such an honor.

Some are blinded by fame and want to rise to power. Congress never worries about that.

What puzzled them was whether Su Mu had simply given up the fame that was within his grasp.
"Speaker, I've heard that Kuraki Castle is undergoing a major construction project, it seems... it seems..."

"What can't you say? Speak up!"

"They want to build a parliament! And grant fiefdoms!"

"what?"

This is truly shocking news. A duchy has always been a title that only the royal family can bestow. What does Su Mu mean by doing this?
Besides, where did he get so many boundary stones? These things are basically only found in powerful forces.

Confusion, bewilderment, and worry welled up in the hearts of the councilors, who were dumbfounded when they heard this.

They also faced a serious problem: what would they do if Kuraki really broke away from the kingdom?
(End of this chapter)