Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 397 Conquered

Kuraki received the news of the victory immediately, and Forrest jumped for joy.

Even in front of several trusted officials, he made no attempt to hide his joy.

"Quickly, call Wayne back! Tell him the plan has changed, we're not running away anymore, and we're preparing for a counterattack against the Isidore organization!"

A few days ago, Forrest humbly pleaded with the human lord, but the kingdom was not optimistic about the war in the North, believing that Sumu was doomed to defeat, and naturally would not provide strong support.

The Demon Hunter Marshal, mindful of the bigger picture, dared not send troops. However, he did not take advantage of the situation; instead, he dispatched a portion of his legion to harass the hills and help alleviate the pressure on Kuraki.

The Duke of the Bucks rallied many nobles to attack Isildur from the northwest, but the fortress was heavily fortified, and the attack was not very effective.

No matter how skilled Forrest was in diplomacy, the overall situation was what it was, and he naturally couldn't change the course of events.

Therefore, he made plans to deal with the worst-case scenario, which was to arrange for Wayne to open a channel to the south border and escape with Valentine and some of the garrisoned shieldmen and thieves.

As for himself, he decided to live and die with Kuraki.

There's not much to say. Su Mu is dead, and the art of governance is gone. Even if he possesses the strongest civil engineering skills at present, it's meaningless now. The continent of Aether will never again see a city as monstrous as Kuraki's. This was the lord's life's work, and even if he dies here, he will protect it.

The only pity is that there seems to be no movement from Valentine's side. Logically speaking, the lord has burned the fireplace so many times, is he just using it to keep warm?
But there's not much to say; it's just about living life to the fullest, facing death head-on.

Having made this arrangement, Forrest moved a chair and sat down on the city wall.

Isildur's scouts, who were only a few kilometers away from the city, discovered Forrest sitting on the city wall. They immediately suspected a trap and reported to the central army. The fortresses believed that Kuraki would strategically abandon the North and concentrate his forces with the Witcher Marshal to attack the Hills. As a result, Lloyd and his men temporarily retreated.

Who could have imagined it would end like this!

When the Council of Elders of Isildur received the news, the elders gaped, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Somura, the entire Arcane Empire army of 10 was annihilated in Silvertop City?"

They no longer cared where Kuraki's core forces were. Even if they managed to deceive everyone, so what? If Su Mu managed to gather 8000 men, that would be impressive. To fight 10 with only 8000? And against Somla no less?
The elven elders looked at each other, bewildered.

They were forced to believe it only after multiple intelligence sources confirmed the fact.

"The Arcane Empire is such an idiot. Somra was just unsealed from the lamp and is not in good condition. Sending him to fight will probably have an impact."

"Su Mu is truly not to be underestimated. Starting with Cangmu, he has fought in all directions, growing stronger with each battle. No matter how powerful the enemy is, he can always turn the tide. Such a hero is a terrifying enemy for us."

His victory was no fluke; we must prioritize obtaining information about him and Kuraki Hideo and expedite the process.

"The most urgent task now is to have the Hill Legion launch a surprise attack on Kuraki City. The enemy must have used all their forces to defend Silvertop City, leaving only an architect in Kuraki. Quickly send Lloyd, Dino, and the others to probe Kuraki City!"

When the order reached the front lines, Lloyd and Dino were also taken aback. They had clearly tested the waters before and found that Kuraki's main force was quite large, so how could they have gone to Silvertop City in the blink of an eye!

"A portal to time and space! The other side obtained a portal to time and space after building their parliament!"

A few days ago, they learned that Kuraki had established a parliament and possessed a level 4 magic guild. Now they can be basically certain that a rare earth element magic portal has appeared in the guild.

Based on Lloyd's experience, if he still couldn't figure out the opponent's methods by now, he shouldn't be a marshal.

The use of the Time-Space Gate has many limitations. In addition to the control of the Earth Spirit, if the city's magic guild possesses this magic, the teleportation can be controlled within the guild, making it more subtle and less likely to be detected.

The opposing team has heroes with disguise abilities and the ability to teleport stealthily, causing them to misjudge information and giving the Arcane Empire false information. This may be one of the factors affecting the outcome of the battle.

The main problem was the lack of information channels. What was even more unexpected was that Kuraki was so determined to fight on two fronts, actively confronting the stronger side and actually winning. It was simply unbelievable.

So Dino immediately took the golden dragon and tried to attack the empty Kuraki City, but before he could arrive, the scouts reported that a magnificent gate had been lit up inside Kuraki City.

Dino rode the golden dragon and stared at Kuraki from thousands of meters in the air for a full minute before cursing loudly. In the end, he could only return home in frustration.

If he still had confidence before, now, after hearing about Silvertop City's achievements, he has almost lost all confidence.

……

While Isildur was still filled with questions, the Arcane Empire was practically spitting blood. 10 troops—the largest number of free troops the Void Cult could muster—had been lost just like that.

While low-level troops can be mass-produced by building multiple cities at any cost, high-level troops like the Divine Monster Lord and the Naga Queen are not easy to accumulate.

"Somra is such a piece of trash! He was actually defeated by a human, and he's supposed to be a legendary hero!"

This is simply the greatest disgrace to the Arcane Empire in nearly a century. 10 were wiped out by 8000, like pigs.

Given the current situation, the Circular Tower can only reinforce its troops to the south and upgrade the defenses of its border. However, with Silver Peak City's current strength, it is unlikely to be able to continue its northward advance.

Of course, the Arcane Empire was only on the defensive and did not want to retaliate further, nor did it have the ability to do so.

"How's the excavation of the Void Ruins going?"

"We have reached the key location and discovered the advanced cloud palace. We are not far from being able to resummon the Titans." Compared to the method of sealing the Dragon Cliff with barriers, the Arcane Empire's method is more mysterious. They let the Titans wander in the void, waiting for the tide of magical power to arrive, so that they can resummon the Titans in the void through special means.

However, there is a problem: it requires a high-level cloud palace as a carrier, and the consumption will be very high.

The Cloud Palace was banished to the void thousands of years ago to avoid the corruption of cursed power. Now, it is following the guidance of its ancestors to find the powerful troops in the tower.

At this critical moment, they really couldn't afford to deal with Silvertop City.

Besides, even if you're unwilling, what can you do?

Somra lost with 10 men, who would be willing to take the risk?
It would be better to summon the Titans first and use level 7 divine units to crush the opponent; perhaps that would save face.

However, this battle has had a significant impact. The Throne of Wisdom has rallied many sorcerers to oppose the Void Cult's decisions, and there have even been several violent protests in the city.

The attack on Silver Peak City resulted in a double loss, utterly humiliating the Void God Cult and significantly weakening the control of the Ring Tower.

It seems unlikely that they will be able to deploy troops at will for some time.

The North can enjoy peace for a while.

……

If we're talking about surprises, there's probably nothing more shocking than Elton Congress.

For the entire morning, the Royal Capital Council was doing one thing: verifying the authenticity of the outcome of the Battle of Silvertop City.

They refuted one scout's report after another, and were able to find impossible evidence from the sidelines.

But in the end, when the owl's letters piled up on the long table and every nobleman received the same message, they were convinced that it was true.

"Kuraki held Silver Peak during the Battle of Silver Peak. He killed Somra and routed an army of nearly 10, thus saving the northern territory."

The nobles looked at each other, their faces already frozen, unsure of what to say.

They had considered that Su Mu was very capable, and they had also considered causing some damage to the Arcane Empire, but they never expected that Silvertop City would actually be able to hold out.

The Congress had even prepared apology messengers, carrying vast amounts of treasure and gold, to cede northern lands, hoping the Arcane Empire would change its mind and help them defend against Isildur's attack.

However, before the envoy even left the city, the members of parliament were once again proven wrong.

"After this battle, even if we don't grant him the title of duchy, he will have the strength of a duchy!"

"A true duke is one whose duchy is forged through battle; wherever the longsword points, that is my land!"

This is a famous quote from the first Duke of Elton. The nobles present may all remember it, but they only thought it was a joke. Now that Gwen has said it in person, some people have turned pale.

This scene delighted Gwen immensely. As a court minister, his job was normally to mediate between the royal family and parliament. He never expected to be embroiled in the Arcane Empire's affairs, always being sent on diplomatic missions. If everyone were equals, sending someone on a mission would be one thing, but having to beg for peace was utterly humiliating.

“Elton is not weak and easily bullied. Duke Sumu has shown those guys in the tower what the consequences are for invading our territory. It’s truly satisfying!”

These words expressed the sentiments of many lower and middle-ranking councilors. Although they all relied more or less on the rule of the Speaker or the great nobles, most of them still felt a deep sense of sympathy seeing the kingdom in such a state of decline and being humiliated.

Now that someone can help them vent their anger, they are practically the best heroes in the eyes of the nobles.

With his approval rating steadily rising, the speaker finally spoke.

"Kuragi's victory in this battle dealt a heavy blow to the enemy's morale and enhanced our national prestige."

He was granted the title of Duke of Kuraki, and his territory comprised the central and eastern parts of the northern border, the entire territory of the Shilin Plain, and the eastern part of the hinterland, which together formed the duchy.

They possessed the privileges of being granted fiefdoms and appointments, not having to bow to the king or kneel before the gods, and had full command over the battlefield north of the valley, allowing them to make their own decisions!

Given the current situation, there's no need to delay any longer.

Even if Congress doesn't ban it, they don't care at all. On the contrary, Elton needs Su Mu's banner to serve as a facade.

Given their past grievances, Su Mu might not really give them a second thought. What the nobles need to consider is not the war that destroyed Isildur, but rather how much power they still hold.

Previously deserted Raven's mansion, and even glib-tongued fellows like Gwen, now had many nobles lining up to visit, the reason for which is self-evident.

"Hmph! A usurper!"

A loud-mouthed marquis angrily rebuked him, but the speaker didn't even look at him and turned away.

Ultimately, strength is the most important factor.

Kuraki has truly become a force to be reckoned with.

(End of this chapter)