Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 443: Soldiers are powerful and fast

By the time Lloyd deployed his intercepting legions, Kuraki had already breached three fortified villages.

Dino said that Sumu had led the main force to the valley, and Lloyd believed him. But that didn't mean that Kuraki's army in the hills was weak; on the contrary, the troops that Sumu trusted so much were probably even stronger than the Griffin Legion in the valley.

If you let your guard down just because Sumu hasn't come to the hilly area, you'll definitely suffer a great loss.

Having fought Kuraki for so long, Lloyd has also figured out some experience. Kuraki seems to be very bold in his use of troops and likes to use unconventional tactics, but except in cases where he has no other choice, he still prefers head-on battles.

However, before a battle, he always releases a lot of smokescreens, making it difficult for his opposing generals to figure out his intentions. Coupled with his generals who possess high-speed movement abilities and the magic guild of the Time Gate, he does indeed seem to appear and disappear without a trace.

In the previous battle of Silver Peak City, the empty city ruse was used to mislead the fortress; otherwise, with the two major forces attacking from both sides, Kuraki Dan would not have had a chance to catch his breath.

To deal with Kuraki, one must not be misled by his dazzling array of arrangements, but must find out the enemy's core objective.

Lloyd opened the map and studied it for a long time, and came to the same conclusion as Dino: Kuraki wanted to join forces with the legion in the valley, break through the Canglan Canyon, and enter the Far Plain.

Even though he knew that Su Mu was always bold in his military campaigns, he was still shocked by this plan.

Before this, Elton had not only failed to launch a counterattack, but had also been pushed to the brink of annihilation. If it weren't for Isaiah's desperate defense at the Battle of Sunset and Conrad's valiant aid, Elton would likely have perished. How long has it been, and the kingdom's army dares to launch a counterattack?

However, the enemy's plan was indeed fatal. Although there were many cities in the Far Plains, they had not yet established a coordinated defensive line.

After the Elton Parliament ruthlessly destroyed the supply of Earth Spirits, the Far Plains were once devoid of any resources. Now, having just recovered from the desolation of Earth Spirits, it still needs a large number of boundary stones to assert its sovereignty. In other words, within the Far Plains, it is impossible to use the portals of time and space for teleportation. Even with hundreds of thousands of troops, it is impossible to reach the aid location immediately, which is a fatal flaw.

During the last invasion by the undead legion, Rosalind was killed and the Garden Vault was damaged, which enraged the elders, who ordered them to strengthen border defenses and prevent such a situation from happening again.

Those who truly understand the Barrier faction know that they are a race adept at development. Their treasuries provide abundant wealth, and the dwarves have excellent mining skills, making their economic resources far superior to those of other nations at a similar level. If this advantage were to be broken, the very foundation of Isildur would be undermined.

"We cannot allow them to regroup smoothly. We immediately order the Third, Fifth, and Eighth Army Corps to assemble and defend this position."

Send a message to Dino and Orofel Senye to reinforce this mountain path. We must wipe out one of their forces before Kuraki and the Kingdom's army can assemble!

Su Mu and Kenwei have joined forces, along with many families in the valley, and have already mobilized nearly 8 troops. Although most of them are low-level troops, they still pose a significant threat.

After some deliberation, Lloyd wrote a magical letter to the Elders, requesting additional reinforcements. Although the Elders were already somewhat dissatisfied with Lloyd, he wouldn't let his emotions get the better of him when it came to matters of principle. If they could seize the opportunity to annihilate Kuraki's legion, it could even determine the success or failure of the Hills Campaign.

The enemy's move was indeed unexpected; the kingdom's internal strife had led to a large-scale counterattack, catching him completely off guard. However, the rewards were great, but the risks were also high. If Kuraki's army that entered the hills was annihilated, Kuraki would be finished.

Lloyd quickly stood up again and instructed the messenger: "Have the Elders contact the Arcane Empire and inform them that Kuraki has mobilized all its forces and can put some pressure on the Northern Territory."

If feasible, contact the rebel forces within Elton and have them harass Kuraki's cities in the heart of the territory!

Don't say that bloody regimes might be haunted by ghosts or demons. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Aren't the resistance forces in many countries aided by foreign countries? Otherwise, it would be too difficult to mobilize the grassroots alone.

With such a serious rebellion raging in the heart of Elton, it would be a shame not to take advantage of it and apply some pressure. But before the orders could even be issued, devastating news arrived.

"Another cavalry corps has broken through the Redwood defenses and occupied a strategic position on the cliff. The plan to reinforce them is probably no longer feasible!"

"What? This place is surrounded by mountains on three sides, how did they get here?"

Lloyd was taken aback, never expecting that there was a force even more powerful than the strongest swordsman who had broken through the defensive line first.

……

Goode rode the Crimson Dream Beast, standing atop the cliff, gazing at the battlefield below.

Everywhere were the mangrove warriors' broken bodies, their trunks draped over the cliff edge, trampled into wooden bridges. At the Nightmare Knight's feet lay piles of rubble, and treants wailed in agony.

The incredibly sturdy redwood warriors were like brittle tree branches under the Nightmare Knight's spear. Originally, the redwood warriors in this area had sealed off the canyon, waiting for Lloyd to send reinforcements, making it a strategically important and easily defensible location.

So Goode and Ivan discussed it and decided to bypass the defenses in advance, rush over, and arrive at the key pass ahead of time to launch an attack, delivering a fatal blow to the Redwood Warriors and annihilating hundreds of enemies.

Lloyd was already monitoring the flying legion, and he thought that only flying units could quickly reach the top of the hills and mountains. But he never expected that Goode would use dream navigation to traverse the mountains and reach the key route.

"Knight Commander, those archers in the distance have started to retreat. Should we pursue them?"

"Chase them, kill them all! But be careful not to leave this mountainous area, the enemy's main force will definitely arrive soon, and we still have a fierce battle to fight!"

"promise!"

The so-called military is expensive and quick.

The Red Tree Legion was defeated too quickly. Normally, hilly terrain is unfavorable for knights to launch charges, as the distance covered is limited and the firepower insufficient. But with the Nightmare Cyclone's blessing, the cavalry charged in a dream, appearing directly from the cliff tops—who could defend against that?
Thus, hundreds of mangrove warriors were inexplicably killed, while the great elves behind them fired a volley of arrows, only to find that they had no effect, so they abandoned their post and retreated to the rear.

This actually saves trouble, avoiding the time and effort of the cavalry regiment searching tower by tower.

Good guessed that the enemy commander had not yet given the order to hold the line, after all, the nearest stronghold was nearly 100 kilometers away, and he and Ivan launched their attack almost simultaneously, so Lloyd was probably just reacting.

"Next, we need to harass their mobile forces and prevent them from getting closer to this place!"

Cavalry isn't meant for defensive maneuvers; if we're going to fight, we should launch surprise attacks in the hilly terrain. With the current Wind Erosion Knights, numbering over a hundred, as long as we don't encounter the Golden Dragon, Goode dares to charge into an army of tens of thousands.

As long as he creates chaos here, Ivan will be able to arrive quickly, and then they can wait in ambush and hold the pass, preventing Lloyd from encircling them.

"Now it all depends on His Majesty the Duke!"

(End of this chapter)