Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 455: Harvest of the War
Lloyd was captured. Although he wanted to die, he was saved by the kingdom's healers after being seriously injured and was sealed away with magic.

As the marshal of Isildur, he holds immense political significance, representing the kingdom's most powerful counterattack to date.

If they could be brought back to the capital for trial, it would almost certainly reverse the previous series of unfavorable situations and demonstrate that the kingdom still possesses strong military power.

Even the current rampant rebellion will be suppressed.

Kenway said that the Bloody regime was ravaging the heartland and the kingdom was temporarily unable to suppress it, which led some minor nobles to have other ideas.

This was not unavoidable, since the rural nobles and the king had no direct affiliation. Their lives and fortunes were tied to the villages and towns. As the king was unable to suppress the rebellion for a long time, doubts naturally arose in everyone's hearts.

Therefore, Elton desperately needs an external victory to demonstrate his strength.

Although everyone knew that the victory in the Hills Battle was due to Sumu, he still acknowledged Kenway as the supreme commander and gave the fruits of victory to the Witcher Marshal in gratitude for his support in the battle.

In this region of river valleys and hills, the kingdom's reach was limited, so the territory naturally had to be divided among the Stag Family and the Principality of Kuraki. Having gained tangible benefits, they naturally had to give their companions some other advantages as well.

Kenway was the first marshal to achieve the kingdom's first major victory against Isildor, a counterattack on the Azure Canyon, and a triumph over the Far Plains.

If you think about it carefully, a marshal's role is often not about how well he fights, but about coordinating, making good use of suitable generals, and making the right plans.

Kenway was able to withstand the pressure from Congress, choose to cooperate with the Principality of Kuraki, manage the relationship with the Valley well, and cultivate a large number of demon hunter soldiers. He contributed everything to this battle, uniting all forces that could be united, and he truly deserved the victory.

Because it was a collaboration among three parties, the captured treasures and resources were divided among them. Although Kenway and the others believed that Kuraki should take the lion's share or even all of it, Su Mu only took the items he needed, and the rest were divided equally among the three parties.

After all, with Kuraki's current strength, he doesn't lack those resources and treasures at all. Sharing the spoils and honors with everyone will allow him to attract more allies in the next battle.

Who wouldn't want to fight alongside Kuraki, gaining victory and abundant resources?
[Battle Rewards: Crown of the Oracle, Cloak of Speed, Dragon's Body, Mercury Flask, Divine Head, Crown of the Divine Beast]

Needless to say, the Crown of Oracle is the most important component of the Angel Alliance, and it was a treasure that Su Mu personally brought back after chasing down Dino, so it naturally belongs to Cang Mu.

To improve Goode's mobility, he specifically acquired the Swiftness Cloak. In fact, he had the opportunity to obtain this treasure last time, but Murak also needed it, so he gave it to the Swift Knight. Now that he has Crimson Knights under his command that need to be trained, he naturally needs to get his hands on it first.

【Speed ​​Cloak (Tier 3 Treasure): Increases troop speed by 2 during battle, increases pathfinding effect by 15%, and is a component of the Windwalker Treasure.

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

Currently, I've acquired four pieces of the Windrunner set: the Swiftness Necklace, Swiftness Cloak, Knight's Gloves, and Traveler's Ring. I'm still missing two pieces, both of which are quite difficult to obtain. Once I've collected both the Boots of Swiftness and the Wings of the Sky, it won't just be about literal speed; it will be about enjoying true flight, even during combat.

If Crimson Knight is lacking something, it's probably that it's missing a pair of wings.

Of course, this goal is still a bit far off for now, as these two treasures, especially the Wings of the Blazing Sky, are extremely difficult to obtain.

The Dragon Body is Orophel's treasure. Although it was damaged in battle and disintegrated into its components after its master's death, it's still intact. Now, Kuraki has Hammondell, a new blacksmith. Forging a new treasure directly might be difficult, but repairing a complete set is a piece of cake.

Speaking of which, quite a few components of the Dragon King's power have been collected, but the biggest problem with this set is that there are too many of them, making it difficult for ordinary heroes to equip. Furthermore, a condensed treasure like the Dragon Body requires a unique forging process, making it difficult to obtain. This time, it's a good opportunity to entrust the Dragon Body to Hammondell so he can study it carefully and see if he can acquire special forging techniques.

[Mercury Bottle (Tier 3 Treasure): When carried by a hero, grants 1 Mercury daily. One of the four components of the Harvest Horn combination treasure.]

Evaluation: You arrive at an abandoned tower built by sorcerers, where a magical mercury vial sits on a table. Such a treasure is not to be missed. Taking advantage of the absence of others, you grab the vial and slip it into your pocket.

What Su Mu wanted most was naturally a gemstone ring, and besides, the barrier should require a crystal cloak, so why was he carrying a mercury bottle?

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. The Crystal Cloak was likely left at Isildor Dragoncliff specifically to recruit dragons. Getting a mercury vial from their logistics officer would be a pretty good reward.

The Corner of Harvest is a strategic combination treasure that you must obtain, otherwise you may not have enough resources when you are able to recruit angels later in the game.

The remaining unexpected joy was the divine gift of a divine head.

【Heavenly Gift (Tier 3 Treasure): The city where this treasure is placed (or the hero wearing it) will have its Tier 6 troop production increased by 1. This effect is unique to this city and cannot be stacked.

Evaluation: One of the five components of the combined treasure, Heavenly Weapon.

Evaluation: You arrive at a ruin and find a statue among the rubble. You carefully pick it up, wipe off the dust, and put it in your bag.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already collected four components of the Heavenly Weapon, only missing the Heavenly Arm, which he could also look forward to. The components of this set of treasures were mostly bestowed by the Kingdom, with most of them being granted by the Parliament. Although some were given reluctantly, there were no more suitable ones, so they were reluctantly given. Unexpectedly, Su Mu was about to collect all the Heavenly Weapons, which would definitely surprise the Parliament.

【Crown of Divine Beasts (Level 1 Treasure): Increases Knowledge by 1 when worn by a hero.】

Review: A hungry craftsman asks you for food in exchange for a helmet decorated with a unicorn horn. Out of curiosity, you agree. Soon after, you discover that the helmet possesses magical powers.

The unicorn, which can be considered a mythical beast, was used as an extra.

There were some other high-level treasures, but Su Mu had already taken the two most crucial ones and shared them with Kenwei and the others.

The treasures obtained this time were quite plentiful, but the promotion brought about by the victory of the army with more than 20 troops was even more exciting.

[You have made outstanding contributions as the commander, leading a large army and heroes, fighting across hundreds of miles, from river valleys to hills, and achieving a resounding victory against the Isidore legions for the first time!]
+1 Defense, +1 Spell Power, Comprehend Intermediate Chaos Wisdom, Comprehend Basic Stellar Intelligence, Obtain the title of Dragon Slayer

[Intermediate Chaos Wisdom: Able to master all types of level 5-6 magic (can be learned even without elemental mastery), can access more chaotic knowledge in the magic guild, is immune to corruption, cannot be detected by divination, and will possess chaotic characteristics when casting magic.]

Intermediate Chaos Trait: Magical effects fluctuate between 50% and 200%, unaffected by Magic Mirror or Counterspell.

The intermediate Chaos Wisdom Technique was no surprise, as it was a skill he had already mastered. However, the Stellar Intelligence Technique seemed more like a skill of the Tower. Su Mu believed it was because he had mastered the Astrologer's skill and gained more stellar blessings in battle, which led to this breakthrough.

[Basic Astral Intelligence: Increases the hero's maximum mana by 25%, consumes less mana when commanding extraordinary units, and can grant units one Astral Arcane.]

【Star Shift Technique (Special Magic): Reduces the cooldown time of unit skills by 25%.】

This skill seems somewhat lackluster for now, as Su Mu can utilize Maggie's Magic Intelligence skill, granting him a higher magic value bonus. However, in the long run, Star Intelligence still has its merits, especially since later unit types will have many special skills that require rapid rotation of spell cooldown time.

Moreover, he sometimes cannot carry Maggie's intelligence, so having a basic skill would be very suitable.

【Dragon Slayer (Title): When you kill a certain number of dragons, you will receive a special blessing of magical power. When the troops you command fight against dragons, they will have +3 attack power, and the dragons' hostility towards you will increase by 200%.】 In simple terms, it is the curse of dragon blood. If you kill a lot of people, you will become a human butcher. If you kill a lot of dragons, you will naturally become a dragon slayer.

Su Mu didn't mind bearing this title. If Maggie later comprehended the concept of slaughter, he would definitely learn it quickly through "academic" exchanges. Combined with this special title, it would have a miraculous effect on those advanced troops.

At this point, Su Mu was fully armed, with his highest attribute being 9 in Cursed Power, and he was only one step away from becoming a legend.

【苏木（执政官）：攻击7（29），防御6（28），咒力9（29），知识7（27）。

Charm 90, no elements.

Characteristics: Duke Kuraki, Plains Governor, Dragon Slayer, King of Lightning.

Skills: Advanced Governance, Advanced Earth Elemental Mastery, Advanced Alliance Leadership, Advanced Union Magic, Intermediate Chaos Wisdom, Advanced Money Luck, Basic Astral Intelligence.

Treasures: Titan's Arrow (combination treasure), Lion King's Shield, Crown of the Oracle

Of course, he could go even further. If he could create the Angel Alliance, it would provide a considerable boost. Most importantly, the Angel Alliance would grant him a variety of spells, which, combined with the spells of the Crimson Curse Armor, would create an unimaginable spectacle.

The heroes who participated in this battle were also promoted. After all, such a large-scale battle is rare in the world, and even if there were any major bottlenecks, they should have been overcome.

[Maggie used magic to help the legion achieve a great victory in this battle, gaining +1 Defense and learning Advanced Water Elemental Mastery.]

Finally, another hero with advanced water elemental mastery has emerged. Combined with Maggie's crowd control abilities, they are simply unstoppable.

Ivan fought valiantly against two legions in this battle, achieving great merit and gaining a higher level of war understanding: +1 Spell Power, +1 Knowledge, and mastery of Sword Mastery.

[Sword Master: For every 5 points of attack and defense attributes a hero has, the attack of swordsmen (and upgraded units) is increased by 1 point. This skill will receive a significant boost with further training, and at advanced levels, it can amplify unit traits once.]

Cultivation level: 1/100000

Ivan's skills are somewhat special. Su Mu had previously guessed that he would comprehend the special abilities of the swordsman class, but he never expected that after waiting for so long, he would actually gain a sliver of inspiration from the strongest swordsman and comprehend a cultivation and growth skill.

The master swordsmanship is inspired by the training of the strongest swordsmen. In the early stages, it is unremarkable, but when one advances to the level of sword saint, one can gain unprecedented improvement.

Upon closer examination, isn't this the training path of the strongest swordsman?
[Oling commanded ranged attacks in this battle and used crossbows to hit key enemy figures, gaining +1 Attack, +1 Spell Power, and learning Intermediate Wisdom Spell.]

In contrast, Ouling, who followed Su Mu all the way, gained a lot of battlefield experience but did not learn any new skills.

However, he is already very powerful, so he can just move forward steadily. He doesn't need any other boosts. As long as he doesn't go astray, he'll be fine.

Goode led his cavalry across various battlefields, slaying the Lightning Ranger, gaining +1 Attack, +2 Knowledge, and learning Basic Air Element Mastery and Advanced Dream Navigation.

[Advanced Dream Navigation: Reduces the impact of terrain on movement by 75%, increases speed by 3 in dreams, and grants the ability to march in dreams for extended periods.]

There's not much to say about Air Element Mastery; it's an essential skill for high-speed units. But Advanced Dream Navigation is a bit interesting. Although Goode was able to use Nightmare Cyclone to dash through the dream world, long-distance dream marches were still somewhat difficult.

Even when faced with an urgent pursuit, they will reappear after a period of time, which consumes a lot of magic.

This time it's even better, we can just march in the dream world and ignore the influence of terrain on movement, it's like appearing and disappearing without a trace.

Because Goode was a newly awakened hero, he gained more insights in the great battle, even more than the veteran heroes.

Forrest helped Ivan fight the enemy and gained some new insights into combat. He received +1 Attack and learned the basic Recruiting skill.

[Basic Recruitment: Increases the weekly production (base production) of creatures within the castle: +3 for Tier 1 troops, +2 for Tier 2 troops, and +1 for Tier 3 troops. The hero must remain in the castle during the weekly spell power iteration on Mondays.]

Review: Nothing excites you more than recruiting.

It must be said that after experiencing such a major battle, Forrest's own attributes were not particularly high, and he did not gain much insight. It seems that he is more suited to construction and diplomacy.

However, after gaining access to recruitment diplomacy last time, Forrest had a deeper understanding of this aspect. After this battle, he felt even more strongly that if Kuraki wanted to develop and control more territory, he still needed a strong army.

Although the Kingdom's army is not strong enough, it has a lot of people. The subsequent battles and the handling of the hill fortresses will require a large number of people.

Forrest thought it best to focus on domestic affairs and leave the war to the professionals.

The recruitment technique may seem like a small, somewhat useless skill, but it offers a governance bonus. Once you acquire advanced abilities, the boost will be terrifying.

With the divinely bestowed treasure and the art of recruiting soldiers, Forrest was confident that he could transform Kuraki into the strongest city for mass production of troops.

Thus far, the entire Kuraki Legion has reaped considerable gains. As for the distribution of the treasures, Su Mu has a new idea, but he still wants to wait until the Angel Alliance is fully assembled before redistributing them.

After a brief rest, Kuraki prepared to continue eastward, aiming to penetrate the Far Plains and give Isidore a shock.

However, bad news came from the rear.

"The undead army and the Crimson regime have assembled their forces and stormed the plains, their advance threatening Longlit Castle!"

Upon hearing this news, everyone present was shocked. Just before the march, Su Mu had taught the Blood Red Regime a lesson, but unexpectedly, they launched a counterattack. This time, they didn't even bother with pretense; the two armies advanced side by side.

What audacity!

"They think they can take advantage of our entanglement with Isildur? They're really giving themselves a hard time!"

Rhodes and Gaunt probably never dreamed that the fortress would suffer such a crushing defeat. They had intended to learn from their previous experience and launch a surprise attack while the two countries were at war. They did manage to capture several of Kuraki's cities in the heart of the territory, and even Graystone City was affected. But now that Kuraki's army had freed up its forces, only destruction awaited the undead.

"Let's go, let's face the undead, and teach them a lesson this time!"

(End of this chapter)