Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 461 Accidental Treasure
Ivan's strongest swordsman didn't get to see Rhodes, but instead caught another fish.

A legion of the Bloody regime approached the border and forcibly conscripted people from the town. Their fighting strength was weak, and they could only scavenge the scraps left by the dead.

The original plan was excellent: drive the undead to charge into battle while the Crimson Legion reaps the benefits from the rear.

After all, skeletons are more useful for expending resources, and since the enemy general was rushing to Longlet Castle and hadn't looted many places yet, it was a good opportunity for them.

But unexpectedly, they had just seized a city and hadn't even transported it back when they were captured by Kuraki's army.

Wayne closed the net ahead of schedule, using traps to ensnare the troops and rescue Kuraki's people.

Rhodes sent out a dozen more Death Knights, but he himself was still nowhere to be seen. Rhodes guessed that the other party must have special treasures to hide his whereabouts and was still some distance away from the main battlefield.

Although it's unclear how the enemy acquired their Death Knights, it doesn't seem to have been recruited through ordinary means. Otherwise, Rhodes wouldn't have resorted to piecemeal tactics; he would have already deployed enough Death Knights at the gates of Longlit Castle.

Furthermore, Su Mu also gave orders that if the pursuit went too far into Kuraki territory, the plan should be terminated.

Seeing that they were going deeper and deeper into the heart of the territory, and with Rhodes still not appearing, and then encountering the forces of the Crimson Regime, Wayne simply decided to close the net.

Numerous blade traps were laid across the battlefield, trapping the Crimson troops inside with no way to escape. As for the Death Knights, their numbers were small; the first wave of attacks only killed a dozen or so of the strongest swordsmen before they were quickly surrounded and killed.

In the end, they still didn't see Rhodes.

"This cunning fellow actually used the Crimson troops to test the waters; it seems he's terrified."

"It's okay, he'll eventually have to come to his doom!"

Ivan didn't care; his main objective was to exterminate the undead and reclaim lost territory. If he managed to lure Rhodes out, it would be a pleasant surprise, but if not, it wouldn't matter.

After this battle, the Duke has set his sights on the Crimson Rebels in the heartland. Gaunt has the Prophet's Sword, a key component of the Angel Alliance and a symbolic treasure of the royal family. If he is allowed to continue his influence in the heartland, the situation will likely become even more unfavorable.

The plan was to let Congress handle it themselves, but the inland army suffered a defeat, and the situation worsened.

Left with no other option, Speaker Quentin has sent an envoy to contact Sumu and ordered Marshal Kenway, the Witcher, to dispatch more troops to reinforce the area. Kenway has also personally pleaded for Sumu's assistance in quelling the rebellion in the heartland, offering to negotiate any reward.

In this way, Su Mu really couldn't refuse.

Over at Canglan Canyon, the Hill Army was decisively defeated, preventing them from rallying a new force for the time being. However, if they venture too far into the enemy territory, they risk being surrounded by fortifications.

Now that he had lost the initiative, Su Mu decided not to take any further action, but he still wanted to ask for some interest.

Forrest has already sent his officials to the fortress to pressure them into signing the Valley Treaty. If he doesn't want Kuraki to send troops, he'll have to offer some benefits.

Although Kuraki's focus had shifted to the interior, the fortress was unaware; no one knew when the troops outside the canyon would enter the Far Plains. Giving them a temporary truce now, and continuing the fight if they didn't comply, put immense pressure on them.

It seems absurd for a duchy to threaten Isildur, but in this world, might makes right.

Kuraki can wipe out the entire Hill Legion. Don't even mention the eternal empire. If you can't beat them, you have to endure it, otherwise I'll beat you until you submit. It's that simple.

"My lord, we found a treasure box in the blood-red marshal's baggage, but it is sealed by a curse and cannot be opened for the time being."

The soldier presented a gleaming golden box, sealed with a blood-red seal, making it impossible to open. Forcing its way in would likely damage the contents.

Of course, there is a way. Send it to Silvertop City. The alchemists in the tower are the best at breaking seals. With some time, they can remove it.

But Ivan thought that was too much trouble, so he simply ordered his soldiers to bring up the enemy's marshal.

"What's in here? Can you solve this?"

The so-called Crimson Rebel Marshal was a griffon trainer who rose to the rank of marshal. He dared to follow behind the undead forces and sweep through the area because he could easily control the griffons and escape even when faced with danger.

Who would have thought that Wayne would target him first after entering the battlefield, using Dream Thief and slowing magic to forcibly keep him there?

"This treasure box is sealed with a special blood-red incantation, and I cannot break it... Ah!"

Before he could finish speaking, Ivan chopped off one of his arms and glared coldly at him: "Can you break this?"

“It’s really impossible…” Another heavy sword strike severed his legs. He pointed to the refugees in the distance: “If you still don’t know, I’ll hand you over to the refugees. I think they have something to say to you.”

The rebel marshal barely raised his head, looking into the distance at the hateful gazes. Everyone wanted nothing more than to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Once his sealed curse power was handed over to the refugees, the outcome would be unimaginable.

"No, don't leave me to them. I'll tell you everything."

"This is a special treasure that was found for the eldest prince. It is indeed sealed with blood-red runes and can only be removed by using a special incantation."

I can break the outer seal and weaken its overall strength. The rest can either be left to the higher-level Crimson Marshal or the alchemists in the tower to dispel it.

Ivan painstakingly reattached his severed arm and had the priest treat him, watching as he cast a spell to break the seal around the treasure box.

Without the magic's cover, they finally saw the truth inside the treasure box.

It was a bronze-colored battle armor that looked ordinary, yet possessed mysterious magical power.

Ivan and Wayne exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes. It was like a pillow appearing just when you're sleepy; something you desperately needed had come to pass.

His Excellency the Duke had just acquired the Crown of Oracles and was naturally thinking of assembling the Angelic Alliance. Currently, he was still missing two pieces to complete the set. The Prophet's Sword was extremely rare, and to obtain it, he would have to capture the First Prince. The Magical Armor, however, was not so rare; its level and forging difficulty were the lowest among the components.

Actually, if this treasure weren't for its status as an Angel Alliance component, it wouldn't be as valuable as many other high-level treasures, and finding it wouldn't be difficult.

But even so, it takes some effort to find it. Forrest had already contacted the caravan and offered an exorbitant price for the magical armor, but before the caravan could send any news, Ivan had already seized it from the Crimson Rebels by chance.

"The eldest prince possesses the Prophet's Sword, so he must have also considered combining the treasures. He specifically ordered his men to search for the components, which is why this rebel leader risked coming here. It's just unclear how he obtained information about the magical armor."

Judging from its location, this place is not far from Kuraki's territory in the heart of the country, and it is under the jurisdiction of a small town. Logically speaking, even if there is treasure, it would be difficult to find out.

It is highly likely that an official who had defected to the Bloody regime deliberately revealed information about the key treasure in order to curry favor, which is why Gaunt sent his men to search for it.

However, this treasure wasn't a high priority; it was just something he acquired incidentally. Gaunt was far from collecting all the Angels; he only had a slight desire for it, but it ended up benefiting Ivan.

"Quickly, send the treasure box back to Longlit Castle and forward it to Silvertop City so that Cedros can decipher it."

The sealing of treasures might be a problem for other castle factions, but Kuraki, with Silvertop City and Cedros, could easily accomplish such a simple task.

Ivan glanced at the rebel marshal, waved his hand dismissively, and ordered him taken away. He'd spare his life for a few days, lest something go wrong with the treasure.

Ivan originally disdained interrogation, as it only made him appear merciful by leaving people bloodied and mangled, and how several swords couldn't even kill a piece of trash.

But look at what these beasts have done to their own people: destroying peaceful towns, forcing humans to kill each other, fathers and sons, sisters, all to incite bloodthirsty savagery and make it easier for them to become thugs.

Ivan even felt that cutting off his two legs was too lenient; he should be chopped up and fed to the wolves.

Those who instigate killings and riots for their own selfish gain should be prepared to be killed themselves.

……

Within a day, Forrest brought the treasure box to Silvertop City.

With the rebel marshal's seal broken, the crimson runes inside were quickly deciphered by the alchemists, who forcibly opened the seal.

As the treasure box lost its protective spell, it shattered, revealing the dazzling armor inside.

【Miracle Armor (Tier 2 Treasure): Increases hero's attack, defense, spell power, and knowledge by 1 each. One of the six components of the Angel Alliance combination treasure.】

Review: A group of thugs searched the belongings of a dead warrior. After you chased them away, you discovered a strange breastplate.

At the same time, news came from the Chamber of Commerce that they had found out about the magical armor, but it was no longer in use.

Compared to the other components, the Magic Armor is indeed a more readily obtainable treasure, which was expected by the heroes. The truly rare items are the Prophet's Sword and the Crown of Oracles; having snatched the Crown of Oracles from Dino, only the Prophet's Sword remains.

It seems that a trip to the interior is definitely necessary!

(End of this chapter)