Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 462 Status
In less than a week, Kuraki had recaptured the lost territory and killed many rebels, hanging the heads of their leaders on the city walls as a warning to others.

The Bloody Regime is causing trouble in its heartland, and the parliament is failing in its military operations; that's a macro-level struggle, beyond Sumu's reach. But if anyone dares to cause trouble on Kuraki's territory, no matter where they flee, they must be eliminated.

"Have all the enemies involved in the attack on Kuraki been captured?"

"Lord Ivan swept away the rebel forces in the surrounding areas and killed many undead legions, leaving virtually no enemy unscathed. All the rebel leaders were brought into the city for a parade, and then hanged and displayed in the square!"

After defeating the undead in the first wave of battle, Kuraki's remaining troops rushed back from the valley. Kuraki's core legion took over the defense, and Ivan was able to lead more soldiers to sweep and hunt down the rebels.

This time, they not only recaptured Graystone City, but also regained several cities in the hinterland, and expanded their territory.

The undead were in a hurry to get to Longlet Castle, so they didn't carry out a large-scale destruction of the village and town, and many people survived.

The situation in the heartland was slightly worse, being the most chaotic region. First, they were besieged by the undead, and then enslaved by the Crimson Rebels, suffering immensely. Even with Ivan's swift rescue, nearly a third of the population perished.

Looking at the map, Forrest suggested, "The heartland used to be a key part of the kingdom, heavily guarded. But after several wars, it has become extremely dangerous. I suggest we choose a city in the heartland, station a large army there, and suppress any rebellions."

But some complained: "Kuraki's forces were already small, and now they not only have to defend against the Arcane Empire, the Ancient Ruins, and Isildur, but also have to clean up the mess the kingdom makes. What kind of situation is this?"

After a major battle, Kuraki has lost some of its accumulated troops. Fortunately, Silver Peak City is holding the line to the north; otherwise, it would be very difficult to defend with just this small army.

After pondering for a moment, Su Mu said, "We definitely need to station troops in the hinterland, but the timing isn't right. The Blood Rebels are just opportunists; they only dare to launch a sneak attack when we're not around. If we send troops there, they'll definitely flee at the first sign of trouble."

The best course of action is to deliver a heavy blow to Gaunt and dampen their arrogance.

"It just so happens that Marshal Kenway and the Kingdom's special envoy have arrived. Let's hear the conditions offered by Parliament."

Originally, the parliament was the least willing to let Kuraki interfere in the heartland. Now, with Kuraki promoted to duke and having won two unprecedented battles, his prestige is at its zenith. If he were to quell the unrest in the heartland, he would become the most respected and powerful figure in the kingdom, impossible to suppress.

But the situation in the heartland was dire. Gaunt, leading the Crimson Army, was advancing with unstoppable momentum, almost reaching Sunset Fortress. Sunset Fortress had been razed to the ground after the last major battle with Isildur, and even with repairs, it was no longer as formidable as before. If Gaunt broke through, he could then threaten the capital, a price the Parliament could not afford.

So they decided to go to Sumu, especially since Kenwei and Sumu had a partnership in the valley, which eased the tension between the two sides considerably.

After all, despite the apprehension, Su Mu has consistently demonstrated himself to be a pillar of the nation, fighting off invading foreign enemies. Managing the heartland together with him is far better than being overthrown by Gaunt.

To everyone's surprise, the first thing the special envoy heard upon entering the hall was a refusal.

"When Congress granted the land, it repeatedly emphasized to me that the boundaries of the hinterland must not be crossed without permission. As a result, you failed to defend your territory and were swept away by Gaunt's blood-red rebels, even my territory was affected."

Now I have driven the enemy out of the country and punished the bandit leader. But having just fought a heavy battle in the hills, I need to recuperate, and I'm afraid the interior cannot help me.”

Su Mu sat calmly at the head of the stone table, expressionless. Although he showed no anger, one could sense the chill in his words.

This time, the special envoy sent by Congress was no longer a court minister, but Gard Quentin, an elder of the Witcher family. It seems that the Speaker also knew that the negotiations would not go smoothly, so he directly sent the person who could best represent him.

Although slightly embarrassed, Gard decided to lay out his conditions first: "I have heard about your achievements from Marshal Kenway. You were truly a god descended, a king reborn. Isildur was routed and fled in terror, completely outmatched. Although this battle was led by Marshal Kenway, Your Excellency's contributions will be remembered, and Parliament will issue a commendation."

20 boundary markers, 15 divine cannons, and three sets of blueprints and crafting recipes for high-level ballistae; 20 berserk flying feather carts and three sets of blueprints and crafting recipes for high-level siege vehicles.

The Johnson family's territory in the heartland was destroyed, and the land, along with two stone mines, were all taken over by Kuraki.

The Congress is currently short of gold coins and cannot grant them to you, but it can provide 100 logs, 100 gems, and 20 of various rare resources.

Your title is further enhanced with a war rank, granting you independent military command over campaigns in the heartland, free from the control of anyone!

Gard rattled off so many rewards that Forrest, who was standing nearby, was quite surprised.

When did Congress become so generous, giving away 20 truckloads of boundary stones? Before, they were so stingy, only giving out so little out of desperation. Logically speaking, Congress controls a large amount of Earth Spirits, and their reserves aren't much either; they're almost emptying their coffers.

Furthermore, the Divine Sacrifice Cannon and the Berserker Feather Chariot are both classified technologies of the kingdom. To provide so many at once, along with the blueprints, is incredibly generous. As for the resources, Kuraki wouldn't care about the gold coins. What he really values ​​is the title of War Duke, which allows him to intervene in the heartland.

The kingdom’s unwritten rule is that lands like this, which have been destroyed and left unclaimed, can be occupied by the conquered war dukes. In other words, apart from the Johnson family’s few plots of land and stone mines, Sumu can expand further and bring more towns into its territory.

Of course, that doesn't mean there are no restrictions at all; as long as you don't go too far, it's fine.

Congress has indeed gone to great lengths this time. It seems the situation in the heartland is worse than imagined; otherwise, given the mindset of the congressional nobles, they wouldn't have compromised so readily.

Gad stared at Duke Sumu, and seeing that the other party had not spoken for a long time, he felt a little uneasy.

This wasn't really a compromise, but rather the Duke's due reward. Previously, the parliament had always withheld some of his rewards, seeing Kuraki as a threat.

But the nobles were not surprised by this victory in the hill battle; they took it for granted.

Who is Duke Kuraki? He was a key hero in the Battle of Sunset and the Battle of Silvertop City. He stepped on ancient ruins, punched the Arcane Empire, and tyrannized Isildor. Since such a powerful figure took the initiative to attack, he must have been confident.

It's foolish for anyone to look down on Kuraki just because it's a town that developed from a rural village.

On the contrary, almost all the nobles wanted to befriend Sumu in order to ensure their safety.

Unbeknownst to many, Kuraki's status and authority increased dramatically. Some members of parliament even felt that these rewards were insufficient and unworthy of Duke Kuraki's status.

That's how people are; when the gap becomes infinitely large, jealousy disappears and is replaced by obedience and following.

At this moment, Kenway also spoke up: "The battle in the hills was entirely due to your soldiers' efforts. The Golden Dragon caused a lot of damage, and I also mentioned Kuraki's difficulties to Lord Quentin."

However, the people in the heartland are suffering terribly, and Gaunt's blood-red rebels are growing stronger. We cannot allow them to develop unchecked. We still hope that the Duke can take action.

"I plan to build a Demon Hunter Trial Tower on the border of the valley. This will allow me to train Demon Hunter Griffins for the Duke, strengthening Kuraki's troop capabilities and making up for the losses in the Hill Battle!"

Kenway is a straightforward man. Previously, when Lie Feng advanced to the Demon Hunter Griffin King rank with remarkable results, Su Mu had been wanting him to help train a batch of Demon Hunter Griffins, but the urgent war situation prevented him from asking. Now that he's offered his help, Su Mu is quite tempted.

In reality, the Demon Hunter Manual requires coordination with buildings and consumes additional resources, and Kenway didn't recruit too many.

It's estimated that Quentin's request, coupled with the cooperation of the Demon Hunter family, enabled them to significantly enhance the strength of their troops, which is why they agreed.

Su Mu originally wanted to hunt down Gaunt, but now that he had a way out, he agreed.

"Since Marshal Kenway has said so, then Kuraki will do his best. There are too many rebels in the heartland, and Kuraki's troops are too few to sweep around. I will lead the elite legion straight to the heart of the enemy and behead Gunter!"
I don't need any additional cities. Even if I occupy them now, there are no soldiers to defend them. All I need is the Johnson County City you promised. The kingdom will be responsible for its repair and restoration, and at least we can recruit swordsmen.

Resources are not needed, but five more cartloads of boundary stones are needed. The Highgarden Demon Hunter family needs to send more Demon Hunter heroes to assist Marshal Kenway in upgrading his troops.

If you agree, I will rest for a few days and then send troops westward!

After listening to Su Mu's conditions, Gard Quentin and Kenway discussed them carefully and finally agreed: "No problem, I can make these promises on behalf of the Speaker. I will personally go back to High Court to find someone to resolve the Duke's worries."

After all, he was a veteran of the Quentin family, and his power was considerable. Moreover, he received instructions from Quentin and could make decisions on many matters.

Both sides backed down and prepared to work together to deal with Gunter, this cancer.

Standing to the side, Forrest had originally intended to use diplomacy to gain some leverage, but he didn't expect it to go so smoothly; Congress had truly learned its lesson.

It's undeniable that status is earned through hard work, and Kuraki is gradually becoming a player on the chessboard.

(End of this chapter)