Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 470 White Feather Sacred Bone
After defeating Gunter, Murak continued to relentlessly pursue him, maintaining a detached following.

The Blood Rebels were in a precarious situation where they could neither be restrained by the enemy nor make them feel threatened. This constant tension kept them on edge for a moment.

Only the Swift Knight Murak would dare to do this. If it were any other hero, they probably wouldn't even get a chance to kill anyone before being bogged down by the opponent's slowing magic and crowd control skills, and wouldn't be able to escape at all.

With his advanced logistics skills, Swift Rider, high water and air mastery, Murak was practically unstoppable.

Of course, if Gaunt forms a defensive formation, Murak can't do anything about it. There were even a few times when his speed was restricted, putting him in some danger.

To be on the safe side, as long as Gaunt doesn't attack the highland city again, Murak won't pursue them too far.

Thus, the two sides reached a stalemate, neither able to gain the upper hand.

This situation is definitely advantageous to Murak and the Highlands. After all, Peter's fate is unknown, and being able to hold the city would be the best outcome. Moreover, Kuraki's army is already approaching and will arrive in a few days at most. Once they surround the city, where will Gaunt go?
Murak trusted Sumu implicitly; Duke Kuraki could easily be considered the kingdom's greatest war god. Especially after the victory over the hills, Sumu's prestige reached its peak, and the kingdom's heroes trusted him implicitly.

Even an ancient empire like Isildur couldn't do anything to Sumu, let alone Gaunt, a traitorous prince.

The most important thing right now is to stay safe and not fall into Gunter's trap. Everything else will be fine.

However, at this very moment, the scout brought shocking news.

"We have discovered traces of Duke Peter. He was rescued by the Holy Knight and is indeed heading north."

The messenger of light gave us this token and instructed you, sir, not to be deceived by Gaunt, but to hold the highland city and wait for Duke Kuraki and the kingdom's army to arrive!

The scout handed over a translucent finger bone that emitted a gentle light. When Murak gently touched it, a large number of snow-white feathers instantly fluttered down, and in a daze, he seemed to see an archangel holding a long sword.

【White Feather Sacred Bone (Lost Legend Relic): A key component of the divine architecture of Cloud City. When combined, it grants angels a divine attribute.

Components: 1/10

"Horeng Town really does have sacred relics; the Bishop of Light's sacrifice was not in vain!"

Although the details are still unclear, Gaunt has indeed provided a crucial clue to Cloud City. After setting fire to the altar, the other side used the Cloud City ruins to deceive the kingdom's people, but unexpectedly, they allowed humanity to obtain what they desired.

Once you're touched by the aura of fate, you inevitably fall into its trajectory.

All Murak could think of was the Prophet's Sword in Gaunt's hand, which might really have the ability to predict the future, but the other party just didn't know how to use it.

Since Duke Peter sent this sacred relic, he must have had other relics in his possession, but he was worried about them encountering unforeseen circumstances, so he kept them in different places.

As expected of faithful believers in the light, their prayers were answered by the angels.

Now, Murak was truly considering rescuing Duke Peter. If he could collect all the White Feather Sacred Relics, it would be an incredibly inspiring achievement.

After much deliberation, Murak abandoned this tempting idea. Prince Peter had already fled to the north, while his troops were all to the south of the enemy. To find them would require traversing a considerable distance, and it would also easily expose Prince Peter's position, drawing Gaunt's pursuit.

The unusual activity in Horeng Town definitely caught Gaunt's attention, and he led his legion back to the town to investigate the matter.

At this point, it would be better to stay here and keep Gaunt occupied; Peter's chances of survival would be higher.

But they couldn't do nothing, so Murak thought for a moment and sent a scout to deliver a message.

"Tell Duke Kuraki that Duke Peter has discovered the White Feather Sacred Relic and is retreating north. Have the troops from Silvertop City provide support!"

"Yes!"

In such a vast northern region, finding a deliberately hiding refugee force would likely be difficult; all we can do is try our best and leave the rest to fate.

……

In the desolate North, heavy snow falls, and no matter how many mountains you cross, everything is a vast expanse of white, making it easy to lose your way if you walk for too long.

A pitiful little group helped each other up, with a dozen or so knights on white horses patrolling around them. After repelling the attacking beasts, they returned to the center of the group.

"Your Grace, we have killed the attacking monster, but we have spotted thieves in the distance. We're likely being targeted by Gaunt's men!"

Peter lay weakly on his warhorse, clutching a wooden box in his arms. Blood seeped from his legs, and even though he was wrapped up tightly, he still exuded a cold, black aura.

During his battle with Gaunt in Horeng Town, he exhausted his mana and was severely wounded by Gaunt's sword, suffering an ice curse that he has yet to fully recover from.

Even with the help of a priest of light and a knight of holy light to purify him, the curse could not be lifted. Gaunt's sword, formed from the Prophet's sword, carried a terrifying and deadly power. To fully recover, he would likely need to undergo treatment at a high-level magic guild for some time, but time was their greatest constraint.

Peter had already resolved to die, intending to perish together with Gaunt, as he would not allow the spirits of the dead to defile the relics of light.

Despite being just a small town at the foot of the Highland City, Horeng is actually steeped in history.

It existed even before the city of Highlands was established, and was a famous refuge, sheltering refugees from all directions and giving them temporary peace. Among them was a particularly famous saint who stayed there, remaining unmarried her entire life to help the suffering people, and was revered by all.

After her death, her body was buried in the church, and angels attended her funeral, while the entire human kingdom sang praises of her virtues.

Her surname was Finaxia. As a princess of the kingdom, she was willing to sacrifice everything to save the people, which is truly admirable.

At that time, the royal family was indeed chosen by heaven, a holy family capable of commanding angels, because the royal family took the lead in standing in the most difficult places.

Peter, a devout believer in the light, naturally did not want the spirits of the dead to defile this church with its sacred history. Even if he knew that the enemy might be tempting him to return to the past, he could not turn a blind eye.

The Kingdom's Church of Light was already at its lowest point. If even he didn't stand up, who would maintain their faith?

Sometimes, even knowing it's impossible, people still do it. Even if they sacrifice themselves, they preserve the flame of light, and others will follow in their footsteps to carry on their legacy.

In the face of crisis, there must always be someone who steps forward without hesitation. This is a belief in light and a testament to human courage.

When Peter left the city, he anticipated the possibility of misfortune and therefore made preparations for defense. If he was unable to return to the city, he would appoint his son as the supreme ruler to control the highland city.

Of course, in specific defensive operations, the city's defense commander, Aurelian Kelly, would take charge. He was a valiant general who had followed Peter in countless battles, and his defensive skills and light magic were extremely powerful, even surpassing Peter's in some abilities. Most importantly, Aurelian was utterly loyal, not only to the Duke's family but also to the light itself.

Before leaving, Peter held a high-level meeting to inform the generals of the purpose of his trip and to entrust them with important tasks.

Upon hearing that the Duke was risking his life to stop the undead from desecrating Horeng and to rescue the Bishop of Light, everyone wanted to follow him. Some even suggested leading a large army into battle, in case they encountered Gaunt's ambush, and would directly engage the Crimson Rebels in a major battle.

Who's afraid of who? I've never heard of the Illuminati fearing evil. At worst, we'll die a glorious death in battle, which is better than suffering this humiliation.

Peter still felt that searching for the ruins of light was risky. He had millions of people in the Highlands behind him, so he couldn't take too much of a risk. Therefore, he decided to lead his elite troops to quickly investigate. If there were no clues in Horeng Town, he would immediately retreat with the Holy Knights, and the small force would be more likely to escape the war.

Everyone trusted the Holy Knights, and with Aurelian supporting the Duke's idea, the decision was made.

Upon arriving in Horengo, Peter rescued the Bishop of Light, but discovered a large number of undead approaching. He immediately realized this was Gaunt's trick and tried to lead the bishop north. However, the Bishop of Light told him that there really were sacred relics inside the Horengo church, which everyone thought were the remains of the saint, but they weren't. The saint's body had been cremated long ago, leaving only ashes. This time, Gaunt's destruction of the Cloud City relics had inexplicably activated a crucial seal within the church, resulting in a special revelation.

The Bishop of Light exhausted his magic and obtained a portion of the sacred bone, as well as a crucial map.

【White Feather Sacred Map: There are 10 White Feather Sacred Bones buried in sacred churches throughout Elton. The next burial location can be found by following this sacred map. It can only be activated by dripping the blood of Finaxia.

Comment: A true king does not take pride in his bloodline, but a bloodline takes pride in its king. —Phineasia!

The map is fragmented and cannot display all locations, but each fragment corresponds to the next. This time, we obtained two White Feather Sacred Bones in Horeng Town, and the next location is surprisingly on the Shilin Plains, which looks like northeast of Bearhold, within the Northern Territory, but it is a desolate place with no cities at all.

Peter didn't quite understand at first, but the Bishop of Light reminded him that these were extremely old blueprints. Prosperous towns may have become ruins, while large cities have been built on the desolate wastelands. Time has changed everything, and they cannot be viewed with modern eyes.

Although the relics of the Holy Relics cannot directly help them build the Cloud City, the additional divinity they provide will allow angels to stand at the pinnacle of battle, making them absolutely worth seeking.

Perhaps even King Finakxia I didn't foresee that his descendants would fall into such dire straits, unable to even find the most basic Cloud City. Their ancestor only thought of ways to enhance the angels' combat power in dire circumstances—the second divine angel, invincible—but ended up without even their original unit.

Having found the map, the Bishop of Light had exhausted his magic and decided to help the Duke buy time. However, the excavation process took a long time, and Gaunt's attack was too fierce; the Lich King's overwhelming numbers were simply unstoppable.

It was only through the Holy Knights' desperate fighting that they managed to carve out a bloody path; otherwise, all these sacrifices would have been in vain.

To prevent the matter of the Holy Scripture from being exposed, the Bishop of Light sealed the church before his death. Gaunt probably doesn't know the true situation in Horeng Town.

The discovery of the sacred relics in Horeng Town is absolutely inseparable from the Prophet's Sword and the Gaunt bloodline. The Prophet's Sword is the most likely component of the Angelic Alliance to guide destiny, and Gaunt possesses the Finaxia bloodline. If it were someone else, even ten thousand years wouldn't have been enough to discover this hidden relic.

Ironically, the eldest prince, who so desperately wanted to revive the kingdom, only discovered the legacy left by his ancestors after becoming a ghost. Sadly, he had already placed himself on the opposite side of humanity; what a cruel twist of fate.

The most important thing now is to escape alive, even if it means Peter's own sacrifice, to get the relics and blueprints out.

One of the finger bones has already been sent out by a scout to find Sir Swift. In case he can't escape, they can't be captured all at once; the kingdom must be informed.

Of course, whether the scouts could find Murak was also unknown, so he kept the most important blueprints with him.

Once we reach the northern border and escape the control of the Crimson Rebels, we can march towards Silvertop City. Handing us over to Duke Kuraki then will be the safest option.

However, things did not go smoothly.

"Sir, the pursuers are here!"

"You should leave first, we'll buy you some time!"

Even with only a dozen or so Holy Knights remaining, they showed no fear and resolutely carried out their orders to protect the Duke.

This was not merely a soldier's duty, but also something that commanded the utmost respect from knights who shared the same faith in light, as it was what Duke Peter had done. Had it been a nobleman, even one of greater rank, the Knight of the Holy Light would have simply fulfilled his duty, without risking his life.

At the end of the snow-capped mountain, a large number of vampire counts and howling ghosts appeared, numbering in the hundreds, turning the entire mountaintop red.

Gaunt knew the Scarlet Rebels couldn't catch the cavalry, so he ordered the undead already surrounding the altar to surround them, especially after the strange events in Horeng; he needed the truth even more. The best way, of course, was to capture Peter and force him to confess.

So a massive undead army sealed off the border. These flying units were only a part of it; more undead reinforcements would arrive as time went on.

Faced with an enemy force many times their size, the Holy Knights, to protect their true heroes, all raised their spears and charged fearlessly towards the foe.

【Holy Knight (Castle Level 6, Tier 2 Unit, Holy/Water Elemental Baptism): Attack 19, Defense 19, Damage 22-27, Health 160, Speed ​​12, Large Size】

Element: Holy/Water (Increased resistance of units to the effects of heretical minds, +100% healing received).

Charge: When charging, you will gain a layer of light shield. The damage and shield value increase with the distance you move.

Holy Lance Baptism: After reaching a certain charging distance, the lance is imbued with purifying power, which will dispel the enemy's buffs and increase damage by 20%.

Divine Protection: Any buff skill applied to the Holy Knight will grant a shield (the shield value is equal to the hero's spell power, can be stacked, and cannot exceed the Holy Knight's health. It can be dispelled, but one-third of the shield will remain after dispelling).

Leap of Faith: After reaching the speed limit, one can still leap forward a short distance without being restricted or slowed down.

The cavalry, equipped with divine dual-element baptism, are extremely rare, possessed only by the Papacy and the Highland City, even within the entire Kingdom of Elton. This rarity, however, translates to immense power.

If the Highlands City had a suitable holy warhorse, these dozen or so Holy Knights alone could have defeated hundreds of vampires.

Peter wanted to bless his men with the Holy Spirit to enhance the troops' combat effectiveness, but he was too weak to cast any spells, and he couldn't even perform the Heroic Command.

The Holy Knight's strongest combat form is when combined with a constant stream of buff spells, but unfortunately Peter is powerless to do so.

Even so, the light still dispelled the darkness, and the knights charged into the undead army, fighting bravely.

After taking one last look, Peter continued his retreat northward; he could not betray the protection of the Holy Knight.

However, they hadn't gone far when a large number of skeleton soldiers appeared on the snow. These were Night Mist Skeletons, hidden in the snow, who had been waiting for a long time.

At this point, there was nothing more to say. Duke Peter looked around at his guards and asked, "Are you all afraid?"

"I am not afraid! To sacrifice for the light, to die for the Duke, is a glorious end!"

"Alright, charge with me!"

The guards exchanged smiles, led the Duke's warhorse, and charged into the vast sea of ​​skulls.

Although they knew they were going to die, not a single person showed any fear; they were all extremely calm.

The dozen or so people were full of vigor, like a thousand troops, and their shouts echoed throughout the entire snow-capped mountain.

They sang a desperate hymn of courage, as if they had received a response from the light.

A sudden roar came from the mountaintop, and countless snow chunks rushed down towards the skeleton soldiers below.

Following the avalanche were star-studded spell cannonballs that covered all the skeleton soldiers.

Before Peter and his companions could figure out what was going on, the skeletons were already covered in ice and snow and destroyed by the Arrows of Stars.

A dashing hero emerged from the starlight, floated before the Duke's warhorse, and bowed slightly.

"Astrologer Cedros, on the orders of Duke Kuraki, has come to offer his assistance."

"Duke Peter, you are safe!"

(End of this chapter)