Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 471 Reclaiming the Land
News came from the North that Cedrus had rescued Duke Peter and repelled the undead army that was besieging them, and was continuing to advance south.

The discovery of the White Feather Relic in Horeng Town, along with the map obtained by Duke Peter, allows for the exploration of the next church to complete the relic collection and construct a divine auxiliary building. This is undoubtedly good news.

Previously, everyone was suspicious that Elton had been abandoned by the angels. While other forces were developing level 7 barracks, the kingdom was mired in disaster and even rebelled by its own prince.

Sometimes, the difference in skill level isn't that significant, but if confidence is lost, then victory is truly impossible.

Peter obtaining the sacred bone indicates that there are still clues to the City in the Clouds and the angels, even indirectly pointing the way. The Prophet's Sword and the bloodline of Phinexia are key points.

Needless to say, the Prophet's Sword has already been targeted, and Gaunt has no chance of escape. As for the Finaxia bloodline, the royal family has many members, some of whom are close to Kuraki. At the very least, they can capture Gaunt and use him as a blood bag.

However, Su Mu felt it was not very reliable. Such inheritances left by ancestors often require the descendants to be willing. If they are not actively stimulated, problems may arise.

However, the strength of the royal bloodline is also a problem. This is not just about descendants, but also about the right of inheritance recognized by secular monarchy and the Church of Light.

Therefore, Su Mu thought the most suitable candidate was the second prince, Born Finaksia, who was currently in the capital. However, according to Gwen, this prince was also an unreliable fellow. Taking advantage of his brother's disappearance, he wanted to gain the support of ministers and councilors, but after being intimidated, he became timid and he seemed rather incapable of being helped.

Apart from him, the direct descendants of the royal family are all relatively young and few in number.

Seeing the Duke deep in thought, Wayne seemed to know what he was worried about and suddenly said, "The kingdom's eldest princess, Diana Finaxia, has returned to Highgarden and is resting temporarily in the City of Demon Hunters."

Although it was publicly stated that he was temporarily returning home to visit relatives, according to underground sources, the three Saints of Harles had other ideas and postponed the marriage.

It's quite possible that their previous conflict with the Emerald Kingdom caused them to change their minds; or perhaps they saw the human kingdoms so weak and wanted to take advantage of their vulnerability. In any case, the marriage alliance plan is likely to fail.

Su Mu was immersed in war and magic every day and didn't care much about the affairs of the kingdom.

However, the princess's annulment and the Jade Kingdom's change of attitude constitute a diplomatic incident that could affect the overall situation.

Regardless of Elton's decline, it was once the land of angels, a powerful force that stood shoulder to shoulder with the Arcane Empire and the Isildur Empire. Yet, its attempt at a marriage alliance was rejected. How could the princess possibly face anyone? What face did the kingdom have left?
After all, Diana had already arrived at the Three Sacred Mountains and stayed there for a while. Even if her innocence hadn't been tarnished, who would believe it?
This is a blatant slap in the face to the Kingdom. No wonder Parliament dares not publicize it. It is already surrounded by enemies, and if it creates more conflict, it will probably be unable to cope.

But in Su Mu's view, there was no difference. The other party dared to do this because it wasn't due to some minor conflict or small interests. Previously, when he had a conflict with the Emerald Kingdom, the Three Saints had tried to smooth things over. Now, suddenly pulling this stunt, didn't they know they would offend the kingdom to the point of no return?
Or perhaps the Emerald Kingdom simply feels that the kingdom has no future and doesn't want to be implicated any further. Ultimately, major events between nations depend on the underlying interests.

When a wall falls, everyone pushes it down; a weak nation has no diplomacy.

As a result, Diana would probably hate Su Mu and the members of Congress to death, since the apparent troubles were caused by Su Mu, making it hard not to associate them.

It would be difficult to get her to become a blood donor.

Shaking his head, Su Mu was unwilling to think about it any further. His relationship with the royal family was far from harmonious; in fact, it was somewhat hostile.

He will give Phinexia respect, but when it comes to angelic divinity, it must be kept in hand.

"Send the order to Sederlos: continue south and do not let any undead or blood rebels escape."

But beware of the Dark Knight; Rhodes has vanished somewhere, probably plotting something again!

Compared to Gunter, Su Mu was more wary of Rhodes. He felt that this man had changed drastically and was completely different from the previous successor of Salman, as if he were a completely different person.

Given Rod's past personality, he was timid, hesitant, and rarely made the right decisions.

In Kuraki's several battles, Ivan, in cooperation with Wayne, repeatedly lured the enemy but failed to capture Rhodes, demonstrating that his understanding of war had reached a new level.

In contrast, Gaunt preferred to use deception to exploit human weaknesses, but his performance on the battlefield was actually quite mediocre.

It was only because the morale of the Kingdom's army was low and slowly eroded that the Crimson Rebels were able to grow stronger. If we didn't engage them and instead concentrated our forces for a fierce attack, Gaunt wouldn't have had any time to develop.

This time, Su Mu will gather the strongest forces to crush the Blood Rebels and prevent them from making a comeback.

While the two were talking, Ivan returned victorious with his strongest swordsman.

"Your Grace, the mines in Kuraki's original territory have been recovered, and Via and Otale have been reoccupied."

John's family territory has been completely turned into a barracks for the Blood Rebels, with inhuman cruelty everywhere. I ordered the strongest swordsman to kill all the thugs and temporarily let the lord of Via take some officials to take over the town and distribute food.

John and the Duke of Peter were not from the same family. They may have shared a common ancestor, but their paths clearly diverged.

The heartland had already promised to grant Kuraki the John family's territory, and Ivan, having repelled the Blood Rebels, could naturally assert his sovereignty. Of Kuraki's officials governing the heartland, only a few remained in the former town of Via; the rest had been largely destroyed.

Because of the previous incident with Hammondale, the town mayor felt extremely uneasy and specially arranged a refuge. When the Crimson Rebels attacked, he sent the town's residents back to Longlet Castle's territory, while he took a portion of his men and hid in the mountains to preserve his strength.

"Mayor Via did a good job. What's his name?"

"Edmund Zoe!"

Many times, skills and talent are not the most crucial factors; survival is the most crucial.

Edmund, as a town mayor, was capable enough to foresee the coming war and prepare accordingly. Su Mu planned to appoint him as the executive officer for this region, overseeing the mines in Konatus, John County, and various other areas.

Orling's original fief was Konates, but his ability to manage cities was indeed mediocre, especially in the inland cities where war was constant and they were difficult to govern.

It would be better to let officials skilled in management take charge, while lords like Ouling reap the profits from the nobles – a win-win situation.

The issue of fiefdoms is quite sensitive. Generally speaking, once a duke has granted land, he shouldn't extend his jurisdiction further. However, Kuraki is still developing, and Ouling won't remain a Marquis of Shenyu forever, so everything is more manageable.

"Ouling should thank me properly. His own city was poorly defended, and he had to rely on me to help him retake it!"

“Ouling has followed me on numerous campaigns, and I really haven’t had time to manage things. In addition, the war is raging in the heartland, so it has been quite difficult for him!”

This is not to excuse him. Heroes each have their strengths and cannot be omnipotent. Besides, it is understandable that Ouling was weak in city management because he was always fighting abroad.

Su Mu could not possibly reclaim Ouling's territory just because a new city was damaged; that would be tantamount to killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

"The Crimson Rebels and the undead were numerous, with tens of thousands of troops in each of them in the eastern hinterland, and I wiped them all out."

Ivan raised his longsword, which gleamed with a bloody light.

Through countless battles, you commanded the strongest swordsmen to slay countless enemies, observed combat techniques, and mastered the art of swordsmanship. You gained +1 Spell Power and became a Sword Master.

[Sword Master: For every 4 points of attack and defense attributes a hero has, swordsmen (and upgraded units) gain 1 point of attack and defense, and 2 points of Sword Spell Shield. This skill will receive a significant boost with further training, and at advanced levels, it can amplify unit traits once. Training progress: 345/1000000]

【Sword Spell Shield (Special Magic Status): A shield formed from refined sword intent, capable of withstanding enemy damage (only usable by swordsmen and upgraded units; the shield can only be formed once per period of time)】

As expected of a skill that requires cultivation, it's simply monstrous. Not only can it specifically increase comprehension ability, but it can also comprehensively enhance the characteristics of the skill. Originally, Su Mu thought that adding defense would be enough, but he actually comprehended an additional sword spell shield. All the troops under Ivan's command are not only more lethal, but now even their shields and armor have been upgraded to a higher level.

Most importantly, health points increase the cost of reincarnation, while shield-type magic does not affect the health points of units. Now the strongest swordsman truly combines the strongest sword and the strongest shield.

Of course, the training process is also very difficult. If it's not against undead and blood rebels, it's impossible to quickly accumulate the kill count of 10 extraordinary troops. Although killing high-level troops will increase the training progress, it's just a drop in the ocean and not enough. You still need a large number of low-level troops.

Skeleton soldiers and bloodthirsty thugs are both ruthless targets for slaughter and constantly being spawned, making them the perfect tools for honing one's skills.

No wonder Ivan was so eager; he was afraid there wouldn't be enough enemies for him to kill.

If it were another hero, such immense power might have driven him to madness and rampage, but Ivan knew very well what his greatest asset was, and naturally wouldn't do something so foolish.

"Let's go check out the town of Via!"

Now that the situation in Highland City has gradually stabilized, Su Mu is no longer in a hurry to rush to its rescue. Instead, he will continue to advance with the various legions according to the original plan, forming an encirclement and clearing out the rebels in various places, so as to eliminate future troubles.

Otherwise, once the army leaves, the blood-red rebels will rise again, and it will be the people in the heartland who suffer.

Let's take some time to annihilate the Blood Rebels and the undead, then help the refugees and establish a stable rule. Only then can we truly quell the rebellion.

Otherwise, if the chaos continues, there will always be ambitious individuals who will try to sabotage things, and rioters will continue to cause trouble. Without order, everything is just empty talk.

The city walls surrounding the town of Via were completely destroyed, and the buildings within the town were mostly ruined, with houses burned to the ground. Large numbers of refugees camped in the wilderness; fortunately, water and food supplies were kept hygienic, otherwise a large-scale epidemic could easily have broken out.

Mayor Via was standing on a high platform, directing the guards to move the grain and making some reasonable plans.

"Relief grain has been transported from the west of the city. Everyone line up to receive it. Do not be greedy and do not disrupt the order. Duke Kuraki has led a large army here. Anyone who disobeys will be arrested and thrown into the dungeon."

“After the young people have eaten their fill, they will work with the guards to build wooden huts. Those who make contributions will be given priority in settling their families. The elderly, women, and children need not worry. They can go to the market to help the transport officers distribute disaster relief supplies and will be rewarded according to their work.”

"Kuraki is the hope of the kingdom. With the Duke's arrival, the rebels have fled at the mere sight of him. Everyone can finally have a good life. As long as there are no heinous crimes, the past will be forgiven. Everyone can focus on building the city and have a good ending."

Edmund kept speaking out, and the free people were united in their resolve, which greatly accelerated the recovery of the city.

Although Edmund's rhetoric was good, it's often not about how loud the slogans are, but about what actually happens.

Edmund distributed food according to need, restored order, and involved young people in the city's construction, providing them with wages that were never withheld.

Before, everyone was beaten and verbally abused by the Blood Rebels, forced to eat meager rations, and faced constant danger to their lives. Compared to that, this is practically paradise. Any normal person would make the right choice.

It's always good to have a powerful backer. Kuraki had plenty of funds and reserves, which were transported directly with the army, relieving their immediate crisis.

Edmund was still passionately giving instructions when his attendant tugged at him and quickly pointed behind him. Only then did he see Su Mu and the others, and he immediately jogged over.

"Your Grace, what brings you to this small town? It's still under construction and full of refugees and disaster victims. It's a complete mess."

“You did a good job, handling things very well. Via is well-governed, and the disaster relief was swift. I intend to appoint you as the executive officer of Conatus, and also to oversee the recovery of John County. I would like to hear your response.”

Upon hearing the unexpected surprise, Edmund stood frozen in place. Although he was a rural nobleman, he had never even reached the rank of baron and had always managed Via's affairs in a conventional and unremarkable manner.

Previously, they were exhausted from dealing with the exploitation by the nobles above. It was only after they came under the jurisdiction of Kuraki, and through cooperation with the surrounding resource areas, that the town gradually began to improve.

If this ordeal had happened in the past, he would have definitely taken a group of trusted followers and disappeared into the mountains, never to return and interfere in the town's affairs again. After all, the refuge had been prepared in advance, which allowed him to escape in a hurry.

But recalling his last meeting with Su Mu, Edmund somehow had a belief in his heart that Duke Kuraki would definitely recover the lost territory and drive out the rebels.

Therefore, Edmund was prepared for a long-term confrontation. Until the arrival of Kuraki's army, he guided Ivan and other generals in advance, which saved a lot of trouble.

Even so, Edmund didn't dare to dream of anything. He would be grateful if the big shots wouldn't mind his temporary escape and let him continue to manage Via.

What the hell are Konatus and John County? The former is Orling's fiefdom, and the latter was once a county town. These are the most populous and prosperous cities in terms of trade. How could they fall into the hands of a mere town mayor?

Su Mu took out a talisman, outlined a badge of lush green wood, and handed it to Edmund.

"This is my token. If anyone dares to disobey orders, report it directly to me. As for your appointment, the Kuraki Kingdom will issue an official document soon and report it to the capital."

As long as you do your job well, you'll be rewarded later!

Edmund was stunned for a moment and almost fell to the ground, but he immediately thanked the Duke for his trust and promised to complete the mission.

It's no wonder Edmund was so excited. To put it bluntly, his previous position as mayor was merely that of a lowly rural nobleman, someone who might not even be able to get into the county council. Now, he had transformed into the de facto ruler of the county, and before the duke received his fiefdom, he was the chief regent.

If such a leap forward were to be achieved through gradual accumulation, it would take at least several generations, with each generation having to make significant contributions.

Edmund was not blinded by his position. He knew the current situation in Kuraki. The ruling officials had far less power than the war heroes, and everything was done to cooperate with the war.

Konatus is still Orling's territory. If he can help Orling restore its prosperity, this strongest archer hero of Kuraki might think more highly of him. Once he can establish connections with these important figures, why worry about his future?

Of course, his biggest backer now is Duke Kuraki.

With Su Mu's token, no one dared to disobey his will. However, he was self-aware enough to know that while the Duke's authority was unparalleled, it didn't mean he could squander it recklessly. This thing was an ace up his sleeve, its power greatest when not in use.

After settling things with Via, Su Mu and the others continued on their way.

Along the way, there were shattered cities everywhere, and countless ragged refugees. Some had missing limbs, some were emaciated, and some were insane and had lost their minds.

This man-made disaster affected the most prosperous areas of Elton, causing great damage to human vitality.

Now, it's time to end this farce, restore the proper order, and reclaim our lost territories.

Legions of cavalry and swordsmen swept through the cities, heading west towards Gaunt's blood-red rebels. An encirclement was complete; this time, there was no way they would let him escape.

(End of this chapter)