Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 120 The Lion King's Shield and the Heroes' Advancement
The battlefield, where blood flowed like a river, was set ablaze under the witness of the night stars, and the raging flames burned for an entire night.

Maggie not only unleashed fire magic, but also used the strong winds to burn all the piles of bones to ashes.

This would prevent the spread of plague and also prevent the resurgence of the dead, which would be beneficial to Kuraki Town.

At this point, apart from Maggie, no one else had the energy to cast spells. Even she felt a sense of emptiness. The extensive practical experience with magic had given her a deeper understanding of spell energy.

[Having experienced a great victory, you have gained a deeper understanding of the mysteries of magic, allowing you to learn more and more powerful spells.]

[+1 Knowledge, +1 Spell Power]

[Complete the basic arcane wisdom technique, and master the basic elemental mastery]

[Basic Arcane Wisdom: Enables mastery of all types of level 3-4 magic (can be learned even without elemental mastery), allows access to arcane knowledge within the Magic Guild, and acquisition of arcane runes for personal use (with limited duration).]

[Primary Arcane Rune (Special Magical Inscription): A magical rune used by mages with powerful spellcasting and knowledge to enhance themselves. It has a 25% chance that after casting a spell, they will not suffer from spellcasting backlash and will immediately gain another casting opportunity (this casting will consume 300% of the normal mana).]

[Basic Fire Elemental Mastery: Reduces mana cost and increases casting speed when using fire magic.]

Maggie successfully mastered the Art of Wisdom, a skill with unique properties. Although the extra casting opportunities require mana, this is precisely what Maggie doesn't care about the least.

As for elemental mastery, fire was somewhat unexpected, but finally mastering an elemental mastery is a decent breakthrough.

Su Mu has high soil, Ou Ling has water, and she also has academic exchanges with fire element, making them a powerful alliance.

After the fire burned away the remains, Maggie returned to Kuraki Town and saw soldiers lying by the roadside. They had continued patrolling even after the great battle, and were so tired that they leaned against the stone wall by the roadside for a short nap.

Upon seeing this, the townspeople took out blankets and food to reward the soldiers who were guarding their homes.

People were chatting and laughing, their faces showing joy and relaxation.

Although no one knows when the next battle will come, at least everyone is enjoying this brush with death, and the townspeople have gained some confidence in Kuraki.

They came from all corners of the land, mostly refugees from other cities, long accustomed to being chased around by the Isildur and fleeing at the mere sound of their voices. They never expected to hold out against the powerful Children of the Forest, which greatly boosted the morale of the city's inhabitants.

Some townspeople have even sent out messages, wanting to invite their relatives and friends over. If this battle goes smoothly, the population of Kuraki Town may see a significant increase.

Maggie entered the Magic Guild and saw Orling, Forrest, Wayne, and others all collapsed on the magic stone platform, using the guild's powerful spells to restore their lost magic.

Of these people, Wayne suffered the greatest loss. He was not only seriously injured but also exhausted his magic power in order to save Orling, and was on the verge of death.

The medical tents did their best to save him, and they even called in a personal priest to stabilize Wayne's wounds. However, it will take some time for his broken leg to heal, and he remains in a coma and has not yet woken up.

Forrest's situation was quite perilous; he nearly transformed into an out-of-control artifact, but was saved by Su Mu at the last moment. After advancing to advanced civil engineering, his magical power recovered relatively quickly, and he can now freely roam the magic guild.

“Miss Maggie, your guild is very well managed. Since you moved in, my magical recovery ability has been greatly enhanced. After meditating for a night, I can replenish all the magic I’ve lost. Occasionally, I can even sense unknown inspirations in the dream world, which is of great benefit to my construction skills.”

Maggie warned, "The knowledge in the Dream Realm is extremely dangerous. There are many terrifying beings that can tempt mages through the boundary. Don't be complacent just because you escaped this time. You still need to be cautious."

After being scolded by Maggie, Forrest finally calmed down. Even now, thinking back on the construction of the Four Kings' Palace, he still feels a bit of lingering fear.

These special architectural blueprints, mysterious and powerful, seem like a shortcut, but the most important aspect of architecture is conforming to the characteristics of the town and its people. If he wants to continue on the path of an architect, he must combine the characteristics of the castle and create a path that is uniquely his own.

This requires tireless work day and night, as well as keen observation of architecture; it cannot be accomplished overnight.

Although Maggie is young, she has experienced more complex events in the Dream Realm, and her understanding of magic is obviously deeper than Forrest's.

"Don't worry, I will remember your teachings."

"Lord Sumu is inside, please go in."

Maggie turned and walked into the secret room, an extra room built during the construction of the special building. Once inside, she immediately found Su Mu meditating cross-legged, his magical power almost fully restored.

Beside him lay several special treasures captured in this great battle, the most conspicuous of which was the Lion King Shield.

Lion King Shield (Level 4 Treasure): Increases hero's attack, defense, spell power, and knowledge by 4 each. One of the six components of the Angel Alliance combination treasure.

Review: A wizard plotted to kill a ranger. Just as the evil wizard was about to succeed, you intervened and saved the ranger. The ranger was extremely grateful and gave you his beloved shield.

"Perhaps this is the story of how Ivo obtained this treasure! If someone else gets it in the future, they'll have to change the supporting characters and save a governor!"

Su Mu lifted the Lion King Shield with one hand and immediately gained unimaginable power, as if a lion had attached itself to the hero's body, making it incredibly powerful.

This is the biggest gain from this battle, and also the strongest magical weapon that Su Mu has captured so far.

Su Mu's governing skills were already able to strengthen the heroes under his command. With the Lion King Shield, he could gain even stronger abilities, making him even more powerful.

Maggie stepped forward and carefully examined the level 4 treasure, feeling its powerful magical energy. Even as a well-informed marquis heir, she was still amazed.

Treasures of this caliber are probably only found in a handful of kingdoms and empires combined.

Ivo truly lives up to his title as the son of the forest and the rising star of Isildur, possessing such a powerful treasure. No wonder this battle is so difficult.

"Of course, not only the Lion King Shield, but also the Divine Beast Mane."

Su Mu pulled out a yellowish-brown hair. After carrying this treasure, he seemed to have gained superhuman aiming ability, and could hit the enemy with any arrow he fired.

【Divine Beast Mane (Level 2 Treasure): Increases hero's archery skill effect by 10%, requires hero to have archery skill.

Evaluation: One of the three components of the Phantom Bow, a powerful divine beast artifact.

This treasure is a perfect match for Ivo, and equally suitable for Orling.

As expected of an elven ranger, he possesses superb archery skills and also the most exquisite treasures.

The Tree Spirit Bow and the Divine Beast Mane will surely be bestowed upon Ouling, but unfortunately, one more treasure is still missing. Otherwise, Ouling would be even more adept at commanding the Earth Bow.

"The last treasure, the Crown of Wisdom."

【Crown of Wisdom (Tier 2 Treasure): When worn by a hero, it grants +4 Knowledge and reduces the attribute requirements for entering the Library of Wisdom】

Evaluation: A mad wizard, utterly foolish, targeted you. His power came from the crown atop his head. You drew your bow and shot down the crown, restoring him to normal. Out of gratitude, he presented you with the crown.

Ivo's experiences were truly rich and varied, but the more wisdom he possessed, the more prone he was to arrogance and overconfidence, leading him to do things beyond his capabilities.

Su Mu stared at Maggie: "The power of the Dream Realm is extremely dangerous. I overheard your conversation with Forrest, but this warning is not only for him, but also for you."

Void spirits or other beings love to infiltrate dreams, so even if you have enough knowledge, don't try to spy on them.

And most importantly, the gods must not be looked at directly!

Maggie's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly nodded.

After several battles, she was indeed quite proud of herself. Through the intermediate intelligence bonus, she was able to gain extraordinary magic power, even stronger than legendary heroes.

However, all of this is merely an improvement in governance techniques; the foundation itself is not yet solid. If pride and complacency arise in the dream realm, one will indeed go astray.

"Okay, let's go out and take a look."

The three treasures were all the spoils; the rest were mostly destroyed in the fierce battle. Fortunately, Ivo used a secret technique to send a message at the last moment, disintegrating his own body; otherwise, the Crown of Wisdom and the Mane of the Divine Beast might not have been preserved.

Su Mu led Maggie and Forrest into the Internal Affairs Hall to hear the latest news.

"Langlitburg has already learned of Ivo's defeat and most likely knows that we are bound by war."

"Isabel, leading the Holy Unicorns, wanted to take advantage of Kuraki Town's weakness and uproot us completely. However, reinforcements have arrived from the north, and I heard that Lord Conrad is personally leading the team."

Upon learning this news, the enemy immediately turned back, fortified their city, and refused to leave.

Conrad had originally planned to meet with Duke Salman in the barren snowfields to clear a path north, but things didn't go smoothly, and he had to hastily retreat.

The news of Longlet Castle's plea for help had been relayed to Parliament for a long time. Seeing the deteriorating situation on the plains, the Kingdom finally decided to send Conrad to support the Marquis's territory.

This time, it wasn't just the Kingdom's Knights Legion, but also the Angry Bear Clan and several other families from the North, making them a formidable force. Even with Isabel's pride, she dared not act rashly.

This message was delivered by Argyle using his position of power, so it must be accurate.

Hearing that Conrad was coming to their aid, Maggie and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

After a bloody battle with Ivo, which exhausted all of Kuraki's forces, if Isabel really brings the Holy Unicorn, they will have no choice but to submit to slaughter.

Fortunately, the kingdom has not forgotten them.

Su Mu glanced at Maggie: "With Lord Conrad's support, they will definitely launch a siege attack on Longlet Castle, but I think it will be difficult to take it down with Isabel guarding it."

The day when the seal on the boundary marker will be lifted is drawing near, but with the city under siege, the portal to another dimension cannot be opened. I suspect Isabel will seize the opportunity to escape and return to the territory of Isildur.

Given Conrad's strength, if he were to encounter Isabel in the wild, he would naturally not be afraid of her and might even have the opportunity to annihilate her.

However, Isabel is quick to act and it is not difficult for her to leave the battlefield. In addition, with all four of her skills at a high level, she can retreat at any time.

What Levin can do, Isabel can do even more easily with her magic, not to mention that the Holy Unicorn is even more powerful, and almost no one can stop her.

"It's highly likely that Lord Conrad left the dwarves and the legion of withered warriors behind, and let Isabel go."

At this moment, Su Mu really wanted to send Ouling over to deliver the shackles of war and lock Isabel away.

However, this is not very realistic. After all, the War Cage needs to be charged, and it is controlled by Orin. His magical power is too weak. Isabel can lead the Holy Unicorns to charge and break through the cage in no time. Therefore, it will not be very effective.

In addition, Ouling is currently injured and unable to participate in the battle, so he has to put this idea aside for the time being.

The Four Kings' Palace of Prison also comes at a price; the sealed treasures cannot see the light of day again for a certain period of time, and therefore cannot be used by Conrad.

However, if they can defeat the dwarves and the withered warriors and wipe out the vanguard of Isildur who have invaded the heart of the kingdom, it will be the second greatest victory so far, which is quite remarkable.

Su Mu glanced at Maggie: "Once Isabel escapes, Longlit Castle will be back under our control, and then you, Miss, can continue to exercise the powers of the Marquis's heir."

Maggie's eyes dimmed: "After several falls, probably less than one in ten of the county's inhabitants remain. Although that place is Garfield's former territory, I am no longer worthy to rule it."

As promised before, I will still follow your orders.

Moreover, as the heir to the marquisate, I cannot escape blame for the fall of the county seat, and the kingdom will likely punish me. If Longlet Castle remains under my jurisdiction, then it shall be yours.”

Maggie now sees through it all: the title of marquis is utterly worthless. In chaotic times, it not only brings no benefit but also makes one a target for enemies.

Without sufficient military strength, Garfield is nothing; anyone could easily crush her.

Instead of doing that, it would be better to form an alliance with Su Mu, leverage her strengths, and restore the family's glory.

Especially after witnessing Su Mu's abnormal governance, Maggie felt that Su Mu would definitely shine in this battle and even grow into a legendary hero of the human race.

If she doesn't hold onto this high-quality initial public offering (IPO) stock tightly, she'll be out of her mind.

Hearing Maggie's words, Su Mu nodded without saying anything more.

During this period of war, even if Maggie makes a mistake, the kingdom will not easily take action against Garfield for the sake of the stability of the Marquessland.

Maggie remains the nominal lord and wields considerable influence.

Su Mu decided to let Maggie continue to manage Longlit Castle, but the wealth and resources would be managed in a unified manner. After all, Forrest had now mastered advanced civil engineering techniques, and a large number of buildings could be upgraded, so resources were in short supply.

He can use the Four Kings Palace to acquire intermediate financial management skills, and with Maggie's daily conversion of 2000 gold coins into spell power, it's quite considerable.

Based on his performance in this battle, Su Mu will surely be able to obtain a new title.

The subsequent strategy was to use Maggie to control the Hilling Plains and Longlet Castle as the spiritual symbol of the Marquisate, while Kuraki was transformed into the actual political and military center.

Cough cough, no, Maggie came here voluntarily, it can't be called kidnapping, it's just a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Those who follow Kuraki will have a good life; whoever wins the war, they'll follow. The surviving nobles must have already grasped the situation.

Just as they were discussing this, Euling arrived at the Interior Hall.

His face was still somewhat pale, but his eyes couldn't hide his excitement.

Having endured numerous arduous battles, you have gained a deeper understanding of the way of the hero.

[+1 Attack, +1 Defense]

[Complete the basic spirit spell cannon technique, and master the advanced air elemental technique]

[Basic Spirit Spell Artillery: Proficiently control a more advanced ballista to attack targets, increasing the number of attacks and damage, and can inflict spirit spell abilities (Soul Arrow can be added to the ballista).]

Soul Arrow Technique also provides a bonus to ballistae. Ouling had previously become interested in advanced ballistae, and this advancement, witnessing a large number of archers clashing, also inspired him to use ballistae for concentrated attacks. Therefore, after the great battle, he mastered the ability of Spirit Spell Artillery.

As for mastering advanced air elemental power, that came naturally. He had already grasped the intermediate level, and during the great battle, he repeatedly used spells to enhance the speed and attack power of the Earth Bow. After surviving countless near-death experiences, he finally stepped into the advanced level.

In this way, the three Kuraki heroes were all gathered together.

Forrest (Architect): Attack 2, Defense 3, Spell Power 4, Knowledge 4.

Loyalty 98, Charisma 80, Element: Earth
Lumberjack Master, Advanced Civil Engineering, Intermediate Earth Element Mastery

【Ouling (Soul Archer): Attack 5, Defense 4, Spell Power 2, Knowledge 3.

Loyalty 95, Charisma 78, Element: Air
Advanced Air Elemental Mastery, Basic Water Elemental Mastery, Advanced Soul Arrow Technique, Basic Spirit Spell Cannon Technique

【Maggie (Dreamer): Attack 3, Defense 2, Spell Power 6, Knowledge 6.

Loyalty 92, Charisma 95, Element: None

Intermediate Financial Management, Intermediate Dream Domain Studies, Intermediate Intelligence, Basic Fire Element Mastery, Basic Arcane Wisdom

If you include Su Mu himself, and Argyle, whose heart is with Kuraki but whose body is with the Angry Bear, then the core team is already taking shape!
Given time to amass more troops, Kuraki will no longer be afraid of ordinary people and will have the strength to stir up trouble in the war between the two countries.

(End of this chapter)