Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 123 The Salman Family

Su Mu brought Maggie to Langlit Castle, a centuries-old city that was in ruins and rubble, a far cry from the bustling castle it had been a few months earlier.

Several major battles left the county town with devastating scars, and the population was reduced to less than one-tenth. Even when calls were made for repairs, the victims were mostly starving civilians.

"Quickly, distribute some food to everyone!"

Maggie had already made preparations, bringing enough food and water from Kuraki, as well as some money, to rebuild the ancient city.

The soldiers on duty at the city gate stopped them: "Which unit are you from? Go into the city and report. Longlet Castle is not under your jurisdiction."

Kuraki's commander immediately became angry: "Are you blind? This is Garfield's heir, Maggie, the lord of Longleat Castle. What's wrong with her distributing some food and water to the citizens?"

The guards, however, were unconvinced: "Maggie? The marquis's daughter who abandoned the city and fled? She actually has the nerve to come back. This city is no longer under your jurisdiction!"

These words were incredibly arrogant. Just as Su Mu was about to lash out, Maggie tugged at his sleeve and pointed to the emblem on the other man's armor.

The waves flowed, the snow froze, and the Salman family stood in chaos!
No wonder they don't even respect marquises; they're actually the Duke's troops.

Conrad helped the Northern nobles fight, and the kingdom decided to go south to the plains to relieve the siege. The most suitable support force was naturally the Northern Legion, but unexpectedly, the Salman family came in person.

So they stopped arguing with the soldiers and went straight into the city gate, heading towards the council hall.

Today, the Knight Commander convened a meeting of nobles. The hall was filled with lords from all over the land, with the major families of the North occupying the main seats.

When they first heard that Isabel had captured Longlet Castle and swept across the plains, they all thought the support was just a token gesture, and that the kingdom would need to send more troops to retake the county town. However, they never expected that the Children of the Forest would underestimate their enemy and suffer a crushing defeat at Kuraki Town, losing half of Isildur's vanguard.

The nobles, like jackals smelling blood, immediately increased their military support and, under the leadership of the knight commander, recaptured Longlet Castle.

As for Isabel escaping, it was within everyone's expectations. Not to mention that Conrad had no way to surround and kill her, even if he did, the nobles might not have gone all out.

"Isabelle attacked the city, Maggie fled to the north, and now that the city has been recaptured, she has the nerve to come back as a lord? If all the nobles follow her example, this war is doomed!"

“That’s right. We’ve come all the way from the north to save the Hilling Plains, and now Langlit Castle is so poor that we haven’t received any reward. In that case, we might as well give some of our fiefdoms to the nobles.”

"That brat Ivona calls himself the Son of the Forest, but he's nothing but a coward. If I had led a large army here, I would have crushed him long ago. The nobles of the plains are weak and frail, far inferior to the martial spirit of the North!"

Those who spoke out were mostly counts and marquises from the north, who considered themselves superior in combat and looked down on the nobles of the plains.

There were actually a few surviving nobles from the plains in the hall, but the marquisate had been so badly beaten that they dared not utter a sound.

At this point, the Knight Commander spoke up: "Ivo is not weak. He is a hero that the Esildor Empire has been cultivating, and he leads a legion that has been baptized by 2000 elements. Even if I were to face him, I wouldn't dare say that I would win for sure."

The Battle of the Valley served as a lesson. Although Marshal Isabel was the commander, Ivo's strategic planning and contributions were indispensable.

Kuraki's ability to kill this man is a major blow to Isildur!

The northern nobles merely hummed a few times, but did not refute the knight commander's words.

Only a young nobleman sitting at the far left of the long table spoke up: "When two countries go to war, Kuraki Town is indeed worthy of commendation for defending its homeland."

However, Longleat Castle's overall performance has been poor, losing territory and failing to gain widespread support. If a mere young girl were to continue ruling the area, the members of Parliament would likely not agree.

This man, with a slightly melancholy expression, Rod Salliman, is the first in line to the Salliman family and the commander who left the Fal Forest. A few days ago, he recklessly pursued his target, only to be ambushed and routed by Isildur. He is inferior not only to his father but also to ordinary nobles.

Because his surname is Salman, even though he suffered repeated defeats, no one dared to ignore his words.

“Miss Maggie did not run away; she simply avoided direct confrontation when she was isolated and helpless, and later came to Kuraki to fight alongside us.”

She played a crucial role in killing Ivo, and was not a lord who abandoned her city and territory! The Cox family can attest to this!

As the hall doors were pushed open, Su Mu led Maggie into the inner room and emphatically defended Maggie's reputation.

Although no magic was deliberately cast, the powerful magical energy still echoed in the hall, making it a force to be reckoned with.

The nobles pointed and whispered among themselves, and even those who had never seen Su Mu before quickly learned of his name. For a mere baron to possess such power and influence was truly unique.

Snow Cox of the Frost Nights stood up and said, “That’s right. When Miss Maggie asked Frost Nights to send troops, they were defeated by Isildur outside Longlet Castle. In order to preserve our forces, I chose to retreat temporarily and sent her to Kuraki Town.”

Then came the Battle of Kuraki, and I still vividly remember her bravery and resilience.

The Cox family was the first to respond to the aid from the Hilling Plains this time, feeling guilty for not being able to help last time. Their words were quite persuasive.

The nobles discussed it animatedly, and many nodded in agreement.

Su Mu led Maggie to her seat and paid her respects to the Knight Commander. Conrad also smiled at Su Mu with great appreciation.

They had met at Longletburg before, but Conrad never expected that the young man he had knighted on his behalf would give him another big surprise a few months later.

"This battle was fought very well!"

"Thank you for your kind words, Commander!"

Before Su Mu arrived, Conrad had already set the tone: he would definitely recommend Su Mu for credit, and there was no doubt about that.

Even though the nobles felt that a newly ennobled baron's promotion was too rapid, the results of the Battle of Kuraki were so dazzling that no one could say much. So they could only attack Maggie, attempting to seize the marquisate's resources and cities.

With the help of the northern nobles and the fact that nine out of ten marquises are now destitute, some profits must be shared. This was something Maggie had already considered before she returned.

But the other side seems to have a big appetite and wants to take over more fiefdoms.

Rod Salman stared at Maggie and spoke again: "It is the duty of a lord to defend his fiefdom. But under Maggie's rule, the once prosperous cities of the plains have either been destroyed by traitors or occupied by Isildur."

Such a level of management is tolerable in peacetime, but in times of war, it leaves no room for even the slightest mistake.

I have several native inhabitants of Longlettburgh here who can attest to the truth of my words.”

First to emerge were several citizens of Longlet Castle, dressed in rags and looking emaciated: "We were originally merchants in the castle, but since Lady Maggie took power, she has practiced nepotism, and even colluded with people from outside the city to kill the Griffinson family, seize their assets, and eliminate dissidents. Everyone is living in fear."

She took over all the shops on the main street of the castle, but mismanaged them, causing many merchants to leave the area.

"Not only that, Maggie treats the nobles of her fiefdoms differently, leaving those who disobey to guard the front lines without providing them with reinforcements. Rumor has it that Kyle of White Rock and the Richie family of Strongbow Town were forced into rebellion!"

These people vehemently slandered Maggie, mixing truth with falsehood. The outsiders, unaware of the facts, readily believed much of it. Maggie, her face flushed red, nearly fainted with anger, and pointed at them, shouting, "This is utterly twisted black and white! Talking nonsense!"

Ask any citizen in any city, and you'll see through their lies!

At this moment, an unexpected person, Nate Sack, the lord of Graystone City in the western part of the Xilin Plain, stepped forward: "These merchants only care about making money and have a very narrow perspective. The Marquis's daughter is actually trying to maintain management. People like Griffinson want to seize power, and Richie and Kyle are traitors. There's nothing more to say."

This man was a renowned viscount lord within the marquisate, with connections among the nobles of Longletburg, so his words carried considerable weight.

After hearing this, everyone thought that NEET was going to make an excuse for Maggie, but unexpectedly he changed the subject: "But it is a fact that these upheavals have occurred without a suitable solution, leaving the people of the fiefdoms displaced and suffering all kinds of hardships."

We were all very supportive of the Marquis's daughter at first, but reality has been harsh. All I can say is that the Xilin Plain needs someone who can stabilize the situation!

These words plunged the nobles into deep thought. For such a seasoned city lord to utter such despairing words, whether Maggie was right or wrong seemed irrelevant, for the kingdom needed capable men.

Maggie turned her gaze to NEET. She never expected that the city lord, who had previously strongly supported her reforms, would become her biggest opponent.

Regardless of what the northern nobles say, they are, after all, outsiders with biases, and it's unlikely they can influence Conrad's decisions. However, if even her own people in the territory no longer support her, it demonstrates how poor her management skills are, which would severely damage her image in the eyes of the Knight Commander.

Maggie glanced around, then looked at the other lords of the marquisate. She didn't know how many people opposed her, and she had a feeling that things were about to get out of control.

At this moment, when the others wanted to speak, Su Mu slammed his hand on the table, interrupting them.

“I don’t know what Lord Nitt means by saying that. In your words, as long as this marquis is replaced by another lord, we can stop the invasion of Isabel’s army and hold off the vanguard of Isidor at Qiangnu Town?”

These words were a bit too harsh. The Stags of the Valley had suffered a crushing defeat, and even the Duke's son's desperate resistance couldn't stop Isildur's vanguard. Even with Conrad leading the northern nobles to their aid, they couldn't capture Isabel. What he described as an easy task actually required the entire nation's resources to handle.

"Miss Maggie certainly has many shortcomings, but she is worthy of being the heir to Garfield. She went north to seek help, fought alone outside the city, and put up a final resistance in Kuraki, vowing to live and die with the territory."

Eugen of Rock City, Zoran of Light City, and Jeff Payne of Longlet Castle—they were all willing to fight to the death for Miss Maggie. She was the pillar of the Marquisate, and as long as she continued to resist, everyone would rebel against Isildur.

That includes me.

“Those who participated in the resistance all suffered heavy losses, but without us reckless guys, how could the situation have been stabilized? You guys who only talk a lot of nice words, have you killed enough 500 centaurs?”

Maggie slaughtered hundreds of centaurs with just her magic. What right do you have to talk about your fiefdom lord?

Su Mu's words were merciless, leaving Nite stunned in place.

He wanted to retort, but thinking of Kuraki Town's record, he dared not utter any harsh words. He could only whimper, "You...you..." his momentum greatly diminished.

Several marquises and nobles who were initially eager to make a move immediately shrank back upon seeing this situation, and dared not utter a sound.

A burly man from the north stepped forward and pointed at Su Mu: "How dare a mere baron roar at a viscount and threaten his colleagues, showing disrespect in front of the knight commander."

"What's so great about beating Ivo? He's got his head on the floor!"

The speaker was Wilbur Rosen, lord of Ice City in the North and a staunch supporter of Suliman. He was known for his temper and brute force. He had previously felt that the defense of Kuraki Town was overrated, and now he simply laid his cards on the table.

Su Mu glanced at Wilbur, then at Nate. If he still didn't know who was behind this, he shouldn't be in aristocratic circles.

"What, Lord Wilbur, do you also want to test my strength?"

I see the arena at Longlet Castle still exists. Why don't we just sign a pact of life and death and have a noble duel?

As Su Mu unleashed his fury, the shield wrapped around his arm suddenly enlarged, and the Lion King's powerful aura enveloped the entire area. Even the well-traveled nobles were taken aback by this awe-inspiring power.

"Lion King Shield!"

"This is a treasure from the Sacred Grove of Isildur. I never expected that Ivo would have it with him."

"The Children of the Forest possessed such a powerful treasure, yet they still suffered a crushing defeat... This..."

Everyone had only heard about Ivo's crushing defeat, but they didn't know much about the specifics of the battle. It wasn't until Su Mu took out the Lion King Shield that the nobles immediately elevated the strength of Cangmu Town to a certain level, and they no longer dared to underestimate this young baron.

Wilbur felt the immense pressure of Su Mu's powerful magic and was furious, but dared not say anything more. He was reckless, not stupid; if Su Mu were to fight with the Lion King Shield, even two of him wouldn't be a match, and would only become a laughingstock.

At this moment, Rod Salliman finally spoke up: "What, is Baron Sumu going to use force to suppress his colleagues and prevent them from speaking?"

Su Mu then retrieved the treasure and sat down in a chair: "Lord Salman is too kind. I have always spoken my mind and do not yield to any power. Since Nite has expressed his opinion, I, as the Lord of the Plains, will naturally offer my own."

We are all vassals of Garfield, neighbors, and united against Isildur; we all hope Longleat Castle will improve.

His gaze swept across the crowd, and none of the nobles of the plains dared to meet his eyes.

Rod Salman glanced at the nobles and noticed that those who had been so eager before had fallen silent. He then said, "The defense of Kuraki was indeed a great achievement. The Knight Commander and I have informed the Parliament, and you will be awarded a knighthood in due course."

Conrad nodded in agreement: "The Kingdom will reward those who have rendered meritorious service, and Parliament will do its best to meet any needs you may have."

Hearing this, Su Mu was slightly tempted. The kingdom was currently facing a shortage of resources, and even if he begged, he might not be able to obtain them.

However, only the kingdom has a surplus of boundary stones, so it is possible to acquire more for future use.

Furthermore, the kingdom's treasury is extremely rich and may contain treasures not found in other regions. The Cursed Armor is still missing one piece; perhaps it can be obtained from the parliament, but this treasure carries a rather sinister connotation, so we'll need to think of a better explanation.

Thanks to Su Mu's meddling, the noble assembly settled down.

Longleat Castle was obliged to reward the Northern nobles, and naturally, they had to show their appreciation. Several stone mines and windmills were given away to the families that had contributed the most, and even some northern cities were placed under their control.

In this way, at least the nobles were satisfied, and they stopped pressuring Maggie. The nominal control of the castle returned to Maggie's hands.

Knight Commander Conrad considered Maggie a key figure in the defense of Kuraki and was therefore relatively lenient towards her. With the powerful hero Sumu supporting Maggie, returning the Marquisate to Garfield was the most stable arrangement.

This meeting also allowed everyone to truly witness the aura of the rising star of the Kuraki aristocracy. He actually suppressed the Duke's son by himself and even dared to challenge the famous Ice City Lord of the North to a duel. He was truly brave and extraordinary. No wonder even the Son of the Forest was defeated by him.

With such a military leader supporting her at all costs, people even suspected that Maggie and Sumu had some kind of private relationship.

They probably couldn't have imagined that Maggie was under the rule of the rulers, and that her control of Langlitburg was the control of Su Mu. How could they not support her?
When the meeting ended, Su Mu felt no joy at the victory in the struggle.

He felt that Saliman would not give up so easily, and that Rhodes probably had some other dirty tricks up his sleeve.

(End of this chapter)