Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 130 Forrest's Masterpiece

Su Mu returned to Cangmu Town from Langlit Castle—no, it should be Cangmu City, the entire city had been completely renovated.

[Due to Lord Kuraki's outstanding performance in the defense, the Kingdom has issued a special administrative decree, elevating Kuraki to an independent city directly under the Kingdom's jurisdiction. He is granted 20000 gold, 40 raw stones, and 20 of each rare resource. He is also provided with 5 cartloads of special boundary markers, two special treasures, and a corresponding title, to be personally announced by the High Priest of Light shortly.]

After returning to the capital, Conrad reported Sumu's situation to the parliament. After several discussions, a final decision was made regarding the reward.

It is not yet known whether the final title will be Viscount or Earl, but given Su Mu's performance in the war, he is certainly qualified to be granted a title beyond his rank. However, the difficulty lies in the political aspect. Would the noble lords and ministers in Parliament be willing to break with tradition and promote a country nobleman who does not rely on bloodline so quickly?
Su Mu felt it was risky.

In fact, Su Mu's expectations for the title were not as great as one might imagine; he cared more about real power and nominal autonomy.

Under the previous administrative divisions, Kuraki still belonged to Longlit Castle. Although Maggie was the actual controller of the marquisate, there was still a superior-subordinate relationship. Once the county town falls and is controlled by earth spirits, both places will be restricted simultaneously, such as by boundary marker prohibitions and other special magic.

However, once Kuraki gains autonomy, the two will be separated, at least in the event of war, they will be free from constraints.

As for the power to appoint officials in economic and personnel matters, Kuraki already had that power, so it didn't have much influence. But what if the county seat changed hands? Should he obey the marquis's orders? If he didn't, would he break with the nobility?

Su Mu has always been willing to consider the worst-case scenario, so obtaining this executive order is a victory in itself.

Needless to say, the gold coins and resources were plentiful; the parliament spared no expense in acquiring them, and the supply of boundary stones, while not enough to build a parliament building, was already quite good. It's said that the rewards weren't just for him; other nobles from other regions who had performed exceptionally well also received substantial commendations.

This also sends a signal to all nobles that as long as they dare to fight and struggle, they can gain both wealth and fame.

Special treasures are selected from the kingdom's treasure vault, and there is a certain bias towards them.

Su Mu and Conrad had a private conversation and inquired about the Undead Shield, but unfortunately, they didn't have this treasure.

He could only settle for second best and inquire about the Heavenly Feather Arrow and the Angel Alliance's accessories. However, the Knight Commander was also in a dilemma. It was obvious that these high-level treasures were sealed, and even if Su Mu could use them, he would have to frequently return to the capital to reinforce the seal, which was clearly impossible.

Finally, the knight commander agreed to give him a divinely bestowed treasure and a component of the Dragon King's divine power.

This was already the maximum benefit they could achieve, and Su Mu wasn't too greedy. He thanked the Knight Commander for his kindness.

The administrative order was first delivered by scouts, and the High Priest of Light personally traveled to various regions to bestow rewards upon the heroes who had performed outstandingly. It is said that four people in the kingdom received rewards exceeding the usual accolades. Su Mu will likely be able to receive the ceremony by next week at the latest, and it will undoubtedly be the center of attention.

If the High Priest arrives, some things will become more difficult to handle, so he decided to have Wayne retreat temporarily, while Ivan would strengthen the defenses.

After dealing with the enemy for a while, he paused for a bit. He didn't expect Salman to change his ways, but he had to be careful in dealing with the enemy's counterattack.

"My lord, come and see our city!"

Forrest summoned from the city wall, and Su Mu immediately used magic to lift himself up and climb the city wall.

Looking out, a magnificent city of giant stones rises from the ground, with buildings standing tall and a free and independent community. The various areas are clearly defined: the market is bustling with activity, the government hall is solemn and magnificent, and the barracks are solemn and desolate, each with its own unique characteristics, even more spectacular than the county seat.

As expected of an architect, his management and planning are top-notch. Even if Kuraki Castle were to accommodate hundreds of thousands more people, it would be more than enough.

"The advanced features of the base camp have been completed, and the growth rate has been increased to 150%. The honor blacksmith shop has also been upgraded with advanced civil engineering effects."

When Forrest chose the blacksmith's traits, he essentially fixed the ballista upgrade in order to match Orling's.

With this renovation, the blacksmith shop is now able to provide level 3 ballistae, which is definitely an improvement in the city's defenses.

【Crystal Ballista (Tier 3): The ballista can attack enemy forces from a distance in battle, doubling its attack range.

500抗击打值，攻击18，防御18，伤害为（英雄攻击+2）×（4~6）+20，基础弹药24。

The amount of ammunition for spell crossbows is affected by Hero Knowledge, while the attack power of ballistae is affected by Artillery Skill.

The Crystal Ballista is quite expensive, costing 2000 gold coins, twice the price of the Giant Ballista, but it is very effective, especially when controlled by an Artillery hero, where it can achieve its maximum effect.

If Orling were to guard Cangmu City, he could even slay dragons by using the Crystal Ballista in conjunction with his skills.

Su Mu stepped forward and touched the new crossbow. The arrow slots were made entirely of special crystal, sturdy and durable, and even emitted a slight heat. It was indeed a Tier 3 crossbow. "Get me one. It'll be absolutely effective against the enemy's high-level troops on the battlefield!"

After all, Su Mu is an all-around hexagonal governor. He can use all the abilities his subordinates have. The Crystal Ballista can be used as a trump card and can definitely produce unexpected results.

"Alright! It's already prepared!"

No one should suffer, especially not the lord; Forrest is well aware of this.

However, after handing over a ballista, he began his usual business: "The construction of this city has cost too much. Recently, the price of logs has been suppressed, and resources cannot be exchanged. We have to think of a way, otherwise the trade caravan will lose most of its members."

This is not an exaggeration. Merchants are profit-driven. They flock to Kuraki City because they see an opportunity to make money there. If trade is not possible for a long time, they will definitely leave.

The quality of goods in the city will drop significantly, which will be detrimental to development.

"Don't worry, there will be results in a while."

Once Kuraki has amassed another wave of troops, Su Mu plans to personally go to the special building at the border and gradually make contact with the Undead Grand Duke.

With the lord's promise, Forrest was completely relieved and continued to introduce his architectural masterpiece.

Brotherhood: In siege warfare, the Brotherhood can increase troop morale by 2.

Resources required: 500 gold coins, 5 logs.

Special Effect (Advanced Civil Engineering): When the hero fights in grassland territory under the city's jurisdiction, morale increases by 1. When defending a city, morale increases by an additional 2 (meaning that theoretically, the defending troops can gain 4 morale, but this cannot exceed the limit).

Special cost: 1500 gold coins, 15 logs

The Brotherhood's special effect originally boosted the morale of heroes fighting within the territory, resulting in a significant area-of-effect impact.

However, because Su Mu possesses advanced leadership skills, he can break through morale limits and directly gain +4 morale when defending the city, a high morale status of about 16%, which is a terrifying boost.

If Seraphim are introduced in the future, morale will be boosted even further.

The Brotherhood provides the strongest defensive capabilities, while the Stables offer greater mobility.

[Stable: The stable increases the land movement ability of visiting heroes.]

Resources required: 2000 gold coins, 10 logs.

Special Effects (Advanced Civil Engineering): Stables can breed special warhorses, increase the movement ability of visiting heroes, and enhance the attributes and combat power of cavalry (and upgraded units).

Special cost: 6000 gold coins, 30 logs.

When it comes to the function of the stable, it is absolutely an essential building for castle factions. But after being upgraded with advanced civil engineering, it has gained a new function, which can provide additional bonuses to level 6 castle troops, making the knights even more powerful.

High morale and high mobility – these are the hallmarks of the Terran race.

He was already looking forward to the scene of knights charging into battle on special mounts.

"The rest of the buildings are mostly completed. The remaining Mysterious Sanctuary is a bit tricky and we need to discuss it further."

Since mastering advanced civil engineering, Forrest hasn't encountered any difficult buildings in a long time, but this one is special and requires extra expense and effort.

"Special celestial phenomena and resources are required. To collect them all, we must make a trip to the Arcane Empire."

"Okay, you make a list, and I'll handle the rest!"

Forrest gave a thumbs up: "I love the lord's straightforward temperament!"

(End of this chapter)