Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 143 Undercurrent
"What? Beatrice was defeated and captured? What's the point of building the western trade route now?!"

Rod Suliman received a letter from Longleat Castle in the border town of the North, and was immediately enraged, smashing things all over the house.

Exhausted, he slumped into a chair, staring blankly at the empty ceiling.

News came from within the family that his younger brother Gabu had been following the Northern army, befriended the nobles on the expedition, and won his father's favor. Everyone unanimously recommended him as the heir.

But Rod had grown up with Gabe since childhood, so how could he not know his brother?

He admitted to being cowardly and incompetent, admitting he wasn't particularly skilled in military matters, but he could still maintain balance in governing the city. Gabu, on the other hand, was an extreme case, acting recklessly and defying everyone. He had almost caused a disaster during Lloyd's command of the Hills Battle, bringing great shame to Saliman.

His current excellent performance must be due to expert guidance, intended to showcase his military capabilities. After all, these are turbulent times, and the ducal family needs a capable general more than ever.

With the trade plan thwarted and Gabe performing exceptionally well, Rhodes was utterly disheartened, feeling that he was drifting further and further away from becoming the heir.

He was filled with hatred. What a load of rubbish, the Void God Cult! They couldn't even defeat a mere viscount; they were utterly useless. And that Su Mu too—he was ungrateful, really thinking he could sell resources just by using a single passage? Even if he opened up the hub, wouldn't he still have to give those behind-the-scenes figures in the trading city huge profits? Little Langlit Castle was far too arrogant.

Rhodes grew angrier and angrier, even blaming his father, who was clearly the first in line to the throne, yet the Duke had been slow to express his opinion, which had caused all this trouble.

"what!"

With a roar, Rhodes raised his longsword and cleaved the stone table in two, his body trembling uncontrollably.

When he looked up, he saw the witch sitting half-sitting by the window, quietly staring at him.

"Have you gone crazy enough? After you're done, get ready to return to Winterfell and begin the process of inheriting your duchy."

"Isn't it because your cult members are too incompetent? You've suffered repeated defeats at Longletburg, and now even your men have been captured. You're coming to me for ransom? It's laughable."

Despite his mockery, Rhodes did not lose his temper; clearly, his previous experience had left him with a phobia of witches.

“Kuraki Town has powerful forces behind it. The Church of God does not intend to continue to be enemies with them. I will pay Beatrice’s ransom. You just need to do your job.”

Rhodes was somewhat surprised. Could the Void God Cult, which prided itself on being extraordinary, actually suffer a setback? Su Mu had a hidden force supporting him behind the scenes; no wonder he rose to prominence so quickly.

Could it be that Su Mu has defected to the Church of Light? After all, the High Priest of Light had just visited Langlit Castle and personally bestowed upon him the title of Viscount Thorns.

Judging from the witch's appearance, she clearly had some understanding of the situation, otherwise she wouldn't have let it go so easily.

"That Beatrice, with so many soldiers, still couldn't subdue the enemy and was even captured. She might as well just be abandoned. What's the use of rescuing such an incompetent person?"

Medea glared at him and warned, "We have our own considerations, which Saliman need not worry about. You'd be better off thinking about how to stabilize your power."

Salman simply shrugged, resigned to his fate, and said, "What can I do? Gabu is putting on a great show in front of my father, and the nobles are more willing to support him. I originally wanted to unite the Northern nobles through trade and change my father's opinion of me, but now I'm even more mired in this mess."

"I might as well just wait and see how it ends. I'll go back to my own fiefdom, and relying on the family name to become a city lord shouldn't be a problem."

Medea wasn't buying it: "The fallen wolf king wants to return to peace, but the hounds he's been oppressed for so long won't let him go. If you give up, the nobles of the North won't forgive you. You have no choice but to do your best to fight for the dukedom."

Hearing the witch's blunt truth, Rhodes' eyes turned red, and he clenched his fists tightly. He knew all too well that this would be the outcome, but he simply couldn't see any hope.

Seeing that the atmosphere had been set, Medea smiled charmingly: "Don't worry, the cult will not abandon you. Come closer, I'll tell you about the next plan."

Rhodes was skeptical, but his restless ambition drove him forward to inhale the witch's sweet scent and listen to the Void Cult's plan.

“No, I haven’t received my father’s orders. Doing this is tantamount to treason! If he returns to Winterfell, I will be imprisoned and lose all my chance.” Rhodes took several steps back, looking flustered and not quite agreeing with this approach.

Medea laughed and said, "As if you have a chance to inherit the title now? How can one become a duke without doing extraordinary things?"
If you are just a good boy who obeys his father, then you will live in his shadow for the rest of your life.

Rhodes was caught in a dilemma. The witch was right. He was in a very passive situation. He had no chance of winning if he fought Gabe head-on. He had to find a way to win by surprise.

Medea continued to offer her devilish temptation: "The Void will lead you where you are meant to be. With our help, you can control the situation, and with the previous inheritance book, you have a high chance of success."

Most importantly, astrologers have prophesied that the life star of your father, Duke Salman, the Ice Wolf of the Northern Snows, is rapidly dimming!

Upon hearing this news, Rhodes panicked instantly. He knew the capabilities of the Void Cult; their greatest strength lay in divination and prophecy. Since the orange-robed witch had said so, it seemed his father had finally succumbed to his weakness.

Duke Salman, the man who suppressed the wolves of the North, finally reached the final moments of his life.

Rod had been thinking about the inheritance, but now that he was facing his father's passing, he was at a loss.

After much deliberation, he finally made up his mind. The more he thought about it, the more determined he became to not let Gabe lead the family astray.

"Okay, I promise you. I'll use the Void Star Gate to return to Winter City."

Furthermore, I will contact Marquis Carson to mobilize the Floodwave Swordsmen camp and seize control of the city!

Rhodes hasn't given up yet because he still has a crucial trump card: his father-in-law, Marquis Carson, a powerful swordsman who controls the Salim family's strongest troops. Although most soldiers have gone to war with their fathers, Winterfell still has a certain defensive force, and Marquis Carson will undoubtedly support him.

He decided to take a chance.

Seeing that Rhodes agreed to the plan, Medea revealed a smug smile and began preparing the stargate connection to teleport the duke's heir back to Winterfell and begin her journey to seize power.

Because the main city of the Northern Duchy has close trade ties with the Arcane Empire, there are naturally many cultists involved, which is why she dared to make a bet against Rhodes.

Once Rhodes successfully inherits the dukedom, he will naturally obtain what the Church desires, and all his previous efforts will not have been in vain.

Beatrice was a little upset. It would have been one thing if she had died on the battlefield, but she had been captured and had to be rescued.

This man guarded the library and had some connection with a prominent figure in the cult. Medea initially looked down on him, but she couldn't show it openly.

The Box of Void Wisdom was lost, but the castle faction lacked the special buildings to use it. Most frustratingly, the Titan Armor was stolen, and Su Mu clearly had no intention of returning it. However, this level 4 treasure was not easy to seal; the other party had no method to seal it, and it could even cause disaster. She was waiting for Langlit Castle to come and plead with the Church of God!

As for the ransom, the other party did not ask for an exorbitant amount: 10000 gold coins, 40 raw stones, 20 crystals, 20 gems, and a mysterious star map.

The resources mentioned above are normal, but the Arcane Star Chart is somewhat questionable. This special material is formed from condensed resources and is specifically used to construct special void-type buildings. The castle faction possesses its own special materials, so obtaining the Arcane Star Chart would be useless to them. It's strange why they insist on this material.

She communicated with the messenger, who insisted on the material and refused to budge, which aroused Medea's suspicion.

Since it's an exchange, there has to be a give and take, so she decided to sound out the other party first. If the resources weren't a problem, she would say that the Mysterious Star Chart was in short supply and ask them to exchange it for something else.

Medea is now extremely cautious about Kuraki City. Her attempt to teleport via the Star Gate was blocked by an inexplicable fluctuation—a level of sophistication only found in religions at least on par with those of the Void. Did the other party want the Mysterious Star Chart to pry into the secrets of the Divine Religion?

Have to guard against it.

(End of this chapter)