Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 157 The Dramatic Changes of Winter
Campbell entered the Rhodes mansion and carefully examined it with his magical powers, but he did not detect anything unusual.

However, a caravan was returning in the distance and unloading its goods in the yard.

Before he could look any further, Rhodes strode over: "Earl Campbell, you've finally arrived."

Campbell's expression was serious: "Rhodes, weren't you supposed to be clearing trade routes at the border? Why did you suddenly return to Winterfell? The Duke has gone to the front lines to fight the enemy; you can't afford to cause any more trouble!"

It's no wonder Campbell distrusts him so much. Rhodes lost the Fal Forest and suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Isildur in the North, a disgrace that has cemented his place in history. Campbell didn't think much of it, only that Rhodes was still resentful and wanted to borrow troops to cause trouble at the border.

This is absolutely impossible.

Unexpectedly, Rhodes didn't mention this at all, and said directly, "I know you are waiting for Father and Gabe to return. They must have given you orders to control the city and not let others interfere."

But who else but me could interfere in the city's defenses? This letter is specifically to guard against me!

Campbell glanced at Rhodes, surprised that the other man was quite perceptive in the struggle for power, but unfortunately he couldn't use it for good. So he didn't hide anything: "His Excellency the Duke has ordered me to guard Winter and forbid anyone from mobilizing troops before he returns. If you want to borrow troops to clear the trade routes, you should wait until the Duke returns!"

Upon hearing this, Rhodes covered his face in anguish and said, "Waiting for my father's orders? Do you know that my father has already passed away in Norton? This letter was forged by Gabe, who came back to seize the position of Duke's heir!"

Upon hearing this, Campbell was completely stunned. He grabbed Rhodes and asked incredulously, "The Duke is dead? How is that possible? Just a few days ago, we received good news from Norton that they had suppressed the Isildur army and victory was in sight. It's impossible!"

Rhodes's expression was icy: "The good news a few days ago, I presume Father communicated with you directly via magic. For subsequent messages, will you use magical letters to relay them?"

It's a very simple principle. If my father were alright, he wouldn't have given such an order. As long as he returns to Winter, he can suppress everything. How could I possibly cause trouble?

The person who truly fears me isn't my father, but Gabu. He's kept his death a secret until now because he wants to return to Winterfell to solidify his status as heir. Once he controls the entire duchy, he can say whatever he wants.

In reality, his father had no intention of letting him inherit the title!

While Rhodes may be rather foolish on the battlefield, he's adept at the games of power. If the Duke has already decided on Gabu's successor, he'll have informed the nobles on their campaigns, notified the lords of various cities, and reported to the kingdom long ago. In that case, no matter how many schemes Rhodes might devise, he'll be powerless.

It was precisely because Duke Salman hesitated until the very last moment of his life that he finally made a decision regarding his two restless sons.

Moreover, his father most likely chose him, otherwise Gabe wouldn't have returned to Winterfell and concealed his father's death.

Rhodes didn't want things to look so bad, but since Gabe was so ruthless, he had no choice but to fight to the very end.

Campbell hadn't processed the information yet, standing there stunned for over a minute. Carefully recalling the messages sent over the past few days, it was indeed as Rhodes had said: the Duke was very likely no longer alive.

But in the end, it's still just speculation. Even if Campbell believed most of it, he couldn't shirk his responsibility.

"Regardless of the Duke's current situation, everything will be clear once Gabu returns. That letter bears the seal of the Frozen Heart, and I have no choice but to obey!"

Rhodes roared, "With Father dead, Gabe will naturally get the Frozen Heart. Is it so hard for him to forge a letter? Once he returns with the elite troops from the front lines and takes control of Winterfell, who can stop him from inheriting the title?"

Campbell remained resolute: "If Gabe really forged the letter, I will stand with the cavalry to uphold justice. I cannot believe it now. Farewell!"

After saying this, the Earl strode away. The news of the Duke's death was a bombshell, and he had to go back to gather the cavalry and tell the nobles to defend Winterfell.

Seeing the stubborn Campbell, Rhodes showed a hint of helplessness and resentment, and could only wave his hand to let the Void God Cult handle it.

Medea emerged from the room and preemptively used her advanced earth elemental mastery of the Slow spell to restrict the cavalry and the count.

The seasoned Campbell immediately became alert upon seeing the orange-robed witch: "Cavalry, form ranks! Charge out of the mansion!"

Upon hearing their commander's call, the cavalrymen mounted their horses, gathered their magical power in their lances, and charged toward the mansion gate.

Surprisingly, despite the distance of only 100 meters, the cavalry seemed lost in the desert, charging for a long time without managing to get out.

"Hercules?"

Given that it is a high-level earth element mastery, it is not surprising that it has this skill.

Campbell roared, "Rhodes, the Arcane Empire is a wolf in sheep's clothing! You've colluded with them, so even if you become a duke, you'll just be a puppet! You're insulting the name of Saliman!"

Rhodes retreated to his room early on, leaving everything to Medea.

The orange-robed witch looked at the count with a smile: "Your words, like your soldiers, will not escape this place today!"

Having said that, he ordered the Lord of the Lamp to rush forward and engage in hand-to-hand combat. At the same time, a large number of Void Archmages appeared on the second floor of the mansion to provide ranged suppression.

Campbell, though prepared, hadn't anticipated Rhodes' audacity in colluding with outsiders to ambush them within the mansion, bringing only a few dozen cavalrymen. Now, they were being somewhat suppressed by the combined ranged and melee units of the tower.

But cavalry is cavalry; it's not something ordinary soldiers can easily provoke.

【Cavalry (Castle Tier 6, Tier 1 Unit): Attack 15, Defense 15, Damage 15-25, Health 100, Speed ​​7, Size Medium to Large】

Element: None;

Charge: Launch a charge while mounted; damage increases with distance traveled (up to a maximum of 300%).

Campbell cast the Holy Spirit's Blessing from the magic scroll, maximizing the cavalry's offensive power. He also cast the Stone Skin technique, a high-level earth elemental mastery, granting the cavalry exceptional defensive capabilities.

In this way, even though Medea has extremely high attributes, she cannot gain an advantage in melee combat.

The Lord of the Lamp has decent stats, but the cavalry is one of the best among level 6 units. It gets stronger the more it fights, and by maneuvering around and using small-scale charges, it killed more than a dozen Lords of the Lamp.

There were even valiant cavalrymen who galloped across the distance of one floor, charging up and piercing through the Void Archmage.

The Void Archmage is capable of Void Exorcism, but against cavalry whose strength far surpasses that of the Void, the success rate is clearly insufficient, and he can only trap a few cavalrymen.

"You worthless bastards in the tower, daring to plot in human territory! I'll slaughter you all, then tie up that brat Rhodes and have him await the Duke's judgment!"

Campbell fought with increasing ferocity, his body splattered with blue blood, and several skeletons lay beneath his horse's hooves.

If they continue fighting like this, once the Hercules Shield dissipates, Campbell will be able to break out. At that point, as long as he summons castle soldiers within the city, the tower troops will have nowhere to hide.

Medea, however, was not in a hurry. She silently counted the numbers: "1...2...3!"

When all the genie masters had completed their third attack, a giant genie suddenly appeared on the dome and snapped its fingers at the cavalry below!
The cavalrymen, still engaged in battle, suddenly froze, their bodies turning to ashes and vanishing into thin air.

In an instant, the cavalry force was reduced by half, leaving only a dozen or so men.

Campbell's eyes widened in fury at the sight: "Evil magic! Void magic! Rhodes, did you see that? Do you really think you can control them?"

Unfortunately, Rhodes was isolated inside and couldn't hear Campbell's shouts at all.

The cavalry was very strong, but their numbers were few, and with the Genie's wish, the number of combat personnel was halved, making it even harder to hold out.

After fighting for more than ten minutes, the Lord of the Lamp's prayers gradually accumulated, and with the help of the Void Archmage, they finally annihilated the remaining cavalry.

Until the last horse bone fell from nothingness, Campbell was also knocked off his horse by the Genie, his armor shattered.

He gritted his teeth and glared at the tower soldiers: "You only dare to use underhanded tricks. If we were to fight in an open field, I guarantee you wouldn't leave alive!"

Medea covered her mouth and chuckled: "Your Excellency is joking. This is Rhodes's residence. He tricked you into coming here."

As for a showdown, you probably won't have the chance to see it!

Having said that, he commanded dozens of magic lamps to attack him simultaneously. Campbell fought back fiercely, taking down seven or eight enemies. But the instant the magic lamps lit up, his body turned into nothingness and vanished from the spot.

Medea picked up the count's lance, tied it with a rope, and brought it to Rhodes.

The Duke's son flew into a rage; he had no intention of killing Campbell. But the orange-robed witch simply said that the situation was urgent and that there was no way to hold back against enemies like cavalry and the Earl, thus brushing Rhodes off.

After all, Rhodes had no choice but to choose between the Earl's death and his own.

So he had no choice but to quickly contact Marquis Carson and have him lead the Hongbo swordsmen to suppress the cavalry.

Rod slumped into his chair; things had come to this point, and there was absolutely no room for maneuver.

He can only survive by seizing the title of Duke!

(End of this chapter)