Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 158 No Worries About the Future
Gabu led his troops back to Winterfell and knocked on the gates, only to find that the defending soldiers had been replaced.

"Why haven't you opened the city gates to welcome His Majesty the Duke back?"

Gabu led the nobles to the city gate and shouted at them.

"Lord Gabu, it will open immediately. Please wait a moment."

The soldiers on the city wall lowered the drawbridge to welcome everyone back.

Gabe walked at the front, guarding the Duke's carriage, looking serious and tense.

He withdrew a portion of the troops from the front lines, mainly high-ranking soldiers; otherwise, if he had mobilized a large force, the enemies in Norton would have surely noticed something amiss.

Gabu's current goal is to return to Winterfell, control the commanders of the various legions, and smoothly inherit the title. As for the will, he has already drafted a new one using the Frozen Heart, which he will read aloud to the nobles when the time comes.

As for why the father's death was kept secret, there's a good explanation: after all, the front lines were still fighting, and it was to avoid demoralizing the troops.

He originally didn't want to do it this way, and even planned to follow his father's decision when he met him, handing over Winter City to his brother and becoming the Lord of Snow City.

However, the Marquis Philip, who was traveling with him and was also his biggest supporter, took the initiative to keep the news under wraps after he came out of the Duke's room. He explained the pros and cons to him, saying that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and that he should think it over carefully.

Normally, even if the nobles favor Gabe, they would choose Rhodes due to the continent's inheritance rules.

But with the Duke's will, everything would be legitimate. After all, the duchy has never had a fixed order of succession; it's just that the eldest son is traditionally considered to have an advantage, and history has shown that many more capable heirs have succeeded to the throne.

The Duke died so suddenly that there were no other nobles to witness his death.

Gabe only has one chance; if he doesn't seize it, he will be completely ineligible for the title of duke.

His ambition, which had been extinguished, was reignited by what the Marquis Philip said.

Now, during this war, the North faces an invasion by Isildur. With Rhodes' military capabilities, what makes him worthy of being the Duke of the North? If another escape from the Fal Forest were to occur, the Salim family would be nailed to the pillar of shame.

In peacetime, it might be fine to live a life of brotherly harmony and leisure as a nobleman, but now that the country is in crisis, Gabu naturally cannot be modest.

Then consider Rhodes' father-in-law, Marquis Carson. He's not particularly skilled in warfare, yet he's held the position of commander-in-chief of the Humpblade Swordsmen, and the once-renowned Humpblade Legion is no longer what it used to be. If he were to lead the army, he'd surely be able to restore the glory of the North.

Before long, Gabe forgot his father’s advice and decided to follow Philip’s plan to return to Winterhold to fight for the title.

As winter deepened, and Gabe gazed upon countless snow-covered structures and the towering main castle, he began to imagine himself sitting in the Duke's chair, commanding thousands of extraordinary soldiers in battle.

“Something’s not right! The archers on the city walls are on high alert. And the streets are too quiet. Usually, there are merchants and commoners out, but now there’s not a soul around.”

The Marquis Philip was a meticulous man. He sensed something was wrong as soon as he entered and immediately informed Gabe.

Gabu snapped out of his reverie and scanned the area with his powerful senses, instantly feeling goosebumps.

A large number of Floodwave Swordsmen were hiding inside the city walls, rapidly approaching, ready to surround them once they entered the city. The spearmen and griffins that were originally stationed there had vanished, and the archer squad consisted of those close to Rhodes.

Gabu immediately stopped his horse and asked the city wall, "Are you hiding troops and surrounding us in an attempt to rebel? His Highness the Duke is here; let's see who dares to disobey!"

Seeing that he could no longer hide it, Rhodes appeared on the city wall and used magic to transmit his voice: "Father has returned to God's embrace in Norton. You are treacherous and deliberately concealed this. You must have been instigated by Philip."

Stop being so stubborn. Once I capture Philip and bury my father, Snowdrift City will still be yours.

"If you resist, I'll have to take action!" Upon hearing Rhodes reveal the truth in front of everyone, Gabe panicked and looked around, thinking that his subordinates had betrayed him.

The soldiers on the city wall were initially wary of the Duke's carriage, but seeing Gabu's appearance, they became more convinced and aimed their bows and arrows downwards.

Philip immediately warned, "Rhodes is bluffing you. Don't believe him. As long as the Duke's carriage is there, the Winterfell soldiers won't dare to make a move!"

Gabe managed to calm himself down and used magic to transmit his voice: "Duke Salman is here. Rhodes intends to rebel. Earl Campbell, Earl Gardner, Priestess Stella, are you all going to go mad with him? If the kingdom blames you, you will all be implicated."

Seeing Gabu's unwavering resolve, the soldiers on the city walls hesitated, and even the surging swordsmen under Marquis Carson hesitated to advance. A commotion arose within the city, as if a mutiny had broken out among the legions.

To be frank, the city belongs to the elder Salman; neither brother has enough control over it.

At the critical moment, the carriage below the city gate was suddenly struck hard, and the canopy and wooden planks shattered, revealing the truth inside.

Old Salman sat in a wooden chair, peacefully asleep with his eyes closed, motionless. His large hands gripped the armrests, his expression dignified and imposing, as if he were about to open his eyes at any moment.

At this moment, not only the soldiers, but even Rhodes and Gabe held their breath, fearing that their father would wake up and scold them.

But a sudden ripple in the void caused the wooden chair to turn to ashes, and old Salman rapidly aged, losing his color and developing gray lividity. He was clearly dead beyond any doubt.

At this moment, Rhodes was filled with righteous indignation: "You, Philip, you bewitched my brother! Instead of immediately burying the Duke after his death, you concealed the news and traveled thousands of miles back to seize power! You deserve to die! Swordsmen of the Red Wave, capture them!"

This exposed their scheme, leaving Gabe and his group completely helpless. Although he claimed that someone was using evil witchcraft to murder the Duke, they were still in a state of panic.

But everyone isn't stupid. The Duke is one of the strongest heroes in the North; he can't be harmed by ordinary witchcraft.

The swordsman Hongbo immediately charged out and took control of his allies.

With no other option, Gabu led Philip and his personal guards to flee out of the city. Most of them surrendered without much resistance.

After all, many soldiers were unaware of the situation. Now that the truth has come out, Gabu's actions are unpopular, and naturally no one is willing to follow him.

Fortunately, Gabu had always treated his personal guards well, so even though they had all turned against him, there were still people protecting him as he broke out of the city and fled to distant places.

Rod was busy gathering the defeated soldiers and cleaning up his father's body, so he couldn't immediately pursue Gabu.

However, with the enemy force reduced to less than a hundred men, even if they escaped, it wouldn't make much difference.

Now that he has occupied Winterfell and exposed Gabu's crimes, his claim to the dukedom is legitimate. He immediately ordered his officials to report to the kingdom and announce his succession to the dukedom throughout the North.

As for Gabe who escaped, Rhodes didn't send the Void Cult this time, but instead sent Marquis Carson with his men to pursue him.

He is now very wary of the orange-robed witch and feels increasingly out of control.

Rhodes planned to deal with these Void Cult members after he had completely stabilized the situation, since he didn't want to be controlled by others.

The orange-robed witch stood atop the city wall, watching Marquis Carson's army gradually disappear on the horizon, and merely smiled faintly. She waved her hand, and a special concealed figure appeared behind her. The two communicated in secret before vanishing again.

"Young Master Rhodes, you've softened your heart."

"The Void is at your service, guaranteeing you peace of mind!"

(End of this chapter)