Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 167 Beacon Tower

Unexpectedly, Gabe fled to Bearhold. He failed to win the title in Winterhold and was wanted by the authorities.

Although the Duke ordered the arrest of Philip, everyone knew who the real target was.

At this point, Gabe wasn't foolish enough to hand Philip over. Instead, he took on the responsibilities of the successor and promised his men that if they were captured, he would plead for them and have their warrants lifted.

Ultimately, this is an internal matter of the Salman family. Although the other nobles were involved, it depends on what Rhodes thinks. If he makes an exception, then it's not a big deal.

The prerequisite is that Gabu must back down and return the Key to the Principality and the Frozen Heart. One is the economic lifeline of the Principality, and the other is the symbol of the Salman family, which is also Gabu's reliance for escaping.

But he never expected that Su Mu's target was the beacon tower.

"What? He wants the beacon tower to provide us with shelter for a week?"

From the moment Gabu received this treasure, he didn't quite understand its meaning. His father instructed him that if the family encountered difficulties, they could light the beacon tower, but they should not trust the other party.

Gabe even considered using this treasure to fight against his brother during their escape.

But reason told him that the beacon tower was probably not that useful, otherwise his father would have used it long ago.

Su Mu didn't keep him in suspense, sending a messenger to tell Gabu about the origins of the beacon tower, as well as the matter of the Undead Grand Duke and the ancient ruins. He also warned Gabu that it was best not to actually use blood to summon the undead, as he might get entangled by Stuart or release the traitor.

After all, all the stories were told by the Grand Duke of the Dead, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood. Su Mu collected the beacon towers to fight against the undead, but he did not intend to light them.

The priests who officiated at the trial also came forward to testify, recounting the calamity of the dead that befell White Stone City, which convinced Gabu of much of what was happening.

"Young Master, why don't we use the beacon tower to exchange for the support of Su Mu and the others, and have them send troops to help us retake Winter City?"

"Impossible. Putting aside whether they have the strength to defeat the Northern forces, just from the perspective of the inheritance law, nobles outside the fiefdom cannot directly participate in the struggle between us. Otherwise, the kingdom will immediately strip me of my inheritance rights, and then it will really be over."

Besides, with the judges and priests present, how could Su Mu possibly help me just because of a treasure?

Gabu, unusually astute, realized that Su Mu hadn't even inquired about the Key to the Principality, clearly indicating his reluctance to interfere in their brotherly conflict. Proposing the beacon tower was merely a convenient convenient gesture. Even without handing it over, Su Mu and the Church of Light, working together, had the resources to resist the ancient ruins.

Philip had been pursued for days and was terrified. After all, he was the main figure on Rhodes' wanted list, and if caught, he could very well be executed. Given the current situation, they had no chance of turning the tide; in fact, Rhodes had already succeeded to the dukedom and gained recognition from the kingdom and the nobility.

The only things the other party cares about are the key and the Frozen Heart.

"Young Master, let's go back and apologize to Duke Rhodes, and return the inherited property to him. The Salman family cannot be divided!"

Gabe turned to look at Philip, glaring at him angrily. This guy was ambitious at first, but now he's lost his guts. He's utterly useless.

“Impossible, I will not yield to him. This whole thing is suspicious. How did Rhodes know the truth about my father’s death? And how did he gain control of Winterfell? You must know that Earl Campbell is my father’s loyal follower and would never obey him.”

Having fled hastily before, Gabu hadn't had time to think things through, but now, upon reflection, he saw numerous loopholes. Rhodes had likely brought in an outside force, and considering his previous close ties with the Arcane Empire, Gabu instantly guessed with near certainty.

"I'm going to report him to the kingdom for colluding with foreign enemies. The title of Duke is in jeopardy!" Looking at Gabe's spirited demeanor, Philip's mouth was full of bitterness. Even if Rhodes had colluded with outsiders, the die was cast, and Winterfell was now under his control.

Now that Norton has fallen and the North is in imminent danger, the Kingdom hopes that House Salim can quickly stabilize the situation and resist the invading Isildur forces. They don't care at all how Rhodes inherited his title.

In peacetime, Congress might hold Rhodes accountable, but in the current situation, those with military power are kings. This is why Philip suggested he return to Winterfell to seize power; once Winterfell is occupied, the kingdom will have no choice but to acknowledge it. But in the current situation, continuing the stalemate is somewhat presumptuous.

Seeing that Gabu was unwilling to admit defeat, Philip rolled his eyes and suggested, "Then let's hand over the beacon tower to Su Mu and have him join forces with the Church of Light to promise to protect us for a period of time, so we won't have to live in fear every day."

This time, Gabe seriously considered the proposal and agreed to it after much deliberation.

As for the beacon tower, since the Church of Light and Su Mu have learned of it, it's not very useful anymore. Once he summons the undead to fight, he will immediately be besieged by all the nobles. At that time, let alone inheriting the title, he will probably end up in a situation where he is surrounded by enemies on all sides.

Although Gabe harbored deep resentment towards Rhodes, he was, after all, the Duke's son and could not bring himself to associate with the undead.

“Alright, let’s do it this way. Let Su Mu protect us for a month. I’ll go find my father’s friends in Congress and have them escort me to the capital. I want the members of Congress to know the true face of Rhodes!”

Upon receiving Gabu's reply, the messenger returned to Bear Fortress and informed Sumu and the others.

“It’s impossible to shelter him for a month; the pressure on the North and Congress would be immense. Tell him that I will safely deliver him to the designated location within a week at most. If he makes any further demands, I can simply refuse the beacon tower.”

Now that Rhodes' identity has been recognized by the kingdom, Su Mu's protection of Gabu and others carries certain political risks, but he has never been friendly to Rhodes anyway. In addition, he has evidence of Rhodes' collusion with the Void Cult, and if pushed too far, he will expose the matter, so the other side will not dare to push too hard.

However, everything has its limits. Gabu holds the key to the duchy, and Rhodes is determined to bring his brother back. If other nobles insist on stopping him, it could escalate into war.

The biggest threat right now is Isildur, and Sumu doesn't want a civil war. Even if Rhodes is colluding with the Arcane Empire, as long as he can hold the northern border, he'll have accomplished his mission.

To some extent, the kingdom alone is no longer enough to resist the invasion of the Barriers. Other forces are needed to help maintain the balance, and the price is naturally the loss of some territory, with the North bearing the brunt.

The weak should have the awareness of being weak, and I presume Congress thinks so too.

Now that Bear Castle is under Ivan's control, he and Maggie can obtain enough spell power coins. This month is also a month for strengthening the army, and Kuraki needs time to develop.

Beset by both external and internal troubles, Su Mu didn't want the Northern Territory to descend into chaos. Besides, Rhodes and Gabu were birds of a feather, essentially no different; it would be better to bring in the Void God Cult to resist them, at least buying them some time.

The scouts brought Su Mu's will to the messenger, and Gabu was furious. He raged for a while, but eventually gave in.

Su Mu obtained the beacon tower, Gabu received nine days of protection, and Wayne secretly escorted them to the heartland, preparing to head towards the capital.

This angered Rhodes, but he really couldn't do anything about Su Mu. He could only secretly resolve to teach Su Mu a lesson once he had integrated the Duchy's military forces.

Lacking the Key to the Duchy, Rhodes could only barely sustain his finances by relying on the resources of his territory's mines. So he hinted to the Orange-Robed Witch to use some means to bring Gabu back.

Little did he know, the Void had already set its sights on its prey, waiting only for him to step into its trap.

(End of this chapter)