Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 168 The Arcane Throne
The Arcane Kingdom is located in a high-altitude region, which is covered in ice and snow all year round and is extremely cold.

The Tower faction, however, used their unique alchemy to solve the labor problem and built their own arcane civilization.

Entering the city of the tower, one is greeted by neat bluestone roads, with snow piled up on both sides, and the houses are mostly thick stone houses with excellent insulation.

The streets are lined with alchemical city facilities, including arcane flower pools that automatically melt snow to collect water, ensuring the city's water supply and improving the urban environment; cargo corridors that transport goods through a combination of snow and magical energy to create sleds, transporting goods to key buildings in the city; and even dedicated airships that fly over the city, carrying people and goods.

Beatrice led Cedros on a leisurely stroll through the city. They had arrived at Vatra, the second largest city in the Arcane Empire and the place where Wonders originated, as well as the temple where Beatrice first learned alchemy.

"Vatra has a history of thousands of years and has long since achieved the great achievement of replacing heavy labor with alchemy. The daily food, clothing, shelter and transportation you need are all made by stonemasons and ironworkers. They only require a small amount of alchemical cores to operate, and alchemical cores need to be made by alchemists. The biggest consumption is wood and stone, and some special resources are also mixed in."

"The towers are mostly occupied by high-ranking mages or sorcerers. These towers connect to the magic guilds in the city center, with a large amount of magical energy flowing through them, allowing everyone to research new arcane knowledge. This city is full of vitality and opportunities. Every sage who thirsts for knowledge wants to own a magic tower here. Even if you are an unknown magic apprentice, as long as you have talent and are willing to work hard, you can become a respected archmage!"

It's clear that Beatrice is very satisfied with the Tower's system; for a magical genius like her who is obsessed with arcane research, this place provides a sufficiently large platform.

As Sederos admired the snow-covered tower, he observed the steaming manufacturing plant. Many stone warriors emerged from it and headed towards the war square, while the surrounding fairies dodged and made way, hiding under the stone eaves, not daring to show their faces.

This was the first time Cedros had ever seen a fairy. Fairies were short in stature, with exceptionally long arms and legs, but relatively short legs. Their most distinctive features were their faces: grayish-green skin, black eyes, very long ears and noses, and extremely sharp teeth.

【Great Fairy (Tower Tier 1, Tier 2 Unit): Attack 4, Defense 4, Ammo 8, Damage 1-2, Health 4, Speed ​​5, Small Size.

Element: None, Ranged Unit

Evaluation: Fairies attack enemies with chains and balls, while Great Fairies are stronger; they can separate their chains and balls, allowing for ranged attacks.

According to the Alchemy Manual, fairies are magical creatures who prefer to live in wooden huts and spirit houses. Later, they were enslaved by the tower and became a domesticated army. They were chained and bound with iron balls, and served the high-ranking wizards in the tower year-round. They were considered a lowly and inferior species, but in reality, their intelligence was no less than that of humans.

As a unique Tier 1 ranged unit, the Great Fairy is quite distinctive. Unfortunately, their extremely low health makes it difficult for them to perform well on the battlefield, often becoming units that are killed off by the enemy.

"Fairies are not all slaves. Individuals among them with exceptional magical talent will have their own towers, but their shrewd and calculating nature is often not suitable for cultivating more advanced magic, thus limiting their opportunities for advancement."

As if knowing what Cedrus was thinking, Beatrice even gave a special explanation.

Sederos then turned his gaze back to the stone golem and asked, "According to alchemical texts, stone golem warriors cannot be generated entirely through alchemy; they require a spirit to control them in battle."

Beatrice paused, then pointed at the humans and fairies on the street: "They'd love to become part of human alchemy, to give up their bodies for greater freedom and avoid the tedious, repetitive labor every day. It's just that only elite stone golems need to be infused with souls, and there aren't that many positions available."

Seeing that Cedrus was very interested in the manufacturing plant, she led her disciples inside to tour the production lines that made stone, iron, and gold figures, and even diamond figures. Each model was fed into the magic alchemy machine, and after a long process, new and powerful warriors were forged, capable of withstanding most magical damage, forming a solid force for the Tower faction's land battles.

"This is just the factory on the surface. Underground, there are even more sophisticated manufacturing techniques. The Arcane Diamond Golem, a super-tier unit, originates from here. Vatra also has special buildings to increase the factory's output, making it arguably the largest producer of Diamond Golems in the Arcane Empire." Most factions' units rely on the combination of flesh and blood with magical power, advancing through reproduction or training. The Tower, however, can create units from nothing using alchemy, demonstrating an unparalleled mastery of magical power.

Of course, the most famous buildings in the tower are the towering Magic Guild and the enormous library and Wisdom Wall.

[You are viewing the wisdom left behind by countless sages before the Arcane Wisdom Wall, +2 Knowledge]

Generally speaking, a building that enhances attributes can only be learned once by the same faction. However, special buildings like the Arcane Wisdom Wall, such as the Vatra, are much stronger than ordinary towers and cities. Not every visiting hero has the opportunity to enter the Wisdom Wall. It is only because Beatrice has strong connections that Sederos received preferential treatment.

“A genius like you deserves the best resources and the best education, not to waste your talent in a remote town!”

Faced with Beatrice's enthusiasm, Cedros could only emphasize, "I am still a member of Kuraki City. After completing my studies, I will return to the Marquisate to promote the wisdom of arcane arts and alchemy."

Looking at her inexperienced disciple, Beatrice waved her hand dismissively: "Your current obsession is just a sign of your limited experience. You're like a child who has just left the mountain village and hasn't seen much of the world, so you miss the beauty of your small town."

As you delve deeper into arcane and alchemy, you will come to understand that the warlock's destiny lies in the tower, where only 5th-level magic can be accessed and the deeper mysteries of spell power can be explored.

"Do you see that tallest magic tower?"

Following Beatrice's pointing finger, Sederlos spotted the towering magic spire in the magical area filled with tens of thousands of towers. Its top rose above the clouds and was surrounded by the extraordinary magical power of the four elements.

"When warlocks reach 10 in all four attributes without relying on treasures, they can enter the realm of sainthood and ascend to the Arcane Throne. Their powerful sorcery can create their own space in tower cities and build structures that surpass the level 5 magic guilds. Vatra's structure is called the Throne of Wisdom; the structure in the arcane capital of Mechana is called the Throne of the Void."

These are the true foundation of the empire; even with the departure of legendary heroes, the throne remains the spiritual pillar for all.

Even from this distance, Sederos could still sense the vast, boundless magical power emanating from the clouds, seemingly enveloping the entire sky. Just how powerful must a hero be to have cultivated to this level?
However, the person on the Arcane Throne is no longer in the mortal world and his whereabouts are unknown. Otherwise, a battle like Elton and Isildur's would be child's play in front of them.

Even the mighty Arcane Throne seems only capable of constructing level 6 magic towers. Sederlos couldn't help but recall the man who patted him on the shoulder, confidently declaring he would build a level 9 magic tower. Could he truly do it? Or was it just ignorance breeds recklessness?
In any case, his sense of awe gradually dissipated.

"I can surpass them!"

Beatrice walked ahead and didn't hear her prized disciple's words, otherwise she would have offered some words of encouragement.

Having ambition is good, but the Arcane Throne is not something anyone can achieve. So-called geniuses are just the threshold to their level!

(End of this chapter)