Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 19 The Invitation from Longletburg

The gunmen brought by Eagle Dove entered the forest farm, and Su Mu, as the host, held a grand banquet for the guests that evening. Despite their injuries, everyone drank to their hearts' content, celebrating their survival.

In chaotic times, no one knows what tomorrow will bring; just be happy to live one day at a time.

The valiant soldiers won the favor of the village girls, the tavern dancers sang for the archers, and simple yet passionate exchanges took place. Even some wealthy merchant daughters cast flirtatious glances at them.

As for the most eye-catching people in the town, they were naturally Su Mu and his two companions, and it was impossible to refuse their hospitality.

No one paid them any attention before. Only when they had weapons at their necks and were terrified of being killed did they understand the importance of soldiers.

The people sang and danced with joy, but Su Mu and his companions did not indulge in wine and women; they had more important matters to attend to.

The three of them went to a secluded cabin in the forest to discuss their future development.

"This battle was quite well fought. Ouling, you've reached a bottleneck. If you want to improve further, you need to take that step!"

While Ouling could certainly improve by pursuing a leadership path, that would limit him to a purely military role. Su Mu wanted him to become a right-hand man, and the only way for that was to make him a hero.

Oling glanced at Forrest. The two hadn't had much contact before, and he thought the other was just someone who was good at managing finances and carpentry, and perhaps had some brute strength. Now he realized that the other was a hero.

This completely shattered his understanding, but it also fueled his passion even more. If Su Mu could cultivate a carpenter into a hero, could he also have a chance?
"I will obey your orders, sir!"

[Oling: Loyalty 70]

Having shared a life-or-death experience fighting side by side, Ouling's loyalty has significantly increased. Su Mu decides to give him a chance and plan for his advancement to hero.

As for Forrest, needless to say, he is currently the most loyal member of the camp. If it weren't for him bringing in reinforcements, Su Mu would probably already be beheaded.

"This time, they agreed to the deal for 50 logs from Eagle Dove, and they will exchange them for 250 gold at the market price. The forest farm will probably be tied to them for a long time."

"Merchants from the market have already driven up the price of logs several times over. I heard that the Knight Commander set fire to the Far Forest, and it has been burning for three days and three nights. It is still not finished burning. The Isildor vanguard has gained nothing and was even ambushed, suffering its first setback since entering the country."

The Fal Forest was not only the largest timber production base in the Kingdom of Elton, but also an important sawmill in the central region. Now that everything is gone, the price of logs has skyrocketed.

At this point, Forrest felt a pang of regret. Given his personality, if he could stockpile the timber in the forest for a while before selling it, he could definitely make a fortune.

Su Mu patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "Although we owe the refugee camp logs and they don't want us to die, they have absolutely no obligation to protect the logs. Only interests can keep them cooperating. Besides, the log supply chain is very complicated. Even if we have the resources now, we can't get a good price. After all, the logs themselves are never expensive; what's expensive is the transportation and sales rights."

O'Ling agreed: "Refugee camps are definitely not easy to deal with, and they have a deep background. Sacrificing temporary interests to befriend them will not do any harm."

Su Mu's expression was serious: "No one is reliable. In this world, the only person we can rely on is ourselves."

Both Orling and Forrest fell silent upon hearing this. At the last moment, the spearmen laid an ambush, and the priest only provided remote support without actually appearing.

What if the bow of the earth fails to hold?
Even if the arriving reinforcements wipe out the centaurs, it will all be meaningless. Therefore, cooperation requires sufficient strength.

Forrest added, "But I didn't sign the agreement for nothing. Eagle Dove provided some new timber yard tools, and now the entire forest is under our control. There's a high probability that we can increase our daily output to 5 logs."

"If the refugee camp needs archers, we'll be their first choice. The price is as agreed beforehand; payment will be in logs."

Su Mu nodded: "The forest farm is our base, the source of all our resources. You should focus your efforts here, and I'll take care of the rest."

He looked at the architect and noticed some unusual signs of magical power. He instructed, "Franz and his group have run away. Kuraki Town is now effectively under our control. You will take control of the town's council hall, and you will also be in charge of the gold and timber paid by the townspeople."

I also sent eagles to scout out news of the boundary markers; once the time is right, we'll build a castle in the forest!

Forrest and Orling's eyes lit up. The foundation for building a castle was to be appointed by a regional lord and to demarcate the territory with boundary markers. This was a dual recognition by magic and earth spirits, the most orthodox approach.

Once they have their own territory, they also have the opportunity to become nobles by accumulating merits. Forrest, in particular, has the most crucial opportunity for advancement as an architect: continuously constructing powerful buildings, which multiplies the insights gained. Su Mu has entrusted all of this to Forrest, clearly indicating his intention to cultivate him as the core of his power.

Ouling looked on with envy, never expecting that Forrest held such a high place in Su Mu's heart.

……

A hangover temporarily relieved everyone's stress.

But the shadow of war had already fallen, and refugees were fleeing everywhere.

A large number of farmers flocked to Cangmu Town, and those who passed the screening were absorbed in to replenish the lost population.

The most difficult time hasn't come yet, and everyone has many options. Some wealthy and capable people are not optimistic about Kuraki Town, after all, it's too small and its defenses are insufficient. They choose to continue on their way, at least until they reach Langlit Castle before they feel at ease.

Forrest watched the moving wagons and shook his head inwardly. Longleat Castle was leaderless and might not be a good place.

But he couldn't worry about all that; all he needed to do was run Kuraki Town well.

The forest farm's stone paths have been renovated, increasing timber production efficiency to 5 logs per day, and the debts incurred from the last recruitment have been paid off.

The refugee camp has recently accepted many soldiers. According to the agreed price, 80 archers were provided to them, and the payment was still made in logs. The forest farm has become a stable source of timber for the refugee camp.

Hearing that the other party could make double the price by reselling it to the duke, Forrest was truly envious. However, Su Mu was right; with the current capabilities of Cangmu Town, there was no way to transport it out, so it was better to sell it to the refugee camp and avoid seeing it.

Forrest was making careful calculations when he noticed Su Mu and the others riding over, so he immediately went over to them.

"Many new people have joined the town, and some merchants have been recruited from the refugee camp. We have integrated the resources and established a market in the place with the most people."

Forrest had reported this matter, but he hadn't expected it to be built so quickly.

Su Mu looked into the distance and saw a market built of wooden stakes that had sprung up from the ground. The different areas were clearly defined, and many merchants were hawking their wares. The market was bustling with people.

[Market (Level 1): The market allows you to exchange resources (the more markets you own, the cheaper the prices; if resources are too scarce, you may not be able to exchange them). It also allows you to give resources to other factions through the market.]

Resource consumption: 500 gold, 5 logs.

Comment: Don't do business when there's a lack of market demand—that's absolutely true!

Thanks to this building, Forrest also made a breakthrough, gaining 1 point of knowledge, although it was a pity that he did not learn any skills.

The first building lacked boundary markers and official appointments, which was somewhat lacking, but it was still quite an achievement.

The broken wooden stakes and small market were not crowded, but they were still his own things. Su Mu cherished them like a mother hen protecting her chicks. If anyone dared to lay a hand on him, he would personally cut off the outstretched claws!
Forrest was somewhat surprised to see Su Mu leading a team of Earthbowmen: "Where are you going, sir?"

Ouling said excitedly, "Langlitburg learned about our previous defense and praised it highly. They have decided to grant Lord Sumu a title. We need to go to the Marquisate."

Su Mu wasn't particularly happy. He said to Forrest, "The new archer has been successfully promoted. I'll leave half of him for you to guard the base."

The Kingdom's army successfully repelled the enemy in the Fal Forest, and Isildur has temporarily withdrawn his main force. The Shilin Plain should be peaceful for a few days. Proceed with caution, and we'll discuss everything upon my return.

"By the way, if you have the chance, collect some raw gems."

Forrest nodded solemnly, promising to do his utmost to protect Kuraki and collect as many stones as possible. After all, there were no quarries nearby, and the market had only just been established, making exchanges too expensive.

After giving his instructions, Su Mu led Ou Ling on their journey.

(End of this chapter)