Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 37 The Sword of the Kingdom
The arrival of the Holy Legion immediately intimidated the monsters and demons of the Xilin Plain, and even the merchants who usually engaged in shady dealings dared not show their faces.

After all, it is the kingdom's most powerful legion at present. It is facing Isildur's army from all sides. Its strength is extraordinary, and no one dares to be foolish at this time.

From another perspective, they were the pillars guarding the kingdom, welcomed by the common people, and received by the nobles, whose prestige was at its peak.

The army was stationed at Longleat Castle for resupply. Raven met with Maggie Garfield and Rex, praising their support and promising to end the fighting in the hills and protect the Marquessland from invasion.

Indeed, after the army determined its marching route across the Xilin Plain, there were no more raids from the vanguard of the Isidore Empire, and things became much safer.

Having received protection, they were bound to shed some blood, so Longlit Castle sent another 100 Holy Shield Griffins to join the Kingdom's Vanguard Reconnaissance Team.

【Holy Shield Griffin (Castle Tier 3, Tier 2 Unit, Holy Baptism): Attack 10, Defense 10, Damage 3-7, Health 30, Speed ​​9, Medium Size, Flying Unit.

Element: Holy (Increases unit resistance to heretical mind effects, and increases healing received by 50%), deals holy damage, and deals +20% damage to hell enemies.

Raging Strike: Surrounded by magical wind blades, unleashing endless counterattacks against enemies with malicious intent.

Divine Shield: After receiving Divine Blessing, you gain a shield of holy light, which protects against a portion of the first damage received (initially 50%, affected by hero bonuses).

Commentary: Countless griffins dwell on Gale Cliff, yet only a handful receive divine blessings.

"Very good! In the future, when we defeat Isildur's army, I will definitely report to the Parliament and the King to request credit for Longlet Castle!"

Raven was quite satisfied. Throughout the long history of the human kingdoms, griffins had held a very high position. After all, when angels were not present, griffins were the only flying unit, making them very suitable for attacking and raiding, especially in mountainous and hilly areas.

The Holy Shield Griffin has an extra layer of defensive shield, which is equivalent to having half a life, and also has unlimited counterattack capabilities, making it the best choice to rush in and disrupt the rhythm of ranged archers.

Raven then met with several senior officials from Longletburg before closing the door, since not everyone was qualified to meet the Marshal.

He summoned several generals from the army, unfolded a map, and began to analyze the battle situation.

"With the army approaching the Luxembourg Hills, their movements can no longer be kept secret. The Isidore Empire must have already made preparations. What are your thoughts on the battle situation?"

His gaze first fell on the armored giant at the front, whose entire body was covered in icy armor and who only removed his mask when speaking. This was none other than Marquis Kun of the North and leader of the Cold Iron Crusade.

"The dwarves of the stronghold are building fortifications on the withered grass and snowfields, but they haven't made any further moves. I think they're just bluffing, and there's no need to pay them any attention. If they dare to venture deeper into the north, we'll flank them from behind and annihilate them."

He spoke in a deep, resonant voice, yet it carried immense authority. Several northern families, who were initially quite worried, dared not utter a word as they looked at him.

However, there were naturally dissenting voices. Salman's second son, Gabu Salman, disagreed: "I think we should still allocate some troops to focus on the North, since all the major families have sent troops to answer the call, leaving the city vulnerable."

If we are caught off guard by a surprise attack, we probably won't be able to hold out for long, and then the capital will be in danger!

Gabu's brother abandoned the Fal Forest and was scorned by the nobles, so naturally he dared not come. But Salman was, after all, a powerful family in the North, and his words were for the benefit of the North, so more people responded.

"Yes, we can't let them in too easily."

"The northern families have mobilized all their forces, leaving our homes vulnerable. If we are ambushed, none of our sons will be able to fight!"

The noise increased, and Raven could only slam his hand on the table to temporarily suppress it.

He then turned his head to the other side, to the marquises of the Ella Valley. The main force they brought this time consisted of halberdiers and sharpshooters, which were numerous and influential.

At this moment, no one said much; they remained calm and collected, acting as if it were none of their business.

The northern nobles, who usually pride themselves on their strength and are used to being domineering, find it quite amusing to see them suffer a setback.

Helpless, Raven turned his head to the middle again.

Conrad Wall, Knight Commander of the Imperial Iron Knights, Sword of the Kingdom, Fearless Charger.

Conrad (Fearless Knight): Attack 9, Defense 7, Spell Power 7, Knowledge 5
Element: Fire.

Advanced Fearless Knight: For every 3 points of attack and defense attributes a hero has, the attack and defense of the cavalry (including upgraded units) he commands will increase by 1, and the morale of the cavalry units he leads will not decrease.

Advanced Fiery Holy Sword: Increases melee unit attack power by 30%, and increases damage dealt by units to enemies afflicted by fire element debuffs by 30%.

Advanced fire elemental magic, advanced pathfinding, intermediate Eagle Eye, basic learning ability.

Seeing the marshal's gaze shift to him, he succinctly stated: "The longer we drag this out, the more disadvantageous it will be, and the more loopholes will appear. It would be better to find their main force, defeat Lloyd, and all problems can be solved."

The kingdom still has great generals, and Raven thought so too. Rather than dragging things out and being defeated one by one, it's better to have a decisive battle now.

If they lost, all was lost; if they won, they could even launch a counterattack against Isildur. Raven shifted his gaze again, landing on the High Priestess of Light, Murazel, who wore a white priestess robe and was always surrounded by a faint halo.

Murazal offered Raven his support: "The priesthood will always follow the guidance of the light!"

The human kingdom is the source of light, and Raven is the marshal of the kingdom, so saying this means fully supporting his opinion.

Raven nodded and waved his hand. The magic map instantly appeared in the mist, but everyone could see through the atmosphere to see the situation in the hills and the enemy's movements.

"Isabel's Unicorn Legion has arrived at the Luxembourg Hills, Lloyd's Ancient Tree Army is also approaching, in addition to a force composed of dwarves and archetypes, moving through the mountains and forests."

A rough estimate puts the number at least at 20,000, with even the withered wood warriors numbering in the thousands—a truly formidable enemy.

Since the start of the campaign, everyone has followed the legion every day, looking at the griffins that blot out the sky and the powerful cavalry. They couldn't help but feel arrogant, thinking that with such a strong army, it would be easy to wipe out Isildur.
But looking at the vast expanse of withered trees and the sacred unicorn, he was speechless.

"The enemy has ample troops, and Lloyd and Isabel are veteran heroes. If we send troops to rescue them, we will surely die!"

"From this moment forward, all legions are to be consolidated and are forbidden from engaging in unauthorized attacks or guerrilla warfare. Anyone who disobeys this order will be executed!"

"Any objection?"

Raven's gaze swept over the nobles, but no one dared to meet his eyes.

The young nobles of today may not know that Raven Finaksia, a pillar of the royal family, once crossed the valley to the south and slaughtered people in the wild territories for months, his corpses blocking the river at his stronghold. He was definitely a ferocious god.

"In that case, let's speed up our march and reach the hills as soon as possible to meet Isabel."

"As for the predicament in the North, let Garfield and Argyle gather their vassals and march north. There is no need to launch an offensive; simply annihilate the bandits and create a stir."

Once I have annihilated Isildur's army, all will be well!

Now that the army has passed through the Xilin Plain, the two marquisates' territories are naturally safe. They can gather their men and go north to boost morale and prevent enemy attacks. That should be enough.

The Northern Clan comes from a poor background and possesses formidable fighting power; they are not easily defeated by just anyone.

If the nobles usually don't care, now that they're about to attack the castle and wipe out the clan, who would dare not resist?

Since Raven had already made these arrangements, Salman Jr. couldn't say anything more and could only obey.

The massive army set off in a grand procession, the Griffin Legion forming a V-formation, rising and falling like arrows as they soared through the clouds. Patrols expanded to cover a radius of a hundred miles, and any disturbance was immediately reported to the central command.

The cavalrymen spurred their horses and galloped across the grasslands, the earth rumbling incessantly. At the forefront were knights equipped with steel magic armor, their lances over four meters long. With their accelerated charge, they could even pierce holes in hills.

The Crusades, on the other hand, were like a tightly woven machine, stretching endlessly, with their armies winding like a long dragon, seemingly without end.

"I haven't seen such a magnificent army in years. Even when we were conquering the southern barren mountains, we didn't have this many cavalry."

"The Griffin Legion is like a dark cloud passing by; they could drown the enemy just by taking their shit!"

"What rubbish! The Crusader's blades are the real deal. Let those bastards at the Stronghold taste the power of a greatsword!"

Whether they are city dwellers or rural farmers, they cannot help but admire and praise this legion upon seeing it.

Su Mu and his group happened to see Wang Guochanglong on their marching route. Ou Ling was utterly shocked, but Su Mu had a different feeling.

"Without commanding this powerful army, how can one become the ruler of the world?"

Commanding such an army in battle would make my life worthwhile.

As if sensing a different gaze, Knight Commander Conrad looked intently at the two young heroes riding their horses a thousand meters away, revealing an encouraging gesture.

He raised his heavy sword, his whole body bathed in light, like a god.

"Eldon will win!"

"The human race will win!"

The cavalrymen raised their swords in response to their commander, and Su Mu and Ouling also drew their swords to cheer them on. Their voices were like a torrent of water, piercing through the mountains and echoing across the Xilin Plain, reaching all the way to the hills!

(End of this chapter)