Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 38 Farce
Su Mu responded to the kingdom's call and led his troops north.

The army is now passing through the Xilin Plain, deterring even the most ambitious and scheming individuals.

This is the perfect time to set out and search for new buildings and resources.

He brought 50 Earthbowmen and 80 Shieldmen with him, intending to give the new recruits a baptism of war.

After Forrest trained a number of spearmen, Su Mu took them to the mountain fortress and personally guided them to receive the baptism of earth element.

Although Su Mu did not practice defensive techniques, his attributes gradually improved, and he was also proficient in earth element, so he still had some methods to train these spearmen.

It just takes a little more time and consumes more magic, but the result is worth it.

【Rock Shield Soldier: (Castle Tier 1, Tier 2 unit, Earth Elemental Baptism): Attack 4 (9), Defense 8 (10), Damage 1-2, Health 13, Speed ​​3, Small size.

Element: Earth.

Shield Formation: Ignores the charge effect of cavalry (all races' cavalry series), allows you to erect a shield to defend against arrows, and increases defense by 20%.

Giant Shield Counterattack: Loses its counterattack effect and is replaced by Earth Shield Counterattack, dealing a fixed value of 3 damage (affected by defense; for every 5 points of defense a shield soldier has, the damage increases by 2).
Evaluation: Rock solid, unbreakable!

These are the shield infantry best suited for earth-type heroes. Once multiple defensive spells are cast to raise their defensive stats, enemy melee units will find it like dealing with a hedgehog, with nowhere to attack.

The most suitable person to lead this army would naturally be a hero with defensive skills, but Su Mu doesn't have such a talent, so Ouling can only lead it for the time being.

After bringing shield bearers, the marching speed slowed down considerably, and it took a full four days to reach the border area of ​​the withered grass and snowfield.

Unexpectedly, the other troops that arrived earlier were also unhurried, some even hunting in the wild, showing no sign of tension.

Su Mu entered the tent and spoke with the liaison officer before learning the details.

Even after the nobles of the two marquisates arrived, the dwarves on the mountain remained motionless. Seeing that the enemy dared not make a move, the nobles naturally did not want to meddle. They merely helped to wipe out a wave of bandits before setting up camp and garrisoning their territory. Some had even returned to their own lands.

The lords of the North were usually arrogant and domineering, so the nobles of the Xilin Plains naturally didn't treat them well. In addition, this was a major battle between legions, and their orders were to wipe out the bandits, so they dared not act rashly.

After several unsuccessful attempts to breach the city walls, the campaign was halted.

If the dwarves are just stationed here and don't intend to attack from here, then so be it.

As for the Salman family's businesses, they have not been damaged for the time being, and the people of the North can accept this, maintaining the current balance is sufficient.

Everyone is waiting for the great battle to be fought, which will naturally determine the winner. Then they can press their advantage and there will be no hidden dangers.

Su Mu had a vague feeling that something was wrong. He had fought against the centaur vanguard before. The enemy had plundered a lot of resources in the Xilin Plain, causing chaos and achieving considerable results.

It's impossible to retreat so easily. The kingdom's army has only been there for a few days and can't affect the northern lands yet, so why is it so peaceful?

Although he couldn't figure it out, he didn't dare to act rashly and could only set up camp to make up for the energy he had gained from traveling for several days.

The next morning, there was a commotion in the camp. Su Mu got up to check and saw a fully armed nobleman arguing with the people around him.

“My griffin companions saw the dwarves building an evacuation route a long time ago, and they clearly intend to retreat. None of you dared to go after them, and you've been hunting deer and rabbits here every day. Could it be that you've really come here for a hunting trip?”

These arrogant words insulted all the nobles, leaving everyone looking extremely embarrassed.

“Ivan! Watch your voice! Those who remain here are loyal vassals to the kingdom; otherwise, who would want to be stationed in this godforsaken place?”

A man who looked very much like Ivan stepped forward and reprimanded his younger brother.

Seeing that the two brothers were about to argue again, the people around them hurriedly tried to persuade them to stop.

“Ivan is also thinking of the kingdom, and he’s a little impatient.”

"He doesn't understand the cunning of dwarves, and being so young, it's normal for him to lack some foresight."

The crowd was quite polite, after all, Ivan's surname was Argyll.

Ivan Argyle was tired of these nice guys. He looked around at everyone and asked in front of them, "Is there anyone here willing to come with me to scout the mountains?"

Those targeted by his gaze either shook their heads helplessly or dared not meet his eyes, except for one person who met his gaze directly and remained unmoved. But that was all; no one stood up to support him.

"Coward!"

Ivan stormed out of the camp, sounded his guard horn, and a well-trained contingent of crusaders came forward to obey his master's commands.

He led his personal guards, mounted their warhorses, and charged toward the high mountains of the hills.

The small team of fewer than fifty people kicked up dust and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The surrounding nobles all looked at Soya Argyle, waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

There has always been a rumor in the Hillin Plains that the Argyll family crest is a raging bear, and that they are often not very bright. I saw it with my own eyes, and it was indeed true.

Soya looked somewhat embarrassed, but he didn't send any soldiers to stop his brother. He turned around and went back to the barracks, deciding to ignore him since he couldn't control him.

The farce ended there, and the nobles, somewhat disheartened, dispersed.

Su Mu watched Ivan leave, lost in thought.

【Crusader (Castle Tier 4, Tier 2 Unit): Attack 12, Defense 12, Damage 7-10, Health 35, Speed ​​6, Size Medium】

Element: None.

Combo Slash: Allows the user to unleash two attacks with their greatsword in a short period of time.

The Crusader's sword is extremely thick and covered with powerful runic energy, making it difficult for anyone to gain an advantage in close combat.

If there's a drawback, it's that their heavy armor limits their mobility, making them somewhat slow. However, if they had swift horses to travel on, transforming them into mounted infantry, their combat strength would likely be considerable.

Of course, this is just wishful thinking. The armor filled with magical power is extremely intimidating. Can you imagine what it would be like to have a tiger riding on a horse?

Unless they have specially trained mounts, ordinary horses can't go very far.

In his fury, Ivan rode away with his guards, but they probably didn't make it to the hills, which explains why his brother ignored him.

The fact that the Angry Bear Clan sent two heirs shows their sincerity, but it's clear that no one is willing to risk their lives for the North.

The divisions among the Elton nobles were far deeper than imagined, and perhaps some believed Ivan's words. But why would they risk their lives for Salman if there were no personal gain?
The Forest of Fars can abandon its territory at will, and has long monopolized border trade, its word is law. It's no wonder that the minor nobles of the Hillin Plains have any goodwill towards them. The fact that they sent troops to show their faces is only out of respect for the Kingdom's army; otherwise, who cares about Salman's life or death?

Besides, the other side lacked sufficient troops, mainly because their operations were too large and they didn't want to relinquish their resource territories. In the end, Salman made money while they lost their lives. Who could tolerate that?
After moving around a lot, Su Mu basically understood what everyone was thinking.

Maintaining the status quo would have been a good option, and his confidence increased after witnessing the kingdom's army.

After all, it is a human castle power with thousands of years of history. Even if it has declined, it still has enough foundation. If it were to face the barrier head-on, it might not necessarily lose so badly!
He had some memories of the future, but the timber war had been going on for so long that he didn't really know what happened each year.

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. Once the Kingdom's army suffers a crushing defeat, Kuraki Town will be completely engulfed in war.

That's why he came to the North to provide support; even a small contribution might change the course of the war.

Shaking his head, Su Mu suppressed his pessimistic emotions and returned to his tent.

Wasting a whole day like this and waiting aimlessly is definitely not in his nature.

If there is still no movement, Su Mu decides to return to his territory to continue recruiting soldiers and strengthening himself, waiting for the grand battle.

However, an unexpected event occurred.

In the dead of night, a heavily armed man quietly pried open his tent flap and approached within a few steps, whereupon he was met with the brandishing of a longsword.

The clash of weapons and the clang of swords filled the air.

A familiar voice rang out: "Don't move, it's me, Ivan Argyle!"

(End of this chapter)