Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 42 Dangerous News

Su Mu returned to the town, and with Forrest around, he didn't have to worry about mundane affairs.

In terms of training, Ouling was in charge, and everything was in good order.

Despite the ongoing epic battle between Elton and Isildur, he had few means to influence the outcome.

The only thing we can do is to have multiple burrows, like a cunning rabbit with three escape routes, to provide everyone with an option.

"Have you made the arrangements? Is the passage through the withered grass and snowfield reliable?"

"Don't worry, we have channels in various countries. Arranging a few dozen people will be no problem at all. Just think of us as businessmen exchanging ideas. Remember to give the city defenders some benefits, and leave the rest to us."

The people Su Mu was communicating with were border merchants from the refugee camp. Their businesses spanned various countries, and they had travel documents, so arranging some people for them was not a problem.

"The Arcane Empire of Eldrador in the north and the Emerald Kingdom, a swampy land in the southwest, are the two most feasible places. There are many tribes in the southern wilderness, but given the grudges between humans and orcs, I'm sure you don't want to live in constant fear."

The Arcane Empire is a land of magic and craftsmanship, and it warmly welcomes powerful magical heroes and sorcerers with superb alchemy skills. Ordinary people who go there will probably not fare much better than goblins.

As for the swamp kingdoms, with their pervasive dampness and rampant wild beasts, they thrive in their environment, interacting with the jungle. Humans, well, they can manage as werewolves or lizardmen keepers; but to climb higher, they'll need some real skill.

Su Mu nodded, indicating that he understood, and told the border merchants to prepare accordingly, assuring them that the money would not be shortchanged.

No one wants to leave their homeland and live under someone else's roof. But if the war continues to deteriorate, Kuraki Town, being so close to the border, will be the first to become a battleground. At that point, forget about training troops and developing the town; even survival will be a problem.

Anyone can spout grand platitudes and cite the heroic deeds of the ancients. But what if it were you, constantly being chased and defeated, what would you do? Would you still have the courage to survive in such a precarious situation?
Su Mu didn't know, but he was at least responsible for the few men who followed him. Even if the city was gone, the three heroes could make a living as bandits and wouldn't starve, right?
Hopefully, Elton can hold on.

"There's another message, Lord Eagle Dove asked me to deliver it to you personally."

The merchant handed Su Mu a secret letter. Su Mu opened it and immediately looked thoughtful.

"Alright, please tell Eagle Dove that I thank him for the message, and I will repay him!"

The merchant nodded and withdrew; he too had come to transport logs. Since the war between the two countries began, obtaining timber had become increasingly difficult, with some regions even offering 10 shi (a unit of dry measure) for one log—a price they found hard to refuse.

Maintaining good relations with Kuraki Town will at least guarantee the current timber supply. Sending some refugee archers is a trivial matter for the refugee camp.

After the merchant left, Su Mu called Ouling and Forrest over and told them some good news.

"There's news about the boundary stone. It's said that someone explored a tomb and found the giant boundary stone, which is more than enough to build a castle for a small town of over 100,000 people!"

Upon hearing the news, both men showed delight, especially Forrest, who, as an architect, mainly advanced through building special structures, but had been frustrated by a lack of opportunities to showcase his abilities.

But after the initial excitement, a practical problem arose: "With the outcome of the battle between the two armies still uncertain, if we expand the city, will we end up benefiting others?"

Su Mu waved his hand: "Don't worry about the big picture. No one will care if a castle is built during times of chaos. I'll report it to the Marquisate, and I reckon they'd be happy to approve it. Building a castle privately during peacetime will get you held accountable by the council."

If it truly is time to leave, don't linger. As long as you're alive, you can always rebuild.

Since Su Mu had already made a decision, Forrest and Ouling naturally agreed.

"The only problem now is that we're not the only ones who know about the tomb. I estimate that some refugees who fled to Whitestone City also know about it, and the other side might send troops there. Even the fortified legions on the hills might have gotten the news, but it's unlikely they'll send troops."

Where is the tomb located?

"To the northeast of the refugee camp, near the Luxembourg Hills, I heard that the area was once an ancient battlefield and is extremely dangerous."

The tomb and the ancient battlefield are known to quite a few people.

Based on this information, it's certain that there will be guerrilla troops from the cemetery. As for whether White Rock City and the fortress will send troops, no one can say for sure.

"How's things going in Whitestone City lately?"

"Having absorbed the population of four or five towns, it should have reached its limit. I heard that the surplus townspeople are not allowed to enter the city and can only work in the wild, where they are often harassed by wild animals and bandits, which makes everyone very dissatisfied."

Even if a castle is built, it has a limited capacity. Not to mention the basic issues of food, lodging, and transportation, a castle protected by magical power naturally has a limit on the number of troops it can muster and cannot be expanded indefinitely unless the castle's level is gradually upgraded.

According to Su Mu's estimate, even with multiple expansions, White Stone City could only house a few hundred thousand people at most, which was its maximum. Their superhuman troops also couldn't exceed a certain limit; this was a constraint imposed by the rules of the Heroic World.

"What's strange is that several towns that we hadn't visited before have also gradually moved there. Their businesses have become abandoned, and we heard that they've been taken over by wandering thieves. Nobody dares to go near them."

【Wandering Thief (Neutral Tier 2, Class 2): Attack 8, Defense 3, Damage 2-4, Health 10, Speed ​​7, Small Size】

Element: None
Wanderers: They have no fixed abode and wander from place to place. When marching, their movement ability is increased by 2. If they team up with other forces, their morale is reduced by 1.

Thieves Guild: The leader of this group is definitely a core figure in the Thieves Guild, capable of obtaining firsthand intelligence from various factions and discerning the attitudes of neutral legions towards you.

[Comment: Their ability to survive wandering in the wild speaks volumes about their strength.]

This group, mostly composed of prisoners, inmates, and thieves, were all quite skilled and well-informed. The reason no one wanted to lead them was because they would be like a rotten apple, undermining military discipline and the rule of law.

Of course, if they were to form individual teams, they would certainly be a formidable force. Most importantly, their intelligence capabilities are a significant advantage in the early game. The refugee camps are home to numerous thieves, allowing them to gather the latest intelligence.

"They're well-informed; as soon as the town's defenses were withdrawn, they rushed over and took over. But without the artisans, even if they occupy the resource-rich land, how much can they earn?"

Forrest knew the ropes best; letting thieves manage the cave miners would result in a disastrously low yield. But he provided other information.

"But it is said that a considerable amount of resources were transported out, and some were even dumped into refugee camps."

This is interesting. How can thieves manage resource areas? There must be someone supporting them behind the scenes.

They drive the townspeople out and secretly take over the resource-rich land. Who benefits the most?
The three of them thought of the same name without prior agreement.

"White Stone City!"

It seems that as long as the profit is big enough, people will do anything disgusting.

Forrest asked doubtfully, "Isn't he afraid of being punished by the kingdom if he finds out later? Besides, with war imminent, what can he do if he causes trouble on the Hillin Plain and the fortress attacks? He only has a small town."

Su Mu unfolded the map and looked at it: "Right now, the Kingdom's army is too busy to deal with the Marquis's territory. Even White Stone City can apply for commendation under the pretext of gathering refugees. After all, the reason everyone is fleeing is war and wild beasts, which on the surface has nothing to do with them."

Even assuming the legion suffers a crushing defeat and the enemy advances directly into the Xilin Plain, wouldn't the kingdom prefer a strong town to defend the border? In that case, even if his crimes are exposed, as long as he's willing to defend the city, he'll be considered a loyal and patriotic soldier.

In times of war, strength is the ultimate principle, while weakness is the original sin. If White Stone City uses this incident to become a powerful city, no one will blame them; on the contrary, they will be seen as having great courage.

Ouling looked at the map carefully again and circled White Stone City and the surrounding mountains: "White Stone City is located on a mountain ridge on a plain, which can be considered a key route."

If it falls without a fight, the enemy can easily penetrate the heart of the city and reach Langlit Castle. They might not even be discovered until they reach the city walls.

After returning from Longlet Castle, Orling had completely lost trust in the nobles, but his words were still somewhat shocking.

Forrest exclaimed in surprise, "Defect to the enemy? The battle between the two armies is still undecided. Whitestone City shouldn't do something so stupid, right?"

Ouling also thought it was unlikely, as the risk was too great and the reward too small: "We probably won't move for now. I mean, if the bulwark army wins and advances from the Xilin Plain, it would be a great achievement if the enemy surrenders."

If the kingdom's army loses, the world will collapse and the country will decline. In fact, it seems that the choices made by the nobles will be meaningless.

The two looked at Su Mu, awaiting the lord's decision.

Su Mu looked at the map, feeling the mountain ridges and the locations of the towns, and a sense of unease crept in.

"Rebelling then, while safe, would have lost its purpose. If we could breach Longlet Castle now, what do you think would happen to our army?"

"That goes without saying. With the Xilin Plain and the Ella Valley both occupied by the enemy, our rear is unstable and we face a formidable enemy in front. Even if the legion has an iron will, it will suffer a crushing defeat!"

Sometimes morale is like that. You keep telling yourself you're capable of defeating the enemy and that the situation is getting better and better. But in reality, your territory is being infiltrated, and you're being pushed closer and closer. How can the soldiers trust you then?

Humans fight on morale; if that morale is broken, defeat is inevitable.

"Do you know anything about Lord Baishi City?"

"After receiving news about White Stone City, I sent people to the refugee camp to gather intelligence. The city lord, Locke Kyle, was originally a spearman commander, but later gained Rex's favor and did many dirty things for him."

After the death of the previous lord of Whitestone City, he was sent here, and his family gradually established themselves. Leveraging his connections in the Thieves' Guild and the Spearman Legion, they slowly monopolized the transportation business.

"About a few years later, I took over the agency of a quarry in a desolate town and got involved in the raw stone business."

"Due to his previous dirty tricks, he was targeted by the Griffinson family and forced to sever ties with the underground forces. However, he maintained good governance and gradually gained a reputation in the area."

You wouldn't believe it until you hear it. Locke's rise to power was built on resource-rich lands seized through plunder. As for Griffinson, he wasn't exactly a saint either. There must have been a conflict of interest between them, which is why Locke had to keep a low profile.

Looking at it this way, we can understand where the thief came from.

Cangmu Town still lacks a solid foundation and sufficient information; otherwise, Su Mu would have already suspected him based on Baishi City's past.

Forrest frowned: "The Kyle family is a bit underhanded, but to say they want to rebel is a stretch."

Su Mu waved his hand: "Never mind what he's thinking. Driving a beast tide to drive away the townspeople and creating disaster is enough for me to deal with him."

Besides, I'm determined to get the boundary marker; if they dare to come, I'll chop off their claws.

"Forrest, inform the Baron that Whitestone City has destroyed the town and may be defecting to the enemy."

"Ouling, muster the troops and follow me north!"

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)