Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 84 Intermediate Civil Engineering
"Report! Urgent military intelligence!"

While Su Mu was inspecting the city and studying the trade market, he suddenly received a military report from the kingdom.

"A force of Isildur is suspected to have appeared in the southern part of the Shilin Plain and is advancing northward."

"Griffinson, who was on the run, was intercepted by the Angry Bears, but Albert escaped and sought refuge in a northern city."

He immediately returned to the council hall and unfolded the magic map.

The kingdom has sent additional troops to the other side of the valley to suppress the rebellion, which was started by the mountain nobles in the west who wanted to reclaim the lost river channel.

It seems that the results have not been very good. Not only have they failed to surround Isildur's legions, but they have also allowed the enemy to invade the Hillin Plain.

That day, the portal to White Rock City led to Stream County. Ivo Kane sacrificed resources to transfer his troops to the enemy-occupied territory.

Although the kingdom won on the front lines, it also suffered considerable losses. A troop of elite soldiers was left to garrison the hills, while the remaining generals returned to their territories to recruit troops.

Raven sent a large army of griffins to the valley to assist the Duke of the Stag in eliminating the enemies roaming the valley. However, Ivo was too cunning, using the crisscrossing terrain of the rivers to dodge and weave in circles with the kingdom's army.

Ivo must have heroes under his command who are proficient in navigation and pathfinding, otherwise he wouldn't be able to jump around like that.

I've heard that the Duke of Stag recently summoned the nobles, preparing for a major attack on Stream County. I thought that once Ivo captured the city, he would have nowhere to escape, but unexpectedly, the enemy has marched north out of the valley and reached the Hillin Plain.

Where are the enemy troops now?

"This intelligence was reported by Qiangnu Town. At present, Langlit Fort is having some difficulty sending troops to provide support, so it is calling on the towns in the south to protect each other."

Longlet Castle has just experienced an internal strife, and the commanders of the various military camps have only just been assigned; it is indeed not advisable to rush into battle. While it is true that the nobles have an obligation to protect each other, it is uncertain when they will arrive.

"The lord of Strongbow Town, Dean Rich, promised a generous reward to anyone who was willing to support Strongbow Town and help him repel the enemy."

This man saw things very clearly. If the town were to fall, he would be killed and his family wiped out, and money would be useless to him. It would be better to call upon powerful nobles in the surrounding area to lend a helping hand.

If there are gold coins to be made, then the trip won't be a complete waste. The most important thing is that Su Mu also wants to wipe out the bandits in the valley. After all, the two places are not far apart. If Ivo can't survive in the valley and ends up in the Xilin Plain, then they will be in trouble.

He looked at the location of Qiangnu Town again and again, and suddenly felt that it looked familiar. He slapped his forehead and finally remembered.

"Isn't this the town that the Valentine family used to govern?"

Valentine's original territory was in the southern part of the Marquisate, close to the Valley. Due to assets and a series of other reasons, he mortgaged the town to other nobles for temporary administration.

Later, because the Kyle family wanted to seize her title, she never returned to her hometown.

It was in this town of Qiangnu that I heard there was an archer's tower nearby, famous for training archers.

Su Mu planned to go home and consult Nasha to see what she thought of her homeland.

As for Albert's escape, it seems he doesn't have the courage to cross the snow-capped mountains and run towards the Arcane Empire. He most likely wants to seek refuge with a family in the North.

There aren't many Northern families that can ignore the Garfield family's kill order. Will relying on past relationships be enough?
"Send a message to the caravan trader: next time you go to the North, inquire about Albert's whereabouts and check the Salman family's beacon towers for any relevant information."

After saying that, he tossed out a bag of gold coins and had his men deliver it to him.

These traveling merchants all had their own intelligence channels, and even cooperated privately with local thief guilds. As long as the money was right, there was no information they couldn't get.

As the lord of a town, he could coerce these merchants into doing things for him, but this would eliminate any possibility of future cooperation, making it a losing proposition.

We still need to establish our own intelligence agency as soon as possible.

After finishing his official duties, Su Mu was taken to the town's residential area, only to find that the Forrest project had already started construction within a day.

Smoke and dust billowed as earth and stones were placed. Su Mu asked, "Shall we use earth and wood to help you?"

Forrest, confident and in control, said, "There's no need for the adults to lift a finger. Just watch!"

After a day and a night of construction, the foundation of a circular domed tavern was successfully laid, its size comparable to a market district. Forrest personally led Su Mu to introduce it. "This area is the core tavern, with a nearly 400-meter-long circular table where everyone can drink and chat. The rooms on the second floor are the VIP lounge. Don't be fooled by the bustling noise downstairs; there will be magical soundproofing, so you can even meditate up there without any problem."

The small cubicles at the back are places to rest; if you get drunk, you can have a nice, good sleep—it's simply paradise.

This open space is an entertainment area with archery, weapons, and card games. You can play for a small amount of chips, hehehe.

And here, the largest open-air bath in Kuraki, where people can discuss business, magic, and life and philosophy. It's a miniature version of the ancient baths of the royal capital.

Su Mu followed him around for a long time and found that Forrest's ideas were really ahead of their time and were very much in line with his identity as an alcoholic.

He used to be so poor that he couldn't even afford a drink and had to resort to swindling and cheating. Now that he's a finance official, he's been building a lavish tavern, which is so nicely designed that he's never put this much effort into anything, not even the council chamber.

I don't know where he found the construction plans for these buildings, but they were built in a very professional and distinctive way.

"Having spent so much money, you should at least give me something practical, right?"

"You can rest assured about what I do!"

Forrest used his magical powers to bring the building drawn on the paper to life, presenting it vividly to Su Mu.

【Hero Tavern Special Effect: Provides special abilities based on the prosperity level of the tavern scene; currently at prosperity level 3.】

All garrison troops gain +1 morale, and can be reduced to a maximum of 0 points, preventing them from becoming demoralized.

Every Monday, the Thieves' Secrets gather, offering opportunities to explore and unearth nearby treasures or valuables, or to gather useful information about enemies, allies, and neutral heroes.

Brewers can concoct wines that unleash potential; heroes who drink them will temporarily gain 2 attribute points, effective only in siege battles.

[Additional cost: 1 gold, 15 logs, 15 stones]

Seeing such amazing special effects, Su Mu was also dumbfounded. Was everyone in the same tavern? It seemed like Forrest wanted to live in a paradise on earth.
He looked closely and realized that the boy was different.

The bricks and stones of Kuraki Town are all your hard work, but you are particularly concerned about the tavern. After several sleepless days of research, you have gained a deeper understanding of the art of construction.

Spell Power +1, gained Intermediate Civil Engineering skill.

[Intermediate Civil Engineering: Significantly reduces building construction time, allows the option to spend additional resources to grant buildings stronger special functions (can be repaired again as the level increases. Improved by Governance skills, traits have a higher chance of being selected, and quality will also be enhanced)]

"The lord trusts me and puts me in charge of city construction. With the improvement of my governance skills, I can now close my eyes and feel as if I have returned to the ancient city, where I can be there in person, observing and describing the streets and buildings. I record every detail."

By the time the Hero's Tavern was actually built, the draft was already thoroughly memorized, and everything fell into place naturally.

As expected of an architect, his promotion came much faster than anticipated. Despite Forrest's lack of military prowess, he's a master of management.

In the Kingdom of Elton, even in the marquisates, there are few special buildings. Only the capital city, the legendary city where the white feathers descended, has enough special buildings.

Of course, intermediate governance skills are also a significant improvement. Although they don't have the same level of offensive power as ordinary skills, they can subtly help Forrest generate more creative ideas.

Su Mu patted Forrest on the shoulder: "You take care of everything!"

"Remember to repair the rest of the barracks buildings as well; they are our foundation. If you run out of money, just tell me, and I'll take care of it."

"That's exactly what I've been waiting to hear!"

Forrest laughed heartily, like a child who had just received a toy. His passion for craftsmanship stemmed from a genuine, heartfelt love.

Every brick and tile of this town is the result of his hard work.

Perhaps one day in the future, history books will record that the legendary Kuraki Castle, famous throughout the world of heroes, was once a remote town with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants, and its original builder was the great architect Forrest!

(End of this chapter)