Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 97 News about the Boundary Stone
In the treacherous battle, the powerful crossbow held its ground.

Once the army entered the city, Dean's first task was to purge the mercenaries, arresting and beheading the spies among them, and even carrying out a major purge of the halberdier troops.

After all, everyone could see clearly that without these degenerate fellows, the western city wall would never have been easily breached.

After this battle, Dean gradually realized his own strength, made a special trip to apologize to Su Mu, and officially handed over the Archer Tower to Kuraki in front of everyone.

Even so, the nobles were still dissatisfied with Dean. If he hadn't been so stubborn and self-righteous, they wouldn't have lost so many soldiers.

Dean could only appease everyone and promise to give them more compensation. But who cared about that now? Money is a good thing, but you have to be alive to spend it.

However, the great victory temporarily suppressed all conflicts, and everyone raised their glasses in celebration, praising Su Mu and Eugen's wisdom.

Although no one said it outright, looking back now, one can imagine the awkwardness of the situation: Dean and the two men distrusted each other, yet he insisted on using these mercenaries.

At the time, there was insufficient evidence, and making a hasty statement would only arouse Dean's suspicion. So Su Mu decided to play along and used the invisibility properties of the Earth Bow to lure Sirel out.

This battle will probably spread throughout the Xilin Plain soon, but with each retelling, Dean will be nailed deeper into the pillory of shame.

Eugen then stepped forward and publicly explained that Lord Dean had actually communicated with him beforehand, and that Dean had also played a part in this plan, so he asked everyone not to spread the word.

Su Mu did not refute this matter. After all, Ouling's ability to hide the army was a clever trick, and the fewer people who knew about it, the better. He didn't need those empty titles now.

The matter gradually subsided, with everyone tacitly understanding the situation. As for the truth, which of the nobles present didn't know?

Dean specially took out another 8000 gold coins and gave them to Eugen and Sumu to thank them for saving Qiangnu Town, hoping that they would come to their aid again if there was an invasion in the future.

With Hirel killed and the remnants of Kael's army fleeing, there's a high probability they won't launch another attack anytime soon. Unless Isildur is truly determined to attack the Hillin Plains, in which case the kingdom will have to intervene.

After a hearty meal, Su Mu and Eugen returned to the courtyard to discuss the day's events.

"Don't be angry. Most nobles in the kingdom are just like this. Since they have obtained the Archer's Tower and successfully saved Strong Crossbow Town, there is no need to care about that empty reputation."

I know Kuraki Town needs development; those 8000 gold coins are all yours.

Eugen was very generous, which was quite different from his usual greedy and lustful character.

Su Mu patted Lao Deng: "Don't worry, I won't hold a grudge against Di An, that would be too tasteless."

"The Baron is quite generous, splitting the 8000 gold coins so readily. After all, you were the one who discovered the mercenary problem in the city first. Shall we split the money in half?"

Eugen shook off Sumu: "Do you take me for a greedy person? Now that the Isidore army is pressing in, we need the support of local cities like yours even more."

"Use the money for construction and recruiting soldiers. No matter how strong your men are, you can't win a battle without troops."

Just as Su Mu was feeling deeply grateful for the Baron's kindness, Old Deng secretly said, "Save me a seat in the tavern and recruit some beautiful women so I can feast my eyes."

Su Mu slapped Lao Deng away. Sure enough, when faced with the choice between money and beauty, Lao Deng remained steadfast.

After the small talk, Oden got down to business: "The kingdom has approved the boundary stone, and it will be delivered to Longlit Castle soon. I originally wanted to deliver it to you personally. However, the situation in the south is unstable, and I need to coordinate it personally. Therefore, I sent a reliable person to transport it directly to Kuraki Town. You should go back and receive it soon."

Upon hearing this news, Su Mu was overjoyed.

Now that we have the title and the soldiers, we are stuck at level 2 buildings and cannot advance any further because we lack boundary stones.

Once the council and headquarters are built, the barracks, Griffin Cliff, and a series of other buildings will be unlocked, greatly enhancing the strength of Kuraki Town.

"How many boundary stones are there to meet my previous request?"

"The kingdom is not wealthy right now, and there are expenditures in various places. So far, only the usage quota for the Level 2 Council and the headquarters has been approved. However, with your military achievements, it should not be difficult to apply next time."

Su Mu was slightly disappointed, but quickly put his feelings aside. Expanding to a level 3 main city requires more resources, which are not yet feasible, so acquiring these boundary stones was already unexpected.

"It's good to have a big tree to lean on. If it weren't for Longlet Castle, who knows when he could get it by asking for it himself. "Alright, I'll set off back to Kuraki Town now to expand the barracks."

Building a higher-level main city is every lord's dream. Moreover, with Forrest, the architect, he has limitless possibilities; he can't wait to do it.

Compared to this, Qiangnu Town's resources and wilderness buildings are nothing.

"However, we still need to be careful of what's happening in the valley. This attack by Sirel is very unusual, which means that Isildur's center of gravity may have shifted north!"

Eugen also became serious: "Something is not right, but even if the enemy wants to launch a surprise attack, they will have to mobilize a large army, and we will be able to get some information about their movements."

Miss Maggie is heading north to ask the Cox family for help. That way, they can push back towards the valley and avoid being in such a passive position.

"Besides, Qiangnu Town, Panshi City, and Wright City are heavily guarded. Even if Ivo is willing to go north, it won't be so smooth. You can recruit soldiers to support him when the time comes. This old man can still hold on."

You know what, I've been getting increasingly comfortable using the crossbow lately; it seems like there's a breakthrough in its handling!

When Su Mu was in the air, he saw the Baron using a giant ballista. Its power was indeed extraordinary. It was just a pity that his hero attribute was too low. Otherwise, one arrow would have shot down a whole group of high-level soldiers.

He once said that archery heroes who master artillery skills have a chance to comprehend unique effects, and this was not an unfounded statement.

“Ouling’s archery skills are unique, and he has his own insights. Once such a hero masters artillery, he may be able to gather the strength of many soldiers and maximize the archer’s abilities.”

I once read in an ancient book that powerful crossbow bolts could gather magical energy, allowing one to defend against ten thousand and even pierce divine armor.

Su Mu nodded. He had heard some legends about extraordinary skills, but they were rarely seen in reality. This was something that Ou Ling could pay more attention to.

Eugen seemed quite interested in ballistae as well. After the great battle, he carefully studied the giant ballistae on the city wall and listened to Eugen tell many stories about advanced ballistae.

Although Old Deng wasn't very strong, he was knowledgeable and experienced, and his intermediate artillery skills provided many explanations that greatly benefited Olling.

"If you are properly trained, you will have a bright future!"

When it comes to nurturing talent, if Su Mu claims to be second, no one dares to claim to be first. Eugen is unaware of the effects of the Governance Technique and assumes it's all due to the abilities of Ouling and others. This is for the best, at least for a while everyone will overlook Kuraki's true trump card.

Once the parliament is built and Su Mu has mastered advanced governing techniques, he will show everyone how a true ruler fights a war.

Before parting, Su Mu still reminded him, "Although Qiangnu Town has been defended, it is on the verge of collapse. For such a crucial place, I still think we should send a reliable person."

Having learned his lesson, Eugen already had a plan in mind, but for the time being, he needed to stabilize the situation.

Su Mu didn't say anything more, after all, they were still in Qiangnu Town, and he didn't want anyone to overhear him. Eugen probably knew what he meant.

War is no child's play. No one dares to take such a life-or-death matter lightly. Even though the current situation makes it difficult to make any changes, Eugen is prepared to propose to the council to push for a change of leadership in Strongbow Town.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing. Miss Maggie asked Cox for help and obtained the Level 3 treasure, the War Shackles. She'll bring it to you when she returns!"

This time, Su Mu was genuinely moved. He had originally written to ask for help with a "take it or leave it" attitude. He never expected that Maggie would take it to heart and retrieve the shackles of war from the distant, barren snowfields.

The War Shackles has some flaws, but it is still a level 3 treasure, which must have cost a considerable amount of money. Maggie's motivation was simply trust in him.

In this light, although Maggie's fighting skills are somewhat lacking, at least she listens to advice, can recognize people, and strongly supports those who deserve it. Such a lord is already quite rare.

Su Mutou had a feeling that Langlitburgh seemed to have some human touch.

As for players like Griffinson, Kyle, and Richie, there are plenty of them everywhere in the world. We can't expect too much.

"Take care of yourself!"

Su Mu patted Eugen on the shoulder and then left Qiangnu Town.

(End of this chapter)