Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 75 Honors
After waiting for nearly a week, Su Mu finally received news that the awarding ceremony would be held.

The day before the ceremony, Sumu bathed in flowers at Langlit Castle, his sword was placed in the courtyard to receive blessings from the members of the order, and Sumu himself was required to fast and keep watch.

This is an ancient tradition of the human kingdoms. If one were in the capital, it would be even more complicated. Now it is a simplified version.

The only problem is that the sword he usually carries is the Black Demon Sword. This treasure is powerful, but its form is somewhat unorthodox.

Su Mu could only place his usual sword there. Fortunately, everyone assumed that he did not fight personally but only commanded from the center, so they did not have much doubt about the sword.

Su Mu leaned against the sword, passing the night in boredom.

It is said that in the ancient wilderness, a precious sword had to be placed in front of the dangerous beast's lair to withstand wave after wave of attacks, and only when the first ray of dawn appeared could it become a noble.

It's not as difficult now, but the ceremony still has to be performed.

The next morning, the nobles, dressed in their finest attire, entered Longlet Castle one after another, arriving at the council hall to await the upcoming investiture ceremony.

This awarding of medals was naturally not limited to Su Mu alone. Although the internal battles within the Marquisate were not going well, their support for the Kingdom's army was still very strong, with each family sending its elite fighting force to be incorporated into the Kingdom's army.

This also meant that when the enemy appeared on the Xilin Plain, they could only send out a low-level allied force, and the nobles were powerless to do so.

The fighting on the kingdom's front lines was extremely fierce, with some families' private armies being wiped out. The nobles also had to deal with the aftermath of the fallen soldiers, so the kingdom naturally had to give them commendations.

The conferment of honors included one viscount, three barons, and several new nobles from towns and villages, which could also be understood as baronies or knights.

The viscount was granted to old Mac, a senior baron who provided a large amount of gold and spearmen for this campaign. Both of his sons died in the great victory at Luxembourg, making his family a family of loyal martyrs. It was only right that he was promoted to viscount.

When Grand Master Conrad bestowed the knighthood on behalf of the king and placed the knight's sword on Mike's shoulder, the viscount couldn't help but shed tears.

At that moment, no one mocked him; everyone was filled with solemnity and respect.

Regardless of past grievances or territorial disputes, if your final fate is to die defending against foreign invaders, then you deserve everyone's respect.

Old Mike still has grandchildren, and the family line continues. At least for the past decade, everyone has tacitly agreed not to seize his land and businesses; otherwise, the nobility would unite to kill him!

After the viscounts are awarded their knighthoods, it is time for the barons to be made.

The other two also contributed to the kingdom, so there's not much to say about them. Although their contributions weren't as tragic as Old Mike's, they still made their due contributions.

The only controversy, of course, concerns Lord Su Mu, a man of great military achievements. Some people highly regard his contributions to the rescue of Langlit Castle and the capture of White Stone City. Others, however, believe that he was opportunistic, using the power of the Angry Bear Clan to achieve his goals, while lacking real ability himself and relying solely on a group of strong subordinates.

When it was Su Mu's turn, the nobles whispered among themselves, their opinions differing.

"quiet!"

Conrad spoke in a low voice, and the hall fell silent.

He placed the Sword of Fearlessness on Su Mu's shoulder, and a ball of flame instantly ignited, shooting into the air and condensing into the symbol of the kingdom's holy white feathers.

"Sumu, today, on behalf of King Finakxia VI, I hereby confer upon you the title of Baron. You will guard the kingdom and its people with loyalty and courage. Do you understand your duty?"

"I swear by my life and honor that I will be loyal to humanity, defend the kingdom's territory, and protect the people of humanity."

Conrad nodded slightly, his tone serious.

"As a baron, you will have your own fiefdom—Kuraki Town and the surrounding lands. You must ensure the order and prosperity of your territory and respond to the kingdom's call at any time, leading your soldiers to fight for the kingdom."

"Kuragi Town will prosper thanks to the Kingdom's bounty. I will train shield bearers and earth archers to ensure they are always at their service. If any enemy dares to invade the Kingdom's territory, I will not hesitate to lead them into battle."

Conrad smiled with satisfaction. Unlike others, Sumu did not bring any gold or silver treasures to Longlet Castle, only a cartload of Isildur soldiers' heads, which proved that what he said was true.

"Your loyalty and ability will be recorded in the annals of the kingdom. Remember, a baron's glory lies not only in his lands and titles, but also in his contributions to the kingdom and his people."

May the white feathers protect you, Baron Sumu.

"Thank you, Knight Commander. May the white feathers bless you and the kingdom, and may Elton prosper in battle!"

Su Mu slowly retreated, returning to his baron's seat under the watchful eyes of the crowd. Eugen, Zoran, and several other barons who had received favors from Su Mu stood up to congratulate him. The rest, who had no vested interests in him, also praised his achievements and recounted his skillful command in the Battle of White Rock.

However, some people did not offer their congratulations because the Allied forces had not entered the city before, or for other reasons.

This group includes both Griffinson's faction and those who sided with the conservative Viscount Jeff Payne; it seems there are quite a few people dissatisfied with him.

However, Su Mu didn't care at all. He would develop his own power and didn't need to rely on these people. He didn't need to care about their feelings at all.

The awarding ceremony lasted all morning, and everyone remained in high spirits. After all, it was a rare opportunity to interact with the kingdom's renowned knight commander.

Most nobles may never have the chance to visit the capital more than a few times in their lives. Many of them inherit their titles, and although their fathers may have achieved something, by this generation, they are already mediocre.

If the Knight Commander takes a liking to me, I might have a chance to advance further.

Conrad was extremely discerning; aside from spending some time in private with Viscount Mack, he only had casual conversations with Su Mu.

"Your gift is very good. As a warrior of the kingdom, the best spoils of war are the heads of bastion soldiers."

“Master Dylan also talked to me about you, saying that you have a great understanding of treasures and that in time you may grow into an outstanding talent for the kingdom.”

Su Mu humbly replied, "I just happened to be able to command a group of capable people, and the troops and generals under my command are also very strong, which is how I found the opportunity."

Conrad waved his hand: "Talented commanders are always the rarest. Your ability to thwart Isildur's plots several times shows that you have a high talent for war."

However, since we are heroes, we still need to strengthen ourselves so that our subordinates will be convinced.

To possess magical powers and command the world's elite troops is every knight's dream.

Su Mu nodded in agreement and offered some of his own thoughts: "To achieve victory, we must unite more friends; relying solely on ourselves is insufficient."

To be honest, Su Mu wasn't actually bothered by the title of "commander" bestowed upon him by the nobleman of Langlitburg. In fact, he would be even happier if the other party could completely ignore him as the person behind the scenes.

Su Mu didn't care about empty titles and honors; in fact, having this label of weakness allowed him to better leverage his strengths. No one could have imagined that the real reason General Kuraki was so formidable lay with him.

The knight commander was knowledgeable and experienced, and clearly did not believe the rumors, thinking that Su Mu had some real skills.

The two then discussed human unit tactics and deployments. Even if it wasn't cavalry, Conrad had experience in commanding them. After all, a knight commander was a knight specialist, not an ordinary general.

In Conrad's view, the human forces excel at striking first, but they also need to defend their ranged units.

As one of the few combined forces with two ranged units, one of their major advantages is ranged firepower suppression. Sometimes, even if they don't charge into battle, they still need to ensure the offensive capabilities of their own archers.

Su Mu completely agreed with this point. His shield soldiers and magic were created to protect the Earth Bow, which was also the key to his high casualty ratio in many battles, because very few people could even touch the archers.

Of course, Conrad also recounted the secrets of the magic towers throughout the kingdom, as well as the locations of special buildings.

Su Mu benefited greatly from his conversation with the Knight Commander.

When the banquet ended and Su Mu gripped his sword again, he clearly felt more confident within the kingdom's territory.

[Gain the title of Baron Elton, Kingdom Reputation +200, and the legal right to expand the Council Hall.]

If one could obtain a title from the kingdom, controlling the boundary markers and castles would be much easier, as this is determined by the nature of the fiefdom. Even now, Su Mu can use teleportation magic in any kingdom's baronial city without restriction; this is one of the benefits of a title.

Legitimacy is a crucial aspect of the human kingdom, and its architectural restrictions are related to this.

This is the biggest takeaway from my trip to Longletburg.

Just as Su Mu was about to leave, a waiter called him back.

"Baron, Lady Maggie wishes to see you!"

(End of this chapter)