I Inherited a Beautiful Wife and a Territory - Chapter 105

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Inheriting a Beautiful Wife and Estate Episode 105

 

105. Confrontation

 

Baron Stela was furious.

 

Territorial wars between nobles required proper procedures. A declaration of war, approval from the homeland, observation by other nobles, and so on.

 

Fighting according to established agreements was what territorial warfare was about. But now Cliff had ignored all these procedures.

 

“Grr. No matter how well he’s doing in the homeland right now, he can’t act so arbitrarily! How can he conduct territorial warfare in such a surprise manner?”

 

What made him even angrier was the response to that fury.

 

The answer that Baron Stela’s son delivered with an equally troubled expression.

 

“They are… claiming that this war is not a territorial war but a subjugation campaign.”

 

“What?”

 

Not a territorial war but a subjugation war.

 

In other words, it was a statement treating them as mere bandits. Or perhaps…

 

“Are those bastards claiming to be our lords? Are they trying to pin treason charges on us?”

 

“That’s correct, Father.”

 

“Have you ever seen such a madman!”

 

The Stela Family had never submitted to another family.

 

Though they belonged to the Serpal Family’s sphere of influence, they were strictly not vassals of Serpal.

 

‘But now some young brat I’ve never even met claims to be my lord?’

 

And they were accusing the Stela Family of treason.

 

This was unforgivable. Baron Stela shouted.

 

“First, close the castle gates and prepare defensive positions! And quickly spread word to the outside about Baron Elimis’s arrogance!”

 

“Yes!”

 

Baron Stela did not underestimate the Elimis Family.

 

But this time they had made a mistake.

 

‘Coming from outside, they don’t know the nobles of this Yusta Peninsula! How dare they rely only on the homeland and claim to be our lords!’

 

Which noble of the Yusta Peninsula would acknowledge this?

 

Baron Stela thought he just needed to buy time. He believed this was possible with the castle walls.

 

And now he looked up with a bewildered face.

 

‘What is this…’

 

They had destroyed the castle gate.

 

So he had concentrated all cavalry forces behind the gate. No matter how difficult, they had to somehow prevent enemy forces from entering through the gate.

 

But making that effort meaningless, Elimis’s Wolf Riders simply leaped over the castle walls.

 

‘If this was going to happen, why did they even destroy the gate…’

 

Why did they break down a perfectly good gate?

 

But there was no time to question this. Right now, they had to somehow prevent the Wolf Riders from scattering.

 

“Spread out! Go and strike down those who have rebelled against the Greater Elimis Duchy!”

 

One of those who had first crossed the castle walls.

 

That knight’s cry.

 

“Yes!”

 

At that command, the Wolf Riders scattered in perfect coordination.

 

Cavalry mounted on wolves rampaging through the city was a great terror.

 

“Kyaaaah!”

 

“Waaah!”

 

Cliff’s attack was sudden.

 

Though they had closed the gates and gathered soldiers, it was impossible to evacuate or hide all the people on the streets. Soon the city became a scene of chaos.

 

But this wasn’t important.

 

“Block them!”

 

The soldiers blocking the gate.

 

They were startled to see Shadow Wolves attacking from behind and the sides. Though the commander shouted, their response was slow.

 

“Fire!”

 

Crossbows shot by Wolf Riders.

 

“Argh!”

 

“Gah!”

 

“Ahhh!”

 

Screams erupted continuously.

 

Soldiers falling one after another.

 

That alone was terrifying, but as the Wolf Riders drew closer, their visible size was larger than expected.

 

‘How are we supposed to face such monsters!’

 

Having such thoughts was understandable.

 

“Uaaaah!”

 

“Hold your position… Gah!”

 

Some began to flee.

 

Those who had initially tried to block enemies entering through the gate, these soldiers escaped outside through the broken gate.

 

The commander who tried to stop this was also secretly taken down by a surging shadow.

 

Truly everything turned unfavorably for the Stela Family.

 

‘Th-this…!’

 

Baron Stela watched this from atop the castle rampart.

 

Complete defeat.

 

He hadn’t expected they couldn’t last even a day with the castle walls. And the moment he thought this, his face turned pale.

 

Even just losing a territorial war meant the defeated family would be massacred. Moreover, the justification Cliff was presenting now wasn’t a territorial war.

 

‘Treason.’

 

Treason against one’s lord.

 

In this case, not only he but none of his family members could survive properly.

 

Even so, Baron Stela didn’t think of fleeing.

 

In fact, it was already too late to escape.

 

“Baron Elimis!”

 

He shouted, infusing his voice with aura.

 

The Wolf Riders who had been about to scatter in all directions stopped and looked toward the castle rampart where the sound came from.

 

“I am Baron Stela! If you are an honorable knight, come! Let us end this with a duel between us two without spilling more blood!”

 

A proposal for one-on-one combat.

 

This was the only remaining chance for the Stela Baron family.

 

‘There’s no longer any chance of victory in battle.’

 

He had to change it to a duel.

 

And win here to reverse the situation.

 

But Baron Stela knew. There was no way Cliff would accept this from his position.

 

The momentum had already shifted to him. If left alone, Cliff could win easily.

 

Also, the justification he had presented was problematic.

 

‘A duel with a traitor?’

 

The Elimis Family regarded the Stela Family as traitors.

 

And they had come here for subjugation. So a duel was nothing more than a shallow trick for Baron Stela to survive.

 

“Everyone stop!”

 

So came a shout infused with mana that spread in all directions.

 

“I gladly accept Baron Stela’s duel request. Through a one-on-one duel between the Stela Family and the main house, we will confirm who has legitimacy!”

 

Cliff had fallen for that shallow trick.

 

No, would it be more accurate to say he had chosen to fall for it?

 

‘Even in a duel… is this confidence that he absolutely cannot lose?’

 

Baron Stela felt his pride wounded.

 

The reason Baron Stela proposed a duel.

 

Naturally, he knew at least that much of the reason. Still, he had accepted.

 

“…Baron Stela.”

 

This was the first time they were seeing each other face to face.

 

His first impression was one of firmness. The words he had actually heard were the same.

 

‘So that’s why he couldn’t accept it.’

 

Cliff didn’t particularly have any bad feelings toward him.

 

His defiance wasn’t due to mutual animosity. It was simply natural from Baron Stela’s position.

 

He had no reason to submit to him.

 

If his nature was upright, then even more so.

 

“Duke Elimis.”

 

His eyebrows twitched upon hearing those words.

 

An uncomfortable feeling.

 

He still couldn’t acknowledge him as a duke. But he didn’t point this out in the midst of this situation.

 

He simply prepared for victory.

 

“Huu.”

 

Along with his deep breath, Cliff also used his skill.

 

Mana spreading out from him as the center.

 

And the overlapping effects of the estate.

 

‘This match was advantageous to me from the start.’

 

He would win.

 

More precisely, he had no choice but to win. It was a duel he had accepted because he thought so.

 

But it seemed different to Baron Stela.

 

“Bar… I heard that the Duke is a mage. I’ll praise your courage for accepting a one-on-one duel with a knight.”

 

Baron Stela spoke while pointing his sword.

 

“But I’ll make sure you clearly realize that it’s recklessness.”

 

Baron Stela warned as if making a declaration.

 

Cliff could actually see it.

 

‘Killing intent.’

 

The emotion Baron Stela harbored toward him.

 

There was no lie in those words just now.

 

He held strong hostility toward Cliff.

 

He also showed confidence.

 

‘Still… I’ll win.’

 

Cliff was confident.

 

There was a reason he thought he would win from the start.

 

The skills he possessed.

 

-Mana Fatigue (Lv. Max): Decreases mana recovery speed of those who hold hostility toward the lord within the estate.

 

An effect opposite to his own recovery speed.

 

Of course, this alone had little effect. But the skills he gained as his military skill increased.

 

-Subjugation (Lv. Max): Combat power increases when suppressing rebellions and bandits within the estate.

 

-Suppression (Lv. Max): Decreases abilities of traitors and bandits within the estate.

 

Effects that could increase Cliff’s abilities while conversely reducing his opponent’s.

 

Baron Stela seemed unable to feel this yet.

 

‘But he’ll feel it once the duel begins.’

 

He had raised each level one by one for this purpose.

 

The skill he deployed in that state.

 

‘Intimidation.’

 

It would be difficult to strongly suppress a knight like him with just this.

 

But his body flinched at the skill’s effect. And Cliff didn’t miss that timing.

 

“Lightning Arrow.”

 

The magic he had prepared.

 

“…!”

 

Baron Stela’s eyes widened.

 

First, he was surprised by Cliff’s intimidating presence that was encroaching upon him.

 

‘What is this…’

 

The presence emanated by those who had reached a transcendent realm.

 

Or intense killing intent.

 

Baron Stela also felt that overwhelming sensation. He could endure it, but the fact that Cliff was emitting such presence was shocking in itself.

 

That moment of surprise gave Cliff the time to cast his magic.

 

‘To cast magic so quickly…’

 

His reaction speed was slower than usual.

 

The magic arrow Cliff had created was already flying right before his eyes.

 

“Hup!”

 

Inhaling as if flustered, he quickly operated his aura. For some reason today, handling his aura wasn’t going as well as intended.

 

It was something he always did.

 

That was now wavering.

 

“Hyaaaah!”

 

Still, he managed to imbue his sword with aura without being too late.

 

His sword swung and struck down the incoming magic lightning arrow.

 

“Hup.”

 

Even though the aura protected his sword and arm, there were limits.

 

His arm trembled momentarily.

 

Baron Stela ignored this. He needed to move forward.

 

‘I can’t allow any more distance and time.’

 

He intended to launch his body forward.

 

If it had been possible, he would have done so. But that too didn’t go according to his will.

 

“Kuk. What is this…!”

 

His body that was about to move flinched.

 

It wasn’t a stun from the earlier attack. It was magical restraint enveloping his body.

 

‘It’s Hold!’

 

He had read about it in books.

 

Magic that sealed an opponent’s movements.

 

But separately from this, Cliff’s mouth uttered a different incantation.

 

“Lightning Arrow.”

 

It wasn’t a grand or magnificent magic.

 

It was merely a lower circle spell.

 

“Kraaaah!”

 

But the problem was that his body wasn’t following him today. By the moment he tried to move, Cliff’s Lightning Arrow was already right in front of him.

 

Crackle.

 

“Kheuk.”

 

This time he couldn’t even properly block it.

 

He used his aura to block the electricity seeping into his body.

 

“Lightning Arrow.”

 

Again.

 

Cliff’s magic casting was faster than his reaction.

 

“Hold.”

 

And the next magic was activated almost simultaneously.

 

The light of mana gathering at Cliff’s staff.

 

And then the magical rope pressing against his body.

 

“Tch, I was caught once, but do you think I’ll be caught twice!”

 

Baron Stela released his aura powerfully.

 

Intense aura burst forth, scattering both the magical rope and lightning arrow.

 

But after that, Baron Stela felt something was off.

 

‘What is this?’

 

He didn’t have time to figure out what it was.

 

Cliff’s spellcasting speed was fast.

 

Lightning Arrow.

 

And Magic Missile.

 

Both were spells with low lethality, yet ones he couldn’t afford to take head-on.

 

Baron Stela deflected these as well with ease.

 

‘This is strange.’

 

And he pondered.

 

Cliff was binding him in place while casting magic.

 

It was strange.

 

Originally, mages couldn’t use this kind of method. No matter how low-circle the magic was, they felt more severe mana consumption than swordsmen every time they cast spells.

 

But now it was the opposite.

 

He couldn’t sense any mana consumption from Cliff. But conversely, Baron Stela’s aura, which should still be intact, had drastically diminished.

 

Soon he realized.

 

‘Could this be…’

 

Was Cliff deliberately inducing his aura consumption?

 

But if so, how was that possible?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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