I Inherited a Beautiful Wife and a Territory - Chapter 120

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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 120

120. Then It Would Be a Bad Harvest, Not a Good One

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.

In my previous life, many people hadn’t read The Art of War, but they knew this phrase.

By the way, there’s an error in the above phrase. However, even those who know it’s wrong sometimes say words like “invincible in a hundred battles”…

‘That’s not what’s important right now.’

The phrase that represents The Art of War.

Unlike the most famous phrase above, the core of the strategy Sun Tzu advocated.

What Cliff was thinking was precisely “winning through battle is the worst strategy.”

The best strategy was to crush the enemy’s plans from the start. In other words, to rob them of their will to fight entirely.

The current situation was similar.

“The enemies are completely demoralized. We’ll win this without even fighting.”

Allen said boastfully.

Cliff nodded as he listened to those words.

His expression was exactly right.

“They must have come thinking they had the advantage. Now that they’re here and see our forces are superior, it’s difficult for them to either attack or retreat.”

This battle was already a siege warfare.

Originally, their forces should have been several times larger. But now the defending army had greater numbers.

‘If the enemy commander has even a bit of brain, they shouldn’t fight.’

So right now they must be racking their brains.

“Hahaha. This turned out perfectly.”

Allen spoke as if feeling refreshed.

He was overflowing with confidence.

After all, both the Dioke Family and the four families of Ratniya were small places compared to House Serniu where he came from.

‘A fight of this level might just look like child’s play to him.’

Of course, this was just his outward attitude.

Allen kept one hand on his sword hilt. Ready to draw at any moment.

And unlike his laughing mouth, his eyes never left the enemy camp.

‘Is this the temperament of the martial House Serniu?’

It was quite different from House Aidren.

If anything, the Platis Family was similar. But it was different from the Platis Family too.

“What will you do?”

Teobaldt asked Cliff.

Moos, who had been introduced, also perked up his ears toward Cliff.

Cliff spoke.

“The other side knows the tide of war has turned against them anyway. They just have no options right now.”

If they fight, they lose.

Incidentally, retreating was also difficult.

Originally, the most casualties in war occur during retreat.

‘If they can’t preserve their forces here, they’ll eventually find it hard to defend their own territories.’

Control over Ratniya was no longer in their minds.

Only protecting their own territories.

In other words, preserving their forces as much as possible for this purpose was their challenge. They must be agonizing over this right now.

Setting that aside,

“Since they can’t make a choice themselves, wouldn’t it be right for us to present them with options?”

“Are we fighting after all?”

Allen’s question contained the warlike temperament of House Serniu.

Cliff shook his head.

“Then…?”

To Allen’s questioning, Cliff smiled.

It was already decided.

“We just need to spread the right words. That we only need to receive the remnants of the three families that could cause discord.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to deal with them decisively here?”

Allen seemed eager to show off his power to the fullest. And he had already finished talking with Moos and others.

From now on, he was the heir to the Berni Family. So his current statement was probably regret he held as the Berni Family’s heir.

‘It’s not wrong either. Completely eliminating the Dioke Family here could be a way to prevent future conflicts that might arise…’

A considerably aggressive move.

“If only the Berni Family and Dioke Family existed in this region, you might think that way.”

“…?”

Allen didn’t immediately understand Cliff’s words. But the others were different.

They nodded with heavy faces. Even Moos, the person directly involved, was nodding after hearing those words.

“For now… that would be the best course.”

The forces here now would be leaving soon anyway.

House Serniu’s private soldiers might remain for some time, but they were hard to trust completely. It would be impossible to secure control over the Dioke Family’s territory too.

Also, aside from that, the reason for making this choice.

‘The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.’

They shouldn’t stand out.

Elimis already had many enemies in name.

‘If we attack the Dioke Family here…’

The forces joining the Anti-Elimis Alliance might increase.

It was an unwelcome trend for Cliff. So his goal, which he’d been thinking about from before, was one thing.

‘Reduce those who stand against us, and increase our allies.’

If winning battles only increases enemies, it’s the worst strategy.

‘If possible, it would be good to make the Dioke Family nobles of the duchy too.’

So Cliff couldn’t help but harbor such ambitions. And right now in Ratniya, there was no one who could break Cliff’s will.

“Then should we send a peace envoy to the other side?”

Moos asked while reading the mood.

He had understood Cliff’s intentions from the start. Cliff nodded.

“Do so.”

The decision was made.

A peace delegation immediately departed for the enemy camp. Cliff’s eyes deepened as he watched this.

While watching the departing delegation, someone else came to mind.

‘Is it still too early for news from that place to arrive?’

【Allied Nations】

Content: The nobles of northern Yusta Peninsula now recognize you as their lord.

However, it’s not beyond the borders yet.

Secure two or more allied nations among the countries bordering the Razahar Sea.

Conditions

-Alliance with Razahar Sea nations (1/2)

Rewards

-Territory Diplomacy Category Level +1

-Lord Status Window Dignity Stat +1

The Quest that appears when I gently close my eyes.

It was arranged to be introduced to new allies through Duke Serniu. Fried had remained in the duke’s domain for this purpose.

I hoped news would come soon.

However, forming an alliance with House Serniu had been the dramatic part. It was natural that gaining new allied nations would take time.

The same was true for the Dioke Family right before our eyes.

“They say the family head and elders’ decision is needed.”

The field commander had no authority to make such decisions.

Still, we heard the news.

“But seeing that they’ve imprisoned the remnants of the three families that fled from Ratniya…”

It seemed the field commander had already made his judgment. Only the decision of the Dioke Family’s main house remained.

And there was something that had been processed even faster than the Dioke Family’s main house.

-Quest ‘Allied Nation’ has been completed

‘Done.’

Finally, the notification he had been waiting for appeared.

The reward that followed.

-Diplomacy category level increases by 1

-Grace attribute increases by 1

Changes appeared in the status window.

It had been a Quest that lasted longer than expected. But rewards were always sweet.

The estate category level had risen.

‘Let’s see.’

He examined the diplomacy category skills.

-Flag of Peace (Lv. 3)

-Fellowship (Lv. 4)

-Public Order (Lv. 1)

-Master of Trade (Lv. 1)

The diplomacy skills he currently possessed.

He made his decision among them.

First, Fellowship, which had the highest level.

-Fellowship (Lv. Max)

Another Max level skill was created.

And seeing the skill that appeared, the corners of Cliff’s mouth twitched.

‘I figured it would be something like this.’

-Alliance Faith (Lv. 0): Reduces probability of alliance betrayal

It was an advanced skill of Fellowship.

“I thought a skill related to alliances would appear.”

It was needed at this point when he was expanding new alliances.

-Alliance Faith (Lv. 2)

He invested all remaining skill points here.

Having finished this, Cliff smiled.

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door of the study where he was.

And a report was heard.

“Your Grace, the Dioke Family has accepted our conditions and expressed their intention to withdraw.”

Now there was no more reason to stay here.

Elimis Duchy.

Priscilla was walking along the road under Vivian’s escort. In the direction she was looking, golden waves were rippling.

It was grain.

And one more person.

“It’s Old Man Nigel!”

Artemis, who was walking while holding her hand, pointed with her finger and shouted.

Priscilla’s eyes also turned toward the direction her daughter was pointing. Nigel was indeed there.

“Heh heh heh.”

Nigel was laughing.

Head Butler Nigel.

Compared to the day Cliff first arrived, he had many more wrinkles and age spots, but his complexion had become much brighter.

His gait was also full of energy.

‘He wasn’t like this before…’

Priscilla smiled as she looked at Nigel.

She knew well the old man who had been stern in the past. But now he had simply become a kind neighborhood grandfather. He had really become much gentler.

“I greet Your Grace the Grand Duchess.”

Nigel seemed to have noticed Priscilla as well.

He bowed his head. In that moment, the feeling of the past appeared again.

“You work so hard.”

Priscilla also bowed to him.

Soon the two naturally came to look at the farmland in this area.

“Soon… it will be harvest time.”

“That’s right. The process will be laborious, but it’s the time the people have been waiting for most.”

Nigel’s expression softened again as he spoke.

Watching him, she guessed.

‘The reason the once strict head butler became gentle… it’s more this than the passage of time.’

Abundant leisure had emerged.

Nigel mentioned this.

“It’s a bumper crop.”

Deep emotion was embedded in his voice.

Priscilla turned her head to look at Nigel.

“In the past, I had reported similarly to His Grace… the lord at that time. But then His Grace pointed out that my words were wrong.”

“Was there such a time?”

“Heh heh. There was. Even then, it was the first yield this old man had seen since coming here, but…”

That time it wasn’t a bumper crop.

“Still, even with that yield, it was difficult to feed all the people and have surplus.”

Priscilla quietly listened to what Nigel was saying and nodded.

She knew well too.

It had only been a few years. Until just before then, the estate always lacked food.

It hadn’t been many years since people sold their sons and daughters due to lack of food.

‘In this short time, to this extent…’

That had changed.

Nigel said.

“Now there’s no need for that. What’s produced here alone can feed all the people here and still have surplus. Every farming household in the estate has food to store in warehouses, besides what they eat themselves.”

“Will much grain come to market?”

“Heh heh. Probably that won’t happen.”

Nigel shook his head.

“Since they know well the times of hunger…”

There was a high possibility they wouldn’t stockpile and sell it at market.

But that was only true for this year.

Next year, it could change sufficiently.

Nigel said confidently.

“Even so, everyone will have abundance.”

A bumper crop.

It was a bumper crop.

Nigel wanted to report this quickly.

He planned to tell Cliff that it had finally become a real bumper crop.

And Cliff, who had returned, said.

“Tsk tsk. Old man. That’s only true for this capital, isn’t it? Once you leave the capital, aren’t there still plenty of estates starving?”

“That is true, but…”

“Then it’s not a good year but a bad year.”

His lord was still hungry.

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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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