I Inherited a Beautiful Wife and a Territory - Chapter 29

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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 029

29. Shadow Wolf

Cliff recalled when he first came to the estate.

The report Nigel had given him.

‘The southern lake had a giant snake, the eastern mountains had giants, and the western mountains had shadow wolves, wasn’t it?’

Troublemakers in an estate that already had no advantages.

The Serpent was impossible to catch.

The Cyclops was difficult to catch and yielded little even if defeated.

The Shadow Wolves yielded nothing even when caught.

This made him think the estate’s environment was truly the worst.

Cliff looked at Nigel and asked.

“Are there cases where Shadow Wolves come down from the mountains?”

“It’s not a frequent occurrence. But as you know, Lord Deputy, the western mountains also don’t have much prey for the Shadow Wolves to hunt…”

Cliff’s expression hardened.

“Do those things eat people too?”

Maybe later, but for now there wasn’t even livestock to attack in the commoner homes.

There were a few geese left, but that was recent.

Previously, there hadn’t even been those. So what would hungry wolves choose?

‘I think the book said they don’t eat people…’

But Shadow Wolves were originally a rare species with small populations.

Even if this estate had their habitat, their habitats on the continent including here could be counted on one hand.

Then proper research on them would have been impossible.

‘So that information was wrong after all?’

Above all, there were occasional tales of people eating even their own children when hungry.

Even though they were half-spirits, it was hard to think that Shadow Wolves, being wolves, wouldn’t eat people.

“From what I know, there have been cases of them harming people, but never eating them.”

Still, listening to Nigel’s report, the knowledge from books wasn’t completely wrong.

That didn’t mean the threat had disappeared.

“…So they do harm people?”

“Yes.”

Nigel’s face darkened.

“Usually people who enter the mountains get bitten or clawed by those wolves, but when wolves come down from the mountains like this time… there have always been reports of people being attacked by wolves.”

“Then how was it handled in those cases?”

Children learn by watching adults.

Cliff, as a successor, was curious about his predecessor’s handling. But Nigel’s answer was disappointing enough to anger him.

“…There was none.”

“What?”

At first he thought he had misheard.

“The lord just let the wolves return to the mountains. Since they don’t come down to eat people anyway, and seeing that they’re not a species that deliberately hunts our people. He simply prohibited entry to the western mountains.”

It was a response he had never even considered.

But it might have been wise.

‘…Considering the estate’s situation before I came, subjugating the wolves would have been impossible.’

Also, Shadow Wolves lived in packs.

One or two might be manageable, but if a pack exceeded ten, it would have been too much for the Ellemis Domain to handle.

‘They’re intelligent too.’

If provoked wrongly, they even seek revenge.

Whatever the situation, if they were spotted in the foothills, action was needed.

“Prepare several soldiers familiar with the paths. And summon Teobaldt, the beastfolk, and Leticia too.”

“Are you… planning to hunt those wolves?”

“Who knows. I just want to investigate. As a lord, it would be better to do something rather than stay idle when wolves have appeared, to reassure the domain residents.”

What Cliff said was sound reasoning.

Cliff glanced at Nigel’s expression.

The old man’s face had hardened considerably at this new crisis in the estate.

“Relax your expression, old man. Your already scary face is getting more menacing.”

“Lord Deputy…”

Instead of relaxing at his joke, Nigel frowned even more.

But there’s a saying.

You can’t spit on a smiling face. Cliff deliberately pulled at the corners of his mouth comically in front of Nigel.

Pfft.

Nigel also surrendered to that sight and quietly chuckled.

‘Well, the Lord Deputy has a point too. Frowning here won’t solve the problem…’

Cliff said.

“Nigel, just pray to God here.”

“That no harm comes to anyone, you mean?”

“Tsk tsk. Old man. It would be disappointing if there’s no harm, wouldn’t it? Since they’re shadows that yield no hide or meat even when hunted anyway, let’s capture them this time and make them pull carts for our estate.”

Nigel was shocked at Cliff’s words.

“Lord Deputy! They are fierce beasts with savage nature! They’re not dogs or cattle that can be tamed!”

Cliff thought the same.

But no matter how he thought about it, it was regrettable.

“Old man, the scriptures don’t say a single word about shadow wolves being untameable.”

In fact, even on Earth, wolves were considered untameable beings.

Beasts that could live with humans briefly, but no one knew when the dangerous instincts within them might awaken.

‘That’s true. But…’

Cliff thought of the Snow Bear already living in his estate.

Of course, that one wasn’t originally a bear made of fur but a being created from compressed snow.

‘By that logic, aren’t those guys just shadows too?’

Spirit beasts.

It referred to spirits in the form of beasts.

Or there was also the term for beasts with the power of spirits.

So there was controversy among those who studied this deeply.

Are spirit beasts truly beasts, or are they spirits?

Grr.

The species that researchers were interested in each time was precisely the Shadow Wolf.

They were spirits that lived in the material world.

Spirits originally belonged to another dimension called the spirit realm.

But Shadow Wolves didn’t belong to the spirit realm and lived in the material world. Some people claimed that Shadow Wolves’ main bodies were in the spirit realm, and only their avatars remained to live in this material world.

Setting that aside.

The representative spirit beast that received all the attention of the Spirit Beast Research Society.

One Shadow Wolf left its pack and headed toward the village where humans lived.

Grr? Sniff sniff.

The Shadow Wolf twitched its nose and sniffed.

Coming here from the mountains was instinct.

Some scent was drawing him. A feeling that he had to go where this scent came from.

But the Shadow Wolf that had been taking steps had to hesitate and stop.

Whiiine.

And unbelievably, a pitiful whimper came from the Shadow Wolf.

The wolf gazed at the distant village.

It tried to move one step forward with its front paw toward that place, then stopped and stepped back again.

Awoooo.

At some point, the Shadow Wolf let out a howling sound.

A mournful howling sound echoed in all directions.

The wolf’s howling seemed to announce its presence here, or perhaps to call its companions.

Awooooool.

From a very distant place came a response to the Shadow Wolf’s howling.

A companion had come.

Not just one.

Awooooool.

Another wolf also howled, asserting its presence.

This time it was closer than expected.

The Shadow Wolf drawn by the pleasant scent wasn’t alone. The wolves that had been wandering around the area, not daring to approach the powerful presence nearby.

They responded to the howling and gathered toward the wolf that had first made the sound.

Grrrrr.

Wolves are naturally pack animals.

With the pack assembled, confidence they didn’t have before emerged.

With this many, even the master of this area beyond wouldn’t be able to handle them carelessly. The Shadow Wolf pack moved toward the source of that delicious scent.

Just as they were slowly approaching.

Kyuaaawoong!

The existence that had intimidated the wolves let out a roar.

The wolves that had been confidently walking their path stopped and trembled again. The wolves exchanged glances with each other.

Lowering their bodies and staying alert in all directions, the Shadow Wolves chose to continue advancing. Only then did the people living in the village notice the wolves’ presence.

“W-wolves! Wolves have appeared!”

“Shadow Wolves!”

“Damn it, just how many have shown up!”

The startled voices of the village vigilantes.

The village became chaotic.

The wolves also became excited by the commotion. But there was someone who could silence all of this at once.

“Everyone be quiet!”

It was Cliff.

Cliff infused mana into his voice and spread it.

Before he knew it, this level of manipulation had become easy even for him who knew no magic.

‘Is it thanks to taking various skills?’

Cliff headed toward the village entrance.

Behind Cliff, Teobaldt and Leticia flanked him on the left and right.

And behind those two, four beastmen followed again.

The estate soldiers who had received cloaks from Cliff also followed tensely.

“…About ten of them. If their numbers increase beyond this, it could be troublesome, but this much is no problem. I’ll handle them.”

Teobaldt.

He was overflowing with confidence.

Rather, perhaps because he hadn’t properly used his strength while staying with Cliff, he seemed excited at the thought of demonstrating his skills after so long.

Grrrrr.

The Shadow Wolf pack also sensed Teobaldt’s fighting spirit and revealed their killing intent.

Their wariness toward him rose considerably.

Cliff clicked his tongue.

“No.”

“Huh?”

Teobaldt hadn’t expected Cliff to say such a thing.

“Let me see. One, two, three… ten in total. That’s right?”

“Yes, ten of them, but…”

Teobaldt blinked his eyes.

Cliff chuckled and recalled the words he had thrown at Nigel.

He had first heard that wolves had appeared. And he was heading to the village in the estate that was closest to their habitat.

However, before even reaching that village, wolves had appeared in a village located about halfway there.

And exactly ten of them.

‘But were wolves this big?’

That was Cliff’s first thought upon seeing them.

The Shadow Wolves were larger than he had imagined. At first glance, they reminded him more of bears than wolves.

And he was satisfied.

‘With this size, I could even ride them like in animations?’

If he could just tame them, he’d have nothing more to wish for.

Cliff wore a troubled expression.

How could he tame them? His contemplation was brief, and eventually Cliff called over an expert in this field to ask.

“Leticia.”

“Yes, Master.”

Like Teobaldt, she was glaring at the Shadow Wolf pack with wary eyes.

Cliff opened his mouth.

“How do you make contracts with spirits?”

“Huh?”

She looked at Cliff in surprise and asked back.

“Spirit… contracts? Surely not with those things?”

“Yeah.”

“But Shadow Wolves aren’t spirits…”

Leticia looked at Cliff with bewildered eyes.

Through this, Cliff came to realize something new.

Even to an elf who knew the most about spirits, Shadow Wolves apparently weren’t spirits.

‘But so what?’

【Tame the Shadow Wolves】

Description: The estate is currently emitting pheromones that spirits like.

The spirits that were closest will be enchanted by that scent and come seeking it. Lead them to pair up with good friends.

They will gladly spare no effort in assisting the estate for their companions.

Conditions

-Contract with Shadow Wolves (0/10)

Rewards

-Estate Experience 100

-Lord Experience 50

The message that had appeared the moment he left the Manor.

The number of wolves the Quest mentioned contracting with was also 10.

The giant wolves before his eyes were also 10.

Wasn’t that quite a coincidence.

‘Quests have never given me impossible tasks before.’

So this must also be a possible Quest.

Which means, in other words.

“No. These wolves are definitely spirits.”

Cliff declared with conviction.

These wolves are spirits.

And if they’re spirits, it’s possible to make contracts and become friends with them.

“So how do you make contracts with spirits?”

“That varies by spirit, so I don’t really know either… Usually contracts are made through summoning circles. You send mana and will there, the spirit is summoned, and through mutual conversation you make a contract…”

But that wouldn’t work with the Shadow Wolves before them.

Cliff said.

“Hmm. Right, you mentioned conversation?”

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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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