I Inherited a Beautiful Wife and a Territory - Chapter 40

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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 040

40. Spoils of War

Skill: Intimidation.

Cliff used all of his mana to pressure the Ballard Family’s camp.

This was to prevent the outside knights there from intervening. This too was another hidden card he possessed.

“Hiiik!”

“Pl-please…”

The weak soldiers couldn’t withstand Cliff’s intimidation.

But the Count’s knights were different. They overcame Cliff’s intimidation. They were simply shocked and tense at the phenomenon Cliff had created.

‘This should be enough… they won’t be able to intervene easily either.’

Cliff stopped using his skill.

The enemy soldiers had already collapsed. And the knights remained frozen, as if they couldn’t sense that the intimidation had disappeared.

Finally, Adolf was…

Clang.

Swoosh.

He dropped his sword that had been desperately parrying Teobaldt’s attacks.

Now it was one move left.

The knight named Adolf seemed to sense his fate and finally closed his eyes. It was the moment his body lost strength as he gave up.

Just before Teobaldt’s greatsword cut down the resigned middle-aged knight.

“Stop!”

Baron Ballard shouted loudly.

“Please, please stop! We have lost!”

The moment Teobaldt hesitated briefly and tried to bring down his sword again, Baron Ballard urgently declared defeat.

Cliff heard this and shouted as well.

“Stop!”

Only after his command did Teobaldt lower his sword and step back several paces, creating distance from the knight Adolf.

Cliff turned his head to look at Baron Ballard.

Baron Ballard came running.

“E-Ellemis Baron… we have lost. I acknowledge the defeat of our Ballard Family. Let’s not increase the damage any further and end the war here…”

Even though he hadn’t used the intimidation skill, Baron Ballard was trembling.

He too was gradually realizing it.

The military strength of the Elimis Domain was impossible to match with the forces he had gathered.

“Damage? Well… it seems we haven’t suffered any damage yet? If there is any, it would be the honor of my wife and myself that your Ballard Family insulted.”

“I-I acknowledge it. That was our mistake. I admit that we insulted the Elimis Family based on wrong misunderstandings. So please show mercy.”

This was a clear declaration of surrender from the opponent.

Without any excuses, Baron Ballard acknowledged his own fault.

The expressions “mistake” and “misunderstanding” were irritating, but there was no need to nitpick about that.

‘He seems like… he might not be such a bad person after all.’

His intervention now was probably to save the knight named Adolf.

Of course, that might not be the only reason. Knowing there was no chance of winning if they continued fighting, he wanted to end the war here entirely.

Viscount Gordon, who had been a witness, approached them.

“Excellent, Ellemis Baron. Now that Baron Ballard has admitted defeat, this war is Ellemis Baron’s victory. As previously agreed, Baron Ballard’s domain and his daughter will belong to the Elimis Family.”

Viscount Gordon, who had been watching as both judge and witness.

His voice announcing the victory contained amazed admiration.

Though he had expected Cliff’s victory, he hadn’t anticipated such overwhelming skill.

‘To completely break the opponent’s fighting spirit…’

With this, the Ballard Family had become nobles without a domain.

They would still keep some of their wealth, but Viscount Gordon thought even that was unlikely.

“I demand compensation for damaging the honor of my wife and myself, and for the losses inflicted on my domain through this territorial war.”

Cliff brought this up with cold words.

Baron Ballard’s expression turned miserable. But he knew what answer he could give to Cliff’s words.

“…Of course.”

What else could a defeated man say?

He hoped Cliff would show even a little favor. Having already lost his domain, his family’s income had disappeared.

He needed to preserve as much wealth as possible now to hope for recovery, or even the family’s survival.

‘Who would have thought this war would turn out like this.’

It was a battle he had expected to win naturally after bringing three knights from the Count.

But while they thought they could see through the opponent’s strategy, their own strategy was seen through instead.

A complete defeat.

Soldiers crushed by that phenomenon.

And even his dead nephew.

Baron Ballard’s heart was heavy.

There were those who made Baron Ballard even more miserable.

“We convey our deep regret about the war’s outcome. However, we have already participated in this war and faithfully performed our assigned duties.”

The Veteran Soldier of the Platis Family.

He came and expressed regret to Baron Ballard.

Honestly, while listening to those words, Baron Ballard was boiling inside. But he couldn’t refute the man’s words.

“…What do you want to say?”

“We are merely requesting our fee from the Ballard Family.”

The three knights from the Count’s house who hadn’t swung their swords once.

They demanded payment of the previously agreed fee. Naturally, having already lost his greatest asset (the domain) and facing war reparations, the three knights’ fees were extremely burdensome.

But he couldn’t refuse.

The moment he refused, the Platis Family would certainly retaliate against the Ballard Family.

“Hmm. I’ll try to arrange it as much as possible.”

Now he could only hope that Cliff would show even a little mercy.

He had to preserve the Ballard Family’s wealth as much as possible.

The fall of a family.

No matter how deeply rooted they had been as lords of this region, it happened in an instant.

‘Still, I achieved victory without killing people.’

Cliff was satisfied.

Not only his own soldiers but also the enemy soldiers – not a single one was harmed. They were merely crushed by his intimidation.

The only death was one young knight named Rowi who had received Teobaldt’s initial surprise attack.

Cliff and the Elimis army became proud occupying forces and took over the Ballard Family Mansion.

“The war reparations are 1,000 gold coins.”

“Gasp!”

Baron Ballard despaired at the excessive amount of reparations.

But Anton coldly enforced this. Having already won the war, there was no one to stop his enforcement.

He looked around the Ballard Family Mansion and appraised its value.

“This mansion can be converted to about 140 gold coins.”

“That’s ridiculous! It’s worth at least 200 gold coins…!”

“Oh my. Your spit just flew and decreased its value. 130 gold coins.”

Anton slashed the price without any change in expression.

He then examined the Ballard Family Stables. The Ballard Family also owned horses.

Including pack horses, war horses, and stallions, a total of 4 horses.

Anton showed a satisfied expression.

“5 gold coins each, 20 gold coins total.”

“This…!”

Due to the precedent with the mansion, Baron Ballard couldn’t refute Anton’s appraisal.

“Since Baron Ballard seems to have no objections, I’ll proceed this way. By transferring the mansion, stables, and horses, I’ll deduct 150 gold coins from the war reparations.”

Rage flared up inside Baron Ballard.

This time, Anton’s steps headed toward the Ballard family’s slaves.

“Hmm. There’s not a single one with good skills. At best, the stable keeper is the most capable. Other than that, there are three women who can bear children, two strong men, and four young children…”

Anton priced them based solely on their market value this time as well.

“The four children combined will be two gold coins, the women have ordinary looks so all together three gold coins, the two strong men and the stable keeper included… all the slaves together will be ten gold coins.”

This settled 160 gold.

There were still 840 gold remaining in war reparations.

Naturally, the Ballard family didn’t have that much gold in their assets.

Taking the armor and weapons of the dead Rowi for 10 gold coins (Baron Ballard’s body trembled violently even then).

“Combining all the food, jewels, and silver coins the Ballard family currently possesses, it’s worth roughly 400 gold coins. We can still demand 430 more gold coins – what will you do about this?”

For reference, the war reparations of 1,000 gold coins was an amount set by existing customs.

Territorial wars between baronial houses were supposed to pay that level of war reparations.

‘However, since the assessment of those assets is up to the conqueror’s discretion, defeat in war leads directly to following the path of fallen nobility.’

Cliff wore a bitter expression.

He was currently the conqueror and victor, but if he had been defeated, this karma would have returned to him instead.

“…How is the remaining amount usually compensated?”

To Cliff’s question, Anton replied in a cold voice.

“If they have no assets, they must sell their bodies. First, we take the women belonging to the Ballard family, and if that doesn’t cover the price, we take even the family’s men as servants.”

In other words, their status would instantly drop from nobility to slavery.

Truly, the fall of nobility happened in an instant. And the fall of nobility was more miserable than the fall of commoners.

“First, there are three unmarried daughters in the Ballard family. Among them, the second daughter Sophia already belongs to the main house as spoils of the last war, and if you permit it, my lord, I’ll bring the third and fourth daughters to assess their body prices. In my judgment… those two should be worth about 100 gold coins.”

Again, that price assessment was up to the conqueror’s discretion.

The moment Anton assessed the two girls’ value at 100 gold coins, that became the fair price.

‘And even if those two daughters are sold as slaves, the Ballard family’s debt to us still won’t be fully repaid?’

Truly ruthless.

Anton’s cold-hearted squeezing of the Ballard family actually had a reason.

The complete downfall of the Ballard family.

The plan was to make it impossible for the family to continue, turning even all the men into slaves.

‘Only by doing so… could he uproot any seeds of potential revenge, right?’

Cutting grass and pulling roots.

A famous four-character idiom.

Even he wondered if they needed to go this far, but this was the answer provided by this world’s intellectuals.

Cliff opened his mouth.

“…Proceed.”

“Then I’ll first capture them and assess their prices. Once the price assessment is complete, I’ll report to you, my lord. Would you like to see them directly?”

“…No.”

If he saw them, he’d probably soften.

Unmarried daughters remaining in a family in this era meant they were that young.

Cliff looked around Baron Ballard’s study.

There were bookshelves and books that didn’t exist in the Elimis domain.

“…Come to think of it, these should also be priced.”

Books were precious in this era.

They would all have some value.

‘Ah, were these already valued when the manor’s price was assessed?’

Anton probably didn’t properly examine the value of the books here.

Cliff decided to look through the books for now.

And in the process, seeing one particular book, his body froze.

‘This… is runic!’

Among the books on the shelf, there was one with a title written in runic script.

This meant that book was actually a magic tome.

Cliff’s eyes sparkled. Perhaps he had obtained an unexpected spoil of war.

Cliff’s hand reached toward the magic book on the shelf.

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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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