I Inherited a Beautiful Wife and a Territory - Chapter 42

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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 042

42. Conclusion

Enduring hardships to accomplish one’s revenge.

The story of King Fuchai of Wu and King Goujian of Yue that became the origin of this phrase.

Simply put, it’s a tale of revenge. Though that history didn’t exist in this world, the lesson itself was applicable in this world as well.

So completely exterminating the family line.

He understood Anton’s actions.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel sorry about it. So he entrusted it to him. Cliff delegated it to Anton and didn’t even leave this study.

He only planned to receive reports.

Adolf came to see him at that time.

“I and my master… have incurred a great debt to the Ruler of Elimis.”

He first acknowledged the Ballard family’s wrongdoing.

Also, instead of simply begging for forgiveness, he asked to take responsibility.

If anything, it was a sincere apology.

So he said.

“You are truly… a wise person. Baron Ballard is enviable for having someone like you as a retainer.”

He wasn’t just straightforward.

Cliff gradually read his resolution.

And through Anton beside him, who was surprised and still couldn’t follow the flow, he also realized.

‘That person deliberately came to me while hiding this decision from Sir Anton.’

He pleaded with him, not Anton.

“…However, since I am Ballard’s sword, I wish to offer myself to the Ruler of Elimis in place of the Ballard family’s debt. Please set a price for my worth so that the debt the Ballard family owes can be repaid.”

If he had said this to Anton, he might not have received proper compensation.

So he voiced this resolution before him.

Cliff asked him.

“What do you think your worth is?”

“How could I, who have committed sins, bargain with the Ruler of Elimis? I only hope that my master will be someone praised by the people.”

A master who receives praise.

“Heh.”

A chuckle escaped from Cliff.

‘He really is an amazing fellow?’

Even if he tried to hide it, the transaction between him and Adolf couldn’t be concealed in the end. It would be revealed before the people.

Then people would surely praise Adolf’s loyalty and righteousness. What if he had lowballed Adolf’s worth at that time?

They might have criticized him for not giving proper treatment to a knight’s loyalty.

‘He’s indirectly reminding me of this by saying he hopes I’ll be praised? This is why gaining wisdom is better than gaining a thousand gold, and why a single word can repay a debt of a thousand nyang.’

Yes, he is a knight worth a thousand gold.

Cliff made his decision.

“Your price is one thousand gold.”

“My, my lord!”

At Cliff’s declaration, Anton cried out in dismay.

One thousand gold.

It was exactly the amount of this war’s reparations. In other words, Adolf alone could repay all the reparations.

“What meaning would there be in taking Ballard’s household as slaves anyway.”

Cliff spoke firmly while looking at Anton’s expression.

“The Ballard family can no longer put down roots here either. Have our house purchase the property they can’t take with them at the price Sir Anton assessed.”

“You’re saying… to pay for it?”

“It’s not even full price anyway.”

As he said, it was a price set at a bargain rate.

Still, this too was no small amount of money.

It would surely be a great help for the Ballard family’s recovery. Adolf felt relieved and moved upon hearing this.

Even if there was a transaction, this was Cliff showing mercy. He could have massacred the Ballard family, but he chose not to.

“For my master’s decision… this servant can only be grateful.”

He expressed gratitude while still prostrated.

Cliff looked at Anton.

“Since it has been decided, handle the arrangements. There’s no need to keep Ballard’s household, who are disgusting to look at, in the estate any longer, right? Load his belongings and household onto his carriage and send them away.”

Unlike the relieved Adolf, Anton’s expression was dark.

Cliff also knew the reason for this.

Cliff’s eyes gleamed as he added more words.

“However, they cannot take this estate’s finances, which are not the Ballard family’s possessions. They will become my spoils of war along with this estate.”

The estate’s wealth was the lord’s property.

This was the basic formula of this era.

In other words, the lord’s property was also the estate’s finances. Upon hearing Cliff’s words, Anton’s complexion returned to that of a hunter.

‘I wonder how much Sir Anton will classify as estate finances and how much as family property?’

He could see him frantically working a calculator in his head.

“I will do as ordered.”

“Still, don’t take too much. Then tell those who no longer have ties to the estate to leave quickly.”

Since he had said this, he would let them take some gold coins.

But those gold coins wouldn’t be usable for the Ballard family’s recovery.

‘We should also take care of the other creditors a little. And if we’re going to make a show of it, it would be good to create debts to them as well.’

He didn’t let Adolf hear this.

Cliff recalled.

The magic book he had been reading just moments ago.

The formulas within it.

-Anton.

Anton, who was about to leave, turned to look at him.

An uncertain expression.

Cliff spoke with a smile.

-Don’t answer, just listen.

As he spoke, Cliff felt pleasure.

‘Success!’

It seemed he was strong in actual practice after all.

-Tell the Platis knights that we purchased the Ballard family’s property.

Anton soon showed an expression of realization.

He looked at Cliff with an admiring face.

‘Anton seems to have caught on to what I’m saying too…’

It was fortunate that he was someone he could communicate with.

-Go now.

Anton withdrew.

Cliff’s gaze now turned to Adolf.

He was still prostrated.

It seemed he had truly resolved to become a slave.

“As you know, Slave Knights must be branded. Moreover, you’re claiming to be a retainer of someone who was my enemy.”

“I know. I’m already prepared.”

Once branded, he couldn’t disobey his master’s commands.

He had to obey any command completely.

Cliff opened his mouth.

“Really… won’t you regret it?”

Even Cliff, who usually enjoyed a deliberately cheerful manner of speaking, couldn’t show a playful attitude in such a situation.

At that serious question, Adolf thought for a moment.

“I will… regret it. But even if I regret it, if the same moment came again, I would make the same choice.”

He was truly a loyal person.

What reason could he possibly have for being so loyal to the Ballard family?

Even if he heard it, there was a high probability that Cliff wouldn’t understand. That’s what Cliff was thinking. This kind of person was simply born this way.

A person with an upright temperament.

Otherwise, no matter how great a favor they received, humans would betray.

‘This person is someone who was born unable to betray.’

That made him all the more precious.

He had gained a satisfactory person.

While Cliff was satisfied, Adolf was managing his complicated feelings.

‘To my daughter… I’m sorry.’

A daughter whose mother had also died early.

He couldn’t properly take care of the poor child and instead often scolded her harshly.

Even so, she loved her father and admired him, saying his work was wonderful – how would she feel when she learned of this decision?

Adolf apologized inwardly.

‘This father is truly… sorry.’

Still, if she was a strong-willed daughter, she wouldn’t starve to death even without him.

Cliff called Teobaldt to take him to an empty room in the manor.

He truly couldn’t carelessly release him until he became a slave. He also had Teobaldt personally handle the surveillance.

Meanwhile, the manor became bustling.

“It seems the Ballard family members are gradually leaving.”

Those who had narrowly escaped death through his deal with Adolf.

However, separate from that deal, most of their assets were being seized as if stolen, claimed as domain finances.

They were destined to be driven from the domain with only their bodies and clothes. Still, since he had given his word, he would let them take some things.

‘But they’re not the type to quietly leave with just that.’

They would be protesting that it was unfair.

But it was useless.

“If they keep that up… I can arrest them on charges of causing disturbances in the domain.”

He wouldn’t actually arrest them, just threaten them.

Even if they didn’t go to prison, they’d have to pay fines. If they wanted to protect even their small assets, they had only one choice.

To curse once and leave the manor.

The manor that had thus quieted down.

Only then did the status window declare the end of this war.

-Quest has been completed.

The experience points for both the domain status window and the lord status window increased.

Also, even though the level didn’t increase, the dignity stat and the levels of two categories went up.

‘This is quite beneficial. Ah, come to think of it, I haven’t invested points in any category since completing the last quest?’

Two categories had increased as quest rewards.

And he had one point remaining that could raise category levels.

[Elimis Domain (Lv.9)]

[Economy (Lv.1)] [Military (Lv.3)]

[Culture (Lv.1)] [Environment (Lv.2)]

[Diplomacy (Lv.2)] [Education (Lv.1)]

[Mana (Lv.1)] [Special (Lv.2)]

[Remaining Points: 1]

The domain status window he currently had.

Military and Diplomacy each gained 3 new skill points.

-Flag of Peace (Lv. 2)

-Fellowship (Lv. 2)

-Public Order (Lv. 1)

-Master of Trade (Lv. 1)

The domain had become even larger.

Also, unlike the previous Elimis Domain, traffic from outsiders would now increase.

Skill distribution considering this.

-Physical Training (Lv. 4)

-Morale Maintenance (Lv. 1)

-Fighting Spirit (Lv. 1)

-Guardian’s Will (Lv. 3)

Military skill distribution was also complete.

Gradually, Fighting Spirit, which he hadn’t raised before, had also increased.

And the last remaining point was the problem.

Cliff’s eyes turned to one place.

‘I need a lot of people.’

His domain had grown even larger.

He needed that many more people to work. So there was a skill that caught his eye.

-Hidden Masters (Lv. 0): Increases probability of unaffiliated talents visiting

This very skill.

A skill in the Education category that he hadn’t raised before.

‘It would be good to raise this one this time.’

-Hidden Masters (Lv. 3)

The skill level increased.

It was the moment when Cliff was satisfied like this. The quiet outside became noisy again.

‘What’s this now?’

Vivian.

The daughter of Knight Adolf, she was already 20 years old.

Normally, she should have already married by that age. But she still hadn’t married. The reason was simple.

She was far from this world’s ideal of a submissive woman.

‘I’m going to be a knight.’

She chose to be a knight rather than a woman.

And even though a woman’s body was frail, aura techniques made her stronger than grown men.

“I must meet Baron Elimis! I must meet him and ask why he’s detaining my father!”

Baron Ballard had also left.

But why couldn’t her father return?

She went to the Ballard family mansion that Baron Elimis had occupied. And she defeated the soldiers who tried to stop her.

The elite soldiers who had overcome the fear of death were ridiculously unable to defeat her alone.

“Baron Elimis! I am Vivian, daughter of Knight Adolf! I’ve come to see my father whom you’re holding captive!”

The commotion she was causing.

Her voice was so loud that even Cliff inside the manor could hear it.

Cliff came out and shook his head.

‘I already knew rumors would spread…’

The news of his deal with Adolf would spread faster than expected.

At least it was fortunate.

If he had lowballed Adolf’s worth at this time, many knights across the continent would have refused to come to Cliff.

“What should we do? That woman doesn’t seem ordinary either… To subdue her, we’d need to call Miss Leticia’s spirits or Lord Teobaldt here.”

Cliff, who received the question, smiled slightly.

‘Is this the influence of the skill, or was it just coincidence?’

Cliff opened his mouth.

“Let her meet that father as she wishes.”

“Eh? But…”

“Don’t worry. Lord Adolf is an upright person, so he won’t break his deal with me.”

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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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