I Inherited a Beautiful Wife and a Territory - Chapter 72

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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 072

72. Alliance

There’s a scene from Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

During the war between Yuan Shu and Liu Bei, Lu Bu appears and mediates between the two.

At that time, Lu Bu hit the halberd with an arrow, convincing Yuan Shu’s army to retreat…

‘Well, there was a story like that.’

Now the memory is hazy.

This time, Cliff’s role became exactly that Lu Bu from the story.

The two armies were still only facing off, before any fierce battle had taken place. In this situation, a negotiation table was arranged through Cliff’s mediation.

“Tsk.”

However, both Baron Renheim and Baron Berkheim sitting at the table had uncomfortable expressions.

First, Baron Berkheim spoke.

“We have never caused harm to the Renheim family, so what is the reason for this kind of unilateral declaration of war?”

He was certainly a simple person indeed.

In this situation, he thought the initiative was with him. But reality was different.

Baron Renheim only frowned at Baron Berkheim’s words, gave no answer at all, and only looked at Cliff.

“Baron Renheim!”

Baron Berkheim, thinking he was being ignored, shouted and jumped up from his seat.

“If you continue to act so insincerely like this, our Berkheim family has no intention of negotiating with the Renheim family. Baron Elimis, we shall continue the war…”

“I apologize, but I came here only to mediate between the two families, thinking of my connection with the Berkheim family. I have no intention of siding with the Berkheim family and spilling blood with the Renheim family.”

“What, what?”

Baron Berkheim was flustered by Cliff’s words.

“I have already told Baron Renheim as well, but the Elimis family desires peace between the two families.”

What Cliff was saying now was his honest feelings.

‘What could we possibly gain from these two families fighting here.’

War is good only when you win without spilling blood.

Here, blood included not only allies but also enemies. Only then could it be called a complete victory.

That was Cliff’s view of war.

‘That way I can use these people where I need them.’

With this, Baron Berkheim stammered and couldn’t speak properly.

Baron Renheim glanced at him and said.

“The Renheim family also has no intention of fighting with the Elimis family.”

Previously, he had sent his cherished knights and soldiers to even target the Elimis Merchant Guild, but now Baron Renheim was saying this.

After saying this to Cliff, he turned his head to look at Baron Berkheim.

“Since the Berkheim family also seems to want to fight with us, let’s decide that only the two families who want to fight will fight.”

Excluding the Elimis family,

Baron Renheim was trying to lead this into a war between the Renheim and Berkheim families.

If that happened, Baron Renheim was confident he could easily win against the Berkheim family.

“Hik!”

And Baron Berkheim felt this too.

After making eye contact with Baron Renheim, he was startled and sat back down.

“W-we also have no particular intention of fighting with the Renheim family. As I said before, there was originally no grudge between our two families, wasn’t there?”

A quick change of stance.

While adding words that shifted the responsibility for war to the Renheim family.

Baron Berkheim was actually dissatisfied about this part.

“Hmph.”

Baron Renheim sneered after hearing those words.

Looking at Baron Berkheim, he was gradually realizing.

‘What a pathetic fellow. Then surely this matter has nothing to do with his responsibility.’

All Belgur.

It must have been that person’s doing.

And Baron Berkheim seemed completely unaware of this.

“Do you truly claim not to know about what happened at the border between our two domains?”

Still, he asked once.

Even though he was foolish, Baron Renheim was frustrated to just let it slide. But even to those words, Baron Berkheim didn’t know the answer he hoped for.

“The border region… Then you mean the story of the raiders who attacked the Elimis Merchant Guild?”

Here the conversation became difficult.

In any case, from the Renheim family’s position, they couldn’t upset Cliff now.

They absolutely couldn’t say that they were the ones who attacked Cliff.

‘He might already have noticed… no. If that were the case, he would have chosen to fight me rather than arrange such a meeting.’

Cliff had no thoughts of retaliation.

Since his family name came up, Cliff joined the conversation between the two.

“Is the attack on my merchant guild related to this war?”

Even while asking, Cliff also knew.

‘He can’t answer.’

Or he would answer falsely.

Just asking this question itself would be pressure for the Renheim family.

And he might get angry.

‘They planned it all and then…’

The Berkheim family.

He couldn’t say that they planned it and his family executed it.

Baron Renheim eventually deflected with an irrelevant answer.

“At that time, we also lost one knight and twenty precious soldiers.”

“Oh my…”

Cliff deliberately showed a sympathetic expression.

Baron Renheim’s expression was complex as he heard that exclamation.

‘It must be complex. It would be hard to judge whether to be angry at my playing dumb, or to be relieved.’

But Cliff offered comfort with a face that knew nothing.

“You must have been deeply saddened.”

“Hmph. If you suffered damage, you shouldn’t have thought of starting a war like this!”

Baron Berkheim interjected from the side.

He seemed quite hurt by this war. Baron Renheim also frowned at this and sighed.

Getting angry at Baron Berkheim was meaningless anyway.

Rather than such conversation, he looked at Cliff.

“I would like to hear the Elimis family’s intentions.”

“I still haven’t gotten an answer to my question…!”

“Now, now, don’t get too heated, Baron Berkheim. Isn’t this a meeting where we gathered to have good conversations with each other?”

Three-way talks.

Within this, the initiative had completely passed to Cliff.

Cliff opened his mouth.

‘First… Domain Declaration.’

This was the first time he had tried using this on skilled knights.

Cliff made this meeting place his domain. Naturally, even the small and minute movements of the two barons were vividly transmitted to Cliff.

Cliff opened his mouth.

“First, I will ask Baron Renheim. When our army here sides with the Berkheim family, if both sides fight, what would be the Renheim family’s chances of victory?”

It was such a blatant question that he was flustered.

“Are you… threatening me now?”

His expression hardened, while conversely Baron Berkheim’s expression became triumphant.

“How could this be a threat? I’m merely reminding you of the risks when these negotiations break down.”

Cliff shamelessly answered Baron Renheim’s words.

‘I can’t underestimate him just because he’s young.’

Baron Renheim grew tense.

This negotiation seemed like it would result in great losses for him. Baron Berkheim became even more spirited.

“No matter how strong the Renheim family’s forces are, they can’t handle the combined strength of two families! The very fact that you’re asking if this is a threat shows you have no confidence in winning.”

He kept provoking the person next to him for some reason. Cliff posed the same question to Baron Berkheim.

“What price do you think the Berkheim family should pay for borrowing fifty cavalry?”

“A, a price you say?”

He was flustered.

But Cliff’s voice remained calm.

“Considering our relationship, I came running to mediate when you said you were in trouble. But fighting together is a different story.”

“….”

Baron Berkheim seemed to be gradually catching on.

‘He’s been saying this consistently from the start… What a consistent person.’

He hadn’t come here to fight.

Of course, if negotiations broke down, then he would have to fight.

“For that level of cavalry… I’d have to offer no small amount of gold.”

Baron Renheim spoke mockingly to Baron Berkheim.

“I would demand at least ten gold coins per person.”

“T, ten gold coins…”

“And that’s the minimum. I have no intention of pricing my life and my army’s lives cheaply. Roughly… it would be over two thousand gold coins.”

“Gasp!”

Baron Berkheim turned pale.

With that amount, even if he won the war, Baron Berkheim wouldn’t gain anything. Rather, the Berkheim family itself might end up belonging to Cliff.

“Isn’t that, isn’t that too greedy?”

“That price includes the lives of the Elimis family soldiers… but perhaps the survival of the Berkheim family hangs in the balance as well.”

At Cliff’s words, his face turned pale.

If the Elimis family’s army withdrew, would Baron Renheim spare him and his family?

“Hic.”

Now he could no longer think of provoking Baron Renheim.

“In the end, everything must follow whatever Baron Elimis decides. Whether it’s me… or Baron Berkheim.”

Baron Renheim said this while looking into Cliff’s eyes.

He had put it well.

‘The initiative here lies entirely with me.’

He had reminded each other of their risks.

If they went to war like this, both families would either fall or go bankrupt.

But Cliff didn’t immediately desire such an outcome either.

“Is there really a need for neighboring families to fight each other?”

Cliff smiled as he revealed his true intentions.

“What are you trying to say?”

“A formal alliance.”

“An alliance?”

Baron Renheim looked bewildered.

Previously, he had formed an unofficial alliance with the Berkheim family.

‘Though Baron Berkheim seems unaware of it.’

So while that wasn’t important, he was currently at war with the Berkheim family.

Would it really be possible to make all of this disappear and have the two families form an alliance?

“An alliance…”

Baron Berkheim also looked bewildered.

Cliff spoke to him.

“There would be nothing bad about it from the Berkheim family’s perspective either. Once an alliance is formed between us, wouldn’t the elite soldiers of Elimis and Renheim come to rescue the Berkheim family in times of crisis without needing to pay a price?”

A military alliance.

Not a simple non-aggression pact, but a mutual defense treaty.

A form where if one ally was attacked, the other allies had an obligation to actively step forward and help.

‘Huh?’

Baron Berkheim’s expression changed.

“And once an alliance is formed, exchanges between our three territories will increase. Then which route will they use for these exchanges?”

The Berkheim territory was located in the center.

His territory would be the route through which Cliff and the Renheim territory would have to exchange.

“Ahem.”

There would certainly be income generated from that.

“Indeed, it seems the Berkheim family would actually gain the greatest benefit.”

Baron Renheim also said this.

He looked at Cliff and asked.

“What benefits would our Renheim and your Elimis family gain?”

“It’s simple.”

Cliff said.

“I can hire reliable mercenaries, and the Renheim family will also gain a new trustworthy trading partner.”

Jaide recalled what Cliff had said before.

He had definitely said he would find mercenaries.

‘So that was… Renheim’s mercenaries?’

It was hard to believe.

That two families who had harbored hostility toward each other were now joining hands.

“Ha, haha…”

Simply gaining mercenaries wasn’t everything.

With this, Cliff had made the western territories his allies. The eastern territory had always been under the strong influence of the Platis family.

No forces remained in this vicinity that could pose a direct threat to the Elimis family.

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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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