I Inherited a Beautiful Wife and a Territory - Chapter 77

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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 077

77. Ospal

Serpal.

Originally, large trading guilds were rare among the merchants who visited this city. But at some point, that began to change.

“Drake Trading Guild, Chris Trading Guild, and even Owen Trading Guild have sent merchants.”

The kingdom’s renowned merchants visited Serpal one after another.

The corners of Baron Serpal’s mouth rose.

“Finally, it seems an opportunity has come to our main family as well.”

An opportunity had arrived.

Unlike the Platice Family, the Serpal Family didn’t aim for central advancement. Rather, they aimed for hegemony over the northern Yusta Peninsula.

With this goal, they had been shaking up the Platice Family, their only competitor. All of that was finally beginning to show results bit by bit.

What was needed for this was money.

‘Until now there were only small fry, but finally the real deal has come!’

Baron Serpal smiled.

He opened his mouth.

“Make sure to carefully select and put up only the finest goods for this auction. We must absolutely win the hearts of the merchants who came to our city!”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

Even when they escorted those merchants to the auction house, the Serpal Family thought only smooth sailing lay ahead.

‘Hmm?’

But the situation that followed took a strange turn.

While some showed interest in the slaves brought up to the auction house, no merchant actually placed any bids. And when the last fallen noblewoman was brought up, they actually showed disappointment.

“Tsk. Just wasted time.”

“Slaves are certainly cheap and valuable. But we can’t see what’s really important here.”

The Serpal Family’s people were flustered.

‘What’s this?’

Serpal’s main product was slaves.

They had been riding high on success through this until now. But the large trading guild merchants were actually negative after seeing this.

And the moment someone delivered news to their ears.

“Ahem. We’ve seen enough. But we’re pressed for time, so we should be going now.”

It was one bewildering moment after another.

“Baron Spain has given us instructions…”

“We also have business the Gustave Family ordered us to do…”

They quickly packed their things and left Serpal.

A flustered Serpal Family member asked them.

“Could you at least tell us where you’re going?”

“Tsk. We’re going to Ospal.”

Ospal?

Those who were initially confused soon realized the location.

‘In the Platice Count’s territory… there?’

Serpal went into emergency mode.

And in the opposite location.

An auction was likewise being held in Ospal as well.

“This item is the greatest masterpiece among the 43 pieces personally crafted by the master artisan Collon.”

An elegant form with a white luster.

“Ooh.”

“Our client will be very pleased!”

The Ospal merchants invited to the auction house lit up with interest.

They had each received commissions from other large trading guilds or retainers of noble families. Then they entered here. Among them were some who had come in accompanying their clients directly.

‘To receive such enormous commissions just for participating in an auction like this…’

The Ospal merchants’ noses went up in the air.

Everyone wanted to come here. And this was because of the finest porcelain sold at this auction house.

“The auction starts at 10 gold. Now, bidding will begin at 10 gold.”

“30 gold!”

“What are you saying. We’ll buy it for 50 gold!”

“70 gold!”

“80!”

Befitting items for nobles, the price jumped rapidly.

As the auction proceeded, the item prices rose even higher.

“700 gold!”

“800!”

“We’ll pay 1,000 gold!”

The woman conducting the auction turned her head toward the one who called out a thousand gold.

She smiled with her eyes and looked around, saying a word.

“We have 1,000 gold. If no one bids higher by the time I count to three, I’ll sell it for 1,000 gold. Three, two…”

“Hmm. 1,200 gold!”

“Oh my. We have 1,200 gold.”

The porcelain was bid on and sold like that.

“Next is celadon with blue luster and elegant patterns carved in. Inside this…”

“1,000 gold!”

This time the price went up before she even finished speaking.

The woman conducting the auction, Maribel, smiled.

‘Yes!’

The higher it sold, the more commission fell to her as well.

She was very greedy.

She turned her head to a place others couldn’t see.

‘You can’t forget what you promised to give me, right?’

The meaning contained in the gaze she sent.

Jaide, who received the look, sighed.

“Who does she take after to be so greedy…”

He was quite surprised at first when she appeared wearing an outfit that showed off her attractive figure.

His younger sister had stepped forward saying she would try conducting the auction herself. And now she was showing off her abilities and charm to her heart’s content.

“Hmm.”

When he promised a small incentive, she became desperate to raise the prices somehow.

‘More than that, it’s really amazing.’

The auction house also belonged to the Elimis Trading Guild.

Also, the profits generated inside didn’t need to be taxed.

This was all the result of Cliff’s conversation with Keren, the Platice Count’s representative. Of course, this could change the moment the Platice Count returned.

‘So we need to quickly develop Ospal before the Count returns.’

Develop Ospal and bring down Serpal.

Amazingly, this phenomenon was already happening. This was because all the homeland merchants who had been heading to Serpal flocked to Ospal instead.

Because of this, families who disliked Serpal, or whose territories were closer to Platice than Serpal, were coming to Ospal.

Bang!

Baron Serpal’s fist that struck the desk trembled with rage.

“What on earth is going on?”

At some point, the flow of money that had been coming to Serpal turned eastward. This made Baron Serpal feel unpleasant.

Of all places, it was Ospal.

‘That village that was falling apart is getting ahead of us? Why?’

Baron Serpal couldn’t understand it.

Still, he grasped more information faster than the homeland.

“The porcelain produced in Elimis Domain is popular among the homeland nobles. So the homeland nobles are demanding that merchants connected to them obtain that porcelain.”

In this way, wealthy merchants and nobles went to Ospal.

A lot of money flowed there, and the number of merchants targeting this also increased.

The beginning of it all was the Elimis Family.

Baron Serpal also knew that name.

“That… the family that is said to have tamed Shadow Wolves?”

“That’s right. And… they won the territorial war against the Ballard Family and became adopted sons of the Platice Family.”

“Didn’t we talk about that family before? I’m sure we decided to keep them in check using nearby territories?”

Baron Serpal asked while looking around the assembly.

Among them, one person in particular lowered his head.

It was the person who had proposed the anti-Elimis alliance and had gone to Baron Renheim.

“That is…”

The man who received his lord’s sharp gaze trembled.

“It failed.”

After reading the room, he ultimately had no choice but to report this.

Baron Serpal’s eyes changed in an instant upon hearing those words. The word ‘failure’ itself was annoying, but he was even angrier about the current situation that arose afterward.

Bang!

“Failure! How can you fail when so much money was spent on that plan!”

The budget taken for that matter was quite substantial.

From the initial Reton Mercenary Company to the money supported to the Renheim Family.

And excluding that, there were also many supports given to Belgur.

But all those benefits had now disappeared. The more Baron Serpal heard the situation report, the more dumbfounded he became.

“You said you’d create an anti-Elimis alliance, but ended up feeding everything to Baron Elimis?”

If that were all, it might be one thing, but they had made the now-grown Baron Elimis hostile to the Serpal Family.

Baron Elimis would have gradually realized it too.

‘This is… troublesome.’

It had become difficult.

What had given Serpal the advantage over the Platice Family until now was precisely Serpal’s economic power. This didn’t simply mean money. The influence through this was an even greater force.

‘And that is now being transferred.’

The Platice Family, and the Elimis Family, could not be allowed to grow any larger.

“Tell me. How can we keep the Elimis Family in check!”

As he shouted, another elderly man spoke up.

“My lord. We must no longer antagonize the Elimis Family.”

“What are you saying now, Youngest Uncle!”

The man called Youngest Uncle sighed.

“This trouble arose because we tried to keep them in check. Originally, the Elimis Merchant Guild would have traded through our Serpal, and through this, Serpal would have prospered even more than before.”

“But aren’t they adopted sons of the Platice Family?”

“Even so, they’re not truly the son of Count Platice.”

They couldn’t have placed the Elimis Family in opposition to the Platice Family.

But they shouldn’t have created an antagonistic relationship with Serpal either. The Youngest Uncle spoke once more.

“If you want to oppose them, you mustn’t try to keep them in check. With that level of resolve, we can only repeat the same mistakes until now. If you choose to oppose them… we must wage war with the resolve that one of us, either we or they, will disappear.”

War.

Baron Serpal flinched upon hearing those words.

“Hmm. Would we need to fight directly ourselves? Like before…”

“That will only make the Elimis Family stronger, my lord.”

His uncle’s words were firm.

Baron Serpal was gradually realizing it too.

The Elimis Family had grown too large. Now, the only ones who could fight them alone were the Serpal Family or the Platice Family.

Or perhaps the southern families.

‘Bringing in the southern families would be impossible.’

That meant the Serpal Family would have to directly lead an army and fight the Elimis Family.

But this lacked justification.

And even if they somehow created justification, it would be difficult.

“Also, you must know, my lord. If we move our army, the Platice Family won’t just stand by either.”

“Damn it!”

Baron Serpal scratched his head vigorously.

“Argh!”

Frustrated by the situation not going well, he screamed as if going mad. Still not satisfied, he glared at the retainer who had suggested the ‘anti-Elimis alliance.’

“Cut off that bastard’s head immediately and send it to the Elimis Family!”

“My, my lord!”

“Also, take all that bastard’s wife and children and make them slaves! Send them to the Elimis Family and…”

Baron Serpal pressed his lips tightly together.

He was too angry.

“And… make peace with them without fail. Youngest Uncle!”

“Yes, my lord.”

“I’ll leave it to you, Uncle. Make sure the Elimis Merchant Guild does business in Serpal, not Ospal!”

Having said that, Baron Serpal slumped his body.

‘I thought that with even Count Platice going to the Central, I could now definitely control this Yusta Peninsula.’

A single massive family encompassing the northern Yusta Peninsula.

That ambition had now crumbled.

Rather, everything was now flowing toward the Elimis Family.

“Don’t be choosy about means and methods. Whatever he wants, even if he wants to take all my daughters, I’ll accept it. No, tell him I’ll give him this Serpal even if he wants it!”

“My, my lord!”

“What do you mean…!”

People were shocked.

But Baron Serpal was sincere.

“He’ll fully understand that joining hands with us is more profitable than with the Platice Family! Persuade him! Without fail!”

He would definitely make the Elimis Merchant Guild an ally of Serpal.

Then it would be done.

With that, the hegemony of the northern Yusta Peninsula would pass to the Serpal 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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