I Inherited a Beautiful Wife and a Territory - Chapter 78

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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 078

78. Competition

An earlier harvest than usual.

The autumn wheat harvest led by Gusillon, the Dark Elf Elder, had begun. And everyone watching this harvest let out amazed gasps of admiration.

“Truly… the harvest yield has increased by twice what it was before.”

It was natural.

The current economic level was 4.

And through this, two agricultural skills were obtained.

Seeds of Life (Lv. max).

Crop Growth Acceleration (Lv. 2).

As long as these two skills existed, rapid growth was inevitable.

This applied not only to autumn wheat but also to spring wheat. Gusillon, an expert, was rather surprised by this sight.

“Originally, this region had late sowing, so spring wheat needed time to fully ripen… It seems the varieties have evolved to suit this region.”

Crop Growth Acceleration.

Thanks to this skill, the growth rate of spring wheat had increased. Leticia’s spirits were also a great help.

Thanks to her, spring sowing was faster than usual. With such factors considered, the production of all varieties increased significantly.

In the case of autumn wheat, it could have been dangerous during winter, but thanks to Seeds of Life, most survived successfully.

“The harvest is greater than we thought.”

A bountiful harvest through this.

Of course, it was still lacking by objective standards, but Nigel even showed tears.

“This year’s harvest can be considered twice that of last year. At this rate… Elimis Village won’t need to import food from outside anymore.”

Nigel spoke with a moved expression.

He recalled what Cliff had said last year. Even then, when Nigel was happy about the good harvest, Cliff had spoken about self-sufficiency.

But now there was no room for such criticism.

‘To think we’ve truly become capable of self-sufficiency…’

What was the reason people like Bellman could run rampant in the Elimis Domain before?

It was because food self-sufficiency was impossible. That shortage only ended when Cliff arrived.

‘Now is the time when we can bring in new family members instead of selling our families to outsiders.’

Various crafts and specialty products of the domain had emerged.

Meanwhile, interest in agriculture declined and cultivated land decreased, but production levels exceeded 2-3 times what they were before.

Nigel said.

“All of this is thanks to you, my lord.”

“It’s the result of God’s blessing upon us.”

Cliff replied halfheartedly to Nigel’s words.

But this statement was somewhat sincere. And it had become a habit from some point on.

‘Actually, I can’t really feel the effects of the blessing that much…’

Still, looking back over time, things were really going well.

What he had thought when raising his blessing skill. He wondered if blessing people would make the domain residents prosperous, and whether it was because of that or not, they were gradually becoming well-off residents.

So although there were no visible results, he now believed in it.

‘This skill definitely has an effect.’

Later, he should give blessings during sowing time too.

He thought that might produce even better results.

“What we need now is people.”

Looking at these results, Cliff muttered.

No longer needing food imports was based on Elimis Village’s standards. Including other villages, the food situation was still insufficient.

But even accepting this, what was needed was a larger population.

‘I need to increase farmland.’

Not just increasing farmland, but also increasing specialized craftsmen. They were gradually selecting skilled people from Ballard Village and calling them to Elimis Village.

Through this, the quality and quantity of crafts produced in the domain increased daily.

So customers targeting this also came.

“…So where did you say the guest has arrived?”

“They’re coming to the village through the road that Elder Belgimov laid out, so they should arrive soon.”

After Viscount Gordon, who had brought news of the former Elimis Baron’s death and the Ballard Family’s territorial war, this was the first time a noble guest had visited.

Of course, even though they were nobility, they didn’t hold a title.

However, someone harder to ignore than Viscount Gordon had come here.

“I’ve heard stories from people from this village. I’ve never heard of such an excellent domain…”

The other party was an elderly man.

Next to him was a young pink-haired girl, but Cliff deliberately didn’t look at the girl.

“You are truly worthy of being a descendant who inherited the blood of a noble person.”

The old man bowed his head to him with flattery.

Cliff smiled bitterly at those gilded words.

‘Previously, I was told I wasn’t pure-blooded when coming here.’

The noble bloodline he was mentioning now.

He was probably referring to the Duke’s family. To speak of himself, a bastard, in this way was indeed…

‘He doesn’t want to treat me as an adopted son of the Platys Family?’

He could feel the old man’s intention to treat him not as Count Platys’s adopted son, but as the Duke’s son.

Cliff deliberately showed a cold attitude in front of him.

“So what brings the Serpal Elder all the way here?”

“I came to convey my apologies to the Baron.”

Hearing his words, Cliff felt that his opponent was formidable.

He was indeed worthy of being a Serpal Family elder.

Nothing he said was casual. Cliff flinched at the sudden apology.

‘It seems he knows that I’m aware of their schemes…’

He came knowing that.

It was a sign that he would definitely appease his feelings. Perhaps it was the Serpal Family’s intention to surrender.

Of course, that didn’t mean he was in a superior position to the Serpal Family.

‘We’re still too weak to say we’re at that level.’

The Serpal Family was still stronger in terms of power.

Of course, even this might change if he brought all the Shadow Clan from the forest, but the Dark Elves were still a hidden force.

He would reveal them if necessary, but exposing the Dark Elves now might cause more harm than good.

“Coming to apologize means… there must have been wrongdoing?”

Apology started with first confessing one’s mistakes.

Cliff looked at his opponent with this meaning. The opponent also bowed his head further, trying to appease Cliff’s emotions.

“It’s truly embarrassing and regrettable. One of our family’s blood relatives joined hands with the Berkheim Family, your neighboring domain, and caused trouble.”

“…”

“It was sending bandits to your domain, Baron.”

The Reton Mercenary incident.

“They hired a mercenary group to cause disturbance in your domain, and when your attention turned to those bandits, the Berkheim Family would attack your merchant group – that was the plan.”

How coincidental his words were.

Right now, Cliff was allied with the Berkheim Family.

‘So he’s not thinking of driving a wedge between me and my ally… Since he’s showing mercy to the Berkheim Family as an accomplice, is he asking for mercy for themselves too?’

The old man opened his mouth again.

“I swear the head of the main family knew nothing of this matter’s details. Only recently did he hear this news, sigh in dismay, and send me to you, Baron. And…”

The old man turned his gaze to the side.

The girl received that gaze and stepped forward.

“The one who committed that act was beheaded and his head displayed, and his wife and children were all made slaves. Also, his house and all his property were decided to be given to Baron Elimis.”

Hearing her words, Cliff could guess what the Serpal Family was thinking.

‘Is Belgur offering all his property to me the precedent?’

They seemed to think that was why Belgur was forgiven by him.

And based on Belgur’s case, they wanted to continue dealing with him.

“The manor where he lived is now also property of the Elimis Family, so you may use it as you see fit.”

Cliff showed interest at the old nobleman’s words.

‘They’re asking me to come to their territory and do business.’

Then he would have to visit that territory at least once to recover this property.

But Cliff actually sneered instead.

“Even if there’s a building in a city where enemies who want to kill me reside, would that house truly be my home?”

It was a sharp remark.

The old nobleman bowed his head even lower upon hearing those words. Conversely, the still young girl even flushed red in the face.

A girl who seemed to be the daughter or relative of Serpal Baron.

‘She probably hasn’t heard such words to her face before?’

So the girl’s eyes were glaring at him venomously.

For her, who had lived as a princess as nobility of Serpal, being in such a subordinate position wouldn’t be familiar.

“That’s all a misunderstanding. Even the Serpal bloodline that was hostile to the Baron has already been executed, so who would dare harbor intentions to harm the Baron in Serpal?”

After the old man said this much, he subtly added more.

“If there really were such a person, they would be external forces hoping for our two families’ relationship to sour, not Serpal forces.”

Though he didn’t mention it specifically, it was clear who he meant by external forces. And Cliff frowned upon hearing this story.

‘If they say this, it really seems like they’ll do something?’

He could imagine them doing something and then making excuses that it was the work of external forces.

“I’ve heard your apology well. But I can’t really trust words alone.”

Cliff decided to speak directly.

The old nobleman bowed his head and said.

“Please say anything. The head of Serpal said to accept any conditions if it would appease the Baron’s anger.”

It was truly a blank check that Cliff wanted to hear.

‘They’re giving this much?’

Then he was willing to have a slightly more serious conversation with them.

Of course, he didn’t really intend to actually converse with them. Cliff spoke to the old nobleman in a subtle voice.

“One hundred serf households.”

“…?”

“If you send one hundred serf households and enough food for them to eat for a year, I’ll believe Serpal’s sincerity.”

The Elimis Domain needed people to develop further.

So he mentioned serfs.

The old nobleman’s eyes wavered as he heard Cliff’s words. As if he hadn’t expected Cliff to say such a thing.

“Hehe.”

He burst into laughter.

“Ah, and… there are mercenaries and workers who died while escorting our Elimis Merchant Guild. Please distribute the property that was recovered to our family among those bereaved families.”

Cliff added.

Again, the old nobleman’s pupils shook.

Cliff was mentioning conditions he had never heard before. The old nobleman who had been listening quietly asked.

“That… it’s difficult to know who the families of wandering mercenaries are.”

“I’ll trust the Serpal Family’s capabilities in that matter.”

It seemed like he was saying the Serpal Family could just take it back if they wanted.

But that probably wasn’t really the case.

‘He’s someone without personal greed.’

This became difficult.

The old nobleman thought so.

The old nobleman, who had been admiring Cliff one by one, bowed his head and said.

“Everything will be handled according to the Baron’s words.”

The Serpal noble who had paid his respects left.

And they were certainly in a hurry indeed.

‘They’re sending them quickly?’

By the time the spring wheat harvest began, over one hundred serf households had already arrived in Elimis Village.

Cliff designated a location and had houses built. The foundation was already laid and materials prepared.

As houses were being erected in this situation, Cliff waited for his next guest.

‘It’s about time they came…’

The lobbying that the Serpal Family was doing toward him should have reached someone’s ears by now.

And as expected, they came running.

And it was quite a big shot too.

“Serpal nobles came and gave you gifts?”

It was Count Platice.

While trying to appear as calm as possible, his face held anxiety about losing Cliff.

“You’re surely not thinking of joining hands with those Serpal bastards, are you?”

His adoptive father asked, hiding his unease.

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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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