I Inherited a Beautiful Wife and a Territory - Chapter 85
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Inheriting a Beautiful Wife and Estate Episode 085
85. Giant Crocodile
The Elimis domain.
A place where small mountains form a -shape from east to west, with a massive lake to the south.
And beyond the mountains stretched a vast forest.
This forest served as the boundary that divided the Yusta Peninsula from north to south.
‘And…’
Cliff gazed at the lake.
The lake that the Serpent had made its habitat was incredibly wide in both depth and area.
In some ways, you could say this lake made up half of the existing Elimis domain. And from that lake, river branches extended southward in a -shape.
This river connected to the southern part of the Yusta Peninsula, specifically to the Rajahara Sea.
The Rajahara Sea.
‘I think I heard somewhere that whoever controls the sea rules the world.’
He couldn’t remember the exact content, and his memory might be wrong.
It was a very old memory, after all.
But at least one thing was certain. If they could reach the Rajahara Sea, they could obtain considerable wealth.
It was incomparable to something like Serpal from the start.
The southern ports of the Yusta Peninsula had accumulated wealth that ranked among the kingdom’s finest through trade via this Rajahara Sea.
So from the moment he saw this lake and river, he had coveted them. At first, he had held back because of the Serpent living in the lake, and later because he lacked the technology and timber to build ships.
“Ugh!”
“It’s rocking!”
However, now it was difficult for yet another reason.
Far from going out through the river, people were having trouble adapting to the swaying motion on the lake. Moreover, shooting crossbows at targets from this ship was even more difficult.
They were already facing difficulties, not knowing what threats awaited them at sea.
‘At this rate, we’ll become a moving treasure chest…’
The ship, Marun’s masterpiece, was excellent.
Especially the serpent head at the bow not only displayed the ship’s majesty but also emanated a fierce aura that kept surrounding monsters at bay.
But such treasure could invite danger.
‘If we sail out like this and encounter other ships, there’s a good chance those people will turn into pirates.’
Usually monsters were the scary ones, but for them it was the opposite.
What they feared were people.
They weren’t yet familiar with naval tactics. Of course, there were ways to handle this too.
“Ugh. To think I have to wander around on a lake instead of sailing the great ocean with this masterpiece…”
Marun wore a displeased expression.
No matter what he said, it was useless. The Maroon Serpent Ship was temporarily sealed away.
Instead, they had built several ordinary ships that were inferior to it. And now they were launching those ships on the lake for training.
Incidentally, there was no need to make this too elaborate.
‘We can just go to the southern city and recruit new sailors.’
That was Cliff’s thinking.
The southern port had plenty of capable sailors and captains. They could also obtain sailors from slaves who had little possibility of betrayal.
In fact, this was recommended.
If betrayal occurred on a ship, there would be no one to rescue them.
“Set sail!”
In any case, after several weeks of training.
As expected, having skills made learning this quick too.
The ship began moving toward the river. Finally, the southern route from the Elimis domain was opening.
-Quest has been completed
【Set Sail!】
Content: Your domain now has the possibility of reaching the outside world through waterways.
Leave your domain by ship!
Conditions
-Build a ship (Achieved)
-Sail to a place where your domain is no longer visible (Achieved)
Rewards
-Lord Experience 100
-Domain Experience 100
“…Whew.”
Leticia gripped the ship’s railing and let out a sigh. The sight of the Elimis domain had already grown quite distant.
Seeing her finally looking relieved, Cliff spoke to her.
“Were you that worried about it?”
“Of course. Do you know what the women of the domain think of me?”
Leticia’s lament came back.
Come to think of it, he had occasionally heard such talk. That Leticia had bewitched him when he had been devoted to pure love.
In a way, all the trouble had been created by himself and alcohol. But Cliff decided to be shameless at this moment.
He shrugged his shoulders.
“Still, it’s not like Priscilla is giving you the cold shoulder or anything, right?”
“No, that’s not the case, but…”
Her voice lacked strength as she answered.
Cliff said with a smile.
“Then that’s fine. The chatter of other people will disappear with time anyway.”
“Sigh. I suppose so…?”
“Or you could really live as that kind of character. Want to try seducing me?”
Instead of answering Cliff’s words, Leticia rolled her eyes at him.
At that look that seemed to reproach him, Cliff grinned and replied.
“There’s a saying, you know. If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.”
“Sigh. Could you do that, my lord?”
“Well… what do you think?”
At his counter-question, Leticia, who had been looking at him, lowered her head.
Cliff.
He really seemed like he would laugh and enjoy himself no matter what others said.
Wasn’t he doing so even now?
“Whew.”
A whistling sound came from somewhere.
If the domain’s women cursed Leticia for bewitching their lord, the domain’s men envied him for winning two beauties.
The men’s eyes were heated as they watched Cliff converse with Leticia. Cliff was appropriately enjoying their reactions, which seemed somewhat teasing.
This would normally be impossible.
It was difficult for a lord and his people to converse so casually without regard for rank.
‘Thinking about that, he’s certainly an amazing person as a lord… but why is he so annoying?’
Even as Leticia thought this, she frowned at the rocking ship.
“The training on the lake was actually manageable. Now that we’re out on the river, the rocking seems even worse.”
Come to think of it, when the wind wasn’t blowing hard, the ship’s rocking had been relatively mild.
It was more noticeable on the river. And something happened that made Cliff’s expression harden as they traveled down the river.
“What is that…?”
“It’s a Giant Crocodile!”
Crocodile.
Simply put, an alligator.
And they were massive enough to deserve the name “Giant.” These crocodiles that had been living in the river approached upon seeing the incoming ship.
The intimidating presence they brought was considerable.
‘If we had come on the ship with the Serpent’s head, we probably wouldn’t have received this kind of attack…’
It was less intimidating than what the Serpent had shown.
But there were many of them.
There were about five or six Giant Crocodiles, each slightly different in size.
“Undain!”
Leticia urgently called for the spirit.
On a boat like this, there was no more efficient force than a spirit mage. While it was difficult to cast magic requiring concentration on a boat, spirits had no such restrictions and could freely exert their power.
And if it was Undain, it would surely be able to block the Giant Crocodiles’ attacks.
‘Still…’
Cliff’s eyes gleamed.
-Just prevent them from approaching the boat.
He instructed Leticia using message magic, the first spell he had learned and was most familiar with.
She looked slightly surprised but nodded. Meanwhile, Cliff gathered his mana.
‘If this was before I got my staff, I wouldn’t have been able to attempt this…’
Cliff’s eyes gleamed.
He raised the magic staff that Marun had made for him.
And with the staff’s assistance, he created the next most familiar magic.
“Magic Arrow.”
A magical arrow appeared in the air.
Normally, this level of attack couldn’t harm the thick hide of a Giant Crocodile.
Cliff knew this too.
He imbued it with an attribute. It was magic he had learned from Mellie.
‘For creatures living underwater, this attribute is definitely…’
It was quite complex, but everyone had their affinities.
Perhaps because of that, this was actually the most familiar attribute to Cliff himself.
“Lightning Arrow.”
With the incantation, sparks formed around the magical arrow he had created.
The magical arrows blazed with electrical currents visible as sparks.
‘Go.’
He finished aiming.
The arrow flew straight and hit the Giant Crocodile that had come closest and was being held by Undain’s mana.
Crackle.
Though that sound effect didn’t actually occur, there was a similar effect. Lightning-like current swept through the Giant Crocodile’s body.
And that was the end.
It probably wasn’t dead, but the Giant Crocodile fell into the water from the electric shock that penetrated its body. It wasn’t voluntary – it had been knocked unconscious momentarily.
“Waaah!”
Seeing Cliff’s magic, the soldiers’ morale rose.
Their cheering could be heard.
And while they didn’t know Giant Crocodiles inhabited this area, they had prepared to some extent.
“Hup! Hyah!”
A man inhaled deeply, let out a battle cry, and threw a spear.
It was Teobaldt.
His strength remained useful even against aquatic monsters. The harpoon he threw with mana that had rapidly grown after taking an elixir struck the Giant Crocodile’s body.
As it writhed in pain, the river water churned.
Originally, he planned to embed the harpoon in the Giant Crocodile’s body and pull the steel chain. But when the Giant Crocodile spun its body several times, Teobaldt had to release the chain from his hands.
‘What tremendous strength.’
Even enhancing his strength with aura couldn’t help him hold on. The size difference was simply too absurd. And who would have thought it could spin its body so rapidly underwater with that bulk.
However, this wasn’t advantageous for the Giant Crocodile. It ended up wrapped in steel chains all over its body.
And the harpoon already embedded in its body tormented the Giant Crocodile.
‘It probably won’t survive.’
One Giant Crocodile from Cliff’s magic.
And one from Teobaldt’s attack.
Two Giant Crocodiles had been severely wounded. The remaining Giant Crocodiles fled instead of approaching.
“…Should we catch them?”
Leticia asked Cliff.
There was a reason why Cliff and Teobaldt could easily land their attacks.
Leticia had been holding the Giant Crocodiles through her spirit.
Even now, if he just nodded at her question, she was confident she could catch them all.
‘Still…’
For now, he shook his head.
There was no point in catching them. However, there was no need to let go of the Giant Crocodiles they had already wounded.
“…Can you lift them up?”
“Mm. I think it’s possible. But if they resist, it’ll be difficult.”
Giant Crocodiles.
They were different from the Shadow Wolves or Cyclops that had been around the estate. Even in his previous life, crocodile leather was popular.
And this world was the same.
“We can’t let such valuable crocodile leather slip away here. They just need to not resist, right?”
“Yes.”
Hearing her words, Cliff created magical arrows in the air once again.
Had he become much more familiar after one real battle?
This time, not just one or two, but a series of magic arrows were created in the air.
Five, six, seven…
“Lightning Arrow.”
Lightning attributes were imbued into them.
‘Go.’
Soon the Giant Crocodile that had been wounded by Teobaldt and thrashing about.
And the one that had been knocked unconscious by Cliff’s attack also regained consciousness. The magic arrows Cliff shot poured down on those two creatures.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————