I Inherited a Beautiful Wife and a Territory - Chapter 9

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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 009

9. Military Development

Elimis Domain.

There really is nothing here.

Not only resources, but talent as well. In such a domain, Nigel was a precious resource.

“Ahh…”

The old man’s eyes reddened upon hearing what he had said.

That old man bowed his head.

Through the previous events, he had admired Cliff’s nobility. He possessed wisdom so high that Nigel found it difficult to fathom.

And this time, he admired his broad heart.

‘To meet someone who acknowledges me this much…’

He had met a master worthy of being called master far too late.

With that thought, Nigel bowed his head.

“I cannot help but feel deep emotion and admiration for the lord’s deputy’s broad heart and high wisdom.”

He expressed the emotion he was feeling now with elegant words.

Cliff quietly listened to those words.

“Please forgive me for judging the lord’s deputy with my narrow and small mind until now. From now on, this old life will be used only for the lord’s deputy.”

Cliff smiled.

‘Perfect.’

Anyone could see that Nigel was a stubborn person.

The fact that he was moved once, that he bowed his head like that, had great meaning in itself. At the very least, he wasn’t someone who would easily betray or change.

‘He might continue to stubbornly nitpick like this in the future, but at least his loyalty won’t change.’

An upright person.

Along with that honest character, he was an intellectual of this domain.

This domain, which already lacked talent, needed such a person. He planned to develop him beyond an elder into a principal.

Of course, that would be for later.

For now, it was the army.

“We should gradually organize the domain’s army. Please gather them.”

“I will follow the lord’s deputy’s instructions.”

Cliff could gradually guess the Quest mechanism.

When he first clicked on the economy category, a Quest related to economics appeared. This time was the same.

【Lord’s Dignity】

Content: With your proof, the commoners now trust and expect from you. However, a monarch needs to make the people think that he will protect them.

The domain still only has shabby military forces.

Bandits don’t fear the domain’s guards, and the commoners don’t trust the guard.

Change their perception and cultivate an army that will demonstrate the lord’s dignity.

Conditions

-Train 50 soldiers

-Eliminate criminal organizations

Rewards

-Lord experience 50

-Domain experience 100

Looking at the Quest, he could tell.

‘It seems there are criminal organizations even in this shabby domain.’

Perhaps because of poverty, such organizations existed even more.

Also, a domain cut off from the outside.

There were no better conditions for criminals who had committed crimes outside and were wanted to gather.

He would have to root them out someday, but for now, inspecting the domain soldiers came first.

“Hmm.”

Cliff examined the men who had assembled at the training ground following his orders.

Actually, he roughly knew the level of this domain’s soldiers.

But seeing them directly, they were even more sloppy than he thought.

‘Formation is a mess, uniforms are all different, posture is slovenly.’

At least their stamina should be good, but that didn’t seem likely either.

He understood the explanation in the Quest content. Soldiers that the commoners couldn’t trust and criminals didn’t fear.

That description fit perfectly.

About thirty such people were here.

Cliff stepped up to the platform at the training ground and declared.

“Are these all the soldiers?”

“That’s correct.”

“The numbers are too few. These won’t do. Recruit soldiers to over 100 men. And for a while, our domain soldiers will eat meals with me.”

“Eh?”

Increasing the military force to over 100 men was something Nigel could easily accept.

But having all those people dine together with Cliff.

This alone was incomprehensible even to Nigel’s mind.

“Are you saying you’ll invite all the troops to the lord’s deputy’s meal?”

This was getting too big.

To the flustered Nigel, Cliff said.

“How could that be? Just prepare their meals a bit more generously than usual. Set up the meal here at the training ground. I’ll also come to the training ground to eat.”

“Gasp!”

A noble joining commoners at their table.

This was incomprehensible by Nigel’s common sense. But Nigel was now gradually understanding Cliff.

‘If the lord’s deputy, who is wiser than me, says so, there must be a reason. More than that, no matter how much it’s a commoner’s meal, preparing meals for that many people will be a large expense.’

This domain still had difficulty with self-sufficient production.

For now, they were fine with the supplies Tom’s trading guild had brought, but it was difficult to rely on this indefinitely.

However, seeing the soldiers’ wretched state, Nigel couldn’t voice negative opinions about Cliff’s words.

‘First, we need to feed them. How can they have strength without eating?’

There was a reason the domain army looked weak.

First of all, they all looked emaciated to the bone.

There was no way strength could come from those frail bodies. And if Cliff ate with them, even if a noble’s luxurious meal was impossible, they couldn’t prepare poor food.

“Then dismissed. Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin additional recruitment.”

So the news that the lord would recruit soldiers.

And rumors that those soldiers could eat their fill spread throughout the domain.

And indeed, from the next morning, breakfast was prepared for the domain army that had gathered.

Sizzle sizzle.

Bubble bubble.

The number already gathered was around a hundred.

The smell of food spread in all directions as meals were prepared for so many people.

This was also part of Cliff’s plan. It didn’t take long for every man in the domain to gather at the training ground.

‘Now the numbers are sufficient…’

Cliff’s eyes sparkled.

What the Quest requested was 50 soldiers.

Not these people who had only filled the headcount like now. This time too, looking at the people who had gathered to eat breakfast, Cliff opened his mouth.

“The people who come here are soldiers who can fight for me and the domain, and for my people. So starting today, we’ll begin training.”

Three days.

During that period, Cliff only gathered people and gave no training instructions at all.

“What you need to do is simple. You’ll run with me in the morning.”

Country people generally had good stamina.

Running might not be difficult for them. With that thought, he set a long course.

Cliff was also someone who had learned swordsmanship at the Duke’s mansion.

He lacked talent, but in this countryside at least, he was confident.

“Huff huff.”

“Wheeze.”

“Ugh.”

Groaning sounds emerged.

Among those who had thought it would be easy, some began falling behind. Cliff declared to those who stopped, saying they couldn’t run anymore.

“You have no qualification to be soldiers.”

Dropouts.

“If you’re not soldiers of me and this estate, you have no right to eat your fill either.”

Excluded from meals as well.

Little by little, the soldiers’ expressions changed.

They were beginning to feel it.

“Those who succeeded in the run can catch their breath and have a meal. Tomorrow morning we’ll have training harder than today, so those who think it’ll be too difficult don’t need to come tomorrow.”

The next morning’s bell rang.

Already, some of those many able-bodied men were nowhere to be seen.

Still, there were plenty who came looking for a meal.

‘I need to weed out more.’

Cliff looked around at them and opened his mouth.

“From now on, we begin morning drills.”

The morning drills also served as estate patrol.

A way to show the estate residents that these were our estate’s soldiers, that soldiers were watching over the estate.

“One, two, three, four.”

He also taught them how to march in step to commands he’d learned somewhere.

“Left foot, left foot, left foot.”

It was regrettable that there were no drill instructors to oversee them all.

And he was a bit surprised by one thing.

‘More people remained than I thought?’

The gathered number still exceeded a hundred.

So he deliberately made them circle the training ground one more time. Even then, no one fell behind.

To be precise, some tired ones appeared, but none gave up.

They all ran.

Or pretended to run.

‘This isn’t bad.’

He felt it after training them.

‘Morale Maintenance’ was truly overpowered.

An effect that prevented morale from dropping even in the most difficult situations.

The fact that those who gathered to become soldiers endured this much was likely due to that effect.

Thus, more people remained than expected.

‘Physical fitness will naturally improve from running anyway.’

Having experienced military service in his previous life, and having exercised in this life too, he knew.

Physical fitness was bound to improve.

As long as they had the grit not to give up easily, achieving the level he demanded was entirely possible.

“Still, what I needed was only about fifty men.”

Looking around, more than a hundred remained.

‘Will I be able to exceed expectations this time too?’

He was excited.

But just increasing numbers would only increase maintenance costs.

Cliff came out wearing the clothes he had prepared.

Black uniform and cape included.

“The outfit I’m wearing now is the basic uniform for our soldiers from now on.”

An appearance that commoners could look up to and trust.

Just like when he had stood before the commoners with Priscilla in splendid attire.

One might ask why soldiers need to care about such things.

‘Soldiers especially need to be good at showing off.’

This was even more true in this world.

This was a feeling he’d had recently watching those who had gathered without any uniformity.

They really looked like a ragtag bunch.

‘Just by matching their outfits properly and having them stand with proper posture…’

They could look like elite soldiers rather than a ragtag bunch.

Living as a lord here, he came to understand this fact.

“But only fifty men can receive this uniform and cape.”

Already the soldiers were looking at him with expectation and longing.

It was the moment when those who had been training to become soldiers harbored goals other than simply eating their fill. The words he threw at them created tension.

‘Fifty men.’

About a hundred had gathered now.

Fifty would be selected from among them.

From now on, just being able to enter the group of fifty was itself a great honor.

To them with shining eyes, Cliff opened his mouth again.

“Also, the children of soldiers will be taught to read and write from now on.”

Reading and writing.

A privilege that only high-ranking nobles had monopolized.

The marriageable age in this world was earlier than in his previous life. The men here who had gathered to be soldiers were either married or preparing for marriage.

‘If still a bachelor, just being a soldier makes you a top marriage prospect, and if married, it’s a chance to become a top family head.’

The privileges he gave were like that.

Competition from now on.

He just needed to fan those flames.

Bellman.

He frowned.

The atmosphere of the estate had been strange lately. These were changes being brought about by the lord’s proxy who had come from outside.

‘I don’t know about other things, but the guards’ eyes have changed.’

This was a change that hadn’t existed before.

If the guards’ intimidating presence grew even more like this, he didn’t know how the lord’s proxy would deal with the organization he had created.

“Then what should we do?”

“What do you mean what should we do? We need to give him a blow so he can’t act up anymore.”

“But boss, if we attack a noble…?”

“Of course we can’t directly strike a noble. But there’s definitely a way to give him a clear warning.”

Bellman shouted loudly.

He was confident.

“I have a very good idea.”

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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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