I Inherited a Beautiful Wife and a Territory - Chapter 97

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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 097

97. The Duke’s Concerns

The Serpal Family.

Currently, the situation here was absolute chaos. The Platice Family had settled their succession structure faster than expected and was proceeding through the process stably.

The atmosphere was also good with the emergence of a newly appeared hero.

However, the situation of the Serpal Family, which had been in a rival relationship, was different.

‘Right now, Serpal is at its most critical moment. The young lord’s son cannot overcome this crisis.’

‘It has to be me. For this family’s sake, I’m the only one who can step forward and support it.’

‘That person is stepping forward? No way. I might bow to others, but I can never bow my head to that bastard.’

‘I’m definitely better than those people. Even for the family’s sake…’

Baron Serpal also had no grown sons, which was the same situation.

However, everything was completely different from that point on. The estate’s atmosphere was also bad, and it was actually in a crisis situation.

In the midst of this, they couldn’t put forward the young baron’s son as successor. And if they couldn’t acknowledge this, then civil war would begin from that point.

There wasn’t any single person who was a clear No.2.

“Right now, Serpal is divided into three factions.”

Eventually, a situation arose where three powerful nobles were each making their claims.

One side was the orthodox faction.

These were the ones trying to put forward the still young lord’s son. However, these people were not of Serpal bloodline.

The boy they were putting forward was certainly a Serpal noble, but the rest were from the family of the girl who was engaged to that boy.

‘Still, that’s the place with the strongest justification.’

Cliff nodded his head.

The remaining two factions.

Each had figures who were from branch families of the Serpal Family. The power of the three factions was roughly equal.

“Then which direction is Sir Rusten in?”

“If I had to say, it would be the faction of the third son, Lord Rogue. But… neither I nor Lord Rogue have any real power.”

“You want me to install that third son as the head of a mid-level family like Serpal?”

Cliff frowned.

Normally, he might consider it. But right now, he was proceeding with the succession work for the Platice Family.

The Platice Family’s situation wasn’t good enough to intervene in Serpal as well.

‘It’s not impossible if I wanted to do it.’

While he was having that thought, Rusten shook his head.

“Of course not. What I’m requesting from you, Baron, is protection for Lord Rogue and myself. Please accept our asylum.”

What he wanted was protection.

In that case, it wouldn’t be difficult.

“Go to Elimis Village and stay there.”

Elimis Village, which was out of others’ sight.

The area around it was being watched by Dark Elves and Shadow Wolves. Also, Kyuung would return to Elimis Village again after some time.

‘Right now, Kyuung is here because we need to protect the vast Platice Count’s territory.’

Once Kyuung also went to Elimis Village, that place would become safer than anywhere else.

Rusten’s face brightened as he listened to his words.

“Thank you, Baron.”

It wasn’t particularly that he had wanted to receive his thanks.

‘Well, hearing such words isn’t bad either.’

Cliff concluded.

Rusten left his seat with relief. At that moment, the shadow behind the pillar wavered.

Soon, a figure emerged from within it.

“You shouldn’t believe at face value his words that he only wants protection, my lord.”

“I know.”

Cliff nodded at Belgimov’s advice.

He had already confirmed the other party’s aura.

‘There are definitely parts he’s hiding. But… I didn’t sense any hostility toward me.’

That’s what he had observed through identification. He had definitely lied, but there was no hostility toward him from the man.

If he had to mention this specifically.

‘Could it be an intention to use me?’

The question he had asked him.

The man had denied the question about making the third son the head of the Serpal Family. But this was clearly a lie.

‘But it was also true that he wanted us to protect them.’

He was in a position where he needed protection.

And his request for help was also true.

It seemed he wanted to return to Serpal afterward. Furthermore, he probably had ambitions to take over the Serpal Family.

He had come to him for that ambition.

‘That’s about what I confirmed through identification…’

Cliff looked at Belgimov. He also nodded.

“I’ll attach shadows for escort and surveillance.”

The number of Dark Elves was quite small. And there were certainly compatibility issues among them as well.

But as Shadowguards, they were more capable than anyone.

Cliff smiled.

“That’s reassuring.”

There had never been a time when he doubted the Dark Elves’ work.

“And…”

Cliff trailed off.

“I think it’s about time now.”

“My judgment is the same. It’s time for you to rule over this territory as well.”

Finally, it was time for Cliff to step forward.

That is, announcing Count Platice’s death. And that his successor had been decided to be Cliff himself.

‘It’s about time to announce this to everyone.’

The decision was made with Cliff’s judgment.

Soon, new news was proclaimed throughout the entire Platice Count’s territory.

Count Platice had died in battle.

And his successor was his adopted son, Cliff Elimis.

“Long live our new lord!”

“If it’s him, we can trust him. He’ll revive our territory and protect our homeland.”

Cliff deliberately held an inauguration ceremony.

There he said:

“I will do my best, hoping that God’s blessings and peace will dwell upon the people of Platice.”

Cliff’s eyes sparkled as he finished speaking up to this point.

“…Haha.”

The Duke looked at the report clutched in his hand.

The battlefield situation had become difficult.

It was truly a back-and-forth battle.

‘I thought we would win easily…’

Things weren’t going according to their plans.

The war with the Kingdom of Alpeo.

Before it began, they had expected a complete victory.

‘I thought we would successfully advance to Alpeo’s capital within a month.’

But that had failed.

First, there was Count Platice’s ridiculous defeat. It was unfortunate, but from a war perspective, it probably didn’t have a major impact.

From the beginning, the soldiers of Yusta were nothing more than expendable pawns.

‘While they drew attention, the kingdom’s main force would strike in a different direction.’

A diversionary tactic.

But this failed.

First, Count Platice was defeated too easily. Beyond that, the Kingdom’s military command also made wrong judgments.

And the Duke bore responsibility for this as well.

“Haha.”

That’s why he could only let out such hollow laughter.

The Kingdom’s Prime Minister.

Truly the pinnacle of the Kingdom’s nobles.

The Kingdom army’s command ended up reading the mood of the Prime Minister who held that position. Even though they were treated as expendable pieces, the Kingdom’s main force that should have struck at the enemy’s weakness was deployed to the battlefield where Count Platice was.

‘This is a mistake.’

As a result, the front line that could have had its morale broken by the Count’s defeat became the opposite.

They definitely pushed back the enemy and penetrated into the interior. But the initial strategy was disrupted.

From that point on, problems were created one by one, like cracks.

Everything was the aftermath brought by Count Platice’s death.

“…Were our judgments wrong? We knew that Serpal and the Platice Family were bitter enemies, but who would have thought Serpal would betray the Kingdom.”

They hadn’t anticipated this.

The Duke’s eyes showed a regretful expression. Because of this, he had lost a valuable chess opponent.

But there was an even bigger problem than that.

The very reason the war had become difficult.

‘The Kingdom’s main force went in too deep.’

Simply put, the supply lines had become too long.

If they had moved according to the original plan, even going deep would have allowed for supplies.

They had built supply bases and prepared to make that possible. But now they had to create supply routes to completely wrong places.

“…If supplies were possible, could we win the war?”

“The military judges it that way. Rather, Alpeo’s defensive capabilities were lower than we thought.”

This meant the homeland’s main force had penetrated deeper than expected.

They had properly devastated the enemy before they could respond properly. Alpeo’s military, which had been intoxicated with victory after annihilating Count Platice’s army, was greatly flustered.

There’s more.

“It seems… Serpal’s traitors leaked internal information. Because of that, our army’s strategy reached the enemy, and the enemy withdrew forces from that front line and sent them to where our army was originally planning to advance.”

As a result, the diversionary strategy worked perfectly by accident.

There was no danger to our other front lines either. Our main force ambushed the enemy forces that were moving and achieved a great victory.

‘Supply, supply is the problem.’

Thus the enemy lost their main force.

The problem was only supply.

The enemy knew this too and was only blocking supply routes.

And the scorched earth tactics they deployed.

“What about supplying locally?”

“As if they were determined, they burned all the fields and storehouses in that area as well as the surrounding ones.”

“If they do such things, they’ll also suffer food shortages later…!”

The Duke clenched his fist.

The butler smiled bitterly at him and continued speaking.

“That area wasn’t mainly agricultural to begin with. If we had time, it would be possible to stabilize new supply routes, but…”

“If we give them that much time, the enemies will also have enough preparation to face our army.”

“Exactly as you say.”

They couldn’t drag out time.

Then a quick decisive battle.

But that was also difficult.

‘Even if we want a quick decisive battle, they’ll desperately hold out without giving up the capital.’

It had become a situation where they might have to retreat the army.

Everything was inconvenient.

The Duke lowered his head to look at the chess board.

‘If it were that boy Cliff…’

Sometimes such thoughts occurred to him.

The thought that Cliff, whom he had sent away for the Duke’s house, might be able to do something.

It was a thought he had because something new was added every time he heard news of him.

The Duke asked.

“…What is that boy doing?”

The butler guessed who the ‘boy’ the Duke was asking about was.

The butler also erased his serious expression from just before and said.

“Right now… he’s become the hero of Platys.”

“What?”

“All of Platys seems to be in an uproar. The mythical stories of an outstanding young hero called Baron Elimis are spreading as songs.”

“Ha, haha, hahaha.”

The Duke just kept making laughing sounds as if absurd.

The Kingdom was in a serious situation.

And originally, the Platts Barony should have been serious too.

“…The news of the Count has reached the Count’s territory by now, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, that’s why that boy’s heroic tales are circulating now.”

To cushion the enormous shock.

Cliff was thus taking steps to prepare to become a Count.

‘Who would have thought that boy would swallow up the Count’s house with his adopted status without me specially helping him.’

This was downright eerie.

Could it be that Cliff knew all along that the Count would end up like this?

Knowing this, did he pressure the Serpal Family and induce Count Platice to command that army?

Afterward, naturally making himself the hero of Platys.

‘No matter what, this would be too much speculation.’

The Duke shook his head.

But even so, he became curious.

“By now, that boy would have become the lord of the Platts Barony, right?”

“That would be so.”

“Then… with the Count’s matter and all, shall I go see his face under the pretext of offering condolences?”

“That would be good too.”

The Duke smiled bitterly.

He shook his head.

“At this point, that would be meaningless.”

That couldn’t be done.

The Duke leaving his position would be a big problem. It was even more so during wartime like now.

Cliff, whom he’d been wanting to see lately, and the major event that might actually let him see him.

The problem that had troubled him and the Kingdom’s military was solved from an unexpected place.

“A navy bearing the flags of Elimis and Platys has landed on the southern coast of Alpeo with supplies!”

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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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