Ch.69Chapter 69 – Beventus Border Commander (1)

Dorian Beventus, the lord of the Beventus March and the head of the Beventus family, who holds the title of Count.

“Haah…”

He was a Sword Master, one of the five strongest individuals in the Gelebrio Empire.

He had reached the level of Sword Expert, capable of coating his blade with the aura from within his body.

The stage above that was precisely the Sword Master, who could form the aura within his body into the shape of a blade.

The aura blade created by a Sword Master, known as an Aura Blade, was said to be able to cut through virtually anything.

In terms of pure combat ability, even several swordsmen who had reached the level of Sword Expert could not defeat Dorian Beventus, who had attained the realm of Sword Master.

Despite being counted among the strongest in the Empire in terms of martial prowess alone…

The problem before him now was something that even his exceptional swordsmanship could not resolve.

“Have they found a way to treat my youngest child’s illness?”

The Margrave of Beventus addressed his most trusted retainer, the head butler.

The head butler was the closest person to him as he stood by the window of his office, gazing outside.

“Well… we haven’t received any definitive news yet…”

“I see…”

The Margrave of Beventus sighed at the butler’s response.

The butler’s heart was equally troubled as he watched the Margrave sigh so deeply it seemed the ground might collapse.

Who was the Margrave of Beventus?

One of the most formidable individuals in the Gelebrio Empire, a man whose swordsmanship could rival even the guardians of the Elven Kingdom.

It was all thanks to the Margrave’s martial prowess that threats from beyond the borders of the Beventus March never affected the territory within.

Moreover, to the members of the Beventus family who revered martial strength, the Margrave who had reached the realm of Sword Master was the very embodiment of respect.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… because your father is inadequate, you suffer through no fault of your own…”

The Margrave of Beventus gazed out the window, tears streaming down his face endlessly.

And for good reason—the person currently living in pain was none other than his most cherished and beloved youngest daughter.

The Margrave’s heart ached at the thought that he had provided the cause for his precious daughter to contract the incurable disease known as Prezmerine.

The Witch of Bitter Cold who had invaded the March.

Despite it being summer, she had frozen the land, and though he had barely emerged victorious in the battle against her…

The price was his youngest daughter, Aisen, contracting the Prezmerine disease.

If only he could cut away the curse with his sword, he would swing it immediately, but how wonderful would it be if curses could be dispelled so easily?

“My lord. You must stay strong, especially at times like these.”

The head butler, understanding this well, could only encourage the Margrave of Beventus from beside him.

Though he knew such words offered no practical help, he didn’t want to see the despairing Margrave collapse.

“Thank you. As a father, I’ve never found it so difficult to be unable to help my daughter in her illness.”

The Margrave of Beventus thanked the butler for his consolation and looked out the window again.

The sky was endlessly clear and blue, but dark clouds hung over the Margrave’s heart.

Just as his eyes were gazing far away at the massive, snow-covered mountain range, the door to the lord’s office burst open with a bang!

“What is this? I instructed that no one was to disturb us. What is this commotion?”

The head butler’s sharp gaze fixed on the person who had opened the door and entered.

“I apologize! But the matter was urgent, and I had no choice but to be discourteous.”

The one who had opened the door was a knight in armor.

Disregarding the butler’s gaze, he approached the Margrave and knelt on one knee.

“Your Excellency! We’ve received word from the Black Feather!”

“W-What did you say?”

The Margrave of Beventus and the head butler were surprised by the words from the knight’s mouth.

There was only one kind of message that would come from the Black Feather.

“The Black Feather has found someone who can cure the young lady’s illness!”

“Where, where are they? Order them to be brought here immediately!”

Upon hearing that someone who could cure Aisen Beventus’s illness had been found, the Margrave commanded the knight to bring them.

“Currently, they are staying in Belsarem.”

“Belsarem? That’s a distance that would take over a month by carriage, is it not?”

However, the person who could cure Aisen’s illness was in Belsarem, which would take about a month to reach by carriage from here.

In that case, there was only one option left.

“Head butler. We will cover all costs for the Teleport Station. Could you send a message asking if they can come right away?”

“Yes, my lord.”

Following the Margrave’s order, the head butler took out a communication crystal that could directly connect with the Black Feather in Belsarem.

As the butler infused mana into the crystal, it cleared from its cloudy state, revealing a person’s image.

[This is the Black Feather Belsarem branch. May I ask why you’ve contacted us?]

“I’d like to inquire about the matter I commissioned with the Black Feather emblem.”

[Please wait a moment. I’ll bring the branch manager right away.]

The voice from beyond the crystal briefly cut off, and in its place appeared Justin, the Belsarem branch manager.

[I am the manager of the Black Feather Belsarem branch.]

“Branch Manager Justin. Is it true that you’ve found someone who can treat the young lady’s illness?”

[Yes, it is.]

“Who are these individuals?”

The head butler asked very cautiously about their identity.

After all, someone who could treat the Prezmerine disease must be incredibly skilled.

[Recently, they’ve become known as the ‘Demon Sword Destroyer’ in the Great Goddess Order. They are currently staying at our branch building.]

“T-The Demon Sword Destroyer, you say?”

The Margrave of Beventus, the head butler, and the knight all showed disbelieving reactions at the mention of the Demon Sword Destroyer.

And for good reason—there seemed to be no connection between destroying demon swords and treating the Prezmerine disease.

However, the situation was not leisurely enough to worry about such things.

“Oh! That’s fortunate. The lord has agreed to cover the round-trip costs of the Teleport Station. Could you send those people to our territory right away?”

[Understood. I will convey your request to them immediately.]

Justin responded to the butler’s words and promptly ended the communication.

Normally, ending a conversation without proper farewells would be considered extremely rude.

But the situation was urgent, and there was no time to worry about such courtesies.

“Head butler. Order the family knights immediately to go to the Teleport Station and escort our esteemed guests.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Someone who could cure Aisen’s illness.

Since it was stated by the Black Feather, an information broker organization that lived by its reputation and the reliability of its information, it must be certain.

Therefore, the Margrave of Beventus absolutely could not treat them carelessly.

How could he not give the best treatment to someone who could heal his precious daughter, whom he cherished more than his own eyes?

Of course, if it turned out they were lying, then the Aura Blade of an enraged Sword Master would blaze forth.

◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈

Thanks to the Margrave of Beventus covering all costs, we were able to use the Teleport Station comfortably.

“How much does the Teleport Station cost?”

“From Belsarem to the Beventus March, it’s 75 gold coins.”

I was told that teleportation magic was originally for short-distance travel, but it was the Chancellor who modified it to enable long-distance transportation.

Anyway, thanks to the Teleport Station, Eterna and I were able to travel a distance that would normally take a month in just a few minutes.

When we entered the Teleport Station, an employee activated it.

A dome-shaped curtain of light appeared, and after a moment, as the light curtain lifted, a group of knights stood before Eterna and me.

“Greetings. Might you be Patos, known as the ‘Demon Sword Destroyer’?”

“That’s right.”

I confirmed to the knight that I was indeed the person they were looking for.

“Ah! Indeed. And if I may ask, who is this person beside you?”

“I am Eterna, a devout servant of the Sun God and an Inquisitor. I am accompanying Patos to vouch for his identity.”

Eterna revealed her identity in response to the knight’s question.

“Ah! I’ve heard of you. It’s an honor to meet the renowned ‘Skull Crusher,’ Inquisitor Eterna.”

What, what destroyer? Skull Crusher?

I slightly turned my head to look beside me…

“Ah, hahaha, I didn’t expect that embarrassing nickname to spread this far.”

Eterna’s face had turned as red as autumn maple leaves, apparently embarrassed by her nickname.