Ch.70Chapter 70 – Beventus Border Commander (2)

Leaving behind the small commotion at the teleport station, Etherna and I headed toward the mansion where Margrave Beventus and his family were said to reside, escorted by knights.

“Don’t nobles who govern territories usually stay in castles?”

I asked why we were heading to a mansion rather than the large, majestic castle visible in the distance.

In novels I’d read before, nobles who ruled territories stayed in castles, not mansions.

“Are you asking that question seriously?”

“Is there a problem with my question?”

Etherna looked at me with an expression suggesting she might have misheard.

What’s the issue? I was just curious.

“…Come to think of it, Lord Pathos, you haven’t received a formal noble title. Right.”

Etherna nodded as if understanding.

“Nobles who govern territories don’t necessarily reside in castles. Castle buildings serve more as fortresses to defend the territory rather than as primary residences.”

“So, nobles with territories don’t always live in castles?”

“Correct. Nobles like Margrave Beventus, whose territories lie on national borders, install castle walls to defend against foreign invasions.”

Etherna explained several other things to me as well.

Stone walls are mainly installed in the most critical areas of a territory, while wooden palisades are used in areas with dangerous beasts, and simple fences are sufficient where there are no such threats.

Thinking about it, building stone walls along an entire border would be incredibly expensive.

And it’s not just the money—the labor required for construction, the costs of food and drink for workers, plus the maintenance expenses for the walls?

The Beventus Margraviate would go bankrupt before long.

Even maintaining a warehouse that shields against wind and rain isn’t cheap, so how frequently would walls directly exposed to the elements need maintenance?

Considering this, castles seemed like one of those structures that would require enormous maintenance costs.

In contrast, a mansion would be smaller than a castle and, being built primarily for residence, would be much more comfortable.

‘And above all, a mansion where many people can stay would be more convenient for caring for someone suffering from Prezmerine disease.’

In any case, thanks to Etherna, I felt a novel sensation of learning a bit more about this world.

“That building you see there is the mansion where the Margrave resides.”

Following the escorting knight’s gesture, I saw a three-story building that, while not ostentatious, exuded dignity.

It felt like looking at a mansion from the beginning of the Age of Exploration.

As we approached, we met someone waiting for us in front of the mansion.

“Welcome, Lord Pathos and Lady Etherna. I am the head butler serving the Beventus family. The master is waiting, so I would appreciate it if you would follow me.”

The person waiting for us was the head butler, leader of the Beventus household servants.

Since we had come to meet Margrave Beventus to cure his youngest daughter’s illness, we obediently followed the butler.

As we entered the mansion behind the butler, servants lined up to greet us.

“We welcome the master’s important guests.”

The servants bowed at the waist, forming lines on both sides.

Such a gathering could have felt coercive.

However, no such emotion was visible on the faces of those assembled.

They were genuinely welcoming our visit to the mansion.

“It seems the mansion’s servants gathered voluntarily. Haha. Even though I told them not to.”

“That speaks to how deeply respected the lord of this territory must be.”

For a family said to revere martial prowess, if servants voluntarily came out to welcome guests, this Margrave Beventus must be a person of excellent character and integrity.

Anyway, Etherna and I climbed the stairs and saw two large doors finished with elaborate decorations.

“Master, I have brought the guests who have come from afar.”

“Tell them to come in.”

With permission to enter, the head butler pulled open the large doors.

The doors opened smoothly, revealing the person waiting for us inside.

“Welcome.”

A sturdy build like a bear standing on two legs, with a full beard starting from his sideburns and a bushy mustache.

However, his snow-white hair contrasting with his red eyes gave him a somewhat mystical appearance.

“I am Dorian Beventus, the lord of this territory. Though it may be more than I deserve, I also hold the title of Margrave.”

And so, I met a Swordmaster of the Gelebrio Empire.

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We gathered in the reception room of the Beventus mansion.

As soon as we took our seats, servants brought in refreshments as if they had been waiting.

“You’ve had a long journey, please help yourselves.”

“Thank you. Then…”

I accepted the Margrave’s offer without hesitation and picked up a pastry.

It was a well-baked, crisp biscuit topped with sweet strawberry jam, and I was pleased by its unexpectedly deep flavor.

“This is an excellent pastry. The chef who made this must be quite skilled.”

“If you like it, I’ll have some packaged for you to take when you leave after resolving our matter.”

“I would be most grateful for that.”

The Margrave even offered to prepare extra pastries for me.

Indeed, he was a person respected enough to have servants voluntarily greet guests.

After the refreshments, we began our main discussion.

“First, the reason I called for you is because of my daughter’s illness.”

“I’m aware. I heard she has Prezmerine disease.”

“That’s right. It’s truly a vicious illness. It freezes the soul and eventually freezes the body as well… a terrible disease.”

Listening to him talk about Prezmerine disease, I could tell the Margrave knew a lot about it.

He probably studied hard trying to save his beloved youngest daughter after she fell ill.

“Her illness is entirely my fault. I should have crushed that cursed witch’s head before she could cast her final curse.”

An immense aura emanated from the Margrave as he recalled capturing the witch who had cursed his daughter.

He truly seemed to hate the Witch of Bitter Cold.

“I’ve tried everything possible to treat Prezmerine disease, but my daughter’s condition hasn’t improved. Even now, she continues to fade away.”

“Where is she now?”

“I’ve prepared a place deep within the lord’s castle for her to stay. Those afflicted with Prezmerine disease emit such cold that they freeze the surrounding air.”

Hmm. This is the first I’m hearing of this.

In other words, she’s someone who lowers the temperature around her just by existing.

And the cold she emits is enough to freeze the air.

“And now?”

“It’s probably gotten stronger. The vessel of her soul is large, so she’s still holding on, but before long, her soul will freeze completely.”

“How long do people with Prezmerine disease usually survive?”

“From what I know, at most two years from the moment they contract the disease. And now, my child has passed the one-year mark with less than a month remaining until the two-year point.”

The moment I heard those words, one phrase came to mind:

Terminal cancer.

Literally, a stage where treatment is no longer possible and one can only wait for death.

Aisen, the youngest daughter of Margrave Beventus, was facing death like a terminal cancer patient.

Thinking about it that way, I understood why the Margrave had brought us here, paying all the costs for the teleport station.

When someone appeared who could save his beloved daughter, he was in no position to spare any expense.

“Do you love your daughter very much?”

“I love her dearly. Not just me, but everyone in this territory loves that child. Through her, I learned that martial strength isn’t everything. Now, I just want her to grow up healthy.”

This meant that Lady Aisen was precious enough to bring about a change in his outlook.

A being so precious that she could break the creed of the family that raised him.

If I couldn’t cure her, he would be devastated.

So what I needed to say was already decided.

Because I am—

“From today, you need worry no more.”

A person with the ability to fix everything.

“I can cure that disease.”

Because I’m the ‘Universal Repairman.’