“Everyone! I present to you the lord of Castle Getaeus, the Great Wizard Geo Margilus.”
Reyha opened the door at Ild’s introduction.
The feast had already begun. I wasn’t trying to be fashionably late. This was protocol. Apparently, the lord typically arrived later if his guests were lower-ranked.
The great hall of the main tower, where the afternoon lecture had been held, was glittering with decorations. Tapestries depicted mythological scenes as well as geometrical patterns, and a carpet was spread out across the floor. They’d set out lace tablecloths only used for special occasions and candlesticks adorned with jewels. Ild and Clara had collected quite a few decorations for just such an occasion.
Then I saw Mora and the maids bringing out warm, freshly prepared dishes. Two of the dark elf sisters were in a corner of the hall playing a quiet song on their flutes.
There were over a dozen people seated around the hall. They were eating and smacking their lips, but when they saw me, they stood up.
“Greetings, everyone. I am the wizard, Geo Margilus—at your service.”
I exchanged handshakes with several of the messengers, studying their faces. When I sat down in my chair, which had been raised higher than the others, they took their seats as well. I’d already been lectured half to death by Clara about ceremonial etiquette. But I always worried about what I might be screwing up without realizing it.
“I’ve heard of your past negotiations from my own diplomats,” I flattered one fellow. “I hope to build good relationships with the cities of Ryuse and protect the people from the threat of daemons.”
“Margilus!” someone greeted me enthusiastically.
“Hail Margilus, guardian of Ryuse!”
“Thank you both. Tonight, we toast to the future prosperity of Ryuse and Getaeus. Eat and drink to your heart’s content.”
I raised one hand to quiet the applause and cheering. Soon, the guests turned back to enjoying the food and drink in front of them. The gentle music from the flutes continued.
While the messengers were fairly restrained and polite, the atmosphere of the party was still enjoyable. As the guests all belonged to the Ryuse alliance, I did see some familiar faces. But there was some tension, and I could tell that they were observing my words and behavior.
“Mister Margilus, are you satisfied with the food tonight?”
The chief maid—in other words, Mora—asked me about the dishes she’d served as Reyha refilled my wine glass. She stood up straight with a perfect smile on her face. It was the face of a professional.
“Most satisfied indeed. Thank you, Chief Maid.”
My reply followed proper etiquette for a host, but I meant every word. The chicken pie I’d just eaten was exquisite.
“I’m flattered by your praise.” Mora bowed respectfully, the corners of her eyes scrunching in happiness as she did her best not to smile. She then excused herself and resumed serving the guests.
Next, Clara came over to me. “Margilus, may I introduce you to a guest?”
“Mmm, please.”
Clara put one hand atop the other across her chest as she made her distinctive bow. She wore a pure white dress decorated with golden thread. While it left much of her skin exposed, the design fit her curves perfectly and was a treat to look at.
I was so mesmerized that I forgot my manners and spoke without thinking. “You look amazing, Clara. Truly beautiful.”
“Th…that isn’t proper manners…”
Luckily, Clara soon recovered from her momentary stutter and her red lips broke into a smile. I guess that proved we’d become close enough to tolerate a few missteps in good humor.
“My name is Kozmar Beilg. I represent the council of Soler City, a member of the Ryuse Alliance.”
The first guest she’d brought me was a man of solemn expression. I offered him a single bow. He was powerful in his home city, which was the biggest city-state represented at the banquet. I remembered dealing with Soler City in the past.
“Nice to meet you, Councilor Beilg. Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Indeed. Your warm hospitality is most impressive, Lord Margilus. I would like to express our gratitude to you once again for saving a village belonging to our city. I have left tokens of appreciation with your steward.”
“I did nothing more than my duty as a wizard. Please give my regards to the people of Soler, especially the city council chairman. All who fight the daemons are friends of Geo Margilus.”
“Thank you for your encouraging words. If the people hear the tales of Margilus, a man who commands giants to bring down stone, hope will bloom anew in their hearts.”
Thigs were going at a good pace.
I was nervous at first, but it went better than I’d expected. Of course, it was all thanks to Ild, Mora, and Clara, who made sure everything was prepared perfectly for me.
✦ ✦ ✦
One afternoon…
I had some free time and decided to take Reyha on a patrol of the castle. It wasn’t a leisurely walk to kill time, but a serious examination.
Two pigs, a mother and her piglet, were frolicking around the yard. Things seemed quite lively.
“Don’t shake the tip of your sword around! Hold steady and protect your front!”
“Y-yessir… Owww!”
Djirk was training several soldiers in the courtyard. His wooden sword hit the young soldier hard on the shoulder. Ouch. That looks painful.
I didn’t want to get in the way, so I changed directions and muttered something I’d just thought of. “Come to think of it, this castle doesn’t have one of those…”
“What are you talking about, my lord?” Reyha remained as faithful as ever.
“A doctor. Or a physician, or healer, or anything like that would be fine.”
“If you need healing, why don’t you ask Lord Torrad?”
“That won’t do on its lonesome. Torrad’s healing powers can only be used a certain number of times per day. And a doctor’s job isn’t just about healing wounds.”
Why hadn’t I noticed it before? Castle Getaeus was no longer a fortress full of healthy soldiers, but a town where hundreds of people lived, including children and elderly.
Well, it had only been in the last few days that the head count had suddenly increased, and even then there might not have been a problem if everyone was generally healthy.
The important thing was routine health care and hygiene management to prevent the outbreak of contagion or plague. Compared to modern Japan, the customs and concepts of disinfection and disease prevention in this world were considerably lacking. There was a sewer in Relis City, so it was still much better than the medieval Europe that I’d read about, but that wasn’t much of a baseline.
Work that would require a wide range of medical knowledge would be a bit too much for Torrad. I’m sure there was a healers’ guild in Relis City. I wonder if they could dispatch personnel.
“In that case, my lord…”
“Hmm? Do you already have someone in mind?” Reyha didn’t suggest her own ideas very often, so I felt a certain anticipation.
“There’s someone called the master physician in the Schultz clan.”
“Hmm…I see.”
It was Reyha who patrolled the castle every day as part of our defense. She heard things that never reached my ears.
Master physician, huh? Like Diane’s role as warmaster, it probably denoted someone in charge of the clan’s medical care. If they could manage the whole castle on top of that, then things would work out nicely.