Chapter 19, Being Repaired, One By One

Translator: Lizz

 

Next, Sylvia worked on repairing the waterway.

 

The waterways were maintained throughout the country, but maintenance was particularly advanced in the Duchy. The well-maintained public facilities were one of the Duchy’s prides. Along Sylvia’s journey, there were paid public toilets, artificial streams with drinkable water, and water pumps scattered along the road.

 

Despite this, such a large town was not maintained at all… Edward furrowed his brows at this thought.

 

Sylvia probably knew this too. Although still expressionless, she seemed slightly angry.

 

“<Restore the waterway necessary for the follower – [Repair]>.”

 

Suddenly, the sound of rushing water could be heard.

 

“This is because you neglected the cleaning.”

 

Sylvia scolded the Mayor.

 

“You must take proper care of it. Clean it once a month without fail. Even if it’s not in bad condition, inspect it!”

 

‘Tsk’, Sylvia said, and the Mayor hung his head.

 

“Indeed, you are right. I will request an inspection and cleaning of the waterway next time.”

 

While listening to their conversation, Edward thought that the Ducal House had probably abandoned this territory because it was not very profitable and required a lot of maintenance.

 

This place was practically an enclave, and to make matters worse, it was sandwiched by a neighboring country. Although it was accessible from the fortress, for the residents, the neighboring country was much closer.

 

Since this fortress town was self-sufficient and its operations were completely within itself, it managed to survive even when the bridge was destroyed and it became isolated. But if that hadn’t been the case, by now this peninsula would likely have become a desolate ruin with no inhabitants left.

 

– No, Edward realized that Sylvia was sent here because the Ducal House had thought this place had become a ruin.

 

Sylvia had said, ‘The bridge was destroyed’. This meant that several generations ago, the head of the Ducal House had intended to turn this place into a deserted town. However, unfortunately, the residents continued to live here.

 

This was because the fortress town was vast and rich.

 

Enough food was produced to sustain everyone, and life within the fortress town was self-sufficient. Therefore, it had survived until now.

 

“I wonder what happened in the past…”

 

The Mayor probably knew something about the history of this city.

 

Sylvia, accompanied by Edward and the Mayor, went around the town repairing various places.

 

As the repairs progressed and the town became more revitalized day by day, the residents became very fond of Sylvia.

 

When she walked through the town, people would smile and wave at her, and more and more people would give her food or small items as a token of their gratitude.

 

As Sylvia’s range of travel expanded, Edward made a suggestion.

 

“Lady Sylvia, let’s buy a carriage.”

 

“A carriage?”

 

Sylvia looked puzzled.

 

“There are too many gifts, and it’s becoming difficult to carry everything on foot. Moreover, this town is more extensive than I thought. It takes more than half a day to walk from one end to the other. With so much to do, it’s a waste of time to spend it walking! Remember when the Mayor  gave you a ride? That thing with the horse attached to it, let’s use the Lord’s authority to get one.”

 

Of course, Edward and Sylvia didn’t get tired from walking, but it was taking up too much time.

 

Both the Mayor and the residents were very fond of Sylvia. At this point, even if she ordered them to provide a carriage for free, they wouldn’t complain.

 

“Edward is a genius.”

 

Sylvia said, not fully understanding what Edward had suggested.

 

She said this because Edward usually solved things when she said so.

 

As expected, Edward smiled wryly at Sylvia’s words.

 

Currently, Edward was being more as an aide than a knight, giving instructions here and there.

 

Gina, too, was acting more like a butler than a maid. She got familiar with the interior of the fortress, identifying what needed to be repaired now and what can be postponed, and meeting with the government office to get more of the necessary daily necessities and servants.

 

Gina, having decided to serve Sylvia for life, had become more determined and started to work energetically to support her.

 

First things first: food, clothing, and shelter… Since she was not good with the food part, she left that to Edward. She decided to take care of clothing and shelter instead. She placed an order for outfits and then turned her attention to housing.

 

Skillfully drawing a blueprint of the fortress, she decided on a plan with Edward for what to do next, dividing what should be addressed and what shouldn’t, and posted a recruitment notice at the Guild for maids, manservants, and cooks to work in the fortress.

 

Gina was good at handling people. She observed her surroundings well, read the atmosphere, and gave precise instructions.

 

She had said she worked in a workshop, but Edward thought she was probably the workshop owner’s daughter.

 

However, Edward noticed her weakness might be that she would yield to those in stronger positions, and he was mostly right about that.

 

Furthermore, Gina, who possessed the skill [Dexterity and Agility], had already received passing marks in self-defense and horseback riding from Edward.

 

Although she couldn’t even ride in a cart before, she now wore riding clothes and rode a horse into town. From Gina’s perspective, who used to work in a workshop, she probably couldn’t believe how much she had changed.

 

Gina could ride a horse, but Sylvia couldn’t. Rather, her legs couldn’t reach due to her age. Of course, Edward could ride a horse, so he could ride with Sylvia, but for a noble lady, traveling by carriage would be more elegant.