I Was Reincarnated as the Prince in a Villainess Story, so I’ll Use My Cheat Knowledge to Create a Noble Lady Harem and Make Them All Happy - 23

Chapter 23: The Country of the World Tree, Silva Haruna

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

The morning air in the Administrative Hall still carried the chill of cold stone. Valis sat at the oval conference table within the royal castle’s Administrative Hall. Around him were civil officials and the great nobles of various regions. This was the regular meeting of the council.

Before the table stood a magical device, the Solitaria Scripta, which emitted a gentle light as it silently documented every word spoken. Present were the powerful figures who governed the realm’s regions. 

Duke Balmuth, the northern warlord—a stern man, one of the few nobles grounded enough to balance agriculture and military strength. Duke Rozheim of the East, the linchpin of diplomacy and trade, whose every word was carefully measured.

Marquis Kaled of the southern port cities—despite his mild appearance, his expression transformed entirely when it came to matters of accounting and prices. And finally, Marquis Voln, the man responsible for internal affairs and administrative records, renowned for his strictness in legal matters.

On the other hand, some houses were notably absent. The Duke of Elfein—Lady Milia’s family and The Marquis of Agreia—Lady Reina’s family. Ordinarily, both were of rank sufficient to attend this council. But Valis understood why they had chosen not to. 

Each house harbored quiet concerns about his personal ties with their daughters. They feared the formation of factional favoritism—the possibility that Valis, as crown prince, might show undue preference toward houses close to him.

He trusted that no noble of Alveria would actually think in such shallow terms. Still, whether one showed such consideration or not made a significant difference. Thus, those families had voluntarily withdrawn, and Valis, in turn, made a point of prioritizing the opinions of other houses during these meetings.

“Then, let us begin.”

At Marquis Voln’s calm cue, the council came to order. As the secretary projected text onto the magical display board, the first topic of the day appeared in glowing script:

【Agenda Item One: The Shortage of Lime Supply in the Capital and Provinces】

“…So, it has come to this.”

Marquis Kaled murmured under his breath. A glance at the figures made the situation clear. Agricultural demand for lime had risen by roughly thirty percent in the past half year. For cleaning and disinfection in public baths and licensed houses, the increase was nearly sixty and seventy percent, respectively.  And the pace of provincial expansion was almost twice that of the capital’s rollout. There was no way production could keep up.

“Your Highness, at this rate, the capital’s lime reserves will not last the year.

Marquis Voln said, his voice taut with gravity.

“The spread of public baths and licensed pleasure quarters has certainly brought major improvements in sanitation,” Duke Rozheim added, “but that in turn has caused lime consumption to surge. At this point, the demand for disinfectant lime is surpassing that for agriculture.”

“It seems the rural regions are adopting the system quite rapidly.”

Observed Duke Balmuth, stroking his beard as he glared at the map.

“A few villages could still be managed, but at this pace, it’s only a matter of time before the stockpiles run dry.”

“In that case, we should narrow our options to two. ”

Valis said clearly, drawing all eyes to him.

“One: negotiate with our neighbor, the Kingdom of Beltea, to normalize relations and expand lime imports. If talks go well, we might even gain permission for on-site extraction.”

“And the other?” 

Prompted Marquis Voln.

“Domestic expansion of smelting furnaces. Establish small-scale kilns in each village and build a self-sufficient supply system.”

A moment of silence passed.

“The first option is difficult for now,” Valis continued. “Beltea’s internal politics are unstable, and multiple factions claim authority. It’s unclear whom we would even negotiate with… And even if we did proceed, we would risk being drawn into their civil conflict—a pretext for war.”

“Then the second option, domestic expansion, seems more realistic.” 

Duke Balmuth said with a nod.

“However, the current furnaces created with Archive Arts are unreliable. Their output fluctuates and depends too heavily on the caster’s skill.” 

Marquis Voln pointed out.

“Hence the consideration of using Spirit Arts to construct the furnaces.” 

Marquis Voln added.

“With contracts to the spirits, the furnaces could maintain consistent temperature and stability. But…The conditions for that are not simple.”

“Yes. First, only a handful of people possess the talent to make such contracts. And large-scale spirit pacts also depend heavily on the land’s suitability.”

“Therefore, what’s required is land traversed by ley lines or blessed ground and those capable of such contracts tend to be races closely tied to nature: elves and dwarves.” 

Marquis Kaled said and the others nodded silently. Elves and dwarves, in this world, were not ageless beings as in myths. They did live longer than humans—roughly twice as long—but still experienced generational turnover. They were less “mystical races” and more akin to highly skilled professional guilds.

“There are no such settlements within Alveria. Our contact with them is limited to indirect trade with other nations.”

“There’s only one exception. In the great western forest lies the Elven Kingdom of Silva Haruna.”

All eyes turned toward the western edge of the map at Valis’ words.

“The largest elven community on the continent, protected by the World Tree’s blessing. However, they remain in strict isolation, refusing all official diplomacy save for limited private trade.”

“We’ve sent envoys from our country several times in the past, but our envoys were always turned away at their gates.”

“Even so, they are our only hope in our present situation.”

Valis said firmly.

“To construct stable village furnaces, we’ll need large-scale spirit contracts and only they can mediate such pacts.”

“Then our next step is to determine how to approach them.”

Duke Rozheim said.

“Precisely. We must prepare the gifts, the letters, and the envoy’s composition with utmost care. This mission is not one of power, but of trust and safety.”

Valis replied At those words, the Solitaria Scripta pulsed faintly, recording every word.

“As for candidates, one civil officer from Duke Rozheim’s retinue, one young scholar from the Royal Academy specializing in spirit research, and one inspector from the Sanitation Bureau with expertise in public health. Neutral individuals, all skilled in dialogue.”

“And for their escort?”

“Minimal. We will not flaunt strength. Our aim is negotiation and exchange.”

“The gifts?”

“First, several varieties of unscented lotion that are used in medicine. It will demonstrate our awareness of their sensitivity to spiritual harmony. The second, a small circulation device utilizing constant-temperature mana-water flow, a symbol of human hygiene technology that keeps water pure.”

“I see… Technology that ‘does no harm.’ That is indeed fitting.”

Duke Rozheim mused. 

“Your Highness, has a draft of the diplomatic letter been prepared?”

Marquis Voln asked.

“Yes. Its preamble states: ‘We shall not scar the earth, bring no foreign seeds, cloud no waters, and spread no flame.’ Based on those four principles, it outlines our desire for mutual technical exchange to promote stable hygiene and agriculture.”

Valis replied. 

“Very measured. It avoids their taboos and focuses solely on necessity. I’m pleasantly impressed.”

Marquis Voln said approvingly.

“To emphasize our goodwill, we could send it nearly blank, inviting them to add their own text. That would make it a gesture of reciprocity, not submission. Well thought out, Your Highness.”

Duke Balmuth added. Valis gave a modest nod at the praise.

“We can’t predict what will happen with Beltea. That’s all the more reason to take our time and proceed carefully with everyone else.”

No one disagreed. The Solitaria Scripta glowed once more, etching the final lines of the record.

＊＊＊

After the council, Valis spread a map across his desk in his office. At the far western edge—deep forest, surrounded by mountains and gorges—tiny letters marked one name:

Silva Haruna.

If they could gain that kingdom’s cooperation, it would resolve far more than just the lime shortage. The safety standards of furnaces, sustainable technologies using Spirit Arts, new models of harmony between people and nature—all could take shape there.

That was precisely why he could not rush. Inside an envelope lay a pristine white document, still blank of words. Only the addressee and sender were written with careful precision. 

『From Valis, Crown Prince of Alveria — a proposal for technological consultation in service of public health and food stability. We shall not bring seeds, nor cloud the waters, nor cut, nor burn. For the safety and well-being of our peoples, we wish to exchange words.』

He dripped wax onto the envelope and pressed the royal seal closed.

I hope it reaches them. I truly hope that our sincerity does.

Valis opened the window and drew in the outside air.

We will go to the Kingdom of Silence to search for a light.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー