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 - 3

Chapter 3: The Reincarnated Prince Learns How the Kingdom Works

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

He turned five years old. Now that he had learned to speak, could sit properly in a chair, use a spoon, and had mastered the basic manners expected of a prince, Valis Alveria had already earned a nickname within the royal castle — “The Genius Boy.”

“Will you be visiting the archives again this morning, Your Highness?”

His attending maid asked him with a slightly nervous smile.

“Yeah. I still have something left from yesterday.”

He nodded, though inwardly, he let out a sigh.

They call a five-year-old a genius just because he goes to the library…

Among noble children, learning to read and write usually began at seven, and as for commoners, most remained illiterate for life. Even within the castle, the state of sanitation was dismal. Toilets consisted of buckets filled with herbs, waste simply left to soak. 

Water was drawn by hand from wells, and bathing was limited to once a week. Many simply wiped their bodies down with scented oil and called it done. The more Valis grew accustomed to life in this world, the more certain he became.

This kingdom… No, this world had room for improvement. If the memories and knowledge from his previous life were what people here called a “blessing from the gods,” then Valis would use that blessing to reshape this world. And the first step toward that goal lay in the royal archives.

The royal library tower was an imposing stone structure of noble design. Its pale blue marble reflected light like water, its walls etched with ancient inscriptions, its spiral staircase wound upward by a pulley mechanism. Within, rows of parchment and handwritten tomes filled the dry air. Valis’s target was magic.

The governing structure of this world rested on a monarchy supported by nobility. but equally crucial to its order was the supernatural power known as magic. According to the manuals he had read, magic was divided into four major schools. Divine Arts, holy miracles brought forth through prayers to the gods. Spirit Arts, control over fire, water, wind, and earth, through pacts with elemental spirits. Archive Arts, ancient sorcery that rewrote natural laws through incantations and magical formulas. And then, Valcode, heretical sorcery connecting to forbidden demons and outer realms.

Of these, the one best suited for infrastructure was clearly the Spirit Arts. They could summon wind, draw forth water, light fires, and bore through earth. From construction and agriculture to disaster prevention and sanitation improvement, nothing fit the reproduction of a modern standard of living better than the Spirit Arts. However…

“Contracts require aptitude. …So it can’t be used wildly.”

The Spirit Arts depended on bonds of blood and soul. Without an innate affinity for spirits, no amount of effort could secure their aid. Such affinity was common among elves, dwarves, and other long-lived races, but rare among humans. In other words, for Valis to personally reform the kingdom’s infrastructure, the Spirit Arts were not a viable option. Even hiring a contractor would present problems of maintenance and scalability.

Instead, Valis turned his attention to another school, The Archive Arts. Chants, magic formulas, and magical stones used as catalysts. All of it was recorded, structured, and reproducible. Moreover, the Archive Arts included techniques that mimicked the effects of Spirit Arts such as spells to purify water, spells to decompose sludge, spells to create air flow.

The Archive Arts could be learned. They could be mastered and taught to others through replication. It was, in every sense, a science.

“The magic I should study… Can only be this.”

Rather than using magic, he would develop it. He would construct an entire system through knowledge and logic and transform the very foundations of daily life. From that moment, Valis’s “academic path” was set. And yet, there was one other thing that lingered in his mind.

Reina. As part of his royal education, he met her once a month. Her golden hair curled like silk ribbons, her posture regal, her young features already carrying the grace of nobility. She was, without doubt, the “promising villainess” from the original story. However..

Valis had deliberately chosen not to grow closer to her.

At first glance, forming a bond with her seemed like the smartest move.A future queen candidate, a political ally. Establishing trust early would make future marriage and alliances much smoother. But even so…

Valis had chosen to keep his distance. For a simple, yet deeply personal reason.

“…She’s just too cute.”

It was an honest feeling. She was someone pure, dignified, yet with a hint of loneliness behind her poised expression. She truly was charming. And perhaps that feeling was all the stronger because he knew how she would blossom in the years to come.

That’s exactly why I have to draw a line now.

In this world, royal engagements happened early. Betrothal at ten, first night at sixteen, coronation and elevation to queen by twenty. But to Valis, who had lived thirty-five years in his past life, she was not a “target” for marriage. 

She’s still a child.

And once he recognized her that way, he knew that when the time came, he might not be able to see her as a woman. Someday, she would bloom. When that day came, Valis could not afford hesitation when reaching out to her hand.

“So for now… I’ll keep my distance.”

That decision was both for her sake and for his own. A choice made to secure a future without regret. In the months that followed, Valis secluded himself in the library, continuing his research on the Archive Arts.

He studied the base structures of purification spells, magical stone compatibility and attribute classification, and the conditions for transcribing formulas. While deciphering old manuscripts, he began experimenting with small-scale reconstructions of the spells himself. One day, he secretly installed a prototype “magical conduit” in the queen’s private bath…

“My, the water seems clearer than usual today and the texture feels lovely on the skin, doesn’t it?”

The maids began to murmur in delight. Yes. That was proof of success. Valis had used his position as prince to obtain empirical verification through the queen’s own experience. And that first small step would later lead to the development of sewer systems and public hygiene reforms throughout the kingdom.

Of course, how practical the magical conduit would prove depended on future refinements. But for now, the gears had begun to turn for the better.

“Your Highness, preparations for your governance lecture are complete.”

His attendant called out. Today was the day of his first lecture on domestic administration, a lesson on the duties of royalty. Valis closed his book, rolled up the scrolls, and stood. Already, within this young body, a blueprint for changing the kingdom had taken root.

First,he had three objectives. One. Build the foundation of everyday infrastructure through magic. Two. Confront the taboo of sexual education and reform the nobility’s sense of ethics and pleasure. Three. Develop and institutionalize the study of Archive Arts through education reform. And beyond all of that…

The reconstruction of the nation itself.

It was a future no one yet knew, but the ideal was already there. Vivid, and within his reach.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー