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 - 31

Chapter 31: Laurel’s Journal and the Heavy Truth

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The door to the archives closed without a sound, and it felt as though the remnants of that dimly lit space had trailed out into the corridor.

“Reina.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Send word to the Royal Guard. Begin preparations for departure.”

“Understood.”

Reina quietly turned on her heel and strode off at a brisk pace, her cloak fluttering behind her. Her back was straight, her bearing graceful and unwavering.

“Milia, help Reina.”

“Got it. I’ll check the equipment and prepare the herbs. Leave it to me.”

Milia followed after her with a light smile, their footsteps soon fading around the corner. At that moment, Feril returned. After taking a quiet breath to steady herself, Feril approached and softly reported,

“I’ve sent the messenger to Father.”

“Thank you.”

As they exchanged words, Feril glanced around the area. Confirming that no one else was nearby, she lowered her voice.

“…What was really written in there? That our great-grandmother was an elven princess? Surely, that wasn’t all, was it?”

Valis slowly walked toward the window, his steps silent. Light filtered through the stained glass, casting colored patterns across the floor, while the breeze stirred the curtains ever so slightly.

“Before I tell you, there’s one thing I need to confirm.”

“Confirm…?”

When Feril took a few steps closer, Valis met her gaze.

“Earlier, when you saw my magic, you muttered something about it being a ‘cheat ability.’ Why did you think that?”

Feril’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“…I was planning to tell you, Your Highness.”

She said softly, then raised her right hand to shoulder height and made a sweeping motion through the air. In response to that motion, the space before her rippled like water.

At the center of her palm, a small vortex of wind was born. The faintly glowing current of air gently stirred her hair. There was no sound—only the quiet sense that something was there, softly filling the space.

“…Can you see this?”

Feril’s voice was thinner than a breath, as if she were testing something. Valis narrowed his eyes and stared intently at the vortex in her hand.

“I can see the wind. But anything beyond that…”

Feril dropped her shoulders slightly, smiling in faint melancholy.

“I thought so. Only I can see it. This isn’t magic. This is my power, the power to call this little one.”

“This little one?”

At Valis’s question, Feril nodded while still looking down at her palm.

“It appears as a stone guardian lion, so I just call it ‘Koma-chan.’ But if I ask, it can light fires or summon water. It can even take form like this—oh, right, you can’t see it. I’ll let it use some power.”

The wind quietly coiled around her fingertips, swirling in gentle spirals. There was no doubt that something supernatural was happening, and from her tone, she clearly wasn’t lying.

Even so—Valis closed his eyes, steadied his breath, and chanted with measured focus.

“Archive Arts: Sense Aura.”

As the chant ended, a thin veil of light spread through Valis’s vision. Near Feril’s palm, he caught a faint shimmer, something that glimmered softly in the air. It wasn’t a distinct shape. But its presence was undeniable, like the trace of wind dancing in place. With a faint sigh of disappointment and renewed clarity, Valis spoke of what his magic had revealed.

“…I can see its magical nature.”

Feril gasped softly.

“So from your perspective, this looks like magic?”

Valis nodded quietly.

“Yes. At the very least, it exists here as a force governed by the same principles as spirit magic and archive magic—part of this world’s natural order.”

Valis spoke firmly, though his tone remained calm.

“In other words, this isn’t some ‘cheat ability’ as you imagine. It’s a power native to this world. And, for the record, the spell I used earlier was also one of the Archive Arts.”

“…!”

Stepping past Feril’s confusion, Valis continued.

“That explains something. In Laurel’s journal, there was a name—‘Amon.’ It was described as a primordial spirit that could bind multiple elements and change its form. That matches perfectly with what you said about your ‘Koma-chan,’ which can manipulate different elements.”

Feril gave a small nod.

“Then… This little one’s name is Amon? No. Wait, you said that was written in Great-Grandfather’s journal?”

Valis nodded again.

“It seems that the Divine Princess Sylpharia made a pact with the elemental spirit Amon, linking it to the World Tree and turning herself into a keystone that circulated power throughout the forest.”

Feril quietly looked down at the wind swirling above her hand. A flicker of unease shadowed her expression.

“And… The journal also said this: a hundred years ago, after bearing Laurel’s child, Sylpharia lost Amon’s power. Unable to maintain the World Tree, she offered herself as a sacrifice and merged with it. Since then, she abandoned her human form and continued to sustain the forest as the source of its spiritual power.”

“…Merged…”

Feril drew in a small, trembling breath.

“She was originally a pure elf—completely ageless, an exceptional being. But then, an ‘exception’ occurred. After giving birth to Laurel’s child, she began to age rapidly and eventually died. In her final moments, she overlapped her being with the World Tree, merging with it…”

Valis spoke slowly, choosing each word with care.

“The details aren’t clear. But it appears that even after her death, that ‘fusion’ was designed to keep circulating spiritual power throughout the forest. However, that perpetuity has begun to fray.”

He lifted his gaze to meet Feril’s eyes directly.

“You, a descendant of Sylpharia, possessing Amon’s power. Your existence itself was written as one of Laurel’s fears in his journal.”

Feril silently nodded, the wind stirring her silver hair.

“Laurel didn’t describe it in full, but judging by his notes… If Amon’s power reawakens within a descendant, it signifies a transfer of the keystone’s role. The moment that happens, Sylpharia—who has been sustaining the World Tree—loses that role, and the new keystone, meaning her descendant, must take her place as the sacrifice.”

Valis continued carefully, measuring each word.

“It also mentioned that some kind of seal had been placed to prevent that inheritance. But the journal warned that the seal could eventually weaken, perhaps after centuries or even a millennium. However, because another soul—‘Yuko Sonomura’—was reincarnated into you, the disruption caused by that event likely accelerated the seal’s collapse and triggered the inheritance far sooner than Laurel or Sylpharia ever expected.”

Feril drew in a sharp breath.

“The timing when you became able to call upon ‘Koma’—‘Amon’—matches when your memories of your previous life returned. It’s natural to conclude that reincarnation affected the process.”

Feril lowered her head slightly, the shadow of her long lashes darkening her cheeks.

“…Then, I’m the new ‘keystone’…?”

Valis paused briefly, then looked down.

“I won’t draw that conclusion here. This is something the kingdom must decide.”

The weight of those words lingered in his throat. It wasn’t his will as an individual but something he had to entrust to the will of the nation.

Feril’s expression remained composed, but Valis could sense the quiet turmoil beneath her silence.

Laurel had likely moved to the western frontier for this very reason. In the distant future, should Amon’s power reappear in his descendants, it would mean the death of Sylpharia and the withering of the World Tree. The elves of Silva Haruna, the Forest People, would inevitably rise to reclaim their power.

That was why he had chosen a land far from the royal capital, so that even if disaster struck, the damage would not reach the center. But now, that “distant future” had become reality. Amon’s power dwelled within Feril. Had the deterioration of the World Tree already begun, or was this merely its first sign? Valis still couldn’t be sure. Nor did he understand why the elves had remained silent until now.

But he could feel it, that silence would not last much longer. Eventually, they would move. And when they did, what decision would Alveria make? Would they protect Feril or sacrifice her? That choice would determine the kingdom’s fate.

What had begun as a mere diplomatic visit to negotiate the use of Spirit Arts for lime production had somehow turned into a crisis that could shake the entire realm. Valis wanted to tell Feril, standing before him with worry in her eyes, “It’ll be all right.” But as Crown Prince, those were not words he could utter lightly.

There were duties that had to take precedence over comfort. First, he had to speak with Margrave Everett. And depending on what was decided, Feril and her entire family might need to come to the royal capital. He would have to report to the king—his father—and seek a decision for the nation.

“…Yes.”

Feril’s voice trembled faintly, yet it reached Valis clearly. At that moment, footsteps approached from around the corner, followed by Reina’s voice.

“Your Highness, the message to the Royal Guard has been delivered. Preparations for departure are nearly complete.”

“Supplies are ready too. The horses can be brought out at any time.” 

Milia added, appearing beside her. Seeing Feril’s pale face, Reina gently placed a hand on her back.

“Are you all right?”

“…Yes. I was just thinking a little too much.”

Valis gave a short nod and turned to face the three of them.

“We’ll wait for Margrave Everett’s return, discuss what was in the journal, and then ride for the capital as soon as possible.”

“Understood.”

A soft breeze passed through them, and the presence Feril called “Koma”—Amon—lightly brushed her hem. That small wind seemed to stay close to her, as if quietly standing beside her in the face of the unseen decisions ahead.

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