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 - 42

Chapter 42: The Spirit’s Cycle Part 2

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On the morning after the spring rain had stopped, the first phase of construction began at the mountain pass of the Everett Territory.

On the wind-swept slope, scaffoldings were being assembled by the roof workers. Amidst the creaking of the dew-soaked timbers came the rhythmic clang of iron tools. The newly built bell tower would serve as one of the connection points for the auxiliary keystones that would draw on the wind-elemental ley lines from the World Tree.

From between the carefully stacked timbers, a young craftsman poked his head out.

“Hey, did you bring the blueprints?”

“Sure did! The ones handwritten by Prince Valis himself. He even drew the wind currents through the valley.”

The older craftsman, studying the wind-flow diagram inked on parchment, stroked his beard and murmured,

“…Looks like the very skeleton of the wind. Ain’t something a human could do.”

To embed the keystone in the ridge that received the strongest wind, reinforcement of the ground began. Spellcasters carved the framework of a flow-regulating array, arranging the spells of isolation and branching. The entire design was made to harmonize with the natural flow, never to resist it.

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Around the same time, near the royal capital, the watermill by the spring-fed rice fields was lively from the morning.

Early summer sunlight poured in, and the laughter of children echoed along the dew-covered paths between the fields. On the pedestal of the newly established observation array, threads of bluish-white spirit light pulsed steadily.

“The needle’s moving!” “It’s higher up than it was yesterday evening!” “That’s because the river’s flow increased!”

The middle-aged owner of the watermill gently pushed the children aside and peered into the device.

“This here measures the flow of the spirits. You can’t see it with your eyes, but when the path of the water spirit—an Undine—passes through, the needle moves. If it suddenly jumps up…You kids better run, got it?”

“Eeeeh!?” 

The boys widened their eyes and burst into laughter.

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In the forge, work was underway to redesign the furnace for connecting the fire-elemental auxiliary keystones. The smell of burning iron and sweat filled the air as the craftsmen worked, as if in conversation with the flames themselves. A young apprentice handling the newly introduced spirit-conducting stones, his face smudged with coal dust, asked the master,

“Master, the fire’s breath feels different somehow.”

“That’s right. This is the ‘breath of a spirit.’ It’s not the same air we blow. It has weight and reaches right into the core.”

The master gazed into the furnace and spoke softly.

“This is the breath of a Salamander, the fire spirit. By channeling it through the conduit stone, that creature lends us its strength, just a little bit though.”

The gray spirit-conducting stone slowly began to glow red, and in rhythm with its pulse, the furnace began to breathe gently.

“This is what it means to raise a flame.”

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Deep within the forest, in the silence untouched by the morning sun, Feril meditated alongside Marie. The air was moist, carrying the faint scent of tree bark. The earth beneath their feet was slightly damp, and the presence of spirits filled the space around them.

“…Let it flow, don’t block it… Just let it flow…”

Repeating the words softly, Feril opened her palms. A faint thread of fire shimmered above them. A breeze passed by, turning the thread into water; the earth beneath trembled faintly as if tracing its outline. A leaf drifted down from the treetops, dancing lightly on her shoulder.

“That was a good flow just now.” 

Marie said, her quiet voice stirring the air. Feril exhaled deeply, her eyes still half closed, and murmured.

“…Koma-chan has always helped me since I was little… I never knew Amon had such power.”

“Amon is not merely a mass of spirit energy. Fire’s Salamander, Water’s Undine, Wind’s Sylph, Earth’s Gnome—he is the chaotic, swirling source that gives birth to all of them infinitely.”

Marie knelt beside Feril, folding her hands.

“But to be honest, I’m surprised too. The Amon I heard of was said to be far more ferocious—its form resembling the legendary beast, Behemoth. I can sense incredible spirit power, but… It doesn’t seem like one that would ever lose control.”

Feril nodded slowly.

“I’m sure the Prince will find a way to turn Koma-chan’s power from something feared into something that helps everyone. When that happens… I have to be ready to answer that call properly.”

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And so the seasons turned, and the installation of the auxiliary keystones was finally complete. The color of the sky grew vivid, and the scent of the wind changed that day. Before the World Tree, guests from both the royal capital and the forest city gathered quietly.

Valis checked the magical response of the flow-regulating array, then turned his gaze to Feril’s back. Her face reflected both tension and determination. When Marie placed a hand gently on her shoulder, Feril gave a deep nod.

“Feril, are you ready?”

“Yes. I’ll begin.”

Feril knelt on the ground and closed her eyes. Placing her palms flat upon the earth, she steadied her breathing. The pulse of magic spread from within her outward, and the air around them began to tremble faintly.

The next moment, the earth rumbled low, and the air stilled. Out of that silence appeared an immense shadow. Centered on the roots of the World Tree, light and darkness overlapped—and there stood a great beast. Its fur shimmered faintly with phosphorescence. Its eyes were sharp and gleaming. This was Amon’s true form: a great spirit beast resembling a guardian lion-dog.

Its presence was overwhelming, yet it carried a sacred tranquility.

Marie took a step back and began adjusting the spell’s phase. Valis turned toward the array, unfolding the flow structure using the ancient magic Archive Arts. Wind, earth, water, and fire—he confirmed the output of all four elements and opened the connection to the auxiliary keystones.

“Activation… Please begin.”

At Valis’s signal, Feril raised both hands. From her palms, red and blue light spiraled upward toward the heavens, proof that the elements of fire and water were most active. Amon growled low, and a torrent of wind burst from his body. The earth heaved, roots resonated, and light began to pulse from deep within the array. The flow array shone brightly as all twelve auxiliary keystones resonated in unison.

Near the capital, the watermill at the spring fields began to turn quietly. At the mountain pass, the wind rang the bell tower’s chime. In the forge, flames lit within the furnace. From the southern lime kilns, white smoke began to rise slowly, and the workers cheered as they looked up.

“It’s working…! It really works!”

Reports from the joint observation teams—composed of Alverian mages and Elven spirit-users—poured into the array one after another.

“All auxiliary keystones—output stable!”

“World Tree root veins—no overload detected!”

“Phase deviation—zero, synchronization maintained!”

Valis dictated to the Solitaria Scripta, for recordkeeping.

“World Tree Spirit Network: distributed load across twelve auxiliary keystones. Synchronization successful. …Spirit energy circulation has commenced.”

When he turned around, Feril was gently stroking the Behemoth’s muzzle, relief evident in her eyes. Marie, standing a little distance away, clasped her hands and watched quietly as the wind blew through her hair. Beside her, Michel stood with a serene expression. Watching the scene, Valis murmured softly.

“…It’s been a long road. But with this, many problems are finally resolved.”

Through Amon’s power, the World Tree now linked Silva Haruna and Alveria. It was no longer a single heart but a new circulatory system, living through twelve rhythmic pulses. The forest and the city, the light and the wind, the water and the earth—all began to move together as one great circle. It was the moment when the ancient memory of spirits and humans walking side by side once again took shape.

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