The Reincarnated Count's Daughter Is the Strongest as She Is Loved by the Spirits, Though She Is Only Wishing for Regular Romance!

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**Author Notes:**

This is an explanatory chapter. With this, all the neighboring countries have been introduced.  

This time is a bit serious, but next time, topics related to romance will pop up again.

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A little before the time of the birthday ceremony, in a luxurious room deep within the imperial palace, nobles who represented the core of the empire gathered with the Crown Prince. Chris-nii-sama and I were also present.  

I understood why Chris-nii-sama, who had taken over Father's duties and was working at the palace, would be here, but why did they call me too? I really don't like meetings.

The Crown Prince, already dressed in his ceremonial attire, was turning sixteen this year. Once he announced his fiancée, the next thing the citizens would be curious about was the dates for his coronation and wedding. Both are celebratory events, so ideally, everyone should be discussing them with bright expressions, but the faces in the room were a bit tense, probably because of my unique presence.

“Well, can I assume that the distribution is ready for discussion?”  

“Yes, everything is prepared.”

The one answering the Crown Prince was Marquis Chandler, Britan's father.  

Up until recently, I had been the one mainly working on the textbooks, but now, the task had been entrusted to the Chandler family.  

I had been quite busy traveling to Luftanen and working for the Fairy Company, and more importantly, Britan, Erda, and their group were extremely passionate about producing books. All I did was provide some illustrations.  

Since there had been a lot of activity in the regions lately, this was a great opportunity to show that the central nobility was also contributing. Marquis Chandler, who had been in Duke Powell's faction, had been instrumental in rebuilding the central administration. He also managed the complicated production costs and handled the translations into foreign languages. It was all thanks to them, so it was perfectly fine to credit them for everything.

However, as with anything, problems arose. When news of the textbooks reached foreign countries, they sent translators and diplomats to the empire, eager to have them translated into their own languages for their citizens.  

The diplomatic missions weren't only from across the strait; we already had ambassadors stationed in many countries with which we had diplomatic relations. Information constantly flowed across the borders, and countries that had heard about the Spirit Kings and Spirit Beasts were just waiting for an opportunity to send people to the empire.

"Many will try to approach the Fairy Princess today. Chris, make sure Alan knows not to leave Dia alone.”  

“Of course.”

It seemed I was still seen as a risky presence, so much so that the Crown Prince had to say it. Chris-nii-sama had to announce his engagement along with the Crown Prince, so he couldn’t be my escort today, which left Alan-nii-sama to take on that role.

“There have been several requests from foreign countries to send their students to study at our academy. We’ve also received an inquiry from the Lilburn Union about accepting some of their people.”  

At Duke Powell's words, everyone's gaze turned toward me.  

But really, does it make sense for them to study at an academy that only opens in winter? Especially considering that Lilburn, which has schools open all year round, is much more advanced in terms of education than the Empire.

“The reasons differ by country, but there are probably three main reasons. The first is the need for education for their children even during the winter months when they are trapped by snow, like in the case of the Duchamp Kingdom.”  

“It seems that trade with the Duchamp Kingdom is going well.”  

“Yes. Thanks to Marquess Corquette, we have established good relations.”

The northern Duchamp Kingdom lost some of its territory to the Empire during Empress Eufenia's coronation war. However, Marquess Corquette turned that land into a free trade zone for both countries, which boosted trade and improved relations to some extent.

“I can understand their desire to expand their territory southward, but we won’t allow any invasions. Instead, it’s better for both of us to obtain the necessary resources more cheaply through trade.”  

The people of the Duchamp Kingdom are said to be taciturn and serious. It might be due to living months snowbound. The nomadic people of Tabuk, also in the north, say it’s freezing but with little snow. I dislike both; Berisario is the best!

“The second reason is to learn how to interact with the spirits. Most countries, such as the Union and Starke, have cited this reason.”  

“For the Union, the mass production and operation of spirit vehicles are urgent matters.”  

“Indeed. They also wish to learn spatial and teleportation magic.”

The Lilburn Union, beyond the steep mountain range, consists of several small countries governed by a congress of their royal families.  

While larger than the Empire in size, being surrounded by the sea, mountains, and snow-covered areas isolates them.  

With trade mainly through Luftanen or the Empire, small wars between countries would mean mutual destruction. But as a union, the movement of people and goods increased, leading to development to the point where they are now known as a nation of merchants. Women working is considered normal there, and they are also quite passionate about education.

So, when the Empire's spirit vehicles easily transported goods over the mountains, it caused an uproar.  

A horse-less carriage, floating in the air!  

Until then, it took many days to travel just one rugged road. The desire for teleportation and spatial magic is understandable.

“Both Lilburn and Duchamp revered the Spirit Kings and have nurtured spirits, but they had not thought of communicating with them. They have expressed great appreciation for the textbooks and would like to focus on lectures about spirits and magical tools, disregarding the other subjects.”  

“The Spirit Kings seem to only appear on rare occasions for some lucky individuals.”  

“I have heard stories that they appear to deliver oracles once every few years.”

They were sneaky enough to be at Aaron's Falls during the Crown Prince's coming-of-age ceremony, weren't they?  

They asked for help to coexist with humans.  

If they can show themselves in the Empire, why not appear in their own countries and engage in dialogue? What are they even doing?

"And lastly, there are a few countries that aim to get close to the Fairy Princess and bring her back to their land."

What? But they are only accepting high school-level education students, right? We won’t even be in the same classroom.  

Sure, they might see each other on the way to the school building or at tea parties, but there won’t be enough interaction to form a close bond.

“The issue lies with the dormitories. In the Union, the academy provides dormitories, but in our country, each dormitory is maintained by different nobles who take in the children of other noble families from their territories. We could create a dormitory for foreign students, but at most, only students from Duchamp are likely to keep coming.”

The Crown Prince sat in his large chair, legs crossed, tapping the armrest with his index finger as he spoke.  

He was completely accustomed to doing royal duties among adults and even started to exude a certain dignity. But he still seemed to be as busy as ever.

“Shall we expand the royal dormitory? It would make it easier to monitor the movements of various countries.”  

“Please, don't. Security would become a major issue.”

Paolo, who rarely spoke in these situations, immediately objected, making everyone laugh.

“We could let each country manage their building, and if they don’t use it, we could repurpose it for our own needs. There’s no reason not to accept foreign students.”

Chris-nii-sama, sitting next to me, looked extremely displeased.  

He particularly disliked the idea of taking in students from Bejaia and Starke. I feel the same way.

“Well, indeed. Our relations with other countries are quite favorable right now. Accepting students is a reasonable step. If anyone tries something suspicious, we’ll have a reason to act. We could send our forces across the strait as needed.”  

“That sounds good. Given that it’s unlikely to happen this year, shall we inform the other countries that we can accept students starting next year?”

I hope the Crown Prince isn't looking for an excuse to send troops across the strait.  

Sure, I can’t forgive the Nicodemus cult, who infiltrated the palace and poisoned my friends. We can't let the Empire's honor be tarnished like this, and a conclusion needs to be reached somewhere.  

But war is out of the question. Between Pendelus and us, there’s Starke. The commoners in regions suffering from poor crop yields due to deteriorated relations with the Spirit Kings, caused by the nobles, must already be having a hard time.  

This is no time for them to be studying abroad; they should fix the old habits and bad practices of their nobility!

“Shall we move on to the next topic?”  

“What is it, Norland?”  

“With Monica being chosen as the fiancée, it’s a good opportunity for our Norland family to withdraw from being a supporter of His Highness. I would like to recommend Duke Goodfellow, who has territories in Suou-sama’s jurisdiction, as my replacement.”  

“…That makes sense. People might be concerned about the danger of having a family member with too much power.”

Everyone would worry about it becoming another Bantock incident.  

So, Norland is stepping down, just like Father did.

“What do you say, Duke? Will you do it?”  

“I am honored, but considering the future, with Marquess Berisario's role now handed over to his son, it might be better for my son Roland to take my place instead of me.”

“That also seems reasonable.”

Roland-sama is the heir to the Goodfellow family.  

I don’t know him well because of our age difference, but Patty always said he’s a kind and serious brother.

The three duchies and the three marquessates, especially Duke Powell and the three marquessates, have been supporters of the Crown Prince, but it’s been five years since Empress Eufenia and the General left the palace.  

With Father’s role passed to Chris-nii-sama, and with the marquessates undergoing generational changes, the supporters have become more like advisers recently. It might be good to include younger talents in the mix.

“Since Derrick is no longer a close aide, there should be no problem.”  

“Your Highness, the Empire is being closely watched by other countries right now. The coronation was planned for when you turn eighteen, but the people have become accustomed to the current regime, and Empress Eufenia’s rule is a thing of the past. Why not consider holding the coronation by the end of next year or the spring after that?”  

“I also agree with Duke Powell’s opinion. There’s no need to continue ruling as Crown Prince.”

The Crown Prince nodded at Duke Powell and Marquess Corquette’s opinions, resting his chin on the arm of his chair while gazing directly at me for some reason.  

I didn’t understand why I was suddenly the focus.

“In a book I read recently, it mentioned the coronation ceremony in the Union, where the Speaker crowns the new king. How about having the Fairy Princess place the crown on my head in our country?”

Ugh! What kind of proposal is that?

“I oppose drawing any more public attention to Dia.”  

Chris-nii-sama leaned forward, his hand on the table, and locked eyes with the Crown Prince.  

Are they glaring at each other? No, they’re just gazing.

“Wouldn’t it be safer if attention were drawn to her? By assigning such a significant role in crowning the Emperor, it shows that the Fairy Princess is a special presence in the Empire. Anyone who tries to harm her would be opposed by not just Berisario but the entire Empire.”  

“But…”

Suzanna mentioned it too. Berisario is intimidating.  

Especially now, with trade booming with Luftanen, and the Spirit Kings of both countries frequently appearing.  

Everyone here knows the details, so they don’t say anything, but other nobles and citizens might think Berisario intends to go independent.

“All right, I’ll do it.”  

“Dia!”  

“But if I drop the crown, I apologize in advance.”  

“…You only have to lift it from a pedestal and place it on my head.”  

“In that case…”

But isn’t it heavy?  

What if it falls, rolls away, and I can’t pick it up?

“Are you sure it’s safe to leave this to Dia?”  

“I do feel a little… uncertain.”  

I believe the two of them get along well.  

I think, but their positions differ. They have different responsibilities to protect.  

That's another reason it's so captivating.

“To crown the Emperor is to show that the Fairy Princess herself acknowledges me as the Emperor. It’s equivalent to the Spirit Kings' approval.”

The Spirit Kings don’t interfere in human politics, so they can't officially declare it.  

So, my actions would symbolize their support.  

That’s fine. Nobody seems to oppose it.

“Alan will handle security as a royal guard, and Chris will serve as an advisor. I am grateful for Berisario's loyalty.”  

“What?! The plan was for me to return to the territory after Alan came of age!”

Chris-nii-sama! Calm down! No casual language, please!

“Was there such a discussion? I wasn’t aware. Duke Powell, did you know?”  

“No, I did not.”

Chris-nii-sama’s face went cold and calm, which was terrifying.  

The Crown Prince watching him with a grin was equally frightening.  

And Duke Powell, who maintained a serene smile throughout, was scary too.  

What should I do? Smile? Should I smile too?

“…”

Huh? Why does everyone look so shocked?

“Well, there’s not much time left, so let’s move on to the next topic.”  

“Indeed…”  

“Yes, let's do that.”

Wait a minute.  

Does that mean my smile was the scariest of all?  

Is that it?!

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**Author Notes:**

Thank you for reading.

Your typo reports are very helpful.

If you found this even a little interesting, I’d be grateful if you could rate it below.

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