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

Around four in the afternoon, Camille and her party teleported to Luftanen. Although it was autumn, and the days were growing shorter, there was still some time before the evening twilight.

"Alan-oniisama, I’d like to hear about the refugees. I’ve also been meaning to discuss the industries around Glasspool."

As soon as Camille and her group disappeared, I turned to speak to Alan-oniisama, who immediately made an overtly displeased face. 

Something's definitely up.

"Alan-oniisama?"

"Can it wait until tomorrow? I have some errands to run."

"I see. Then I’ll head to Glasspool and ask Aunt directly."

"Ugh. Why do you bring this up at a time like this?"

"Instinct?"  

Who was it that said ghosts whisper to them? I just had a hunch.

Glasspool is half a military port and half a trade port, dealing with the opposite side of the strait. The town thrives on trade even without much industry. Merchants, sailors, and soldiers crowd the town, ensuring the taverns, eateries, and inns are never short of patrons.

However, the environment shifts dramatically as you move away from the port. Only a small portion of the roads connecting the port to the northern pastures are developed. The area near the port has a few small fishing villages, but the terrain gradually rises, creating cliffs that make establishing new ports difficult. That’s why I’d been considering introducing new industries to that area. 

Even though they’re close to the sea, many villages rely on agriculture. The sloped terrain seems to make farming challenging as well.

"If refugees come there, there won’t be any work for them, will there?"

"Well... yeah."

"I see. That’s unfortunate. It seems Alan-oniisama doesn’t want to talk to me much."

"That’s not true!"

As I prepared to teleport, Alan-oniisama grabbed my arm firmly.

"Could you at least stop Dia?"

Alan-oniisama even started complaining to my butler. Does he really not want to talk that much?

"It’s fine. I’ll take Gemma and Rex with me."

"It’s not fine! Camille specifically asked you to stay put."

"He’s probably resigned himself to minor disruptions like this."

Alan-oniisama raised his hand to his forehead and gazed at the sky. What kind of emotion is that supposed to convey? Refugees alone wouldn’t make him react this way. Hmm...

"Is it possible that dangerous people are mixed in with the refugees?"

To stop Alan-oniisama, who was subtly trying to pull me into a nearby building, I had Ifree and the others surround him. Alan-oniisama’s spirit beast was so tiny in its compact form that it couldn’t compete with mine. Transforming it into its giant form or using magic would escalate this sibling quarrel too much.

"Sigh, fine. Yes, that’s correct. Some Pendelus people have slipped in among the refugees. And you know how some of them no longer bear the marks? It seems Nicodemus has been hiring them for jobs, promising to send them to the Empire. Things like gathering intelligence."

"Nicodemus still has followers? Pendelus was nearly uninhabitable except for a small stretch near the border. Most of its people scattered to neighboring countries."

Despite decades of trying to reclaim the land, it failed. In their desperation for habitable land, they invaded neighboring countries, only to be expelled by Bejaia and Luftanen. Many of them turned to dust. I thought very few Pendelus people or Nicodemus followers remained.

"They’ve taken refuge in Starke. That kingdom has many nobles who harbor resentment toward the Spirit King despite their own misdeeds. With royalty like Cyprian, they’re likely being exploited."

"In that case, isn’t Aldert suspicious?"

"He’s so suspicious that one might think he’s just a pervert and nothing more."

Despite his striking looks, rivaling even Chris-oniisama, he’s been labeled a deviant. It’s bizarre how he acts like we’re close, rejoicing in imaginary reunions. 

"So before tackling industrial issues, security concerns take priority."

"Exactly. With Starke and the Empire just across the strait, many people work here temporarily and send money home. Once Starke’s issues are resolved, they’ll likely leave."

"Even if we establish new industries and provide jobs, they’ll leave after learning the skills."

It’s frustrating to think that the expertise we cultivate could just walk away. I need to focus on what I can do. Security and maintaining order aren’t my responsibilities.  

The highlands near the cliffs and sloped terrains make it challenging to develop industries. But we could experiment with a few ideas. Surprisingly, rice hasn’t gained much favor here. 

This culture prefers bread as a staple food. While risotto-style dishes are somewhat appreciated, rice burgers were unpopular, and omelet rice didn’t do well either. Not that they were failures—employees at the Fairy Company café enjoyed them during lunch—but they weren’t popular with customers.  

When I think about it, those are B-grade gourmet foods. A small portion as part of a course might work, but nobles wouldn’t consider it a main dish worth dining out for. Maybe the Fairy Company’s clientele wasn’t the right fit. And they’re not well-suited for street stalls either.  

In that case, what about sake? Terraced rice fields could be established on sloped lands, right? The melted snow from the northern highlands flows through the area, providing excellent water quality. 

Sake sounds perfect. I always liked dry sake served cold. Fruity daiginjo varieties were nice for sipping, but they lacked a satisfying kick. If I start production before I come of age, I might be able to drink sake in this world too.  

"Dia! Come back. What are you thinking about so quietly?"

"Ah, oops. I’m drooling..."

"Camille, is she really the one you want?"

I’ve wondered the same. With Camille’s current position, he could choose any beauty in the world. Such peculiar taste.  

"For now, I don’t seem to be of much use. I’ll brainstorm ideas for developing new industries—oh?"

The place where we teleported from the palace just moments ago was now teeming with magical energy. A sign that someone was about to teleport in.  

"Ah! Alan-sama!"

The ones who teleported in were members of Berisario’s messenger corps. This elite five-member unit comprised former mages from our household, personally trained in spirit beast care by me. All of them could use teleportation magic and wield spirit beasts of every element.  

Alan-oniisama should be able to use teleportation magic by now. But he’s still uncomfortable with the concept of disappearing and reappearing elsewhere, even though he understands it theoretically. He tolerates others teleporting him but dislikes it. My teleportation is an exception because it feels like walking through a visible doorway. I understand how he feels.  

"Is the Marquess in the palace?"

"Yes, there’s a banquet tonight. Did something happen?"

"Yes. In a village along the strait, three young girls have gone missing. Recently, unfamiliar foreign-looking men have been spotted, and we are currently searching the forest."

What?! Are they abducting girls even in the Empire now? Starke, I won’t forgive you.

"Were they abducted today?"

"No, the first disappearance was two days ago. The commoners didn’t report it, thinking no one would act on the disappearance of a peasant girl."

"I understand their sentiment. Where are Grandfather and Uncle?"

Our domain has such low crime rates that commoners probably don’t know how to report incidents properly. But nobles in charge of a region shouldn’t neglect such matters. If I hear they ignored a report, I’ll personally make them pay.

"They’re stationed near the port. Ships from Bejaia and Starke are still docked there."

"Hey, you." 

When I suddenly approached the messenger, he straightened his posture, placing his right hand on his chest.

"Yes, Princess Diadora?"

"I’m not a princess."

"But aren’t you the Princess of Berisario? Your teleportation magic the other day was incredible. Seeing it up close was awe-inspiring!"  

Stop gazing at me with such sparkling eyes. That wasn’t something worth admiring. I was just annoyed by Starke and Bejaia’s selfish behavior and acted out.

"Do the missing girls perhaps have multiple spirits?"  

"Yes, they all seem to possess dual-element spirits, which is quite rare among commoners."  

That settles it. If this works for them, they'll definitely try abducting more girls repeatedly. I won’t let that happen.  

"Alan-oniisama, I’m coming too. If the nobles of Starke are behind this, they won’t harm such valuable 'merchandise.' We still have time to rescue them unharmed."  

"It seems I can’t stop you, can I?"  

The sky Alan-oniisama glanced at was about to turn crimson. Nightfall would come soon after.  

"Bart, head to the palace with the messenger, report this to Father, and then use his teleportation magic to go directly to Glasspool. We’ll go ahead."  

"Understood!"  

Bart, Alan-oniisama’s aide, dashed off with the messenger toward the teleportation chamber.  

Bringing the rest along would be my responsibility.  

"Let’s go."  

"I’m counting on you."  

Let’s show Starke exactly what happens when they mess with the people of Berisario.  

Since teleporting to Glasspool was routine for me, no one batted an eye when we appeared by the same warehouse wall as last time. In fact, they seemed to be waiting for us and immediately led us to a building in a corner of the port.  

"Glad you made it."  

"Your quick action is much appreciated."  

Inside were my grandparents, uncle, aunt, and my cousin Hadley-oniisama, all assembled.  

My grandparents had been stationed in Glasspool for some time, keeping an eye on Starke and Bejaia's activities and overseeing the strait's security. My uncle, while excellent at administrative work, wasn’t suited to commanding the military.  

But the most striking presence was my grandmother and aunt. Both were stunningly beautiful, yet exuded an overwhelming aura that made them difficult to approach. Every time I saw them, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of the Berisario blood in my veins.  

"The first girl was abducted two days ago, and the next day, two sisters from a neighboring village were taken. Unfamiliar men had been spotted in this village a few days ago. The area surrounding the village is primarily farmland, with untouched forest beyond that. The forest on the strait side is particularly dense, making the search challenging."  

"I’ll go. Spirit beasts will be particularly effective in such terrain."  

"I’m coming too!"  

If Alan-oniisama was going, of course I’d go as well. I raised my hand sharply, and everyone present turned to look at me.  

"My spirit beasts will be useful, won’t they?"  

"It’s dangerous..."  

"That’s true. But wouldn’t it be fine if Hadley stayed by her side? The priority now is to find the girls as quickly as possible."  

As expected, my aunt understood perfectly. My grandfather, who had started to object, looked at my grandmother for support, but she seemed even more enthusiastic.  

"If she’s the Fairy Princess, she doesn’t need protection, does she? I hear she made quite the impression in Luftanen."  

"We must protect the people of Berisario. If the enemy threatens them, they must learn the cost of their actions."  

"I couldn’t agree more, Grandmother. The enemy needs to understand the consequences of crossing Berisario."  

"Exactly. But you can’t go in that dress."  

Oh, right. I was still wearing the extravagant dress from the palace. It would be completely out of place. An embarrassment, really.  

"There are Mia’s clothes. Change into those."  

"Yes, and your hair should be tied up as well."  

Why do my aunt and grandmother look so excited as they approach me?  

"Come now, let’s get you changed. I’ll help pick an outfit for you."  

"But Mia is younger and slimmer—wouldn’t the clothes not fit?"  

"A one-year difference is insignificant."  

"We also have some outfits made a bit larger, so it’ll be fine."  

Ack! These two are so strong! Once they started pulling me, I couldn’t resist.  

"Which color would suit her best?"  

"Let’s send someone to buy boots."  

Weren’t we just talking about how urgent this was?! My wardrobe doesn’t matter right now!  

Alan-oniisama, stop laughing and help me!