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

Since being born into this world, I’d only visited reasonably large towns. I had no idea what a small rural village would be like and prepared myself for the possibility of a shocking, unfavorable scene.  

Would the people be wearing dirty clothes for days, unable to afford baths? Would the houses be shabby? Did they have proper water and sewage systems? And what if everyone looked malnourished?  

Even if it turned out that way, I resolved to keep a neutral expression and focus on improving the villagers' living standards by introducing new industries.  

As we didn’t have much time before sunset, we decided to use teleportation magic to move. Since teleporting a large group was necessary, it fell to me to perform the spell. However, we couldn’t simply appear in the middle of the village—ordinary farmers might panic if soldiers suddenly poured out from a rift in space.  

So first, Alan-oniisama, the messenger, and I teleported to an inconspicuous spot near the village. From there, I used my teleportation magic to bring the rest of the group.  

The village was surrounded by wooden fences with a large gate bearing its name at the entrance. Though it wasn’t as fortified as Norland or Corquette, wild beasts and monsters occasionally appeared in the area, and the villagers couldn’t afford to have their fields destroyed.  

A wide path led from the gate to the center of the village, flanked by farmland on either side. The houses were a fair distance from the gate, which made it easy for intruders to sneak in unnoticed if they climbed the fence.  

The village center was a plaza with several wooden houses scattered around, each with a large yard adorned with beautiful flowers.  

It was a relief. This idyllic, fairy tale-like village was much closer to what I’d imagined as a charming rural life.  

The villagers wore simple yet clean clothes, and many women had added cute embroidery to their garments or wore brooches, showing they had enough resources to enjoy such small luxuries. Clearly, they weren’t struggling for food.  

They likely hunted animals, bought fish from nearby fishing villages, and grew their own vegetables. The food here might even be fresher and tastier than in larger towns.  

Uncle is quite capable, after all. I should have trusted he’d ensure the villagers were well taken care of. I was worrying for nothing.  

"Hadley-sama! You’ve come all this way?"  

"Hello, village chief. I thought I’d help with the search."  

"You’ve only just returned from your studies abroad, and yet, thank you so much."  

Hadley-oniisama had clearly visited this small village enough to become familiar with the locals. Was he personally visiting all the villages in his assigned region to listen to their concerns?  

It was thanks to the Harrington family’s capable management of the strait-side areas that Father and Chris-oniisama could focus on their duties in the capital.  

"This is Alan-sama, the second son of the Marquess of Berisario, and Princess Diadora, the Fairy Princess."  

"Berisario?!"  

"The Fairy Princess?!"  

The villagers who had gathered in the plaza fell to their knees all at once.  

Alan-oniisama, stop trying to blend into the background. You can’t just leave this to me, you know?  

"This is an emergency, so there’s no need for such formalities. Please, raise your heads. Alan-sama and Diadora-sama are both very kind and approachable."  

If that’s the case, why not just talk to them casually, Hadley-oniisama? Your formal tone is only making them more nervous.  

"Two sisters went missing in this village, correct? Could you tell us more about the circumstances?"  

While Alan-oniisama reluctantly began speaking with the village chief, I surveyed the surroundings.  

Although a few magic-powered lamps provided some light, the village would be pitch black at night with so few of them. Beyond the plaza, the only illumination came from the faint glow of light spilling from the windows of the homes.  

The yards had trees, and the unused areas were overgrown with natural vegetation, providing plenty of places to hide.  

"The suspicious men were last seen in the southeastern forest. There’s an animal trail leading to the cliffs along the strait."  

The forest, huh?  

"Alan-oniisama, let’s have our spirit beasts assist with the search. They can move more freely while airborne."  

"Good idea. I’ll use mine as well."  

"Please do. The soldiers and villagers searched today, but they had to cut through dense vegetation, so they couldn’t cover much ground."  

The soldiers tasked with protecting the village were commoners and often lacked spirits. Even those with spirits typically only had one, and their spirits weren’t fully developed into spirit beasts yet, making them unsuitable for independent searches.  

However, they might still have some useful information.  

"If any spirits have seen or heard anything, please let me know."  

At my call, the villagers’ spirits began to gather around me.  

"Ohhh."  

"As expected of the Fairy Princess!"  

Surrounded by glowing, ethereal spirits in the twilight, I might have looked otherworldly. Some villagers wept in awe, while others, including children, gawked with their mouths wide open.  

Perhaps this flashy display was overkill. I was starting to regret it.  

"It seems none of the spirits saw anything on the day the sisters were abducted. They left the village together, correct?"  

"Yes, to gather wild herbs. Their basket was found near the village entrance."  

So they were attacked upon returning to the village. With so few spirits among the villagers and those present being underdeveloped, there wasn’t much information to go on.  

"Are the men still in the southeastern forest?"  

**"Yes."**  

**"I can feel them."**  

"Oh! My spirit spoke!"  

It seems merely reading about spirit communication isn’t enough; people might find speaking to spirits in front of others embarrassing.  

"My spirit feels the same but says it can’t reach that far."  

According to Alan-oniisama’s spirit beast, something suspicious was beyond the forest. That leaves us no choice but to investigate.  

"Are Dia’s spirit beasts going further in?"  

"How about it, Ifree?"  

When asked by Hadley-oniisama, I turned to Ifree, who nodded confidently. The rest of my spirit beasts had already flown ahead.  

**"There’s a house!"**  

Jin suddenly appeared, startling me.  

**"A house. A house."**  

"Did you see anyone?"  

**"Riva is watching. I came to report."**  

"I see. Thank you."  

**"I worked hard. Went far."**  

Perched proudly on Ifree’s back, Jin wagged his tail like a question mark while fluttering his wings in triumph.  

"If it’s that far away, it might be too late to go now."  

"Entering the forest at night is risky."  

The soldiers were understandably cautious now that night was falling.  

But if we wait until morning, the girls will have to endure another night of terror. What if the culprits move them during the night? If they get farther away, even the spirits might struggle to track them.  

"Alan-oniisama, spirits can teleport us to places they’ve been, right?"  

"Can they find a spot in the forest where we won’t be noticed by the enemy?"  

Jin tilted his head uncertainly.  

"Perhaps we could teleport to the shadow of a building? Time is of the essence."  

**"I’m back!"**  

**"There are ten culprits."**  

Riva and Gaia returned.  

**"Two buildings. Small ones."**  

**"Men were outside as well."**  

"Ten is too many for our current numbers. We should wait for reinforcements."  

How long would it take for the messenger to return with reinforcements? By then, it would be pitch dark, making teleportation even more dangerous.  

If we go, it has to be now. Otherwise, we’d have to wait until morning.  

"Alan-oniisama."  

"I understand your feelings, and if it were just us fighting, we might manage. But don’t forget, the girls are hostages. It’s too risky to proceed now."  

"...So we just need reinforcements?"  

"Yes, that’s right." 

"So as long as someone protects me while I dive into danger, it should be fine, right?"  

"...Are you thinking of something outrageous again?"  

"If I’m being protected, it doesn’t count as interfering with humans, does it?"  

"...I hate that you’re probably right, and they’ll gladly jump at the chance."  

What’s wrong with that? If they’re happy to help, isn’t that a good thing?  

"What are you two talking about?"  

"It’s nothing major, Hadley-oniisama. I was just thinking about asking the Spirit King for a little help."  

"What? Alan, what is she talking about?"  

"Stay calm."  

"How can I stay calm?!"  

Even among Berisario, people in this area had likely never seen the Spirit King. The soldiers were restless, and the villagers, unable to hear our conversation, were growing uneasy seeing the soldiers' reaction.  

There’s no need to panic; the Spirit King isn’t our enemy.  

"Still, it’s a good idea. If they’ve already kidnapped three people and are still hiding so close, they probably plan to take more. Are there others in this area with multiple spirits?"  

"I’ve heard of a boy in the western village who possesses both wind and water spirits."  

"Assign a few guards to protect him. Detain anyone suspicious, no matter who they are."  

"Understood!"  

With some soldiers diverted to guard the boy, our need for reinforcements grew. Honestly, soldiers without spirits would struggle in the pitch-black forest anyway; there weren’t even streetlights.  

Alan-oniisama seemed to agree, sending more guards with the group heading west, leaving seven uneasy soldiers to accompany us.  

"Ifree, go to Ruri and tell him I’m about to charge into the kidnappers’ group and need his protection."  

"You really aren’t going to stay quiet, are you?"

Even Ifree sighed in exasperation. I didn’t think I was that much trouble for the Spirit King. In Luftanen, Moana caused the commotion, and the trouble afterward was due to foreign Spirit Kings, so I was more of a victim.  

"I’ll go."

While Ifree was gone, Gaia stayed close by my side, with Jin and Riva flying overhead, keeping watch.  

We left two soldiers behind to guard the village and set out southward after splitting from the group heading west. The deepening twilight soon enveloped us, and the forest sank into darkness.  

Bird calls and the buzz of insects filled the air, and the eerie sound of branches swaying in the wind added to the unease.  

"Are we really doing this?"  

Hadley-oniisama voiced what the soldiers were likely thinking.  

"Of course! Those girls are terrified right now. How could we not help?"  

"That’s true, but..."  

"Everyone, use your spirits in their physical forms to light the path at your feet. For those with spirits, have them help. Keep the light low to avoid drawing attention."  

At Alan-oniisama’s command, everyone except me moved their spirits to illuminate the ground. I cast a lighting spell to brighten the path for the soldiers without spirits and pressed forward.  

No one could let me or Alan-oniisama go ahead alone, so Hadley-oniisama and the soldiers had no choice but to follow, and we quickly moved away from the village.  

"Now, shall we teleport? Did you find a suitable spot nearby?"  

"It’s narrow and dark. You’ll have to walk a bit from the sea side."

Gaia’s answer was echoed by Riva and Jin in agreement. Well, it couldn’t be helped.  

"Alright. Lead the way after we teleport."  

"What’s she going to do this time?"

When Ruri materialized behind Alan-oniisama and me, the soldiers shouted in alarm and immediately fell to their knees.  

There’s no need to drop to the ground so forcefully—you’ll bruise yourselves.  

"This sounds interesting. Taking down kidnappers, is it?" 

"Suou, you’re here too?"  

"Why wouldn’t I be? You’re always calling Ruri, after all."

"Hm!"

"That smug look of his is irritating."  

It’s nice to see them getting along so well. But having two Spirit Kings here might be a bit much for the soldiers’ nerves. I’m a little worried about their mental state.  

"Three girls with multiple spirits have gone missing. Dia’s spirit beasts found suspicious buildings and people deeper in the forest. We need to rescue them as soon as possible."  

"We do not interfere with human affairs."

"I know. That’s why I just need Ruri and Suou to protect me. I’m about to charge in and blow those kidnappers away."  

"Oh, let’s make it flashy!"

"Suou, try to stop her."  

"But it sounds fun."

"Well... that’s true."

As Spirit Kings who usually have too much free time, they couldn’t ignore a situation like this.  

"The culprits are likely from Starke."  

"So they’ve started abducting people even in the Empire? Very well, we’ll help."*

That’s Ruri for you. Considering the disrespect from before, we won’t hold back this time.

[TL NOTES:

I’ve decided to stop working on "The Reincarnated Count's Daughter Is the Strongest as She Is Loved by the Spirits, Though She Is Only Wishing for Regular Romance!" and "Using Gacha to Increase My Companions and to Create the Strongest Girls' Army Corps" as of this chapter. Thank you so much for your continued support!

]