Reincarnate as Prince: Change Magical World with Industry

53 Spring

The carriage tumbled and turned as it entered the forest. It was filled with sacks of seeds of wheat and sweet potatoes and various other seedlings -- one of the main trades of Gaddi. Inside, a lady of noble birth was reading a book of spells intently, but she couldn't concentrate on all the movement and the noise.

Almighty, please help me. She prayed. If only there was a spell to manipulate air pressure around her without startling the produce so that she could be safe inside her bubble to read.

And then there was the smell.

The smell was too much. Her father must have traded up to half of all the livestock in their village to this merchant. And now she was also assigned to accompany them in the return trip. How could he have allowed her to go into such a rough and tumble, middle-of-nowhere village surrounded by beasts and monsters?

"Only a madman would want to live there. I'd be surprised if they lasted a season. Besides winter is coming, how are they planning to survive?" Her father had said.

"Oh truly, you'd be shocked Lord Valrod." Master Robin replied. "The Prince has an uncanny ability to unite different races under his cause. The whole place is a melting pot of goblins, dwarves, and humans. I was skeptical at first, but such a weird and quirky business is how I have amassed my current wealth. Trading with them has paid in dividends. After a few visits, I had collected a sustainable income for my family and my rabid employ of mercenaries, I was impressed. You know me, I am always happy to explore new boundaries."

Her father was very pleased to see that the merchant was trading in pristine dwarven crafts, as well as some bars of gold. He also brought exotic fruits and vegetables that only grew under the Mountain. The spiky apples that the merchant had offered were sweet and supple, brought about by the supposedly rich soil of the land under Brimstone. These would sell really well in the markets, so the merchant haggled on a stock of seeds and animals.

"Very well then. It seems I may need to have a closer look at this place. Are you certain that they would survive?" Father asked.

"Well of course." Master Robin said. "I bet my very heart and soul on it. My daughter is there right now, working under the noble prince as an assistant and scribe."

Her Father, Eamon Valrod, Earl of Gaddi, promptly ordered her to accompany them during the next spring, which master Roban agreed to for discounted prices on his next visit.

Haruna was conflicted. This wasn't the right time, she was studying on her Masters program for the next term. Her Father had previously sent her to diplomatic missions as a show of force, and it took a lot of her time out of studying. Her affinity for magic rivaled that of Master-level mages who advised Kings, taught in Universities, and hurled fireballs at opposing armies. Her only obstacle was her continued studies to control such power.

"I need to study more." She said.

"You're already strong enough. I don't think this prince will be any trouble to you. You go there to show our goodwill, just as you did in your other missions. Give them a show of your powers perhaps, so they would know the might of our country. Weren't you complaining about staying indoors all season? The exposure would give you much-needed experience. Who knows? Perhaps you'll be able to beat that Arcane block of yours, or whatever it's called. When you come back I'll send you back to school. I promise."

Her father was lying. She knows he doesn't have the money to send her off to University for her Masters' program. And the Arcane interference that she's struggling with is a literal wall that's preventing her from earning a scholarship. So she obeyed, after much deliberation.

What's more, there were rumors that the prince was amassing an army in the middle of the forest. For what? The risk was too high for a place that was riddled by monsters and natural disasters. Were there hidden resources there that only Galedon knows of? Other rumors were flying around that the Prince was an exile and was thrown in there to rot and die in the forest. But that didn't make sense, according to the merchant, they were surviving -- no, thriving in the forest. Her Father was intrigued, and after a fashion so did she.

Who was this prince? What was he like?

"Lady Haruna? Why yes that would be lovely. I'm sure the Prince would be happy to see you. I'll see to it that my daughters accompany you and give you a great time during the trip.

Master Roban had promised her that it would be an easy trip. She couldn't understand how anyone would think this was easy. Her backside had been torturing her for five days now. The merchant's family were freaks who traveled all over the place. They were used to the journey. For them, the smell of live animals and produce wasn't a problem at all.

"Master Roban? Are we getting close yet?"

"Ah yes, my Lady. You see over those hills right there? You could see an outpost if you squint carefully. Behind that is where our trading post is and that is the entrance to Wayward Home. Lakeside is where the Prince resides, along with his council and my daughter. I'll introduce you to them once we arrive."

Haruna eyed the road. It was enough for a single wagon to pass through and was no doubt only established during Master Roban's trips. The merchant had twenty-three "mercenaries" accompanying them, but they looked more like thugs to Haruna. They looked out for monsters and cleared the road of rubble, oftentimes waving their machetes in front to clear out the weeds. They didn't bother her however, for early on she had shown them what she was capable of.

During one night they encountered one of the "flash storms" that Master Roban had warned them about. It was apparently common the closer you are to the Forest of Mist, but it didn't usually happen this far south.

'Usually' being the keyword here. On the third day of their journey, Haruna sensed a disturbance in the arcane realm. The air was becoming thick, and there was a swirl of energy right on top of them which she saw with her arcane sense. It was sucking up the clouds on top of them. A flash storm was coming, and they were in the middle of it.

She signaled the caravan to stop and to go to a forested area, warning them of what coming. Flashes of electricity started coalescing high above, so Master Roban agreed without any argument. They had a lot of animals with them, sheep and cattle were following in tow. It was a challenge to cover everyone, but she had to try.

As the initial droplets of rain came swooping across the landscape, Haruna was ready with her spell. She drew lines of aether and commanded them in a tight circle around the caravan. Arcane block or not, this was one of the few spells she was really good at.  A forceful barrier enveloped them thereafter, sheltering them from the storm. Master Roban had said that the goblin shaman (the fact that goblin shamans existed was another intriguing fact that she wanted to check) told him that storms lasted from three to ten hours. Master level mages would have been able to create a barrier twice this size, but not her. She stood her ground and hoped that her powers would be enough. Thankfully, the storm only lasted thirty minutes. To which everyone in the caravan thanked her and pledged to be forever in her debt.

There were also attacks from wild beasts and creatures which she was able to repel. Once they fought a large centipede that was blocking the road. It was around ten feet tall and had sharp claws in each of its hundreds of appendages. The mercenaries proved no match for it. That's when Haruna came out.

She manifested a ball of fire larger than her head on top of her staff and flung it to the creature. It scurried away, burning small patches of grass around it.

She was given the best seat in the wagons after that. One that was intended for the Merchant and his family. Roban's daughters who were at first friendly to her would now constantly look her in the eye with fear. The mercenaries would only nod and wouldn't so much as look at her.

She didn't mind, she was used to being feared. For someone who was adept at destructive magic, that was almost a given.

Still, she was eager for this trip to be over. She had been reading an advanced tome of books all day and had been gradually getting dizzy as time went by. Then--

"Yah! There it is. The Merrimen, how are ye doing ye bastards. Care for another game of dice?" Yelled one of the mercenaries named Barok.

"We still have to unload these items at Lakeside Barok. Your games will have to wait until later."

"Ahh yes, of course, Master Roban."

As soon they entered the gates of the first outpost, Haruna couldn't believe her eyes. The town was bustling with activity. She stared out of the window for the remainder of the trip.