Published: January 4, 2026
Alice says I’m amazing, but it’s not me who’s amazing.
It’s history.
The Dosso incident was something I was able to handle because of experiences from a previous life before I was reborn as Noah.
And that was the limit of what I could do.
From experience, merchants would swarm, so I managed to preserve the land.
But beyond that, I didn’t know what to do.
Recently, while researching various aspects of past history, I learned that in the past, those called the renowned magistrates not only dealt with basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter after disasters but also supported livelihoods until things got back on track.
And when they did that, the number of crimes afterward was clearly fewer compared to when they didn’t.
That made sense to me.
For most people, if they can work properly, working honestly is the easiest way.
Except for a very small number of people, the thought is, "Who would willingly stray from the right path?"
When I learned this, I felt even more strongly that I should learn not only from my past experiences but also from history.
That said, it doesn’t mean my own experience is meaningless.
Because I have experience, I can identify the problem areas.
I compared my own experience with history, incorporated what was lacking, and updated my ways of thinking and methods.
I took in things aligned with my direction but that supplemented my deficiencies.
That is my concrete way of "learning from history."
"Haste makes waste no good, Alice. Get pen and paper ready."
"Yes!"
Alice responded briskly, stood up, and dashed to the corner of the tent to fetch a full set of stationery that was prepared there, then returned.
Meanwhile, I cleared the snacks and drinks off the table to make space for writing.
Using the stationery Alice brought, I wrote down the letter I had formulated in my head.
In no time, I finished writing two documents.
I took the emperor’s seal from my pocket and stamped one, while just signing the other.
Then I folded both and put them into envelopes, sealing them with wax using a nearby candlestick.
Throughout the process, Alice watched silently.
“Curious, are you?”
“Eh? N-no, not at all.”
“Haha, your eyes were full of curiosity.”
“Eh!? N-no way.”
Alice touched her face all over.
Though I said it was her eyes, expression tends to come with that, and she seemed to be checking her entire face as if massaging it.
I grew even more fond of her.
Having curiosity is excellent.
And it’s also great that she doesn’t just blurt it out at the wrong moment.
“What caught your attention? Don’t worry, just say it.”
“Well… why did you stamp one and only sign the other?”
“The one with the seal is an official document, as the emperor. That one’s sent to the prince minister of internal affairs, ordering Duselle to arrange seed rice and farming tools based on the population register.”
“So… this one isn’t official?”
“Yes, this one is sent to the Former Prince Thirteen’s Residence.”
“That was His Majesty’s private residence…?”
“Yes.”
I nodded slightly.
“If I’m not mistaken… isn’t it now called Ark Town?”
“What’s that?”
Hearing a name for the first time, I was puzzled and tilted my head, asking Alice.
“Ark Town… it’s the first time I’ve heard that name.”
“Um… it’s because an entire neighborhood is inhabited only by people from Your Majesty, prince thirteen’s former residence…”
“Oh… I see, it changed like that.”
I chuckled.
“Sure enough, they bought up all the houses surrounding the Former Prince Thirteen’s Residence and had servants and household people live there. So it’s called that.”
Understanding the story made me laugh even more.
“Yes.”
“Such a nostalgic story. I believe the eunuch and maid from that time also adopted a child. I heard they were eager to become knights. I wonder how they’re doing now.”
“Eunuch and maid…?”
Alice looked puzzled.
She seemed to have no idea what I was talking about.
I chuckled and explained to her.
“That was back when I was still prince thirteen. One day when I returned, Audrey — the current empress — was punishing a male servant and a female servant. One was a eunuch, the other a maid. The reason was that the two were engaging in something like sexual activity in a room.”