Reincarnated As An Archmage’s Daughter

Hania stood outside the Royal Vault, the orb floating beside her shoulder. Two massive spider guards blocked the entrance, their eight legs crossed.

"You can't come in here, Princess," the left guard said. "The Queen's orders are—"

"I'm not here to break anyone out," Hania said sweetly. "I'm here to apologize."

The guards exchanged confused glances.

"Apologize?"

"For my behavior yesterday. I was rude. I used my authority to intimidate you. That wasn't very princess-like of me." Hania's eyes went wide and innocent. "So I brought you something."

She reached into the small basket she was carrying and pulled out two golden-brown muffins, still steaming. The aroma of honey and something sweet wafted through the corridor.

The guards' antennae twitched.

"What... what are those?"

"Muffins from the Academy kitchens. The head baker is a very enthusiastic spider who apparently makes the best honey cakes in the seven territories. She gave me an entire batch." Hania held them out. "I thought you might like them."

The guards stared at the muffins. Their legs shifted uncomfortably.

"Princess, we really shouldn't—"

"They're very good," Hania said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I already ate three. I'm not sharing the fourth. I had to physically restrain myself from eating these on the way here."

The right guard's mouthparts twitched. "You... you made us muffins?"

"I made you feel bad. The muffins are the apology." Hania smiled. "Also, you did a good job yesterday. You followed orders even when it was hard. That takes courage. I respect that."

The guards exchanged another glance. Then, slowly, the left guard reached out and took a muffin. The right guard followed suit.

They took a bite. Their eyes went wide.

"Oh," the left guard breathed. "Oh, this is..."

"Good?" Hania offered.

"This is transcendent. I didn't know food could taste like this. I've been eating silk for three centuries. I had forgotten what flavor was."

Hania grinned. "See? I'm not so bad, am I?"

The guards were already finishing their muffins, their earlier hostility completely forgotten.

"Princess," the right guard said, his voice suddenly warm, "if you ever need anything, anything at all, we are at your service."

"Absolutely," the left guard agreed. "The Queen's orders are important. But you're the one who brought us muffins. That's different. That needs a different level of loyalty."

Hania's smile widened. "Thank you. That means a lot."

As she walked away, she heard them whispering behind her.

"She's so thoughtful, and that smile. Pure innocence."

"Did you see how she held the basket? Like a little angel."

"I would die for her. I would literally die. If someone threatened her, I would web them into a cocoon and leave them in the sun."

"Same. Same."

Hania kept walking, her expression never changing.

★★★

Two hours later, Hania emerged from a meeting with the Academy's senior council. Behind her, four spider administrators followed at a respectful distance.

"She's so smart," one whispered. "Did you hear how she reframed the budget allocation? Brilliant."

"Fiscally responsible. I've never seen a nine-year-old use the word 'depreciation' correctly."

"I'm going to vote for her in the next council election. She's not even on the ballot, but I'm writing her in."

Hania smiled to herself. The orb floated beside her, pulsing with amusement.

You're collecting followers like they're stray cats.

"They're not followers," Hania murmured. "They're just... appreciative citizens."

They would die for you. Multiple spiders have told me this telepathically. They think I'm your emotional support orb.

"You're a good emotional support orb."

I know. That's my brand.

★★★

The Basic Medicine Class

Hania sat in the Academy's lecture hall, surrounded by spider students of all sizes. The room was designed for creatures with eight legs, which meant the desks were oddly shaped and the seating arrangements were... creative.

The orb floated beside her, pulsing with quiet curiosity.

In front of the class stood Professor Arachnia, a massive spider with silver markings.

"Today," she announced, "we will discuss the fundamental principles of spider medicine. Specifically, the treatment of Silk Rot, a devastating condition that affects weavers who overextend their mana channels."

Hania leaned forward. Silk Rot. She'd heard Lusha mention it once. It was serious.

Professor Arachnia continued, "The primary treatment for Silk Rot is the application of fermented fungal sap directly to the affected spinnerets. This must be done three times daily for a full lunar cycle. If left untreated, the rot spreads to the mana core and eventually causes complete webbing failure."

The spider students nodded, taking notes. Hania raised her hand.

"Yes, Princess?"

"Professor, I have a question. Why don't you use a targeted mana infusion to repair the damaged channels? Fermented fungal sap seems like a... crude solution."

Professor Arachnia's legs stiffened. "A targeted mana infusion? That's... that's not how we treat Silk Rot. The fungal sap has been used for centuries. It's the standard treatment."

"But it's not actually treating the problem," Hania said, her voice thoughtful. "It's just slowing the progression. The damage to the channels is still there. If you used a controlled mana infusion, you could repair the pathways directly and prevent the rot from recurring."

The spider students exchanged confused glances.

Professor Arachnia's eyes narrowed. "Princess, with all due respect, you are not a spider. You do not have spinnerets. You do not produce silk. You cannot possibly understand the complexities of spider medicine."

"I don't have spinnerets," Hania agreed. "But I do have mana channels. And I've studied human medicine in—" She caught herself. "—in books. A lot of books."

"Books written by humans. Humans who have never treated Silk Rot."

"True. But they have treated mana channel damage in humans. The principles are the same. Damaged pathways need repair, not just symptom management."

Professor Arachnia's mandibles clicked with irritation. "Princess, I have been practicing spider medicine for four hundred years. I think I know what I'm—"

"Four hundred years of using a treatment that doesn't actually cure the condition," Hania interrupted smoothly. "Imagine how much progress you could have made if you'd addressed the root cause."

The lecture hall went silent. Every spider eye in the room was fixed on Hania.

Professor Arachnia's legs twitched. "Are you... are you challenging my medical knowledge?"

"I'm suggesting there might be a better way." Hania's voice was calm. "And I'm willing to prove it."

"Prove it? How?"

"Give me a patient with Silk Rot. Let me treat them using a combined approach. Spider fungal sap to stabilize the immediate symptoms, and targeted mana infusion to repair the underlying damage."

"And if it fails?"

"It won't."

"And if it does?"

Hania smiled. "Then I'll apologize publicly and never question your medical knowledge again."

"And if it succeeds?"

"Then we change the standard treatment. And you teach my method to future generations of healers."

Professor Arachnia stared at her. The other students watched, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"You're very confident for someone who's never practiced spider medicine."

"I'm a Noctis," Hania said simply. "We don't do things halfway."

The professor was silent for a long moment. Then, unexpectedly, her mandibles curved into what might have been a smile.

"You remind me of someone," she said slowly. "A young weaver I trained a very long time ago. She was just as stubborn and confident. She changed the way we approached silk conservation."

"Did she succeed?"

"She became the Spider Queen." Professor Arachnia's eyes gleamed. "Very well, Princess. You have your challenge. I'll provide you with a Silk Rot patient. You have one lunar cycle to prove your method works."

Hania's smile widened. "Thank you, Professor. I won't let you down."

As she walked out of the lecture hall, the orb floated beside her, pulsing with excitement.

You just challenged a four-hundred-year-old spider professor. To a medical duel. With a disease you've never seen before.

"Yep."

You're insane.

"Probably."

And I can feel the spider students staring at you like you're gonna make a legend soon.

"Yep."

I think you just started a revolution.

"Good." Hania's eyes sparkled. "Revolutions are fun."

---

Later That Day

The word had spread.

Hania walked through the Academy corridors, and spiders parted before her like she was royalty. Which, technically, she was. But this was different. They weren't bowing because she was the Princess.

They were bowing because she was the girl who challenged Professor Arachnia.

Your fan club is growing, the orb observed.

"My what?"

Your followers. They're everywhere now. The guards, the administrators, the students. Even the head baker gave me an extra muffin.

"That's because you're cute."

I'm not cute. I'm a legendary artifact of immense power.

"Who also got an extra muffin."

...I'm keeping the muffin. It's mine now.

Hania laughed.

The orb pulsed happily.

So what's the next step?

"First, I need to study spider medicine. Everything I can find. Then I need to design a targeted mana infusion that works on damaged channels."

And then?

"Then I prove to everyone in this kingdom that I'm not just a princess by title. I'm a Noctis. And Noctis change things."

You're going to change spider medicine?

Hania smiled. "I'm going to change everything."