The Villain's Reincarnation – Tired of Working Hard, I'm Slacking Off! The Peacefully Oblivious Slacker Avoids Ruin! - Chapter 14

“So, how exactly do you want to conduct this duel?”

With an air of absolute confidence, completely unbothered by the idea of losing, Lord Kaito asked me this question.

Kaito Mitsurugi. A man whose talent was so extraordinary that he was rumored to be the reincarnation of his clan’s founder—a prodigy in every sense of the word.

I had been told that he had duties far more important than meeting with royalty, so I assumed I wouldn’t get the chance to see him.

But to think I would run into him while wandering through his estate… this was completely unexpected.

For me, this encounter was a significant predicament.

Wandering around someone else’s manor without permission was an unforgivable breach of etiquette.

And I had been caught—by none other than Lord Kaito himself, the master of this estate.

I had made a terrible blunder.

I managed to offer a quick excuse, but if he had chosen to press the issue further, it would have been very difficult to talk my way out of it.

However, Lord Kaito had let it slide without questioning me too deeply, allowing me to avoid the worst consequences.

I wasn’t sure why he let me off so easily… but in a way, this was an opportunity.

So, I casually attempted to probe him for answers—

But not only did he completely deflect my question, he hit me with a devastating counterattack instead.

“The plan is already in motion. Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen.”

Such a statement—one that implied he had already predicted this entire situation—was something I could not ignore, especially since I was already at a disadvantage.

Looking back… the fact that I had been pushed into this unfavorable position in the first place—

The one responsible for that… was him.

He had foreseen our situation.

He had subtly put pressure on me by proposing a strict inspection schedule, forcing me into increasingly tight conditions.

He had withheld sending escorts, keeping me on edge until the last moment—before finally presenting himself, forcing me to take a dangerous gamble.

And once I did, he took control of the entire situation, turning himself into my greatest obstacle.

If I thought of it that way, every move he made had been calculated.

The so-called “more important duty” was nothing more than a bluff—his real objective had been to seize an advantage over me.

And what made it even more terrifying was how he chose not to actively use that advantage.

At first, I had thought he was wasting his leverage by letting me go.

But I was wrong.

By deliberately discarding it, he forced me to let my guard down while still maintaining control over me.

Because in the end, his promise to “let it go” was only words.

At any moment, he could take it back and completely crush me.

As long as that possibility existed, I could never challenge him directly.

And by keeping this psychological battle beneath the surface, he made it difficult for any outsiders to detect what was happening—eliminating any potential interference.

Like twisting the wrist of an infant… I had been completely trapped.

(Had he planned all of this since the moment he proposed the inspection? Just how much of a strategist is he…?)

I had never expected the gap between us to be this vast.

But even so, I could not back down.

There was no doubt that my disguise had been seen through.

Which meant the only way to neutralize this threat was to reveal my identity, accept whatever consequences came with it, and ensure that the name of Kaito Mitsurugi would forever be known as a dangerous force to the kingdom.

But just as I prepared myself to act—

He was already a step ahead of me.

“Once you’re finished unpacking, I’ll personally guide you through today’s planned inspection sites.”

I had no idea why he was offering this.

But I had no choice but to accept.

(Even the way he emphasized the word ‘maid’ earlier… that was a warning. He knows exactly what I’m thinking.)

In a battle of wits, I had been utterly defeated.

But I could not give up.

Even if it meant risking my life, I had to fight for my kingdom.

That was my duty as royalty.

And so, I desperately searched for an opening—any way to turn the situation in my favor.

If nothing else, I had to gauge Lord Kaito’s strength for myself.

(Even if I’m playing into his hands, I must obtain as much information as possible for those who come after me!)

“For the duel, how about an unrestricted match? The first to make the other yield wins.”

“Sure, that’s fine.”

Lord Kaito agreed without hesitation—his demeanor suggesting that it didn’t matter what the rules were.

(*Calm yourself, Liona. The gap in ability is obvious. Focus on doing what you *can.**)

For the first time in a long while, my heart was racing with anticipation.

I took a deep breath to steady myself.

“Oh, by the way, you’ll need a sword, right?”

“Ah, y-yes.”

As soon as I confirmed, a wooden smallsword—the very weapon I specialized in—materialized before my eyes.

(Fast!)

It wasn’t just that he was using magic related to crafting and transmutation—

It was that he had done so with a precision and speed that surpassed even master artisans.

But that wasn’t all.

“Lord Kaito… did you know what my preferred weapon was?”

As the First Princess, my access to the royal training grounds was highly restricted.

Aside from my training sessions with Dorothy, there were very few instances where I wielded a sword in public.

In other words, Kaito shouldn’t have known what I used.

“No, I didn’t. But judging by your physique, I had a good guess. And I happened to be right.”

“…”

He claimed it was intuition.

But to be able to deduce it this accurately—

That required incredible observational and analytical skills.

“Shall we begin?”

Lord Kaito took a step back, creating some distance between us.

But before we started, I had to ask—

“Lord Kaito… do you not require a sword?”

Despite crafting a custom weapon for me, he hadn’t bothered to prepare one for himself.

It was as if he believed he didn’t need one.

“Oh, right. Yeah, I suppose I should have one.”

“…”

The complete lack of urgency in his response almost threw me off balance.

Casually generating a standard wooden sword, he readied himself—

And thus, our duel began.

(He’s not moving.)

Lord Kaito simply stood there, completely at ease, silently inviting me to attack first.

(Stay calm, Liona.)

It was clear—he was underestimating me.

But that was fine.

Acting on impulse would only lead to defeat.

I had already learned that lesson moments ago.

(Remember your training, Liona. Dorothy is your master.)

I recalled my mentor—the kingdom’s most formidable swordswoman—and tightened my grip.

“Hah—!”

With ice-cold focus, I stepped in, closed the gap instantly, and unleashed a strike.

A sword technique so fast that the average knight wouldn’t even be able to react.

A strike so sharp that, for an eleven-year-old, it could be called genius.

But—

For a prodigy like Kaito Mitsurugi.

It wasn’t nearly enough.

Kaito effortlessly blocked the attack as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Tch!”

Liona’s initial strike had been stopped, but she didn’t panic.

After all, this was where the real battle began.

With her flexible, agile body and precise, near-perfect control over her movements, Liona’s greatest strength lay in her seamless, relentless flurry of attacks—attacks that left no openings.

Even Dorothy herself had praised their sharpness and strength.

That same formidable series of strikes now rained down upon Kaito.

“!?”

But the one who was shocked—

Was Liona.

(No… that’s impossible…)

Her most prided combination—

Had been completely blocked.

And not because of superior technique.

It was the overwhelming difference in raw talent and physical ability.

Kaito’s swordplay had no refined skill.

He was merely swinging with brute force.

Under normal circumstances, against a technical fighter like Liona, such a crude style should have been laughably easy to dismantle.

But the sheer gap in talent had overturned that logic entirely.

With exceptional dynamic vision, Kaito saw her movements as if they were in slow motion.

With overwhelming physical ability and a body strengthened by absurd amounts of magic, his faster and stronger swings completely overpowered Liona’s meticulously refined skills.

It felt as though something inside her was shattering.

Even so, she refused to stop swinging her sword.

Yet no matter how hard she tried, she never reached him.

“No way!?”

In the end—

Her sword was caught.

With one hand.

There was no technique behind it.

It was simply an act of pure, raw talent.

“Shall we call this my victory?”

“Not yet!!”

Before she even realized it, she had shouted the words, her voice louder than she expected.

Ripping herself away, she widened the distance between them.

(If the sword won’t work… then I’ll use magic!!)

“Fall upon my enemies—Thunderous Judgment! Thousand Lightning!”

By chanting the spell aloud, she sacrificed casting speed in exchange for range and sheer numbers.

This was the largest-scale destruction magic she could cast—

A thousand bolts of lightning rained down upon Kaito.

But—

“Thousand Lightning.”

“!!”

The exact same spell erupted around Kaito.

And in an instant, his lightning clashed with hers, completely neutralizing her attack.

(He nullified it… instantly?)

His chantless casting was faster than hers—

And despite casting without an incantation, his spell’s power was equal to hers.

(This… this is what magic talent looks like!)

Because he had used the same spell, the difference between their magical abilities was laid bare.

But Liona did not falter.

After all—

That was merely a distraction.

It was a misdirection, setting up for her real attack.

One of the most difficult magical techniques—parallel casting.

Even among those gifted in magic, few could master it.

But Liona, through tireless effort, had made it one of her trump cards.

By drawing attention to a large, flashy spell with a chant—

She could simultaneously cast an invisible attack without an incantation.

And so, while Kaito’s attention was drawn to the lightning—

Her true finishing move had already been unleashed.

(Gale Strike.)

Invisible blades of wind.

A stealth attack that was nearly impossible to detect.

By using parallel casting to misdirect him, she had ensured her attack was completely unseen.

A total of three invisible wind blades struck from above and behind.

(This time… it’ll hit!!)

It was the most lethal strike she had ever unleashed.

But—

Even that—

Failed.

Without even looking, Kaito effortlessly cut down the invisible blades.

“Impossible!!”

“A surprise attack using parallel casting? A solid tactic. But unfortunately, tricks like that won’t work against me—I have clairvoyance.”

As long as he possessed all-seeing vision—

There were no blind spots for Kaito Mitsurugi.

(This is beyond unfair…!)

Liona had spent years honing her skills.

She was strong enough to rival the royal knights.

But—

Even that was not enough in the face of absolute talent.

“Well then, I suppose it’s my turn to attack.”

The moment he said those words, Kaito threw his sword.

Launched with his absurd strength, the wooden blade broke the sound barrier as it tore through the air beside her.

A gust of wind from the sheer force made Liona blink—

And in that fraction of a second—

He was gone.

“Where—!?”

“Behind you.”

“!!”

Somehow, he had already retrieved his own sword—

And before she even realized it—

He was right behind her, gently tapping her shoulder with his weapon.

“That’s game. I win.”

“Wha…?”

The moment her mind processed her defeat—

Her legs gave out beneath her.

She collapsed to the ground.

“Huh…? My vision’s blurry…?”

Only then did she notice.

She was crying.

“Why… why am I crying…?”

Liona was utterly bewildered.

She didn’t understand.

Her emotions were in chaos, overwhelming her—

And the tears wouldn’t stop.

“Why…? Why won’t they stop…?”

She was confused—

But it was inevitable.

Liona had prepared to give her life for her kingdom.

She had resolved herself to die if necessary.

But her body and heart—

Were not as strong as her resolve.

This wasn’t her fault.

She was still just an eleven-year-old girl.

Her body and emotions were still developing.

If anything, the fact that she had held on for this long was a testament to her sheer willpower.

Yet despite her fragile state, she had continued to push herself for the sake of her country.

She had been exhausting herself far more than she realized.

And then—

Kaito had completely crushed her.

Not just physically—

But mentally.

Her final desperate gamble had been effortlessly shattered by an opponent whose talent completely mocked her efforts.

The sheer, absolute difference in ability—

Had utterly broken her.

And so—

For a long while—

Liona wept.

But the one who panicked the most about this development—

Was none other than Kaito Mitsurugi himself.

He had assumed she had a strong mentality—

And so he had held back only slightly, making sure not to lose on purpose.

Now—

He was paying the price.

(Oh no oh no oh no!! I made her cry!! I’m gonna be executed!!!!)

And so, in a desperate bid to calm her down and earn her forgiveness—

Kaito spent the rest of the day frantically running around to comfort Liona and escort her to the florist.