The Villain's Reincarnation – Tired of Working Hard, I'm Slacking Off! The Peacefully Oblivious Slacker Avoids Ruin! - Chapter 26

“Meaning… is it?”

Even as I repeated my master’s words, I still couldn’t quite grasp the idea.

“So… are you saying the reason you told me to think for myself back then, and the reason you said I was a little rigid, was because I was about to do something meaningless?”

“If we’re speaking in terms of the outcome, then yes.”

“…”

My fists clenched unconsciously.

That would mean I had been about to cause my master even more trouble. The thought filled me with renewed frustration at my own immaturity.

“Ow—!”

As I was getting worked up over my own shortcomings, another sharp flick landed on my forehead.

“There it is again. That’s one of your flaws—you don’t examine what truly matters. To put it another way, you make hasty judgments far too often.”

“Hasty judgments…”

“Exactly. When I said trying to understand everything perfectly in one go was a bad habit, your mind immediately jumped to the thought, ‘I’m not capable enough,’ and you convinced yourself that you were overreaching—then sank into despair.”

“…”

He was absolutely right.

The first thing that came to mind when I heard his words was that I lacked ability.

And then, without questioning it further, I decided that must be the reason—and blamed myself.

“Then… Master, are you saying that you didn’t point that out because I’m lacking in ability?”

“Correct. When I said that trying to understand everything in one try was a flaw, it was because I didn’t think that was something truly necessary for someone who wants to serve the people.”

“But… to bring peace of mind to the people… shouldn’t I at least be able to do that much?”

“I see. I understand what you’re trying to say. But if you truly believe that, then instead of just feeling defeated, shouldn’t you be coming up with a strategy to make it happen?”

“!!”

He was right again.

If I truly believed it was necessary, then instead of lamenting my inadequacy, I should have been thinking realistically about how to overcome it.

“…”

My vision began to blur.

So it’s true… I’m just not good enough.

Someone like me could never live up to my mother’s ideals. I’ll never be able to bring happiness to everyone…

“It’s all right. You’re moving forward, little by little, Liona. I can see it—because you’re trying so hard.”

A hand gently, softly stroked my head. It was so warm and reassuring, like it was telling me it was okay to be here.

(…Mother…)

What my master did overlapped with a memory—of my mother comforting me the same way.

“Sorry for touching your head without asking. Did you not like that?”

“No… not at all…”

On the contrary, I felt comforted—deeply so.

For a fleeting moment, I truly believed I was allowed to exist here.

“I’m not angry with you. I’m not trying to scold or blame you. I just want you to understand something. Right now, you’re trying to walk while looking down, not forward. And you’re not seeing yourself clearly.”

“Master…”

In his words, his voice, even his expression—I felt no anger or disappointment.

Of course not.

My master never lets emotions rule his judgment.

“Feeling a bit more calm now? Then I’ll tell you why I said it was okay to ask for help.”

With those words, he glanced up at the night sky, and smiled with quiet brightness.

“Because just now, instead of looking down—you tried to look forward. You tried to see yourself.”

“…”

So that was it.

That feeling I couldn’t put into words… the comfort, the sense that something had shifted.

He gave shape to it with words.

It wasn’t just a vague sensation anymore—it became something clear and tangible. And suddenly, the world looked wider, more transparent.

I felt… so much lighter.

“At that time, you were looking down—unable even to see yourself. All you focused on was an ideal—vague and shapeless—without knowing whether it even mattered.”

Now that he said it, I realized it was true. Back then, I had only been fixated on ideals.

“You didn’t even realize how many things were binding you, how tangled you were—so much so that you couldn’t even stand firmly, let alone move forward.”

I could clearly understand what my master was trying to say.

Whenever I tried to focus on one thought, another would intrude. I couldn’t collect my mind, and in the end, I couldn’t take even a single step forward.

Back then, I was trying to move forward while carrying far too many things I simply couldn’t manage.

“If I had given you advice meant to help you move forward in that state, you would have surely stumbled. And even if I had pointed out the entanglements that were binding you—cut them loose for you—you wouldn’t have realized it. You’d end up falling into the same state all over again.”

I knew my master was right.

Because… I could picture that happening far too easily.

“That’s why I didn’t offer advice that would’ve been ‘helpful’ to you. There was no point. You wouldn’t have been able to use it—and so it would’ve been meaningless.”

As always, my master saw me with clear eyes and chose what was truly best for me.

“…Master, does that mean… you wanted me to run away like this?”

“No, not exactly. I never wished for you to act on impulse like this. I have no intention of turning you into a convenient puppet. I simply made sure I was prepared, in case the moment came when you did decide to act.”

He said it so casually, as though it were nothing. But what he truly meant was that—no matter what happened—he had been quietly watching over me all along.

“Well, I do think you’ve done your best. More than I expected, in fact. You pushed yourself too hard, and you hit your limit.”

“Does… does that mean I failed too quickly?”

Though I knew he was praising me, the words “you hit your limit” still left me feeling uneasy.

“It’s simple, really. Reaching your emotional limit or becoming completely overwhelmed—it’s harder than people think.”

“Harder…?”

“Yes. It’s difficult, because people can choose to run away from unpleasant things. They can come up with convenient excuses to protect themselves. Most people avoid ever pushing themselves to the brink.”

“…I see.”

That might be true. No one wants to suffer at their breaking point. Most people would rather pull back before it gets that bad.

“That’s why reaching that limit—feeling trapped and still trying desperately to push through without turning away from reality—is something most people don’t do.”

“…”

I understood what he meant. Still, one doubt lingered within me.

“Do you really think… I was at my limit?”

Part of me still wondered if I had simply run away because I couldn’t bear it anymore—out of weakness, not strength.

“I think your actions prove that well enough,” he replied. “At the very least, you were distressed enough to try to sneak out into the night in your sleepwear. I’d say that’s a sign you were under quite a lot of pressure.”

“T-That may be true…”

Even if I had been desperate, it still left me feeling a little embarrassed.

“Well then, I’ve explained the reasons. Now, I’d like to follow through on the meaning of this conversation.”

“…”

The ball was now in my court.

My master never missed the important parts.

“…Would you tell me what I should do next?”

“Of course,” he said with a calm smile. “I’d be happy too.”