The Villain's Reincarnation – Tired of Working Hard, I'm Slacking Off! The Peacefully Oblivious Slacker Avoids Ruin! - Chapter 34.1

“Glad to see it worked out.”

“Something like this is only natural.”

Higashiyama replied with a tone that made it clear he thought success was a given, prompting a wry smile from Iwaya.

“More importantly, what happens next is crucial. This whole situation… one of our lord’s purposes is to test whether we’re capable of handling a potential threat.”

“You’re saying that with certainty. Does that mean the investigation’s complete?”

“Yeah. Once we got word of the inspection, I had that sly old fox start looking into it immediately. The results just came in today.”

As he spoke, Higashiyama pulled out a set of documents and handed them to Iwaya.

“…The incident rate in territories under royal control has increased tenfold?! And there’s a group trying to resurrect the Demon King?!”

The information was almost too absurd to believe. If everything in those documents were true, it was a miracle the kingdom hadn’t already collapsed.

“The only reason it hasn’t is thanks to the efforts of the Kōsei Tenshō—the kingdom’s most elite unit, composed of those chosen for their exceptional, unmatched power—and of course, the royalist faction led by the current king.”

“…It’s really gotten that bad?”

“Oh yes. The royalists have been pushing themselves to the limit. Many have died. If my assessment is correct, they’ll only last another four or five years before they’re completely backed into a corner.”

“…”

It was clear just how desperate the royal family had become—desperate enough to break ancient pacts and seek help from the Mitsurugi family.

“That girl… for the past few years, she’s been fighting on the front lines, showing remarkable talent despite her age—but I’d say she’s just about at her limit. Lately, she’s been noticeably more reckless.”

“So… she was already unstable before coming here. That would explain her bold behavior…”

“No—it’s a result of her fragile mental state. If she were in a stable condition, she likely wouldn’t have done anything of the sort. And don’t sugarcoat it—what she did wasn’t ‘bold.’ It was outright disrespectful.”

“…You’re right. My apologies.”

“Hmph. I don’t mind sympathy, but don’t let it blind you to reality.”

Higashiyama always spoke with uncompromising honesty, no matter the situation. His words were harsh, but never superficial. There was weight—truth—in every one of them.

It was this quality that earned him so many admirers. Even Iwaya had supported this latest plan because of it.

“In any case, a new crisis is clearly looming—one not just for the kingdom, but for the entire world. And it’s already obvious that the royalist faction alone can’t resolve it. Intervention will be necessary. Our lord likely understood this long ago—along with the main house of the Mitsurugi family.”

“So, the fact that we’re seeing movement now means…”

“…They’ve begun preparations for a full-scale response.”

The Justina Kingdom was an enormous nation—historically and culturally diverse, comprised of multiple races and customs.

To avoid internal conflict, each region was governed by either the royal family or one of the four great noble houses, with leadership assigned to those of similar race or culture to the local population.

Because of this, the moment you left Mitsurugi-controlled territory, names, languages, and even the general atmosphere would change.

Thanks to long-standing integration efforts and a common language, things were generally manageable. But even for the Mitsurugi family, stepping into another house’s domain required time and careful preparation.

Given the timeline presented in the report, it made sense that the Mitsurugi family was beginning to move.

“What do you think the Mitsurugi family is aiming for?”

“I can’t say for sure. But one major objective is likely assessment.”

“Assessment… of what?”

“First, how much power the royalist faction still holds. Before deciding when and how to intervene, they need to know what the royalists are still capable of. And with this inspection as a pretext, they’re likely doing some behind-the-scenes maneuvering on the royal side too.”

Though the Mitsurugi family typically adopted a policy of non-intervention, that was only under the condition that things didn’t threaten their interests.

Once their own domain was at risk, they would act—swiftly and decisively.

And naturally, the fall of the royal family would be a massive problem for them.

That’s why it was highly likely that the Mitsurugi family was already working behind the scenes to prevent that outcome.

“The other goal… is likely to assess Lord Kaito’s capabilities. As you know, the relationship between him and the Mitsurugi family is far from straightforward. Given the looming events, they probably want to finalize their judgment of him.”

“Hence the full authority over the inspection. Still… can you really gauge someone’s strength just from that? Sure, it’s impressive for someone his age to lead an inspection, but for a next head of House Mitsurugi, it feels a little lacking. Not to mention, her behavior was wildly inappropriate—it’s not something that should’ve happened under normal circumstances.”

The title of next heir to House Mitsurugi was not something just anyone could bear.

At least, from Iwaya’s perspective—who had observed other heirs like Satsuki and Yuuki—a standard inspection wouldn’t cut it.

“True, if this were a standard inspection. But the Mitsurugi family isn’t that naïve. Regarding that girl’s ‘disrespectful behavior,’ it was almost certainly orchestrated.”

“Orchestrated…?”

“Yes. As I said earlier, she’s been showing impulsive tendencies for a while now. With the Mitsurugi family’s resources, uncovering her flaws wouldn’t be difficult. So they likely knew exactly what kind of pressure would cause her to lash out. In fact, they applied that pressure quite deliberately—presenting her with overly aggressive demands, and just before the inspection, several minor riots broke out which she had to deal with as well…”

“…That’s cruel.”

Iwaya muttered, his expression tinged with sadness. No matter how much responsibility she bore as a member of the royal family, she was still just a single human being—and a child, at that.

“I understand what you’re trying to say, but reality is always merciless. If you don’t learn to suppress your emotions and act anyway, you won’t be able to protect the things that truly matter.”

“…You’re right.”

As someone who also held a position where he had to protect many, Iwaya couldn’t deny Higashiyama’s logic.

“But… if you suppress your emotions too much, you’ll lose sight of what you truly wanted in the first place. We humans live by our desires, by the feelings in our hearts.”

“…Is that something Lord Kaito once said?”

Indeed, those were the very words Kaito had spoken when he saved Higashiyama.

Higashiyama often quoted that line—so much so that Iwaya already knew it by heart.

“…We’ve strayed off topic. Anyway, as I said earlier, the Mitsurugi family most likely sent that girl here knowing she’d go out of control. They intended to observe how the situation would be handled—to measure our lord’s capabilities. But if they think something like that is enough to judge him, they’re sorely mistaken.”

“Agreed. More likely, they’ll just end up dancing in the palm of his hand.”

The two men spoke with absolute certainty—without a shred of doubt.

Why? Because they had seen it time and time again.

Those who dared weave plots against Kaito—only to have them turned against them, manipulated and used to the fullest, before being utterly crushed.

To them, trying to play a game of wits against Lord Kaito was one of the most foolish decisions a person could make.

“But what if… what if Kaito hadn’t been able to handle it? What would the Mitsurugi family have done then?”

Iwaya and Higashiyama had no doubt that Kaito was more than capable of managing the situation. But the Mitsurugi family didn’t yet know his full strength. From their perspective, there was always the chance the inspection could have ended in disaster.

“That’s an easy answer. They would have erased everything.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

Even for the Mitsurugi family, it would be nearly impossible to simply sweep everything under the rug when royalty was involved. Unless they offered significant concessions—like the cooperation the royal family desperately wanted—there was no way the royal court would keep silent.

The Mitsurugi family was powerful, yes, but not invincible. If they handled things poorly, even they could fall.

And Higashiyama was surely aware of that.

“I meant what I said. As long as the princess and her entourage don’t talk, what happens inside Mitsurugi territory will never spread. So all they’d need to do… is erase the princess’s entire party.”

“…You may be right. But who would actually target the royal delegation? Even the Mitsurugi family wouldn’t dare lay hands on royalty. If they did, both the royal family and the other great noble houses would rise in protest.”

“There are others, aren’t there? Those capable of targeting the princess’s party—while conveniently drawing attention away from us.”

“…Don’t tell me… You’re talking about the organization trying to resurrect the Demon King.”

“Exactly. If there were to be an attack, I believe it would come from them. Though I can’t say that with absolute certainty yet, the signs are there.”

Higashiyama didn’t confirm it outright, but the sharp gleam in his eyes made one thing clear—he believed with near certainty that an assault was coming.

“Just as Higashiyama said—those currently waging war against the kingdom wouldn’t hesitate to attack the princess. In fact, they might see it as a perfect opportunity. Even losing the princess alone would be a massive blow to the royal family.”

“And there’s more. That girl—she may possess the power to oppose the Demon King, just as the first king once did. If they can capture her alive, she could be used in countless ways. In other words, the enemy has more than enough motivation to strike.”