Having learned about everyone's current situation, Rozen finally felt at ease.
Due to a slight miscalculation, Rozen descended at this point in time, a year and a half later than planned. He had been worried that, after such a long time, something might have already happened to everyone.
Now, it seemed that they were all doing fine.
If that was the case, then there was no problem.
The only issue was...
"Headmaster." Rozen turned his gaze toward Kurahashi Miyo and said, "You should already be aware of the abnormality within the Onmyo Agency, correct?"
The moment these words were spoken, Kurahashi Miyo fell silent.
However, her reaction precisely confirmed Rozen's statement.
This was only natural.
"Chief Amami should have already mentioned something to you, right?"
Rozen said this casually.
Back when he had caused a great uproar at the Onmyo Agency, Amami Daizen had already noticed some irregularities with Kurahashi Genji.
And given that Kurahashi Miyo had a good personal relationship with Amami Daizen, and was Kurahashi Genji's mother, there was no doubt that Amami Daizen had taken the opportunity to discuss the matter with her.
Moreover, as a former outstanding Star Gazer, Kurahashi Miyo had lost her abilities, but her insight and connections remained formidable. She must have also discovered some anomalies through her own means.
Therefore, while Kurahashi Miyo might not have been entirely clear about Kurahashi Genji's ultimate goal, she had undoubtedly realized that her son had most likely strayed onto a dark path.
Otherwise, Kurahashi Miyo would not have invited Rozen to the Onmyo Academy, nor would she have provided him with the information he needed.
All of this was because Kurahashi Miyo had begun to suspect that the Onmyo Agency had already fallen into corruption.
However, neither Kurahashi Miyo nor Amami Daizen had chosen to directly oppose the Onmyo Agency, nor had they confronted Kurahashi Genji head-on.
The reason was simple.
Both of them understood very well that, compared to Kurahashi Genji, they were not only old but also inferior in terms of influence, authority, connections, and strength. If they exposed his conspiracy recklessly, they would only bring disaster upon themselves.
Given this, these two seasoned veterans had opted to remain passive for the time being, continuing to fulfill their respective duties in silence.
However...
"What do you plan to do next?"
Rozen posed this question.
Yet, in response, Kurahashi Miyo turned the question back on him.
"That is what I want to ask you, Akikan-kun." Kurahashi Miyo met Rozen's gaze and said, "What are you planning to do next?"
Kurahashi Miyo's meaning was clear.
"Do you still intend to be at odds with the Onmyo Agency?"
That was what she most wanted to know.
"You're quite cunning." Rozen sighed helplessly. "Well, to be honest, I haven't decided yet."
To be frank, Rozen no longer harbored the same hostility toward the Onmyo Agency as he once did.
"I must admit, back then, I was still immature. Some of my views and actions were too extreme."
Rozen spread his hands as he spoke.
Looking back at his past actions in this world, Rozen now found them somewhat immature.
For instance, his opposition to Kurahashi and Souma clan—though it was true that they had been targeting him, his perspective at the time had indeed been rather extreme.
Both clan ultimately sought to perform Divine Descent. The difference was that the Kurahashi aimed to use it to advance the field of jujutsu, while the Souma pursued it to fulfill their clan's age-old ambition.
Yet Rozen himself had also conducted a Divine Descent, all the while fiercely opposing their methods. In hindsight, wasn't that hypocritical?
The truth was, Divine Descent was an extremely dangerous practice, often requiring great sacrifices—hence why the Kurahashi and Souma families were condemned for it. But Rozen's Divine Descent was no less perilous.
Had Rozen failed back then, not just Tokyo but the entire country could have been plunged into an unprecedented Spiritual Disaster, leading to mass devastation.
With this in mind, one could argue that Rozen's actions were no less reckless than those of the Kurahashi and Souma families.
Yet, at the time, Rozen stood on the moral high ground, condemning their methods. That was undeniably a double standard.
Now, Rozen was no longer the impulsive and radical youth he once was. His temperament had undergone a transformation, and his mindset had matured. After wandering through countless worlds for decades and witnessing the vast array of human experiences, he had gained clarity on many things.
As a result, Rozen no longer viewed the Onmyo Agency, the Kurahashi family, or the Souma family with the same hostility as before. He even acknowledged that their decision to brand him a criminal and put him on a wanted list was understandable.
Back then, he had indeed been reckless, conducting a Divine Descent without sufficient consideration, forcing the entire nation to teeter on the brink of destruction. That was an undeniable fact.
Rozen accepted this consequence and readily admitted his past mistakes.
However...
"That doesn't mean I approve of the Kurahashi and Souma families."
Rozen said firmly.
That's right.
He could admit his past immaturity and mistakes. That was fair.
But that did not mean he agreed with their ideals.
"Kurahashi Genji believes that all progress in the world is tied to yin-yang principles—that society needs the 'yang' of justice to maintain order, but also the 'yin' of evil to stimulate vigilance, and that both must coexist. That's why he doesn't hesitate to embrace evil himself. But that's absolutely not correct."
Perhaps Artoria [Alter] might agree with Kurahashi Genji's ideology, but Rozen was not so naïve as to believe that the existence of necessary evil was justifiable simply because it maintained order.
"Souma Takiko believes that fulfilling one's mission from birth justifies any sacrifice. That is also absolutely not correct."
That was merely distortion, not resolve.
Not to mention, in pursuit of their goals, they had exploited Yakou's followers, Twin Horn Syndicate, orchestrated the two spiritual disaster terror attacks, and caused untold loss of innocent lives. Their sins were undeniable.
For these reasons, although Rozen no longer harbored extreme hatred toward them, he had never considered making peace with them either.
"Our positions are fundamentally opposed. That much is certain."
Rozen rubbed his chin, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips as he spoke.
"Since things have already reached this point, I'd like to see how they intend to proceed."
In other words, Rozen had also chosen to observe the situation for now.
"For the time being, I plan to contact the Tsuchimikado family, find Natsume and Suzuka, and, if possible, meet with Harutora for a chat. Everything else can wait until later."
Had it been the old Rozen, he would have already stormed into the Onmyo Agency and turned it upside down again.
With his current strength, even if he refrained from summoning his Beast Vassals, relying only on his jujutsu, he could still crush the entire Onmyo Agency.
At that point, the Onmyo Agency would likely be annihilated.
That is—if "that" wasn't there.
Rozen recalled what he had seen with his Wise Eye when he gazed toward the Onmyo Agency.
(So they've already started.)
With "that" in place, even Rozen couldn't be certain of bringing down the Onmyo Agency solely with his jujutsu skills.
(I wonder how far they've progressed.)
Rozen pondered with a thoughtful expression.