The Laziest God Mortal Reincarnation

It wasn’t a question.

I looked at Father.

How did he..?

Right.

Duke.

Politics.

Annoyingly competent.

I raised my hand.

The storage ring on my finger glowed faintly.

Three black envelopes appeared in my palm.

The moment they entered the tent, the atmosphere changed.

Dark paper.

Ancient runes.

Dense mana woven through every seal.

Father stood immediately.

Valerian’s amusement disappeared.

I placed them carefully on the blanket.

"Three diplomatic letters."

Father stepped closer.

His eyes moved across the runes.

"From whom?"

"One from each clan."

I touched the first.

"Cat."

The second.

"Deer."

Then the third.

"Rabbit."

Father reached toward one.

The runes brightened.

Mana moved through them.

For the first time since he entered the tent, genuine surprise appeared on his face.

"Old sealing magic."

"Elaris said they can’t be read, copied, changed, or opened normally."

Valerian stepped beside him.

"Who can open them?"

"Someone with an SS-ranked core or higher."

Both men looked at me.

I smiled faintly.

"Convenient."

Father picked up the Cat faction’s envelope.

The runes reacted more strongly beneath his fingers but didn’t open.

He studied it carefully.

"What’s inside?"

"Their official account of the war."

My smile disappeared.

"The attacks against their people. The Tiger and Bear clans. Forced recruitment. Missing beastkin. Everything they’ve been able to document."

I looked toward the other two.

"And their willingness to begin discussions with the human kingdom."

Father’s gaze lifted.

"Peace?"

"Discussion."

I remembered Liora correcting me.

"Apparently peace is premature."

"It is."

"That’s what they said."

Father stared at the three letters.

For a long time.

I could almost see the political calculations moving behind his eyes.

One of the Five Dukes.

An SS-ranked mage.

Archon of the Undrowned.

And apparently now the person holding three letters that could completely change the human understanding of the war.

I felt exhausted just looking at him.

This was exactly why I avoided politics.

Too much thinking.

Too many consequences.

Not enough pillows.

Valerian spoke first.

"Who else knows you have these?"

"The faction clans."

"Anyone on this side?"

"No."

A pause.

"Well."

I looked at Father.

"You two now."

Father nodded.

"Good."

He gathered the three envelopes carefully.

I immediately frowned.

"Those are mine."

His eyes moved toward me.

"I know."

"You’re taking them."

"Yes."

"That sounds suspiciously like stealing."

"I’m your father."

"That does not make theft legal."

Valerian looked away.

His shoulders moved slightly.

Traitor.

Again.

Father ignored my complaint.

"These need to be examined somewhere secure."

"You can open them."

"Not here."

That was probably reasonable.

Annoying.

But reasonable.

I sank farther into the pillow.

"Fine."

Father placed the letters inside his own storage artifact.

Silence returned.

For several seconds, neither man asked another question.

I thought the interrogation might finally be over.

Then Valerian spoke.

"You skipped something."

My body went still.

Just slightly.

"What?"

"Your return journey."

I looked at him.

"I told you about it."

"No."

His brown eyes remained on mine.

"You told us you left the refuge."

A pause.

"You told us you encountered Garron."

Another.

"You did not tell us about the people who traveled with you."

My fingers tightened slightly around the blanket.

There it was.

I looked away.

"They were escorts."

Valerian said nothing.

Neither did Father.

That was worse.

I continued.

"Three elite beastkin."

Still nothing.

I knew exactly what they were doing.

Waiting.

Giving me the opportunity to say more.

I didn’t.

I stared at the tent wall.

Nyra.

Caelum.

Vessa.

Their names formed immediately.

I pushed them back.

Not because I wanted to forget.

Never that.

I simply...

Couldn’t say them again.

Not yet.

"I already told Master what happened."

My voice came out quieter than I wanted.

Father’s expression shifted.

Not much.

But enough.

He understood.

Of course he did.

Valerian studied me for another moment.

Then nodded.

"Alright."

That was it.

No pressure.

No questions.

Father didn’t ask either.

He simply accepted the boundary as though it had been spoken aloud.

Something in my chest loosened.

Just slightly.

I leaned back.

Suddenly, I felt tired again.

Not physically.

Talking about everything had dragged the last two months across my mind one piece at a time.

Teleportation.

Mia.

The cave.

Lyssairia.

The war.

The corruption.

The letters.

Everything except the three names I couldn’t bring myself to say.

Father was quiet for another moment before his attention shifted toward Valerian.

"We leave for the estate tomorrow."

I blinked.

Then sat a little straighter.

"We?"

Father looked at me.

"You are returning home with me."

That sounded reasonable.

Responsible.

Probably exactly what any concerned father should say after his son disappeared into enemy territory for nearly two months and almost died several times.

Unfortunately...

"No."

Silence.

Valerian slowly turned toward me.

Father’s expression didn’t change.

"What?"

"I’d rather stay here."

His eyes narrowed.

"At the border."

"Yes."

"No."

That was fast.

I frowned.

"You didn’t even think about it."

"There is nothing to think about."

"I disagree."

"You disappeared from this camp for nearly two months."

"Technically, I was kidnapped by a malfunctioning teleportation artifact."

"You crossed enemy territory."

"I was trying to come back."

"You nearly died."

"Several times."

Valerian closed his eyes briefly.

I probably shouldn’t have added that.

Father’s stare became colder.

"That was not helping your argument."

"I realized."

I adjusted the pillow behind my back.

"Still, I want to stay."

"Why?"

That question made me pause.

There were several answers.

The easiest was that returning to the estate sounded boring.

Very boring.

There would be servants constantly watching me.

Nobles asking questions.

My stepmother.

Politics.

Probably restrictions on leaving my room without three guards and written permission from half the kingdom.

Terrifying.

But that wasn’t the real reason.

Not anymore.

I looked down at my hands.

"If I go back to the estate, what happens?"

Father didn’t answer immediately.

So I continued.

"I rest. Everyone watches me. You probably assign guards outside my bedroom."

"Correct."

I frowned.

"I was hoping you’d deny that."

He didn’t.

Wonderful.

"I’ll be safe," I continued. "Very safe."

My fingers curled slightly.

"But I don’t need to become better at being safe."

Father’s gaze sharpened.

"I need to become stronger."

The words still felt strange coming from me.

Disturbingly responsible.

I hoped this wasn’t becoming a habit.

"I spent the last two years here training with Master. I can continue working in the medical tents. I can improve my healing. My barriers."

I paused.

"And after what happened..."

Vessa.

Caelum.

Nyra.

I didn’t say their names.

I didn’t need to.

Valerian’s expression softened slightly.

"I don’t want someone else having to die because I’m too weak to protect myself."

Father became still.

I met his eyes.

"I’m not saying I’m going to start charging into battles."

Absolutely not.

"I still value being alive."

Valerian’s mouth twitched.

"And sleeping," he added.

"Especially sleeping."

I looked back toward Father.

"But hiding at the estate won’t make me stronger."

The tent remained silent.

Father studied me for a long time.

Long enough that I began wondering whether I should simply lie back down and pretend the conversation had never happened.

Finally, he looked toward Valerian.

"If he stays..."

I immediately became more alert.

"...he does not leave your supervision."

Valerian nodded.

"I’ll keep watch over him."

"Constantly."

My eyes narrowed.

That sounded dangerous.

Valerian glanced toward me.

"Permanent supervision."

I stared at him.

"Permanent sounds excessive."

"Considering your recent history," he said, "it sounds insufficient."

Betrayal.

Father nodded once.

"And he does not leave the camp without permission."

I opened my mouth.

Father continued.

"He does not approach unknown artifacts."

I closed it.

"He does not investigate suspicious mana signatures alone."

That felt strangely specific.

"And..."

His eyes settled directly on mine.

"...he does not follow strange people anywhere."

I stared at him.

Valerian looked away.

I could see his shoulders shaking.

"Are you laughing?"

"No."

"You are."

Father ignored us.

"Promise me."

I frowned.

"Father, I don’t normally follow strange people."

His eyebrow rose.

I thought about Mia.

The hidden house.

The cave.

Lyssairia.

Three clans leaders.

A journey through enemy territory.

On second thought...

My argument had weaknesses.

"Fine."

Father waited.

Apparently, fine wasn’t enough.

I sighed.

"I promise I won’t follow any strange person."

"Anywhere."

"Anywhere."

"Without informing Valerian."

I stared at him.

"This promise is becoming suspiciously detailed."

"Alash."

"Fine."

I lifted one hand solemnly.

"I promise not to follow any strange person anywhere without informing Master Valerian first."

Valerian finally laughed.

I looked at him.

"I hope you know this means I’ll wake you up every time I meet someone suspicious."

His laughter disappeared.

Good.

Father considered me for another moment.

Then he gave a single nod.

"You may stay."

I froze.

That had actually worked.

"Really?"

"Under Valerian’s supervision."

I looked toward Master.

He smiled.

Not warmly.

Not kindly.

The smile of a man who had just been granted unrestricted authority over my training.

My excitement immediately disappeared.

I slowly looked back toward Father.

"On second thought, perhaps the estate..."

"No."

Father stood.

I stared at him.

"You agreed remarkably quickly that time."

"You made your decision."

I sank deeper into my pillow.

Apparently personal growth had consequences.

I was beginning to regret it already.

Father reached the entrance before stopping.

I looked at him.

He looked back at me.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then I remembered Garron.

The forest.

The sphere of water.

My father standing between me and something that had seemed unstoppable.

"Father."

He stopped.

"Thank you."

The words felt strange.

We didn’t speak like this.

Not really.

Our relationship had always been distant.

Formal.

A Duke and his son occasionally sharing the same building.

But he had come for me.

He had entered enemy territory.

Faced Garron.

Sent me home.

Then finished the battle.

Father’s expression softened almost imperceptibly.

"You are my son."

Simple.

As though that explained everything.

Maybe to him, it did.

He stepped outside.

Valerian followed.

The tent flap fell shut behind them.

And I was alone again.

I stared at the canvas above me.

Three diplomatic letters were now in Father’s possession.

The human kingdom might finally learn the truth about the beastkin clans.

Garron was dead.

One source of corruption had been removed.

I was back at the border.

Safe.

Alive.

Everything should have felt like a victory.

It didn’t.

But maybe it didn’t need to.

I turned onto my side and pulled my pillow beneath my head.

My eyes drifted toward the empty space beside the bed.

For just a moment, I imagined a small rabbit woman reaching for the pillow.

My chest tightened.

I closed my eyes.

Not to sleep.

Not yet.

Just to remember.

Vessa.

Caelum.

Nyra.

I wasn’t going to pretend they hadn’t existed because remembering hurt.

And I wasn’t going to turn their deaths into some dramatic oath about protecting the entire world.

That sounded like far too much work.

But I could promise one thing.

Next time someone stood beside me...

I would be strong enough that they wouldn’t need to die there.

My barrier would become stronger.

My healing would become better.

My core would grow.

I would train.

Reluctantly.

Probably while complaining.

Definitely while demanding adequate sleep.

But I would do it.

Because I finally understood something my title had been trying to tell me since the beginning.

An Aegis wasn’t supposed to survive because everyone else became his shield.

He was supposed to be theirs.

I opened one eye.

"...That still sounds like a lot of work."

[Yes.]

I sighed.

"Tomorrow."

[No.]

"After dinner?"

[No.]

"One nap?"

[Absolutely not.]

I pulled the blanket over my head.

Some things changed.

Some things didn’t.

And somehow...

I was grateful for that.