Chapter 26 – The Revolutionary’s Self Restraint?

“I was deeply moved by the paper written by Ryuya-senpai, and, carried away by that feeling, I charged in, and since then, he’s been taking care of me like this.”

Nishida, still as easygoing as ever, speaks openly about her relationship with my onii-sama in front of me.

What the heck, I’m jealous. 

That was my first thought. 

No big deal.
Well, not that there’s nothing, but at least for now, it’s harmless.

“A paper? From the Army?”

“Yeah. But it wasn’t anything grand enough to call a paper. I just submitted a few articles to the Army’s exchange journal Kaikousha Kiji.”

“But that excellence, that sharpness, and above all, that foresight—there’s nothing else like it. It felt as if you were seeing things far into the future. Didn’t they say that even Lieutenant Colonel Nagata praised it highly?”

(There it is, a named one—Nagata Tetsuzan.)

Before I could even think anything, my onii-sama gave a wry smile.

“Lieutenant Colonel Nagata just overrates me. Well, he’s easy to work with, so that’s nice.”

“Oni—Uncle, are you close with this Nagata person?”

“Reiko, just call me ‘onii-sama’ already. I’m on good terms with Lieutenant Colonel Nagata through work. He’s also taught me a lot personally—you could even say he’s one of my benefactors. I’ll introduce you to him sometime. He’s incredibly smart—you’ll be amazed.”

(I’m sure. But since I’ve been watching my onii-sama, I probably won’t be surprised.)

That’s what I think, but what comes out of my mouth is something else.

“Yes. If he is someone who could be called your mentor, I look forward to meeting him. So, what kind of papers did you write, onii-sama? I would very much like to read them.”

When I said that, my onii-sama looked a little troubled.

I wondered if it was something he didn’t want me to see, but it was a bit different.

“It might be a bit early for you, Reiko. You see, I’m from a zaibatsu family, right? So I wrote a few papers that looked at military armament and war from the perspective of finance and economics. Well, it’s like that saying—‘The temple apprentice recites the sutras he never studied.’”

“Economics. Come to think of it, you were talking about something like that at your home too, weren’t you?”

“Yes. Though at that time, I was the one surprised by you, Reiko. …Since we’ve come this far in the conversation, I’ll tell Nishida too. But you mustn’t breathe a word of it to anyone. That goes for you too, Kouryuu.”

“Yes. Of course.”

“I know better than anyone how exceptional Reiko is. Nothing surprises me at this point.”

At those words, which sounded like he had reached a state of enlightenment, Nishida cast a slightly puzzled look at Kouryuu.
That gaze then shifted directly to me.

I gave a polite smile for now, but unlike before, he didn’t return a smile that could be called innocent.

So I turned my face toward my onii-sama.

“Onii-sama, did I say something? I only remember making some harmless small talk.”

When I said that, my onii-sama looked at me with a gaze that seemed to have understood or realized something.

Well, with that kind of expression, it’s easy to guess that I must have said something dangerous—probably some knowledge or common sense from the future—completely unaware, as if it were natural.

But even the cheat-level intellect of a villainess hasn’t got that information stored.
Or maybe it has, but without the right keywords, I can’t recognize it.

“I see… For you, Reiko, it probably felt completely natural. But what you said to me is far removed from what is considered common sense in the present. I suspect, though I can’t be sure, that it’s similar to the content of a paper written by someone Nishida is close to.”

As my onii-sama said that, with a tone more serious than just “a bit,” Nishida’s expression went completely blank, like a noh mask.

It was an expression that practically screamed, “This is definitely a dangerous topic.”

(Is it really okay for Kouryuu-san to be listening to this? Or is he also dangerous in some way outside of being a doctor?)

Thinking that, I turned to look at Kouryuu-san—and I realized something.

No, it was the analytical ability of the villainess’s cheat-level intellect that realized it.
Doctor Kouryuu is seated in a position where, in the unlikely event something happens, she could either restrain Nishida or block him from escaping.

Moreover, this is the main residence of the Ootori family. 

Several of the servants are practically bodyguards.

Perhaps my onii-sama was waiting for an opportunity to interrogate Nishida.
If I think about it that way, it means I was used as a mere means to draw out the conversation.

While I was thinking about all of this, my onii-sama spoke up.

“Nishida, some of the papers I’ve written have absolutely nothing to do with the people you’re close to. Most of them are just things I’ve turned into reality from the kind of whimsical, fairytale-like world that a child would talk about without being constrained by anything. I only published the parts of it that wouldn’t be a problem to release to the world.”

“Wha—What?!”

“It’s the truth. Also, at Ootori, we have a department that gathers and analyzes all the information obtained by the Ootori Zaibatsu, including that of the newspapers. This department isn’t a secret—it’s well known to those who want to know about it—but various pieces of information come together there. And I’m in a position where I have access to that information. That’s why I’ve heard a bit about your rather flashy social circle.”

“Well, I do think that having relationships with a variety of people is preferable, as it gives a wider perspective as an army officer. But still, you should keep it in moderation.”

“And, by the way, the ideas and beliefs you revere so much—I don’t share them. I genuinely hope for Japan as a whole to improve, but I’m in no hurry.”

“Yeah, Nishida, what I can tell you is, ‘Haste makes waste.’ Probably, your ideas, along with those of your ‘friends’ and ‘comrades,’ are issues that people one or two generations ahead of you should be tackling. If you insist, then you and your group should take more than a generation to solidify your position, so that you can push your views through with legitimate means.”

“Right now, it’s way too early for Japan.”

I was taken aback by my onii-sama’s unusually long-winded speech.

Kouryuu-san, as if not involved, continued munching on his sweets, but from his expression, it was clear he understood everything.

(Being able to understand everything… How much of a cheat is this guy?)

With my own knowledge from my previous life as a “history buff” and the cheat-level intellect of a villainess, I was able to understand nearly everything my onii-sama was trying to say.

(My onii-sama… He sees too far ahead. It’s almost scary.)

That was my strongest feeling, my main thought.

When I looked at Nishida, I could see confusion, anxiety, and, above all, shock on his face.

As for what my onii-sama deliberately left unsaid, it was undoubtedly the dangerous ideas of Kita Ikki, a political thinker whose Outline for the Reconstruction of Japan was considered far too radical and dangerous at the time to be anything but a banned book.
But the Ootori information network had caught it, and the central figures within Ootori had seen it.

And then, I finally realized that some of the things I had said earlier, about how I hoped Japan would be in the future, were actually based on parts of the new Japanese Constitution from my previous life.

Thank you, villainess cheat-level intellect.

Just as I was starting to drift a bit into escapism, Nishida, who had been keeping his head lowered, suddenly raised it with great enthusiasm.

On his face was pure joy.

“I… I’m so moved!!”

“Huh?”

(What?)

Everyone wore the same expression.
Even my onii-sama’s “Huh?” was rare and strange.

Moreover, Nishida’s face was flushed, and upon closer inspection, his hands were trembling. 

There was no doubt—he was genuinely moved, just as he had said.

(Why? Why? How come? Shouldn’t he be denying things and getting angry right now?)

In response to my naturally confused thoughts, Nishida answered.

“As expected of you, Ootori-senpai! Yes, that’s what I was thinking in my heart. You’ve understood everything completely, yet you’re not rushing at all. You’ve foreseen how to realize your ideals. I, Nishida, am truly in awe!”

With that, he stood up—not just to bow, but to give the deepest bow, the kind that almost felt like he was about to pledge his allegiance.

It was an unmistakable display of his revolutionary spirit.
As the flames of revolution seemed to burn fiercely in his heart, Nishida’s words kept flowing without stopping.

“Ootori-senpai, for the realization of your ideals, I vow here to dedicate my entire life to you. No, please, allow me to swear this. And use my life however you see fit. Even if I am discarded like a stone by the roadside, it would be my honor!”

“Ah, no, wait a minute, Nishida. And more than anything, I want to tell you to take care of yourself. You’ve just recovered from an illness, so throwing your life away would be meaningless.”

“Yes. However, I need no concern for myself. Now then, what should I do?!”

(Ugh, this person isn’t listening at all.)

I almost gave him a sharp look.

However, Kouryuu-san remained calm—perhaps, seeing himself in the mirror, he was able to remain composed.

“Ahem. Well, first of all, as I was discussing with the head of the family earlier, I would like you to help spread my new medicine. It should significantly reduce the death rate and the number of deaths among the Japanese people. And if I win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, I think I could contribute, even if just a little, to improving Japan’s international standing.”

“I see. So, today’s discussion is ultimately heading in that direction! Improving the healthcare system, raising the status of the Japanese people—both are extremely important, in my opinion!”

“Well, yes, that’s true, but do you really understand what I’m saying?”

“Of course, leave it to me!”

My onii-sama was still somewhat flustered in front of Nishida.

I almost wanted to save this moment as a video or photo, but with the memory of this villainess, it would be more than sufficient to store it in my mind.

(Still, even geniuses can’t beat the ‘real thing.’ This is a valuable lesson.)

I, too, seemed to be somewhat flustered, as if I had drifted a little too far from reality.

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Tetsuzan Nagata

A military politician.
A central figure in the control faction of the Imperial Japanese Army. 

Known as the “Future Army Minister,” “Where there is Nagata, there is the Army,” and “No Nagata before him, no Nagata after him,” he was a brilliant scholar, but was murdered by Saburo Aizawa in 1935.

Along with him came Hideki Tojo.

Ikki Kita

Real name: Terujirou Kita.

A revolutionary thinker.
Perhaps someone born a little too early for his time.

He wrote the “Outline for the Reconstruction of Japan.”
His ideas bear some resemblance to parts of the new Japanese Constitution.

A pre-war Japanese thinker, social activist, and national socialist.

He was arrested and sentenced to death as the theoretical leader of the Kōdō-ha (Imperial Way Faction) young officers that is involved in the February 26 Incident.