Genkaigoe no Skill wa, Tenseisha ni Shika Atsukaenai - Over Limit Skill Holder - Ch. 22 - True malice is only found in those you care for - 2

[XNFEdayo]

That's what I thought but the original FMC has been out of the picture for so long, it feels odd, like the author just changed his mind. She was alot more interesting IMO while Eva in her current state would just be a burden basically.

It's definitely possible but it's not the first manga/anime that the main love interest was absent for a good majority of the series. And yup, that's pretty much why I don't think things have changed. The super strong love interest who helps out the MC and the weak love interest who gets helped by the MC, a nice little balance.
Oh let's not forget the possibility of Mimino becoming a love interest as well. Non....I don't think will. She'll probably just stay the sexy, priest oneechan character.

 

[tekkenshu7]

But in the process he decided that mc must be detained at some noble's place, and when mc disagreed, essentially showed that the king is in opposition to the mc by forcing a fight.

It's more or less just a face-saving measure by those who are on Reiji's side. To "detain" Reiji is just for them to say that they are still concerned and would rather have the royal faction (instead of the nobility/6 dukes faction) take him in instead and for them to show everyone that they are doing 'something' about Reiji's situation. They know that there will be a scenario like that fight between the margrave and Reiji, but they know it will still end in good terms. TL;DR, what they did is technically politics in action.

 

[Phantommemorial]

"I LIKE YOUR GUTS, G!"