Believe it or not, I was actually thinking about that scene the other day myself. I think Honen was being intentionally vague in an attempt to appease his
older self, knowing that flat out telling him he's wrong would get no positive response. It seems like a gentle way of saying, "I may be working with
magic-users now, but you will still be able to avenge Leona in a better way."

Got Shnoo?