The doors to the Royal Library opened with a loud jolt by Captains Yuto and Yuri. Inside the vast room were lines of shelves filled with books and piles of documents, and the room was unexpectedly clean since Ueda-san usually cleaned it for his constant research. The group split into their respective cliques and went their separate ways.

However, Ryosuke kept surveillance on the trio and noticed that they were looking for something specific. When he made eye contact with Maki, she stopped walking and scowled at him.

“What?” snapped Maki. “So, you brats ain’t gonna leave?”

“We’re also checking up on the place too,” answered Ryosuke as he suppressed his anger.

She turned around and continued to walk along with her friends.

“Ah, found it,” said Kazuya. He was at the back of the room, standing in front of a door to his right. “Looks like we need a key.” He budged on the door handle to show its tight security as everyone gathered close by. He read the wooden plaque on the door. “Demonic Information. No Entering Without Permission.”

Mirai looked at Yuto. “Open it.”

Yuto blinked. “I was only given the key to this room, so I doubt one key will open multiple doors.” Nevertheless, he tried and couldn’t unlock it.

Maki made her presence known in the center and in front of the door. With a sneer, she pulled up her sleeves. “By force, it shall be.”

This provoked the four Royal Captains to unsheathe their swords behind her, so Kazuya immediately put up a barrier to defend his friend but because it was out of haste, he accidentally cast a barrier that would make anyone or anything that touched it bounce back, so the Royal Captains were reflected almost halfway across the room, just slightly coming into contact with a bookshelf.

Ryosuke had the most dissatisfied expression on his face compared to his calm friends. “We cannot allow you to destroy any royal property.”

Mirai rolled her eyes, looked at the door, and then looked at her female friend. “Pull back, Maki.” She walked away and was quickly followed by Maki while Kazuya looked back and forth between his friends and the Royal Captains before following his friends toward the exit.

The Royal Captains got back up on the feet, and apart from Yuto, three of them were angry.

“You know,” said Umika, “that was very rude of you.”

“At least apologize,” added Yuri, tapping his clothes and also ensuring that Captain Umika wasn’t injured elsewhere.

Mirai stopped at the door. With a smirk, she turned her head sideways. “Why should we? The ones who put up a blade were you.” As she looked at the female captain, she remembered the weird conversation she had had with the mysterious villain the previous night. “Hey, you.” She pointed a finger at her. “Who knows that you are the King’s daughter in the palace?”

The Royal Captains flinched at her question.

Ryosuke stared at Mirai. She must be referring to when that demon thought she was Princess Umika.

“What makes you think I’m the princess?” Umika retorted, trying her best to hide the truth.

“Stop with the act,” said Maki, rolling her eyes to the side. “Just answer the question.”

Yuri stepped in to help his friend. “What kind of rude way is that to ask someone a question? She’s not obliged to answer.”

Kazuya took this chance to enter the scene, having felt guilty for the earlier misjudgment. “That’s right. We’re sor—”

Maki covered his mouth and said to the Captains, “That’s the only way you guys deserved to be asked! Hasn’t anyone told you that to get respect, you must give respect first?” She freed her hand from Kazuya’s mouth and demanded him to stay quiet. “In other words, you must deserve respect.” She raised her brows. “As you can see, none of you deserve it from us at all.” She chortled with joy by herself.

“Answer the question,” demanded Mirai again to the female captain.

Before anyone spoke again, a commotion nearby received their attention, so they walked out of the Royal Library and saw three guards escorting a young boy out of the palace, who was struggling out of their grasp.

The little boy demanded, “Move! Let me go! I need to know…where…you jerks…took my parents!”

One guard said, “We already told you there are no hostages here.”

Kazuya whispered to his friends, “Could it be something similar to last night?”

Mirai sighed and walked forward. “You two go help him. I’ll see you guys back at home tonight.”

“Won’t you need help?” Maki asked.

Mirai shook her head.

“Okay, see you later then.”

Once again, the trio left the Royal Captains as if they weren’t there at all.

Yuto went behind his friends to lock the door to the Royal Library. When he finished, he tossed the key into the air and caught it. To his friends, he said, “Well, I’ll see y’all later too. Gotta return this to Ueda-san.” As he walked, Ryosuke stopped him.

“I’m going too.” Ryosuke clenched his hands. “As I thought, we won’t work out together.”

*

Maki, followed by Kazuya, barged into their home just in time for dinner that was being set by everyone who was home. Her eyes beamed at the delicious meals at the table, and she went straight to sit down. Kazuya, seeing only the children fixing the table and trying to ward off Maki from gobbling first, assumed that Mirai and Grandma Meisa were in the kitchen.

On cue, they entered the room together.

“Ah, Maki.” Mirai smiled as she distributed the plates and eating utensils. “Kazuya. Welcome back.”

“How was the kid?” asked Grandma Meisa.

“He’s an eleven-year-old stubborn brat,” answered Maki. Her tone implied that she didn’t get along with the child.

Kazuya went to sit in his seat. “Before he ran off, he said that two Royal Guards had taken his parents away, accusing them of fraud.”

“Fraud?” questioned Grandma Meisa and received shrugs.

The setup at the dinner table was complete, and everyone dined.

Mirai picked up her spoon, and Maki nudged her.

“When do you wanna tell her?” questioned Maki.

“Tell me what?” interrupted Grandma Meisa, having heard the whisper.

“I already did…” confessed Mirai.

Maki frowned at her female friend. “Why didn’t you wait for us so that we’d get yelled at together?”

“Don’t worry,” said Grandma Meisa. “I allow it.”

“Huh? You’re not against it?”

“Why should I be?” Grandma Meisa dropped the subject by telling them to hurry and eat.

“Against what?” asked a mouthful Seishiro. His eyes wandered back and forth among the adults. “Hey, Mi-chan, tomorrow, can we play? It’s Maki’s and Kazuya’s turn, so we can play all day.”

Kanon put down her drink in protest. “It’s our turn to play princess. No more ninja games. We played that last time.” She looked at Mana. “Right? Don’t you want to play princess?”

Mana replied with a shy smile.

Kazuya leaned forward and stole a worried peek at Mirai. “You haven’t told them?”

Mirai shook her head and put down her spoon. “Seishiro. Mana. Kanon.”

The kids stopped arguing about tomorrow’s games and perked their attention to Mirai.

“I’ll be living inside the palace for a while, so we won’t be seeing each other much.”

Seishiro frowned. “But isn’t this our house?”

“Yes, but for a while, I have to stay inside the palace.” She saw the little boy lower his face. “S-Seishiro, we can still play tomorrow.”

He pushed himself out of the chair and got on his feet. “Are they taking you away too? Is it because I let Maki eat the bread I’m supposed to sell? Is that why they’re taking you?”

Maki bit her lips and ate away quickly, knowing that Grandma Meisa was heaving a heavy sigh while looking at her. Maki would’ve said something to defend herself from the young boy’s confession but knew this wasn’t the right time.

“I’m sorry!” cried the boy. “I’ll get stronger, and I’ll protect you and everyone!” Tears streamed down his cheeks. “So, please…don’t go with them!”

Kanon and Mana panicked too, and they followed Seishiro’s actions and began their round of confessing.

Kanon had water in her eyes. “Starting tomorrow, no, right now, I’ll learn how to cook and clean properly. I won’t be lazy again!”

Mana said, “Me too! I will do my best to make sure Kanon does her chores, and I will stop Kanon and Seishiro from fighting. So, please…don’t leave us like our parents!”

The kids became silent as soon as the painful words were spoken and heard.

Even Maki had stopped eating.

There was a lengthy silence at the table. No one knew what to say.

Mirai had a feeling she was supposed to say something, but the words didn’t come to her.

Grandma Meisa exhaled loudly. “We’re in the middle of dinner.”

“I’m not hungry anymore.” Seishiro ran up the stairs and into his room, and the two younger girls followed.

Mirai was about to chase after them, but Grandma Meisa stopped her.

“It’s okay,” said the elder. “Let them be. You can talk to them when they’ve calmed.” Grandma Meisa pointed to Mirai’s plate. “It’s getting cold.”

*

The Royal Captains walked to the private chamber of the King to discuss what had happened this afternoon between them and the trio.

“Why are you following if you’ve got nothing against her?” Umika asked Yuto.

Yuto made a curious expression. “Why are you going too when Ryosuke’s the one who wants to speak with your father?”

“Yuto,” said Yuri, sternly, so Yuto slightly coward away. “Even though it’s just us here, don’t call out their relationship so casually.”

As always, Yuto ignored the younger male’s comments and asked him, “Why are you going too?”

“To hear what they’re going to discuss.” Jin-sama said that she’s fit to be a general instead of a captain, but none of us has seen or knows how capable of a fighter she is. His eyes pierced the back of Ryosuke. Except for him, yet he’s said nothing. Yuri knew his colleague was a well-trained fighter with balanced reflexes, spontaneous speed, and a healthy endurance, and he had yet to meet anyone that matched his friend’s stats, so in a way, he was curious about the girl’s capability.

The Royal Captains arrived at the door.

“Jin-sama,” Ryosuke said behind the door, “the Royal Captains would like to request an audience with Your Majesty.”

“Enter,” said the man from inside.

Ryosuke opened the door and saw the King sitting at an embellished and polished but wooden chair with a book in his hands. There was no sight of Ueda-san.

“If you want to give the key to Ueda-san,” said Jin-sama, closing the book, “don’t.” He looked away from the book to his audience. “Miss Mirai can keep it.”

“Jin-sama.” Ryosuke scurried to stand in front of the King. “Why are you so lenient toward her? Why do you trust her so much to give her that privilege?”

The King’s calm complexion changed as he sensed the serious tension in the following conversation. He had assumed that it would be small talk but with a stubborn Ryosuke never letting go until things were cleared, he knew he had to be more detailed. “I see. Let’s sit down and discuss, shall we?”

The young adults obeyed and sat in front of the King.

“If I were to answer your questions,” began Jin-sama, “there’d only be one answer.” He paused and looked at their anxious expressions. “She wasn’t raised as a Demon Slayer.”

Yuri raised a brow. “Excuse me, Your Majesty, but I do not quite follow your reasoning.”

A smile curled at the side of the King’s mouth. “A friend once told me a long time ago that…living life seeing one way is easy, but living life seeing multiple ways is better.” He pointed to each of the young adults one by one and then put his hand down. “All of you were raised to follow one way of life—a Demon Slayer’s. You will have no problem striking down any enemy—no, any demonic enemy—because you’ve been taught that it’s morally correct. She, on the other hand, lives with free will, establishes her own moral compass, and sees both sides of the coin.”

“Are you referring to when she had said that she will strike down any demon or human of her choice?” asked Umika.

The King nodded, pleased.

“So, we’re not competent enough to decide when to kill and when to not?”

“Yes, just like what you had heard from her.”

Umika’s heart was pierced by her father’s honesty.

“You’re no exception just because you’re my daughter and the princess, Umika.”

Yuto tugged at a saddened Umika. “What did she say?”

Everyone waited for her to answer.

Ryosuke looked away. As I thought, she did hear what that girl said. No wonder she’s been fidgeting about the incident lately.

“She said,” began Umika, “know the difference between competence…and confidence. Even though she didn’t say it directly to me but to Ryosuke, I knew it was about me. I couldn’t hold off the demon by myself as a Royal Demon Slayer Captain should.”

“Umika.” Jin-sama pursed his lips. “It’s not about your physical strength. Your abilities are well after years of practice, which is why I’ve allowed you to become a Demon Slayer. It’s your emotions.”

Everyone instantly knew what the King was referencing.

Umika had an extra reason why she feared anything non-human—she had lost her mother to a demon and had a traumatic experience with it.

Because she had witnessed it.

“Even though you’ve mastered the art of using a sword in combat,” continued the King, “you’ve yet to control and conquer your fears.” He waited for his daughter to digest his blunt explanation of his observation on her. “If you emit fear on the battlefield, they will use it to their advantage. Remember, fear is a human’s only enemy.”

“But, Jin-sama,” said Yuri, purposely intervening to change the subject because he couldn’t watch his crush be in dejection any longer, “you’ve been praising Miss Mirai, but we’ve yet to see her abilities and strengths. She has yet to be assessed formally.”

“Of course, she hadn’t really formally fought anyone or anything, but let me ask you this—is physical strength all there is to beat your enemy?”

The young adults unanimously nodded, making Jin-sama laugh out loud as if he had expected the answer. The Royal Captains relaxed a little, believing they had given the correct answer.

“Wrong.”

The Royal Captains’ tranquil expressions ceased.

“Physical strength is support. Mental strength is the actual fighter.” The King saw the perplexed expressions in front of him and became hopeless. He thought he had the smartest bunch he had ever known, but why was this small of an explanation hard for them to grasp? “Let me put it this way—the pen is mightier than the sword.”

The audience’s expression changed once again.

They finally understand. “I’m not saying any of you lack competence, confidence, or knowledge.” Jin-sama shook his head. “All of you happened to miss one vital thing—being skeptical of your actions.” He interlaced his fingers together on his lap. “Only then will you might find and see how the actual world looks if you were to not follow someone else’s moral compass but your own.” He stopped smiling and with a depressing tone, he quietly added, “And when you do, the world might not be so humane after all.”

*

Mirai knocked on the door of the kids’ bedroom, but no one answered. It was late into the night, and she had decided to make up for what had happened at the dinner table. After a