#1017 The Estrangement of Siblings?

Thus ends an utterly useless class.

They really were princesses of screw-ups.

Their lessons don’t teach you anything.

“Don’t get too full of yourself, you lettuce girl! I’m the biggest disaster princess in history!!!”

“Hah?! Try saying that after your kingdom’s been ruineddd!!!”

Letasreit and Platy are bickering about something completely trivial.

I decided to leave them to their nonsense and focus on the person who actually needed this class...

“Marine?”

Are you okay?

Did we just waste our precious youth on this pointless lesson?

“...I learned so much, hon!”

Seriously?!

Do you really think that, Marine?

Is she trying to convince herself she got something out of this nonsense of a class?

“Real-life experiences from our predecessors are invaluable! I feel like I’ve stepped up as a demon princess, hon!”

“If you say so...!”

“Let me show you the results right this instant, hon! I’ve developed a new ultimate move from today’s lesson! Behold, the Demon Princess Beam!!!”

ZAP!

A blinding light shoots out from Marine’s arms!

It streaks straight ahead and strikes a massive boulder, vaporizing it instantly!

“Whoa, that giant rock blocking our field is gone!”

“What a relief!”

What just happened?

Did Marine learn a new ultimate move?

But what part of today’s useless class could have possibly taught her that?

Is there such a thing as learning completely unrelated skills from one lesson?

“Demon Princess Double Cutter!”

With two vacuum blades from her hands, Marine mows down all the weeds in the area!

She’s developing new ultimate moves on the fly?!

...In any case, Marine is definitely someone to watch out for.

When she grows up, she’s going to be an incredible woman.

Given her father is the current Demon King, a top-notch figure, and her mother is Mrs. Glasya, one of the Heavenly Four known for her sheer strength, her bloodline is impeccable.

If she inherits the outstanding traits from both parents, she’ll undoubtedly be hero material.

If she also gets the Demon King’s wisdom and integrity as a ruler, she’ll have the talent to lead.

And growing up here on the farm, surrounded by strong-willed people, she has all the stimulation she needs to blossom.

This is how the talented Demon Princess Marine came to be.

...The future of the Demon Kingdom sure looks bright.

“My future is doomeddddddd!!!”

While I daydream about a bright future, someone beside me is in despair.

Goetia?

He’s been tagging along with Marine this whole time without making much of a presence.

“I had no idea my sister Marine was this talented... This spells disaster for my future as the Demon King!”

Well, to be fair...

Goetia, as the Demon King’s eldest son, should be the natural heir.

But meritocracy is always in play.

If someone vastly superior appears, even if they are younger or a girl, they might be preferred over the elder brother for the throne.

History is full of bloody sibling rivalries.

Too many to count.

Even if they aren’t actually superior, just thinking, “I’m better than my brother!” can spark a succession battle.

It’s a headache for any era or kingdom.

Is this problem about to erupt in the Demon Kingdom, too?

“For me to become the Demon King, I need to prove I’m worthy by both blood and ability. Father himself rose to the throne from a low rank through his power and achievements, like ending the Human-Demon War. So, of course, he expects his successor to be strong too...!”

Goetia is talking to himself.

“That’s why I’ve been working hard, especially after joining the Farm School and tracking my progress. But now, my sister Marine is miles ahead of me in both ability and spirit. More people will push for her to be the next Demon King, regardless of birth order or gender. If that happens, my future as the Demon King...!”

“Calm down, calm down.”

Goetia is already emotionally unstable in his youth.

At this sensitive age, hopes and frustrations about the future can grow wild.

“If it comes to this... wait, Marine is still a child. Her talents aren’t fully awakened yet. If I eliminate her before she matures, my position as the primary heir remains secure...!”

“Hey, hey, hey, hey!”

Stop it, stop it, stop it.

That’s the kind of thinking that leads to self-destruction in epic dramas.

It’s always the ones who ignore their limits and go rogue that end up as the main character’s tragic memory!

We can’t let that sad scenario play out in the Demon Kingdom!

The Demon King would be heartbroken!

“All right, and now for a sudden story reading, hon.”

“Huh? What?!”

This really is out of the blue!

Marine’s actions are always so unpredictable, it’s baffling!

“The title is ‘My Family.’”

She’s really going for it.

Did she have this essay prepared in advance?

Sure, we were in a writing class just now, so the atmosphere might fit.

But still, Marine’s confidence is on another level!

“The Chinese character for ‘person’ is made up of two people supporting each other, hon.”

Kicking things off with a cheesy proverb, huh?

“Similarly, family members support each other too, hon. My dad has two wives. Normally, you’d think this would spell disaster, but surprisingly, it works out, hon.”

“What is she even talking about...?!”

Goetia seems intrigued by his sister’s strange behavior.

Marine keeps on reading.

“Dad always said, ‘The Demon King exists to support the people of the Demon Kingdom.’ And to support Dad, we, his family, work together, hon. That’s why I get along well with both Mom Glasya and Mom Astres. Together, we help Dad, hon. That’s our duty as the Demon King’s family, hon.”

“Marine…?”

“And in the future, I’ll become a refined demon lady and dominate the social scene, hon. This will help my brother, too, because his dream is to succeed Dad as the Demon King, hon. He works tirelessly towards this goal, listens to his teachers, and attends Farm School diligently, hon.”

Wait, is she boosting her brother’s ego now?

“If I, as a Demon King’s daughter, am highly esteemed, it will help my brother, hon. For him to become a great Demon King, I aim to be a top-tier demon lady, hon.”

“Marineeeeee!!!”

What the, Goetia’s getting emotional?

“You... You’ve been working so hard for me?! For my dream of becoming a great Demon King? And I didn’t even realize it… I’m such a foolish princeeeeeeeeee!!!”

“...And that’s why our family is so close, hon. The end.”

Ignoring all the background noise, Marine finished her essay.

Looks like Goetia inherited his emotional nature from their dad.

The Demon King gets moved easily, too.

“Marine…! Your brother’s eyes have been opened. Even though we have different mothers, we’re siblings with the great Demon King as our father. Together, we can build an even greater Demon Kingdom!”

“Teamwork and family bonding, honnn.”

“Let’s work together for the prosperity of our Demon Kingdom!”

So, what seemed like it might turn into a family feud was avoided.

The crisis in the Demon King’s family has been averted...!

And it’s all thanks to Marine, who pulled Goetia back from the brink of despair.

She really knows how to handle her brother.

Honestly, doesn’t Marine have the makings of a great leader?