#1015 Demon Prince vs Demon Princess?

Marine the Demon Queen Awakens.

Her speech now has a weird ending.

I was so taken aback by her regal presence that I almost fell to my knees.

Haha...!

Actually, I am bowing.

“Marine... when did my half-sister develop such royal dignity?!”

Goetia is completely baffled.

Who can blame him? His younger sister, a girl he never saw as a rival despite sharing demon blood, suddenly radiated royal authority.

He must have felt both awe and a sense of threat to his position.

“Why is Marine even at the farm?! I only set foot here after being accepted into Farm School!!!”

Well, technically, you came here a few times before you could even remember.

Even so, it was the Demon King who decided to keep young Goetia from visiting the farm as his memory started to sharpen. He didn’t want to mess up his sense of normalcy.

What’s that about?

Does being at the farm mess with your common sense? On second thought, yeah, it does.

I mean, where else would you casually chat with beings like Lifeless Kings or dragons, who are supposed to be humanity’s greatest enemies? Or see countless orcs and goblins, each powerful enough to wipe out a country on their own?

Not to mention, the farm is overflowing with top-tier ingredients and facilities. Comparing this place to anywhere else would be a joke—it could bring a nation to its knees.

If a ruler ends up adopting this kind of mindset, their country’s pretty much doomed.

That’s why the Demon King kept Goetia away until he was wise enough to handle the farm’s craziness.

He wanted him to be shocked by the farm’s absurdity when he was more mature.

“But why is Marine here now? If she were treated like me, she shouldn’t be here for another year or two!”

“Marine didn’t have those restrictions.”

“What?!”

Goetia is understandably surprised.

“You, Goetia, were being groomed as the heir, so they were careful. On the contrary, Marine wasn’t raised with that kind of fuss.”

Well, Marine isn’t exactly expected to be the Demon King, after all.

“So, she was left to her own devices and came to the farm often.”

“What?! That’s unfair! I didn’t even know about this farm until recently, and Marine’s been hanging out here for ages?!”

“She even learned teleportation magic to visit on her own.”

“Teleportation magic?!”

That’s what shocks him?

“But I can’t use teleportation magic! I always need Belena to bring me here and back!”

“Wait, really?”

Is Marine not just more regal but also more capable than her older brother?

Oh, right, Marine’s quite strong too.

I once saw her lift a small boat with ease, probably thanks to her mother, the former Heavenly One Glasya.

“Goetia, how about an arm-wrestling match with Marine?”

“Huh? What are you talking about? No way I’d lose to my little sister in arm-wrestling...!”

Grrgghhhh! Wham!

How does arm-wrestling even make that noise?

The moment I said “Go,” Marine slammed Goetia’s hand onto the table, making him spin in the air a few times before crashing down.

“Aaaaah! My arm! My armmmmmmmmmm!!!”

Yeah, I saw that coming.

Goetia’s arm looked pretty messed up, but luckily, I had some magic potion from Platy. A quick sprinkle and the pain vanished.

Apparently, it can even regrow severed limbs.

But it couldn’t heal the emotional wounds of losing to his younger sister...

“N-No... How could I lose to my sister in every way—strength, magic, and spirit...!”

“Pull yourself together, Goetia! Stay strong!!!”

At your age, girls are often stronger!

I guess you could call it a gap in growth rate.

Girls mature faster and develop their skeletons sooner, so a growing boy can easily get knocked around.

Many elementary school boys have cried because of this!

And it’s not just physical strength—elementary school girls are mentally mature and can crush boys with words, too!

Debating an elementary school girl is a losing battle.

They’re like the scariest creatures in the world!!!

Seeing Goetia getting thoroughly beaten by someone like Marine is something all boys can sympathize with.

“Oh, Brother, you’re still a work in progress. Cheer up, hon.”

Of course, the one offering consolation is the very person who just beat him up.

The young demon prince’s pride crumbles further.

“If Brother turns into a useless lump, the future of the Demon Kingdom looks pretty bleak. It’s the job of royalty to support their leader in times like this. Time for Princess Marine to shine, hon!!!”

Marine, it’s great that you’re enthusiastic, but you’re the reason the prince is down in the dumps!

When a person’s spirit is broken, it’s not so easy to fix! That’s why the concept of ‘service play’ exists!!!

“To support Brother, I’ll study hard and accumulate knowledge and education! It’s all about self-improvement, hon!”

“We’re starting from that stage now?!”

It’s like today’s cooking show starts with planting the seeds.

And the reason Goetia is down is because of Marine’s competence, so the more she grows, the more it backfires!!!

“In the first place, I came here today for that very reason. It’s the most efficient place to learn useful things. If you balance etiquette, dance lessons, and what the tutor teaches, you’ll become a perfect conquering lady, hon.”

A conquering lady?!

What kind of title is that, like a relative of the apocalypse ruler?!

“And so, today, we’ll learn from this teacher. Please enter, hon!”

With the vibe of inviting a guest on a talk show, out appears...

...Letasreit?

Why are you here?

“Auntie Letasreit’s background is known. She’s the princess of the old Human Kingdom. Before I was born, she was a bonafide princess during the Human-Demon War, hon.”

“Who are you calling Auntie?!”

Where do I even begin?

Letasreit showing up is confusing, and Marine knowing her background is surprising.

And I guess Letasreit is about the age to be called an auntie.

The kid in front of us wasn’t born when the old Human Kingdom perished.

...We’ve both aged, haven’t we?

“Basically, Auntie Letasreit is an undisputed princess! This is valuable reference, hon! Because I’m also a princess!”

What is this kid saying?

But looking at it, the logic sort of checks out.

Letasreit was indeed once a princess.

Of the old Human Kingdom, that is.

A descendant of a long line of royalty, with the accompanying grace, supposedly.

Marine sees her as an ideal sample to learn from as a princess...

...Or so you’d think?

Let’s think calmly.

It’s surprisingly not so.

Because the old Human Kingdom perished.

And it perished because it deserved to.

In other words, it was a lousy kingdom.

A long-standing kingdom rotting from within, with officials, priests, and royals indulging in pleasure, neglecting their duties.

Naturally, the kingdom suffered, and its people grew disillusioned.

That was the inevitable fate of the defeated Human Kingdom in the Human-Demon War.

As for Princess Letasreit, she was an extraordinarily clueless and silly princess.

She’s reformed a lot now, but when she first came to the farm, she cried and screamed daily, getting smacked by Platy. It was a mess.

Remembering those days, I’m almost moved to tears at her recovery, but that’s not the point now.

“Wait, Marine! Letasreit is not a good example as a princess!!! Maybe as a bean researcher, but definitely not as a princess...!!!”

“Hm-Hm-Hm... How naive, Saint. You say that because you only see things from one perspective, without flexible thinking.”

It’s infuriating to be lectured by her.

One perspective? What does she mean?

“Teaching people involves various types of teachers! While I may not be a role model as a princess, I can still become an excellent teacher in a different way.”

“No way!”

“It’s true! The role I excel in... is as a bad example!!!”

Is that something to be proud of?