At that moment, Kay received a call. He answered quickly, hearing Yumi's voice on the other end of the line.

"I didn't expect a call from you so soon!" Kay said, surprised.

"What was that news? Why did you kill a guard?" Yumi exclaimed, her tone tense.

Kay sighed, already anticipating the question.

"Are you here yet?! Long story. You'll understand better at the meeting!" Kay said, trying to soften the situation.

"Meeting? They didn't tell me anything!" Yumi said, confused.

"Really? It's been a few hours since it happened. I thought the captains had already informed you!" Kay said, with an impatient tone.

"I think it's going to be now..." Yumi said, already adjusting to what was to come.

At that moment, Nina shouted, her voice echoing on the line.

"Captain!" Yumi exclaimed, with a twist in the conversation.

"Yes!" Kay will be tried in two days and they are requesting the presence of the captains! — Nina said urgently.

Kay looked at the others, feeling the weight of the news.

“Two days? That’s not enough time!” — Kay exclaimed, perplexed.

“I’m here with Kay on roll call!” — Yumi said, clearly trying to organize the information.

“What the hell did you do, Kay?!” — Nina said, anger evident in her voice.

Kay didn’t hesitate to answer.

“I can tell you that an important person was hurt and I overreacted…” — Kay said, with a tone of remorse.

“Mira?” — Yumi exclaimed, her eyes wide.

“She’s here by my side, but it wasn’t her!” — Kay said, trying to explain.

“Rem?” — Yumi continued, suspicious.

“She’s here by my side too, but it wasn’t her, it was someone else.” — Kay sat down, feeling the weight of the conversation.

— A girl? — Yumi asked, the tone of her voice changing from surprise to seriousness.

— Yes. — Kay answered firmly.

— Kay, you damn... — Yumi said, frustration taking over.

— It's the princess, she's an important friend! — Kay defended, trying to justify what had happened.

— The princess was hurt... but how? — Nina asked, with a tone of concern.

— At least she's a friend, right? I asked you to be my girlfriend and you refused, if it was anything else I would be angry! — Yumi said, in an ironic tone.

— Okay... — Kay murmured, not knowing how to respond.

— Okay what? — Yumi exclaimed, indignant.

— If that's what you want, fine. I accept! — Kay said, in a serious but slightly resigned tone.

— Is this a joke? You broke up with Mira? — Yumi exclaimed, incredulous.

— Of course not! But she asked me to accept! — Kay tried to explain, with a confused look.

— I don't understand... — Yumi was clearly lost.

— Me neither, but that's what she wants. — Kay replied, still trying to process everything.

Yumi, with a sigh, decided to accept the situation.

— Okay, if that's how it is, then she can't complain later! Can I talk to her? — Yumi said, already preparing to resolve the impasse.

Kay handed the cell phone to Mira.

— It's Yumi. — Kay said, trying to soften the situation.

Mira took the cell phone with a suspicious look.

— Hi? — Mira exclaimed, her voice full of emotion.

— What's this story about you letting Kay date someone else? — Yumi exclaimed, with a mixture of surprise and provocation.

— It ended up happening... — Mira said, with a resigned sigh.

Yumi smiled, boasting about the situation.

— You must have gone crazy, but thanks to that Kay and I are dating now, so it was worth it! — Yumi said, with a triumphant tone.

Mira, without losing control, slapped Kay's face before leaving the helicopter, leaving everyone stunned.

"What was that?" everyone thought, confused, not knowing how to react.

Kay, with a bitter smile, said:

— My trial will be in two days. I'll probably only stay with you until tomorrow.

— So little time? They can't make a trial without having enough evidence for a debate! — Raven said, with a worried tone.

— It's because of that video... They must have thought it better to move the trial forward, the news is already being spread to the captains! — Kay explained, feeling the weight of the situation.

Raven shook her head.

— There’s not enough time to get evidence to protect you! — she said, looking at Kay with a dark expression.

Kay looked at Rem, who seemed to be processing the information.

“I see... I see!” Rem said, her gaze fixed on Raven.

“Have you thought of anything?” Raven exclaimed, trying to understand Rem’s plans.

Rem leaned forward, a calculating expression on her face.

“Don’t worry, Alpha 1. There’s no shortage of evidence to defend Kay, besides the victim’s own testimony. But to go against him, we only have the video and the testimony of those who were there. Since there won’t be enough time to collect it, they’ll probably just use the video.” — Rem said, with renewed confidence.

“That’s true. At least time is short, and both sides will have to use the cards they have. But if we stop to think about it... Kay already has many officially recorded achievements. Besides, he also contributed three things to the kingdom today, and they can't let that go by. — Slayer said, with a tone of conviction.

“My father is coming here angry!” — Mira said, with a tone of warning.

“He must have received the news,” Rem replied, observing the situation carefully.

That was when Takemichi approached, with a serious expression on his face.

— Your time has been cut short. The captains immediately agreed to call the meeting. — Takemichi spoke quickly, almost as if it were a sentence. — You only have until tomorrow afternoon free.

— What if one of them says they are busy? — Kay exclaimed.

— They will hold the meeting without them. — Takemichi answered pragmatically, without hesitation.

— I understand... What about the mission? — Kay asked, her voice full of concern.

— The leaders will take over the mission with the rest of the division. You and I need to be available tomorrow afternoon to attend the council. Otherwise, your punishment will be decided among them. — Takemichi explained.

— I have nothing to do tomorrow... That's fine. — Kay said.

— Let's see if this calmness will last until tomorrow. — Takemichi said, casting a suspicious look at Kay.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

— Calm down. Since the rest of the mission no longer depends on this squad, we can return to base. I want to pack my things and... prove something to Mira. — Kay replied, in a carefree tone.

Takemichi crossed his arms, as if considering the suggestion.

“Okay. The guards probably won’t keep an eye on you anymore now that the summons has been made, but remember: you can’t leave the base,” Takemichi emphasized, his voice firm.

“You can leave,” Rem replied, with a calm but enigmatic smile.

Takemichi gave one last suspicious look, hesitated for a moment, but decided to leave without further questioning.

“Shall we go?” Rem exclaimed impatiently.

Quickly, they placed Rem’s bags in the corner of the helicopter and took off towards the base.

“Rem is certainly up to something… Mira still seems irritated, the others are worried… What an uncomfortable atmosphere!” — thought Kay, observing everyone’s tense expressions.

In the middle of the flight, Mira returned the cell phone to Kay, throwing it into her hands.

— Take it! — she said dryly.

— Isn't that what you wanted? — Kay asked, confused as he took the device.

— That's what I said, but you accepted it too quickly, huh? — Mira replied, crossing her arms.

— You're right... I could have played hard to get. — Kay said in a relaxed tone, trying to lighten the mood.

— Be quiet! — Mira ordered, not hiding her irritation.

— If you want to give up on this, just say so. But now I can't refuse Yumi after I accepted. — Kay commented, looking at her.

— I was the one who forced you to accept, so I won't give up. — Mira replied, her voice full of determination.

— You need to stop being so stubborn. — Kay teased, with a half smile.

— I know. — Mira admitted in a whisper, looking away.

A few minutes later, the helicopter landed at the base. As soon as they got off, Rem looked around, clearly overcome by nostalgia.

— How nostalgic... — she murmured, with a slight smile.

— Let's get you a room. — Mira suggested, already walking into the base.

— Okay, but first... you four, come with me. — Rem said, her expression suddenly serious.

Mira and the others looked at each other, confused, but decided to follow her. Rem led them silently to the training room, leaving a feeling in the air that something important was about to happen.

"I knew she was up to something." — Kay thought, narrowing her eyes as she observed Rem.

— Ma'am? — Thais exclaimed, visibly worried.

— I just want to show my daughter something, and for that I'll need your help. — Rem said, her confident tone making everyone attentive.

— Ours? — Raven asked, frowning in confusion.

"Show her what?" — Mira thought, intrigued.

— Can you take off your suits? I want to see how you perform without them! — Rem ordered authoritatively.

Kay, without hesitation, began to remove the costume.

— Great. Now you guys! — Rem said, looking at the girls.

— Turn around! — Raven ordered, giving Kay a glare.

Kay shrugged and turned away.

— They're all wearing the same clothes underneath their suits! — he commented, trying to sound casual.

— There are girls changing here! Have some decency! — Raven replied, irritated.

— Okay, okay! — Kay replied, raising her hands in surrender. "They're just taking off their suits... It's not a big deal."

As soon as everyone was ready, Rem called Kay.

— Kay, drink the coffee.

— Okay. — Kay replied, accepting the drink without question.

— That's why he obeys without complaining. — Raven commented, with a touch of sarcasm.

— Is there anything else he likes besides coffee? — Thais asked, curious.

— He liked games, but since he started training, he stopped playing. — Mira replied thoughtfully.

— He stopped liking it? — Thais insisted.

— I don't think that's it. Maybe he doesn't want to be distracted, because he spent entire days playing and forgot to do the rest. — Mira explained.

— I never imagined he was like that. — Thais said, surprised.

— In the village, we didn't have much to do. His mother played with him, it was one of the few distractions. — Mira added.

— Does he avoid playing so he doesn't miss his mother? — Thais suggested sensitively.

— It's not that! — Kay interrupted, taking another sip of coffee. — I just end up falling asleep while I play. I can't finish anything by myself anymore!

— But you stopped playing. — Mira pointed out.

— In fact, it got in the way of my studies and my training. But the truth is that it was sad to play by myself. — Kay admitted, with a distant look.

— Okay, enough of this side talk! — Rem cut them off firmly. — What I intend to do is simple. Let's see how many push-ups you can do now.

— Push-ups? — Thais repeated, confused.

— My instincts are telling me that you are the key to something important. I want to test your endurance. — Rem said, with a defiant smile.

The scene changes to the training room.

— 987... 988... 989... 990! — Thais counted, falling exhausted to the floor, panting.

A few seconds later:

— 1203... 1204... 1205... 1206! — Mira said, before lying on the floor, equally exhausted.

A few more seconds:

— 1950... 1951... 1952! — Raven continued, finally stopping, with sweat running down her face.

And minutes later:

— 2300... 2301... — Kay counted, still in rhythm, until Rem raised her hand.

— That's enough! — she ordered.

Kay stood up, showing no signs of fatigue. The others were still recovering on the floor.

— Now do you understand? — Rem asked, looking directly at Mira.

— Understand what? — Mira replied, still confused.

— It's going to take a long time for me to have grandchildren! — Rem lamented, frustrated.

— Mom! — Mira shouted, her face flushing with embarrassment.

— Let me summarize: he has three to six times more energy than you. — Rem explained, with a serious expression.

— And what's wrong with that? — Mira retorted, still not understanding.

— Oh, oh... This girl is going to give me trouble. — Rem sighed, approaching Mira. She whispered something in her daughter's ear, who immediately turned red as a tomato.

— Now you understand. I'm doing this for your own good. — Rem said, with a sly smile.

— I understand. — Mira replied, in an almost inaudible tone.

— Then you know what to do. — Rem concluded.

Mira walked towards Ravena and Thais, stopping in front of them. Her expression was serious and she remained silent, creating a tension in the air that left everyone in suspense.

"What was that?" — thought Kay, watching Mira hesitate before speaking.

— What was it? — Thais exclaimed, worried.

Ravena arched an eyebrow, visibly confused. Mira took a deep breath, trying to find courage.

— Do you want to date my fiancé too? — Mira asked, bluntly.

— Huh? — Ravena and Thais replied at the same time, surprised.

"Why is she offering me to other girls?" — Kay thought, even more confused.

"Why are you asking that?" — Ravena asked, crossing her arms.

"He's not good at feeling emotions. If he has more people with him besides me, maybe he'll learn to be more normal! I love Kay, and honestly, I'll be jealous at first, but I don't want to be selfish and have him all to myself, knowing that I can't provide as many emotions as he needs. Think of it as a favor for both of us!" — Mira explained, her voice full of sincerity.

Ravena and Thais looked at each other, remembering recent scenes: Kay facing the ghouls of Mineford and the chaos in the castle.

"I don't think he lacks emotions... He just doesn't know how to control the ones he has," Thais said, reflecting.

"And I can't date a guy who already has a girlfriend!" — Ravena stated categorically.

"Please!" I'm asking because I know you like him too! — Mira insisted.

Ravena and Thais blushed and tried to hide it.

—I think you misunderstood. Ravena would never like me. She's hated me since we joined the army. And Thais... well, she's never shown that kind of interest in me. Aren't you and Yumi enough? — Kay asked, trying to ease the situation.

—Be quiet, Kay! — Mira ordered, cutting him off with a sharp look.

Kay obeyed without arguing.

—Captain Yumi... So that's what you were talking about in the helicopter? — Ravena asked, narrowing her eyes.

Before anyone could answer, Rem approached Kay.

—Lend me your cell phone.

Kay handed it over without thinking. Rem was already dialing as she walked away.

"Hello? This is Mira's mom, nice to meet you!" Rem said on the phone, leaving the training room.

"What are you doing?" Mira asked, turning to Kay.

"I can't turn down anyone who wants to date me, can I? You said it yourself. But I thought it was just a symbolic thing, like... because I was going to get arrested and wouldn't see anyone. I didn't think you'd actually talk to other girls!" Kay replied, incredulous.

Rem came back into the room, smiling from ear to ear. She handed the phone back to Kay.

"You're on the line," she said, moving away a little.

"Hello?" Kay answered, hesitantly.

"Hey, brother! What's this story about accepting girls as dates?" Emília shouted on the other end of the line.

"It's Mira's thing!" Kay replied, already foreseeing the problem.

— Any girl who asks you, will you accept? — Emilia insisted.

— That's it. — Kay admitted, resigned.

— So, if I ask you to be my girlfriend, would you accept? — Emilia teased.

— Sure, but you wouldn't do that, would you? — Kay replied, worried.

There was silence on the other end of the line before Emilia asked, in an excited tone:

— So I can be your girlfriend too?

"But she's just a kid!" — Kay thought, alarmed. However, he contradicted himself:

— Okay, I'd love to!

— Seriously? — Emilia asked, euphoric.

— Of course! — Kay replied, smiling, trying to hide her discomfort.

— Thank you! — Emilia said, beaming. — We'll talk later. I'm busy collecting evidence to exonerate you!

— Thank you, it'll help a lot! — Kay replied, relieved.

— You're welcome, love! — Emilia replied before hanging up.

Kay closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

— Rem, you old... — Kay began, irritated.

Rem interrupted him with a well-placed kick.

— Why did you involve a child in this? — Kay protested.

— Child? Are you talking about Emilia? — Mira asked, confused.

— My instincts never fail me. And why are they calling her a child? It's been 14 years since the princess's birth was announced! — Rem said seriously.

Everyone was shocked.

— Impossible! There's no way she's almost our age. You're kidding, right, Mom? — Mira insisted.

— It's true. It was a great party in the capital, remember? I even thought about leaving you with Kay's family to go there. — Rem replied.

— But she looks and acts like a child... It can't be true. — Kay murmured, perplexed.

— He was really shocked! — Thais commented, laughing softly.

Rem took out her cell phone and showed something to Mira.

— "How old is Princess Emilia of Valtreon?"... Did you seriously research that, Mom? — Mira said, before continuing to read. — "The princess is currently 14 years old, being the youngest daughter and second in line to the kingdom."

— I swore she was a child! — Raven exclaimed.

— She doesn't interact much with people. Because she was spoiled in the castle, she ended up developing this personality. — Rem explained.

— And she asked Kay to date her? — Mira asked, incredulous.

— I just gave her a little push. — Rem replied, smiling.

Mira clenched her fists.

"I knew I had to keep an eye on her!" — Mira thought.

Kay sighed, looking at the floor.

— A princess, a vice-captain and a captain... I didn't know she was so popular. — Kay muttered.

— Don't get too cocky, Kay. — Mira replied, with a stern look.

— How am I going to take care of three girls? — he asked, in shock.

— Four. — Thais said, raising her hand.

— Mira, Yumi, Emilia... That's three. — Kay corrected.

— Since you don't care, I can at least try. — Thais said.

— I get it. So you want to date him too! — Mira concluded.

— Yes, I want to try. — Thais said firmly.

— Okay, but I'm the main one. Not even Emilia will take that away from me. — Mira declared.

“I don’t care. I can be a concubine.” — Thais replied.

“Nonsense.” — Raven muttered, picking up her outfit and leaving the room.

“She doesn’t like me.” — Kay said. — But at least she eased the urge to expel me from the army.”

“I don’t think my mother was wrong.” — Mira stated.

“I only made one mistake.” — Rem said, with a provocative smile.

“And when was that?” — Mira asked.

“When I thought I was wrong.” — Rem concluded.

— Impressive! — Thais said, amazed.

— That's a lie! She's always wrong! — Mira retorted, rolling her eyes.

Kay approached slowly, her expression serious.