The throne room was silent. The morning light reflected off the white marble floors.
General Howard stood before the King and Queen, bowing his head respectfully. Princess Alexia sat beside the King, her posture impeccable and her gaze calm and impenetrable.
"So, General Howard," the King began curiously. "It's been a week... how are the heroes doing?"
"The heroes have settled into the routine of the castle," Howard replied. "Their discipline is improving, and some of them are beginning to understand the true value of training."
The King leaned back slightly in his throne. "And their strength?"
"It's still too early to tell," Howard admitted. "But I see potential. Aeneas, in particular, shows a leader's instinct. The others are starting to follow suit, even if they haven't realized it yet."
The Queen inclined her head. "You speak of them as if they were soldiers, General. Do they truly deserve that title?"
"Not yet, Your Majesty," he replied. "But they're taking their first steps. For now, that's enough."
A brief silence followed. The King looked at Alexia. "And you, my daughter? You saw them during their training."
Alexia hesitated before answering. "I believe, contrary to what the General thinks, they still lack restraint. Especially that Aeneas... thinking back to that day in the dining room and his words, if he hadn't been one of the summoned, he wouldn't have gotten away with a simple warning."
General Howard lowered his head slightly, acknowledging her point.
"But..." Alexia continued softly, "there's something in their eyes. They don't break easily."
"I hope so," the Queen murmured. "It's always dangerous to place your trust in something uncertain."
"I'm sure your trust won't be misplaced, Your Majesty," Howard said confidently.
The King's expression hardened, instantly silencing him. "General Howard, are you aware that four of our major cities fell last week? The Demon King's army advances without resistance. Those boys don't have a year to improve; in a year, we'll all be dead."
"I know..." Howard replied bitterly.
"That's why they'll have a month to improve their swordsmanship. At the end of that month, they'll be tested against elite soldiers. If at least half of them don't win, I'll have to reconsider their training program and revoke some of the privileges they've received."
The General's eyes widened. "Your Majesty..."
"So be it!" the King interrupted abruptly. "I have a kingdom to defend, not children to care for! Is that clear?"
Howard clenched his fists. "Yes, Your Majesty..."
The King waved his hand. "Continue your training, General. But don't confuse perseverance with strength. When the time comes, the battlefield will reveal the truth."
Howard bowed again. "Understood, Your Majesty. I'll do my best."
As soon as he left the throne room, Howard breathed a long sigh of relief. "It went... terribly," he muttered.
After a few steps, he reached a window in the corridor and looked out: the boys were already on the training ground, warming up.
"Show me who you really are, boys. You have a month," he muttered to himself. "Make it worth it."
...
"The General went to speak with the King about us today," Alexandre said, jogging beside Enea. His breath came in short bursts.
"Yeah, I heard. What about it?"
"What do you think he said?"
"Obviously only good things," Enea replied. "He's started treating us differently lately — like a father with his sons. But the royal family won't be satisfied with that. Aside from physical improvement, we haven't proven much, since we've never used weapons."
"You're right," added Andrea, joining them. "Without showing something practical, we can't mend our relationship with the army."
"If that's the problem, we should just talk to General Howard," said Daniel.
"Don't make it sound that simple…" Leon interjected, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "If he hasn't given us weapons yet, there's a reason."
"So what are we supposed to do then…" Hector asked, discouraged.
Everyone fell silent for a moment, then turned toward Enea.
"Earning someone's trust isn't that easy," Enea said curtly.
"Even Enea doesn't have a plan…" Hector sighed.
"I didn't say I don't have a plan." Enea cut him off. "But like I said, it won't be easy. Still, I can set things in motion."
"And how do you plan to do that?" Michael asked, intrigued.