Soul of a Human

The following day, Mor went back to help with the clean-up while his parents met with Dino to "have a stern talk about yesterday."" Also, Orth and Clare skipped on him, saying they were cornered by a Demon, but further inquiry revealed that they were enduring a lecture from Saphine.

°Do you think they are getting scolded for their "relationship"?° Mor asked.

°Probably, but you know Saphine. She's stuck up about that whole class thing.° The human answered.

°But I feel like this is a bit our fault.° Mor replied.

°We only sped up the process. This was inevitable.° The human said, but still Mor couldn't see it that lightly.

They worked in silence for a while, cleaning trash, removing the last sleeping drunkards by waking them and sending them home, and putting aside the few wooden benches and tables. Other Agaton family members destroyed the stone tables with magic, while Aero took the lead and directed the clean-up effort.

°Why are we doing this again?° The human asked bored.

°Because it's the polite thing to do, also there's the leftover food.° Mor answered.

°You're a real glutton now… What have I done?° The human lamented in jest.

°But joke aside, we have to talk about the next step of your training. We can continue with endurance and keep your body lean so you won't stand out too much. Or we can start building more mass and strength, but then you won't be able to hide it.° The human continued.

°I don't know. Objectively, I would say keeping the secret is more important, especially at school. At least until Dino says something about it.° Mor pondered. °But I really want to continue further. If I understood you right, I need to be well-balanced in endurance and strength and adjust the rest with body enhancement as necessary.°

°Just like that.° The human said. °Pure strength without endurance and speed is useless in a fight. You need all parts, though endurance is the most important to stay alive.° The human explained.

°On the other hand, endurance without strength could also bite us, literally, if we have to face a monstrosity.° Mor said.

°Could be, but in the end, it is your decision. Just think about it and maybe talk to Dino.° The human said.

They continued on when they got interrupted by a red-headed woman.

"Hello, you're Tim's nephew, right?" Ruth asked.

°Ruthless Ruth is back!° The human joked.

"Only in name, he's the son of my father's boss," Mor answered her, trying to hide an amused smile.

"I understand. Could you give him a message from me?" she asked, and Mor nodded suspiciously.

"Great, just give him this letter for me!" Ruth said, handing over a letter and leaving Mor to his work.

°She really has the hots for Dino. Wanna read the letter?° The human asked, curious.

°No, we will give it to him, and the rest is Dino's problem.° Mor stated, and the human booed.

After spending the whole morning and the better part of the early afternoon frequently raiding the leftover food, Mor returned home, dreading the workout the human wanted him to do every day, but to his relief, it was spared.

°You worked without using magic, and some of those benches were heavy. You trained enough for today. Take your time and think about how you want to proceed for today.° The human had explained and then left Mor to his own thoughts.

At home, Mor noticed that he had the house to himself for now and then simply decided to take a nap. Before drifting into sleep, he sent a telepathic message to his father, informing him about Ruth's letter and getting an exasperated answer.

About an hour later, he was woken by the front door opening and closing and a mumble of voices. Curious, Mor got up and went downstairs, seeing that his parents had brought Dino along, or if he read their faces right, Dino simply tagged along.

"Hey Mor, I'm told you have a letter for me?" Dino instantly got to the point, Mor simply nodded and handed the letter over, and Dino began to read it. After a few moments, he folded the letter up.

"Great, thank you. Then I will take my leave again." He said, getting a stern look from Morokhan.

"It's fine, Moro. I know you have explained your point, and I promise not to do anything stupid," he continued, and Morokhan let out a sigh.

Mor never learned the aftermath of that letter while he was on Diamantine Isle, but after a meeting with Orth, his friend told him how Saphine had scolded him and Clare for over three hours about thinking about their relative positions.

Still, nothing more exciting happened. Mor continued his training as usual, and after talking to Dino, he decided to prioritize hiding his progress and continuing with pure endurance.

Also, Orth and Clare decided to try a relationship, even with Saphine's protest. Last but not least, Mor took magic training with his parents' tutelage, together with Orth, and even mastered a signature spell from each.

Orth mastered his personal form of Morokhan's "Obsidian Armor" and called it "Granite Armor" for its slight red color. In contrast, Mor mastered a simpler form, only armoring his fists and feet, in addition to his mother's ice-weapon spell. Sadly, his "recovering-magic-energy" project hasn't brought any results for now, even if Mor feels closer to his goal.

But all in all, it was good progress for his break, and it was far too soon time to return to Amethyst Isle and start the next school year. So, after a teary goodbye from his mother, the flock of communal gliders took off, carrying Mor, his friends, and the students away from their parents.