Soul of a Human

Orth was in trouble, and the reason was sitting next to him. Like everyone else, he had time to think, and after being annoyed at his weakness because he couldn't help his friend but got knocked out cold at the crash, he made his decision. Orth would follow his own ambitions and become the next head of the Obsidian family, but this required more training and new spells, and ironically, this is why he was in front of his furious father right now.

"Now explain yourself." Lord Obsidian growled. "Why did you attack your brother?"

Orth glanced sideward at his elder brother, second in line of the obsidian family, whose face shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow.

"I was minding my own business and was training when my dear older brother showed up and insulted me. He said that the kind of training I was doing was useless and that the death of my friend was the best that could have happened to me. To repeat his words, "Doing something a commoner has come up with is a waste of time and potential. Be glad he died. Now you can concentrate on the important things again." I then told him to leave me alone before I would break his face. Because of that, he challenged me to a magic duel because of my insolence and then lost. Then ran crying like a little girl to you." Orth explained, while his father looked incredulous at him, while his brother's face gained a new angry red tint.

"Is that true?" Lord Obsidian asked his second son.

"Yes, but he ignored the rules of a magic duel! He only won because he fought without honor."

"Only because you don't know how to fight and how to deal with unknown spells!" Orth protested.

"Quiet!" Lord Obsidian shouted, and both boys flinched.

"Orth, you can't simply insult people for telling the truth. As a noble and future military officer, you need to learn to respect your superiors. It would have been for you to accept punishment and carry on."

"But that's stupid if they're wrong!" Orth protested.

"I don't care!" His father shouted. "You will follow orders!"

"What if the orders are wrong, and someone has a better idea?" Orth continued.

"You think you know better than a superior officer, better than me?" Lord Obsidian challenged the boy.

"No, but." Orth started.

"Then shut up!" His father shouted again.

He waited a bit, watching Orth, who had adopted a defiant gaze and was silent, before finally nodding.

"I will think of a punishment later." Lord Obsidian said, then produced a letter. "But before that, you are ordered to go to His Highness Crown Prince Dinothom. He has requested you personally, though I can't begin to imagine for what."

With that, both boys were dismissed, and Orth was angry at the injustice, but Dino's invitation took his mind off that, and he made his way to the palace for that strange summoning.

Still, for Lord Obsidian, this wasn't the last of his worries. Orth might be only his third son, but he was his son nonetheless. And to secure the predestined future of the boy, he needed to get rid of another nuisance. Hearing that the destructive influence of a commoner had gotten himself killed had been good news, though the last remains of said influence seemed to cloud Orth's mind. It was something to be dealt with after the other influence had been removed.

Which means he went to the guest room set aside for the future Lady Celestine. As she will be, after the example his Royal Highness Crown Prince Dinothom had made of the ruling families of Celestite Isle. Lord Obsidian knocked and waited for his guest to grant him entry, which she promptly did.

"Lord Obsidian! Sorry, I didn't expect to be visited by you." Clare greeted the Lord.

"Excuse me for interrupting you. I want to speak about your arrangement at my home. I understand that there was no choice with the sudden situation last year. But as His Highness had ordered me to care for you until you were of age, I had prepared a new place to stay for you. Something more fitting to your status than a simple guest room."

"I don't feel uncomfortable here, and I rather enjoy the company of your youngest son," Clare said with a smile.

Lord Obsidian looked sadly at her. "I thank you for your understanding, but I have to insist. Today, I have been shown that Orth desperately needs another military education. Otherwise, he might endanger some of his subjects if they had to fight against monstrosities or worse. That means I have to reduce the distractions around him. Of course, he can still visit you in his free time."

Clare tried to say something else, to change the Lord's mind, but something in his look made her reconsider. In the end, she nodded.

"I understand and am thankful for your concern." She answered carefully.

"Great. I will get the servants to pack your things and accompany you to your new mansion," he replied with a smile.

"As you wish. Could I say my goodbye to your son?" She asked.

"I'm sorry, but Orth has been summoned to an appointment, so he is out of the house for a while. I can't say when he will return." Lord Obsidian answered with a sad shake of his head.

This made one thing clear to Clare. The old Lord had waited for a chance like this to throw her out and separate her from Orth. He probably wanted to "invite" another female future officer to train with his son and make them get closer. Meaning Orth's future wife was chosen.

At this revelation, Clare got angry but hid it well enough. Then she gave Lord Obsidian a sweet smile and replied. "That's too bad, but then I will have to be patient for his visits."

To that, Lord Obsidian gave her a friendly nod. "So it shall be."

Clare knew the games of the nobility enough, and though Mor's death had shocked her to her core, she was now thankful for having met him. If the old Lord wanted to separate Orth and her to get his favorite future daughter-in-law into the equation, he had made the calculations without knowing Mor's particular communication skill. Even if she can't see Orth until the next school year, she could talk to him whenever she liked.

Still, this probably was not the end of Lord Obsidian's shrewd plans. Clare could easily guess that Orth's free time would be nonexistent, or he would be training as far away as possible. This meant she had to act fast and tell Orth where her new home would be so he could also contact her.

After the Lord had left and the servants helped her with her belongings, she talked with them, simply chatting. She had steered the conversation to Orth's sudden summons and how sad she was not to be able to say goodbye, making some of the servants sympathize with her and tell on Dino's summons.

Using this information and Mor's spell, she told Orth what was happening, and both devised a plan to outsmart Orth's father. Still before that, Orth needed to see what Dino wanted him for first.