...

A needle could be heard dropping in the silence that followed Alexander's parents' announcement. He sat frozen in disbelief, his mind unable to grasp a single thought. It felt impossible, like watching a disaster waiting to unfold.

"Are you fucking crazy?!—" His voice echoed through the room as he shot to his feet, all pretense of humility gone, his body radiating tension and fury.

"They're all a bunch of little puppies! I don't need a bunch of arrogant kids letting their egos get in my way!"

The outburst hung in the air, shocking everyone—a reaction worthy of the challenge he was burdened with.

"Do you get that those little shitstains will be slaughtered the second they step onto a battlefield?!"

From his time in the military, he knew the importance of unity, and he couldn't imagine them following tactics or the overall goals of a mission.

He pictured how a bunch of pimply teens would swing their swords at an array of enemies, screaming hooray, only to get shanked by an arrow.

There would be no brotherly unity and a structured hierarchy, only chaos leading him toward failure.

"The last mission worked because my retainers and I planned every damn detail for weeks!"

He yelled, unable to contain his anger, gesturing passionately. He needed to let out his emotions, as he felt something else entirely, making him gasp for air.

"What the fuck is this shit?! How do you want me to lead those fuckers!"

The weight of failure pressed down on him. He couldn't let down his siblings, parents, and retainers—his chest tightened, his breath quickening.

"I would rather get gangbanged by twenty Larrys at the same time than agree to this! I would rather... fuck!"

He stomped, wanting to cut his unmanageable pheromone glands out as they flooded his body, making his instinct go wild. The only reason he didn't go mad was his barely usable skills, which fluctuated crazily.

"Why—" his parents stoic, "—my failure will not only impact me but everyone!"

He opened his arms wide, breathing heavily. The little clarity he still had made it unacceptable.

"I need control!—" he shouted, stepping forward, "—How am I supposed to lead when they know I'm screwed the moment they start badmouthing me?!"

There was a distinct difference between him trusting someone he had power over and vice versa. If he accepted it, he would put himself and his siblings in a terrible position.

"I know—" His Mother's glare made him step back, "—why do you think I want you to go through all this?"

He squinted his eyes at her, "What do you mean?"

She straightened up as if looking down arrogantly, her eyes unwavering, "You always act outside others' control, but what do you think life is? While humility is important, you must also learn what it means to think about what your actions might do to others."

Alexander clenched his hands, anger, and frustration written all over his face—he knew exactly what she meant.

"You want me to empathize with you?"

Since his reincarnation, Alexander had always chosen his path. He shared when it suited him, saved others because he wanted to, and forced his ideals when he felt like it. Every decision had been his alone.

"You understand—" His Mother nodded, "—but knowing doesn't mean you will act as such. You need to feel powerless to know how to become a proper Lord because what you are now—" She shook her head, "—you don't have the character of one to lead our household."

Alexander stood still, quiet, and did not know what to say, 'Is she right?'

There was a silent moment of contemplation. What would Alexander have done if he had been forced into a similar situation when he became lord? He couldn't imagine a good end.

While he intellectually understood how he needed to act while leading others who weren't under him, all his actions until now told another story—he always had leverage. At the same time, what he wanted was always non-essential, nothing coming close to the stakes he was experiencing.

'She is right—' To grow truly, he needed to feel like in the past—powerless and desperate—a sensation he despised with his whole body.

Over the years, he became Alexander—a boy who was just lucky that he thought everyone somewhat agreed with him, putting him on a pedestal.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

I—" He nodded solemnly, recovering from his outburst, "—understand and will try not to—" He smirked, "—cut their throats and make it look like an accident."

His parents rolled their eyes, knowing him too well. His change wouldn't come overnight; that much was clear.

"You need to work on your tone before meeting that old bastard—" his Father's tone stern, "—I remember Baldur's attitude, and it wasn't one favorable to kids and their shenanigans."

Alexander sighed, "You mean the Eros Alliance leader? I doubt that he... wait—" Alexander suddenly remembered how he invited a very particular individual, "— You didn't also request for the Count's brats to join, did you?!"

His Mother frowned, "Alex, I understand your frustration, but you should also understand why we did this."

Alexander stood in place, trying not to have another rollercoaster of emotions after barely containing himself, "Of course, I fucking know—"

What they were trying to do was no secret—forcing him not just to grow but also to build stronger relationships. If he could give them the merits, he would be favored, and the chance that the trial would become less severe would also be higher.

"—I... will—"

Lorient's sudden laughter snapped him out of trying to respond calmly, accepting his miserable fate.

Lorient laughed like their Father, coarse and unrestrained, "Guhaha!"

Alexander's eyes narrowed at her, burning with irritation, "Why are you laughing? You are also in this and will be dealing with them, too, you know?"

Lorient wiped a tear away, "Hehe, I know—" under all the laughter, there was something he knew too well, "—but I can't, I am sorry, haha!"

She was hysterical, unable to hold back, "I am for less than a year free, and now there is a possibility for me to get shackled again, haha—" She gripped her legs, clenching them with all her force, "—damn it!"

Narsiz wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and gently caressing her, "It's going to be fine, okay? We'll get through this. And if we don't, Alex will get another attempt—" He glanced at Alexander, his voice still gentle despite the hint of disappointment he couldn't quite hide, "—Right, Alex?"

Alexander nodded solemnly, crossing his arms, "Sure, let's see how many morons I can kill before—"

"Stop!—" Sarah yelled, glaring at him, "—don't be insensitive."

He sighed, scratching the back of his head, "Don't worry, Lori, I will make it happen even if I need to bow to them—" He groaned, bending slightly forward, "—I care more about you than my useless honor, I promise."

For a brief moment, he considered saying out loud that he would take the responsibility himself. But when he looked at his siblings, he could see they'd gladly throw themselves at any punishment if it meant easing his—a gesture both heartwarming and infuriating.

Bang!

Everyone turned toward the sound that created a massive wind flowing through the room, only seeing how his Father clapped once, smiling at them widely.

"This is what I like to see! Genuine love and care for each other!"

He nodded toward his Mother, who didn't take her eyes off them but, as a gesture, caressed his Father's leg, thanking him.

"I need you to understand something—" her voice was calm but firm, "—You must trust each other to overcome this challenge. This isn't just about Alex's growth."

Their Father spoke up, "Lori, you are like I was—" His voice full of pride and bass, "—a wild beast, needing to find their goal or home, but your jealousy will always be something pushing you, never able to find rest—" His voice full of nostalgia, "—you will never able to become satisfied with yourself if you continue like that."

Lorient nodded, evidently calming down as her grip and falling into deep thoughts.

"Narsi, dear—" His Mother's smile became gentler, "—you have already found what you are looking for, so please continue but be sure of the path you take as it could bring you all what you wished for but also end as quickly for you in misery."

"Sarah—" His Father spoke up again, looking at her with a strange smile, "—I know you will be happy whatever you do, but—" His smile widened, "—be more brave, you know what I mean?"

She suddenly blushed, nodding slightly.

"Of course, Nina—" His Mother's voice was as gentle as possible, "—you are too young to understand any of this, but keep following your passion, whatever it is, okay dear?"

Janina smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

'I... really have no idea.'

When hearing those words, Alexander became confused, not understanding his siblings' feelings. Still, it wasn't meant for him, something he may think about at another time, as, for now, he was focused on something else.

Silence followed their parents' words as everyone took a moment to reflect. Alexander waited patiently, only stepping forward once he saw their focus return.

He brimmed with confidence, "This is going to be a massive disaster—" he turned toward his siblings, seeing how the atmosphere became much calmer, "—yet, it will be fun to crash and burn with you together!"

After his passionate remarks about their upcoming shared failure, they began to chuckle, the tension easing as they embraced the lighter mood.

"We will all crawl like cockroaches and bow like rabbits! Our goal is to get those little shitstains their merits, and only then will we be free—" His voice became playfully sinister, "—and they will pay, muahahaha!"

Though his words were exaggerated, there was a kernel of truth—Alexander was far more petty than proud. He never forgot a slight and would make sure to repay it tenfold.

"We will slave away while they will get the easiest and most non-critical jobs!—" He opened his arms wide, grinning, "—do you want to follow me for humiliation and degradation!"

"Yes, I will!—" Narsiz put his fist playfully on his chest, smiling, "—but my oh-so-great leader, what's the difference to now?"

After a brief silence, everyone burst into laughter, the mood lightening once more. But when Alexander and Narsiz locked eyes, the humor faded—they both knew the months ahead would be brutal.

The thought of managing the egos of noble youth—each a star in their own household—made him doubt whether they could succeed, but those discussions had to wait.

"I think we are done here, are we?"

Alexander turned to his parents, who were beaming smiles at them. He was happy it ended like that, with everyone pulling on one rope, even if that meant they would lose and be pushed into a sea of misery.

However, before he could turn around and leave, starting to plan his upcoming humiliation accordingly, Janina spoke up, her voice cautious and not wanting to disturb the joyful atmosphere.

"Ehm doesn't Alex need a wife to become the Lord—" Everyone suddenly turned toward him when she ended the sentence.

The world around him seemed to fade into monochrome tones, spinning while he felt he could watch him from higher up—his soul left his body again.