[That… is a lot to unpack. Clive runs a hand over his mouth and looks off to the side. An entire race of people, spanning centuries, just for the off chance that Ultima could cultivate a being who could live outside of the boundaries that magic gave their bodies. Time to add another thing to the list of things he thinks about at night when he can’t sleep.]

He was arrogant and that will be his downfall.

[Joshua’s insistence pushes dark thoughts farther away. Clive looks back at his brother and smiles.]

Yeah, not if we can help it.

[Your faith in him is flattering, Joshua. In this case, he isn’t sure if it is misguided. But hey, if his brother believes in him, he may as well try. Clive takes a deep breath and lets it out.]

I’ll try. I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try.

[There is going to be blood over this, he just knows it. Barnabs would never back down and if Clive has to beat this information into him, he’ll do it.]