Eric opened the entrance to his study. Various thoughts flew through his mind, but the most prominent one was the fact his own son was a bloody mage! The most shocking fact was to learn that Matthew was lucky enough to be born with mana vessels and a core, even though both Jessica and himself didn’t have any to begin with. Eric has heard stories of kids without any magical lineage having the ability to wield the elements. Now his son was one of them and he couldn’t be prouder.

Matthew was already a genius when it came to Aura, and Eric was sure he’d become stronger than he ever was. Add on the ability to use magic, and maybe he could become one of the powerhouses of the kingdom. One thing Eric knew for sure, was that things were looking up for the Fredericks family.

Although there were questions to be raised about how Matthew already knew how to cast spells, Eric brushed it aside with the label of self-taught genius. Besides there were more important things to do, like writing a letter of recommendation to the Royal Academy. If Matt were able to obtain a free ride to the academy, Eric would be able to move his family to the capital itself.

Jessica always wanted to see the capital’s giant castle, but being an off-duty field officer only provided enough pay for a mediocre villa on the other side of the kingdom and their son’s future education. Eric knew Jessica wasn’t a materialistic woman, but he still believed she held onto her childhood dream of seeing those impenetrable walls with her own eyes.

Now they’d both be able to leave this damned countryside city. The only problem was his current job overseeing the iron excavation at the dungeon. It was an easy job, but Eric didn’t want to be stuck there while his family was across the country. It may be possible to convince his superiors if he signed back up for active duty but that brought in another set of problems.

War. Even the most ignorant of people could tell relations between the neighboring empire and kingdom were impossible to repair. Ever since the assassination of the Dragon Dynasty’s first king, Francis Dragonborn, the subsequent leaders have taken radical views towards the kingdom and magic itself. Their empire did the impossible by being fully anti-magic.

The soldiers they produced were strong, and it’s a damn shame the two countries are at an impasse…although it seems unlikely that will last for long. Rumors have been floating around that the empire has been getting ready these past decades for an invasion. If Eric had to risk going into war for his wife’s happiness, and son’s future it was obvious choice.

Eric sat down in the wooden chair and prepared the materials for the letter. Before he started however, he looked outside the glass window to see Matthew and Jessica in the garden. Matt seemed to be mumbling some words, before some of the water in the pool gathered into a ball in his palm. He shot it back into the pool and repeated the process, and all the while his wife sat there knocked out.

A small chuckle escaped Eric’s lips as he focused on the task at hand. He picked up the pen and started writing.

***

“Headmaster we’ve received another letter of recommendation.” A young man navigated throughout the clutter of thick books, and old scrolls scattered across the room to arrive at a dark oak desk. It was bare except for a calendar notifying anyone that it was the 3rd month of Caelum. Unsurprisingly this meant it was a month of strong winds, and you’d see the occasional article fly through the room.

The man placed the letter on top of the calendar, and maintained a stalwart bow until the Headmaster took the letter. A few moments later the man could see through his peripheral vision the letter quickly levitate and fly forward, which signaled he could finally stand. A quick adjustment of his glasses and fix of his messy dark brown hair allowed him to see the letter snuggle itself in-between an old man’s two fingers.

Well although this man seemed to be old judging by his dull gray hair, his body was full of well-built muscle that wouldn’t lose to any veteran soldier. He had tanned skin that was covered by a gray robe with the markings of a cloud on the back, and cuffs of the arm. Typical grey martial artist’s pants that were slightly frayed at the end followed, by bare feet on the wooden floor helped give an image of a wandering master.

There was plenty of wind blowing throughout the room messing with various papers and such, including messing with the young man’s outfit, but it didn’t seem to affect the older man even though he was right in front of the entrance to the balcony.

“Thank you Adam, you may leave now.” A deep but soft voice reverberated throughout the room, and Adam could see the headmaster’s head slightly turned in his direction. His beard was well kept, although his hair was long and wild as it cascaded to his shoulder. Adam finished observing the headmaster and quickly left the room before he disturbed him any longer.

With a quick swipe of his finger the contents were revealed to the Headmaster. In all honesty he didn’t have high expectations, since most of what he received were nobles flattering him endlessly then shamelessly recommending he take their son or daughter under his tutelage. The majority of these children would have no exceptional talents, so he’d just throw the paper away in a random corner of the room.

His expectations weren’t disappointed as the first two paragraphs were unnecessary flattery. However as he kept reading his expression slowly changed. His eyebrows were raised in curiosity by the first sentence of the third paragraph. By the second his eyes widened in shock, and his original calm green eyes turned a piercing yellow. A boisterous laugh thundered through the streets around the Royal Academy.

“Not one but two incoming geniuses within a span of a year. This is a sign of good tidings for the academy indeed. With the amount of money we’ll be receiving from Randolph, it’ll be possible for a mass renovation!”

With impeccable timing Adam once again entered the room and navigated towards the desk. He waited some moments for the laughter to cease, but it wasn’t long before the Headmaster’s jovial mood turned somber once more.

“Prepare two letters for the city of Erebos and town of Schurr. I would like all youth in both areas that’ll become 14 within the next four years to consider joining our academy for free all four years.” This nearly elicited a gasp from Adam however he quickly regained his composure, so he could perform another structured bow and walked towards the door.

“Also write another letter for the Fredericks’ house informing them of their successful recommendation. Although this boy shall be arriving here in four years, we’ll need to make some improvements before he and the other lad arrive…especially with the influx of students that’ll be arriving in the coming years…” The headmaster drifted off in thought for a moment, and Adam didn’t dare make a sound to not disturb his thought process.

“Schedule a total personnel meeting for next week. That’ll be all Adam.” With a wave of his sleeve the old man went back to gazing through the balcony. King Randolph should be pleased with another emerging genius in the kingdom. If nothing triggers the Dragon Dynasty into launching a preemptive invasion, he’ll probably use the two as leverage to hold them back. In all honesty though, the headmaster and Randolph both knew that peace wouldn’t last for long however.