A/N: First off shout out to Wraith for PRing this chp.
Based on the poll, I have decided to change the MC and his friend's age. They will now be 12 years old. Reason for this: Like some have mentioned, none of them act like 9 yrs olds, even the most childest one Winston. So jusr to make it a little more reasonable I decided to change it. I'm going to be changing it as I edit the earlier chps but basically Az will take the test at 11 and enter the school at 12. All the freshmen will be that age now. Since I am editing my earlier chps anyways was the reason I chose to do polls now since I'll be updating the chps anyways.
Anyways, sorry for the late update! Hope you all enjoy the chp!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My dear precious son,
I was so glad to see your mail arrive the other day. Mom was worried that you had grown up and forgotten about her you know? Since you haven’t written back for over 4 months, your father and I have been worried that you were injured. You should have seen your father, he was even talking about going to the academy to make sure that nothing had happened to you.
Speaking of your father, he has received a new position as the sword instructor for Count Lemmenier! A couple of weeks ago, the Count visited Baron Sinclair and spotted your father while he was training the soldiers. The Count was so impressed that he went up to your father and asked right there if he would become the sword instructor for his troops.
When your father mentioned he was still employed by the Baron, the Count just waved it off and told him not to worry about such trivial matters. A couple of hours later, the Count came back with a smile on his face and told your father to pack his belongings because he was coming to the central area with him.
Your father is going to be receiving thrice as much pay compared to when he was teaching for the Baron. The house that we now live in thanks to the Count is very nice. Not only is it three times as large as our old home, but we also have a large front yard that Aurora and Azer can play in.
The best news though is that we’re only three days away from Leah now! It won’t take long for you to come back home now. If you don’t come back during the holiday again, then Mom will personally go to Sinara Academy and drag you home okay?
Azer and Aurora have also been growing up very well. They’re both taller than you were when you were their age you know? As always, the two of them are still as focused on training as before. It really is worrying when I see them train so hard. When you come home, can you try to get them to stop training so much?
Oh that reminds me, you won’t believe what happened just the other week! After dinner one night the two of them dragged dad and I to their rooms. Thinking that they had just made something and wanted to show us, we went along.
What greeted us in the room was, to our great surprise, a large bull and an elegant crane. With an extra hop in their steps, Azer went beside the bull and Aurora the crane. With a look of great pride Azer, introduced us to Wangso and Aurora introduced us to Dooroomi.
Wangso is a large bull whose height reached your father’s shoulder. He wears body armor that has numerous bronze metal plates which overlap each other on his body and go from his back to his head. Oh, He also has a helmet with small slits for the eyes and an opening at the bottom for the mouth. On either side of the helmet, horns expand outwards at a ninety degree angle before then rising upwards at a slight angle towards the middle of his head.
Even though he looks so fearsome, he is quite a cute child. He was so excited at seeing new things and behaved very playfully. He told us that he was considered an infant among the elementals. It actually reminded me of you when you were so excited and were asking me what everything was.
Dooroomi, on the other hand, is a crane that stands around five foot five inches and looks very slender and fragile, like a porcelain vase. She has glistening white feathers everywhere except for the pearly gray area that covers her cheek, throat, neck, and the tips of her wings. What stands out most about her figure, however, is the patch of red skin that makes it seem as though she is wearing a crown.
She really is a beautiful bird. I couldn’t help but sigh in admiration when I saw her. Even the way she speaks sounds sweet and elegant. It’s unfortunate that she can’t be permanently materialized yet~
Even though I know that elementals can show up at any time, it was a huge shock to your dad and I to see Wangso and Dooroomi materialized. The twins just turned nine a couple of weeks ago, but the two of them are already training in magic. Anyway, seeing them in ethereal form reminded me of the time you brought Samjoko, Chunyong, and Bonghwang out in ethereal form for us in the living room. They’re doing well right? Tell them I said hi.
Seeing how weak I am, it is really hard for me to believe I was able to give birth to such exceptional children as you three. Even though your father is very strong, I was afraid that my lack of talent would drag all of you down. Thankfully that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Enough talk about us for now, let’s talk about you. First off, congratulations on winning the school tournament son! You cannot know how proud your dad and I were when we saw it in your letter. You should have seen your dad bragging to everyone he saw. I felt so ashamed to be outside with him as he told any and everyone on the streets.
Your dad wants me to remind you that even though you won one competition, you still have a long journey ahead of you to become strong. Don’t slack off and train even more! Even though he says that, please be careful honey. Mommy wouldn’t be able to handle it if you got hurt severely. Remember this, your well-being is more important than anything else!
Anyways, I believe I have already written too much. Let me finish this letter off with a few reminders. Like always my precious son, make sure that you always wash in the morning and eat all your meals. Even though I know you enjoy training, make sure to rest every once in a while. It isn’t healthy for your body if you are training all the time.
Also keep up with your studies. If your grades aren’t good, then mommy will not be happy okay? Make sure that you don’t skip any meals either, especially the vegetables! I know how much you hate them, but right now is the most important time for your body. It is growing and needs all the nutrients it can receive.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Also, remember no females are allowed until they pass mommy’s inspection! Even if she is the princess of one of the five Kingdoms, I will not accept her until I have personally met her.
I cannot wait to see you in a month and a half from now. You may have been gone for only a year, but its been a year too long for me. You must have grown so much. Good luck in the Rising Star Tournament. Don’t get hurt and we’ll see you afterwards okay? We all send our love to you dear.
- Azela Celeste.
“How’s your family doing Az?” Han Byul questioned.
“They’re doing well. My dad became the sword instructor for Count Lemmenier and my siblings’ elementals finally appeared in ethereal form.”
“Ah! Congratulations!”
Under the shade of a large tree within the academy, Azrael laid on the ground while Han Byul gently patted his hair. After he read the letter, Azrael folded it with caution and tucked it into his pocket before he laid his head in Han Byul’s lap and closed his eyes once more with a satisfied expression on his face.
Han Byul couldn’t help but smile as she gazed down on Azrael’s peaceful expression. Who would have thought that the boy who was on her lap and had such a peaceful look on his face was the strongest student in Sinara Academy? As she shook her head in amusement, she began to recall the events that had occurred that night four months ago.
When Azrael first stepped onto the stage for the talent contest, Han Byul had been worried for him. She was scared he might make a mistake and be jeered by the crowd. That worry, however, faded away as the bard began to play his strings instrument, and he looked toward her with a smile before he began.
Without ever looking away from her, Azrael began to sing. His brown eyed gaze was so powerful that, even in the back of the crowd, Han Byul could feel it. In direct contrast, his voice was soft and sweet as the words reached her ears. As she watched Azrael’s passionate performance for her, her heartbeat began to quicken and emotions began to flood her. She had been so caught up in the moment that she did not even notice Zer and Winston look at each other with a meaningful glance and leave. Both of them felt as though Azrael and Han Byul needed a private moment.
After the performance ended, she stood stock still while she attempted to get her emotions under control. At the appearance of Azrael,her body seemed to move on its own as she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Although she did not why, she felt compelled to respond to his own feelings with hers.
“U…um.. Han Byul?”
Slowly, she drew back a few inches and looked at Azrael. With his face red as a tomato, he was finally able to stutter out the words that had been stuck in his throat. As she saw him at a loss for the first time, Han Byul couldn’t help but laugh and put her head against his chest as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Since he didn’t know what else to do, Azrael wrapped her in his embrace and began to lightly pat her back. From that night onward, their relationship had blossomed.
The next four months had been pure bliss for the two of them. Even though Azrael, Zer, Winston, and Han Byul were still always together, the students noticed that the atmosphere around Azrael and Han Byul had changed. The two of them were often seen either with locked arms or lost in their own pink world.
News spread throughout the academy like a wildfire that the two were now dating. The way that everyone saw him immediately changed. The girls began to notice him more and showed interest in him as a man while the males stared daggers at him. Azrael began to wonder if he had somehow become the enemy of all men in the academy.
“Zer, look at those two lovebirds over there.”
“...All men with girlfriends are the enemy of single men!”
As Han Byul turned her head toward the source of the voices, she couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. Zer and Winston were behind the tree, peeking at the two.
“Hehe, stop being so silly you two~ come over here.”
“Yo~ Zer, Winst. Is it time already?”
At the sight of his two best friends, Azrael raised his head from Han Byul’s lap and greeted them. While she watched the three chat, she couldn’t help but be amazed at how much they had grown in the past four months.
Zed now stood at five foot six inches. His body had begun to gain muscle mass over the past few months and possessed an indomitable presence. Matched with his sharp stormy gaze, he exuded an aura that made others unintentionally defer to him.
Winston had sprouted like a beanstalk and was now six foot one inches. The childish look on his face had begun to disappear as his chin and cheek bones became more prominent. The fat on his body had turned into bulging muscles from the constant swordsmanship training.
Azrael now stood at five foot seven inches with a lean body due to the daily sprints he did every morning. He had also cut his hair so that it only reached his chin and trimmed his bangs so that his brown eyes were more prominent.
“I hate to break up the lovey dovey atmosphere between you two, but we need to head toward the restaurant.”
“So why are we going to a restaurant for dinner today anyways Winst?”
“Az, I told you that someone let me know that this place made amazing steak!”
Once Azrael and Han Byul rose, they headed off. At the school entrance, a carriage drawn by two black stallions awaited them. After they had gotten in, the driver urged the stallions on and traveled toward Leah.
The trip was uneventful. While everybody casually talked, the scenery from the window constantly changed. After they had travelled for forty minutes, they reached their designation.
After he helped Han Byul off the carriage, Azrael went to the entrance and opened the door for her. As the door opened, a flood of voices exploded out from inside the restaurant.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY AZRAEL!!”
Shocked by sudden sound and from his name being called, he looked inside just as two blurs jumped at him.
“Eh?! Azer, Aurora?!”