73 Chapter 73: Royal Mages Academy

Hazel woke up, the next day from the loud knocking on her door. She opened her eyes slowly to the morning rays entering her room. Her room was brightened up with the rays entering the room through her balcony door, which she had forgotten to lock last night.

'Damn it!' she cursed. Her room was chilling from the morning breeze.

Hazel sat up drowsily, wrapped in her blanket. Her eyebrows knitted together when she heard the endless knocks. Before she could kill that person who disturbed her peaceful sleep, soft giggles echoed beside her. She turned to her side and saw her brother giggling at her. His eyes looking like small crescents as he chuckled mirthfully.

She squinted her eyes as she raised her palms in the air mimicking a lion's paw and jumped on him, tickling him relentlessly. Rin squealed loudly filling the room in laughter.

Hazel stopped after some seconds and looked at her brother, who was now panting heavily like her. They looked at each other before collapsing into another series of laughter. Hazel rubbed her nose with his, as she enjoyed her beautiful morning, which didn't last long.

The person behind their door seemed to get tired of knocking as he directly kicked down the door. The sound of breaking down the door distracted the siblings as they turned to look at the door together.

They saw Jinha standing there with one leg up in the air as he grinned at them cheekily.

Hazel straightened herself and looked at her broken door. Her lips twitched as she asked, "Why did you bother to knock if you planned on breaking the door?"

Jinha grinned as he entered and gazed at the two people who were still on the bed, "I was being kind in waking you up."

She rolled her eyes as she stood up from her bed, " It is bad manners to break into a girl's room."

Noticing the coldness in the room, He walked straight towards the balcony and locked the door as he commented casually, "Girl?"

Jinha pretended to look around the room and said, " I don't see any girl here. Do you little Rin?"

Rin shook his head cutely which earned him a sharp glare from his sister. He covered his lips as he chuckled, " Oops"

Hazel glared at Jinha who shrugged and flashed her a cocky grin.

"So, what are you doing here so early in the morning?"

Jinha asked her surprised, "Did you forget that we are leaving today?"

"Ah!" Hazel opened her mouth in a small O shape. She had forgotten about her plans after last night. The pain, anger and frustration made her forget about returning back to the academy.

She heard a sad voice ask softly, " Sister, are you leaving?"

Hazel smiled at her brother who looked crestfallen at this sudden revelation. She nodded her head apologetically.

He asked dejectedly, "But, didn't you say you would stay longer?"

"Yes, I did but the battle compelled us to bring forth our departure. Our instructors contacted us to return, to discuss the academy security."

Rin popped his head out from the sheets and pouted at his sister. Hazel's heart melted seeing his cute pout that she hugged him tightly in her embrace and whispered, "I'm sorry."

She couldn't help but sigh, as she thought of leaving her adorable brother here alone.

Rin looked at his sister, who had her arms around him and turned to look at brother Jinha sadly. Jinha shrugged as if telling him he can't do anything.

Rin lowered his eyes and inhaled deeply. He couldn't help but curse the demons for making his sister return quickly. He didn't even get enough time to spend with her.

It had been months since they have seen each other. He was overjoyed when he heard from her that she would spend her vacation fully with him.But, the war changed everything that he couldn't help but wish to plummet those idiots to death.

He mustered up a smile in a way to show her that he was okay. He knew she had a lot of responsibilities on her shoulders and that she needs to go to the academy to be strong.

So he uttered casually, "Sister, Wait for me to grow up. I will grow stronger so that you don't have to fight anymore."

Hazel didn't know whether she should laugh or cry at his statement. Wouldn't he be busy with responsibilities then? Ha! It's better not to let him know, lest he gets sad again.

She nodded her head and heard him say, "You need to take care of me when I arrive at the academy."

'Rin-Rin, I would graduate before you enter the academy.'

He wrapped his small chubby arms around her neck as he said, "I will follow you all day long."

Hazel chuckled helplessly at his cute behaviour that she rustled his hair and nodded happily.

Jinha gazed at Hazel who was watching Rin with a look of pure bliss on her face. It was only around him, she shows her happy side. It was only around him, she shows her sane self.

No, that was not right. She did show more emotions when he was here.

Jinha rubbed his chin thoughtfully at his sudden feeling.

'Well, there is still a long period for them to meet again.'

...

Hazel dressed up and soon arrived in the hall with Jinha and Rin following her. Rin had his cold face back as if telling that he only expressed himself in front of his sister.

Hazel met with her friends who were prepared to leave. She looked at her parents who gazed at her warmly. She hugged both of them who only had one thing to say.

They said in unison, "Be safe and come back to us soon."

Hazel nodded her head before gazing at the chubby little guy who was hiding behind her mother's dress.

She knelt down and sighed at her little brother who was clutching their mother's dress tightly, "I will leave our parents to you, Rin-Rin. Take care of them well."

Rid nodded stiffly which made Hazel smile. She kissed his forehead as she got up to leave. She looked at Liz for a second who made an okay sign.

She sighed as she thought, ' How much longer should I pretend?'

To avoid any suspicions, they had made one of their subordinates to disguise herself as Freya. So that they wouldn't connect the princess and the general, when they see the thunder squad leaving without their leader.

They had made the fake Freya volunteer herself to stay behind to protect the royal family, to be specific, her brother while the rest volunteered to follow their princess.

Hazel looked at the people sending her off and wished that none of them were the perpetrators behind that night. She didn't want to believe in her assumptions but all the evidence point towards it – that there is a culprit within the royal family.

Taking a last glance at them, the team departed to the teleportation gate which would take them to the Royal Mages Academy.

Royal Mages Academy was the best magic academy everyone wanted to enter. It was the best academy in the south whereas their rival academy, Silver Mages Academy, is the best there in the north. Both of these academies recruit students after they test their mana power as well as their mental strength.

Recruiting starts at the age of 13-15. If one fails to enter the top best academies at the age of 13 but gets admitted to other magic academies, they can still test for the top best for another two years. But, the disadvantage is that they wouldn't be able to enter other magic academies which recruit only at the age of 13.

Royal Mages Academy recruited people of any background and wealth with the main concern being their strength whereas the Silver Mages Academy gave more importance to the rich but had prominent instructors.

The academies hand out scholarship to people from their home nation but the rest, who travels from the other country need to pay a hefty amount.

Hazel stepped through the portal and saw a lot of students wandering about in the Royal city. All the students had to wear a dark blue cloak, over their clothes, which had their academy crest, a shield with the Academy name along the border lines in bold letters, placed right above their heart.

Royal city was named after the academy consisting of only shops. One after the other, everyone turned to the gates. A collective gasp was heard as they saw their heroes entering the city.

"Lord Jinha is back."

"Princess Hazel looks even more gorgeous after her vacation."

"The thunder squad troop is back."

"Haha... Lady Liz still leads the same old scholar life." a guy commented as they saw her hold a book on her hand as they walked towards the academy.

"Huh? Looks like our fame expanded a lot since our vacation." Jinha whispered.

"I wonder what happened this time." Hazel frowned.

They soon got to know what made them famous yet again.