Journey begins

"Alex…what do you think about joining a magic academy? Excited, right? There, you can fulfill your dream of always wanting to become a mage and meet other young people like you as well. Make friends and learn new and exciting things" Agnes started without giving Alex a chance to answer. After all, there was no need for him to answer since he already knew that he would be joining an academy and the Royal Magic Academy at that.

Agnes went on telling Alex amazing and fun things that he would encounter by entering the academy, she did not show any sign of stopping soon and it looked like she was trying to comfort a son who was leaving for war; she did not even realize that her voice was cracking as she spoke.

"It's alright honey" Marcos placed a hand on Agnes's shoulder and stopped her from talking any further seeing that she was already on the verge of crying, he decided to do the talking instead.

Agnes nodded with her face buried in her palms so Alex would not see her face.

Alex stared at his mother in confusion, wasn't she talking about the academy just now? Then why was she crying? Shouldn't she be happy for him or was there something that he was missing? Alex did not have to wallow in confusion for long because Marcos made things clear after he started to talk.

"Son, your mother and I, along with the villagers had agreed to let you leave for the magic academy today" Marcos paused to study Alex's expression.

Alex's eyes were wide in shock and disbelief upon hearing this. He was aware that he would be going to the academy soon after what the village head had said yesterday but he had not expected it to be this soon, he was not ready yet. Alex looked at his mother who still had her face buried in her palms while her shoulders trembled continuously, he suddenly realized why she was like this.

A sigh from his father pulled his attention back as Marcos resumed his speech.

"You should be aware that you passed out yesterday and were brought back here unconscious by your mother and the others, according to what they told me, that old man must have done something to you that made you pass out and since we can not find what he had done to you, we decided it would be best for you to attend a magic academy the soonest because we believe that the teachers there should be able to discover whatever he has done In case it turns out to be dangerous" Marcos said and allowed Alex to digest the words first before continuing.

" I know you haven't been outside the village and it would be difficult to adapt to the new environment without us and your friends here. You will also have a switch to a different lifestyle with new activities but you should not worry. There are numerous kids of your age at the academy and you can make new friends there since you will be new, the teachers would help you get used to the new lifestyle and help you with any problems as much as they can.

I do not need to point this out as I know my son, you are not a troublemaker but still, be mindful of people you interact with and how you interact with them. Most kids who join the Royal Magic Academy have influential backgrounds and are very arrogant. Compared to them, our situation is worlds apart so be careful when around them.

But even though they are from powerful backgrounds, their family can not influence things in the academy. The academy will naturally pay more attention to you if you do well so please work hard and only then will you be able to fulfill your dream of being a powerful mage" Marcos finally finished what he had to say, he stared at Alex with a gentle smile of a father encouraging his son to learn riding a horse.

Alex remained motionless for a while, unknowingly, tears were already rolling down his face while he listened to his father's words.

" Does…does it have to be today?" Alex finally managed to speak after fumbling with the words in his head.

Marcos sighed at his son's question, he was very much aware that his son was not ready to part with them yet but this was for the best.

"The Royal Magic Academy is located in the capital of the southern continent and is very far from here, it will take a long time to arrive there without a hover car. The registration is only a week away and if you don't leave on time, you might miss the registration period. The village head had agreed to personally take you there himself so you could arrive earlier" Marcos said softly.

Alex nodded quietly as his head hung low. Marcos stared at his son's crestfallen gesture and could only shake his head, he stood up and crossed to stand in front of Alex.

" Hey, head up. Men don't cry that easily, if you feel sad about leaving then work hard when you get to the academy so the next time you come back here…everything should be worth it. Otherwise, who knows how long it will take before you return? It might take months or even years, don't keep us waiting too long" Marcos said to Alex and lightly bumped his chest with his fists before going out, leaving only Agnes and Alex in the living room.

Alex stayed at the spot in front of him in a daze as his father's words continuously rang in his head, he looked up and stared at his sobbing mother as an even stronger wave of determination blazed in his heart and he took a deep breath.

'Everything…will be worth it when I come back!' Alex roared inwardly, he gathered his resolve to get up from his seat and go get ready for his journey with the village head.

A few hours later, all the villagers could be seen crowded at the edge of the field. In front of them were Alex and the village head, both of them were already set and ready to depart.

They only delayed for the villagers to say their farewells to Alex before he left. His mother, Agnes, had been taken back by his father causing the both of them to be absent at this moment. Agnes had discovered how reluctant she was about Alex leaving and had hugged him for more than thirty minutes without letting go, only due to Marcos's persuasion did she let go and was taken back to the village because she was not willing to witness Alex leave.

While the villagers were saying farewells to Alex and giving him wrapped meals as parting gifts, the village head could be seen in the corner talking to old man Vee.

"I know that you are not a combat mage like me but that doesn't mean you are any weaker, you even have the lightning element. Please, watch after the village in my absence" the village head said to old man Vee in a solemn tone.

"Aya, why are you making it sound like a sad story? This place is also my home so of course I'll watch over it with everything I've got. Any beast that tries to take a step in shall be blasted to pieces by me, hehe!" Old man Vee responded with a long laugh which ended with a few coughs.

The village head smiled at the words of the old man and nodded with both eyes closed, his expression displaying relief.

"I'm glad to hear that, good luck, friend. I won't take long" he patted old man Vee on the shoulder before going over to Alex.

"It's time," the village head said to Alex and pulled him away from the villagers who kept waving at them.

They walked a few meters away from the villagers before coming to a stop. Alex watched as the village head brought out his magic wand, the temperament of the village head suddenly changed like he was a different person as a gale of wind began to blow around them, causing Alex's clothes to flutter fiercely.

Seven huge blue stars appeared behind the village head which he connected into a complete star pattern, the wind blowing around them suddenly intensified and Alex felt like he might get blown away any moment.

This was not his first time seeing the village head cast a spell but this was the first time he had been so close to him when he formed his star pattern.

'The power of a mage…I'll become one with great strength one day' Alex thought to himself as he clung tightly to the village head.

"Wind trail!"

While Alex was still in thought, the village head calmly called out the name of his spell. A fierce wind gathered below their feet like a small hurricane and lifted them into the air before bolting into the distance at a speed so fast that Alex could only see blur all around him.

And with that, their journey to the capital of the continent began.