Tale of a Hedonistic wizard

In the crisp morning air, Jaegar disembarked from the carriage, stepping onto the academy grounds.

His sudden appearance sent ripples of astonishment through the student body, drawing a curious crowd around him.

Jaegar, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the attention, thought, "Damn, what a drag."

Pierre and Jennifer, having heard the rumours of Jaegar's arrival, rushed to him when they spotted him in the assembly.

Pierre couldn't contain his barrage of questions, demanding to know what had happened.

"What the hell, man? What happened to you? They said you were dead!"

Jennifer, equally worried, stood close, holding Jaegar's hand as if to reassure herself that he was, indeed, alive.

Jaegar, finding solace in their familiar faces, pulled them both into a tight embrace, saying, "It's good to see you again."

The warmth of their reunion was palpable, and even Pierre, in the midst of his questioning, was nearly brought to tears, which he wiped away with a mixture of relief and emotion. Jennifer simply patted his back reassuringly.

Amidst the emotional reunion, professors arrived, escorting Jaegar to Headmaster Ashfield's office.

Isadora, ever watchful, followed suit.

The academy itself buzzed with chatter and speculation as students exchanged gossip about the mysterious events surrounding Jaegar.

Meanwhile, another carriage rolled up, and Charles, a journalist on a quest for a compelling story, stepped onto the academy grounds.

As Charles glanced at the grand board bearing the academy's name, he sighed, hoping that whatever awaited him inside would be worth the effort.

Identifying himself as a journalist to the gatekeepers, he entered the academy with a purpose – to seek an audience with the headmaster.

The atmosphere within was charged, with students forming groups and discussing the unfolding events.

Charles, inquiring about the headmaster's office, was directed towards it. As he traversed the bustling halls, his path intersected with Jaegar, led by Headmaster Ashfield.

His eyes widened as far as they could, witnessing Jaegar walking in apparent health.

Familiar with Jaegar's image from photographs, Charles found himself grappling with the fact that the young man before him was supposed to be deceased.

A whirlwind of thoughts churned in Charles's mind as he navigated through the corridors, attempting to talk with Jaegar and the headmaster to make sense of this unexpected revelation.

His path, however, was intercepted by vigilant professors inquiring about his identity.

Identifying himself as a journalist and being here to meet the headmaster, Charles concealed the true motives behind his visit.

The professors, however, informed him that such an audience was not permissible at the moment. Accepting this restriction, Charles retraced his steps through the bustling corridors, where students engaged in fervent discussions about Jaegar.

Driven by a journalist's curiosity, Charles felt compelled to unearth the truth. The news of Jaegar's reported demise aligns with Mabel's earlier claims.

Determined to unravel the mystery, Charles discreetly probed the student body, yet none could provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding Jaegar's supposed demise and subsequent resurrection.

Back in the headmaster's office, Jaegar sat on the couch, surrounded by professors, including Isadora and Tara.

Jaegar felt all their eyes on him, their gazes filled with a mix of curiosity and concern. He could sense that they were waiting for an explanation, wanting to understand how he could be sitting there alive and well when his death had been announced to the entire academy.

Ashfield's gaze bore into Jaegar, his eyes searching for answers that seemed elusive.

The headmaster had witnessed Jaegar's apparent demise with his own eyes, and now, faced with the living and breathing Jaegar, he sought an explanation.

"What happened, Jaegar?" Ashfield asked, his tone measured and poised.

Jaegar responded with a wry smile, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "I don't know, you tell me," he retorted.

Ashfield, raising an eyebrow, clarified, "I meant, how are you alive?"

Jaegar, squinting slightly, countered, "It seems like you don't like me being alive."

A sigh escaped Ashfield, his features expressing a mix of frustration and confusion. "No, why would I?

I saw you, Jaegar. You were dead before my eyes."

Jaegar, maintaining his enigmatic demeanour, claimed, "I don't remember anything. I feel like I woke up from a deep sleep."

The tension in the room escalated as Ashfield continued to scrutinize Jaegar, sensing that the young man wasn't entirely forthcoming with the truth.

Isadora, attempting to diffuse the situation, interjected, "Well, all things aside, you are alive and fine, and that's what matters."

Jaegar acknowledged her words with gratitude, rising from his seat. "Now, if you will excuse me, I need some rest after a long journey," he declared, leaving Ashfield and the others to watch his departure with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

Ashfield and the others watched him leave, their gazes lingering with a mixture of bewilderment and suspicion.

Jaegar returned to his dorm, greeted by the familiar faces of Pierre and Jennifer.

Meanwhile, Charles, having gleaned as much information as possible, contemplated the significance of the scoop he had stumbled upon.

Gleeful with his findings, he hailed a flying carriage, not bothering with the huge price, and set off on a lengthy journey to the central city, eager to deliver a groundbreaking story.

He was eager to see Mabel and tell her about what he had seen. He had even taken a few photos of Jaegar.

He even tried to talk to Jaegar, but he was completely blocked by the professors, and then they threw him out of the academy.

The coachman was urged to hasten, propelling the carriage across the landscape towards the central city with impressive speed.

*

In just a matter of hours, it arrived at its destination. The city's towering buildings and bustling streets greeted him as he stepped out of the carriage, fueling his excitement even more. He couldn't wait to share his groundbreaking story with the world.

Emerging from the carriage, Charles wasted no time and hurried to Mabel's office, anticipation coursing through him.

Inside, Mabel was engrossed in her work when Charles, brimming with excitement, walked in and slammed his hands on the table.

"Ms. Weston, you won't believe what I've discovered!" Charles exclaimed.

Mabel, rising from her seat, beamed with anticipation. "Have you found out? Is he truly dead?" she asked eagerly.

Charles's response, however, was not what she expected.

"No," he replied.

Mabel's expression shifted to confusion. "Then what happened?" she inquired.

Charles proceeded to narrate the events he had uncovered, detailing the surprising turn of events at the academy.

Mabel, instead of disappointment, wore a full smile as she absorbed the information.

"That's a shame you didn't get to meet that boy. You should have tried harder," she remarked.

Charles, however, reassured her, saying, "Ms. Weston, you don't need to worry about that."

"You know, we can meet him again," Charles confidently declared.

Mabel, puzzled, responded, "How?"

Charles explained, "There's an inter-academic summit in a few days. There, we will be able to meet him again."

Mabel's puzzled expression transformed into one of excitement as she realized the opportunity that lay ahead. "That's fantastic! I can't wait to meet him at the summit," she exclaimed, her smile growing even wider.

Mabel's eyes lit up with excitement. "That's wonderful! But for now, we have to print this piece as soon as we can and send it out first thing in the morning."

Charles inquired about the article's title, to which she replied, "The supposed dead prince returns alive."

They diligently worked on crafting the article and preparing it for printing. Operating as a small press unit, they remained inconspicuous, shielded from the prying eyes of the empire's surveillance of major newspapers.

The following morning, they poured every detail into their piece and distributed the newspaper far and wide.

Not content with just breaking the news, they also sold the information to other papers, demanding both credit and compensation. Their bold move paid off as the story quickly gained traction, capturing the attention of readers.

As expected, the news had stirred up quite a lot of trouble. The people in the empire were abuzz with gossip about what had happened. Various rumours spread like wildfire, attracting a considerable amount of attention.

-

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In the academy, Jaegar was sitting during the morning breakfast, and while he ate, he stared at the newspaper, in particular his photo on the main page.

He recalled someone taking a photo yesterday when he was going to the headmaster's office, and at that moment, he assumed it must have been a fellow student. And now he was wondering how it ended up in the newspaper.

Jennifer noticed his expression and remarked, "You look like you've been spooked."

Jaegar showed her the photo and said, "Couldn't they have asked me? I would have given a better pose. Look at how I appear in this photo." He sighed.

Pierre chimed in, "Mate, you're worried about the photo? Did you even read the article?"

Jennifer added, "Yes, Jaegar, how did they even know about you coming back to the academy?"

Jaegar replied, "These things will die down once they find another topic to enjoy. It's nothing we should bother about."

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