Chapter 25: Grayhaven [1]
The next morning, Klein came downstairs after a refreshing shower, wearing a simple black t-shirt and sweatpants.
His hair was still slightly damp. The house was quiet except for the soft sound of the TV playing in the living room.
He walked into the living room and saw Cynthia sitting on the couch, watching some morning drama.
Klein smiled softly and walked over, sitting down right beside her.
Cynthia immediately turned toward him with a playful grin.
Without hesitation, she leaned sideways and rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling comfortably against him.
"Good morning, little Kay~" she teased in a sweet voice. "Did you sleep well after thoroughly exhausting Arwen last night?"
Klein let out a small chuckle and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.
"Yeah, I slept fine. You seem energetic this morning."
Cynthia hummed happily and shifted even closer, practically draping herself over his side.
Her hand casually rested on his chest as she continued watching the TV, though her attention was clearly more on him.
For a few minutes, they sat like that in comfortable silence.
But Klein could feel something was off. Cynthia’s usual playful energy felt a little forced, and her body was slightly tense against his.
He looked down at her and spoke gently "Cyn... are you okay?"
Cynthia blinked and looked up at him in confusion, "Hm? What do you mean? Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be?"
Klein stared at her for a moment and gently brushed a strand of white hair away from her eyes before speaking again.
"It feels like... you’re forcing yourself to act normal. Like you’re holding something back."
H-Huh? Cynthia froze for a second. Her playful smile faltered slightly before she quickly recovered, letting out a small laugh as she poked his chest.
"What are you talking about? I’m always like this. Don’t overthink it, dummy."
But Klein gently caught her chin with his fingers and raised it, forcing her to look directly into his eyes.
"You are not convincing at all, you idiot."
Cynthia stared into his dark, steady eyes and let out a long, defeated sigh "Can’t you be less perceptive at times like this?"
Klein kept holding her chin gently, brushing his thumb over her cheek.
"Tell me what happened."
Cynthia looked away for a few seconds, biting her lower lip.
Then she shook her head slowly, "Nothing much... I am just sad that you will be leaving soon and I’m scared for you."
"You’re going to that fancy academy now. You’ll be surrounded by strong people, nobles, geniuses... dangerous situations. You’ll be diving into Towers and dungeons eventually."
Her voice grew softer, "I’ve always been by your side, protecting you when you were younger. I’m happy for you, really. But I’m also scared. What if something happens to you?"
She let out a self-deprecating chuckle, "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin the mood. You had a big day yesterday. You should be celebrating, not comforting me."
Klein stayed silent for a moment, simply looking at her. Then he pulled her fully into his lap, wrapping both arms around her tightly.
"K-Kay?"
Placing his chin on her shoulder, he murmured "Don’t worry about me. You saw how strong I was. I can manage things."
"You two are my home. My reason for getting stronger."
She reached up and pinched his cheek playfully.
"You are saying some really cheeky things this morning," she teased, though her voice was still a little shaky. "Since when did our little Kay become this smooth?"
Klein chuckled softly, not pulling away from her touch. He simply held her tighter, letting her hide her face against his neck if she wanted to.
At that moment, soft footsteps approached from the kitchen.
Arwen walked into the living room, wiping her hands on a dish towel "Breakfast is ready."
She paused when she saw the two of them cuddling closely on the couch.
"You two look comfortable," she said lightly. "Should I bring the food here so you can keep cuddling?"
Cynthia let out a soft laugh and climbed off Klein’s lap, though she kept holding his hand.
"No need. Let’s eat together at the table."
---
Three days passed quickly-
Klein got down from the academy-arranged shuttle and one of the attendees on the plane spoke "I will go and keep your luggage in your dorm room, Young Master."
Klein nodded and walked down ’Being in elite class certainly has its perks.’
He had only taken a few steps when a familiar voice called out to him.
"Klein."
Julia was waiting near the entrance, wearing the Elite Class uniform, which comprises a black blazer, button-down blouse and long skirt along with stockings.
There is an insignia on the blazer indicating her year and that she is from the Elite Class, along with the spirit division symbol.
’So that’s the uniform, I guess, but mine is not issued yet.’
She glanced at him in confusion. "You haven’t received your uniform yet?"
With a soft sigh, he replied "Seems like the Academy didn’t expect that a male would get into the Spirit Division so there is a short delay."
"I will get my uniform tomorrow."
She nodded her head "It’s good to see you."
Before they could talk further, a female academy staff member approached them politely.
"Klein Faress and Julia von Langford? Please follow me. I will escort you both to the Spirit Division’s Elite Class orientation hall."
Julia glanced at Klein once, then fell into step beside him as they followed the staff member.
They walked along wide, beautiful pathways lined with mana-infused trees and floating lanterns.
Many students turned to look at them especially at Klein, whispering among themselves.
After a short walk, they arrived at a grand building marked Spirit Division - Elite Class.
The staff member bowed slightly "This is the orientation hall. Please head inside. Instructor Elara will begin shortly."
Klein and Julia entered together. The hall had a serene, ethereal atmosphere with glowing runes drifting near the ceiling.
Around thirty elite students were already present, chatting in small groups.
The moment Klein walked in, conversations quieted and murmurs spread rapidly.
"There he is..."
"And the girl from the Duke family."
Soon, both of them found a seat in the middle.
They had barely settled when the main instructor, a graceful woman in her thirties with long brown hair, stepped onto the platform.
"Welcome, new Elite Class students of the Spirit Division," she announced clearly.
"I am Instructor Elara Voss. Over the coming years, you will learn to form contracts with spirits, master spirit arts, and step into the Spirit Realm itself..."
---
In a spacious office located at the highest floor of the Spirit Division’s main tower, a beautiful woman was sitting behind a large desk.
She had long, flowing violet hair and striking violet eyes.
She was watching the recorded footage of Klein’s practical evaluation on her laptop, replaying the moment he destroyed the mana wyvern.
She continued watching the screen for a few more seconds before finally turning her gaze toward Evelyne, who was sitting in front of her.
"...Are you sure that he doesn’t have a [Warrior] class?"
Evelyne nodded firmly "Yes, Master. I was present during his awakening. He awakened a Mythic-rank class with extremely high spirit aptitude."
The woman hummed under her breath, turning her attention back to the laptop screen.
She replayed the segment where Klein hurled the spear with perfect form and pierced the wyvern’s wing.
"I wonder what his class name is..." she murmured, almost to herself.
"We both awakened Legendary classes as [Spirit Herald]."
Evelyne shook her head "That, I do not know, Master. He has been quite guarded about revealing his exact class name."
The woman’s gaze narrowed subtly, "Bring him to me."
Evelyne nodded her head "As you wish, Master."
