The Acolyte of Spirits and Curses

Chapter 67: A challenge?

Klein was sleeping on the bench in the training hall as the late afternoon sun filtered through the high windows, casting a warm light across the open space.

The sound of Liora’s spear cutting through the air echoed softly in the background as she continued her solo practice.

She glanced at Klein occasionally with a small smile on her face as she saw him resting.

She continued her forms, spinning and thrusting the spear as she tried to perfect the techniques that he showed her.

At that moment, Evelyne entered the training hall and when she saw Klein sleeping on the bench, a soft smile appeared on her lips.

She walked over quietly as she approached the bench.

Liora noticed her but didn’t say anything and continued her training without interrupting.

Evelyne stopped beside the bench, looking down at Klein’s peaceful face as he slept.

She knelt down gently and lifted his head with care.

Her fingers gently stroked his hair as she looked down at him with a soft, affectionate expression.

Klein stirred slightly but didn’t wake up immediately as his body relaxed further into the comfort of her lap.

A few moments later, he slowly opened his eyes and glanced up at Evelyne.

"Senior Evelyne..."

He gently sat up, still a little groggy from his nap.

Evelyne took his hand with both of hers and brought it to her lips, kissing the back of his palm with a soft touch.

Her crimson hair fell forward slightly as she did so, brushing against his skin.

She then moved a little closer to him, "Did you hear the news?"

Klein nodded, still waking up fully. "The Saintess is joining the academy. Master told me earlier."

Evelyne smiled softly, still holding his hand "Mhm. It’s quite the event. The entire academy is in an uproar. She specifically requested to join the Spirit Division, which is surprising given her Priest class."

"I thought you might be interested. Especially since you’re one of the most unique students in the division."

Smiling, he replied "I would be surprised if I said I am not interested. But i wonder what the reason is for her sudden arrival."

With a shake of her head, Evelyne replied "No one knows."

A quiet silence settled and Evelyne spoke again "Also, did master tell you about what happened with Shui Yinran?"

Hm? He tilted his head slightly "Who?"

Seeing this, Evelyne’s gaze lowered "Oh, she didn’t tell you, forget it."

-_- Eh? "No, tell me what happened. Who is this Shui Yinran anyway?"

Evelyne hesitated for a moment because if Erica didn’t tell him, it means she didn’t want him to know.

Looking into his curious eyes, she sighed "She is the head of Spear Division."

"Master saw your talent in spear and went to her the other day. She asked her to take you as her disciple because she believed that under her guidance, your talent for the spear would truly bloom."

"But Yinran refused her. And when Master tried again the other day... she humiliated her and sent her back."

Klein’s eyes narrowed upon hearing this "So the Head of the Spear Division rejected me without even meeting me... and humiliated Erica in the process."

Evelyne nodded "I heard they were old rivals during their Academy days."

"Master probably didn’t want you to know because she didn’t want you to feel pressured or go confront her. But I thought you should know."

Klein’s gaze narrowed further, a cold glint flashing in his eyes "I don’t mind her rejecting me. But humiliating Master..."

She placed her hand on his shoulder "Don’t worry, Klein. Shui Yinran also has a disciple. She is the Vice-President of Student Council."

"When the yearly tournament comes, I will beat her to a pulp and get revenge."

Upon hearing this, he frowned slightly "Is her disciple also great with spears?"

Nodding her head, Evelyne replied "Yeah. Just like her Master, she is also very proud of her spearmanship."

A predatory grin appeared on his lips "I see... I guess it’s time to break that pride."

He stood up "Where is the Student Council building? I am challenging her to a duel today."

WHATT?

Evelyne’s eyes shrank in shock. She quickly stood up as well, grabbing his arm to stop him.

"Wait, Klein! She’s the Vice-President of the Student Council and one of the strongest students in the Combat Division."

"Her Master is SS-rank, and she’s already at A-rank herself. A direct challenge like this could cause a huge commotion!"

Keeping his smile, he replied "I want it to cause a huge commotion. I don’t want to fight her in a random private training ground."

"We should advertise it and make the duel in the arena packed with students."

"We can also do betting, that way I can also earn credits."

Evelyne stared at him in disbelief "You’re serious?"

"If it’s a duel in an arena, the Student Council will have to approve it, and the academy might not allow betting on duels between students..."

Liora, who had been listening quietly while practicing her spear forms, stopped and walked over.

"Public humiliation is the best kind. If she humiliated your master, then beating her disciple in front of the entire academy sounds perfect."

"But... I am not sure if Klein can beat her, though."

Evelyne sighed deeply, rubbing her temples "Fine. As the Student Council President, I can help make it official. But we need to do this properly."

"I’ll talk to the council and the Combat Division to set up the duel in the main arena. We can make it a special event, perhaps tie it to the upcoming event between fight years and second years."

Klein was dumbfounded "Wow. i didn’t know you are the Student Council president. That makes things easier."

She shook her head helplessly "Just... be careful. Ji Shenyi is no pushover. She’s proud and extremely skilled with the spear. If you lose, it could damage your reputation."

Klein’s smile didn’t waver "I don’t plan on losing."

Liora grinned "And if he does, I’ll step in and finish the job."

He turned to her and bonked her head with his fist "Go back to training the basics."

(>▂<⁢) "Ah!" Liora rubbed her head, pouting slightly "Fine, fine. But you better not lose."

Evelyne sighed again but couldn’t hide the small smile on her face.

"I’ll start making the arrangements with the Student Council."

"I’ll make sure the duel is official and held in the main arena. We can promote it as a special exhibition match to draw a crowd. That way, the betting can be handled properly through the academy’s system."

---

Meanwhile, in one of the Spirit Division classrooms, Eleanor sat near the back with a grumpy look on her face.

She specifically chose to attend the elite first-year class in the Spirit Division, hoping to see a certain someone.

’I came to Spirit Division class thinking he would be here, but where is he?’

Erica was standing at the front, giving a lecture on advanced spirit energy circulation techniques.

Julia, who was sitting on a nearby bench, glanced at Eleanor out of the corner of her eyes.

Every student in the class was stealing glances at the Saintess.

At that moment, the classroom door opened and Klein stepped in "Master..."

Eleanor’s eyes lit up with excitement the moment she saw him.

’HUSBAND!’