Tenebrous Wolf
Chapter 54: Training Progression

Chapter 54: Training Progression

For the following days, Klaus continued his daily routine without much disruption or disorder.

Once he woke up, he would freshen up inside the bathroom, get dressed, and head to the Tactical Survival class, where he underwent both theoretical and practical training. After that, he would make his way to the cafeteria to replenish his energy from the brutal training session.

Due to the events of the previous combat class, it seemed he had gained a great deal of popularity after defeating the number-one-ranked Aspirant with a single punch. However, that recognition came with both benefits and drawbacks.

While some Aspirants admired his strength and sought to befriend him, others regarded him with hostility, including both male and female. Whispers followed him wherever he went, and more than once, he caught envious glares, curious stares, and even overheard murmurs about his sudden rise in status.

It was an unfamiliar experience. Certainly, he had never been the center of attention before. And now, it felt like everyone was watching his every move. He couldn’t even eat in the cafeteria in peace without someone calling him a "brute," "trash," or "enemy to all women." Where did that last title come from, anyway? He wondered distastefully

Even hanging out with Adrian became increasingly more difficult. Of course, the young blonde did not mind the extra attention he was receiving, but Klaus thought it was nothing short of a headache. More than once, he had considered avoiding the cafeteria altogether, but Adrian refused to let him escape that easily.

Forgetting all that, the main downside of all this was that he was banned from participating in the combat class until further notice. Apparently, Instructor Kai was quite strict when it came to injuries inflicted on students under his supervision. It wasn’t as if injuries were a rare occurrence, but those caused by murderous intent would not go unpunished. Naturally, it was a big misunderstanding, but how was he supposed to explain that he hadn’t even realized when his fist had kissed Seraphim’s face?

It had been a passionate kiss that sent her straight to the infirmary, where she had yet to regain consciousness. In some fantasy setting, it could be said that he had transformed Seraphim into a sleeping beauty. Unfortunately, a kiss won’t awaken her from her slumber, not that he was any prince.

Thankfully, by some stroke of luck, Vespera had managed to slip past Instructor Kai’s stubborn defenses and convinced him to let Klaus continue his lessons. As a result, the instructor had decided to let him rejoin the class after a week.

How sweet was that? Vespera had really kept her promise. He wondered how she had managed to convince that strict fellow, but from the way she casually referred to him, it seemed like the two of them knew each other.

Klaus didn’t know the exact details about their relationship, but what mattered was that he could finally return to combat class. Well, he had learned physical combat from Teacher Rex, so he wasn’t too sloppy with his movements or falling behind the others.

Still, there was one thing that annoyed him.

Ever since his fight, various Aspirants had approached him with invitations to join their factions. Some were polite, others arrogant, but all of them were persistent. No matter how many times he refused, more just kept coming. He understood their reasoning. Considering the nature of the Shadow Realm, where influence, teachers, and wealth held no power, it was crucial to form as many alliances as possible to increase the chances of survival.

"Nobody could survive in the Shadow Realm alone."

That was the advice Sasha had given him before leaving on her so-called business trip. The redhead had even teased him, urging him to make friends during his time here. It was reasonable advice, but that didn’t mean he had to accept every invitation, especially those that lacked sincerity.

Making friends and forming temporary alliances were two entirely different things. Unfortunately, it was the latter that everyone seemed to be after.

As if that wasn’t enough, something strange happened.

While he sat quietly in the Centre Library, surrounded by mountains of books and immersed in studying various rune languages, someone suddenly approached him, drawing his attention.

Glancing up, he saw a slender young woman standing before him. She appeared to be around his age, standing at approximately 174 centimeters. Her long, wavy pearl-blonde hair flowed down her back and her bright brown eyes held an unmistakable glint, her figure incredibly voluptuous — almost surpassing Sasha’s upper curves and rivaling Yuki’s lower curves.

From her posture alone, it was clear that she excluded an aura of someone from a wealthy background, a high blood noblewoman perhaps. He recognised her immediately.

This was the Fourth Ranked Aspirant, Cecilia von Rosenkrantz. But why was she here?

Driven by curiosity, Klaus decided to break the silence between them first.

"Nice to meet you, but were you looking for me?"

Cecilia nodded.

"Indeed, that’s correct. You’re Nikolaus, correct? I’ve been searching for you all over the academy, but it turns out you were just in the library. If I had known you were the intellectual type, I would have come here first. Geez. I ended up wandering all over for nothing. Do you know that the weather is really hot even after the sun starts setting? I could practically feel my clothes sticking to me with every step I took. And don’t even get me started on the sheer number of people out and about, every hallway was packed, and I had to squeeze my way through like I was swimming upstream. Honestly, they should really do something about that. Maybe implement a one-way walking system or something? Ugh, my feet are already killing me, and I haven’t even been here for that long! I should’ve just asked someone where to find you instead of playing detective all over campus!"

At some point, she trailed off and started rambling about completely irrelevant things. It was a stark contrast to the noble image her refined appearance and poised posture projected.

Even so,

Wow. Even the way she speaks is refined. Is she Danish or Swedish? Her accent sounds really close to Swedish. Rich people are really something else.

While he mulled over this, Cecilia finally wrapped up her rant with an exasperated sigh.

"Anyway, I finally found you, so I guess it wasn’t a complete waste of time."

Klaus offered a wry smile, hesitating for a moment before responding.

"I’m sorry you had to go through all that, but may I ask why you were looking for me? If I recall correctly, this is our first time meeting, isn’t it?"

"Ah, yes. Indeed," Iris cleared her throat as if regaining her composure. "My name is Cecilia, and I’m here because I want to form a friendship with you."

"Sorry, come again?"

"I said I’m here to form a friendship with you."

"Well, that’s certainly a unique way to word it. Nevermind that, you want to form a friendship with me? Why me?"

"Why not you? After all, you are the only person that had managed to defeat my rival."

"Your rival? Wait, are you perhaps talking about Seraphim?"

"Yes, yes, that’s correct. Seraphim and I are bitter rivals that have clashed countless times in the past. No matter how many strategies I devise or how much I refine my techniques, she always finds a way to outmaneuver me. It’s infuriating!"

Cecilia huffed with evident frustration. Then, she continued:

"But then, you came around and unexpectedly took her down with a single strike! I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was as if the heavens themselves had sent a champion to finally put that arrogant bitch in her place! And the way you took her down was so manly too~ Ah, look at me, what am I even saying? This is not an appropriate behaviour for a young lady~!"

Her eyes practically sparkled as she leaned in closer.

"Forgetting that, it’s only natural that I had to meet you in person. Anyone capable of doing what you did is someone worth knowing, don’t you think?"

"T-That..."

Klaus shifted uncomfortably. Hadn’t she heard of something called personal boundaries? More importantly, she said she was Seraphim’s rival?

So, does that mean the two of them know each other? I’m not buying that, but then again, what do I even know about Seraphim?

Eventually, he was able to relax his mind despite the blonde being in dangerously close proximity. In response, he simply shrugged his shoulders.

"I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. I only won because I managed to catch her off guard, and I’m not too pleased with the result."

"Eh? W-What?"

Cecilia seemed taken aback, then frowned as if offended by his words.

"That’s completely wrong!"

Slamming her hands on the table, sending a few books tumbling to the floor, she continued:

"No big deal? I’m certain you’re the first person to ever say that. You completely underestimate yourself. I doubt there’s anyone among the Aspirants who could take Seraphim by surprise, even the Vestiges included. You were there, weren’t you? So you must have seen how she defeated the other Aspirants without even using her ability once!"

Well, it’s hard to truly imagine if I did the same thing. I don’t have any offensive ability apart from my body. But I admit, it’s really impressive.

Hold on, isn’t this a great opportunity to find out more about Seraphim’s identity?

If this blonde said that she knew Seraphim, then this entire situation is perfect to extract information.

With this in mind, Klaus feigned ignorance and asked:

"I really don’t understand the hype around Seraphim. Who is she exactly? Is she a Vestige?"

Cecilia’s eyes widened.

"Wait... Are you telling me that you really don’t know?"

"No, I don’t. I’ve asked around but nobody is willing to tell me. Do you know anything about her?"

"T-That... I...."

Cecilia opened her mouth several times, as though unsure of what to say. It was as if the words refused to leave her mouth no matter how she tried.

Just as Klaus was beginning to grow impatient, she finally shook her head and answered with a question:

"Have you heard about the Luminous Clan?"

Klaus raised an eyebrow.

"The Luminous Clan? Are you talking about an Imperial Clan?"

Cecilia nodded grimly.

"I can’t say the answer here, but if you search up that name, you should be able to deduce the answer you seek."

She spoke with a somewhat sorrowful tone before handing Klaus a card with a number on it, offering a small smile.

Klaus glanced at it and asked, "What is this?"

"That’s my identity card. More formally, it’s my business card. Don’t you know? I’m the potential heir of the Rosenkrantz family."

"Ah, I see. If I remember correctly, isn’t the Rosenkrantz family a mercenary-like aristocratic house?"

"We’re an aristocratic family, but I suppose you’re not wrong," Cecilia replied with a hint of pride. "Our lineage has long been tied to warfare, and many of our ancestors served as elite mercenaries, generals, or strategists. Strength and reputation mean everything to us. But we’re also involved in other businesses."

Is that so?

Klaus studied the card for a moment before slipping it into his pocket. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever need it, but it might come in handy later.

"I see. So, what’s the catch? Why are you telling me all this?"

Cecilia smiled innocently.

"You’re quick on the uptake. I like that. Let’s just say I have a feeling about you. Didn’t I say I wanted to start a friendship with you? This is just standard procedure, yes?"

Klaus narrowed his eyes.

"You make it sound like you’re scouting me."

"Maybe I am." Cecilia chuckled and tilted her head. "Or maybe I just enjoy talking to interesting people. Either way, you should look into the Luminous Clan. And if you feel like talking, make sure to give me a call, okay?"

She straightened her posture and gave a slight bow.

"I’ll be seeing you around, Klaus. Can I call you Klaus?"

"Ehm... Yes?"

"That’s good. Bye bye~!"

With that, Cecilia turned and walked away, leaving Klaus alone with his thoughts. However, just as she reached the exit, her foot slipped, on absolutely nothing, and she stumbled forward then muttered a rather cute "eep!"

Luckily, she was far enough away that no one seemed to notice. Taking the chance, she quickly scrambled to her feet, dusted herself off, and walked away with stiff, forced composure, as if nothing had happened.

Unluckily for her, Klaus had excellent eyesight so he pretty much saw everything that happened.

Suppressing a chuckle, he shook his head. "So much for dignity."

She was a rather strange one. That much was certain.

But then, Klaus suddenly frowned. The Luminous Clan... why had she looked almost regretful when she mentioned that unfamiliar name?