Mages and Mage Knights.
One is focused on the spirituality of Mana and Magic and the other is focused on the physicality of it. They both had their merits and honestly, neither can really be considered better than the other. Between these two paths of practicing magic though, there is a balance and only by achieving this balance can a person truly 'Transcend'.
Now, Caius could have spent time trying to lecture Professor Kragsten on the importance of this Balance but quickly decided it was pointless.
For one, he was sure there was nothing he could say that would change her stance and hatred for the ways of Mage-Knights.
And for another—and most importantly—it was essential to play into what her thoughts and her beliefs were to get what he wanted from her.
He had put on such a good act already that, even without saying it explicitly, the Combat Magic Professor believed he was only taking Mage-Knight Training because of pressure from his father.
The fake contemplations, the deliberate melancholy. All to ensure that, going forward he could continue attending Mage-Knight Training Classes and still have Cynthia believing he wasn't doing it by choice which in turn would cause her to become even more involved in his Combat Magic education.
On that note, Caius was glad all this had happened and she had brought him into her office. She had done it to talk and try to dissuade him from getting too deep in Mage-Knight Training but it had given him a chance to secure a potential closeness with her.
The original Caius never took Mage-Knight Training so he had managed that closeness more naturally even if he never did anything with it.
But Caius was planning to do something with it. He could already imagine how much he'd be able to evolve his Vampirism if he could make the Combat Magic Professor a willing partner he could feed on.
Professor Cynthia Kragsten held out her hand and Caius took it as they shook in confirmation of the commitment she had just made to his education. He let his eyes wander a bit, falling and spending a few seconds on that cleavage before looking away before it turned into leering.
"I should get going now, Professor," Caius said when they released each other's hands.
Cynthia nodded,
"Of course," she said with a smile that made it clear she felt she had made good progress in her attempt at 'conversion',
"We'll talk again soon."
"I can't wait," Caius said and of course, he meant it.
When he pulled Cynthia's office door open, he had a smile on his face but right as he pulled it close, he saw there was someone leaning against the opposite wall.
It was Delia Kragsten.
She had her arms folded breath her round breasts. Her curvy yet lithe figure was very beautiful to gaze at as she had her long legs stretched in front of her a bit while her back was the part of her body actually touching the wall. Her thick black hair with the texture of clouds bounced slightly around her head. Her stormy eyes looked as intense as they had been during their spar but there was a hint of something else there. Concern?
"Hi," Caius said as he came to a sudden stop at the sight of her. He was still smiling. He was just surprised since he hadn't been expecting to see her.
"Hey," Delia said and her tone was mellow, "Are you alright?"
It was obvious she was referring to the head injury she had given him because what else would she be talking about?
Caius could have played it off as the nothing it was but what would be the fun in that?
"Ah," he let out and held a hand to his head, "It feels like my head was split open."
He waited for Delia to become flustered but she just stared at him, looking unamused. So he just let out a sigh and whispered,
"You're no fun."
Delia stepped away from the wall now and walked closer until there was about two feet between her and Caius.
"I don't like you," she said.
"Okay," Caius said, "Can I ask why…?"
Before he was even done with his question, Delia had cut in and launched into a rant,
"I can understand anyone else buying into the nonsense Cynthia was going on about with all that 'Traditional Mage' bullshit but not you. Not the son of Lucian Von Helsing."
Caius let out a sigh.
'Again with this?'
He understood who his father was. No one in this world understood it more than him. But it was getting annoying how much it seemed to come up now.
Delia continued,
"You know, as pathetic as it was for you to win that drill, I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I thought 'Maybe he can do both'. Seems dumb that you'd even want to but I was willing to give you the chance…"
"And I'm so grateful," Caius said sarcastically.
Delia ignored him,
"… But then we spar and not once did you act like a Mage-Knight. You didn't throw a single punch. Or a kick. You fought me like we were in Combat Magic Class. Hell, you used the same spells the same way you did against Cynthia!
That kick I gave you, that was all your fault!"
"My fault?!" Caius asked and he raised his voice a bit now.
"Yes!" Delia answered and stepped even closer to him, her breasts thrust out and almost touching Caius' chest as she got right in his face,
"Putting aside the fact that a Lightning spell against me is just a stupid idea, you could have also just taken advantage of my blindness to throw a punch at me. Or maybe a kick. Or even better, sweep my feet out from under me to get me on the ground, gain the upper hand, and just keep at it.
You know, the things a Mage-Knight in training would actually do."
It was uncanny how everything Delia said was basically what her sister had just said back in the office. Just from a different perspective. Where Cynthia had praised Caius' approach, Delia was now condemning it.
But Delia wasn't done,
"So yes, Caius Von Helsing, I don't like you. You had access to support I've wished for all my life as I dreamed of being a Mage-Knight and you're throwing it all aside to follow a different path. A more inferior path."
For a moment, there was silence as Delia's chest heaved in exertion.
And then Caius said as he eyed the almost lack of space between them,
"You're very close."
"What, does it make you uncomfortable?" Delia asked with a mocking smile on her pretty face.
"No," Caius answered easily, "And we can be much closer."
He proved that by closing the little bit of distance still between them until Delia's breasts were pressed into his chest and their faces were inches apart.
"That's better," Caius said and as flustered as Delia appeared, she refused to be the one to step back first. She was competitive like that. Or maybe she didn't dislike Caius as much as she just claimed. Her eyes were certainly on his lips a lot.
"First off, Delia Kragsten, we don't know each other. Certainly not well enough yet for you to be this intense. What do you know about the support I've received? What do you know about my life to make your assertions?" Caius asked in a low voice, taking a break to search Delia's grey eyes maybe she had an answer ready. She did not so he continued,
"Second, you need to take a step back and realize you're being as narrow-minded right now as you've ever accused your family of being. There's no right or wrong way to practice Magic and I'm sure you know that.
Besides, it was one spar. Why are you both so nuts about one fight? I lost to you once, who's to say I'd lose again?"
"Let's spar again then!" Delia said, "One more chance to prove yourself!"
Caius sighed and shook his head. Delia's eyes followed the motion of his head like she was trying to catch his eyes. Why she was doing that, she had no idea.
"You just don't get it," Caius said and stepped away from her as Delia's heart sank in disappointment at losing that closeness. It was starting to feel comfortable. Her heart sank even further at Caius's next words,
"I don't have to prove myself to you. That's the point I've been trying to make."
He walked away then and Delia just watched him go, her frown deepening the farther away he got. And then she faced the door to her sister's office and her expression became dark.
She grabbed the handle, pulled the door open, and walked in.