I Thought Your Friend's Sibling Wasn't a Girl? - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 21
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Four days vanished in a blur. In that time, they had confirmed each Position, and deliberated over the Monsters that might emerge from the forest terrain.
Though it would be a stretch to call the process smooth…….
‘Anyway, we managed to wrap things up without disaster, so that counts as a win, right?’
Olivia smiled faintly as she recalled the ‘utterly useless cargo list’ that she’d had to discard during practical preparations—items Galleon and Sirius had insisted on bringing.
‘It was time well spent.’
Before she knew it, wrapped up in these preparations, the day of departure had arrived.
“Olivia!”
“Hmm?”
“What’re you doing? You look kind of spaced out.”
“Nothing much. Just thinking back to when we were prepping.”
“Ah, yeah. It was pretty productive. So, you’re all set?”
“What are you talking about? We did it together.”
“I mean something else.”
Bennett gestured with a tilt of his chin toward Sirius and Galleon, his mouth quirking into a sly smile.
‘You know, getting ready to mess with them.’
“Mess with them? That’s harsh language.”
She meant it. Weren’t they teammates in the same group, regardless of circumstances?
Olivia was a pacifist. She wanted this practical exam to end as harmoniously and peacefully as possible.
But Bennett seemed oblivious to Olivia’s sentiments, practically vibrating with barely contained energy.
“What? You don’t remember three years ago? You beat me senseless just because I said, ‘What’s a scrawny thing like that doing holding a sword?'”
That was quite an exaggeration.
Olivia had never laid hands on anyone. But if Bennett had experienced something like that…….
‘Maybe he did do something worth getting collared for?’
Olivia helpfully corrected Bennett’s version of events.
“First of all, you’re both wrong. I didn’t say ‘scrawny like that’—I said ‘someone so frail-looking,’ and—”
“Oh, you’re really something.”
“And I didn’t beat you like some common criminal. I formally challenged you to a duel a bit later.”
“And that’s when you pummeled me!”
“That’s not my fault if your skills were lacking.”
True, after the duel ended, she had told him, ‘How do you expect to become a knight when you’re this weak?’ But that wasn’t really on her, was it?
She simply had a good memory, which meant she didn’t forget grudges easily either.
“Anyway! You’re gonna teach those two a lesson too, right? Want some help?”
Galleon and Sirius showed no signs of losing their nerve even after four days had passed. They continued trying to lecture Olivia and spouted nonsense about needing to protect her.
Bennett had named it the kind of confidence only someone who’d never actually watched Olivia train could possess.
Olivia let out a small laugh and posed a question in return.
“Why? Does it bring back memories?”
“It does. I’m thinking that must’ve been what I looked like three years ago.”
“You weren’t nearly as irritating back then.”
“Is that so? Well, that’s a relief. Anyway, are you ready or not?”
She hadn’t prepared to teach anyone a lesson, but she was certainly ready to guide them through this sensibly.
Of course, unforeseen incidents and accidents could crop up in the process……. But entering a training ground where all manner of emergencies occurred was simply part of the deal.
As long as she could manage whatever came, it wouldn’t be a problem. Olivia was determined to complete this practical exam successfully.
“Then. We’re going to finish this exam in first place. Guaranteed.”
“Even those two idiots?”
“Of course.”
“That’s the spirit.”
Individual scores might be uncertain, but the team score would be top-tier no matter what. Olivia clenched both fists with resolve.
Perhaps because summer was approaching, the morning air was thick with warmth despite the early hour. Olivia drew a deep breath, filling her lungs with the crisp air before exhaling slowly.
As her breathing settled, memories of the previous night began to seep quietly into her mind.
“Tomorrow’s the practical exam.”
“I know.”
“Your thoughts—they haven’t changed?”
The night before, Aiden had sought her out, his form concealed in shadow. It must have been around ten o’clock, as she was in the middle of her final training session.
Perhaps it was the weight of the dark night air he carried with him, but Aiden’s demeanor was more subdued than usual as he regarded her intently.
Olivia found herself unable to speak. She understood what answer he wanted, and she knew just as well that she couldn’t give him what he wanted to hear.
“……I’ll come back safely.”
That was all Olivia could say.
That she’d return safely. That she’d complete the exam without incident and come back to him.
It was only natural that Aiden treated Olivia the way one handles a chick being placed near water. She hadn’t proven herself yet, after all.
So she’d do what she could. That’s what Olivia believed.
Aiden fell silent for a long while. What he was thinking remained a mystery.
But there was progress. He hadn’t flatly opposed her this time, the way he once would have.
“……I’ll watch. For now.”
“That’s enough for me.”
“Just do exactly as I taught you.”
“Of course. I learned from the best. I’ll come back having done something amazing.”
At her playful remark, Aiden smiled along with her.
That one smile was enough. Now it was Olivia’s turn to prove herself.
“You have to succeed.”
It had been a long road. Compared to her classmates who’d entered the Knight Division from the start, it was short, but she felt as though she’d walked a great distance to finally stand before her first milestone.
Probably because she’d had to start everything from the beginning.
Today, the weight of the Defensor hanging at her waist felt especially vivid and present.
She had to succeed. She had to earn his acknowledgment. Those vows stacked layer upon layer in her chest until her breathing felt slightly constricted.
Just as Olivia was managing her nerves with slow, measured breaths, Bennett’s cheerful voice cut through.
“Say, doesn’t the atmosphere feel a bit off to you?”
Off?
In truth, the surrounding mood had never really been something Olivia paid much attention to, so she rarely noticed such details.
But now that he mentioned it, it did seem oddly tense……. Just as Olivia tilted her head in confusion—
“Some scatterbrained custodian was cleaning this morning and accidentally knocked something over.”
“What exactly?”
“Something fell near the Warehouse, or so they say……. But here’s the thing: that’s not a space custodians are supposed to just wander into! There’s a Barrier there.”
“What are you talking about?”
“But this cleaning staff member managed to get in there without any interference. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”
Laura, who’d been assigned to C Team, jumped in as if she’d been waiting for this moment, speaking with sudden urgency.
Of course, Olivia only half-believed Laura’s story. Laura was Bennett’s closest friend and a Club member, after all.
Whether it was gossip or whispers, that Club had a knack for gathering every kind of rumor indiscriminately.
“Are you sure about that? From what I heard, the sound came from the other side of the Warehouse, not the part with the Barrier. Supposedly some cleaning supplies just tipped over.”
“Really?”
“Laura. If you look closely, your wild tales are just as bad as Bennett’s. The Principal and professors had meetings this morning and came in late—maybe they didn’t catch wind of your rumor?”
“Hmph. But something definitely happened, right? Who’s to say the meeting wasn’t because of the cleaning supplies?”
She should’ve seen that coming. Olivia clicked her tongue softly and turned away.
“Ah, there they come.”
Just then, from the distance, the Principal and professors began filing into the Event Grounds. A calm silence settled over the students who’d been murmuring restlessly just moments before.
But Olivia’s gaze drifted elsewhere—to a place no other student was watching.
To where Aiden Oblivion stood.
“Now then, everyone. Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for—the Final Practical Exam.”
A pair of blue eyes and a pair of green eyes met and held across the empty space between them, thick and deliberate. Unlike before, his gaze now churned with emotions she couldn’t name.
She didn’t know what lay within those depths, but she was satisfied that she had drawn such complex feelings from him.
Everything else could unfold in time. They had more than enough time ahead of them.
“I hope you all show us the full extent of the abilities you’ve cultivated here at the Academy.”
At last, the Final Practical Exam was about to begin.
“You have one week. Best of luck.”
Whistle!
A sharp whistle pierced the air. At the same moment, a fierce wind tore through the Event Grounds.
The wind faded just as quickly. And in its place—
“Gates.”
Pitch-black Gates that hadn’t existed moments before now loomed before the students, their mouths gaping wide.
“What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Olivia was the last to move among all the gathered students. There was something she needed to hold in her eyes for a moment longer.
But once she turned around, she didn’t hesitate. Her footsteps carried her unfalteringly into the Gate’s swirling vortex.
One step. Just a single step, and the world inverted.
And they—
“W-What? Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”
“Shut your mouth and get ready for combat, now!”
The moment they entered, they faced their first crisis.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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