I Thought Your Friend's Sibling Wasn't a Girl? - Chapter 28

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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 28
He still remembered vividly the moment he’d met Olivia again after three years.
Those green eyes watching him, and her breath trembling slightly as though seized by anxiety. His heartbeat quickened at the sight of her, and the day favored them—sunlight scattered brilliantly over their heads.
That day, Olivia spoke her mind without hesitation.
“I don’t hate you. I like you.”
She still carried him in her heart, and that alone was the reason she’d maintained their engagement.
Olivia’s feelings hadn’t changed in three years. Her eyes still overflowed with affection when they met his, and if anything, that devotion had only deepened—fragments of her love for him spilled carelessly from her lips.
Aiden found it both remarkable and somewhat… no, quite a lot frightening.
“The Kishier Family must truly be extraordinary. To give their daughter such an education—”
“No.”
“What?”
“That girl never learned a single thing about Sword Technique from her family.”
Which meant everything Olivia possessed now was the result of her own choice and effort alone.
“What?”
“She transferred to the Knight Department three years ago. Before that, she’d never held a sword in her life.”
“…That’s what you call a genius, isn’t it?”
“I never said that, but if that’s what you think, then so be it.”
“Come on, if you’re going to brag, do it properly.”
“Honestly? She’s been sharp since childhood. My Olivia could do anything. I’m not just saying this because I’m her close brother—it’s the truth.”
“This is irritating in its own way.”
Aiden ignored Sena’s words and fell back into thought.
Olivia would become a knight. That was a current Aiden could not stop.
He knew that, and though he wasn’t ready—
“…I’ll watch. For now.”
“That’s enough.”
He’d promised to watch, at least. He’d promised not to oppose it outright, which meant that during this practical exercise, Aiden bore the burden of witnessing Olivia’s “proof.”
The children gathered below wore expressions of solemn intensity. Aiden held his breath and turned his attention toward them.
His body was just beginning to lean at an angle toward where the children stood.
Beep, beep.
A signal tone sounded from the Magical Device at his ear. Both men’s brows furrowed as they activated their devices simultaneously.
—This is the Final Mission checkpoint. Knight Aiden Oblivion, do you copy?
“What? Why are you calling us unnecessarily?”
—What did you say?
One of the instructors stationed at the Final Mission checkpoint. Sena tapped Aiden’s back once and jerked his chin.
“No, reception is good. What’s the matter?”
—We’ve detected suspicious activity here. Emergency pursuit requested.
“Suspicious activity? Why are you telling us?”
—The Headquarters currently has no available personnel. You’ll need to check it out.
“So you’re telling me you could handle this yourselves, but you’re sending us instead?”
—You’re in no position to refuse a summons like this. And it’s the Dean’s orders. There’s another instructor team still with you, so get here immediately and confirm the situation.
Why were these bastards all so infuriatingly rude?
Aiden had never been particularly mild-mannered to begin with, and his experience in the Luxes Knight Order had stripped away what little courtesy he’d once possessed. And much of that erosion could be traced directly to people like them.
“Send another team. I have something I need to—”
—We’ve detected what appears to be traces of Condensed Magical Energy.
“What?”
—Then you should deploy. Out.
Beep. The connection cut before he could hear the full story. Tension seized Aiden’s jaw.
Sena tapped him carefully and spoke.
“We need to go. You know what it means if there’s really a trace of Condensed Magical Energy…”
“Damn it.”
“Let’s aim to check it out quickly and get back. There’s another team on the other side, and the Control Room should be tracking the students anyway.”
“Contact the team over there. Just confirm first, then…we move after that.”
A bad premonition tugged at him. Aiden was the sort to trust such instincts, and unease began to flicker across his face.
Sena finished contacting the other instructors hidden on the far side watching the students, then made a circle with his fingers and jerked his chin to signal they should go.
“Sirius!”
He heard Olivia’s voice raised toward Sirius, as though some kind of conflict was unfolding. But Aiden couldn’t afford to watch any longer.
If what Sena said was true—if those really were traces of Condensed Magical Energy—then the Luxes Knight Order had to be the first to confirm it.
Aiden and Sena wheeled around and left the scene at a run. Urgency etched itself across his face.
‘I have to handle this as fast as possible and get back.’
The two of them vanished into the darkness, obscured by the black leaves trembling ominously in their wake.
Whooooo, whooooooo!
An ominous wind filled the space they’d left behind.
The wind continued to blow. For a very long time.
A fierce wind that seemed to swallow all other sounds in its path.
* * *
The sky hung gray and heavy. Olivia’s heart was equally clouded.
Unable to bear the suffocation, Olivia drew the wind into her lungs and held her breath. Otherwise, she feared she’d scream at the person sitting in front of her.
“In the common pouch…”
“What?”
“I hid it in the pouch with the loot.”
Sirius finally confessed the truth. He’d hidden a Magic Stone in the lining of the hastily torn common pouch.
And now, they all learned together that what Sirius had secretly hidden was indeed a Magic Stone of red hue.
“That’s a real Magic Stone?”
“You absolute idiot.”
“Wait. The serial number confirms it’s definitely managed by the Academy, but the color is wrong.”
“Red Magic Stones aren’t supposed to exist, are they?”
“Not that I’ve heard. There have never been red Magic Stones among the existing ones, so what is this?”
“I’ve heard that before the Demon-Slaying War, red Magic Stones existed occasionally…”
The Magic Stone they’d found glowed a dark crimson. It radiated an uncanny pull, as though drawing people toward it.
“Tell me why you stole this. I had a feeling something was off about the monsters’ movements and behavior, but I never imagined it was because of this.”
“…”
“The energy flowing from a Magic Stone becomes a variable in our strategy. And if it’s an unknown red Magic Stone like this, it could be even more dangerous—you really didn’t understand that?”
“I just thought it was unique! I figured there’d be demand since so many people need Magic Stones!”
Sirius shot back with utter confidence, showing not a shred of remorse. Rage welled from the depths of Olivia’s heart, and she found herself clenching and unclenching the grip of her Defensor repeatedly.
Patience, Olivia. You can’t hurt your teammate.
She repeated the words Daisy had once told her several times over. Though the effect was hardly remarkable, Olivia exhaled a long breath through clenched teeth.
“We’ve managed to endure so far, but the Final Mission is coming soon. The monsters we’ll face will be far stronger.”
“Actually, it hasn’t been easy even up to now. It’s harder because someone isn’t pulling their weight…”
“Are you talking to me right now?”
“Who else? What kind of fool tears a Magic Stone out of a monster just because it looks pretty? This is why every exercise gets more complicated because of people like you. Get it?”
Benett’s voice was thick with anger.
“Y-you’re right. This Magic Stone… the feeling’s not good.”
“Daisy, you said it well. See? This attracts monsters more than other Magic Stones, doesn’t it?”
“So that’s why we’ve been fighting so many monsters this whole time?”
“How else would you explain it? Right?”
As Benett, Daisy, and Gilleon exchanged their friendly observations, Olivia too sank into deep thought. The uneven surface of the Magic Stone pressed against her palm.
The fierce wind scattered the forest into considerable chaos. Leaves rustled and branches scraped against one another all around.
That was why they discovered the change only slightly too late.
“Is it really going to rain? It’s gotten kind of dark—wait.”
“…Huh?”
“What… is that?”
Olivia turned her head to follow her teammates’ gazes and considered what she saw.
This looks like a serious situation is already unfolding.

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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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