I Thought Your Friend's Sibling Wasn't a Girl? - Chapter 39

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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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Episode 39
And then, thud.
“Good heavens. Snap out of it, Luka!”
“Leave me alone. I knew this would happen. It was bound to occur…….”
A man had collapsed.
‘What on earth is happening?’
While waiting for her intern assignment, Olivia had run through countless scenarios in her mind. They included questions of how to conduct herself when she first entered the Luxes Knight Order, how they might receive her, and what sort of approach would be best.
She had conjured perhaps a hundred different suppositions and imagined all manner of situations, but nowhere among them had she pictured a man collapsing the moment he set eyes on her.
Olivia herself, frozen in shock, turned her head toward Eugene with a stiff, creaking motion.
“Captain, so……”
“Mm. Just carry on. He’s always like this.”
“Is it truly all right?”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry.”
His eyes carried a complexity she hadn’t glimpsed before, but as if he’d already anticipated this turn of events, he dismissed the situation with practiced ease.
In the meantime, several other members of the order hoisted the man called Luka and deposited him in the back, hurling him into a sunny spot with such careless efficiency that it was clear this was far from their first time doing so.
‘……Will he be all right?’
She’d done nothing but speak her name, and a man had collapsed. Was this truly acceptable? Olivia’s mind churned with doubt.
Bennett and Panya, too, appeared shaken, their previously braced postures wavering.
“Quickly now. You all have quite a bit to do today.”
Eugene glanced meaningfully again. He’d clearly grown very accustomed to such occurrences. Olivia took a breath and steadied herself to speak.
‘Perhaps he’s simply a delicate sort? Surely it can’t be because of me.’
Olivia’s mind worked overtime to rationalize the situation. But it wasn’t long before she’d recognize that what she’d suspected all along was, in fact, the truth.
“Yes, well. I’m Olivia Kessler. I’ll be graduating next year, and I’m with the Knight Academy.”
“Is that……no, is that the person?”
“Shh. Be quiet! Don’t even look at her!”
……
The assembled members had begun to murmur and flinch each time Olivia opened her mouth.
This wasn’t the atmosphere she’d anticipated.
Wasn’t a knight order supposed to welcome students with sky-piercing confidence and spirited enthusiasm, promising a bright future together?
But here……
“I’ve held a sword for less time than most other students, so I know I’m lacking in many ways.”
Gasp.
In other words……
“I would deeply appreciate any guidance and instruction from all of you, seniors.”
Stifled sound.
“For the next six months, and perhaps beyond that as well—”
“My, my goodness.”
“……I look forward to your support.”
Was this what hazing was?
Yet something about it felt subtly off. Rather than the attitude of people intent on tormenting her, they behaved more like victims of torment themselves, which left Olivia equally bewildered.
Had she somehow hurt them without knowing it?
These absurd doubts began to sprout in her mind. Of course, recognizing their absurdity, she quickly dismissed them. Olivia’s troubled gaze began to drift downward.
Because the members were gathered below the platform of the Training Ground, she could see their eyes quite clearly. One thing was certain: in most of their eyes, she could read unmistakable wariness.
This didn’t seem to be mere caution toward a newcomer joining an established group. After all, when the other students had introduced themselves, she’d felt nothing close to this level of guardedness.
“I’m Bennett Sanchez! I’m honored to be here!”
“Oh, we have a spirited one joining us.”
When Bennett introduced himself.
“Greetings! I’m Panya Rentau. I’m eager to learn!”
“Rather diligent, isn’t he? Yes? Not bad at all. Quite good.”
When Panya stepped forward, they showed not even a fraction of the reaction they’d displayed toward Olivia.
Which meant this reaction was directed not at a newcomer in general, but at Olivia specifically. They were wary of her for some reason—though she couldn’t fathom why.
Olivia instinctively realized that adapting to this order would be far more difficult than she’d imagined.
‘And what is that brother doing over there?’
At the very back of the assembled members stood Aiden. Standing with a casual slouch, his arms folded, his chin thrust upward with obvious self-satisfaction, he looked simultaneously pleased and irritated.
“Eeek. Don’t look that way either. That madman over there, gah.”
“Didn’t you two already go at it once? At any rate, madman, what did you say to your student that—”
“Shh. Shh! Look here!”
‘Will I really be able to adapt?’
Something felt off about the people of the Luxes Knight Order too. A flicker of melancholy crossed Olivia’s face.
* * *
The more serious complications began after the introductions ended and Eugene disappeared back into his office. It was when Olivia, having steeled herself once more to do her best, took a step toward the senior knights.
“Senior, I—er?”
Scatter-scatter-scatter!
It was an impolite comparison, but Olivia found herself thinking: ‘They’re moving like cockroaches fleeing from a sudden light.’
Fearing that she might even speak to them, they scattered rapidly in all directions before she could even approach.
They were definitely avoiding her—or more precisely, they were avoiding Olivia. Her eyebrows drooped.
It was then that a commotion erupted from the direction where they’d dispersed.
“……get out!”
“I don’t want to!”
“What’s this, defying your senior?”
“Aiden, you go out!”
“You’re my direct supervisor.”
“Noooo! Let go, let go of this! I can go on my own—”
Two disheveled men and a tall man gripping one in each hand. The former were strangers; the latter was someone she knew.
“Aiden se—no, instructor?”
“Inst-inst-instructor. We meet again here!”
It was the first time she’d seen him properly since they parted.
He looked no different from usual. Whether he’d successfully hidden or chosen to forget the fear she’d glimpsed that day, it showed nowhere on his face.
Aiden acknowledged their greeting with a nod, then thrust the men he’d been holding forward.
“These two are your temporary direct supervisors. Nick and Kunta. As you can see, they’re twins, and they specialize in Concealment and Camouflage abilities.”
It showed. Today’s concept appeared to be trees—their hair and clothes were absolutely covered in leaves.
“Hello, seniors. Thank you for taking care of us.”
“Th-th-thank you very much!”
“Speak freely.”
“Me? No, I couldn’t!”
“No. You’re our seniors, after all……”
“Once I’m comfortable! Once I am, I’ll speak comfortably!”
They were wound up like new recruits standing before a superior officer. This wasn’t going to be easy. The thought flashed through her mind.
“The minor training will be handled by these two.”
“And you, instructor?”
“Instructor? Senior. This isn’t an academy.”
Aiden had a knack for making even valid points sound irritating.
“Yes, and Aiden, you—”
“Me? I have a very important role.”
“Will you be assisting with our training?”
At that, Aiden’s eyes widened as though she’d said something ridiculous.
“What are you talking about.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m in charge of nagging.”
A position that surely didn’t exist.
Yet Aiden, shamelessly inventing titles from thin air, possessed the mental fortitude to remain unbothered by their stares. He grinned back at them.
“Though I’m also assigned to handle training, of course.”
“No, this can’t be. Not Aiden the instructor again.”
The smile stretching across Aiden’s face gleamed with an almost ghastly brilliance.
“Welcome to Hell.”
“I feel like I’ve heard this before.”
“Yeah. Me too, Bennett. I think it was during our practical training.”
‘I never expected this to be easy anyway,’ Olivia thought. It looked as though he intended to make things as difficult as possible, just like before.
Olivia found herself smiling as well.
“Fortunately, I’ve already visited Hell before, senior.”
“What?”
“Hell, actually—it seemed more worth visiting than I’d thought.”
Olivia met his provocation without backing down. Aiden’s eyebrows twitched.

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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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