I Thought Your Friend's Sibling Wasn't a Girl? - Chapter 78

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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 78
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The journey to and from the Oblivion Duke’s Territory had been grueling work.
Aiden had pushed so hard that the scent of wind clung to his clothes—his collar, baked by the summer sun, rustled with the mingled smells of sunlight and air.
He had returned to the Territory after a long absence and met with familiar faces. The reunion wasn’t particularly warm, but the results were certain.
He’d discovered that the stone shards and crimson magical stones left behind where “Despera” had vanished resembled those that had existed during the Demon Annihilation War ten years ago.
Which meant they had returned to the world. The Lux Knight Brigade hadn’t been wrong, and their work hadn’t been meaningless.
And what Aiden himself had wanted to accomplish—
“Argh!”
“No, senior. That was just too fast, wasn’t it?”
“Is this right? Me, taking criticism from a junior? A fresh junior at that…?”
“I wasn’t offering unsolicited advice—I was just stating what I observed.”
“Arrrgh!”
Kunta and Olivia had huddled together in some manner of suspicious conspiracy, while the other brigade members stared at them as if their minds had fled their bodies.
Moreover, Luca—whom it was ordinarily so difficult to catch a glimpse of—stood in the corner of the Training Ground, watching them both with an inscrutable expression.
“What is this atmosphere?”
A massive question mark floated above Aiden’s head.
“What the— Have they all gone mad? What exactly are they doing?”
“Senior! You’re back?”
“Yeah, Bennett. What’s your peer doing right now?”
Aiden caught Bennett as he was darting past and pressed him for the truth. One thing was certain: something untoward had occurred in this Training Ground during his absence.
The evidence was right here—Bennett, apparently compelled to confess, began stammering while sweat poured down his face.
“Spit it out. You know I have more than one way of finding out the truth, don’t you?”
“Well, it’s just that……”
It wasn’t long before Aiden came to understand exactly, perfectly, what was happening.
“A duel? What in blazes are you talking about!”
And he screamed—for the first time in ages, actually a bit louder than when he’d learned Olivia was set to join the Lux Knight Brigade.
“I didn’t leave to— Arrrgh!”
Belated regret came as a bonus.
* * *
Thanks to Aiden’s anguished wail echoing through the space, Olivia could perfectly sense his return.
“A duel? A duuuuel? What kind of nonsensical babble is this!”
“Senior, you’re here?”
“What were you thinking, pulling off a stunt like this? How long have I been gone!”
“Exactly fourteen days and eight hours, by my count.”
“…That’s not what I was asking!”
He spat and foamed at Olivia, demanding to know what she was thinking orchestrating such a massive blunder.
Olivia answered his question with earnest sincerity.
Of course, her considerate reply never quite made it past the gates of Aiden’s ears. It was somewhat regrettable.
“Wait. I think it’d be better if I just went and killed them all right now.”
“You can’t kill people, senior.”
“Let go! Let go? I said let go!”
Olivia and her friends clung to Aiden’s limbs, pulling him down, and only after the rest of the brigade members hung from him as well—a sight that was decidedly not amusing—did Aiden’s tantrum finally subside.
Subdued in this manner, Aiden was caught by Yugin, who had just returned from a business trip, and dragged to the Commander’s Office. And—
“Olivia. Will herbal tea suffice this time as well?”
“Yes, thank you.”
For some reason, Olivia was also caught and brought along. It seemed Yugin had already been briefed on all of this.
The soft sound of water dripping fell like white noise. Yugin’s lips parted sometime after.
“So there was quite an incident in the Knight Order.”
“I apologize. I should have reported it and sought permission first, but there wasn’t any clear evidence.”
“No. I’ve already heard what happened. Those men crossed the line first, after all.”
“…I am truly sorry.”
Olivia felt genuinely apologetic toward Yugin. This matter had spiraled into something far larger than anticipated.
Although it had been somewhat intentional, the fact that she’d acted without informing the Commander was technically grounds for disciplinary action. And since Olivia was merely an intern, not a formal member, she needed to be all the more careful with her conduct.
“So, I hear you’ve decided to gather people and hold a sparring match?”
“It’s not a sparring match, it’s a duel, Commander! A duel! Does that make any sense?”
“You’re always rather loud, aren’t you. Try to keep quiet.”
“Commander!”
This time, Aiden had a point. Olivia smiled gently and corrected herself.
“It’s a duel, Commander.”
“Indeed it is. You’ve gathered people, appointed witnesses and a judge separately, from what I understand.”
“Yes. I thought that would make things clear enough, wouldn’t it?”
There was, of course, a reason why Yugin had said “sparring match.”
“I’ll be using a wooden sword since I’m a student.”
“And I understand you’re not the only one participating.”
“Right. Kunta will be involved, and… for now, Sena has agreed to assist.”
“‘For now’?”
“Yes. For now.”
A duel required the formal appointment of witnesses and the securing of a judge, which meant the process took time.
The date of the duel was set for a week hence, and word had already spread through the town so thoroughly that hardly anyone was ignorant of it.
It was known as a duel between Knight Orders—and that too was a welcome development.
Olivia, leveraging the handicap of being an “intern student,” had already observed the training of the Lumen Knights Order.
Everything is progressing splendidly, Olivia thought, a cheerful smile crossing her face.
“You said it yourself, Commander. The greatest talent I possess is my Observation Eye.”
“I did.”
“So please trust me. I can do this.”
Olivia was earnest. In truth, this wasn’t about seeking Yugin’s favor, nor was it about winning the recognition of the other members.
It was simply that she could no longer bear to witness such injustice.
She hadn’t been here long, and there were many whom she’d scarcely spoken to—people with whom things were still awkward—yet watching good people be humiliated for senseless reasons was unbearable.
Yugin held her gaze for quite a while after hearing those words. Olivia’s heart beat with a strange unease.
Even knowing he would never censure or obstruct her over this, something made her feel that way.
“Olivia.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Yugin approached, holding the herbal tea he’d brewed. The fragrant, delicate scent of herbs mingled with the cool cologne he typically wore.
As he bent to set the teacup before her, a faint shadow played across her vision and faded. The amber topaz cufflinks on his shirt cuff caught the sunlight and gleamed.
He smiled at her, meeting her eyes from close by.
“Have I ever doubted you?”
Her anxiously racing heartbeat finally found its steady rhythm. The tension that had involuntarily gripped her body eased, and Olivia’s face bloomed with a genuine smile.
This was the bond they had built over quite some time. Contentment settled across her features.
That was the moment.
A large shadow swept across her vision. Or rather, something had simply blocked her view.
“…What are you doing, senior?”
“What am I doing?”
Move your hand. This is suffocating.
“Hold on. There’s a reason for this.”
Aiden had squeezed through the narrow gap between the table and the couch and boldly covered her eyes, his tone deliberately casual.
Though his voice alone sounded carefree, his expression and eyes were nothing short of fierce—though Olivia couldn’t see that, trapped in darkness.
Aiden fixed Yugin with a murderous glare.
Yugin, meeting that gaze, merely withdrew his hand with an unmoved expression, yet the palpable tension hovering between them showed no sign of dissipating.
All the while, Aiden continued to block Olivia’s eyes. His hand only fell away when she forcibly wrenched his arm free.
“In any case. Go forward without worry. All I ask is that you come through unharmed.”
“You’re approving the duel then, Commander?”
“If I don’t approve it?”
Yugin answered with quiet finality.

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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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