I Thought Your Friend's Sibling Wasn't a Girl? - Chapter 86

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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 86
Yugin had taken to visiting Olivia quite frequently of late.
Their conversations centered chiefly on matters of Authority, yet through the course of such talks they’d wandered into all manner of subjects, and Olivia found herself catching glimpses of his private self—a peculiar feeling it stirred in her.
Just days ago, Yugin had sought her out and even kindly offered to guide her to his destination. It was a far cry from Aiden’s demeanor.
“I’ll be visiting the Academy soon. With Sir Aiden.”
“Is there some matter that requires attention, sir?”
“It seems the circumstances from the Final Practical Exam have only now reached a proper conclusion. Should I learn anything new, I’ll share it with you.”
The Academy had been in constant motion. Though they’d announced the outcome and assigned scores to the exercise, determining precisely why the incident had occurred and what had actually transpired took considerably longer to unravel.
That everything had only now come to light, an entire season later, spoke volumes to that effect.
“There does appear to be something rather unusual entangled in this affair.”
“Is it connected to Despera?”
“According to our thinking, yes—but whether they’ll admit it is another matter entirely.”
For that reason, today was perfectly ‘free’—even Aiden had made himself scarce.
Aiden and Olivia moved about nearly as a matched set. Oddly enough, most of the assignments delegated to Olivia included Aiden among them, and he had taken to joining her tasks as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Thus the unit members had grown exceedingly adept at gauging Aiden’s whereabouts through Olivia. She rather enjoyed this fact, though it proved vexing in equal measure.
“Olivia, be careful!”
“Senior, that’s just a branch…….”
“Exactly. Be careful. You’re saying such wounds don’t matter? Hmm?”
Aiden was meticulous at best, fussy at worst.
It was already common knowledge that on the day of the duel, he’d slipped out of the restaurant where the celebration was underway and secretly punished the Lux Knights Order members who had wronged her.
Someone had seen Sir Aiden, dressed entirely in black in the dead of night, being apprehended by Commander Yugin, who wore equally dark clothes. That alone said everything.
But today was an exception.
“It’s actually peaceful without Aiden around.”
“Should I relay that directly to him, sir?”
“That would be betrayal! Olivia, be honest—you find it pleasant and calm without him too, don’t you? Admit it.”
To that question, Olivia held her tongue.
Those months spent with Aiden had brought her contentment, yet alongside it came a gnawing unease.
“Captain Olivia. Come here and look at this. This is a type of Regeneration Herb. Most don’t know it, but in isolated circumstances it’s the easiest medicinal plant to find.”
“Have you used this herb often, sir?”
“Hmm. Well, I’d be lying if I said otherwise. Now then, shall we finish what we came to do?”
Aiden was kind. The frothing tantrums and displays of displeasure had largely vanished.
Save for his rather excessive protectiveness, he truly acted as nothing more than a senior Knight of the Lux Knight Brigade, taking pains never to cross the line between mentor and student—Olivia merely an Intern learning from his instruction.
‘And yet he hovers constantly. What is that about?’
Wherever she turned her gaze, the man circled near.
As if to emphasize that their bond was nothing more than a close senior-junior relationship, he positioned himself wherever her eyes might fall—Aiden Oblion, the man who defied her comprehension.
She could not fathom what he was thinking. Olivia clenched her jaw.
“Captain Olivia! Over there!”
“Position confirmed! Engaging immediately!”
But the mission pressed onward. Olivia shook the tangled thoughts from her mind and rushed toward the location Kunta indicated.
Whether Aiden grew suspicious or what manner of composure he displayed mattered little—
“Seize it! Target the weak point!”
“Yes, sir!”
Olivia too was growing accustomed to the life of an Intern.
Clang!
With a sharp metallic cry, the final creature collapsed. Where it fell, Red Magic Stones gleamed sporadically across the ground.
Olivia picked up the now-familiar Red Magic Stone, her brow furrowed.
“Senior, this……. I feel I’ve seen something similar before.”
“You have. We’re seeing these more and more lately. Means more creatures are undergoing Beast Corruption. It troubles me.”
Olivia deepened her frown and stooped to gather a stone fragment that had fallen nearby.
A Fragment—glimmering with an unsettling sheen. It felt as though something vague and strange was quietly swelling in scale.
* * *
Meanwhile, within the conference chamber of Veritas Academy, where the Empire’s most distinguished assembled to deliberate—
Bang!
“So the Academy truly knew nothing of the Stone Guardian’s destruction?”
The room was far more turbulent than usual.
The Academy’s chancellor, face flushed crimson with anger, was on the defensive, flanked by his allies. Those dispatched from the Imperial Palace spared no effort in their reproach.
Somewhat removed from them, seated in chairs adorned with crimson velvet, members of the Guardian Family sat lost in their own thoughts, as if this were all someone else’s concern.
“Tell me, Marquis Rentus! Say something! Destruction, you say?”
To the sharp outburst, the seated man replied in an unhurried tone.
“Our family has already ceded administrative authority over Veritas Academy.”
“So you retain the Authority itself but claim to have handed over all management? Do you think that reasoning sound? The Stone Guardian destroyed this time belongs to the Rentus household! You felt nothing?”
“I’m afraid we know nothing of the matter. We have little occasion to exercise our Authority, and the Academy gave us no prior notification—how could we have known?”
Within that chamber dwelt not a shred of the Guardian Family’s sense of responsibility or their honored duty.
Only the peculiar mannerism of those who had inherited power effortlessly filled the space—a lazy momentum, nothing more.
Then one of the observers interjected sharply.
“If you’re going to make excuses like that, simply return the Authority. It seems useless to you anyway.”
It was Aiden, of course.
Aiden, who had never carefully chosen his words before anyone, voiced his opinion without hesitation here as well.
He would not have faltered even had his words thrown mud not merely at Marquis Rentus but at every Guardian Family present. Yugin, watching Aiden conduct himself like such an unruly ruffian today, inwardly marveled at his audacity.
“What, what did you say?”
“Is the Rentus household truly a Guardian Family to begin with? Power must bear commensurate responsibility, yet I genuinely cannot fathom what responsibility you shoulder.”
“Now see here, Sir Aiden Oblion!”
“Why call upon me? Did I speak falsehood?”
Aiden tilted his head with an air of innocent bewilderment.
His aim to infuriate them had clearly succeeded perfectly. And the cleanup that followed would likely fall to Yugin.
The thought of that gave him a mild headache, so Yugin sighed quietly, fingering the jewel of his Cufflinks—carefully selected beforehand.
“Commander Yugin. Will you permit your subordinate such license?”
I knew it. I knew this would happen.
Yugin sometimes—rarely, but sometimes—found the title of Commander of the Lux Knight Brigade burdensome. And that was invariably because of Aiden, who rushed headlong into trouble without forethought.
Yugin swallowed back another sigh rising in his throat and jabbed Aiden sharply in the ribs, signaling him with his eyes.
“Did I misspeak, sir?”
“For heaven’s sake, close that mouth of yours.”
“Hmm. If that’s what the Commander wishes…….”
Kill him or let him live—that was the question.
And he’d begun to wonder: was promoting that fool truly the right choice?
No one yet knew, but Aiden was soon to be promoted to Vice-Commander.
There were various reasons for it, but the foremost was to control Aiden, who kicked about like a colt in spring.
Yet looking at this display now, Yugin found himself questioning whether this was truly the right decision. His worries deepened.
Once Yugin stepped in and quieted Aiden, the Imperial investigator cleared his throat pointedly, drawing all attention back to himself.
“Now then, let us set that matter aside for later. Today we have more pressing issues to address—specifically, the destruction of the Stone Guardian and compensation for the Veritas Academy students.”
“Indeed. So then, exactly how was the Stone Guardian destroyed? Let us first establish that much before we proceed.”
“Bring it in.”
At the investigator’s command, an aide entered carrying the Stone Guardian within a large glass sphere.

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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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