[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero":3,"chapter-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-104":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Became the Academy’s War Hero",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1531761,1990,"Chapter 104 : Preparing for Infiltration (1)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-104",104,"\u003Cp>Chapter 104: Preparing for Infiltration (1)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chirp, chirp chirp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was around 6 a.m. when I finally made it out of Ain Kabbalah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I stepped outside, I hurried toward the nearest station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The duffel bag stuffed full of artifacts felt unusually heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I left, they had insisted I take them with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘After all that payment, wouldn’t a little gift be reasonable?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That had been Ephraim’s parting words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>― Wouldn’t it be better to rest a little longer, my friend?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I can rest along the way.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>― Hmm… but why are those people being so kind to you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Who knows.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ephraim Robinson, the current leader of Ain Kabbalah, never showed goodwill without reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know what his real motive was, but there had to be one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he was also a Code Black holder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he didn’t fully grasp what the Eye of Kabbalah had shown, he must’ve inferred enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And based on that, he must’ve reached a conclusion—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That this matter, at the very least, wouldn’t harm his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well, that’s only natural.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empire didn’t even officially recognize holy magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what would they think of black magic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d been exposed to black magic for only a short time, and thanks to Rubia, I had managed to offset most of its side effects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for those who had been black magicians for years, there was no escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the commotion I caused at the conference and the news about my proposal to cooperate with the Resistance, they must’ve quickly realized my enemies were the Imperial elites.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And drawing conclusions from predictable variables—well, that was what magicians did best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If someone could bring them benefit, they’d rather support that person actively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Still, it’s so like them that their “support” amounted to a few artifacts….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the entire carriage ride I hastily rented from the only station in Sector 5 to return to Carvena, I struggled to organize the tangled mess of thoughts in my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had been a few brief mental exchanges, but the information I’d gained through the Eye of Kabbalah was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive fortress guarding the city’s center, lined with countless religious structures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A grand cathedral marked with the emblem of the Inquisition, and beneath it, sprawling catacombs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And deep within that underground necropolis lay a collection of mana stones of various kinds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When all those scenes were pieced together—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one possible location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dellowell’s Martyrsland….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a hollow laugh, covering my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Well, from the Church’s standpoint, I suppose desperation is only natural.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ribenian Orthodox Faith had always taken a stance that went against the mainstream ideology of the current age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, the most twisted were the Inquisitors, and Dellowell was the very cradle that birthed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would take every precaution imaginable to keep their true nature hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any trace of blasphemy left behind would be purged without hesitation, even if it meant turning the entire area into ruins—another form of “holy” silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To accomplish that, overwhelming force was essential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why most talented individuals within the Church passed through Dellowell at least once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That must be why they’ve secured the Reincarnation Stone as well.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were ensuring that not a single crack could form in their web of warped doctrine, reclaiming anything that could threaten their supposed justification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worthless items would’ve long been destroyed, but something like the Reincarnation Stone held considerable value even for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet leaving it unattended could risk future complications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they must’ve concluded it’d be safer to keep it somewhere they could trust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that meant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…As long as I can infiltrate successfully, I can secure it with one hundred percent certainty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dagger to bring them down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After returning to Carvena, the first thing I did was stuff myself with food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, after taking a short nap, I found that class time was already just around the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I honestly don’t even know where the day went.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time I finished classes in a rush, the sun was already setting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then could I finally focus on gathering information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the academy was under direct Imperial management, its library couldn’t possibly compare to that of the Imperial Assembly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Carvena was one of the academies most well-informed about the Empire’s latest trends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For me right now, that was what mattered most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more books piled up on the table, the heavier the surrounding gazes felt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I ignored them completely and began storing all the information from the books into my memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the power of my unique ability—Capture Memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Capture Memory : Artificial SSS\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can recall the contents of any written work you have blinked at.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The recorded contents are organized and stored as keywords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Current stored works: 522 \u002F 5000\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>※ This ability can only be used on works created by humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an ability that had proven invaluable for information gathering, allowing me to perfectly remember anything written on paper like a photograph.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a limit to how much I could store, but it was large enough that I wouldn’t reach it anytime soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the stacks of books on either side of me, I couldn’t help but sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If I had to read all this without my ability….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just the thought made me dizzy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, I steadily accumulated every bit of information about Dellowell—its geography, climate, city culture, diet, clothing, road structures, key buildings, and even its local rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…This one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single line caught my eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three Apostolos visit the Twelve Grand Cathedrals of the Ribenian Orthodox Faith during Descent Week, carry out their schedules, and then return to their respective orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Apostolos—the only three “saints” recognized by the Faith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it’s Descent Week, then it should be….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly rose to my feet and moved toward the publication line of newspapers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every paper printed in the Empire over the past week was stored there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, today’s morning editions were filled with news about the Centre Agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I memorized two papers with distinctly different editorial stances, then began combing through the older issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After about twenty minutes of continuous reading at the same spot,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was able to roughly piece together the movements of the Apostolos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, one person stood out particularly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Torquemada of Velut… huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His real name was Pierna Torquemada.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man who had once been the very symbol of the Inquisitors, before Karen Rosefield rose to prominence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cruelty was so extreme that even the members of the same faith avoided mentioning him openly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, at over sixty years old and having been retired from the front lines for more than twenty years, there were few left who still remembered his infamous name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a case similar to Frederick Lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference was that, after stepping back from the front, Frederick’s temper had mellowed somewhat—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Torquemada’s nature hadn’t changed in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the time came, he was still the first to volunteer for interrogation—a cold-blooded man through and through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the Torquemada of Velut I knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noble Apostle of Velut, Pierna Torquemada, announced that after completing his thirty-four-day visitation schedule, he would return to Dellowell on Saturday morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Torquemada was to finish his final schedule in the capital on Friday, then return to Dellowell via Flock Naivea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Further details about the Church’s Descent Day were written afterward, but I skimmed over them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main point was simple—he would be passing through Naivea on Saturday on his way to Dellowell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…With some effort, I can match that timing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before taking action, some level of information sharing was necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since this would be something bound to enrage them, it would be better to discuss and prepare ourselves—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what I was thinking when—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haa… haa… I was wondering where you went, and here you are!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar voice called out from afar, and I turned my gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Rubia, whose absence would’ve felt strange by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having run all the way here, she caught her breath before speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A message came… from the Magic Tower!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From Gustav?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That, I’m not entirely sure of….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood. For now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I accepted the receiving orb she handed me and promptly took her left hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yu—Eugene?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go together. There’s something we need to discuss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubia also had a good grasp of how things were unfolding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was to be expected—related articles had been pouring out since morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it was an extension of what we already knew, quite a bit of new information had surfaced, so I decided to give her a brief explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From why I had visited the Special Task Force, to the conclusions I had reached through it, I explained everything step by step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So, we have to infiltrate and secure the Reincarnation Stone somehow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we use the Reincarnation Stone to resurrect the Beast, then kill it immediately after, you’ll be freed from the curse… right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And only once you’re completely freed, we’ll stand even a small chance in an all-out war against Dellowell, correct?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After summarizing everything once more, Rubia looked at me cautiously and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s… no option to not fight, is there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if we don’t choose to, they will.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So it’s better to strike first than to be dragged into it unfairly, is that what you’re saying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empire, as it stood now, could never respond to the coming Apocalypse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant that, at this rate, within a few years, someone would inevitably die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that outcome had no place in my plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empire had to change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current rot and decay had to be purged, and everything had to begin anew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Imperial Family, the nobles, and the Church—all were at the heart of that corruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For them, upheaval wasn’t an option; it was a necessity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was true that our current strength was unstable, but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also true that there would likely never be a better opportunity than this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the firm conviction on my face, Rubia scratched the corner of her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stealing from the holiest place in the Empire… the punishment for getting caught would be quite severe, I’m sure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if it weren’t, they’d have planned to kill me anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re included among those they plan to purge, Rubia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Of course I am.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Dellowell took action, a few sacrifices would be unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To them, what they carried out was a Holy War—a judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And against those they had already deemed heretics, they showed no mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at me with worried eyes and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think… we can face her? That Karen Rosefield?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…If we join forces.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I were to regain the full strength of my prime, I’d still be no match for Karen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A body that couldn’t fully support its innate talent—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the simplest way to describe Eugene Carter’s specs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Karen, on the other hand, was the exact opposite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her natural talent was matched by a body capable of perfectly supporting it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn’t a single character within MAGA whose physical abilities could definitively surpass hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant we’d have to exploit her weaknesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no poison, no matter how deadly, killed its victim instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words… to shake her, we’d need someone who could at least buy us time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Of all people, my body is the one that clashes the worst with hers.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Francia had blossomed far sooner than expected, she still wasn’t ready to handle Karen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michel and Edel, due to their status and positions, couldn’t intervene directly—and even if they could, they wouldn’t stand a chance against Karen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there was any real possibility, it lay with only one person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Rubia Magnus was capable of facing Karen head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that in mind, I smiled faintly and spoke softly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you ever heard of Holy Descent?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along with the keyword that would completely transform her into something new.\u003C\u002Fp>",2005,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.613Z",1,"novelbin.me","ccecc7bad315e1251fd369ed8c0ad535bc4c6ac2f8cd9667983f9f6f0f304594","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-105","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-103",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]