[{"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-108":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},1531765,1990,"Chapter 108 : Land of the Pilgrim (1)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-108",108,"\u003Cp>Chapter 108: Land of the Pilgrim (1)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Albus, the secretary who had long claimed to serve under Torquemada, that day felt especially strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Are you all right? You look awfully pale, Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told you already, I’m fine. Don’t make me repeat myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……Yes. I apologize.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bowing his head slightly, Albus silently followed behind Torquemada.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, the strange sense of unease refused to leave him, and hesitation lingered in each of his steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Did something happen after he entered his quarters?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps Dellowell had reprimanded him again for taking too long to return?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…No, that wouldn’t make him act in such haste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when the Archbishop himself came to offer counsel, he would only half-listen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Should I have attended him inside?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, the quarrel itself had been strange from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Naivea was one of the most diverse cities within Flock, incidents like yesterday’s were hardly common.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, most people here were workers—not thugs like those men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And for them not to recognize the Master’s face, that too…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not as publicly known as figures of the Imperial Court or the Bernhardt Family, he was still a highly respected Apostle of the Orthodox Faith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who had even glanced at a newspaper or a book should have known who Torquemada of Velut was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What struck him most as odd, however, was the reaction of those men after they picked the fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d been snarling like they were about to kill someone, only to later apologize, saying they were sorry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though they were the ones who had taken the worst beating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I hope I’m just overthinking this.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was reason enough for his nerves to be frayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, Albus had been under considerable stress over his Master’s increasingly dual-natured behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, if they could just finish this summoning order safely, perhaps he could finally take a breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the secretary, who was trying to steady his tangled thoughts—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pierna Torquemada was sinking deeper into confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How did they find out…?!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to fight the urge to curse aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never imagined that the black magicians would already know the location of the Reincarnation Stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because it was so rare and carried great potential for misuse, they had chosen to store it in Marthus Land instead of leaving it unattended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When had the information leaked?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had any related documents been exposed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or had someone kidnapped one of them and rifled through their memories?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No. If that had happened, the attendants would have noticed immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who always stayed by their side would never fail to sense such an anomaly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wait. That would mean…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The information hadn’t leaked—had it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there had been a group colluding with them from the start…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it would make perfect sense for the black magicians to know about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Who would dare conspire with those lunatics…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only five people in Dellowell knew the exact location of the Stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Archbishop Dominico Nimbus of the Ribenian Orthodox Faith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heinrich Peregrine, the Director of the Dellowell Inquisition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the three Apostolos: Torquemada, Bober, and Beckett.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter which of the four—excluding himself—was the traitor, time was of the essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The culprit was surely already moving to smuggle the Stone out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…If I don’t hurry…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the towering gates of Dellowell came into view, Torquemada swallowed a heavy breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within Torquemada’s shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even through my translucent vision, it wasn’t hard to grasp how things were unfolding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘As expected, Apostolos receive a whole different level of inspection.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even for famed nobles like the Bernhardts or members of the Imperial Court, the examination usually took at least half a day—but this one was done in thirty minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silently impressed, I observed the scenery of Dellowell through his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buildings stood tightly packed on both sides of the four-lane road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half the people walking on the sidewalks wore everyday clothes, the other half their work uniforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dellowell was one of the most rigidly role-assigned cities in the Empire, so attire that displayed one’s duty was considered essential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t have the bustling noise of a metropolis like Arpe, nor the free atmosphere of Naivea, yet the density of the crowd made it feel busy all the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And amidst all that commotion, there was an odd sense of order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Whether it was truly order, or oppression, was another matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clina appeared at just the right moment, as if my prolonged silence had bothered her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Either way, it remains an unyielding wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘An unyielding wall, huh…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—You plan to tear it down someday, don’t you? That wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Who knows.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not as if they intend to leave us alone; we simply prepare ourselves in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But yes, in the end, that wall must fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, Dellowell points its blades even at its fellow citizens of the Empire, all under the pretense of “blasphemy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They are wasting their exceptional combat forces in the most meaningless ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even aside from that, Dellowell’s collapse would likely mark the final stage of the Empire’s reform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Edel overthrew Abel and Rachel to establish the new system—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then both the Ribenian Orthodox Faith and the Bernhardt Family, who had long monopolized power, would already have fallen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage continued for quite some time before stopping before an enormous fortress at the city’s center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minerals embedded throughout the stone glistened under the light, emitting a nearly golden radiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking upon the vast stronghold, I murmured inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So this is the Velut Fortress.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dellowell had suffered over a hundred assaults throughout history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them were domestic uprisings, as well as invasions by foreign armies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were even times when parts of the city were occupied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet despite countless attacks, this place had never fallen—not once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two layers of magic-based barriers protected the entire wall, and even if someone managed to breach them, five thousand elite soldiers, ready to die, stood waiting inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And leading them were the Executors—the Empire’s strongest individual combat forces. Who would dare dream of invading such a place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—…And yet, the invader strolls in calmly, spouting such words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m only here to retrieve what I left behind.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—You’ve grown far more brazen than when you first made your pact with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ve certainly thickened my skin.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Even if you’re within the shadow, where discovery is unlikely… still, be careful, my dear.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I know.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I entered inside these walls, there would be no way to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were outside, he could have found a way to escape the city—whether by blackmailing someone over their weakness, threatening their life, or buying them off with money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But inside the Velut Fortress, such a thing was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people here were all fanatics, utterly beyond persuasion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for entering the fortress, Apostolos like him were practically granted a free pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About two minutes later, the six guards blocking the gate hastily broke formation and stepped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clank, clank!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same moment, the thick iron chains securing the great gate snapped taut with a burst of mana and began to pull. Slowly, the doors opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Screeeech—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Torquemada and his secretary hurry forward, I wore a faint smile filled with anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Now then, I’ll be counting on you, Torquemada of Velut.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just past 8 a.m. when everyone except the Executor of Light had gathered at Flavia Cathedral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, everyone’s here already. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last to arrive—Torquemada of Velut—greeted his colleagues with a lighthearted tone and offered handshakes all around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the Director of the Inquisition was about to intervene, a dry chuckle escaped from the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve truly lost your mind, Pierna.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Archbishop Dominico.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the venom lacing his words, both Bober and Beckett straightened their backs at once, heels pressed together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is an emergency summons, yet you stroll in as if on vacation? If you had even a shred of remorse, you’d show it in your attitude.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a situation like this—where the Archbishop spoke so harshly—even an Apostolos would normally take a step back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for many reasons, Torquemada had no intention of doing so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And what exactly should I be sorry for? I’ve merely been carrying out pastoral visits for the believers preparing for Descent Day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“While completely ignoring the Archbishop’s emergency summons?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I’d intended to ignore it, I wouldn’t have come here at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You never know when to keep that mouth shut.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look at yourself. If it was such an urgent matter, you should’ve brought up the topic the moment I walked in. Why so much talking around it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re just irritated with me, that’s all. You think I’ve been acting too uncooperative, and now you want to use this chance to put me in my place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying that, Torquemada took a step closer toward the Archbishop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But sorry to disappoint you. As long as you plan to keep using us as your hunting dogs, I’ll keep growling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unexpected counterpunch left Dominico speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So let’s get to the point, shall we? We’re both short on time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director Heinrich couldn’t hide his awe—or his alarm—as he watched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The timing of his conversion, his appointment as an Apostle, and above all, the influence he held over the Orthodox Faith—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering all that, Torquemada was practically the third most powerful figure in the Ribenian Orthodox Faith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With someone of his stature speaking so boldly, even the Executors had no response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Archbishop himself was rendered speechless for a different reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught between shock and dismay, not even anger found a place to surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, a summons was a summons, and the message had to be delivered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Dominico suppressed his irritation and got straight to the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Starting this Friday, we’ll launch an offensive on Duel—Mallet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the Ribenian Orthodox Faith, the Archbishop’s word was absolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps in the Dellowell of old there might have been resistance, but now—there was no reason to refuse his command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The reason has already been explained. Until they surrender unconditionally, the offensive will not stop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Imperial Army will not intervene, so wipe them out cleanly with Dellowell’s two thousand elite troops.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Discuss the operation’s details among yourselves for now. Any questions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Archbishop’s gaze turned toward Torquemada.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said earlier you’d keep growling. Why so quiet now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well… if you insist, I’ll ask just one thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Torquemada folded his arms as he continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not concerned about Duel Headquarters’ support? I heard Duel recently sent several hundred thousand Riben in aid to Carvena. Isn’t that a clear sign of their intent to intervene?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s precisely why we must end this now. Once Mallet is erased, Duel will lose any justification to meddle in the Empire.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But surely Duel knows that as well. Two thousand men might not be enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The area near the Magic Tower is under extraterritorial rights, but any support troops from Duel would have to pass through the Empire’s borders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So you’ve already spoken with the Imperial Court. In other words, you’re planning a swift, decisive battle before their reinforcements can arrive, correct?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Archbishop nodded in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Torquemada then raised another possibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s also the chance that Carvena might join in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Dominico immediately countered, as though he had anticipated the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Michel Bernhardt isn’t stupid enough to send children who haven’t even come of age into battle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A small unit of reinforcements wouldn’t pose any real threat anyway—it’d only give us more justification. They won’t intervene.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When even the Director of the Inquisition chimed in to support him, the argument was practically settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Letting out a sigh, Torquemada glanced at his colleagues on either side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So we’re supposed to go around reassuring the people, telling them it’s nothing to worry about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really do catch on fast, don’t you? Annoyingly so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To call an emergency assembly over something like this—tsk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grumbling under his breath, Torquemada glanced around the room, then dipped his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one has anything else to say, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, I’ll be on my way. I have urgent business to attend to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one stopped him.\u003C\u002Fp>",2012,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.613Z",1,"novelbin.me","d3cef4489d9048fcf22be5518ff7dd13d794877263bce24be4eb5672f14db046","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-109","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-107",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]