[{"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-152":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},1531646,1990,"Chapter 152 : The Higher the Mountain, the Deeper the Valley (2)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-152",152,"\u003Cp>Chapter 152: The Higher the Mountain, the Deeper the Valley (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suppressing the rising anger with great effort, I asked the core question first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Bernhardts have probably already tried everything possible within the Empire. There’s no way they squeezed that much money out of their own side for absolutely no reason. Right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bastard’s face was filled less with pain and more with terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that, I became certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew a horrifying secret so shocking that even the tremendous pain of fractured bones couldn’t register properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Or maybe… he simply found out something he never should have.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, it didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I grabbed Jeff Halenber by the collar as he recoiled in horror with his head lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need for detailed explanations. Just give me the keywords. I’ll figure out the rest myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The moment I reveal this secret, the Bernhardts will try to kill me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? Because if you don’t reveal it, Francia looks ready to kill you instead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind me stood Francia, glaring at him like she wanted to tear him apart immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re alive because I stopped her. Otherwise, you’d already be dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Y-You think you can kill the head of a marquis family under protective custody? And still walk away safely afterward?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha, this bastard’s still trying to scheme.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, I snapped the middle and ring fingers of his right hand in one motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A, AAAAAGH!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he screamed and rolled around desperately, I seized his shoulder violently and slammed him against the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BAAAANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s about time you woke up to reality, Jeff Halenber.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ghhh…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think you still have options left? Even now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spoke even more firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Think carefully, idiot. This is your last chance to survive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spit everything out honestly, serve your punishment properly, and come back out afterward. That’s your best option.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While he served his sentence, the Bernhardts would inevitably collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And by the time we raised Edel to the throne, the Empire—and the entire world—would already be in ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once things reached that point, the Bernhardts and everything else would no longer matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then after a long silence—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…They said they were creating an Imperial Guard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wiping away cold sweat with difficulty, Jeff Halenber finally began revealing the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At a research facility called the ‘Flos Advanced Research Institute.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the word Flos left his mouth, one particular name immediately surfaced in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ian… Flos.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name engraved on the identification tag I’d discovered after the battle against the three Abattoir executives before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wait, when I asked Ain Kabbalah about the original owner of the Book of Bones back then too….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Count Ricola, 1034, Berkshire No.16, ossification, Skeleton Sword, Colin Bommer’s nightmare, demon worship, cursed arm, if you wish to house a demon then sacrifice the child you love most, 1419, Imperial Palace bombing, division, youngest child of the Flos Family, military enlistment, missing, last sighting in ’44, criminal organization, Abattoir….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chaotic information that had spilled from the black magician guiding me at the time had somehow remained in my memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubbing my forehead, I pressed Jeff for answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That research institute… where is it located?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ivric Region… at Berkshire No.16… I heard they named it after the family that once owned the place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I think I understand now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Count Ricola Flos, original owner of the Grimoire Oste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Flos Family had likely worshipped power through demon worship since long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A family willing to sacrifice even their beloved children without hesitation if necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ribenia Empire was a representative holy nation. There was no way they would’ve tolerated such acts—especially in the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Imperial Palace bombing incident in 1419, the Flos Family must have completely fractured apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though naturally, their infamy likely remained to this day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Ian Flos, the youngest child of such a disgraced family, probably only had one place willing to accept him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The military.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even there, he failed to adapt and eventually disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, he joined the criminal organization Abattoir and later died in a self-destructive attack during his battle against me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was probably the full story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The purpose of the institute… is Beastification?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“H-How did you know that?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was attacked by Beastified humans before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Answering Jeff’s shock indifferently, I sank back into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First of all, Chloe Bernhardt was unquestionably involved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was practically confirmed at this point that she had been the one who tried to kill me back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way the direct family head Edgar Bernhardt and branch family head Mikhail Bernhardt were unaware.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the same reason, the eldest son Robert Bernhardt was likely deeply involved too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His role within the family was the military industry and mercenary business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, if they were carrying out something as horrific as human Beastification, they would’ve prepared at least enough troops to avoid exposure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I’ll need a team.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they were still conducting those experiments there, we absolutely had to secure evidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too many people would increase the chances of them noticing beforehand, so an elite small unit was the correct choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for public opinion warfare, we needed clear visual evidence from the scene itself—meaning we also needed someone to record everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Luckily, I know the perfect candidates.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After forcibly pulling the despondent Jeff Halenber upright and making him sit properly, I signaled to Lea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Lea went to notify the guards that the visitation was ending—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I comforted Francia, who still hadn’t calmed down, and asked quietly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Covering her eyes while staring blankly at Jeff’s miserable appearance, she spoke weakly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I didn’t struggle all this time just to see an ending like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. And it shouldn’t be.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long afterward, the prison guard returned and cleaned up the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving Jeff Halenber behind, we exited the facility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After glancing nervously at Francia, Lea poked my side lightly and whispered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re continuing to use the carriage, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll head back first. I need to report this to Master too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll leave it to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so only the carriage and the two of us remained in front of the Correctional Bureau entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After looking at her face, still clouded with complicated emotions, I spoke softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I think the world is unfair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At this very moment, somewhere, someone’s probably ending their own life because they can no longer endure exploitation. Somewhere else, another person is slowly dying on a battlefield filled with Beasts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had seen such scenes far too many times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The rise and fall of families are no different.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So you’re telling me to just accept it? Because the world’s always been this way, and I was simply unlucky?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Transparent tears streamed from her glaring eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meeting her gaze directly, I shook my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why I’m trying to change this world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This place where demons who abandoned even their humanity for wealth and power continued living proudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This place that showed not even the slightest respect toward those who threw away their lives before Beasts in order to save even one more person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This place where people mocked those trying to change such a world, saying, “Stop doing pointless things and just give up. Life gets easier that way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To do that, the Empire itself has to be torn down first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first step had already been taken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was time to truly move forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll build a new Empire with our own hands, Francia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I extended my hand toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stared at the outstretched hand for a long time before finally taking it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So that victims like us will never appear again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…In truth, I already knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as humanity desired the struggle of all against all, sacrifices would never end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Beasts disappeared from this world entirely, someone would still suffer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somewhere, another Francia Brida would be born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And whether that new Francia would be consumed by revenge or overcome it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I neither knew nor wished to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no interest in what came afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Save all of them, survive, and achieve peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone would mark the end of the foolish ten-year journey I had continued all this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because that was the only thing that mattered to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snort, snort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After helping Francia into the carriage, I climbed into the coachman’s seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So now… we’re heading to Ivric?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without taking my eyes off the road ahead, I answered the question from behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s somewhere we need to stop first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I lightly turned the carriage around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our first destination was the train station in the capital city, Arpe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From there, we would head to Centre and visit a newspaper company located in northern Centre before moving on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If we want to wage a public opinion war, we need undeniable evidence first.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thursday, April 7th, 7 PM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ribenia Spiegel, a massive newspaper company located in the heart of Solveto, a northern city of Centre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place was bustling day and night due to consecutive major successes, and today, unexpected guests had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the president’s office on the fifth floor sat four people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the countless stacks of documents piled atop the long gray desk couldn’t fully hide the enormous man’s massive physique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As instructed, I brought them here, President.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well done, well done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seated man rose with a creaking groan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oho! Isn’t this our war hero who helped Spiegel achieve the greatest sales record since its founding?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Welcome, Colonel Carter! I’m Alberto Spiegel. Pleasure to meet you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alberto Spiegel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>President of the Ribenia Empire’s largest newspaper company, Ribenia Spiegel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body alone reflected his overwhelming frame—over 190 centimeters tall and weighing more than 110 kilograms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Known for his fiery personality and unwavering devotion to journalism, he had never once bowed to pressure from either the Bernhardts or the Imperial Court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, before reaching middle age, he had personally worked the field more actively than anyone else as a reporter, so his personal combat ability was far from negligible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some even claimed there was no way to suppress him other than legally pressuring him through official laws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite such eccentric traits, the newspaper company’s influence among the citizens was so immense that neither the nobility nor the Imperial Court could openly oppose him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So then, what brings the busiest man in the Empire all the way here these days?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Eugene accepted the handshake, he answered with a faint smile filled with fighting spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I came to help you break another record.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Alberto burst into hearty laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was so loud the entire room echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just hearing that excites me! Bigger material than the exclusive report on the Joint War of Mallet, you say?! Let’s hear it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s a condition in exchange for telling you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well of course there’s a condition! Go ahead!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing briefly toward Francia behind him, Eugene continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What I’m about to do this time is practically a military operation… so to avoid interference, I’d like you to hold publication until I say it’s alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s easy enough. Any other conditions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Would it be alright if I personally selected the accompanying reporters?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oho? And who would that be?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before anyone noticed, Eugene had already raised three fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reporter Stefan Taurus, reporter Mike Bedell, and Head of Social Affairs Ernest Kael.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alberto muttered while mulling over the names.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stefan… I suppose that one’s because you worked together recently. But why Mike and Ernest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They have strong journalistic ethics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m joking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly… because it’s dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They need to at least be capable of protecting themselves, but most of my information network is concentrated around the Special Task Force and Karbenna. I heard both of them graduated from Karbenna and also served in the Special Task Force.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I see. So that’s why.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that’s the case, then it’s worth paying attention to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go bring those two here, Stefan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eugene and Alberto exchanged deeply intrigued smiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this very moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another alliance was being formed.\u003C\u002Fp>",2009,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.613Z",1,"novelbin.me","0ea4dd94241392503c073a123880e15b039a8edc3b61101b43be533391b8d67d","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-153","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-151",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]