[{"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-30":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},1531737,1990,"Chapter 30 : Things Are Getting Interesting? (3)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-30",30,"\u003Cp>Chapter 30: Things Are Getting Interesting? (3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I woke up, I quickly finished my meal and headed straight to the Mage Studies Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When there were no classes, Rubia, who was practically glued to the library, was there as usual. After reuniting with her, I got straight to the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Purification of an artifact?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You remember the time when I almost used Lukezax’s replica, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, that assassination….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word slipped out of her mouth before she realized it, and she hurriedly covered it with her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, it was Monday morning, so there wasn’t a single student in the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, since there were a couple of teachers around, we needed to watch what we said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Should we talk somewhere else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We rose from our seats at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our conversation continued at the edge of the terrace overlooking the outside, on the rooftop of the Mage Studies Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really got the real Lukezax?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I got it from a beast nest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubia’s face went blank, completely lost as I had skipped over all the middle parts of the story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t think there was any need to explain everything, so I went straight to the main point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The artifact I obtained was severely contaminated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So you’re wondering how to purify a corrupted artifact, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected of Rubia, she quickly grasped the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded and added, “I’ve been thinking if there’s a way other than using a purification stone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, yeah… these days purification stones are hard to come by. It’s not just about having money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubia began counting on her fingers, listing alternatives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Using the Elixir of Purification instead of a stone is one option, but it’s inefficient and even harder to get than a purification stone, so that’d be tough….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though I already knew, I pretended not to and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The most reliable method would be to cast magic directly on the artifact.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But purification magic is….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubia nodded, already aware of the problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right. First, it’s hard to find someone who can use it. And most of those who can belong to the Magic Tower, so it’s difficult for individuals to interact with them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, if I accompanied you, that might increase the chances a little…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. That won’t be necessary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, contact with the Magic Tower would be inevitable eventually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how closed-off the Tower was, my existence was probably known to them. If I visited with Rubia, I wouldn’t be turned away at the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it never hurt to be cautious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Contacting the Magic Tower is the same as stirring the Ribenia Orthodox Church.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greatest powder keg in the Empire—and the organization that commanded the Empire’s strongest military group, the Inquisition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, I had already mentioned their city, Dellowell, once before at the Dean’s Office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that news reached Dellowell, Karbenna would be swept up in a wave of ideological inspections for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above all…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Inquisition included that Karen Rosefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final main character—a walking bundle of variables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until all my preparations were complete, I couldn’t afford to summon her to Karbenna.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was thinking that, Rubia spoke up, almost as if reading my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir Eugene, have you ever heard of the Fountain of Purification?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now even the Fountain of Purification was being brought up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tilted my head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve heard of it… but isn’t it just a legend? I don’t want to rely on something that uncertain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I figured you’d say that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fountain of Purification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A place that supposedly purified all status ailments, even curses, just by entering it—a literal cheat location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the base difficulty of MAGA was brutal, such places sometimes appeared as a sort of mercy from the developers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I remembered visiting it quite often in the normal mode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it wasn’t even mentioned in the highest difficulty—Apocalypse Mode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hunting for the Fountain of Purification would be less efficient than simply stealing a purification stone from a church warehouse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once I’d finished my questions, Rubia, as if waiting for that moment, began to ask about what had happened over the weekend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t the type to spread rumors, but it was still better to be careful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It wasn’t anything special….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I answered briefly, recalling the past two days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I deliberately left out the fact that I’d begun cooperating with the Special Task Force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I mentioned the battle with the werebeast in the operation zone, Rubia’s eyes sparkled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time our conversation ended and we went back down from the rooftop to the library, she kept glancing at me with a look full of admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As expected, Sir Eugene, you’re amazing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sighed and waved her hands around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah~ I wish I had talent for combat magic too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing her muttering to herself, I said firmly, “You do have talent, Professor Rubia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahaha, you’re joking, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She waved her hands dismissively, insisting that couldn’t be true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since my expression didn’t change at all, a faint hope began to bloom on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do you think so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Avoiding Rubia’s clear, expectant gaze, I replied vaguely, “No special reason. Just… the intuition of someone who’s spent a long time on the battlefield.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’re a character I’ve trained nearly a thousand times. Of course I’d know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…but I couldn’t exactly say that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah… so that’s what you meant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, she seemed much more dejected than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because my answer wasn’t what she expected?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I thought, she gave a bitter smile and reached out into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I kept hearing, ‘You have zero talent for actual combat, so stop daydreaming and stick to theory!’ over and over again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From who?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Agent. I heard it so many times that I could still recite it word for word.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’ve got to be kidding me….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubia pretended to sniffle as she said that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help but chuckle at her act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was frail by nature and lacked hostility toward beasts, so she wasn’t suited for combat magic. However, she had a strong will to learn, great focus, and remarkable patience—making her exceptionally gifted in theoretical magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…That was the general evaluation of Rubia Magnus. But MAGA was, at its core, a training simulation game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans had many sides to them, and what brought those sides out was the environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Depending on the training approach and methods, a character’s destination could change at any time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s try a simple test together sometime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A test?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m confident when it comes to identifying aptitude.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t a lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had watched nearly a thousand endings for the trainable characters in this game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If that’s what you want, I don’t mind, but… don’t expect too much. Even in the Magic Tower, my combat magic grades were always an F. For eight straight years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Rubia said that, her expression still couldn’t hide the flicker of hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I knew it, we had reached the library lobby while chatting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we descended the last few steps, a familiar face appeared ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There you are, Instructor Carter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A middle-aged servant, neatly dressed in a worn tailcoat, bowed politely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That person is….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see Professor Rubia is with you as well. It’s been a while, ma’am.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The servant, Oliver, gave Rubia a small nod before turning slightly toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Chairwoman is looking for you, Instructor Carter. Please come with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After exchanging a brief farewell with Rubia, I followed behind Oliver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t turn his head even once, yet I could still feel the sharp hostility directed at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you have a pleasant weekend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oliver asked, his tone dripping with hostility, as if he didn’t even intend to hide it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help but smile at his bluntness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well, I suppose he must be dying of curiosity.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since I also had a few things I wanted to test, maybe I could entertain him for a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feigning exhaustion, I rolled my neck lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not sure if I’d call it pleasant… There were some results, but it was tiring.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, did you perhaps go somewhere?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go somewhere? How would you know that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flinched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Actually, I saw you leaving campus by carriage early this morning. So I just wondered.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he hesitated for a moment, he didn’t try to change the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he wasn’t even planning to hide it, huh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, people like him would’ve found out soon enough anyway. And I did have a few things I wanted to pry out of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe I’d toss him some bait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I had to visit the Special Task Force for class-related matters. There was a lot to discuss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see, so that’s what happened.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You seem unusually interested in me lately. Is that just my imagination?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My apologies. It wasn’t intentional….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oliver stammered and offered a flimsy excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Master—the Chairwoman—has taken quite an interest in you, Instructor Carter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So I’ve noticed. She even treated me far too generously the other day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too generously? What do you mean by that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think you’d know that matter better than I do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Oliver fell completely silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spoke again, my tone sly and mocking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Compared to her prime, she’s a washed-up relic, sure. But she’s not so frail that she’s about to drop dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Forgive me, but I’m not sure what you mean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether you do or not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I murmured coldly, my voice firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether it’s your true master’s orders or your own pathetic decision… you’d better think carefully, servant of Bernhardt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At those words, Oliver finally turned to look at me for the first—and last—time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His once calm expression stiffened completely, devoid of any composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know what kind of fools you’ve dealt with until now, but the man you’ve made an enemy of—Eugene Carter—isn’t someone so easy to handle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you understand that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’ll keep that in mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, we walked the rest of the way to the Chairwoman’s office without another word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knock, knock—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As you requested, I’ve brought Instructor Carter, Chairwoman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice came from within, and Oliver opened the door before bowing slightly toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cold eyes perfectly matched the icy sneer on his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving him behind, I stepped inside, and the door shut firmly behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the desk before me sat the Chairwoman, Michel Bernhardt, absorbed in signing a mountain of documents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without even looking up, she said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry for making you wait, Colonel Carter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not at all, ma’am.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sit wherever. I’ll be done soon, and then we’ll leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were several chair-shaped works of art around the room, but none actually seemed meant for sitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I simply took a few steps back and stood still with my hands behind my back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, remembering what she’d said last, I carefully asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pardon me, but what did you mean by ‘leave’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her silver hair swayed gently with each movement of her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michel continued signing without answering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she finally reached the last document, she lifted her head and looked straight at me for the first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s almost time for the Faculty Meeting. You’re coming with me, of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her smile, faintly seductive, came as a playful afterthought.\u003C\u002Fp>",1884,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.613Z",1,"novelbin.me","2dc677934aa76b3a94f6764c37e111d3008dd1f77ae2b6fb511e978d25d7cfa1","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-31","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-29",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]