[{"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-35":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},1531742,1990,"Chapter 35 : The Accusers (3)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-35",35,"\u003Cp>Chapter 35: The Accusers (3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I kept silent again, Eric, as if guilty of something, hurriedly spoke once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s something I wish to make public.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Make public, huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rubbed my lips and paused for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could roughly guess what he was getting at.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the Halenber family, which had secured trading rights over the Albe Sea and established the largest foothold in the Western Port.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that place, which had become a hotbed of smuggling, no family had been more deeply involved in the drug scandal than Halenber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the best target would be the Bernhardt Family behind them, but they weren’t an easy bunch to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the title of “War Hero of the Century” wouldn’t be enough; at least two collaborators would be necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Halenber might be easier to approach than Bernhardt, but that didn’t mean they would collapse easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it wasn’t like they were spotless. There was plenty of room to pry an opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I could secure concrete evidence, I could make the issue public whenever I wished…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The problem is—why is he the one bringing this up?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he’d had a change of heart after his match with Francia, it wasn’t normal for someone to come to me wanting to expose his own family’s corruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I thought he’d at least know I’m not on Bernhardt’s side.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubbing my lips, I let out a small sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was still some time left before class, so perhaps I’d try to test him a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can decide after hearing it, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The promise comes first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the tension in his demeanor, his voice was resolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re quite bold, aren’t you, Halenber’s fledgling? Were you that sure I’d cooperate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled faintly, an expression of mild surprise on my face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go on, then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric glanced behind him for a moment before continuing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand that you’re very interested in reforming Karbenna.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, that’s true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And that you’re also dedicated to strengthening the cadets’ abilities. You’ve already achieved results, too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re well-informed. Because you were one of the people involved, perhaps?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’re hitting where it hurts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as he said that, Eric’s face looked rather relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You helped Francia, a fallen noble, both materially and mentally, and you’ve been working hard for the Empire’s future in various ways. I thought you could be trusted, Instructor Carter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So if it had been anyone else, you wouldn’t have come to ask this favor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s quite the generous evaluation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You never thought all that effort might just be for building my own influence?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Even if it is, I don’t mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric said that and looked at me with eyes full of determination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that drew a small, involuntary laugh from me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What on earth had caused this change in attitude?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a completely different person from just a week ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did something happen between him and Francia in that time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I folded my arms and nodded slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. I’ll cooperate. What do you want me to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric’s pupils widened for an instant, as if he hadn’t expected me to agree so quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, he got straight to the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“During the upcoming meeting, please expose Karbenna’s drug situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll secure the evidence myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a while, I couldn’t say anything in response to Eric’s proposal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because it was Eric Halenber, of all people, who was making such a request—but because of something else entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A status window suddenly appeared next to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>※ You are [Eric Halenber]’s [Growth Contributor].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>※ You have obtained the following privilege: [Status View].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no particular limit to the number of individuals a growth contributor could affect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the person wasn’t a main character, as long as I contributed to their growth, I would naturally receive some benefit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I hadn’t intended it, if the other party grew as a result of me, the system would grant me authority over them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing too surprising so far, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murmuring quietly to myself, I quickly checked Eric’s status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric Halenber, 18 years old. From the Imperial City of Levinel. Adopted into the Halenber Family at the age of 9. His five core stats: Endurance, Anti-Magic, Technique, Mental Strength, and Eloquence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overall assessment: “A survivalist torn between guilt and self-pity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there was something notable about it, it was the complete lack of any remarkable abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If he was adopted into Halenber at age nine…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the main incident must’ve been about nine years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rummaged through my memory, recalling as many events from the year 1468 as I could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, the headlines of newspaper articles from that year filled my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Putting all that information together, I spoke firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I managed to talk one revenge-driven fool out of it, and now another one’s trying to take up the torch. What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric’s eyes went wide with surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You knew?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What, that you’re from a fallen noble house?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You think a ten-year veteran of MAGA wouldn’t know that much?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Is what I wanted to say, but even I didn’t have every bit of in-game data stored in my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To retrieve the right information at the right time, a proper keyword was necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this case, that keyword had been Eric’s status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eric Vergel. After watching the neighboring Brida Family’s territory collapse into ruin, you came up with a survival strategy—adoption.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t particularly surprising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an empire with a history spanning hundreds of years, such cases were far from rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I hadn’t expected he would actually knock on the door of the very family that destroyed his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Eric continued to remain silent, I asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, what are you planning to do now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I suppose you don’t mean to say your choice back then was all a setup for this moment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric glanced off into the distance as if recalling those days, then looked back at me with a hardened expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I merely chose the best means of survival available to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Well, I suppose that makes sense. A family like Halenber, capable of destroying their own kin so easily, wouldn’t exactly be at risk of collapse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He silently nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There was a time when I desperately wanted to become one of them. I thought that was the only option left to me. But then…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…After watching Francia and you, I realized something. Maybe I had other choices too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fierce smile spread across Eric’s lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This time, I won’t make a mistake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was his conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was willing to become an internal whistleblower to correct the mistakes of his past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In response, I leaned back slightly and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Doing this won’t make Francia look at you differently, you know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, it’s not like I’m doing it for her to acknowledge me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Is that so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it the same for you, Instructor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You sure do have a smooth tongue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not as much as you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh — it felt like he’d hit the nail on the head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric chuckled faintly too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, it was nearly 7:30.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clapped my hands lightly and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You pass, Candidate No. 17.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Pass?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You wanted me to expose Karbenna’s drug situation during the meeting, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Eric looked at me with a still-confused expression, I drove the final nail in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll take responsibility for the whole thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, he hadn’t been sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d chosen this person out of necessity — because there was no one else he could rely on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, he had a faint sense of expectation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, despite his many missteps, the man who had achieved results and brought about change was none other than Eugene Carter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was undoubtedly thanks to him that Francia — once thought unchangeable — had bloomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hadn’t taken long for that faint expectation to solidify into conviction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling how he’d ended up spilling his entire past without realizing it, Eric let out a hollow laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah… really, it’s strange.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he secretly cast some sort of confession spell on me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking such thoughts, Eric made his way toward the parade ground near Building D when a familiar voice called out from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, Eric!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was his close friend, Billy Gray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The usual companion, Philip Petra, was nowhere to be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where’d Philip run off to? You walking around alone today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He said he needed to hit the bathroom for a bit…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric responded half-heartedly and quickened his pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few minutes passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Billy, who had been quietly following behind, suddenly apologized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um… sorry, Eric.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric, debating whether to ignore him, replied without even turning his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For what.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For leaving you back then. Philip probably feels the same way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just… wanted things to go back to how they used to be, you know? But my family keeps pressuring me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He probably thought that was a reasonable explanation, but to Eric, it was nothing but empty noise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There’s no point in saying more — it’ll just tire me out.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he turned his head slightly and left him with a single line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just stay away from me. You’ll thank me later when you don’t get dragged into something ugly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eric…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I warned you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time they reached the parade ground, most of the cadets had already gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having learned their lesson from the rough orientation, everyone was quietly waiting for the instructor to arrive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, a few murmurs briefly rippled through the group when Eric showed up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he descended with an indifferent look, his eyes met Francia’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two exchanged a silent, wordless greeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, Philip came running breathlessly into the parade ground, marking the full attendance of Class 3, Year 2.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At exactly 8:00, Eugene Carter appeared once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“B–Bena Ribenia!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Class president Chloe, already on edge, was the first to raise her hand in salute, prompting the rest to follow in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s enough. I’m not gonna eat you lot alive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Eugene waved his hand dismissively, the cadets hesitated, glanced around, and cautiously lowered theirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slowly circled around, scanning each candidate’s face one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the faint, nervous sounds of breathing broke the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long pause, Eugene nodded in satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now you’re finally starting to look like soldiers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, considering how brutally I’d drilled them since day one, it would’ve been stranger if they weren’t mentally fortified by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Loosen up your bodies a bit, then we’ll begin the proper training.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, they were still far from ready, these little brats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From now on, follow my movements precisely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a cold smile, Eugene assumed the first position of the PT exercise routine.\u003C\u002Fp>",1809,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.613Z",1,"novelbin.me","ffb990110ba97a51ffe291365434818f7cdcd312778ee766be13e865d05eca8e","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-36","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-34",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]