[{"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-6":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},1531713,1990,"Chapter 6 : If You Want to Resort to Force (1)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-6",6,"\u003Cp>Chapter 6: If You Want to Resort to Force (1)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That same evening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the professors, having finished dinner, were heading toward the Special Training Hall located beneath Building F.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>News that Eugene Carter had caused quite a stir in the Academic Affairs Office had already spread like wildfire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And along with it, the story that a small welcoming ceremony had been prepared to commemorate his appointment as an instructor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I didn’t expect that welcoming ceremony to turn out to be a monster suppression demonstration, though.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick Lake, one of the people involved, sat in the audience seats of the training hall with a bitter look on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he glanced around, he saw many familiar faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heads of each faculty and department, directors and chiefs of major divisions—nearly every influential figure who led Karbenna seemed to be gathered here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, there were few ordinary instructors present, most of them being people who had some form of connection, big or small, with Eugene Carter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubia Magnus, the one responsible for that morning’s uproar, sat in the third row on the opposite side, unable to hide her constant look of worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Frederick was observing his colleagues who had gathered in the hall, a cynical voice came from behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My apologies for not informing you beforehand, Director.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah… it’s you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owell Pleasance. His rank—Cadet Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man sat one seat away from Frederick and slightly bowed his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We couldn’t just let some half-baked fellow run wild in Karbenna, could we?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So it was you who made the proposal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. We need to show that this place isn’t one to be trifled with.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he said that confidently, even the Cadet Commander himself hadn’t expected things to go this smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He and a few others had merely made a brief suggestion to the Chairwoman the previous day, thinking there was nothing to lose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I thought she’d refuse right away, but she surprisingly accepted without hesitation.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because she knew her influence within Karbenna was gradually shrinking?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or perhaps, even that stubborn woman found Eugene Carter’s presence rather bothersome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…If that’s the case, it’s strange.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, it was none other than her who decided to bring that man into Karbenna.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What on earth are you thinking, Michel Bernhardt?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Frederick—whom Owell had thought would be on his side—was wearing a consistently indifferent expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Owell cautiously leaned in and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Surely you’re not worried about him just because he’s your former student, are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick exhaled sharply through his nose and jerked his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph, of course not. If anything, this is good. That brat needs a wake-up call. He was bound to get crushed sooner or later anyway… might as well happen now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, of course. That’s why you’re the Director of Academic Affairs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owell smirked as he looked down at the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s about time, so I’ll head down. I should brief the instructors on the situation as well…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, I’ll see you later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Cadet Commander began to descend the stairs—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick’s voice stopped him in his tracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’d be best not to underestimate Carter too much, Cadet Commander.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What do you mean by that, sir?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly what I said.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick let out a short laugh and added quietly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not the only one who sees this as an opportunity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, nearly fifty spectators had gathered inside the Special Training Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michel Bernhardt arrived at exactly seven o’clock sharp. Ignoring the stares directed at her, she went straight to the end of the seating row and sat down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those seated nearby quickly sensed the tension and discreetly moved away, leaving no other instructors within a ten-meter radius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She thought she’d be able to watch quietly like that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—but before long, Frederick appeared in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Excuse me for a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had originally planned to observe from afar, but since he had questions to ask, he decided to move closer to the Chairwoman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michel didn’t even nod. She simply continued staring at the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick also stayed silent for a while before cautiously asking just one question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m curious why you decided to accept Carter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because he’s someone Karbenna needs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had expected her to keep silent, yet she answered immediately—though it wasn’t exactly a helpful answer for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Specifically… in what way do you think he’s necessary?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Public interest, reputation, tactical capability, curriculum enhancement, external relations, and so on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As Director of Academic Affairs, shouldn’t you be capable of assessing that much on your own? I don’t see why you’d bother asking the Chairwoman about something so trivial.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That was a slip of the tongue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick bowed apologetically, then spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if you think Carter is that important, why allow something like this? He’s bound to be humiliated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well. We’ll see about that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all she said before closing her mouth tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to press further, but he knew she wouldn’t answer even if he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Frederick awkwardly scratched his forehead and turned his gaze toward the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The murmuring around them grew louder with each passing minute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the noise was reaching its peak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—the star of tonight’s welcome ceremony finally appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the professors who saw him for the first time were struck speechless by Eugene Carter’s entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey… look at that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within Karbenna, the name Eugene Carter was almost legendary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some even argued that the most important figure in Karbenna’s history was none other than him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had been rumors that he’d been completely broken after that incident, but most dismissed them as the usual exaggeration from the Special Task Forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the scene before their eyes was far worse than any rumor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone could see that his body was ruined—he seemed to struggle even to walk—and the once-surging mana that had filled his entire being was now so faint that it couldn’t even be sensed from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He returned in that state? To this hellhole of a place, Karbenna? What kind of confidence did that take?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like most of those present, Nigel Irwin—the one who would face him on stage—was thinking the same thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I’m not sure this is a good idea.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He brushed his long, braided hair and swallowed hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Empire’s greatest beast tamer and the second authority in monster ecology, he was one of the most respected professors in Karbenna.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had remained neutral despite the endless factional strife, maintaining an independent path for over five years, earning even the Bernhardt faction’s acknowledgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he had nothing to worry about—no factions to appease, no politics to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the next three years, he could finally focus solely on research and teaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the mindset with which he had begun the new semester.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when this sudden proposal came his way, it had caught him completely off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the conversation he had with Cadet Commander Owell Pleasance, Nigel let out a faint sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eugene Carter’s very existence is an insult to the professors of Karbenna! We can’t possibly allow someone like him to walk around here as if he belongs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As far as I know, he wasn’t that kind of person… but why tell me this? Isn’t the appointment of instructors entirely up to the Chairwoman and the Academic Affairs Office?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We tried to oppose it, of course… but it seems they never intended to hear our opinions in the first place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So at the very least, we intend to give that arrogant Carter fellow a warning. To let him know Karbenna isn’t as lenient a place as he might think.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…And so you’re asking for my help?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Precisely. To an old soldier, a monster would be a trauma in itself, wouldn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, it seemed they only wanted to use him to humiliate someone they disliked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He considered refusing, but the budget issue—something those people tightly controlled within Karbenna—made Nigel lower his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The funding for monster ecology had been decreasing every year; he couldn’t afford to think only of himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well, I’ll just give him a little scare and be done with it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having reached that conclusion, Nigel released his partner-like companion, the D-rank monster Benamaur Red Wolf, onto the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, facing Eugene, who stood diagonally across from him, he shouted firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take it easy and step back when you’ve had enough! I don’t want to see my dear friend hurting a person!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, Professor! Have you forgotten the agreement we made beforehand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cadet Commander—acting as an unofficial referee—persuaded Nigel and pushed him off the stage, then strode toward Eugene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You seem uneasy. Are you all right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cadet Commander grinned openly, but Eugene didn’t even glance his way. He simply drew his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pity. I expected a more extravagant welcome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, pointing his blade at the Red Wolf across from him, he asked quietly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are we not starting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cadet Commander, taken aback by Eugene’s audacious attitude, found himself momentarily speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared blankly at Eugene for a moment before hastily turning to the audience to give a brief explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the content was nothing special.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said that since Eugene Carter was a man of great renown—having achieved numerous feats both in Karbenna and the Special Task Forces—they had prepared this opportunity to “evaluate” him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also added a blatant lie: that Eugene himself had gladly agreed to use a monster as his opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, let’s begin…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without further delay, Owell signaled the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At once, the monster let out its distinctive roar and charged straight at Eugene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eugene, his body still unsteady, raised his sword and deflected the monster’s sharp claws in one swift motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creature skidded across the stage and slammed into the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KWAANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owell and Nigel, who had been watching from the closest distance, both gaped in astonishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What the—?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spectators’ reactions were no different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Eugene had just displayed was beyond comprehension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Michel Bernhardt managed to maintain her poker face, though even she couldn’t completely hide her surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Benamaur Red Wolf. Among D-rank monsters, it was mid-sized—far from large, yet still more than enough to pose a threat to a human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more so if its opponent was a washed-up soldier who had only returned to the field less than a week ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the beast’s behavior had been restricted by its tamer, for someone like Eugene, that should have been a nightmare in itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most had expected him to surrender on the spot—or at least retreat in fear. Yet the sight before them was entirely unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grrr…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster, sprawled on the ground amid a cloud of dust, shook its body and glared back at its opponent with renewed hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching it, Eugene spoke as though addressing it directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Want to go again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruff!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A simple provocation—but the monster lacked the intelligence to ignore it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it possessed relatively high intelligence for a D-rank, a beast was still a beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If attacked, it retaliated—simple as that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Red Wolf lunged once more, raising its left forepaw as it closed in on Eugene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it instinctively realized that its previous attack had been deflected, as a hint of hesitation appeared in its movements mid-charge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It subtly shifted its weight backward, preparing for a second strike—but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too slow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eugene didn’t miss even that fleeting moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Focusing all his mana into his blade’s tip, he slashed upward with full force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieeeek?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood burst forth from the monster’s tough hide.\u003C\u002Fp>",1923,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.613Z",1,"novelbin.me","fb435ca3298e01e61ba724b92e77c59317fb3d9fa54e4e54d16bfec75ce43f19","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-7","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-5",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]