[{"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-61":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},1531668,1990,"Chapter 61 : Preparing for the Summit (2)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-61",61,"\u003Cp>Chapter 61: Preparing for the Summit (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much longer are we supposed to wait?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told you already. We haven’t received permission from inside yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I clearly mentioned Eugene Carter’s name! And you’re saying it’s been three hours and still no authorization?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haa… please wait just a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thin man who had guided Eugene earlier shook his head in exasperation and left the reception room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Left alone, Walter Clark began pacing around the room, sighing heavily as if his patience was wearing thin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric, who had been waiting quietly in the corner, asked awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are we still supposed to wait?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I knew I shouldn’t have trusted that Carter brat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell was he even doing on such a precious weekend? Damn it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All Eugene had said was to bring Eric Halenber to the Magic Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, as a teacher, Walter had a sense of duty — if he accepted a request, he should see it through to the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he had been waiting for the Magic Tower’s response… but his patience was reaching its limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You stay here. I’ll go out and see what the hell is going on—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, as if on cue, the door swung open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoa!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They almost collided, but the man didn’t even offer an apology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he handed Walter a visitor’s permit and gave a shallow bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you lose this, it’ll be troublesome, so please keep it safe. Now, follow me this way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing how obviously eager the man was to finish his work and go home only made Walter more irritable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, knowing there was nothing to gain by picking a fight, he bit down the urge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I only came here to escort this student…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re Walter Clark, correct?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eugene Carter left a message requesting that you come along as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Walter, who had been inching backward, froze on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Carter did?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place they were led to was an arena on the third basement floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the center of the stage, a symphony of sounds echoed from multiple directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at its heart, Eugene Carter was skillfully fending off the attacks of two magicians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a dazzling display of offense and defense — an overwhelming performance that drew a gasp from Walter before he even realized it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…He’s taking all those ranged spells so effortlessly.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number of spells wasn’t everything, of course, but judging by their power, none of them were weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally so — for those from the Magic Tower, real-combat spells were as basic as breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were the kind who mastered all four elemental schools of magic as part of Karbenna’s standard novice curriculum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Tower prioritized academic value and research results over practicality, it was still recognized as the world’s third major power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There could be no doubt about the skill of its magicians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The puzzling one, rather, was Eugene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walter’s gaze shifted to the small shield in Eugene’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…What’s that?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His swift movements and flawless swordsmanship alone deflected half the attacks, but the remaining half were still coming through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of Rubia’s main techniques, Frozen Spear, was powerful enough to bruise with just a graze — a single hit could easily turn fatal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, Eugene’s shield was blocking every remaining attack — though Walter couldn’t, for the life of him, figure out how.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tiiing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some spells didn’t even touch the shield, yet they bounced away with a sharp clang, as if there was an invisible barrier in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Could it be?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prolonged clash ended abruptly at Meriel’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The guest you mentioned earlier seems to have arrived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she lowered her wand first, Rubia soon stopped casting as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the duel was confirmed to be over, Eugene laid down his shield and sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re later than I expected.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They just wouldn’t let us in. We waited three hours, can you believe it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walter slung an arm over the awkwardly standing Eric’s shoulders with a grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, what did you call me for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s something I want you to deliver to Karbenna… more precisely, to the Chairwoman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Why do I feel this is going to be bad? Can’t I just not do it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Eugene glanced toward Meriel, she took out a small envelope from her coat and handed it over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A declaration of war.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warlike smile that followed was just a bonus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that same time, in the Master of the Magic Tower’s chamber—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the wide, empty room, Gustav paced back and forth, swallowing hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lips moved incessantly, betraying his anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Maybe I shouldn’t have signed off on it, even with an excuse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No — there was no such thing as an excuse that could free one from that slippery bastard, Carter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one didn’t exist, he would create it, twisting the situation to his advantage. That was the kind of man Eugene Carter was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that they were already acting in alliance, there was no option but to cooperate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, the balance of power leaned heavily to one side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carter had nothing left to lose after the incident seven years ago, whereas Gustav had accumulated much since then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…This won’t do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to secure an escape route, no matter what.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Carter’s plan succeeded and Gustav managed to keep his position as Master of the Tower, that would be ideal — but if things went wrong, he would be the first to be discarded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no harm in preparing a Plan B.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Gustav began thinking of which factions might take him in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Let’s list them in order of influence.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the Imperial Court — the undisputed First Power of the Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…But the Court was not fond of the Magic Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The issue with the Ribenian Orthodox Faith was part of it, but the tax issue was an even greater factor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Swenor Accord of 1389, the Tower under the Duel branch had been exempt from taxation by imperial decree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…What about reestablishing ties with the Bernhardt Family?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That possibility was slim as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The relationship between the Bernhardt and Mallet lineages had never been good to begin with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That emotion’s gap had been something Michel Bernhardt, the current Chairwoman of Karbenna, had tried to narrow with some effort, but there were no notable results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was, from the start, the Bernhardt scion with the weakest standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if relations had been relatively amicable, the outcome would not have been much different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To them, there was no such thing as a losing deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this case they would surely demand that Mallet turn over all the data and technology he had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In such a situation, would they do a favor for Eugene — a Special Task Force alumnus — and Michel, an outsider of the Bernhardts?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would practically be the same as writing, “Please intervene with Mallet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…So that’s why Carter mentioned Dellowell back then.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, no matter how much influence Bernhardt had, she could not mobilize Dellowell immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only power capable of that was the Imperial Court, but the Court was currently embroiled in a three-way struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any move would inevitably spark conflicts of opinion, and time would naturally be delayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it would happen eventually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they failed to persuade the royal house, they still had the parliament as a last resort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So a clash is unavoidable, then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If so, one had to win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gustav sighed deeply and gazed down at the envelope and papers on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Better to be remembered as a resistor than as a scarecrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it would be enough to be remembered as a resistor who fell opposing Bernhardt’s outrage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the conclusion reached, there was no more hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat down and began to write quickly with a pen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the end he wrote the following line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘To the head of the Arta family, Kali Arta’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early the next morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick Lake had been summoned suddenly and had to go straight to the Chairwoman’s office without stopping by Academic Affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There have been a lot of summonses recently….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conversation never lasted longer than five minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most questions were formalities: how were the faculty doing, and were the summit preparations going smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Questions simple enough that someone else could have answered them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt both puzzled and a little sympathetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘She herself must not be confident.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whom to trust, who would become one’s ally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick himself, strictly speaking, was in a neutral position and often felt uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now she appeared isolated — the underdog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Michel Bernhardt was not a woman who would simply submit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘When she becomes strong again, she’ll whip them before anyone remembers this moment….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he needed to judge even more carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This decision could affect not only the remainder of his teaching career but also his later years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of the servants who were supposed to guard the door could be seen anywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unperturbed, Frederick knocked and then opened the door wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knock—knock—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the Dean, Chairwoman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michel continued with the paperwork she always did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There aren’t any servants outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They all took sudden leave together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She replied without lifting her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No news from Instructor Carter since then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ah, no. That’s all he reported at the time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had said the vanguard was moving into the operation area when a beast suddenly attacked, and during the response Professor Rubia Magnus had been injured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They judged that proper treatment could not be conducted in Karbenna and would head to the Magic Tower for care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…That was the message he left through Walter Clark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michel set her pen down for a moment, leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So Eugene Carter went to the Magic Tower… How should we interpret that, Frederick?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d take it at face value. To treat Professor Magnus….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To storm Mallet alone just to treat one professor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Were those two that close?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…They probably weren’t. There wouldn’t have been a reason.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And if treatment were the only purpose, there’d be no reason he hadn’t returned yet. He only needed to hand things over properly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick’s ambiguous answer drew a faint smile from Michel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems our Instructor Carter is in quite a hurry. I wonder what he’s rushing for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Rushing? Carter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he were out to settle an old grudge, he would have taken more time and proceeded step by step.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t follow what you mean…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick didn’t understand, and she offered no further explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michel quickly organized the hypotheses in her head and slowly opened her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are the current briefings prepared?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He straightened his posture and nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The preparations are complete, but there are still parts that need review.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay. Finish them by tomorrow and bring them back. How are preparations for the special training going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What preparations are there? It’s just showing that arrogant brat a bitter taste.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was Frederick’s honest feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t displeased with the fellow’s return per se.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But malice from the past didn’t dissipate so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eugene Carter remained, for him, a rival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this opportunity allowed a decisive demonstration of the gap and convinced him that the brat was truly chastened, then the matter could be settled by employing him later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore Frederick had no intention of going easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more overwhelming the performance, the better it would be for Karbenna’s reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t the Chairwoman instruct you to proceed that way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She did.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she had changed her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She spoke firmly to the puzzled Frederick, who was about to cock his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not just not going easy — you won’t be able to stop Instructor Carter as he is now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you mean…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michel’s expression turned colder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Prepare to kill. Then it will be a good match.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1976,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.334Z",1,"novelbin.me","e0a498378f5a34553e67c04fa22a7031330921b04c5bb389a0518c429fec0b50","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-62","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-60",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]