[{"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-66":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},1531673,1990,"Chapter 66 : Three Hands (3)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-66",66,"\u003Cp>Chapter 66: Three Hands (3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because there had been too much luggage, we arrived about an hour later than expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where should we move these to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, those? Just leave them with the Karbenna servants….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could even finish speaking, the coachmen had already lifted all the sacks of artifacts into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No matter how many times I see it, I can’t get used to it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that the norm at the Magic Tower?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, after moving all the artifacts we’d brought to the front of the Karbenna Church Vault, I sent the coachmen back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can finally take a breather.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric’s forehead was already beaded with sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, I needed to finish the handover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are all those?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we were about to move, a burly figure strode toward us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Frederick Lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two immediately saluted him, and I belatedly raised my hand as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s enough. Just explain what all this is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re artifacts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…All of this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick peeked into the sacks filled to the brim with items and let out a dry chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shameless bastards. When they begged for artifact support, they whined about not having any themselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, we always complain about lacking budget too, don’t we?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s only because that cheapskate Dale never loosens his purse strings.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I stood there with my arms crossed and a bored look on my face, Frederick’s brow slowly furrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t tell me you’ve been ‘inspired’ after a few days at the Magic Tower?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not. I simply made a mutually beneficial proposal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Proposal, huh… Hearing that word from your mouth always makes me uneasy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t need to worry this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but I only responded with a pleasant grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the two of us continued our little war of nerves, Rubia, clearly fed up, tugged Eric’s sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll be on our way then, Sir Eugene.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ah, yes. I’ll see you soon. Eric!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m counting on you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sounded like a request, but in truth, it was closer to a threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric knew that well, so he just gave a wry smile and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His resigned gaze was almost pitiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sending the two off, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once they had completely disappeared from sight, Frederick went straight to the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How about being honest for a change, Carter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’m not sure what you mean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the cadets were in class, and the professors were either in lectures or attending the Faculty Meeting. There wasn’t a single soul near the church vault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sharp glare, Frederick asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The accident that happened during the operation area transfer… it wasn’t caused by beasts, was it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Frederick strike right at the heart of it, my first thought was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Walter’s surprisingly tight-lipped.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought everything would’ve been exposed by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Frederick already knew the full story, I didn’t intend to blame him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He and Walter must have bonded naturally in the process of saving Michel, who’d nearly died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lot had happened lately. It was only natural for emotions to be running high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walter, being in that state, could’ve easily let something slip by mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Or… is he asking this to test me?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To see whose side I’m on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If that’s the case, there’s no reason not to play along.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Placing a hand on my hip, I asked calmly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What makes you think that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick snorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you take me for a fool? This region sees less than one hostile beast appearance per month. And even then, they’re all below B-rank.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And yet, you’re telling me something strong enough to inflict that much damage just happened to appear there? Do you really expect me to buy that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d gotten a lot sharper than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it the Karbenna experience rubbing off on him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I feigned ignorance and replied smoothly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must’ve checked the old reports about the spawn rate. We encountered five A-rank beasts. Running away was the best option.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nonsense. Then why was the training carried out as normal? And why were there no beast sightings afterward?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why fabricate beasts and then contact the Magic Tower? Who’s the one pulling your strings?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been ready to retort, ‘Even after seeing Rubia injured, you still say that?’—but his words caught me off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…So that’s where his mind went, huh?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, from Frederick’s point of view, it wasn’t an unreasonable assumption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eugene Carter, who had secluded himself for so long, suddenly returned and began taking bold actions one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t strange to assume there was someone giving me orders behind the scenes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Maybe I should let him keep that misconception for now.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick Lake—a devout believer in system and order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, a man of principle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he personally disliked me, given that Michel had been driven into this situation, he couldn’t openly antagonize someone who had helped save her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the ‘backer’ I ought to hint at right now was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There’s a perfect candidate for that.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a resolute expression, I said vaguely,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick’s suspicion only deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For now, let’s leave it as a sealed matter. You’ll find out soon enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Soon enough?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The summit begins tomorrow, doesn’t it? Everything will be clear then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t tell me—Edel Ribe—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I placed my index finger against my lips and gave a faint smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick rubbed his forehead, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those two archrivals cooperating… is that even possible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re free to believe whatever you want, Dean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well then, the bait was set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, all that was left was to wait and see how he would move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pretending to look around cautiously, I gave a light tap on the sacks of artifacts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please take good care of these. They’re a token of goodwill from the Magic Tower.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, Carter! I’m not done talking—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I waved a hand without turning back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A quiet laugh escaped me, and after clearing my throat, I looked up toward the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a clear, bright morning without a single cloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he parted ways with the Magic Tower members, Eric Halenber headed straight to his private room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the public hearing concluded, a storm of inspections would sweep through Karbenna.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially those related to the Hockma Incident, and anyone even remotely associated with them—there would be much stricter investigations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He considered warning Billy and Philip, but decided against it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Those guys will find a way to save their own skins.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they didn’t, they had families. In the worst case, they could always cling to their parents like they always did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for me, I only needed to focus on my own survival—just as I always had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that was something to worry about after the summit anyway….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hoo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric sighed as he stared at the Tebrel Orb sitting on the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this evening, his father would be heading back to the main estate with key figures of the Bernhardt Family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Imperial Summit would proceed continuously for several days, there would be no time left to persuade him later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like Instructor Carter had said—if he was going to do it, now was the only chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already thought it through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no point in thinking anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘From now on, it’s Father’s turn to worry, not mine.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his resolve firm, Eric infused mana into the Tebrel Orb and waited for a response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He expected to wait at least thirty minutes, but the reply came much sooner than anticipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The orb instantly flickered into a violet hue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“State your business briefly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold, heavy voice resonated from within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the sound of his father’s chilling tone, goosebumps rippled down Eric’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lips trembled with tension, and cold sweat ran down his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flooded by memories, his mind went blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why aren’t you speaking?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should I do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I just exchange greetings?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s too late anyway—the downfall of the Halenber Family can’t be stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever happens to that damned father of mine, it’s none of my concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether Halenber falls or not, it has nothing to do with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could just keep my head down and, when things got bad, request protection for myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he repeated these excuses in his mind, Eric’s lips trembled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to speak, a voice that shouldn’t have been audible reached his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Are you running away again?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Francia’s voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had spent his entire life running, giving up, and compromising to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he did the same thing again this time—then the words he had once said to that guy would mean nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Eric stayed silent, Jeff let out a deep sigh of frustration on the other end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a waste of time. Your punishment for this matter will be decided after the summit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as his father was about to cut the connection—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, that won’t be necessary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words he should have said long ago finally rose up from his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s all over, Father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Hockma Distribution will be exposed at the Imperial Summit. There’s no escape for us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying it, Eric rubbed his forehead and swallowed a sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I really did it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now there was truly no turning back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever happens, I’ll see it through to the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the silence from his father dragged on, Eric swallowed hard, eyes widening in anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About three minutes passed before—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……Who is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long pause, Jeff Halenber finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t tell me… it’s Eugene Carter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric flinched for a moment but quickly steadied himself and asked back calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does that matter right now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You may be a fool, but you’re not so stupid as to make such a reckless choice on your own. Someone must have influenced you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know what scheme you’re mixed up in… but stop it, son. That’s an order.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A while ago, just hearing that word would’ve made Eric freeze in fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, in more ways than one, Eric Halenber had nothing left to lose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s too late. It’s already out of my hands. No matter what you do to me, the exposure can’t be stopped.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A heavy sigh came from the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hah. I thought you, at least, had some sense of self-interest. I was mistaken. Let me ask one thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you gain from this? What profit could possibly come out of doing something like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, it’s always about that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric shook his head toward the unseen figure and answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Profit, gain… You’ll never understand me if that’s all you can think about.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And if you’re going to calculate profit and loss, you should’ve done it properly. Even if there’s no profit, you should at least minimize the loss, don’t you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… Are you lecturing your own father right now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Think whatever you want.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having seized the initiative, Eric ignored Jeff’s words and began to conclude the conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The only way for the Halenber Family to survive now is through whistleblowing. And the only person in the Empire who can do that—is you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s all I have to say. Then…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you for everything… Father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swallowed the final words and cut off the mana flow to the orb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, the Tebrel Orb’s glow completely faded away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Eric rose from his seat and left his private room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the window, the sky was clear, without a single cloud.\u003C\u002Fp>",1946,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.334Z",1,"novelbin.me","13d635d7d499c9dd6d87c6674dd4223c1f0d52c79fb3827e3521b4a5236b3b68","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-67","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-65",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]