[{"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-97":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},1531704,1990,"Chapter 97 : Centre Agreement (2)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-97",97,"\u003Cp>Chapter 97: Centre Agreement (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I saw it with my own eyes, so why does it feel like an illusion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Same here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Couldn’t agree more, Colonel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Karen Rosefield’s participation completely overturned the course of the suppression battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that they lacked leads—the traces of the enemy were already spread all around. It was just that their forces had reached their limit, unable to quicken the pursuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following Eugene’s advice, they located the point where all those traces converged and surrounded the entire area completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, to ensure they could pursue the target if it tried to flee, they had prepared marker artifacts in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, they succeeded in finding the creature’s lair for beasts not too far from the city outskirts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the outcome after that was a total, one-sided destruction—an absolute victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting atop the corpse of a beast with her legs crossed, Karen ran her blood-soaked red hair through her fingers, brushing it back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the carcasses was Rogis, the A-rank beast that had once driven Eber to hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Had I known it’d be this much, I should’ve asked the commander to call her in sooner.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the Special Task Force members had done their part as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how strong she was, even Karen couldn’t have chased down a high-rank beast that fled with all its might.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why the team’s role in creating a situation where the enemy couldn’t even consider escaping was undeniably significant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even with all that taken into account, her performance was simply overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All that grueling work we did before… now it feels like child’s play.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were more than a hundred combat weapons in the Empire capable of massacring low-rank beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone was remarkable—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a monster capable of doing the same against high-rank beasts?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘At this point, who’s the real beast, damn it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one were to list the strongest figures in the current Empire, her name would have to occupy one of the top spots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even the Special Task Force Commander with the Marksman of Magic Bullets—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nor the Defense Commander famous for the Immortal Iron Wall—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nor Robert Bernhardt, the greatest non-chanting mage—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even Eugene Carter himself, who had regained his full power—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of them could compare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was completely, absurdly overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Belfor looked at her in awe, he noticed his subordinates running toward him from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The entire area has been cleared of beasts, Colonel!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Colonel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, right. Good work. Leave only the minimum number behind and return to the camp. If the commander asks, tell him I’ll have the report compiled and meet him within an hour.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, sir!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once even the subordinates had departed from the area, Belfor cautiously approached Karen to brief her on the current situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So, this operation will soon be concluded.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she heard the word concluded, Karen rose lightly and stepped down from the mountain of corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, my role here is finished now, correct?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. It was a short time, but your assistance was invaluable. On behalf of the soldiers, allow me to express our gratitude, Executor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without even glancing at the saluting Belfor, Karen strode past him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Offer your thanks not to me, Commander, but to the Lord. I merely carried out His will to punish evil.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah… understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll return with my squad. I don’t need to file a separate report, do I?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Of course not. I’ll make sure everything’s handled properly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, I’m leaving.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those were Karen Rosefield’s final words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heavy clatter of armor echoed repeatedly as she departed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching her retreating figure, Belfor muttered quietly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Damn, what charisma.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wednesday morning, during breakfast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was stuffing food into my mouth with my usual blank expression, Walter came rushing in with a flushed face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Carter! Have you heard the news?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You don’t even know what news I’m talking about yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I figured I probably haven’t heard it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Eber Suppression Operation!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I slowly set down my utensils and turned to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know they resumed the operation on Monday. Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walter glanced around, then sat beside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s over! The operation ended early this morning!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What? How?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though I’d provided them with tactical intel, by my estimation, the current strength of the Special Task Force should’ve needed at least a week to finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walter’s answer was enough to make my eyes widen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Apparently… Karen Rosefield joined the operation!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…When?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to the breaking news, around 21:00 last night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walter handed me the morning paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dellowell Inquisition, on Monday the 21st, decided—through an emergency discussion with the Special Task Force—to dispatch a specially formed squad to the operational area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Led by Executor Karen Rosefield, the Special Task Force reportedly eliminated the enemy field commander, Apos Rhino, around 22:00 yesterday, and at 02:00 today, defeated the enemy leader, the A-rank beast Rogis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, after an additional two-hour sweep, they succeeded in annihilating over a hundred beasts around the outskirts of Eber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Operation Commander Colonel Anthony declared the operation’s completion at 04:00 this morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A collaboration between the Special Task Force and Dellowell—now that’s an unusual combination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t mortal enemies like the Magic Tower and the Church, but the Imperial Army and the Orthodox Faith weren’t exactly on friendly terms either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Could be a bit of media play, then.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the Church had lost considerable face during the last summit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stories like this, highlighting their success, would make it much easier to shift public perception—“At least they’re good at purging beasts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or perhaps, this was buildup for the upcoming assimilation operation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I scanned the article, Walter chattered on beside me, his tone brimming with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Karen Rosefield joining a mission outside the Inquisition—that too, all the way up in the northern Eber region! That’s front-page news, Carter!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yeah, it really is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Walter said, Karen wasn’t someone who never engaged in external missions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, her deployment this time was definitely surprising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the Task Force’s perspective, it was only natural to focus on Eber—they’d been humiliated too many times and needed to restore their pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But from Dellowell’s perspective, Eber was nothing more than one of many small northern towns—hardly a place of any significance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without external support, this suppression battle would have ended within ten days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even taking into account the delay caused by the variable named Apos Rhino, two weeks would have been more than enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There shouldn’t have been any reason to deploy someone like Karen for such a battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s what I thought—until a certain possibility crossed my mind, and I quietly smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So they had her loosen up a bit first, huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Loosen up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s… a thing like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the rest of my meal neatly, I asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But… you didn’t come running all this way just for that, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You really do have good instincts, I’ll give you that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walter shook his head in exasperation before whispering softly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He asked if you could spare some time today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Who did?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Special Task Force Commander.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hurriedly preparing to leave with Walter, we boarded the carriage exactly at seven o’clock sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the carriage swung around toward the main gate, Walter tapped on the window with a sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even when I was with the Task Force, I never did this much field work, damn it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He must have something worthwhile for you too if he called both of us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You think so? I hope that’s the case.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Given that relations between Carvena and the Task Force have eased quite a bit, he might be planning to ask us to act as a bridge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A bridge, huh… What, am I supposed to hand out herbal encyclopedias to Task Force soldiers or something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving Walter to grumble to himself, I sank back into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever this summons from the Special Task Force Commander was, it couldn’t be a bad thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lieutenant General Alvin Caldwell never even mentioned, let alone contacted, anyone who wouldn’t be of benefit to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant, in other words, that I was someone advantageous to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering the stance of Lieutenant General Alvin, that could only work in my favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A royalist who supports Edel, holds no grudge against Carvena or Michel, and even maintains a friendly view toward the Magic Tower.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The factor truly fueling my unease lay elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The timing of my possession had lined up perfectly—that was one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, everything was moving too fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far too fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Up until right before the summit, I’d seen this as nothing but an opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this hellishly difficult world, where survival itself was a challenge, time was the most precious resource.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faster I mended relationships, regained my abilities, and resolved each matter—the more advantageous it would be for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then I wondered—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would this world really let me proceed so smoothly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of the choices I’d made, future turning points had all been pushed forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Incidents that should occur months later, disasters that were supposed to happen years down the line—were they now being dragged right to my doorstep?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those thoughts wouldn’t stop surfacing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at the very center of this unease—was none other than Karen Rosefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final of the five main characters to appear, and the strongest combat weapon of them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A heavy assault tank that demolished battlefields with her overwhelming regenerative power and endurance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she had a relative weakness to long-range attacks, her instantaneous mobility and spear-throwing skill more than compensated for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mental-type attacks were meaningless as well, since her Anti-Magic and Faith stats were rated SS and EX respectively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strongest berserker—deemed unmatched in conventional combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the general assessment of Karen as a heroine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hence, in MAGA, she typically appeared in the mid-to-late stages of the playthrough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deploying her from the start would have been far too overpowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—less than a month in, she’d already appeared before the public.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a front-line combatant, no less!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I need to regain my peak form as soon as possible.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, that was the only conclusion I could reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, that was the only thing within my control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Walter mutter beside me, I let out a faint chuckle and began mentally organizing the recent events one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun was just beginning to climb toward its zenith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paaang―!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Centre Central Station was as crowded as ever, bustling with countless travelers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, drawing numerous glances, Karen Rosefield repeatedly checked the train’s departure time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was still over an hour before the scheduled departure at noon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After instructing the nine squad members selected for special deployment to remain on standby, Karen quietly stepped out of the station alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tebrel Orb in her possession had been glowing incessantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice on the other end belonged to Heinrich Peregrine, the Head Inquisitor of Dellowell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good work on the operation, Executor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there another mission?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She went straight to the point, uninterested in pleasantries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a wry laugh, the Head Inquisitor continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, nothing so grand as a mission. It just so happens that an important agreement is set to take place in Centre, where you are now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An agreement?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The agreement to bring Duel Mallet under the Church’s authority.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you attend as an observer, even the followers of the demonic arts who had second thoughts will soon repent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quickly assessing the situation, Karen swept her gaze around and gave a slight nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand what you mean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’ll be at the Armonte Hotel in Centre. I’ve already informed the Archbishop, so you’ll be guided once you arrive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ending the call, she severed the flow of mana and tucked the orb back into her coat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she returned to her waiting subordinates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re to return to Dellowell as planned. The vice-squad leader will take charge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What about you, Executor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s the Head Inquisitor’s order.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that brief answer to the vice-squad leader’s question, she resumed her brisk pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The halberd in her hand, its blade still stained with beast blood, gleamed faintly under the sunlight.\u003C\u002Fp>",2017,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.334Z",1,"novelbin.me","48e9b2027268e18c87aafc6cf442a5d3ab68ba8aefb0a7d58fae703d87198276","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-98","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-96",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]