I Became the Academy’s War Hero Chapter 33

Tap, tap.

On the way to the Chairwoman’s office.

Michel Bernhardt had been deep in thought the entire time.

Several faces flashed quickly through her mind.

The last one that lingered bore the image of Eugene Carter.

‘…A strange man.’

At first, she had thought he was simply hiding his true intentions.

Anyone would have drawn the same conclusion.

He talked about being content and at peace, yet his actions were nothing short of radical.

Still, the more she tried to infer his true motives, the more puzzling it became.

Why was he forcing such a drastic transformation?

‘As if he wants to say that the commander and reformer, Eugene Carter, isn’t dead yet….’

But who was he trying to appeal to?

‘If he’s trying to appeal to the Imperial Court, he’s got the wrong address.’

The current field training exercise they were pushing forward benefited Karbenna far more than the Imperial Court or the Special Task Force.

After all, Karbenna was taking the lead, and the Special Task Force merely provided support—at least, that’s what the plan strongly implied.

And besides—

The greater Karbenna’s involvement, the more advantageous it became for Michel herself.

Had she not been actively supporting Eugene Carter, the training schedule would have been delayed until after the conference—just as Dale had intended.

Just as the previous meeting had been an inquiry for Eugene, the upcoming Imperial-hosted conference was no different for Michel.

She was already isolated, cornered on all sides.

Her standing within the Bernhardt Family was shaky, her recent performance unimpressive, and her relationship with the Third Princess was at its worst.

Her immediate goal was to achieve tangible results before the conference.

With less than a month left to find a breakthrough, she was on edge—and in that state, Eugene Carter was a complete enigma.

Who could have predicted that the war hero who returned after seven years would suddenly take the lead so aggressively?

Michel pressed her lips tightly together and swallowed her sigh.

He had claimed earlier to have connections in the Special Task Force, but the likelihood of that being true was slim.

He wasn’t appealing to them. That much was certain.

Then, who exactly was he trying to appeal to?

“……”

She recalled the look in Eugene’s eyes right before he spoke.

It had been a gaze filled with unwavering trust.

As if to say, I believe in you.

“You believe in me, huh….”

So, you’re asking me to believe in you too?

Why?

Because we’re in the same boat?

We’re both the outcasts of our families—the revolutionaries.

Rather than conforming to the system, we sought to resist it, and as a result, loneliness became our only companion.

We fought desperately to survive, yet our end would be far from pleasant; all the credit and achievements we earned would inevitably go to our rivals.

We’d hand over the best seats to the most foolish of men, fall behind the herd, and eventually fade away—forgotten by all.

Even so, Michel neither affirmed nor denied the look in Eugene’s eyes.

Though they might share the same plight, there was still a stark and undeniable difference between the Carter Family and the Bernhardt Family—so vast that comparison felt almost embarrassing.

Even if we are of the same kind, shouldn’t we at least match in rank?

“…So, work harder, Carter.”

Solidarity between kindred spirits was fine in theory, but it was still too soon for that.

The opponents they faced weren’t so easily toppled by mere resolve.

While such thoughts swirled through her mind, she realized she had arrived at the Chairwoman’s office.

There was no point in drawing conclusions yet. Until she understood his true intent, she couldn’t afford to lower her guard. That, for Michel Bernhardt, was the best way to survive.

Click!

After entering her private room and locking the door, Michel carefully pulled out a box that contained her most critical assets.

She undid six layers of locking magic one by one and, finally, used the silver key she always carried to open the last lock.

Inside were four neatly arranged items.

That same evening, precisely at 20:00.

Eric Halenber was on his way to the Cadet Commander’s office alone.

Although it was officially under the pretext of a “regular consultation,” his true reason for the visit was different.

‘Well… I guess you could still call it a kind of consultation.’

Knock knock—

“Eric Halenber, requesting permission to enter the Cadet Commander’s office.”

After knocking, a deep voice echoed from within.

When he opened the door and stepped inside, he was greeted by several familiar faces.

‘Everyone’s here—except for one.’

Finding an empty spot on the sofa, he sat down.

Once Eric had arrived, all the members were finally present at the briefing location. The Cadet Commander, Orwell Plezens, cleared his throat and cast a soundproofing spell.

“Ahem.”

A silent signal that whatever was about to be discussed was never to be spoken of outside these walls.

At the same time, the nine code holders present took out their respective insignias.

Eric drew out his own—the violet pendant that symbolized House Halenber.

With practiced precision, Orwell flicked his wand.

The light that burst forth scanned and clung to the nine insignias, recognizing the engravings on each.

As the glow passed over his pendant, Eric let out a small sigh of admiration.

‘His identification magic is still as sharp as ever.’

With that, the basic verification process was complete.

It might have been nice to exchange a few lighthearted jokes since it had been a while since everyone last gathered, but the Cadet Commander gave them no such chance.

“Let’s begin the briefing right away.”

For Eric, the contents were already familiar—nothing too different from what he knew.

However, since there were three members with no field experience, the Cadet Commander continued with a fairly detailed explanation.

“To prevent any unexpected variables, all personnel must return via the designated route after completing the mission.”

Next came the import schedule, but—

The moment Orwell tried to move on, two cadets immediately raised their hands.

“What should we do if we encounter unauthorized personnel on our way back?”

“Should we eliminate them?”

“…Hah.”

Eager little bastards.

He considered saying something, but Eric merely kept his mouth shut.

There was nothing to gain from stepping in here.

Instead, another cadet scoffed at the perfect moment.

“Eliminate them? What do you think this is, an assassination mission?”

Among them, the second most experienced was a fifth-year female student.

“There’s nothing good that comes from making things complicated, got it? Either hide fast or run.”

“Ah….”

“In the worst-case scenario, you know you have to hide the Hokhma first, right? If you get caught later, not even the professors will be able to cover for you, so handle yourselves properly.”

Once the fifth-year finished her near-warning-level advice, the two new cadets who had asked questions shut their mouths awkwardly.

As soon as the Cadet Commander saw that there were no further questions, he continued.

“The deliveries will be divided into three sessions. Tonight at midnight, tomorrow at midnight, and the night after—three days total.”

“Three times?”

“Must be quite a large amount.”

While the members murmured among themselves, Orwell pointed at two people with both hands.

“Tonight at midnight, Eric and Lianna—you two will go.”

“……”

“No problem, right?”

“…Yes.”

With a slight nod, Eric cast a glance at Lianna, who was sitting across from him.

First batch, and paired with that rookie? Just my luck.

Still, as they say, better to get it over with early. Sometimes being first isn’t so bad.

Think positively.

Once this broker job is done, I’ll be completely done with smuggling for good.

Eric steadied his uneasy heart with that thought.

The Cadet Commander then named the second and third delivery groups.

After finishing the basic briefing, Orwell left them with a final warning.

“I doubt anyone would, but make sure none of you try to pocket any of the goods. Unless you’re eager to be expelled, that is. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

Hearing their loud responses, the Cadet Commander gave a satisfied nod and a faint smile.

“Alright. Everyone dismissed.”

While the meeting inside the Cadet Commander’s office was in full swing—

Lea Bronte was hiding behind a nearby ornament, quietly observing the situation.

The moment her class had ended at 17:00, she began tailing one of the prime broker suspects—Eric Halenber.

And the result was this situation.

She hadn’t managed to see him go in with her own eyes, but she was certain there were several others inside the Cadet Commander’s office besides Eric.

Lea glanced at her wristwatch.

There was still more than an hour before curfew and lights-out.

If she could just find out his next destination, it would make tailing him later much easier.

With that thought, she tried pressing her ear closer to the main door—but as expected, she heard nothing.

‘Definitely soundproof magic.’

What on earth were they discussing that required a soundproof spell?

A regular candidate consultation with the Cadet Commander?

No way.

‘This time, I’ll expose everything. Starting with how many insiders there are….’

Muttering to herself in the corner, Lea clenched her fists tightly.

Step, step.

Was it because her field of vision had narrowed from focusing too hard, or because she was too deeply concentrated—

She didn’t notice the mysterious figure approaching her at all.

“What are you doing here, Lea Bronte?”

Startled, she couldn’t help but scream when she suddenly saw Eugene Carter’s face appear out of nowhere.

It was a fatal mistake.

She hastily covered her mouth, but the scream had already echoed into the room.

‘…This is bad.’

If she stayed here, she’d be caught for sure.

She had to get out—fast!

Just as she was about to stand, Eugene pushed her gently back down.

Lea whispered in a hushed but urgent voice.

“Let go—please! I’ll explain everything later!”

“That won’t do.”

Assessing the situation in an instant, Eugene carefully moved the ornament aside and spoke firmly.

“Relax your body and breathe as slowly as possible.”

Barely seconds after his instruction, the Cadet Commander’s door suddenly opened.

Eugene walked casually toward the office.

Orwell, stepping out, subtly shut the door behind him, pretending to be startled.

“Well, if it isn’t Instructor Carter.”

“Good to see you again, Cadet Commander.”

“What brings you here?”

“I’m on patrol. Making my rounds.”

“Ah, patrol duty. That explains it.”

Responding casually, Orwell’s sharp eyes darted toward the distant ornament.

By then, he had already activated a detection spell.

The flow of all nearby mana was vividly reflected in his eyes.

‘Too strong to be from an artifact, yet too weak to be from a human… ambiguous.’

Just as he began to step closer to check—

Eugene, as if waiting for the right moment, quickly spoke up.

“Were you meeting with the candidates, sir?”

At that, Orwell hastily stepped back and blocked the doorway.

“Ah, no, I was just about to head back to the dorms.”

He tried to sound calm, but the slight tremor in his voice betrayed him.

Seeing that, Eugene gave a faint smile.

“Then let’s go together. I’ve just about finished my patrol.”

“……”

Suspicious as it was, even if someone had been tailing him, there’d be no evidence left.

Right now, it was more important not to draw Carter’s suspicion.

“The dorms are this way, right?”

“Ah—y-yes, let’s go.”

The Cadet Commander walked ahead down the opposite corridor.

Following behind, Eugene turned back once and gave Lea a subtle signal with his eyes.