I Became the Academy’s War Hero Chapter 35

Chapter 35: The Accusers (3) When I kept silent again, Eric, as if guilty of something, hurriedly spoke once more. “There’s something I wish to make public.” “…Make public, huh.” I rubbed my lips and paused for a moment. I could roughly guess what he was getting at. It was the Halenber family, which had secured trading rights over the Albe Sea and established the largest foothold in the Western Port. In that place, which had become a hotbed of smuggling, no family had been more deeply involved in the drug scandal than Halenber. Of course, the best target would be the Bernhardt Family behind them, but they weren’t an easy bunch to deal with. Even the title of “War Hero of the Century” wouldn’t be enough; at least two collaborators would be necessary. Halenber might be easier to approach than Bernhardt, but that didn’t mean they would collapse easily. Still, it wasn’t like they were spotless. There was plenty of room to pry an opening. If I could secure concrete evidence, I could make the issue public whenever I wished… ‘The problem is—why is he the one bringing this up?’ Even if he’d had a change of heart after his match with Francia, it wasn’t normal for someone to come to me wanting to expose his own family’s corruption. ‘I thought he’d at least know I’m not on Bernhardt’s side.’ Rubbing my lips, I let out a small sigh. There was still some time left before class, so perhaps I’d try to test him a bit. “I can decide after hearing it, right?” “The promise comes first.” Despite the tension in his demeanor, his voice was resolute. “You’re quite bold, aren’t you, Halenber’s fledgling? Were you that sure I’d cooperate?” “…Yes.” I smiled faintly, an expression of mild surprise on my face. “Go on, then.” Eric glanced behind him for a moment before continuing. “I understand that you’re very interested in reforming Karbenna.” “Well, that’s true.” “And that you’re also dedicated to strengthening the cadets’ abilities. You’ve already achieved results, too.” “You’re well-informed. Because you were one of the people involved, perhaps?” “…You’re hitting where it hurts.” Even as he said that, Eric’s face looked rather relieved. “You helped Francia, a fallen noble, both materially and mentally, and you’ve been working hard for the Empire’s future in various ways. I thought you could be trusted, Instructor Carter.” “So if it had been anyone else, you wouldn’t have come to ask this favor?” “Yes.” “That’s quite the generous evaluation.” “Is it?” “You never thought all that effort might just be for building my own influence?” “…Even if it is, I don’t mind.” Eric said that and looked at me with eyes full of determination. Well, that drew a small, involuntary laugh from me. What on earth had caused this change in attitude? He was a completely different person from just a week ago. Did something happen between him and Francia in that time? I folded my arms and nodded slowly. “Fine. I’ll cooperate. What do you want me to do?” Eric’s pupils widened for an instant, as if he hadn’t expected me to agree so quickly. Without hesitation, he got straight to the point. “During the upcoming meeting, please expose Karbenna’s drug situation.” “……” “I’ll secure the evidence myself.” For a while, I couldn’t say anything in response to Eric’s proposal. Not because it was Eric Halenber, of all people, who was making such a request—but because of something else entirely. A status window suddenly appeared next to me. ※ You are [Eric Halenber]’s [Growth Contributor]. ※ You have obtained the following privilege: [Status View]. There was no particular limit to the number of individuals a growth contributor could affect. Even if the person wasn’t a main character, as long as I contributed to their growth, I would naturally receive some benefit. Even if I hadn’t intended it, if the other party grew as a result of me, the system would grant me authority over them. Nothing too surprising so far, but… Murmuring quietly to myself, I quickly checked Eric’s status. Eric Halenber, 18 years old. From the Imperial City of Levinel. Adopted into the Halenber Family at the age of 9. His five core stats: Endurance, Anti-Magic, Technique, Mental Strength, and Eloquence. Overall assessment: “A survivalist torn between guilt and self-pity.” If there was something notable about it, it was the complete lack of any remarkable abilities. ‘If he was adopted into Halenber at age nine…’ Then the main incident must’ve been about nine years ago. I rummaged through my memory, recalling as many events from the year 1468 as I could. Before long, the headlines of newspaper articles from that year filled my mind. Putting all that information together, I spoke firmly. “I managed to talk one revenge-driven fool out of it, and now another one’s trying to take up the torch. What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” Eric’s eyes went wide with surprise. “…You knew?” “What, that you’re from a fallen noble house?” “…Yes.” You think a ten-year veteran of MAGA wouldn’t know that much? —Is what I wanted to say, but even I didn’t have every bit of in-game data stored in my head. To retrieve the right information at the right time, a proper keyword was necessary. In this case, that keyword had been Eric’s status. “Eric Vergel. After watching the neighboring Brida Family’s territory collapse into ruin, you came up with a survival strategy—adoption.” It wasn’t particularly surprising. In an empire with a history spanning hundreds of years, such cases were far from rare. But I hadn’t expected he would actually knock on the door of the very family that destroyed his own. As Eric continued to remain silent, I asked again. “So, what are you planning to do now?” “……” “I suppose you don’t mean to say your choice back then was all a setup for this moment?” “Of course not.” Eric glanced off into the distance as if recalling those days, then looked back at me with a hardened expression. “I merely chose the best means of survival available to me.” “…Well, I suppose that makes sense. A family like Halenber, capable of destroying their own kin so easily, wouldn’t exactly be at risk of collapse.” He silently nodded. “There was a time when I desperately wanted to become one of them. I thought that was the only option left to me. But then…” “But then?” “…After watching Francia and you, I realized something. Maybe I had other choices too.” A fierce smile spread across Eric’s lips. “This time, I won’t make a mistake.” That was his conclusion. He was willing to become an internal whistleblower to correct the mistakes of his past. In response, I leaned back slightly and said, “Doing this won’t make Francia look at you differently, you know.” “Well, it’s not like I’m doing it for her to acknowledge me.” “…Is that so.” “Isn’t it the same for you, Instructor?” “You sure do have a smooth tongue.” “Not as much as you.” I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh — it felt like he’d hit the nail on the head. Eric chuckled faintly too. Before long, it was nearly 7:30. I clapped my hands lightly and nodded. “You pass, Candidate No. 17.” “…Pass?” “You wanted me to expose Karbenna’s drug situation during the meeting, right?” As Eric looked at me with a still-confused expression, I drove the final nail in. “I’ll take responsibility for the whole thing.” At first, he hadn’t been sure. He’d chosen this person out of necessity — because there was no one else he could rely on. Still, he had a faint sense of expectation. After all, despite his many missteps, the man who had achieved results and brought about change was none other than Eugene Carter. It was undoubtedly thanks to him that Francia — once thought unchangeable — had bloomed. It hadn’t taken long for that faint expectation to solidify into conviction. Recalling how he’d ended up spilling his entire past without realizing it, Eric let out a hollow laugh. “Hah… really, it’s strange.” Had he secretly cast some sort of confession spell on me? Thinking such thoughts, Eric made his way toward the parade ground near Building D when a familiar voice called out from behind. “Hey, Eric!” It was his close friend, Billy Gray. The usual companion, Philip Petra, was nowhere to be seen. “Where’d Philip run off to? You walking around alone today?” “He said he needed to hit the bathroom for a bit…” “Ah, I see.” Eric responded half-heartedly and quickened his pace. A few minutes passed. Then Billy, who had been quietly following behind, suddenly apologized. “Um… sorry, Eric.” Eric, debating whether to ignore him, replied without even turning his head. “For what.” “For leaving you back then. Philip probably feels the same way.” “Oh, really?” “I just… wanted things to go back to how they used to be, you know? But my family keeps pressuring me…” He probably thought that was a reasonable explanation, but to Eric, it was nothing but empty noise. ‘There’s no point in saying more — it’ll just tire me out.’ Instead, he turned his head slightly and left him with a single line. “Just stay away from me. You’ll thank me later when you don’t get dragged into something ugly.” “Eric…?” “I warned you.” By the time they reached the parade ground, most of the cadets had already gathered. Having learned their lesson from the rough orientation, everyone was quietly waiting for the instructor to arrive. However, a few murmurs briefly rippled through the group when Eric showed up. As he descended with an indifferent look, his eyes met Francia’s. The two exchanged a silent, wordless greeting. Moments later, Philip came running breathlessly into the parade ground, marking the full attendance of Class 3, Year 2. And then— At exactly 8:00, Eugene Carter appeared once more. “B–Bena Ribenia!” Class president Chloe, already on edge, was the first to raise her hand in salute, prompting the rest to follow in unison. “That’s enough. I’m not gonna eat you lot alive.” When Eugene waved his hand dismissively, the cadets hesitated, glanced around, and cautiously lowered theirs. He slowly circled around, scanning each candidate’s face one by one. Only the faint, nervous sounds of breathing broke the silence. After a long pause, Eugene nodded in satisfaction. “Now you’re finally starting to look like soldiers.” Well, considering how brutally I’d drilled them since day one, it would’ve been stranger if they weren’t mentally fortified by now. “Loosen up your bodies a bit, then we’ll begin the proper training.” Of course, they were still far from ready, these little brats. “From now on, follow my movements precisely.” With a cold smile, Eugene assumed the first position of the PT exercise routine.