I Became the Academy’s War Hero Chapter 50

Not far from the lounge where Rubia was laid down was Meriel’s office.

The tables, chairs, shelves, and even the decorations weren’t much different from those at the Academy.

However, what made this room distinct was the numerous artifacts — things I had never seen before — scattered all over as if abandoned.

It was a sight that would make any outsider’s eyes spin, so I deliberately avoided looking at them and quietly sat on the guest seat.

As soon as Meriel sat in her chair, she snapped her fingers.

Then, a document from the bookshelf floated down onto the table.

<1st Mallet–Karbenna Technical Exchange · Year 1465>

The moment I saw the cover, I flinched with an uneasy feeling.

Between faint memories, Walter’s words from a few days ago resurfaced.

“When we went on that field exchange to the Magic Tower, I remember. Carter, that bastard, got locked up on the 17th floor for stirring up too much trouble.”

I stared blankly into space and gave a bitter smile.

‘…I wonder if I’ll be able to accomplish everything before I leave.’

My main purpose for coming to the Magic Tower was, of course, to treat Rubia. But if that were the only reason, there would have been no need to come all the way inside personally.

The woman before me — Meriel — seemed to understand that better than anyone else, and as she glanced over the document, she spoke in a subtle tone.

“Please don’t think I’m making a fuss over something that happened twelve years ago, Colonel Carter. We have our internal regulations, after all.”

“I understand.”

“…The truth is, allowing you inside was already a big decision. Even if it was for Rubia, whom I care deeply about, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re still on Mallet’s blacklist.”

She began flipping through the pages one by one, calmly reciting the list of my alleged offenses.

“Unauthorized entry, property damage, theft and assault, multiple cases of disrespect, derogatory remarks, excessive moral lecturing, incitement and coercion beyond persuasion, and even causing internal disorder as a result.”

“……”

If all of that were true, then I really had no excuse.

If only I could remember everything clearly, at least I wouldn’t feel so unjustly accused.

“Even if there aren’t many left who remember what you did, that doesn’t mean your wrongdoings disappear, you know.”

Meriel’s eyes glimmered with caution as she glanced at me.

I decided to nod first and observe her reaction.

“I have no intention of making excuses. Wrong is wrong. If I’m beyond forgiveness, then quietly stepping back would be the right thing to do.”

Her expression softened slightly at my honest response.

She had probably expected me to argue or make excuses, so a trace of curiosity lingered on her face.

After a moment of silence, she tilted her head slightly.

“I am curious, though. Someone who didn’t seem the least bit interested in this place for twelve years suddenly shows up again….”

Then she fixed her sharp gaze on me.

“What is it that you want?”

“Nothing in particular. As long as Professor Rubia can recover safely, that’s enough for me.”

“……”

“…I suppose that wasn’t the answer you were expecting?”

I crossed my arms and answered firmly.

“I came here to propose the resumption of the Mallet–Karbenna Technical Exchange that was halted twelve years ago, Agent Meriel.”

Ha, seriously.

There are limits to shamelessness.

For a moment, I considered yelling at him to stop spouting nonsense, but I managed to maintain my composure.

Of course — the man before me was Eugene Carter.

Even the most renowned scholars of the Magic Tower had failed to outwit him through logic, and in the end, they had to drive him out under various pretenses.

A man who, as a mere cadet, called for reform of the entire system — nearly expelled from Karbenna — yet survived with his gift of speech and power of persuasion to become a living legend.

To organizations in need of reform and change, he was an inevitable force.

But for us, the Duell faction — who valued tradition and preservation — he was a fatal poison.

And Rubia Magnus, who had been saved and influenced by that very Carter, was also a poison we could never again afford to accept.

Yet, as if bewitched by something, Meriel had granted him entry.

Because she pitied her old colleague, Rubia? If that were the case, she could have simply let Rubia in and made him wait outside.

Because she wanted to meet, face-to-face, the man who had triggered the great upheaval in Mallet? If so, meeting him in a reception room would’ve been enough.

If not for those reasons, then why?

No matter how much I questioned myself, no answer came.

For now, she decided to respond to his claim first.

“You do have a knack for saying amusing things, Colonel Carter.”

After all, handling high-risk visitors was part of her duty as acting representative.

“You do realize that the main reason the exchange was suspended was because of you, don’t you?”

“Oh, was it?”

“Without trust, there can be no cooperation. You, the very person who shattered that trust, saying such things — you have no credibility.”

Eugene tilted his head slightly and asked,

“That sounds as if we ever had mutual trust to begin with… Were we ever in that kind of relationship?”

“…At the very least, there was a basic level of trust.”

“Even if that’s true, that’s not why the exchange started. It began because our interests aligned.”

“So you’re saying… you were the one who broke that alignment—”

“Well, let’s see. Karbenna receives support for its curriculum and artifacts, while Mallet receives funding and manpower. Wasn’t that the core of our technical exchange agreement?”

“……”

“To say that such a mutual agreement broke down because of me alone sounds like quite an exaggeration.”

“…Still, you did make some contributions, didn’t you?”

“Contributions… Well, sure. I’ll acknowledge that much.”

Twitch.

The expression that Meriel had been struggling to maintain started to crack little by little across her forehead.

‘His attitude’s completely different from earlier.’

Considering his notorious reputation, this might actually be his true nature….

Could he be provoking me on purpose?

If you anger your opponent first, it becomes easier to spot the logical flaws in their argument, after all.

‘…No.’

That possibility wasn’t very high.

Whatever his true intentions or hidden motives were, the justification was on our side.

We no longer had to struggle for money or manpower like before, and above all, the other side had a weakness named Rubia.

If things didn’t go our way, we could just threaten to refuse treatment.

After calmly sorting out her thoughts, Meriel once again smiled brightly.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to refuse that proposal, Colonel.”

“Hmm… That’s unfortunate.”

Eugene showed no sign of disappointment or surprise. His face looked as if he had expected exactly that answer.

Then he murmured quietly to himself.

“Using threats makes things look bad, so I was trying to avoid that card… but I suppose there’s no helping it.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

Frowning, she asked, and Eugene responded with a cold smile.

“If you don’t want the Magic Tower to be invaded by Dellowell’s monsters, you’d better cooperate.”

Eugene Carter’s memories were, to me, like a movie with pieces missing here and there, scenes abruptly cut apart.

Some parts were vivid, as if I had lived them myself, while others had entire segments skipped over, impossible to infer.

Well, considering that his body had spent a long time drowning in alcohol and drugs, practically unconscious, it was natural that the memories would be disordered.

Still, that wasn’t a major issue.

The missing pieces had been filled in through accumulated knowledge and interactions with others.

There had been some small losses and mistakes in judgment, but never anything fatal.

At least, until now.

“‘Introduction to Holy Magic.’ The author is Elga Zosimos. It’s a comprehensive book covering everything from the history and theory of Holy Magic to its basic techniques. Practically a textbook on the subject. But… it’s considered so unorthodox that even the Gluon School and the Barion School don’t pay much attention to it.”

“……”

“Professor Rubia wanted to use this book as teaching material… but Karbenna rejected it, calling it a subversive text.”

As I explained, Meriel tilted her head slightly, struggling to maintain her expression.

“And what of it?”

Was she truly ignorant, or only pretending to be?

Either way, there was no turning back now.

“Anyway, I helped a bit when we brought that book in… and at that time, I mentioned Dellowell.”

The moment the name “Dellowell” came up, her pupils widened noticeably.

Of course, I ignored it completely and continued.

“I convinced the Academic Office by saying, ‘How could a book used as a textbook in Dellowell be considered subversive?’”

“You mean… Dellowell actually uses that book as a textbook?”

“That’s what I thought too, but turns out, they don’t.”

The part where I said “that’s what I thought” was a lie.

There was no way Dellowell would ever use a book that had ‘Holy Magic’ right in its title.

I brushed my fingers across my lips.

“But then… what do you think will happen if Dellowell finds out about this?”

“…Are you threatening me right now?”

“Yes.”

I told you already, didn’t I?

Then she sprang from her chair and snapped.

“What the hell are you?! You just barge in here and—!”

“I’m only making a choice for Rubia’s sake.”

Before she could even try to guess my true intent, I cut her off swiftly.

“If things continue like this, Mallet—the place that’s practically Rubia’s hometown—will be devastated by Inquisitors.”

Of course, the first target in that case would naturally be Karbenna.

It wasn’t as though I hadn’t considered that.

As I had once told Rubia, I had my own assurance as well.

First, unless someone from Karbenna personally went to Dellowell, the chance of this information leaking outside was extremely low.

Second, Edel Ribenia herself would never sit idly by and allow internal conflict among organizations under direct Imperial control.

And really—would Dellowell have the leisure to cause chaos over a single book?

Still—

This recent raid had made one thing certain to me.

This world would never allow me to achieve my goals easily.

The moment I relaxed, thinking things were going smoothly, an even greater trial would come crashing down.

‘It never hurts to set up one more insurance policy.’

Perhaps interpreting my silence as a warning, Meriel cautiously sat back down.

She bit her nails anxiously, then glared sharply at me.

“…You came here in secret for that very reason, didn’t you?”

“You’re perceptive. I didn’t want to give Dellowell any other justification.”

“Haa… fine.”

She planted her hand on the table and leaned forward toward me.

“Let me warn you in advance—if you came here as a spy from Karbenna, forget it. Mallet has nothing to offer you people.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Hmph.”

With a faint sigh, Meriel turned and walked out of the room.

I also stepped out from the guest seat in turn.

As she suddenly glanced back, she spoke curtly.

“You have nothing more to say, do you?”

“…Ah, there’s one thing I almost forgot.”

Pointing down toward the tower’s lower floor, I flashed a sly grin.

“Would it be alright if I brought in one more student?”