I Became the Academy’s War Hero Chapter 51
“Student?”
“Yes. His name is Eric Halenber, and he’s in need of protection.”
“……”
“You’re not seriously going to refuse a student whose life is in danger, in this so-called humanitarian Magic Tower, are you?”
“When did this place ever… haah… fine. I’ll inform them.”
“Thank you.”
Only after I’d half-forced her cooperation did Meriel finally return to her original question.
“…So, why did Agent Rubia end up like that?”
“It’s a long story…”
“Then make it short.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I kept the story to the facts as much as possible.
Not that I had any intention of revealing everything anyway.
Still, I made sure to emphasize one thing — that everyone had survived thanks to Rubia.
Meriel listened silently, and even after I finished, she remained quiet for a while.
It wasn’t until we were near the 21st floor of the tower that she finally spoke.
“It’s the complete opposite of twelve years ago.”
“Twelve years ago?”
When I continued to keep my harmless expression, she sighed beside me.
“Well… if you don’t want to talk about it, I’ll pretend not to know. It can’t have been a pleasant memory for you either.”
No, I really don’t know what you’re talking about, though.
I wanted to press her for an answer, but I held back.
There was no reason to let them know that part of my memory wasn’t clear.
As we neared the top, the brightness around us grew stronger.
Even the Barion Orb, which had previously been too high to see, now came into view.
We stopped in front of a massive door covered in intricate magic circles.
After waving her wand a few times, she recited a short incantation.
When the door opened in a burst of multicolored light, Meriel pointed her wand at me and said,
“Be especially careful inside. Unless you want to die without anyone ever knowing.”
I nodded seriously.
“……”
Her expression showed she wasn’t entirely satisfied, but she let it go for now.
Inside was a scene that could only be described as supernatural.
Stars and nebulae stretched across the ceiling, while streaks of blue light darted between them.
Artifacts embedded in the dark floor shone like stars scattered through a universe of dark matter.
Judging by the size of the tower and the rooms we’d passed so far, the interior couldn’t have been larger than a hundred pyeong, yet it looked as if it went on endlessly.
Even as I stepped forward, I couldn’t fathom how this was possible.
At the center stood a golden metallic cylinder, radiating a soft glow.
It was about one and a half meters tall, with plenty of empty space inside.
Meriel placed her right hand on the cylinder and flicked her fingers.
A ball of thread-like energy floated through the air and seeped into the cylinder.
At the same time, mana began to condense in her right hand.
Watching the process, I asked quietly,
“You’re not going to explain what you’re doing, are you?”
“Of course not.”
As the mana gathered in her hand flowed into the cylinder, I glanced around.
‘I’ve never heard of a place like this in the Magic Tower.’
I prided myself on knowing more about MAGA than even its developers, but apparently, I still had a long way to go.
No matter how I looked at it, I didn’t recall this being mentioned in the original story at all…
Just then, she spoke again.
“…But this time, there’s no other choice. You’re the only one who can treat her.”
Her voice came from ahead.
“At the very least, you need to know how to use it — otherwise, you’ll just get lost in the dream.”
“In a dream?”
“I’ll get straight to the point, so listen carefully. I won’t repeat myself.”
Once her preparations were complete, Meriel began walking slowly around the cylinder as she explained.
As I had suspected, the golden pillar in the center was an Artifact.
Its name was Episode Gazer, and its grade was top-tier.
It was one of the rarest Artifacts in the world — the only one of its kind in the Empire.
Its primary effect was to peer into a target’s memories and use that as a basis to interfere with their consciousness, though its applications were said to vary widely.
Despite its rarity, its actual use was extremely limited — mainly because its activation requirements and mana consumption were notoriously demanding.
“How long has Agent Rubia been unconscious, Colonel?”
“…It’s about to pass ten hours.”
“Ten hours, huh… Still ambiguous, but considering her mana capacity and recovery rate, this possibility seems far more likely.”
“What possibility would that be?”
As I looked into the Artifact, I saw that the cylinder was now filled with a translucent liquid.
Seeing this, Meriel nodded slightly.
“She’s not unconscious due to mana depletion. Her subconscious is deliberately preventing her awakening.”
“That’s… possible?”
“For first-rate magicians, yes.”
She said it as if it were nothing, but to me, it was quite a shock.
There were ways to forcibly prevent someone’s awakening — curses, specially crafted drugs, and the like.
But to do that subconsciously? I’d never heard of such a thing.
“The more skilled a magician is, the more sensitive they become to their inner voice and deep consciousness. Especially when their mana’s depleted — their mind gets sharper, more fragile.”
Seeing the confusion on my face, she added,
“In simple terms, she’s dreaming such a happy dream that she doesn’t want to wake up.”
“…I think I get it.”
I nodded and asked,
“So what should I do now?”
At that, Meriel tapped the top of the pillar.
“All you have to do is pour in a sufficient amount of mana. Then you’ll be able to synchronize with her subconscious.”
“…That’s it?”
“I’ve already opened the passage. Whether she accepts you or not will depend on her subconscious.”
“I understand.”
But before I could proceed, she added one last warning.
“Just remember this — never interfere with the memory. All you’re allowed to do is watch. Remember that.”
“The more you say that, the more tempting it sounds.”
“Synchronization alone puts immense strain on the mind. If you take it further and try to interfere, her subconscious could fracture — she might suffer memory distortion, or even forget you entirely.”
“…That would be troublesome.”
“Not that it matters. With your level of skill, interference is impossible anyway.”
“……”
That one stung a bit.
Of course, even if my favorability dropped, it wasn’t as though I couldn’t save them — but there was no need to destroy a bond that already existed.
Especially with Rubia. My connection with her was far more important.
She was the only one who had a link with Eugene Carter — not just now, but from the past as well.
Considering how unclear my memories were, that connection was crucial to me.
Even aside from my personal feelings toward her.
Meriel, who had been watching my heavy expression, nodded and gestured toward me.
“If you’re ready, let’s begin.”
I gave a small nod instead of answering and began channeling mana into the Episode Gazer without hesitation.
My consciousness, which had quickly drifted away, slowly returned as my senses came back.
But that was all — I couldn’t do anything directly.
My vision, hearing, even smell were all clear, but none of them responded to my will.
‘So this is what synchronization feels like.’
It was like dreaming… or watching a movie.
Well, that didn’t matter.
I focused my eyes and ears on the scene Rubia’s subconscious was showing me.
In the middle of a dim forest, two figures stood.
Twelve years ago — Eugene Carter and Rubia Magnus.
Rubia was backing away in panic while Eugene held onto her.
She looked utterly terrified, as if she’d just seen something she shouldn’t have.
“Calm down, Rubia. Those who bound you aren’t here anymore.”
“B-but…”
“Do you know where they are now?”
“R-right in front of me!”
“No. Did you forget? You said it yourself — they were arrested for blasphemy. Locked up in the coldest, darkest prison in the Empire. And soon enough, they’ll lose their heads.”
“……”
“They’ll beg pathetically for their lives, but the blade doesn’t care. They’ll die thrashing in vain, without a single thought of repentance — or of you.”
“……”
“So tell me, should you really be suffering like this for scum like them? They’re nothing but ghosts that don’t even exist anymore.”
Perhaps his words had an effect — life began to return to Rubia’s clouded eyes.
Before long, she gasped and released the tears she’d been holding back.
Watching that scene, a small thought crossed my mind.
‘…If that was twelve years ago, then that brat was fifteen.’
That’d make him a second-year middle schooler in modern terms.
Wasn’t that a bit too heavy a line for someone that age?
Then again, considering Eugene Carter’s original character, maybe it wasn’t so strange.
He comforted her for quite a while and helped her to her feet, then stood up about ten minutes later.
“Hm… you think we can get out of here?”
“I-I’m not sure… I can see the Magic Tower from here, though.”
“If it’s too risky, let’s just wait. Once they realize we’ve gone missing, they’ll come for us.”
“…Do you really think they will?”
“Of course. We’re too important not to. Six hours at most.”
As Eugene sat down, Rubia hesitantly followed and sat beside him.
After staring silently into the distance, Rubia asked cautiously,
“Um… Sir Eugene, how did you break free from the illusion?”
Even back then, she called him the same way.
Meanwhile, that punk Eugene Carter had the nerve to speak casually to her, his elder.
The young Eugene closed his eyes slightly and answered as if it were nothing.
“I didn’t fall for it.”
“R-really?!”
“Yeah.”
“But how…?”
“The Forest of Delusion only shows hallucinations to people with doubt or emptiness in their hearts. I don’t nurture that kind of thing.”
“Ah…”
Rubia let out a soft sigh, as if she’d lost her words.
Her expression made it clear she didn’t know what to say next.
The boy seemed to notice and started talking about himself instead.
I remembered it too — though I’d kept it buried, since there was no reason to bring up something like that.
“…Guess I talked too long. Feels like I just rambled about myself.”
“N-no, it was nice.”
“Then that’s fine.”
“…Thank you, Sir Eugene. For helping me.”
“Don’t make it weird.”
Scratching his cheek in embarrassment, he suddenly stood up.
“It’s getting chilly at night. Let’s find some branches for firewood.”
“Okay!”
“I saw a big oak grove earlier. Should be easy to—”
Before they could head north, the two froze at the sudden, eerie sound.
Kagagak, kagagak.
A horrible scraping noise grated on their nerves — and from the bushes slowly emerged…
A gigantic scorpion, towering over two meters high.