I Became the Academy’s War Hero Chapter 78

Rustle, rustle.

Without sparing a glance at the murmuring crowd, I maintained a calm, untroubled smile.

I pretended not to be flustered at all, but it was undeniable that I had barely made it in time.

Inside, I let out a long sigh of relief.

‘That was way too close.’

Had I checked just one more place, I would’ve been 100% late.

Still, there had been some results—

both in terms of gathering information and restoring my mana.

And, unintentionally, I’d drawn quite a bit of attention too.

“……”

Two minutes before the opening ceremony, a commotion suddenly broke out on one side. Naturally, it drew everyone’s attention.

I slipped through the passage and quickly scanned the surroundings—then spotted a familiar face.

Perhaps she had been looking for me from the start—Rubia Magnus was standing on her chair, waving frantically.

“Sir Eugene! Over here!”

“…Guess I won’t need an escort then.”

Once I got a fix on her location, I hurried over.

Even then, I could feel several sharp gazes directed my way. I discreetly checked who they belonged to.

‘…The prominent villains are all gathered on the opposite side.’

While most people showed a mix of wariness and curiosity, two factions alone revealed open hostility.

Especially Jeff Halenber and Chloe Bernhardt.

‘I don’t think I’ve done anything to earn that much resentment, but….’

Well, if I thought of it as getting used to being hated early, it didn’t feel that unfair.

Considering the things I’d be doing from now on, such reactions were only natural.

“I’m a bit late.”

As soon as I reached the Karbenna delegation’s seats, the members began to chime in one after another.

“We believed you’d return safely, but still…”

“Where did you even sleep last night? You didn’t stop by the lodgings.”

“So, who exactly launched the attack?”

“…You don’t look well. Are you sure you can handle the special match?”

“What were you poking around alone for this time?”

“It wasn’t something trivial, was it?”

“……”

Yeah, I should just keep my mouth shut.

‘This isn’t questioning, it’s an interrogation.’

Some were just suspicious, others genuinely worried—but still.

Fortunately, the Q&A didn’t last long.

Naturally so—since my arrival had been right before the opening ceremony began.

Which meant, it was their turn to take the stage.

Doom— Doom— Doom— Doom—

The heavy drums literally shook the hall.

As the rumbling subsided, two arrogant faces peeked out first.

Even before they took a few steps, the crowd of attendants following behind made their identities clear.

Nevertheless, I deliberately fixed my eyes on their figures.

The faces of those who would soon become my enemies.

“……”

First, the Second Prince, Abel Ribenia.

Currently ranked first in the Imperial hierarchy and the leading candidate for the next Emperor.

After the First Prince, Luel Ribenia, he had inherited the title of Crown Prince and had been serving as regent on behalf of the current Emperor for ten years.

Though his reputation had suffered somewhat due to years of debauchery, his influence remained formidable.

Next came the Second Princess, Rachel Ribenia.

Since the First Princess, Elisabeth Ribenia, became the queen of a foreign kingdom, Rachel had held the second rank in the Imperial order.

Vain and rather extravagant, her popularity and influence could not rival Abel’s.

However, her political savvy and financial power, honed through years of social maneuvering, were at a level even Abel himself had to acknowledge.

The two stood first on the platform, extending their hands in grand welcome to those bowing before them.

Doom— Doom— Doom— Doom—

As the drums thundered again, more members of the Imperial family began to appear.

A soft murmur slipped from my mouth, my voice barely audible.

“…Finally.”

The third to appear—the long-haired woman—was the very person I had longed to face.

Even from afar, her distinct aura was impossible to conceal.

Her brisk strides made the attendants trailing behind her hurry to keep pace.

Her deep golden curls swayed like gentle waves brought ashore, shimmering even in the faintest breeze.

Even though her entire body was cloaked in the Imperial golden cape, certain curves were impossible to hide.

It felt as though she intended to assert her strength right from the start—

from her waist, the sword sheathed there radiated a powerful magical energy.

The Third Princess of the Ribenia Empire, the beginning and the end of Imperial reform.

The arch-enemy of the Bernhardt Family, and the hero of the people.

One of the key figures symbolizing MAGA, and the first cornerstone in overcoming the Apocalypse Mode.

It was the appearance of Edel Ribenia.

* * *

‘Make Academy Great Again’, the familiar translation—‘Make the Academy Great Again’.

At first glance, it might seem like the focus should be more on the academy itself than on individual characters, but this game was, at its core, a character-raising simulation.

You nurtured and developed characters, creating positive synergy around them, and through that, raised the overall reputation of your affiliated academy.

That was the basic premise of MAGA.

In other words, it was a game where the growth of your characters was directly tied to the growth of the academy.

That’s why what I always considered first was the number of characters to develop—and the order in which to do so.

In reality, factors like money could compete to some extent, but—

in this world, there was nothing more valuable than time.

In that sense, the character Edel Ribenia was, within the Empire, practically a must-have.

The most elite member of the Imperial family, personally acknowledged by Emperor Ludwig.

An educator involved in every Imperial academy, including Karbenna.

A commander with authority extending throughout the Imperial Army, including the Imperial Special Task Force.

Though many nobles criticized her as someone who only knew how to play to the crowd, she nonetheless enjoyed overwhelming support from the citizens.

With swordsmanship second only to Francia, magical aptitude just beneath Rubia, and even mastery in espionage and infiltration—she was a true all-rounder.

Whether in terms of potential or influence, she was one of the most crucial figures in the Ribenia Empire.

‘Though for someone that important, our contact’s been quite delayed….’

Still, I had done everything I could.

Among the Imperial family, she was known for wandering all over the place, yet she was still a princess.

Unlike Francia, Rubia, or Michel, who anyone in Karbenna could encounter one way or another, meeting her was an entirely different story.

It was the same reason I hadn’t yet been able to reach the final heroine, Karen Rosefield.

‘If I forced an encounter, it would only backfire….’

In that sense, our first meeting could be considered quite positive.

Had I tried to make contact right after returning, it surely would’ve aroused suspicion.

Instead, I focused first on my activities in Karbenna.

Fortunately, there was an insider here—Lea Bronte—through whom I could indirectly convey my intentions and goals.

And now, at this event called the Imperial Summit, we were meeting for the first time—

as organizer and participant.

There couldn’t have been a better stage to display the true abilities I’d kept hidden until now.

I watched Edel’s figure quietly, with a resolute expression.

And then—

her gaze briefly turned this way.

“……”

As if she had known where I was all along, her eyes locked precisely onto mine.

She had the same determined look that I did.

The only difference was the faint, confident smile on her lips.

The exchange of gazes lasted only a few seconds before it ended.

I crossed my arms and glanced around as if nothing had happened.

‘…Strange.’

It was a peculiar sense of déjà vu.

No one else seemed to notice our exchange—no one showed the slightest reaction of surprise.

The only exception was Lea Bronte, sitting two seats over, who bowed her head low with a look somewhere between embarrassment and awe.

‘Have I met her before?’

I had managed to recover most of my memories at the Magic Tower.

Except for those connected to that incident, every noteworthy memory should have remained intact.

‘…Well, I guess I’ll have to put that aside for now.’

For the moment, that was the best choice.

There were too many other matters demanding my focus right now.

Doom— Doom— Doom— Doom—

Amid the drumbeats and cheers, the last Imperial figure appeared.

It was the turn of the Fourth Princess, Alix Ribenia.

The only daughter of Queen Diane, who had taken the late Empress Eleonore’s place after her death.

With the Emperor now completely withdrawn from state affairs, the Queen’s authority was absolute.

Naturally, her only daughter, Alix, should have wielded considerable influence as well—

‘But the problem is, that Queen’s long since lost her mind.’

Combined with Alix’s own timid personality, the Fourth Princess’s influence in the Empire was the weakest among the royals—

barely comparable even to the head of House Braid, one of the Eight Great Houses.

Still, thanks to her graceful conduct, her public image was better than Edel’s in many respects.

As the final direct member of the Imperial family ascended the stage, the drumming softened and then ceased.

Amid the murmurs, Abel Ribenia, representing the family, approached the amplification orb on the podium.

Then began the long opening speech.

“For the past 684 years, the Ribenia Empire has woven an unbroken history of victory—never once bowing to an enemy. Neither Bosnus, nor Hallard, nor Kalte, nor any other nation has ever dared to scar Ribenia.”

“This shall forever remain the greatest glory and honor to all Imperial citizens.”

After taking a brief pause, the Crown Prince continued.

“Now, for today’s Ribenia, our paramount challenge is not the armies of other nations.”

The transmission orbs installed throughout the hall thundered with his commanding voice.

“The beasts, which have risen beyond emergence to full-scale rampage, now threaten not only the Empire’s peace but the very survival of humankind itself. Rebellious factions, armed with shallow justifications, seek to shake our firm Imperial order and spread chaos among our citizens.”

Kwaaang!

He struck the podium fiercely—then spread his arms wide, as if making an appeal.

“To face these old yet ever-new threats, how shall we lead the Empire forward? That, my gathered comrades, is the task before you all—and the sacred duty of our Imperial house.”

A moment of silence followed.

Having concluded his grand speech, Abel swept his gaze across the assembly, then raised the gavel on the podium.

“For the eternal glory and victory of the Empire, I, Crown Prince Abel Ludwig von Ribenia, in place of His Majesty Emperor Ludwig, hereby declare—”

“—the 43rd Imperial Summit open.”

Tak. Tak. Tak.

Applause erupted from all sides.

With more than half the attendees standing, I, too, had no choice but to rise.

For nearly ten minutes, we remained amid thunderous applause.

Meanwhile, attendants poured onto the stage, rearranging seats for the discussions to come.

Before I realized it, only Rachel Ribenia, the moderator of the first agenda, remained on the podium.

“I am Chief Attendant Georg, serving as the host for the 43rd Imperial Summit. Please, everyone, be seated.”

At a small lectern to the left, a white-haired old man stood tall.

Once all participants had taken their seats, the host’s voice rang out again.

“The first agenda concerns the issue of refugees within the Empire and the measures for their prevention. Speakers related to this topic, please step forward.”