I Became the Academy’s War Hero

Chapter 6: If You Want to Resort to Force (1)

That same evening.

Most of the professors, having finished dinner, were heading toward the Special Training Hall located beneath Building F.

News that Eugene Carter had caused quite a stir in the Academic Affairs Office had already spread like wildfire.

And along with it, the story that a small welcoming ceremony had been prepared to commemorate his appointment as an instructor.

‘I didn’t expect that welcoming ceremony to turn out to be a monster suppression demonstration, though.’

Frederick Lake, one of the people involved, sat in the audience seats of the training hall with a bitter look on his face.

When he glanced around, he saw many familiar faces.

Heads of each faculty and department, directors and chiefs of major divisions—nearly every influential figure who led Karbenna seemed to be gathered here.

In contrast, there were few ordinary instructors present, most of them being people who had some form of connection, big or small, with Eugene Carter.

Rubia Magnus, the one responsible for that morning’s uproar, sat in the third row on the opposite side, unable to hide her constant look of worry.

While Frederick was observing his colleagues who had gathered in the hall, a cynical voice came from behind him.

“My apologies for not informing you beforehand, Director.”

“Ah… it’s you.”

Owell Pleasance. His rank—Cadet Commander.

The man sat one seat away from Frederick and slightly bowed his head.

“We couldn’t just let some half-baked fellow run wild in Karbenna, could we?”

“…So it was you who made the proposal?”

“Yes. We need to show that this place isn’t one to be trifled with.”

Though he said that confidently, even the Cadet Commander himself hadn’t expected things to go this smoothly.

He and a few others had merely made a brief suggestion to the Chairwoman the previous day, thinking there was nothing to lose.

‘I thought she’d refuse right away, but she surprisingly accepted without hesitation.’

Was it because she knew her influence within Karbenna was gradually shrinking?

Or perhaps, even that stubborn woman found Eugene Carter’s presence rather bothersome.

‘…If that’s the case, it’s strange.’

After all, it was none other than her who decided to bring that man into Karbenna.

What on earth are you thinking, Michel Bernhardt?

“Hm…”

Meanwhile, Frederick—whom Owell had thought would be on his side—was wearing a consistently indifferent expression.

Seeing this, Owell cautiously leaned in and asked,

“Surely you’re not worried about him just because he’s your former student, are you?”

Frederick exhaled sharply through his nose and jerked his head.

“Hmph, of course not. If anything, this is good. That brat needs a wake-up call. He was bound to get crushed sooner or later anyway… might as well happen now.”

“Of course, of course. That’s why you’re the Director of Academic Affairs.”

Owell smirked as he looked down at the stage.

“It’s about time, so I’ll head down. I should brief the instructors on the situation as well…”

“Hm.”

“Then, I’ll see you later.”

As the Cadet Commander began to descend the stairs—

“Wait.”

Frederick’s voice stopped him in his tracks.

“It’d be best not to underestimate Carter too much, Cadet Commander.”

“…What do you mean by that, sir?”

“Exactly what I said.”

Frederick let out a short laugh and added quietly,

“You’re not the only one who sees this as an opportunity.”

Before long, nearly fifty spectators had gathered inside the Special Training Hall.

Michel Bernhardt arrived at exactly seven o’clock sharp. Ignoring the stares directed at her, she went straight to the end of the seating row and sat down.

Those seated nearby quickly sensed the tension and discreetly moved away, leaving no other instructors within a ten-meter radius.

She thought she’d be able to watch quietly like that—

—but before long, Frederick appeared in front of her.

“…Excuse me for a moment.”

He had originally planned to observe from afar, but since he had questions to ask, he decided to move closer to the Chairwoman.

Michel didn’t even nod. She simply continued staring at the stage.

Frederick also stayed silent for a while before cautiously asking just one question.

“I’m curious why you decided to accept Carter.”

“Because he’s someone Karbenna needs.”

He had expected her to keep silent, yet she answered immediately—though it wasn’t exactly a helpful answer for him.

“Specifically… in what way do you think he’s necessary?”

“Public interest, reputation, tactical capability, curriculum enhancement, external relations, and so on.”

“……”

“As Director of Academic Affairs, shouldn’t you be capable of assessing that much on your own? I don’t see why you’d bother asking the Chairwoman about something so trivial.”

“…That was a slip of the tongue.”

Frederick bowed apologetically, then spoke again.

“But if you think Carter is that important, why allow something like this? He’s bound to be humiliated.”

“Well. We’ll see about that.”

That was all she said before closing her mouth tightly.

He wanted to press further, but he knew she wouldn’t answer even if he did.

So Frederick awkwardly scratched his forehead and turned his gaze toward the stage.

The murmuring around them grew louder with each passing minute.

Just as the noise was reaching its peak—

—the star of tonight’s welcome ceremony finally appeared.

Most of the professors who saw him for the first time were struck speechless by Eugene Carter’s entrance.

“Hey… look at that.”

“Yeah…”

Within Karbenna, the name Eugene Carter was almost legendary.

Some even argued that the most important figure in Karbenna’s history was none other than him.

There had been rumors that he’d been completely broken after that incident, but most dismissed them as the usual exaggeration from the Special Task Forces.

Yet the scene before their eyes was far worse than any rumor.

Anyone could see that his body was ruined—he seemed to struggle even to walk—and the once-surging mana that had filled his entire being was now so faint that it couldn’t even be sensed from afar.

He returned in that state? To this hellhole of a place, Karbenna? What kind of confidence did that take?

Like most of those present, Nigel Irwin—the one who would face him on stage—was thinking the same thing.

‘…I’m not sure this is a good idea.’

He brushed his long, braided hair and swallowed hard.

As the Empire’s greatest beast tamer and the second authority in monster ecology, he was one of the most respected professors in Karbenna.

He had remained neutral despite the endless factional strife, maintaining an independent path for over five years, earning even the Bernhardt faction’s acknowledgment.

Now, he had nothing to worry about—no factions to appease, no politics to mind.

For the next three years, he could finally focus solely on research and teaching.

That was the mindset with which he had begun the new semester.

So when this sudden proposal came his way, it had caught him completely off guard.

Recalling the conversation he had with Cadet Commander Owell Pleasance, Nigel let out a faint sigh.

“Eugene Carter’s very existence is an insult to the professors of Karbenna! We can’t possibly allow someone like him to walk around here as if he belongs!”

“As far as I know, he wasn’t that kind of person… but why tell me this? Isn’t the appointment of instructors entirely up to the Chairwoman and the Academic Affairs Office?”

“We tried to oppose it, of course… but it seems they never intended to hear our opinions in the first place.”

“Hm…”

“So at the very least, we intend to give that arrogant Carter fellow a warning. To let him know Karbenna isn’t as lenient a place as he might think.”

“…And so you’re asking for my help?”

“Precisely. To an old soldier, a monster would be a trauma in itself, wouldn’t it?”

In the end, it seemed they only wanted to use him to humiliate someone they disliked.

He considered refusing, but the budget issue—something those people tightly controlled within Karbenna—made Nigel lower his head.

The funding for monster ecology had been decreasing every year; he couldn’t afford to think only of himself.

‘Well, I’ll just give him a little scare and be done with it.’

Having reached that conclusion, Nigel released his partner-like companion, the D-rank monster Benamaur Red Wolf, onto the stage.

Then, facing Eugene, who stood diagonally across from him, he shouted firmly.

“Take it easy and step back when you’ve had enough! I don’t want to see my dear friend hurting a person!”

“Ah, Professor! Have you forgotten the agreement we made beforehand?”

“But…”

The Cadet Commander—acting as an unofficial referee—persuaded Nigel and pushed him off the stage, then strode toward Eugene.

“You seem uneasy. Are you all right?”

“……”

The Cadet Commander grinned openly, but Eugene didn’t even glance his way. He simply drew his sword.

“Pity. I expected a more extravagant welcome.”

Then, pointing his blade at the Red Wolf across from him, he asked quietly,

“Are we not starting?”

“……”

The Cadet Commander, taken aback by Eugene’s audacious attitude, found himself momentarily speechless.

He stared blankly at Eugene for a moment before hastily turning to the audience to give a brief explanation.

As expected, the content was nothing special.

He said that since Eugene Carter was a man of great renown—having achieved numerous feats both in Karbenna and the Special Task Forces—they had prepared this opportunity to “evaluate” him.

He also added a blatant lie: that Eugene himself had gladly agreed to use a monster as his opponent.

“Then, let’s begin…”

Without further delay, Owell signaled the start.

At once, the monster let out its distinctive roar and charged straight at Eugene.

Eugene, his body still unsteady, raised his sword and deflected the monster’s sharp claws in one swift motion.

The creature skidded across the stage and slammed into the wall.

KWAANG!

Owell and Nigel, who had been watching from the closest distance, both gaped in astonishment.

“…What the—?”

The spectators’ reactions were no different.

What Eugene had just displayed was beyond comprehension.

Only Michel Bernhardt managed to maintain her poker face, though even she couldn’t completely hide her surprise.

Benamaur Red Wolf. Among D-rank monsters, it was mid-sized—far from large, yet still more than enough to pose a threat to a human.

Even more so if its opponent was a washed-up soldier who had only returned to the field less than a week ago.

Though the beast’s behavior had been restricted by its tamer, for someone like Eugene, that should have been a nightmare in itself.

Most had expected him to surrender on the spot—or at least retreat in fear. Yet the sight before them was entirely unexpected.

Grrr…

The monster, sprawled on the ground amid a cloud of dust, shook its body and glared back at its opponent with renewed hostility.

Watching it, Eugene spoke as though addressing it directly.

“Want to go again?”

Ruff!

A simple provocation—but the monster lacked the intelligence to ignore it.

Even if it possessed relatively high intelligence for a D-rank, a beast was still a beast.

If attacked, it retaliated—simple as that.

The Red Wolf lunged once more, raising its left forepaw as it closed in on Eugene.

Perhaps it instinctively realized that its previous attack had been deflected, as a hint of hesitation appeared in its movements mid-charge.

It subtly shifted its weight backward, preparing for a second strike—but…

“Too slow.”

Eugene didn’t miss even that fleeting moment.

Shing!

Focusing all his mana into his blade’s tip, he slashed upward with full force.

Kieeeek?!

Blood burst forth from the monster’s tough hide.