I Became the Academy’s War Hero-Chapter 10 : Physical Strength Is National Power, You Idiots (2)

Chapter 10: Physical Strength Is National Power, You Idiots (2)
In the end, that day’s three-hour orientation was filled entirely with physical training.
I had considered ending it after asserting dominance a little, but decided against it.
‘I need to make a lasting impression now, so they won’t dare to talk back later.’
That was also the reason I had shown off a bit of my skills earlier.
Sure, part of it was to test the performance of my newly gained ability—but the main goal was to spread rumors.
Before long, an exaggerated story like “Eric Halenber picked a fight with Eugene Carter and got crushed instantly” would circulate among the cadets.
Once that rumor spread, it would soon reach every corner of Karbenna—and eventually, Frederick and Michel would hear of it too.
I had already left a strong impression during the welcoming ceremony, so now both professors and cadets would have no choice but to pay attention to me.
To make an impact at the Imperial Conference later, I had to start with these small, steady buildups.
‘As long as I don’t look like someone unworthy of dealing with.’
At least the Frederick I knew wasn’t the kind of trash who took pleasure in tormenting the weak.
I sighed as I looked around at the cadet candidates sprawled all over the ground.
“How disappointing. To think the so-called best elites of the Empire are like this…”
Eric Halenber, whom I had especially focused on, was completely knocked out.
Of course, a few seemed relatively fine.
Among them, the most notable was, of course, Francia Brida.
She had already regained her calm, steady breathing.
‘As expected of Francia. That hard worker wouldn’t collapse from just this level of physical training.’
As I smiled in satisfaction while looking at her, our eyes met for a brief moment.
Pretending it was nothing, I continued my explanation.
“From fourth year onward, you too will participate in actual beast-slaying operations. After graduation, you will lead troops as honorable officers of the Empire.”
With every word I spoke, Eugene Carter’s memories filled my head more vividly.
Along with them came emotions I never could have felt as just a player.
That instinctively made my voice ring with conviction.
“The battlefield is a horrific hell. It’s incomparable to training in every aspect. If fighting humans is like that—then what about when your opponent is a beast?”
A twisted smile spread across my lips.
“I’ll leave that to your imagination.”
There—now the connection had been made.
All that was left was to wait.
For the day Francia would come find me herself.
After briefly posting a notice about next week’s class, Eugene Carter left the scene.
The exhausted classmates of Class 3 supported one another as they headed toward the cafeteria.
Perhaps because they had rolled together on the training ground for hours, a strange sense of camaraderie hung in the air.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Poking halfheartedly at the bread and soup on his tray, Eric Halenber seethed with visible anger.
Even as they noticed his mood, Billy and Philip couldn’t stop shoveling food into their mouths.
“Damn it… damn it.”
The curses slipped out of his mouth uncontrollably.
The humiliating scene from earlier wouldn’t leave his mind.
And the fact that it had all been caused by his own foolish judgment only made it worse.
Barely five minutes later, unable to endure it any longer, Eric rose abruptly from his seat—instantly drawing the eyes of his classmates.
“What the hell are you staring at, bastards?!”
“……”
Even those who would’ve averted their gaze just yesterday didn’t flinch in the slightest now.
Eric knew all too well what that meant.
“Let’s go!”
“Y-Yeah!”
“Coming!”
The trio hurried out of the cafeteria, and behind them, familiar words began to surface among the murmuring crowd.
Words they might have casually tossed around themselves before.
“He’s been acting all high and mighty since first year—guess he finally met his match.”
“Why would you even mess with a war hero?”
“Didn’t he hear the rumors?”
“Guess he thought being from a noble family meant he’d get away with it.”
“As if. Was effort something he inherited with his bloodline?”
“Wasn’t his first-year ranking just luck anyway?”
“If it were me, I’d quit out of shame. Hah!”
Hearing those words echo in her mind, Francia felt a wave of disgust.
One year later, and this place still hadn’t changed at all.
That thought was what prompted her next words.
“I’ll be heading out first, Chloe.”
“Ah, yes! See you in the afternoon class, Miss Francia!”
As she moved through the crowded cafeteria, her mind swirled with thoughts.
The one that lingered at the end was about the instructor of Practical Tactics III—Eugene Carter.
Truthfully, throughout the entire orientation, Francia hadn’t been able to take her eyes off him.
To someone from a fallen noble family like her, the name Carter carried significant weight.
She hadn’t expected much, though.
After the incident seven years ago, most believed Eugene Carter had fallen into complete ruin.
But—
The Eugene Carter she saw with her own eyes… was different.
‘…Though I can’t quite put my finger on why.’
If nothing else, she trusted her eye for talent.
Even now, she could clearly recall the mana flowing through Instructor Carter’s body.
That weak, fragile pulse of magical energy.
‘I had hoped it wasn’t true.’
The rumor that his mana heart had suffered irreversible damage… seemed to be true after all.
She had heard talk that he’d shown his skills during the welcoming ceremony, but she’d dismissed it as mere gossip.
After all, none of the cadets had seen it firsthand—and rumors were always prone to exaggeration.
But if that was the case—
Then how had he looked perfectly fine earlier?
Damage to the mana heart was essentially damage to the heart itself. Even half-damaged, one could barely stand.
‘And yet that dying man supposedly floored Billy Gray in a single blow?’
He might’ve embarrassed himself during orientation, but that trio wasn’t to be underestimated.
Eric Halenber — Comprehensive Rank B, 9th in the year.
Billy Gray — Comprehensive Rank C, 56th.
Philip Petra — Comprehensive Rank C, 60th.
Whatever the case, the three had trained together for a year, developing strong coordination.
Even if the opponent was a legendary war hero, their bodies would’ve reacted instinctively if he’d made a move.
And yet, until the moment Billy fell, neither Eric nor Philip had managed to do anything.
‘…If only I’d seen it from the start.’
The last thing she remembered was Billy writhing on the ground in pain—hardly enough to form a clear conclusion.
Even so, there was more than enough reason to act.
If that man truly was the imperial rebel her father had spoken of—
At the very least, he wouldn’t turn his back on a cadet because of her status or bloodline.
“……Alright.”
Once her resolve was made, there was no reason to hesitate.
She quickened her steps and headed straight for Building E.
11:30 a.m.
“…So this is what it means to be mentally exhausted.”
Even doing nothing, sighs kept escaping my mouth.
What I’d witnessed during lunch was that dreadful.
As I crossed the plaza from Building I, where the dining halls were clustered, I felt as though I’d received the stares of every single cadet and instructor on campus.
‘Even if someone else had done the same thing, they wouldn’t have drawn this much attention…’
It hit me once again how infamous Eugene Carter was within Karbenna.
Only after shaking off all the meddlesome stares and hurriedly returning to my private office in Building E could I finally let out a sigh of relief.
“…Perhaps I was a bit too careless.”
I honestly hadn’t expected such a fuss over something this minor.
All I’d done was take down one beast and run the kids through a single round of drills.
The noise still echoed vividly in my ears.
Some had snapped at me, asking if I was out of my mind, while others had praised me for doing well.
A few had shouted that they’d see me expelled, and others applauded, saying “That’s the Special Task Forces for you!”
Some claimed they were only saying it out of concern and warned me never to treat cadets that way again.
None of it really sank in.
“…Looks like there’ll be a lot of annoying business coming my way.”
Still, one thing was certain.
I’d gotten one step closer to my goal.
Within just ten days of possessing this body, I’d formed clear connections with three of the heroines, and even created links with the remaining two.
There were few starts this smooth.
Even so, I couldn’t afford to relax.
‘Because this world works that way.’
At least, that was how MAGA had always been during the ten years I’d watched it.
Even when I barely managed to reconcile two of them, they’d become enemies again the next day over some trivial event.
Relationships tangled from the start rarely unraveled.
Variables always appeared from unexpected places, and the heroines always died at unexpected moments.
There were times when Edel—the officially fragile one of MAGA—was perfectly fine, while Francia, who rarely even got injured, was found dead.
Through countless failures, I’d realized one simple truth.
‘This world runs the complete opposite of how I expect it to.’
Just like our own reality.
So I’d stopped expecting anything at all.
I merely analyzed the given facts and situations, making the best possible choices over and over.
Like a machine.
…Even so, I still failed to save them all.
I opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a file that stood out from the rest.
Inside were Francia Brida’s academic records and comprehensive evaluations.
As I combined the document’s contents with the information from my memory, I fell deep into thought.
Francia Brida.
The sole surviving member of the Brida family, successor of the Phantom Swordsmanship.
Her first-year comprehensive evaluation: C-rank. Overall ranking: 34th.
In-game, her five main stats were Agility, Endurance, Technique, Willpower, and Insight.
Among over sixty main characters, she ranked 8th in physical ability and 3rd in potential.
Among the female characters—the heroines—her ranking rose from 3rd to 1st.
There was even a saying: “Francia, the one you can always count on.”
Her defining trait was her tenacity—she simply wouldn’t die from anything short of catastrophe.
That’s why players usually left Francia alone in the early game and focused on taking care of the other heroines.
But this time, I wasn’t going to do that.
‘In Apocalypse Mode, the earlier Francia awakens, the better.’
What kind of butterfly effect this strategy would bring later, I’d have to wait and see.
As I thought that, my gaze shifted toward the window.
A large map of Karbenna was pinned to one side of the wall.
I had been scanning it for a while when—
Knock, knock, knock.
Suddenly, a knock came from outside.
Without even turning my head, I answered,
“It’s open.”
“Excuse me.”
Creak—
The door opened, and a small hand shot up in a sharp salute.
“Second-year, Class 3, Cadet No. 12, Francia Brida, ing. I have business with you, Instructor.”
When I turned my head, Francia was standing there, legs pressed together, posture straight as a rod.
“…That was fast.”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that…?”
“Just talking to myself.”
I brushed it off quickly and sat down.
“What’s your business?”
My sharp tone came out naturally.
Francia paused for a moment, then met my gaze directly.
“I’d like you to give me special training.”
In her burning red eyes, I could see both determination and fear.