I Became the Academy’s War Hero-Chapter 34 : The Accusers (2)

Chapter 34: The Accusers (2)
Among the six bridges spanning the Ardens River, as many as four were connected directly to the entrance of Karbenna.
Starting from the wide main gate, the massive fortress walls surrounded the academy, and along the walls were numerous small side gates.
Unlike the main gate, which remained open at all times under guard supervision, the dozens of side gates all locked simultaneously at 17:00.
Detection barriers were set up atop the fences to ward off intruders, making it impossible to pass in or out without formal inspection.
Hidden in the grass near the side gate closest to Building C, Lea Bronte wiped away the sweat that had gathered.
“…Well, somehow, I managed.”
Muttering softly, she glanced around once more.
There were thirty minutes left until midnight.
After checking in for roll call back at the dormitory, she had slipped out again, and had been waiting in the same spot for over an hour.
Crouching in the cramped patch of grass for so long was driving her crazy with discomfort.
‘I thought no one could beat me when it came to patience, but I guess I was wrong.’
Lea gave a bitter smile and stared toward the dormitory.
Scenes from a few hours ago replayed like a panorama over the empty pathway.
If he hadn’t intervened in the first place, none of that would have happened—but still, it had been Instructor Carter who had hidden her presence during that critical moment.
Truly, it had been the quick thinking of a war hero who had once roamed the battlefield.
‘Even if I had escaped in a hurry, I would’ve been caught eventually.’
And it made sense—her opponent was Cadet Commander Orwell Plezens.
One of the top ten experts in the entire Empire when it came to detection and search magic.
Finding a target in an empty seven-story building would have been as easy as pie for him.
But if one hid behind an artifact and suppressed the flow of mana to the utmost, even he would find it hard to be sure.
Instructor Carter had made his move before Orwell could grow more suspicious, forcing the latter to leave the scene.
For a plan made under such urgent circumstances, it had been far too perfect.
Even thinking back on it now, Lea couldn’t help but let out a faint laugh of disbelief.
Only after replaying it over and over in her head had she managed to accept it—otherwise, she would still be wondering why he had made that decision.
But why, though?
‘He had no reason to show that kind of favor to someone like me—a mere student…’
Could it be that he had realized who I really am?
Maybe he was suggesting we form a united front, since we were up against the same enemy?
‘…No, that’s impossible.’
All she had done was ask him a question during class.
What could he possibly have learned from that?
As her thoughts started spiraling, she quickly cut them off.
“…Let’s just keep it simple.”
Whether Instructor Carter was friend or foe didn’t matter.
What mattered was confirming whether Eric Halenber was truly one of Karbenna’s brokers.
That was the only thing important to her.
Strengthening her resolve, Lea sharpened her focus again.
And before long—
Two familiar silhouettes appeared within her field of vision.
“I’ll say it again—don’t do anything rash. Just keep watch in all directions. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“If you do everything yourself, what am I supposed to learn?”
“Learn? What’s there to learn from something like this? Just keep your eyes open!”
“The brokers could pull something on us. What if we get blamed for it?”
“Just check, that’s all. Check and . All we do is pass on what we see and hear to the higher-ups.”
“……”
Even after his explanation, Lianna still wore a puzzled expression.
Too tired to bother further, Eric simply kept his mouth shut.
Before long, the two arrived at the side gate entrance and began chanting their spells in unison.
It was a one-time unlocking magic passed down from a higher code holder—effective for six hours.
As the door slid open smoothly, Eric gestured for Lianna to enter first.
Then, after glancing back once more, he slipped out through the opposite side.
They walked northwest for about ten minutes.
By the roadside stood a single carriage, abandoned-looking.
The coachman, wearing a black vest, ran toward them the instant he saw them.
“The harbor job, right?”
Eric silently nodded and climbed into the carriage.
The carriage carrying the two began racing down the road at a frightening speed.
The sound of hooves echoed loudly through the empty streets.
“……”
“……”
Sitting inside, Eric was lost deep in thought.
If he told his father that he was quitting this line of work for good—how would his father react?
He’d pretend otherwise, but Eric knew he’d be shocked.
After all, just a short while ago, he’d been fighting tooth and nail not to leave Karbenna, and now he was suddenly saying he’d go.
Or maybe his father would even welcome it with open arms.
He’d always complained that his foolish son was tarnishing the Halenber name, after all.
‘…Whatever. Let him think what he wants.’
There was no need to cling to it anymore.
She had already risen to a level that someone like him could never reach.
Whatever choices she made from here on out had nothing to do with him.
If he dared say he worried about her, she’d probably just laugh.
A loser should act like one—praise the victor, and bow out.
That was enough, wasn’t it?
The carriage ran for about an hour before arriving safely at their destination.
Raus, at the Western Port of Ribenia.
Dim lanterns faintly illuminated the dark streets.
Murky puddles mixed with filth covered the ground, and the salty sea air stung the nose.
Makeshift wooden warehouses stood at regular intervals, with crowds of people moving between them.
Most of the ships docked at the port were merchant and sailing vessels, but the Ribenian steamship in the distance radiated a grandeur worthy of the Empire’s pride.
Eric quickly scanned the surroundings, checking for any potential disruptions.
They had already cleared customs, but surprise inspections were another matter.
They needed to pick up the goods and leave as soon as possible.
Exchanging a brief look, the two blended naturally into the crowd.
Screech— Screech—
Warehouse No. 8, Zone 3 of the port.
Because a large shipment of premium whiskey had just arrived from the liquor sector across the way, the place was bustling far more than expected.
“Alright, take a look for yourself.”
The broad-shouldered man stood with his arms crossed, looking down at the two.
There were so many boxes lined up that it was nearly impossible to count them all.
Eric pulled one of the boxes in front of him and lifted the lid open.
When he brushed away the thick layer of dust, a distinct scent rose, revealing dried leaves beneath.
They were brownish in color, patterned with a unique grid—leaves from the Hoken Tree, the raw material used for Hockma.
While Lianna closely inspected the inside of the box, Eric glanced at the man with a detached expression.
‘The last guy I saw kept groveling all over the place.’
Had the supplier changed in the meantime?
‘Or maybe they outsourced the job.’
After all, the supply had increased more than fourfold since the last transaction.
Once Lianna finished her inspection, she gave Eric a small signal with her eyes.
Taking the cue, Eric acted as if he had finished checking everything and spoke lightly.
“Yeah… well, no issues here.”
It was, in truth, just a formality.
The one overseeing this entire deal was none other than the Bernhardt Family.
No one here would be foolish enough to try scamming the Bernhardts.
The man nodded to himself and then asked,
“The payment certificate?”
“Later. This is a divided transaction anyway, isn’t it?”
“Well, that’s true, but… you know, right?”
The man trailed off meaningfully.
For a moment, Eric wondered if there was something he hadn’t been briefed on, but nothing came to mind.
Seeing the puzzled look on Eric’s face, the man scratched the back of his head and leaned closer to whisper.
“You were supposed to give us a small cut too, remember? The Hockma!”
“…Ah, that matter.”
It was the first time Eric had heard of it, but he kept a straight face without flinching.
“We don’t have any finished product yet. I’ll send it as soon as the processing is done.”
“…You’re not joking, are you?”
“You’d better not have messed with the quantity yourself, or you’ll have to answer for it.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll personally vouch for it.”
A brief tension passed between them, but since both sides had something to trust in, nothing more came of it.
The two began stuffing as many of the leaves as possible into a large leather bag they had brought.
After emptying the fourth box, Eric tied off the end of the bag with a string.
At once, the enormous leather sack shrank until it could fit into the palm of his hand.
“Every damn time, it amazes me.”
“First time seeing an artifact?”
“Only your lot would have something like a high-grade shrink bag. Don’t tell me it reduces weight too?”
“Not this one, but there are some that do.”
“Really, the Bernhardts have everything under the sun.”
With that short exchange, the deal came to an end.
Once they quickly left the site and boarded the waiting carriage, the two could finally let out a sigh of relief.
Tuesday morning, exactly 7 o’clock.
After finishing an early breakfast, I was busy preparing for class in my private room.
Technically, for this week, I could have substituted it with physical training.
In fact, some of the instructors had been too distracted to properly focus on their lessons.
It was understandable—those participating in next week’s Imperial-hosted summit could hardly think about anything else.
I’d considered using that as an excuse myself… but decided against it.
‘If I want to reach my goal, I can’t afford to do anything half-heartedly.’
Even seemingly trivial efforts like these were what built the faintest glimmer of hope.
Not that this was the only reason I was waiting here, of course.
“…They should be arriving any minute now.”
Muttering to myself, I glanced toward the door.
Right on cue, a knock echoed through the room.
Knock, knock—
“Come in.”
And when the door opened, the face that appeared was not the one I’d expected.
“Second-year, Class 3, Candidate No. 17—Eric Halenber. I have business with you, Instructor.”
“…Sit down first.”
Well, that was unexpected.
At this timing, I had fully expected Lea Bronte to come instead—but to think it would be him.
I had already learned from the s that Halenber was deeply involved in the drug incident.
The moment those documents reached me, I had been certain Eric was tangled in it.
‘Even so, isn’t this way too fast…?’
As I sat silently, lost in thought, his voice suddenly cut through the air.
“I apologize for the sudden request, Instructor.”
“Hm?”
“…Would you be willing to cooperate with me?”
“…Cooperate?”
What on earth was this about?