Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 516: Volume 6 Chapter 18 Mechanical Knight_2

”That guy from SM has already become a recognized scumbag on the internet. But even though he’s a scumbag, he’s still our Federation’s scumbag. I have to admit, I kind of like that guy,” Charlie said with a smile on the side.

”The instructor is actually a bit sleazy too,” the freckle-faced boy said recklessly, ”I always feel like he’s quite similar to SM.”

”Wow!” The boys started shouting, rebuking the honest little freckle boy.

In this country where patriotism is burning up to the boiling point, in this tenth generation of war, these young men full of zeal all dream of becoming heroes like their instructors one day! Using their lives and victories to defend their homeland.

Of course, they would never dream that the hero in their hearts and that sleazy SM01314 were actually the same person. Although they felt that SM01314 was quite to their liking, comparing the instructor to that guy was considered a form of blasphemy.

In the midst of the noisy ruckus, Wang Datou’s sharp eyes spotted a group of Capital First Military Academy cadets walking towards them and immediately whistled, ”Shh!”

The boys from the Mechanical Department also saw the approaching group and instantly fell silent, glaring fiercely at a tall and handsome cadet who was walking at the front.

This boy walking at the front, named Taylor, was a fourth-year student at the Capital First Military Academy. Standing at 1.85 meters tall, he had a bright sunny smile and a well-proportioned, athletic build. He was not only recognized as the most handsome guy at the First Military Academy, but also the recipient of the special scholarship for four consecutive years.

In addition to that, fencing, free fighting, equestrian, swimming, and various ball games were among his specialties. What made it even more infuriating was that not only did he come from an illustrious family, but he was also one of the few mecha masters in the academy, having won numerous awards in Silver Star Level private mecha competitions.

To the boys from the Mechanical Department, he was practically their nemesis.

In the mouths of the girls, phrases like ”Do you think you’re Taylor?” or ”If you were Taylor, I would agree to go out with you,” or even ”Sorry, but I like Taylor,” were repeated so often that the boys from the Mechanical Department felt like their ears had grown calluses.

It was extremely damaging to their self-esteem. Hence, the boys from the Mechanical Department were at odds with Taylor.

What made the freckle-faced boys even more regretful was that despite being so infuriating, Taylor was actually fairly decent in his conduct. The disputes remained within the bounds of open conflicts between the two academies. Otherwise, the boys from the Mechanical Department would have had no qualms about employing conventional tactics such as spreading rumors, disfiguring, or framing to deal with him.

Speaking of the rivalry between the academies, it didn’t initially have anything to do with Taylor. For a hundred years, the three major military academies of the Leray Federation have constantly been competitors. The three academies not only competed in terms of teaching and training standards but their graduates also competed against each other in the military.

Putting aside the Steel Military Academy, the Capital First Military Academy has the longest history among these three academies. Whether in terms of teaching resources, influence in the military, or even its own prestige, it was far ahead. The best students were almost monopolized by the Capital First Military Academy.

In various inter-school competitions over the years, the winner always seemed to be the Capital First Military Academy. This inevitably left the students of the other two academies feeling quite disgruntled.

This time, however, the Gallipalan Military Academy, after experiencing the Miloke Defense Battle, emerged like a phoenix from the ashes. Not only did the entire reserve cadet corps join the army officially and shine as grassroots commanders in the war, but they also had the special addition of high-ranking generals like Russell, approved by the Command Department, returning to teach at the academy.

The cohort of cadets taught by Fatty concentrated all the best young talents of the Leray Federation. Whether drawn by Russell or the academy’s reputation, it was an undisputed fact that the Capital First Military Academy had been overshadowed.

In the over a year since then, the Federation’s First Military Academy had unknowingly crowned the Gallipalan Military Academy as the top academy.

As faculty and students of the Capital First Military Academy, they naturally felt indignant about this. With two Marshals, over forty Admirals, and a 500-year history, how could the Capital First Military Academy’s foundation be compared to that of Gallipalan, a military academy built just over a century ago?

Thus, when the Command Department, Mecha Design and Manufacturing Department, Optics and Electronics Engineering Department, Academy of Ships and Propulsion, Weapons Engineering Department, and Control Engineering Department of Gallipalan Military Academy were temporarily relocated to the Capital First Military Academy and occupied two-sevenths of the campus, the mutual disdain and the competitive spirit between the students of both academies became apparent.

These historically rooted conflicts were highly complex, involving the honor and dignity of students and teachers from both academies, as well as touching on the military, government, and various social strata. Even during this united effort to defend the nation, the overt and covert clashes between the two sides never ceased.

Regarding such beneficial competitive engagements, the academy typically turned a blind eye. Graduate students generally stayed out of it, but the most intense participants were these 18 or 19-year-old students, neither too old nor too young.

Although Taylor didn’t like to stir up trouble, he was ultimately a member of the Capital First Military Academy. His exceptional skills within the academy naturally made him the best candidate endorsed by the cadets for various competitions against Gallipalan Academy.