Rocky believed he had become a hero solely because of the Alliance's propaganda. He even felt that the only reason the Alliance awarded him the Medal of Valor and the Iron Shine Medal was to appease and reassure the public, and that it had nothing to do with him personally.
The truth was indeed so, but it wasn't the whole story.
While Rocky's hero status was inextricably linked to the Alliance's propaganda, it was equally related to his own actions, which earned him the Iron Shine Medal.
If there was any doubt about the significance of his Iron Shine Medal, the Medal of Valor he received was beyond question, acquired through his genuine abilities!
Not only was Rocky a City Lord, but he was also a Void Magic Warrior, and even more, a Void Magic Warrior wearing the White Demon Armor. Although he only donned the armor to battle in the later stages of the campaign, such achievements alone had already set him apart from others.
