On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 110
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Organization Collapsed on My First Day of Infiltration Episode 110
Polar Night Dagger (3)
District 13 Outskirts.
The vineyard operated by the Ospelt family
When they mentioned the secret password at the annex building, the door was opened without any fuss.
This is the characteristic of secret black markets.
If you know how to get in, they’ll open it right away.
Because the method of entry is thoroughly secret.
It was a secret obtained without spending a single penny thanks to the Dark Ghost’s ghost story.
“This is my first time at a black market like this too, Boss. I knew they existed, but…”
Black markets have their own levels.
There are black markets that ordinary people can visit if they just do a little legwork.
However, the items you can obtain there aren’t that impressive.
In that sense, the black market he had visited with Gilbert before was also quite high-level.
But this black market is even more so.
A place where incredible items await only those who paid a great price to purchase ‘secrets’.
However, instead of anticipation, Ziel brought up something else.
“I smell something familiar.”
“Huh? Something familiar?”
“Yes.”
The scent remaining in this passage.
It’s definitely a familiar scent.
‘It’s too faint. I’ll be able to tell once we go inside.’
“Please stop for a moment and put on these masks.”
As they headed toward the annex underground passage, a new gatekeeper appeared and handed them masks.
“You must not remove your masks, and you must not make any sounds. Even if you recognize someone, you must not acknowledge them.”
The rules unique to this black market.
“All bidding and purchases are done with bidding paddles. Your numbers are 34 and 35 respectively. Payment is naturally in silver coins.”
The bidding paddles handed over after the masks.
“When you two exit, please go behind the lion statue. If you need to exit in an emergency, use the passage behind the largest decoration.”
They could deduce that the exit passages were different from each other.
‘To prevent following other buyers.’
“If you exit through any passage other than the emergency exit passage or your designated passage, you will be dealt with immediately. Please be careful.”
As expected.
A black market that decides entry with just one secret password, but operates everything else under strict rules.
“Additionally, all participants’ actions are thoroughly monitored by ‘Ascal’s Eye’.”
Ascal’s Eye.
Ziel had heard of it before.
It was a rare magical tool.
“Ascal’s Eye, that’s incredible.”
Gilbert also seemed to know it, expressing quiet admiration.
“From the moment you pass this point, you cannot converse.”
The gatekeeper, who had warned them in a businesslike and stern manner, opened the way.
Ziel and Gilbert entered inside.
‘If they’re using Ascal’s Eye, a lot of money must have been invested.’
When that magical tool is used, instead of the vision seen with ordinary eyes, you get vision illuminated by Ascal’s Eye.
In other words, temporarily replacing one’s eyes with ‘Ascal’s Eye’.
‘They’re operating as safely as possible.’
Who could be the operator of this black market.
To be this cautious and even deploy rare magical tools would be impossible with ordinary wealth and power.
‘Ospelt, magical tools, strict rules, and… mana is flowing throughout the entire black market.’
Ziel, who had organized the circumstances he found, entered the inner area for now.
‘Let me observe the black market situation first.’
Inside the black market, there were dozens of seats and a stage that those seats faced.
The seats were already almost completely filled.
Intense lighting was shining on the stage, and probably items and an auctioneer would come up there.
‘The overall security level is high.’
Along with the intense lighting illuminating the stage, more than 5 confirmed Ascal’s Eyes.
And including various security magic devices, there were also more than ten people hidden in the darkness, barely visible but monitoring the area below.
‘Their breathing and scent are those of assassins.’
He became even more curious.
Who could be the operator of this black market that operates with such measures.
Finding the mastermind behind the leak of the Black Organization’s items is the purpose of this night mission!
The operator must surely know who that mastermind is.
Or-
‘They might be the same person.’
The Black Organization had definitely perished.
All traces of Ziel had been erased as well.
However, people know.
Of the ‘Specter’s’ existence.
As long as traces of the Black Organization are still being leaked, there’s a possibility that something could be tracked down through related investigations.
The possibility is slim, but Ziel is a former assassin.
He had always made the most rational decisions by considering even the tiniest possibilities.
‘This way, Boss.’
Ziel and Gilbert took their seats.
Gilbert showed clear signs of nervousness.
Understandably so.
Even without being a user of the Polar Night Breathing Technique, one could easily tell that the people here were far from ordinary.
‘Six Grand Knight-level, four below that. There are quite a few mages as well.’
Simply gauging their level was something not only Ziel but Gilbert could do as well.
However, there was a method only Ziel could use.
It was scent.
Ziel, out of habit from his assassin days, remembers the scents of everyone he encounters.
Using the Polar Night Breathing Technique makes it possible to remember even more clearly.
‘So these were the scents I caught from the passage.’
Quite a few of them were familiar scents.
There were two scents he remembered relatively recently.
‘Professor Merhen Curtis.’
The professor in charge of Sword School’s third years.
They had eaten together before.
At ‘Lancaster’s Star.’
He remembered that for some reason, the professor seemed quite angry while paying the bill.
‘He was smiling, but seemed angry.’
Unlike the beginning of the semester, he had suddenly shown goodwill toward Ziel from the end of the semester.
But after eating together, he started being hostile again.
In any case, he was an unexpected figure.
Then the other one was-
‘Personnel Director Locus Abue.’
Academy Personnel Director Locus.
Berhal’s son and the very person who brings around someone called Lena.
What could their purpose be?
‘I’ll need to be on guard.’
Just then, finally, one person walked onto the stage.
He too was wearing a mask.
However, unlike the others, it was a half-mask that didn’t cover the lower face.
“Welcome, everyone. We welcome you to our festival today. As you well know, this session also features many items from the ‘Black Sky series.’ We hope you’ll seize good fortune.”
The greeting wasn’t long.
The auction began immediately.
“Here’s the first item. The most noble and beautiful design…”
Nothing particularly caught his attention.
For now.
But when it reached the 10th round.
“Now, here’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. We’ll now introduce the Black Sky series. Before that, the starting price is a basic 200,000 and there’s no upper limit…”
It had begun.
“This is the Illusion Stone. It received such a hot response last session that we procured new ones. Unfortunately, we only managed to procure three. This really is the last time. The Black Sky organization itself only had a few of these items!”
The Illusion Stone.
Since the bounty criminal said he bought it at the last black market, those words must be true.
While it wasn’t quite the highest-grade Illusion Stone that Ziel possessed, it was still an excellent item.
“Next is the special wire. This was an item that every Black Sky assassin carried around. Bermesan steel was processed very thinly using magical engineering, and special powder was applied on top…”
That too was genuine.
An item Ziel also possessed.
The leak was confirmed once again.
Other items were introduced afterward, and they were all items Ziel had used at least once.
Familiar to Ziel, but not to others.
Excitement and trembling were transmitted intact.
Some were already breaking out in nervous sweat while fidgeting with the placards they held.
The legendary assassination group, Black Sky.
Once an organization of terror, but now destroyed.
He didn’t know what kind of inspiration that gave people, but-
“And sorry, but there are no ‘Specter’s’ items in this series.”
One thing was certain.
The ‘Specter’s’ existence played a part.
The Specter, once an object of fear.
But to many people, not an object of fear but of admiration that brought legends and wonder.
He had become an entity that stimulated people’s desires.
Of course, he couldn’t even imagine that the very Specter was in the same place right now.
“However, we have prepared ample quantities of other items, so please participate actively today. Thank you. Now, let’s begin immediately.”
The Black Sky series auction began, but Ziel didn’t raise his bidding paddle.
Ziel wasn’t interested in the items.
Beyond that stage.
He was only curious about the guy behind it.
“Participant 15, 700,000 has been bid.”
On the other hand, there was someone overflowing with interest.
Though hidden by a mask, the scent couldn’t be concealed from Ziel.
It was Professor Merhen enthusiastically raising his bidding paddle and participating in the auction!
“Participant 17, 800,000! 800,000 has been bid. Are there no more bids? 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Sold. Participant 17, congratulations.”
After winning the bid for Black Sky’s special wire, he even shook his entire body while sitting, celebrating with joy.
800,000 cel for a single wire.
An absurd premium, but Black Sky’s prestige was worth even more.
‘Is he planning to use it for classes?’
Meanwhile, Ziel thought of several classes that could be conducted with wire.
‘He was a professor more interested in education than I thought.’
Unfortunately, Ziel had misunderstood.
He couldn’t possibly know that Professor Merhen was actually an ardent and secret fan of the ‘Specter.’
Merhen continued to participate enthusiastically in the auction after that.
In contrast.
‘Is he targeting something?’
Personnel Director Locus, who was even more unexpected, kept staring only at the stage.
Just like Ziel, without bidding even once.
Incidentally, there was one more person like that, but in his case, it was purely because he had no money.
‘Ugh, if only I had brought some silver coins from the safe house!’
This one was also a fan nonetheless.
Gilbert twisted his entire body in frustration.
“Sold, sold! Total amount 1 million. Congratulations!”
If only he could have bought even one of those small items!
Of course, they weren’t items that the Specter had used, but still, they were items from Black Sky, which had now perished and no longer existed in the world.
All he had were a few silver coins and, ridiculously, only the dagger he had received from the Boss as a commission fee!
‘No wait, I have the Boss.’
It was just then as he was thinking that.
Another person came out from backstage and handed a box to the auctioneer.
The auctioneer seemed to have some conversation, then nodded and spoke like this.
“Ah, we will temporarily suspend the series auction.”
Bewildered sighs flowed from the audience seats.
“We apologize. But it won’t take very long. It’s to deliver news that will delight our customers the most.”
News that would delight them the most.
At those words, light sparkled through the narrow eye holes of the masks.
“Don’t be surprised! We will now begin the auction of the ‘Specter’s’ cherished items that were just acquired.”
The sighs turned into low cheers.
The Specter’s items!
This was exactly why the people who came here paid that expensive price.
The rising excitement could be felt without words.
‘It’s time to move.’
Ziel finally took action.
“Now, let me reveal it.”
Click.
The box opened and—
“It’s a dagger.”
The item everyone had been eagerly awaiting appeared.
Since the rules were rules, even the people who had been keeping their mouths shut widened their eyes and murmured at this moment.
The auctioneer also seemed to utilize the atmosphere of excitement rather than strictly enforcing the rules.
Click.
The auctioneer closed the box again, looked around the audience, and spoke with a raised corner of his mouth.
“As you well know, this item is very, very special. Therefore, we will adjust the starting price to 2 million.”
2 million cel.
An absurd amount.
But everyone was tense, gripping their bidding paddles.
“And I have one more thing to tell you. We plan to announce the next auction at the end of this auction, and at that time, we will also show you a very special item that will be sold at the next auction.”
A special item!
But people’s attention was drawn more to the Specter’s dagger than to that special item.
Only three people reacted differently.
First, Gilbert.
‘Wait.’
Gilbert tilted his head as he glimpsed the dagger’s appearance.
‘It looks similar to the one Boss gave me?’
Gilbert with a serious expression!
Don’t tell me that’s….
‘Those guys who came to this black market are pitiful.’
It’s a scam.
How could such an ordinary dagger be something the Specter used?
‘Boss gave me several of them. I have one too.’
By the way, he had grabbed that when leaving the safe house for the last time.
In other words, it was an item he still possessed.
‘Tsk tsk, they’re trying to make money by selling the Specter’s name, huh?’
Whoever it is, I feel sorry for the guy who’ll buy that.
While Gilbert clicked his tongue inwardly.
One person who seemed indifferent to the dagger the Specter used, only watching the stage.
“….”
It was Locus, whose intentions remained unreadable.
And lastly.
A person who didn’t even glance at the dagger.
‘Shall we begin.’
Ziel looked at the stage and moved his lips just slightly to transmit his voice.
“Gilbert. Don’t answer, just listen. Soon the view will go dark and return. After I come back, move to the emergency exit.”
The moment he finished speaking and drew upon the Polar Night Breathing Technique—
Instantly, everything around was dyed in darkness.
The lighting around the Eye of Ascal.
The stage lighting.
And all other lights disappeared in an instant.
It was just a moment.
About 2 seconds.
Exactly that amount of time.
In that very moment when people had no time to panic, make sounds, or move.
Flash.
The light returned again.
“What, what was that?”
“Suddenly the lighting….”
People squinting their eyes.
Though brief, when intense light shone on their darkened vision, low screams erupted from here and there.
The auctioneer also squinted while covering his eyes but quickly recovered.
“Sorry, there seems to have been a brief problem with the lighting. Continuing with the explanation….”
Meanwhile, with the returned light, the ‘Eye of Ascal’ swept over the audience seats.
“No one moved or left.”
“It appears to be a simple lighting malfunction. Check the magic stone at the center.”
The mages and assassins connected to the Eye of Ascal didn’t detect any particular anomalies either.
However—
It only appeared that way.
‘Boss is… still there? He said to prepare to move to the escape route when he returns?’
Even Gilbert, who was sitting next to him, didn’t notice that Ziel had disappeared.
“Now then, let’s proceed directly to the auction. As mentioned….”
Hum hum.
Seat 34.
Right below Ziel’s seat.
An ‘Illusion Stone’ installed at some point was emitting mana and generating an illusion.
Precisely an illusion of Ziel.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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