On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 141

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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 141

 

 

Cracked Castle Wall (7)

 

 

Official teaching position!

 

“The faculty of Sword School, excluding administrative staff, has teaching positions divided into three grades that stand at the podium.”

“Instructor, Teacher, and Professor.”

 

Ziel recalled the School Rules Book.

The instructor position that Ziel currently held.

Part-time instructor position hired temporarily from outside.

And there were the teacher position and the professor position that Ziel aimed for.

 

“That’s correct. In fact, there’s no one actually performing teacher duties at our Sword School. Same goes for Arcane School.”

“Why is that?”

“Well, realistically there’s no need to hire them. We already have professors for each grade level, there aren’t that many classes, and liberal arts classes have been taught by hiring instructors until now.”

“Then why are you offering me a teaching position?”

 

Now came the main point.

 

“Because it seems like Teacher Ziel will eventually aim for a professor position here.”

“….”

“Please think of it as a gateway to achieve that.”

 

Ziel was a bit surprised.

To have his goal figured out.

 

“Actually, there would be no reason to stay at the Academy otherwise. It seemed like… you had some goal remaining at this Academy.”

 

He was right.

Ziel’s goal was professor.

But Berhal didn’t know the real purpose behind wanting to become a professor.

 

“So I thought we couldn’t delay any longer. No matter how much you like this Academy and want a professor position, your skills are too outstanding to think of you as a fish we’ve caught.”

“That’s right. Outstanding indeed.”

 

It’s amazing every time I see it.

How it doesn’t feel arrogant even when he says that.

 

“So please take the position as an official teacher, this is my request.”

 

Berhal made his request very politely and earnestly.

Actually, he wanted to appoint Ziel as a professor even if it meant revising the regulations.

But doing so could shake the entire system of Sword School.

Even now, he knew the professors had many complaints inside, though they couldn’t voice them outwardly.

 

‘Not now. But I can gradually change things over several years.’

 

Berhal had been appointed as Department Head with the request to change this Sword School.

While Ziel’s recruitment wasn’t intentional, Ziel’s official teacher appointment would be the first great step toward that.

Then, as Ziel steadily built up achievements, breaking precedent and becoming a professor in the shortest time would be entirely possible!

Ultimately, starting with Ziel’s official teacher hiring, winds of change would begin to blow through Sword School.

 

“Please think it over thoroughly and….”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Huh? Shouldn’t you at least hear the conditions….”

 

Ziel didn’t understand political dynamics or emotional power struggles.

The goal of becoming a professor.

If it was a necessary process to go through, accepting was the right choice.

And without hesitation at that.

At this point, Berhal was the one who became flustered instead.

 

“First, it’s 2.5 times your previous salary. Since you’re currently at 2,500 cel, that would be 6,250 cel.”

“….”

 

Ziel gave no response.

Berhal became slightly anxious.

 

‘Is it too… little?’

 

“Of, of course incentives are attached to this too! Depending on performance, it could be more than what we’ve paid you before!”

“….”

 

Ziel still gave no response.

Berhal regretted hastily mentioning the salary.

 

‘I should have just called out 10,000 cel from the start.’

 

Salary was confidential anyway.

There would be nothing wrong with giving a bit more.

No, that’s actually what he should do.

 

‘This is Teacher Ziel we’re talking about.’

 

He seemed to be thinking too much within the box.

Actually, 2.5 times was already a tremendous salary increase, but the other party was Teacher Ziel.

Meanwhile, on the other hand.

 

‘2.5 times 2,500 cel is 6,250 cel… That’s 6,000 chicken skewers. If I buy jelly it would be less than that, but I could eat twice the usual amount at once.’

 

He’d have to save money so he’d need to reduce his eating portions a bit, but still he could eat much more than before.

 

‘Just imagining it makes me feel good. Is this what happiness is?’

 

Ziel defining happiness for the first time in his life!

Meanwhile, on the other hand.

Berhal, who had been trembling with anxiety, made his decision.

 

‘Alright. 2.5 times a formal teacher’s salary. The Dean won’t approve anything more than that.’

 

A formal teacher’s starting salary was about 4,000 cel.

He decided to give 2.5 times a formal teacher’s salary, not a liberal arts instructor’s wage.

A total of 10,000 cel!

In other words, four times Ziel’s current salary.

 

“Um, Teacher Ziel?”

“Yes.”

“I think I misspoke just now. Haha, I keep forgetting things as I get older… Let’s make it four times.”

“The salary, you mean?”

“Yes! Of course. A total of 10,000 cel.”

 

Ziel was a little surprised.

 

“That’s different from the amount just now. There’s a difference of 3,750 cel.”

“I misspoke earlier, haha. 10,000 cel. Of course, incentives are separate.”

“I understand.”

 

Ziel, who had been lost in thought and couldn’t answer, ended up securing a four-fold salary increase!

 

‘Phew, that’s a relief.’

 

Of course, that wasn’t the end of it.

 

“And as you become a formal teacher, you’ll be able to receive various welfare benefits provided by the Academy. You’ll get pension support, and carriage fees will be covered for short distances. Of course, it varies by rank, but Teacher Ziel will be supported up to 4th-grade carriage fees. And…”

 

Since it was an Academy established by the Imperial Palace, the benefits were quite generous.

 

“Oh, that’s right. There are also faculty loans available. And vacation pay too.”

 

But Ziel was actually curious about something else.

 

“Is there no snack allowance?”

“Pardon?”

“I think it would be good if there was snack allowance.”

“There’s no snack… allowance…”

 

Berhal hastily added.

 

“Let’s create one! Since it’s for the students.”

“No, it’s for me.”

“…”

 

Though momentarily flustered, Berhal answered calmly.

 

“Ah, I understand. Actually, it doesn’t matter what it’s for. It’s Teacher Ziel’s request.”

“Thank you. What would be the amount?”

“I’ll need to discuss that with the Dean. A few hundred cel should be quite possible, don’t you think?”

 

After thinking for a moment, Berhal came up with a good idea.

 

“Ah, this method would be better at the Academy. Teacher Ziel can purchase items and submit the receipts. Formal teachers get reimbursed for actual expenses.”

“Then I’ll do it that way.”

 

How much could he possibly spend on snacks?

This would be much more convenient than adding money to his salary.

Anyway, this settled it…

 

“Huh, you’re having quite interesting conversations here.”

 

…He thought it was settled, but it wasn’t.

 

“Your Highness?”

 

Berhal hastily bowed his head.

 

“I greet Your Highness.”

“Mm. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I ended up hearing. Haha.”

“…”

 

Right.

That’s how it was.

The 2nd Prince also wanted Ziel.

And quite desperately at that.

 

“It’s a bit awkward to say this with the person in question here, but I very much want to take Teacher Ziel with me as well.”

 

It was a very troublesome situation.

The Academy Sword School Department Head.

No matter how poorly the Academy as a workplace was treated, the position of Department Head was sufficiently high.

Moreover, Berhal was a former Imperial Knight Commander!

Even so, his opponent was a Prince.

A being with the possibility of standing at the pinnacle of this country in the distant future.

Berhal mustered his courage.

 

“I apologize, Your Highness. Teacher Ziel has just agreed to convert to a formal teacher position.”

“Are you saying it cannot be undone?”

“…Promises are important things.”

 

Depending on how one heard it, it could sound like telling him to mind his ‘manners.’

However, Dietrich smiled leisurely.

 

“Watching Teacher Ziel quietly, he seems to have a calling for teaching children. So I’ve been thinking about it…”

 

Dietrich made a surprising proposal.

 

“Teacher Ziel, how about coming to work with me as an instructor for the Imperial Knights?”

“…!”

 

It was an absurd proposal.

Would the Knight Order just stand by and watch that happen?

 

‘But the knights including Relio and Horn are… following His Highness.’

 

However, with the position of ‘Prince’, it wasn’t impossible to do.

 

“The salary will naturally be much, much more – an amount beyond your imagination, Teacher Ziel.”

 

It was a tremendous proposal.

Something unimaginable.

Even more so since the 2nd Prince himself wanted to bring him over.

A proposal to give him the official position of instructor and let him enjoy glory by assisting him!

 

‘Teacher Ziel.’

 

Berhal became anxious.

In truth, it would be foolish not to accept it.

A verbal agreement could be broken anytime.

That’s how Berhal saw it.

But Ziel was different.

 

“Your Highness Dietrich Valdrain, I must decline that proposal.”

 

A firm rejection without a moment’s hesitation.

He didn’t even add a courteous apology.

Dietrich, who had been rejected once before, was greatly flustered this time.

 

“…Why? You won’t get another chance to receive such a proposal.”

“These are things I don’t need.”

 

The reason was truly simple.

 

“You don’t need status and honor?”

“Yes. I don’t need them.”

“Money either?”

“I already have enough money.”

 

According to investigations, Steelheart was already a fallen noble family.

When they fell, they couldn’t have embezzled money separately.

 

“Money to buy chicken skewers to my heart’s content is enough.”

“What do you mean….”

“It wasn’t like that before. With a liberal arts instructor’s salary, I couldn’t buy enough chicken skewers.”

 

Berhal was shocked.

 

‘Don’t tell me he spent all that money on chicken skewers?’

 

2,500 cel.

The money he received after taxes wasn’t much, but it wasn’t so little that he couldn’t buy chicken skewers….

 

“But now it’s enough. I’ve arranged to receive snack allowance support.”

“….”

 

Dietrich felt angry for the first time while facing Ziel.

 

“You’re rejecting my proposal because of snack allowance?”

“There are other reasons too.”

“What are they?”

 

What could it be this time.

Did the Academy agree to pay for his drinks too?

 

“If I accept Your Highness’s proposal, I can no longer meet my students.”

 

This was also the most important reason.

It wasn’t originally like that.

What mattered was a solid identity.

He just needed to become a professor.

Making his disguised identity into a real identity.

That was the goal.

But now, he had one more goal.

 

“I want to see my students grow.”

 

Ziel’s answer was firm.

 

“Your Highness Dietrich Valdrain. This is a proposal I don’t need, so I decline.”

“…Haa.”

 

Dietrich let out a long sigh.

Berhal tensed up.

The 2nd Prince.

He was still young.

So there was no telling how he might react.

If a person in power decided to be unreasonable….

 

“When I was young, His Imperial Majesty, that is, my father, taught me something.”

 

Dietrich forced a smile.

 

“If you can’t fulfill what the other person wants, you have no choice but to use violence to get what you want.”

 

Rising tension.

It was when Berhal swallowed nervously.

 

“I thought of that teaching this way. If you can’t fulfill what they want… it’s right to give up.”

 

Dietrich suddenly raised the corners of his mouth.

 

“Or perhaps I could prepare what the other party wants instead.”

“Your Highness, you mean…”

“I mean I’ll give up. For now, that is. Unless we move the Academy inside the Imperial Palace, it’s an impossible wish to fulfill, isn’t it? It’s not like I can scout all the students and put them in the Knight Order either.”

 

Dietrich shrugged his shoulders.

 

“I can provide snack money, vacation pay, carriage fees, and everything else, but you happen to want the one thing I can’t give you. What a shame.”

 

The students themselves.

That was something even Prince Dietrich couldn’t do anything about.

He could give any amount of money, and if necessary, he had even considered a knight’s title.

Or helping restore the Steelheart family.

 

‘He’d probably refuse even if I mentioned that.’

 

Dietrich learned one life lesson today.

The lesson that there are things in the world you can’t have even if you want them.

But he had no intention of giving up.

 

“As I said, I’ll give up ‘for now.’ But I like you, Teacher Ziel.”

 

Dietrich smiled broadly and extended his hand.

 

“Even if you don’t come to my side, let’s meet often.”

 

Ziel stared at that hand for a moment, then shook it.

 

“Understood.”

 

Dietrich smiled broadly and left his seat.

And Berhal let out the breath he had been holding.

 

“Phew…”

 

No matter how he thought about it, this teacher was… a strange person.

 

“Teacher Ziel… is there nothing you’re afraid of?”

“That’s a question that doesn’t fit the context.”

“I think it fits the context perfectly… No, where did you get the courage to reject His Highness the Prince’s proposal so decisively?”

 

Ziel tilted his head.

 

“Isn’t this a good thing for you, Department Head? Why are you pointing that out?”

“Ah, no. It’s just strange. Who in the world would act like that in front of His Highness the Prince…”

“I thought I maintained proper etiquette, wasn’t that the case?”

“…”

 

He did maintain it.

 

‘Did he?’

 

Thinking about it, Ziel had observed all the proper forms.

He just didn’t use ceremonial language.

But that didn’t feel strange.

Was it because it was Ziel?

 

“…Anyway, thank you for refusing, Teacher Ziel. Let’s write up a new contract as soon as we get back.”

“Understood. Then I’ll go watch the students’ training.”

 

Leaving only those words, Ziel walked away briskly.

No matter how you looked at it, he was unique.

 

“Would he act like that even in front of His Imperial Majesty?”

 

That would be a big problem.

A chuckle escaped him.

 

“But at least he survived.”

 

For Berhal too, if he were to evaluate his performance, this might be his greatest achievement this semester.

 

“Hm?”

 

In the midst of this, Berhal discovered something strange.

 

‘It looks like… there’s a crack.’

 

Below the Iron Keep castle wall.

Berhal found a cracked stone in the castle wall.

It wasn’t anything special.

But it was a crack that strangely caught his eye.

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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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