On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 19
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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 019
They’re Instructors While We’re Teaching Assistants
Tiron clicked his tongue as he looked at the records.
‘Third-year average level physical strength. Delev and Celia are above that. Maris Sopen did quite well too. From Professor Elcanto’s side… at best only Killian and Evnis stand out?’
The records of students who took Teacher Ziel’s classes were truly remarkable.
Even excluding the top-tier Delev and Celia, the remaining students’ records were considerable.
What was more surprising was the difference from the records in the reports Tiron had been documenting.
Since they didn’t use mana during class, there would naturally be differences in today’s test where mana was used, but…
‘Still, working backwards, the records have improved quite significantly. Did that training really have an effect?’
Classes where they wore sandbags, didn’t use mana, and ran as long as possible.
When Tiron first saw it, he clicked his tongue too.
What kind of brutish class was that.
But now he couldn’t deny its effectiveness.
Thinking about it quietly, Ziel hadn’t just made them run blindly.
When Tiron observed intermittently, he saw Ziel correcting their running form and teaching them breathing methods while running.
‘He’s a scary person. Did he work as an instructor somewhere?’
His calm voice.
His attitude of applying rules fairly and mercilessly even to the children of great noble houses.
And most decisively, Delev’s respectful demeanor and…
‘Oh my, I absolutely must not let slip about Celia Rihart’s tailing.’
Tiron shut his mouth tight.
But as soon as he closed his mouth, he heard a voice he really didn’t want to hear.
“Teaching Assistant.”
“Ah, Professor.”
“Let me ask you something for a moment.”
At Professor Elcanto’s rather serious expression, Tiron wondered what this man was thinking now and tilted his head.
“What about?”
“About Teacher Ziel.”
“Yes.”
“What… how did he do it to get records like those?”
Tiron smoothly held out the record sheet.
“You saw the report I submitted, right?”
“Report? Oh, that, that’s right. Report. I saw it.”
Saw what.
The stack of reports had been sitting on the desk exactly as placed, with the third paper from the top slightly disheveled for over a week.
“If you look at the report, the students’ skills gradually grow week by week. Especially student Yurio Harmatan showed rapid growth starting from a specific week.”
“Is, is that so?”
“Yes. It seems Teacher Ziel’s teaching method is having unexpected effects. Classes where they run for long periods wearing sandbags without using mana.”
“…”
The teaching method was too absurd to pretend to know about now, but he was afraid it would be obvious he hadn’t read the report if he pretended not to know.
‘With that kind of class…?’
Since Sword School students naturally learned mana breathing techniques as basics, using mana during all classes was standard.
Using mana allows for developing higher athletic abilities, which leads to improved skills.
It was natural logic, but how…
“I think Teacher Ziel focused solely on physical strength itself.”
“Huh?”
“So I think that might be why he conducted such classes. It’s amazing.”
Tiron’s gaze toward Ziel had also changed somewhat now.
Initially it contained wariness and pity, sometimes even annoyance, but now there was a bit of admiration mixed in.
“…”
Professor Elcanto thought.
‘Then does that mean my teaching method is wrong?’
His hands trembled.
But the results were all too clear.
Of the students who made it into the top 40 of the first test, 35 were students taught by Ziel.
Only 5 students taught by Professor Elcanto made it.
Naturally, many students who thought they’d easily pass the first test ended up failing.
‘Running with sandbags? Hmph. Next time will be different.’
But Professor Elcanto didn’t lose his smile, however faint.
The next physical test.
Reflex measurement remained.
Break time.
Ziel still stood in one corner of the auditorium, watching the students.
Today’s role was test proctor.
His job was to catch cheaters and prepare for any potential injuries.
Still, he kept a smile hidden in his heart.
‘So this is what pride feels like.’
The physical strength of the students he was teaching had definitely grown remarkably.
During the first class, except for Delev and Celia, the rest couldn’t even run a few laps without gasping for breath.
While the lifting of mana usage restrictions played a part, ultimately the effect of focusing on ‘physical strength’ without using mana had paid off.
Of course, this was a method Ziel had believed in without doubt from the start.
During his assassin training days.
It was an effect he had experienced firsthand.
Assassins must never rely on mana.
Some powerful individuals could detect a target’s mana, so sometimes one had to fight with mana deactivated.
It was quite a difficult process.
Movements that could be done easily with mana became arduous without it.
Still, at some point it became possible. And when mana was added on top of that, growth far exceeded previous levels.
Ziel had simply passed on his own experience.
Moreover-
“10 minutes left for break. I’ll now announce the next second test category.”
The experience he passed on wasn’t limited to just that.
“The second test category is a reflexes test.”
Murmuring arose.
“Reflexes?”
“What kind of test is this exactly?”
Click.
Before the murmuring could even last 3 seconds, the magic device that had weighed down the students’ legs earlier transformed.
The so-called ‘Multi-Purpose Environmental Device’ that Arcane School took pride in.
Thud.
“From now on, you will run in groups of 8 from the end of the auditorium to here, the arrival point.”
Tiron’s explanation continued.
“In the process, you need to dodge various ‘somethings’ fired from this device.”
Click.
The two devices that finished transforming created countless holes on each surface.
The students swallowed dry saliva.
It was obvious just by looking.
Something would pop out of those holes and fly at them.
“The closer you get to this arrival point, the fiercer the attacks become. Of course, to reduce early eliminations, they’ll start weak initially. You need to pass at least halfway to receive starting points for the second test, and after that minimum score, points are deducted each time you’re hit.”
In other words.
Only students who passed the halfway point would receive basic points, then have points deducted from there.
“Students who reach the arrival point without being hit once get the highest score. But there will also be students with 0 points when they arrive.”
While Tiron spoke honestly, he clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘Why is this so harsh.’
It wasn’t this bad in my time, I think.
While he understood how important participating in the Exchange Tournament was, it seemed like advances in magical engineering were tormenting Sword School students.
“Take one wooden sword each from the starting point before departing.”
Ordinary wooden swords used for practice.
They were probably meant for defense, like swatting away incoming projectiles.
“Well then. Please take your remaining rest and do your best on the exam.”
As Tiron finished his explanation, sighs flowed from among the students.
“The first exam was already incredibly tight, and now the second is what…”
“Are arrows going to fly from there?”
“Surely real arrows won’t come flying? Ah, this is hopeless. I didn’t even make it into the top 40 in the first test.”
Students grumbling.
Students sighing.
Even students seriously considering giving up on the second test.
It was like seeing right before the first exam all over again.
‘The students Teacher Ziel taught are calm.’
A stark contrast.
Tiron thought he knew the reason.
Self-Defense Arts class!
At first, he thought it was student bullying disguised as self-defense.
Arranging them in 5 rows of 8 each, Teacher Ziel moved constantly attacking the students.
He hadn’t seen a single student successfully defend yet.
He wondered what kind of class that was supposed to be…
‘Could he have known the exam content in advance?’
That couldn’t be.
These exam categories were decided in the Professor Council.
It had to be that Teacher Ziel’s classes focusing on fundamentals aligned perfectly.
Indeed.
How good would the reflexes developed through Self-Defense Arts classes be?
“Break time is over. I’ll call the first five names. For fairness regarding rest time, we’ll proceed starting with the lowest records from the first test.”
Sighs flowing from the very start.
They were eliminated early in the first round, and it looked like the same would happen in the second.
“Well then, let’s begin.”
Sure enough.
Swoosh!
“Ugh!”
Right from the start, one student was hit by a magic arrow that flew from the device.
Of course it wasn’t powerful enough to knock him down, but the impact was considerable.
Thud!
Somehow they managed to get past the halfway point and secure basic points, but that’s when things really began.
Whoosh, bang!
“Urgh!”
“Ahhh!”
“Why, why are they so fast!”
The speed of the magic arrows increased further and the number flying increased.
While the panicked first runners were getting hit non-stop, the hands of the teaching assistants in charge of scoring also moved non-stop.
Soon enough, shocking results came out.
“Stop. Everyone is eliminated.”
The device stopped and the students who went as first runners hadn’t even reached the arrival point yet.
“According to the scoring results, everyone is eliminated. I’ll call the next runners.”
The students were dumbfounded.
“What, eliminated just like that?”
“How many times did they get hit?”
“I think each person got hit more than ten times…”
They were special magic arrows that simply flew fast and had reduced impact upon contact, but the mental shock was considerable.
“Is this… really a reflexes test?”
“It is though… you have to dodge or deflect them somehow.”
The students who hadn’t taken the test yet.
“All students who have finished the test, please move to the right side.”
The students whose scores were completely deducted in an instant.
“Isn’t it advantageous to go later?”
“What good does watching do? It’s not like we can practice now.”
“There’s a pattern. A pattern.”
“I couldn’t see any.”
While murmuring arose.
‘It’s not impossible to block.’
‘Hmm. It seems slower than Teacher Ziel’s attacks?’
None of the students who had taken Ziel’s classes were shaken or panicked.
Because they had already experienced countless surprise attacks and blind spot attacks.
While no student had succeeded in counterattacking properly yet, there were quite a few cases of successful defense.
“That concludes this round. Next.”
Certainly the next runners were a bit better.
Some students managed to deflect a few, and some barely made it to the arrival point.
From the third group onward, they got even better.
The fourth group was similar to the fifth.
And the sixth group.
The previous five rounds had 8 people each, and students who were eliminated first based on their first test records went first, so now it was the turn of those who passed the first test.
‘Yes, it’ll be different. This time things will get mixed up again!’
Professor Elcanto watched with an anxious heart.
Of the 8 people, 3 were students taught by Professor Elcanto.
The remaining 5 were students taught by Ziel.
Among them, Karen gripped her wooden sword and took a deep breath.
‘I can definitely do this.’
Strangely, the arrows didn’t seem that fast.
Seeing how the students who participated in the test earlier could barely dodge them, they must be fast, but…
‘Let’s try.’
“Beginning now.”
Thud!
And Karen, right from the start, the magic arrow that flew toward her—
Clang!
She deflected it with surprising ease.
‘Huh?’
Professor Elcanto was dumbfounded.
No.
It’s a coincidence.
But thinking it was a coincidence was only momentary.
As the students passed the halfway point, arrows came flying down like rain…
Clang, claaang!
Whoosh!
They were deflecting or blocking them.
And quite skillfully at that.
Meanwhile, the three students taught by Professor Elcanto were panicking and standing still, not knowing what to do as arrows poured down like rain.
‘Again… again?’
The contrast was too stark.
Professor Elcanto whipped his head around.
Teacher Ziel.
That bastard who suddenly appeared!
“He’s smiling…?”
He was even smiling.
It was certain.
The corners of his mouth were slightly, but definitely turned up!
Grind.
‘Was he someone who knew how to smile?’
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, Ziel’s students hadn’t blocked all the magic arrows.
However, they were incomparable to Elcanto’s students.
“We passed!”
“Ugh!”
Elcanto’s students didn’t even manage to pass, losing all their basic points and sinking.
On the other hand, Ziel’s students including Karen safely protected their basic points and passed the finish line.
‘This… this isn’t right…’
An unbelievable reality!
But the truly surreal part was yet to come.
While only three of Professor Elcanto’s students had passed.
“Then, we’ll begin the test for the last group.”
The test for the group including Delev and Celia began…
“Wow.”
“They’re deflecting everything!”
“This is incredible!”
The two deflected arrows with unbelievable reflexes and charged forward like cavalry-
“Th-they passed.”
They passed the finish line side by side without allowing a single hit.
“Hey, I was faster, Delev.”
“No way. My body crossed first.”
They even had the leisure to bicker.
Meanwhile, the student Professor Elcanto had some hope for did pass the arrival point, but ended up allowing three arrows to hit.
“This is crazy. What kind of class did they take?”
“Delev and Celia aside, how are the other kids so good too…”
Among the whispers came a comment that stabbed like a dagger!
“He’s just an instructor and we’re professors, so why is this happening?”
Professor Elcanto ended up clutching his chest.
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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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