On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 2
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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 002
It was my first day as an instructor
The rumor that a new liberal arts instructor had come to Sword School spread quickly.
“Hey, did you hear? A new liberal arts instructor is coming.”
“Really? Why?”
“What does it matter? We just listen to liberal arts half-heartedly anyway.”
“Right. The seniors said so too. They said you just need to not skip class.”
“Anyway. They said to just listen to liberal arts casually. It’s orientation today, so won’t it end after like 10 minutes?”
Sword School’s first liberal arts subject.
Understanding Self-Defense Arts.
The students were just listening because they were told to, but no student was actually interested in the liberal arts subjects.
In fact, they didn’t have to take it.
It was good if they did, but if not, they could just fill their credits with their major.
However, students surprisingly competed fiercely to register for liberal arts classes.
More precisely, out of the total 5 liberal arts subjects, not the 3 that professors handled, but the 2 liberal arts subjects.
One of them was exactly ‘Understanding Self-Defense Arts’.
“Hey, but it’s really easy, right? The seniors said so.”
“That’s what I’m saying. This one is easy because a liberal arts instructor runs it. They said you just sit there and then leave.”
“Really, thinking about how much we struggled to register for classes…”
Total of 100 first-year students.
Plus second-year and above students who couldn’t pass liberal arts subjects for various reasons.
40 people who won the competition against all those people were here.
A fierce competition waged to get an easy ride!
The 40 people here were exactly those victors.
“Delev, what are you doing?”
“Studying my major.”
Among those students, there was one person reading a major textbook with an expression that the class didn’t matter much anyway.
“Class is starting now though?”
“Liberal arts are run by teaching assistants anyway. And they say when they come in, they just do orientation and tell us to self-study.”
Delev Kundel.
The third son of the Kundel Family, a boy who drew an impressive appearance with the smooth blonde hair and bright blue eyes that were symbols of Kundel.
“This time an instructor came. A real instructor.”
“They won’t last a few months anyway. My brother said so. He said even when liberal arts instructors come, you don’t see them for long.”
“Ah. Right, your brothers are third-year and fifth-year.”
Delev soon began to immerse himself in his major textbook.
Several students glanced at him from the side.
“That’s the valedictorian, right? From that Kundel Family?”
“Would it help with academy life if we became friends with him?”
“I don’t know. Go try talking to him.”
Delev also noticed those gazes, but his mind was entirely filled with thoughts of his major.
‘I’ll surpass my brothers.’
He entered Edelwein Academy as a new student amid praise of being the greatest talent.
And as valedictorian at that!
He had to prove he was the greatest talent.
Because he couldn’t disappoint his family’s expectations.
Meanwhile.
“Celia, after this ends, want to go to the Plaza? The seniors said there’s really delicious…”
“Luke, get lost. Why do you keep talking to me? I’m going to sleep.”
“Oh, okay…”
There was also a student like Celia Rihart who was going to sleep outright.
Rihart.
One of the Empire’s Five Great Families along with Kundel.
Celia was the second daughter of that Rihart Family and had the best swordsmanship talent among those heirs.
Like Delev, she lay down and closed her eyes as if uninterested.
But the smooth, flowing red hair covering her face caught the male students’ attention this time.
“Hey, did you hear? That Assassination Group collapsed.”
“Assassination Group?”
“You know, that one. That, that. The really scary Assassination Group.”
“Ah, that Specter? The place where that person is?”
“Yeah. It was in the newspaper. The Empire subjugated them.”
And students chatting enthusiastically on the side.
Among the 40 students, no student was interested in the liberal arts lecture.
And-
“Everyone sit down. Class is starting.”
No student noticed that Ziel had entered either.
“Wh-what?”
When a voice suddenly came from the front, the students were startled.
“When… did he come in?”
“Hey, hey. Did you see? When did he come in?”
An assassin (former).
Moreover, an existence called Specter and known as The Organization’s greatest assassin.
He didn’t even need to use Assassin Techniques to walk to the Podium while avoiding the students’ gazes.
He had simply walked in naturally.
He could easily slip into the blind spots of the students’ gazes.
From the entrance to the lectern.
The moment he walked that distance of about 10 meters was perfectly timed.
“….”
The lecture hall suddenly fell quiet.
“The new liberal arts instructor… right?”
“Hey, hey. He looks pretty good, doesn’t he?”
“That’s more than just pretty good….”
Celia quickly raised her head at the murmuring.
At that moment, sunlight streaming through the window illuminated Ziel’s profile.
Celia gasped involuntarily.
His pale white face.
The shadows cast by sunlight under his eyes and along his nose bridge.
And those orange-colored eyes on top of it all.
How could someone with such a face move so inconspicuously, avoiding the students’ gazes?
‘Is this for real?’
She had been planning to just sleep.
A smile spread across Celia’s lips.
“A real liberal arts instructor actually came. Last year they said a teaching assistant came in and told them to self-study.”
“Didn’t the previous one quit before even lasting a semester?”
Kus whispered next to Delev, who had his major textbook open.
That’s when it happened.
“That’s right. This year I’ve been appointed as the liberal arts instructor.”
“…Did you hear that?”
“I heard it.”
“…!”
“What is the student next to you looking at? I haven’t distributed textbooks for this class yet.”
Delev glared at Kus.
“Because of you….”
“The ‘Sword Counterattack Theory’ that student is reading won’t be covered in this class, so please put the book away.”
How on earth did he hear and see that?
The distance between professor and students in the lecture hall was at least 20 meters.
There was no way he could have heard their whispering, let alone seen the contents of a book at that distance.
Delev closed his book with a bewildered expression and gulped nervously.
“Starting today, I’m Ziel Steelheart, and I’ll be in charge of the liberal arts subjects at Sword School.”
The lecture hall was silent.
‘I thought we could just sleep?’
‘I was planning to study for my major….’
‘None of what the seniors said was right.’
Whether it was Sword School or Arcane School, they had heard that liberal arts classes just required attendance.
“Classes will proceed ‘by the book.'”
By the book.
At those words, the students began to sense something ominous.
“Students who do other things during class or don’t participate faithfully will be called out, just like now.”
But it seemed that wasn’t the case.
“Evaluations will also proceed by the book. The evaluation criteria are written in the syllabus, so please refer to it.”
The strict evaluation criteria written in the syllabus.
Items including class participation, frequency of questions, and improvement!
He was going to actually look at all of this, not just have it written there for show?
‘Are we screwed?’
‘Why is nothing the seniors said true!’
Why did we endure that competition!
‘Easy… it’s not?’
‘They said it was super easy…?’
It was all supposed to be easy.
“Is it not easy but terrible…?”
While all the students were confused and dumbfounded, only Celia looked at Ziel with an interested gaze.
“Hmm.”
Of course, it wasn’t because of what he had just said.
And there was also a student who looked at Ziel with a slightly different meaning and raised their hand.
“Teacher.”
Delev.
The third-year student with a fifth-year brother.
“Since it’s liberal arts anyway, couldn’t we just get through it casually?”
The lecture hall fell quiet once again.
“That’s what I’ve heard so far.”
The same goes for Arcane School, and even more so for Sword School.
Liberal arts lectures are just perceived as existing only to comply with the School Rules Book.
“And this is Sword School after all, so what need is there for Self-Defense Arts? Just draw your sword and cut, that’s it.”
Delev’s attitude wasn’t much different from what the liberal arts instructors who had been ignored until now had seen.
The excited heart unique to freshmen!
The pride of being the top entrance exam scorer!
Plus a bit of arrogance that comes from being a scion of the greatest family.
Ziel, who had been quietly watching, asked.
“What’s your name, student?”
“Delev Kundel.”
Kundel.
One of the great families counted among the Empire’s finest.
Delev was the third son from there.
In other words, he had nearly the best background among these Sword School freshmen.
He was even called the greatest talent among his brothers!
During the entrance ceremony, every professor had come to meet Delev Kundel at least once.
‘By now he should have gotten the hint.’
But Ziel answered with an expressionless face.
“Delev Kundel. Come to the front.”
“Excuse me?”
“Come to the front.”
Delev snickered as if he couldn’t believe it.
Rather, he became curious.
What would he say after calling him out?
‘I’m from the Kundel Family.’
A family whose name no one in the Empire doesn’t know!
Delev walked out as Ziel had told him.
“Yes, I’m here.”
Ziel spoke to Delev in a still calm voice.
“Do you know about the importance of Self-Defense Arts?”
“We’re Sword School students though?”
“I asked about the importance of Self-Defense Arts, but you answer that you’re Sword School students. That’s a wrong answer.”
Delev tilted his head.
“Since we’re Sword School students, Self-Defense Arts aren’t necessary, that’s my answer?”
“Why aren’t they necessary?”
“Well… wouldn’t it be faster to just draw your sword in that time?”
Ziel’s thoughts were different.
Even when carrying a sword, there are many urgent situations where there’s no time to draw it.
Even after drawing the sword, there are several times when it’s not feasible to swing it.
In reality, several assassination targets died without drawing their swords even once despite having excellent swordsmanship skills.
‘I should teach him.’
Professor Elcanto had said so.
Just do it by the book.
This student apparently doesn’t know the importance of Self-Defense Arts, so it seemed like he should inform him.
“Then shall we try experiencing it once? Whether Self-Defense Arts are necessary or not.”
Through practice, not theory.
Theory is important too.
But what’s more important is practice.
This was a fact he had felt many times while learning assassination techniques.
On the other hand, Delev was incredulous.
‘A mere liberal arts instructor?’
He could show him as much as he wanted.
He could even show off his skills in front of his classmates.
If he showed properly, making future liberal arts classes easier would be a bonus.
Of course, who would dare touch someone with the Kundel background, but still, achieving it directly felt different.
“Well, why don’t you try attacking?”
“Student Delev Kundel can do it, or I can do it, it doesn’t matter.”
Delev’s eyebrows twitched.
Even though he was a first-year, he was the greatest talent among his brothers.
‘He’s looking down on me.’
Ziel Steelheart?
He’d never even heard of him.
Delev had been sparring with Knight Order members even before enrollment.
He was already full of confidence from being the top entrance exam scorer.
His opponent was a liberal arts instructor.
‘At best.’
If he were a former Knight Order member, he would have come in a different position, not as a liberal arts instructor.
Delev grabbed his scabbard with a slightly annoyed expression.
“Teacher, don’t regret this. You might get hurt.”
Ziel silently stepped back a bit to create distance.
Delev snickered.
It was more than enough distance—overflowing even.
Just one step forward would give him plenty of time to draw his sword and swing it.
“Try to block my attack and counterattack me.”
“Yes, come at me anytime.”
And then—
Swoosh.
For a moment, it seemed like Ziel had disappeared.
Not just Delev, but all the students in the lecture hall felt the same way.
But shortly after.
Thud!
Someone crashed to the ground.
Not Ziel, but Delev.
“….”
“….”
No one realized it.
What had just happened.
“Uh… so…”
“Delev is…”
They couldn’t see the process.
But when they blinked for just a moment, Delev was lying there.
In a very unsightly position.
“Urgh, cough… ahh…”
Even letting out pitiful groans.
There was no time to draw his sword, no time to respond.
“Ugh.”
Delev hastily got back up.
He had only fallen; he wasn’t seriously hurt.
Physically, that is.
His mind was already starting to become frayed.
“J-just now I was thinking about something else.”
At those words, Ziel turned his head toward a student sitting by the window.
“You there, student. Draw the curtain.”
“What?”
“I said draw the curtain. Block out the light.”
At Ziel’s words, the student unconsciously stood up and drew the curtain.
Only the artificial lighting remained in the lecture hall.
‘What is he trying to do?’
Delev looked puzzled for a moment, then soon snickered.
“What’s this? Are you embarrassed about losing to a student?”
He still thought that way.
That what just happened was because he let his guard down.
So he could still say such things.
For now.
“You don’t seem to understand the definition of Self-Defense Arts well, so I’ll teach you, student Delev Kundel.”
At that moment, Ziel picked up a piece of chalk and—
Thwack.
Threw it directly, hitting the switch precisely.
Their vision immediately went dark.
And from the darkness came the sound of a dull impact and a scream.
Thud.
“Urgh!”
“A Surprise Attack can come at any time. Not only in situations like now where you can’t see anything, but you can also be attacked while sleeping.”
Thwack.
The lights came back on.
There were two chalk marks on the mana-operated switch.
What unfolded before the students’ eyes was exactly the same as the previous situation.
“Cough, urgh…”
Delev lying in an unsightly position.
Ziel looking down at him.
“This is the meaning of Self-Defense Arts. Ambushes happen in the most disadvantageous situations. There’s no time to draw your sword, and after being hit, there’s no time to even scream.”
Ziel continued speaking while looking at the students.
“Will you complain about cowardly surprise attacks after you’re dead? Or will you respond to create an opening and counterattack in the meantime?”
Ziel had heard this a lot.
While assassinating.
‘You cowardly assassin!’
‘Stabbing from behind!’
‘Fight fair and square!’
He heard it mostly from cowardly bastards.
Like bandit leaders, for instance.
Or slave traders.
‘If we fought fair and square, you’d be nothing but… gack!’
Of course, he never heard what came after.
They usually died before completing a sentence.
“…”
There was no answer from Delev.
The other students were also quiet.
There was nothing they could argue back with.
But the problem was the ridiculous movement Ziel had just shown.
The second time, they could blame it on the darkness.
But in the first situation, no one had seen how Delev had fallen.
‘They didn’t bring a liberal arts instructor…’
‘What… what kind of person did they bring?’
Ziel looked at Delev again.
“Do you understand the importance of Self-Defense Arts now?”
The importance of Self-Defense Arts as interpreted by Ziel.
It was a method the students could never have imagined.
Of course, seeing the students’ dazed expressions, Ziel was thinking with satisfaction.
‘I proceeded according to the textbook.’
It was his first day as an instructor.
And the students were—
‘This isn’t going to be easy.’
‘This is shit…’
‘Ah, damn, we’re screwed…’
They shuddered at the hardships that seemed to await them.
It was a required liberal arts course anyway.
If they dropped here, they’d have to wait until next year.
At Edelwein Academy…
There was no course withdrawal system.
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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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