On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 252
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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 252
There Must Be Honor
The Legend of the Dark Ghost!
[Dark Ghost, Winner of Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament General Division!]
[First Victory by Non-Noble, Non-Royal in Tournament History!]
[Dark Ghost, Who Is He? Investigation into Southern Origins Begins!]
[Was the Dark Ghost Really a Specter? Or Just a Hidden Expert?]
The Empire was in an uproar once again.
This time it wasn’t just the Capital that was buzzing.
The entire Empire was abuzz with news of the Dark Ghost’s victory.
Citizens were excited about two points.
One was that someone who was neither noble nor royal had won.
And that the winner was the Dark Ghost, who already had solid support among the poor!
“Those noble bastards must be shitting themselves! If that’s really the Dark Ghost, they’ll be trembling!”
“If they acted decently, they wouldn’t have to fear the Dark Ghost! Damn, it would’ve been even better if the Dark Ghost was really a specter!”
“If that were real, would he have been declared the winner? He would’ve been arrested on the spot, right?”
The citizens’ hatred toward the nobles wasn’t something new.
The Emperor’s scheme was working.
By declaring the Dark Ghost as the winner, he intimidated the nobles and made them uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, it elevated the prestige and boldness of the Imperial Palace, which made the declaration.
“His Imperial Majesty is truly remarkable. I mean, he brazenly used the name Dark Ghost, but I never thought he’d recognize him as the winner?”
“Isn’t it all thanks to His Imperial Majesty’s broad-mindedness? Maybe it’s a strategy to embrace the Dark Ghost or something?”
“That may be so, but I heard he just attended the winners’ banquet and left?”
“Good grief, what exactly is his identity?”
Speculation about the Dark Ghost’s identity was rampant.
No one suspected he was a specter anymore, but that only made speculation about his identity more abundant.
Some said he was the last survivor of a fallen family.
Others said he was some noble’s illegitimate child.
Some claimed all of this was orchestrated by the Emperor, and the Dark Ghost was also the Emperor’s creation.
Or perhaps some expert had perfectly hidden his identity to participate.
Unfortunately, due to the Dark Ghost’s victory, Telvir Academy and Dean Sigmund became no topic of conversation whatsoever.
Should we say it was fortunate that they lost less face thanks to this?
Or should we say it was even more unfortunate that they weren’t even mentioned?
Anyway, speculation about the Dark Ghost’s identity continued, but no one provided a satisfying answer.
That was natural.
His identity was Ziel.
So right now—
“Teacher, is it heavy?”
“It’s not heavy.”
“Then you can carry one more bag for us!”
It was Teacher Ziel Steelheart carrying bags for Ann and Celia.
“We should have used the voucher sooner!”
“I’m so happy shopping with Teacher!”
“When would we ever make Teacher carry our bags?”
That’s right.
These two were currently using their ‘Ziel Free Pass’ to work Ziel hard—no, to recruit him for shopping.
‘So this is what shopping is like?’
Ziel, participating in the act of shopping for the first time in his life, felt somewhat tired.
Why on earth was this?
They’d enter uninteresting stores and stay for at least 30 minutes, and even the items they carefully selected during those 30 minutes were bought after agonizing deliberation.
‘Truly inefficient.’
And so, after 5 hours.
Ziel was feeling ‘fatigue.’
But far from being tired, Celia and Ann entered the next store with even more lively eyes.
“Celia, how about this outfit?”
“Oh! The lace is pretty. It’s perfect, right? Should I try it on?”
“Sure!”
Ziel waited another 30 minutes like that.
After waiting a long time, the two came out with nothing in their hands.
“You didn’t buy anything?”
“No! It didn’t look good when we tried it on?”
“Does it take 30 minutes to try something on?”
“We tried on other things too!”
“But still nothing caught your fancy?”
“No! It wasn’t that great?”
“…”
Ziel thought.
Shopping was truly an inefficient activity.
‘If you decided what to buy beforehand, it wouldn’t even take 5 minutes.’
It seemed like something Ziel would probably never understand in the future either.
Anyway, while shopping continued like this, Ziel happened to encounter someone he knew on the street.
The person who stopped and got off his carriage upon seeing Ziel was none other than Mortis!
“Oh, Teacher Ziel! What a coincidence meeting you here!”
“Ah, Lord Mortis.”
“What’s all that in your hands?”
At Mortis’s puzzled expression, Celia and Ann proudly answered.
“Today Teacher is our personal porter!”
“Teacher is helping us shop!”
“…?”
Mortis wondered what this situation was about, then nodded as if he understood.
“You came out like this because you were worried the students might be in danger. Is it because of the Dark Ghost?”
At the sudden mention of the Dark Ghost, this time Ziel was the one puzzled.
“Is there some reason involving the Dark Ghost?”
“Ah, of course there is. I like the Dark Ghost, but don’t most nobles view him unfavorably?”
“Mm.”
“Teacher Ziel probably doesn’t have any particular feelings about the Dark Ghost, but anyway, I thought you came out to provide escort for various reasons like that.”
“I like the Dark Ghost.”
Because it was himself.
He’d read it in a book.
Love yourself first before loving others.
“As expected! I knew you would. The rumors circulating about the Dark Ghost… just hearing them makes artistic inspiration surge forth, you know?”
“Is that so.”
“Who could the Dark Ghost be? No wait, the fact that it hasn’t been revealed is what makes it artistic and interesting, right?”
“Is that so.”
Ziel naturally had no intention of revealing it in the future either.
“It will probably stay that way.”
“It absolutely must. Art, you see, emerges from mystery.”
Mortis, always emphasizing artistry!
In the midst of this, he also made a proposal that would crush Ziel’s spirit.
“By the way, did you say you were shopping?”
“That’s right.”
“Then let’s ride the carriage together to our boutique! How about taking a look around our boutique?”
The three people’s eyes widened for two different reasons.
“Really? Really? Amazing!”
“A boutique? Can we really go?”
Celia and Ann were excited.
“….”
Ziel felt extreme fatigue.
“Well, if it’s accompanying Teacher Ziel while he shops, then by all means.”
“I don’t have anything I want to buy….”
“Teacher! The voucher!”
“….”
But the voucher was absolute.
Once used, he had to thoroughly cater to their needs for the entire day.
That’s what vouchers were like.
‘Is this what they call being caught in my own trap?’
Ziel was once again experiencing the power of proverbs today.
The afterglow of the Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament still lingered.
The status of youth division champion Yurio had risen even higher, and there were Academy-level rewards for high scorers.
“Does it feel good to win, Yurio?”
“Of course!”
“I’m happy too. To think I’d order three A sets in my lifetime?”
Karen was the beneficiary.
Student Cafeteria A set!
Something unimaginable for the poor duo!
However, her hands were trembling.
“Yurio, but let’s only eat like this until today. We need to save money.”
“Right. I don’t mind spending on you, but why does it feel so wasteful when I eat….”
A whole 50,000 cel.
Thanks to that prize money, Yurio had become well-off, but that made it even more awkward to spend money.
Still, just the fact that he could worry less about money in the future made him very happy.
He had sent some to his family, but anyway, for Yurio it was tens of thousands of cel he could never have imagined!
On top of that, receiving his family’s sword from Teacher Ziel, his future seemed rosy.
And there was something else where he could feel the change in status.
“Are you Student Yurio Harmatan?”
As they finished eating and came out, a delivery person approached them.
“There are letters for you. Let me see… three letters in total.”
“For me?”
“Yes. Look here. Please sign for receipt. Yes, yes. Right there. That’s good. Well then, I’ll be going.”
The delivery person disappeared like the wind.
Yurio stood there dazed for a moment before looking at the letters.
“What is it? Did Father write them?”
“Uh… I don’t think so?”
It was like this.
One was a letter from the Imperial Knights.
It was written in the name of Imperial Knight Commander Benjamin himself and had the Imperial wax seal prominently attached.
“Whoa…!”
“Amazing…!”
When they broke the seal and opened it, sure enough, it was a scouting offer.
“This is crazy… Yurio!”
“Wow….”
It’s almost unheard of for second years to receive offers from famous knight orders. Even with outstanding talent, that growth must be consistently maintained!
There’s no greater loss than making an offer early and keeping someone only for them to grow ambiguously.
“What does it say? What specifically does it say?”
“It requests a visit to the Imperial Knights at the earliest convenience, and if possible, a contract as an Apprentice Knight….”
“Yurio! Your life is set!”
Karen saying that looked genuinely happy.
While happy, there was also envy and regret, but she didn’t show it in front of her friend.
In fact, it was an offer only Yurio could receive.
Kids like Celia or Daren would obviously refuse even if they received it.
From an insignificant family background.
But with emerging talent.
From the Imperial Knights’ perspective, naturally a talent to drool over!
But still, starting with an Imperial Knights scouting offer.
“What are the others?”
“Let me take a look.”
A moment later.
Both Yurio and Karen tilted their heads in confusion.
“Sir Sigmund… Valentine?”
“Huh…?”
Why would this person send a letter?
“Wh-what’s the next one?”
“Telvir Academy….”
“….”
It was simple.
It was a transfer offer.
The earlier letter from Sigmund was content personally praising Yurio’s performance!
But in reality, it was essentially connected to Telvir Academy’s transfer offer.
Since Sigmund was Telvir’s Dean.
“The offer is… quite tremendous.”
Full scholarship guaranteed until graduation.
Latest newly built dormitory single room guaranteed.
20,000 cel annual living expenses separate from scholarship.
Top-grade rental of all equipment including sword and armor.
And other knight order admission support plus one-on-one guidance from Sir Sigmund!
‘It’s incredible.’
Karen gulped down her dry saliva.
Such tremendous benefits.
Regardless of whether there was room for consideration, it was incredible for an offer given to a single student.
However, the conclusion was clear.
“I should write a reply. I’m not going.”
“I thought so too?”
“Yeah. If it weren’t for Teacher Ziel, I couldn’t have received such offers either. I absolutely won’t go.”
It was because of Ziel.
Both Yurio and Karen had come to envision futures they couldn’t have dreamed of before thanks to Ziel’s guidance.
Especially Yurio had his illness cured and his talent honed to achieve the accomplishment of youth division champion.
It was undeniably Ziel’s contribution.
“Father said this. A person might lack money, but under any circumstances, they must have righteousness.”
“Right. But it would be nice to have some money.”
“That is true….”
Anyway, the decision was swift.
To decline.
He was thinking of discussing joining a knight order with Teacher Ziel.
It was a matter for after graduation anyway, so it had nothing to do with now, but he still wanted to discuss it with his teacher.
“I should go see Teacher as soon as I finish writing my reply. Will he be at the dormitory today?”
“Uh, I think I saw him leaving the Academy earlier?”
“Really? Then I’ll have to go tomorrow.”
Meanwhile.
Ziel was stepping outside the Academy without telling anyone his destination.
Carrying the Ether River sword he had received as the General Division championship prize.
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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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