On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 297

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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First Day of Infiltration, The Organization Was Destroyed Episode 297
Final Evaluation Preparation (2)
Ahead of the Final Evaluation, Ziel, Gilbert, and Kelvin set out on a preliminary reconnaissance mission.
The location was deep within the mountains north of the Capital.
“So this is part of the Trenia Mountain Range. I honestly have no idea where we are.”
While the Western Region had the Garmishu Mountain Range, the Northern Region possessed the Trenia Mountain Range.
The Garmishu Mountain Range was vast, but the Trenia Mountain Range was no less impressive.
The Northern Region, though technically part of the Empire, maintained a degree of isolation—and this mountain range was precisely why.
“So we have to cross this to reach the North Side.”
“That’s right. We’ll do it during vacation.”
“Oh, that’s true….”
Gilbert’s expression darkened.
To reach the North Side, one had to cross this colossal mountain range.
“Wait, hold on. Does that mean the Head of Harmatan crossed this mountain range twice just to visit Yurio?”
“Yes. You can only reach the Capital by crossing this mountain range.”
“Good heavens, what are the people of the North Side even….”
It was no wonder people yearned for the North Side.
They survived in a barren, desolate place where harsh winds blew relentlessly, yet maintained their own society.
In the North Side, strength was law, and law was determined by strength.
“Just thinking about going there already feels ominous.”
“It’s sightseeing. It’ll be fun.”
“…I don’t think so.”
In any case, as the three reached the mountain range, they dismounted their horses. Ziel gave a warning to his horse, Potato.
“Stay put. If you wander off where I can’t see you again, I’ll turn you into horse meat.”
Flinch.
Gilbert marveled at the sight of Potato trembling.
“To think you could make such a creature shake like that.”
“Animals understand words. They’re not so different from people.”
“Isn’t it more like your fists do the talking….”
“You’re being quite talkative today, Gilbert.”
Potato and the other horses were tied to Trees near the Mountain Entrance.
Afterward, Traps were installed around the horses to ensure no one could approach without consequence.
“Neigh, neigh.”
Potato was pawing at the ground.
“What, sad that your master is leaving?”
“Neigh, neigh, neigh.”
“…Are you happy?”
The sunset behind them cast Potato’s shadow stretching forward.
Though Gilbert didn’t notice, Potato kept scratching at that shadow with his hooves.
“Let’s move out.”
The three of them began climbing the mountain.
For Ziel, it was natural, and the other two had built up their Physical Strength through Hell Training, so it wasn’t particularly difficult.
However, the cold was gradually settling in.
“If we climb here at night, we’ll freeze to death in an instant.”
“That’s also part of the Final Evaluation. I can emphasize the importance of maintaining warmth.”
The evaluation began the moment they started climbing the mountain after arriving at the Mountain Range.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long to reach the Ruins.
However, the Entrance was cleverly hidden, making it difficult to recognize this place as the Ruins’ Entrance.
“Is this the Entrance?”
The Entrance was a gap between Rocks—a space that couldn’t be called a path—which suddenly opened up into a wide area.
“It’s as if Magic were cast on it….”
“Accurate observation. Well done.”
“R-really?”
Ziel nodded.
This place had its location hidden by very ancient Magic.
“M-Master. R-really?”
“Yes.”
“How did the Boss know about a place like this?”
“I passed by here once before.”
“Ah.”
It was true.
A Mission to Infiltrate the Northern Region.
During that process, I crossed this Mountain Range, and sensing something odd, I investigated the area and discovered the Ruins.
Since I was in the middle of a Mission, I couldn’t explore it thoroughly, but when I searched for it again recently based on that memory, it remained undiscovered.
A Ruins that would have remained undiscovered forever if not for Ki Sensing on the level of Ziel’s.
But that was no longer the case.
To be precise, two more discoverers had emerged after Ziel, and more would follow, including the Students.
“Boss, did you know? With Ruins like these, the First Discoverer can acquire certain rights. Most of it goes to the Imperial Family, of course.”
“Is that so.”
When Ziel showed interest, Gilbert explained excitedly.
“For example, when the Ruins become a tourist attraction, you can take a portion of the Entrance Fee, or with Imperial permission, you can take some of the Relics from within the Ruins… or you could even manage the Ruins.”
“Hmm. That would work well as a Training ground for the Students.”
However, there was one problem.
“A Training ground?”
“There are Magical Beasts, and since it’s such an ancient place, there are traps everywhere.”
“…The Imperial Family wouldn’t even want Ruins like that, would they?”
That was right.
Under Imperial Law, Ruins belong unconditionally to the Imperial Family, but Ruins teeming with Magical Beasts and lacking value are almost completely neglected.
They conduct a rough Subjugation and then abandon it, or end it with a single excavation.
This Ruins seemed to be that type.
“Just how many are there?”
“Quite a lot.”
“I see.”
It was true.
Upon entering, I found a considerable number of Magical Beasts inside.
“How do they even get in here? I can’t see an entrance even with human eyes.”
“There could be another entrance, they might already be inhabiting this place, or they sense it through instinct and find their way here. The last reason is probably the biggest factor.”
“Through instinct….”
The Trenia Mountain Range was already teeming with Magical Beasts, accelerating the disconnection between the Northern Region and other areas.
Recently, their numbers had increased so much that even the Imperial Palace was troubled by it.
Ordinary beasts didn’t matter if they weren’t wild beasts, but Magical Beasts were ultimately entities that threatened our territory.
“Monster Subjugation and killing two birds with one stone. Brilliant.”
Just like the Boss.
Conducting the Final Evaluation while also doing something to earn favor from the Imperial Palace!
“I wasn’t thinking about that.”
“Come on, you know.”
Gilbert decided to play dumb.
A loyal subordinate sometimes had to follow along even while pretending not to understand.
‘The Boss is getting serious.’
Not long ago, he had marked the Students with the Organization’s hidden ‘mark’—something that wouldn’t show unless circumstances were special.
It was an Inscription that wouldn’t reveal itself unless exposed to external influences like Poison, but surely there was something more to it.
‘When the Boss issues a summons, it must shine!’
Just like the legend of the Eight Knights who gathered on the ‘Day of Promise’ to save the world!
Remembering the fairy tale of the Eight Knights I’d seen as a child, my heart raced with excitement.
Of course, that couldn’t be it.
If he’d intended to subjugate Magical Beasts, he would have gone alone.
For Ziel, Magical Beasts were nothing more than training opponents for the Students—no more, no less.
“Gilbert.”
“….”
“Gilbert.”
“Ah, my apologies, Boss. I was lost in happy thoughts.”
“Were you thinking about Chicken Skewers?”
“…So that’s what makes you happy, Boss?”
“Good food lifts the spirits. Isn’t that happiness? Ah, there’s Waffles too. Lately, I’ve been craving Fried Bread again.”
“Once we finish this and head back, you can have some. I’d say we’ll be done by the day after tomorrow at the latest?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“….”
It was already approaching evening.
In other words, to finish by tomorrow morning….
‘We’re in for a forced march.’
‘The Master is making us work again.’
It meant we both had to work ourselves to death.
“Gilbert, Kelvin. Divide the Eastern and Western Areas and conduct your Exploration. Record every hazard in each region here and map out the paths. And Gilbert, once you finish your area, help Kelvin. This is his first time doing this. He’s inexperienced.”
“I-I’m not inexperienced, M-Master!”
“No. You are inexperienced. Clearly so. Accept Gilbert’s assistance.”
“….”
A former Mercenary was naturally bound to be inexperienced compared to a former Crow or Assassin.
“I’ll inspect the remaining areas and finish checking your sections.”
“So you’re heading South and North, then.”
“Yes. And to the Ruins Core as well.”
“That’s dangerous… Ah. I spoke carelessly.”
“Mm. Your judgment has been quick lately.”
Whatever lay in the Ruins Core, there was no danger to be found.
‘But what exactly is this Ruins for?’
A considerable Ruins situated in the middle of the Mountain Foothills, surrounded by other Mountain Ranges.
What this Ruins once was would soon be revealed.
“That’s all. Move out.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Yes! Master!”

* * *
By the time Gilbert had finished exploring roughly half the Eastern Area and Kelvin was still fumbling about.
‘Now I can enter the Core.’
Ziel had already completed his Exploration and recording of the Southern and Northern Sections, moving swiftly between the Magical Beasts.
Naturally, the Magical Beasts couldn’t even sense what passed through their midst.
“So people once formed a Village and lived here.”
Ziel surveyed the Ruins as well.
The scale of the Ruins was roughly equivalent to a Village by Imperial standards.
According to Imperial demographics, a settlement of this scale would have housed approximately three hundred people.
Yet now there were no traces of people.
Creak.
Ziel opened the door to one of the Houses and stepped inside.
The interior was naturally silent, but there was an unspoken strangeness emanating from the scene.
“There are no Traces.”
People had definitely lived in this Ruins.
If people had vanished, there were only two possible reasons.
They were attacked by something.
Or they relocated.
But the scene before me fit neither explanation.
If the former, the Houses would have been in disarray or destroyed.
If it were the latter, there should have been traces of something being organized.
This place’s landscape seemed like daily life with only the people removed.
Dishes hardened with decomposed food that had rotted beyond recognition.
Cups.
Decayed Clothing.
And all the other Furniture besides.
Everything remained as it was, only the people were gone.
Creeeeak.
The other Houses were the same.
I checked Houses from other Areas as well to add certainty to my conclusion.
They all showed the same landscape.
People had been living in these Ruins.
But at some point, they vanished as if evaporating.
There was one more piece of solid Evidence.
Clothing was piled up.
I lifted away the upper garments.
Lower garments and undergarments appeared.
Beneath those two, shoes lay waiting.
It was as if the people had simply vanished while their Clothing collapsed in place.
“Magic, perhaps.”
Or perhaps something other than Magic had intervened.
I pushed the Breath of Extreme Night, which I had already opened, to its maximum.
And I confirmed it.
The Ruins Core.
More precisely, the Center of this Ruins that had once been a Village.
“There it is.”
A Clock Tower.
Something existed beneath it.
From the moment my fully opened Ki Sensing caught it, I felt a dangerous power emanating from that something.
‘Something magical in nature. Or perhaps… an unidentified Magical Beast.’
Unable to reach any definite conclusion, I was no longer someone who would worry or grow anxious.
I simply moved forward to investigate.
At least until I confirmed what that threat was and whether it was safe, I could not bring the Students into this place.
In the meantime, Gilbert and Kelvin returned.
“Boss, we’re back. Aside from the Magical Beasts, it doesn’t seem particularly difficult. Kelvin is doing surprisingly well too?”
“S-soon, you’ll b-be surpassed.”
“He always does this when I give him praise. Boss, I’ve been thinking—what if we have them Breakthrough from the Entrance all the way to the end of that Village? We could adjust the Difficulty by installing a few more Traps.”
“A good approach. I’ll keep it in mind. But there’s something I need to do first.”
“Oh, Boss, did you discover something?”
“Yes. Gilbert, Kelvin. Did neither of you sense anything strange in this place?”
“If there’s something strange….”
Gilbert pondered for a moment before speaking as if he’d just remembered something.
“Ah. Yes, there was. The Magical Beasts all had quite unique appearances.”
“Th, there were many strange Magical Beasts.”
Perhaps they had evolved into different forms while inhabiting this Mountain Range.
“And also… ah, that’s right. There were many pieces of Clothing scattered throughout the Streets. I’m not sure why though.”
“Probably people disappeared from that spot and only their Clothing remained.”
“Ah. So… what? Yes?”
Gilbert asked in surprise.
“People just disappeared?”
“That’s my current speculation. It’s the most plausible theory.”
“…The people who lived in this Ruins, or rather, this Village?”
“Yes. Didn’t you go inside the Houses?”
“I did go inside… huh?”
It felt like I’d been struck on the head.
Gilbert finally grasped the true nature of the Sense of Unease he’d felt when entering the Houses.
“Everything was… exactly as it was.”
“Right. The Interiors were all immaculate. As if people had simply vanished while living their daily lives.”
“….”
Gilbert began to whimper.
“Boss… this is a bit scary….”
“What’s scary about it?”
“Gh, ghosts or something like that….”
“Even if they exist, we just eliminate them.”
“…Boss, weren’t you scared of ghosts when you were young?”
“I wasn’t scared. Hunger was far more terrifying.”
I closed my eyes, recalling my childhood when I was dragged into the Assassination Group under the pretense of being given food.
‘Is this what sadness feels like?’
A faint, creeping sorrow!
“Ah.”
In the midst of this, Gilbert realized something.
“Let’s move out.”
That the Boss was far more frightening than any ghost.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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