On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 343
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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 343
O Sun God (4)
The immediate objective had been achieved.
Erasing all traces of Black Sky.
It was quite a significant accomplishment.
Though small in scale, he had burned a considerable amount of documents and material possessions.
And whether to call it an achievement or a burden, he had acquired another organization besides.
“Boss, just how far are you looking ahead?”
Gilbert’s misunderstanding had escalated beyond measure.
Using the Dark Ghost, he had swallowed the Berte Trading Company whole—one of the major merchant guilds in the Capital.
This time, he had absorbed a religious sect that harbored fierce hatred toward the Empire.
All under the guise of being a Sun God.
Or perhaps it was no misunderstanding at all.
‘The Boss is a god!’
Considering that enormous martial force and strength, there was nothing strange about it.
Rather, all the mysteries up until now seemed to unravel at once.
“I never knew the one I serve was a god.”
“No.”
“Even the Bishop said so. Divine essence cannot be known until it awakens!”
“No. I don’t have anything like that.”
“Come on, you wouldn’t know. Maybe you just haven’t awakened yet? Honestly, there’s no other way to explain Boss’s level of strength.”
“I’m simply strong.”
“Yeah, right.”
“My talent overflowed, and I was called a genius.”
“Isn’t it because divine essence dwells within you?”
The conversation had become circular.
Of course it was impossible, yet he believed it with absolute certainty!
“I will keep this to myself alone.”
“No.”
“Oh? Is it fine if everyone knows?”
“That’s not what I meant……”
“I understand. I will keep this to myself alone.”
A fierce impulse had taken hold of him.
‘Should I erase his memories?’
If he adjusted it properly, he could erase all of today’s memories.
But Ziel decided to change his mind slightly.
Sun God.
‘My current identity is the Dark Ghost anyway.’
Of course Ziel could never truly be the Sun God, but under the Dark Ghost identity, it became a sufficient advantage.
There was a risk factor in that the Empire had persecuted this religious sect and still refused to tolerate it, but that was something to be eliminated.
“Gilbert.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Merge them into the Berte Trading Company and have them engage in ‘good deeds.'”
“Sir?”
“Manage both organizations efficiently.”
Gilbert nodded without hesitation.
“I understand your intention, Boss. So we’re finally bringing them out into the light!”
“Think of it however you wish.”
“My heart is racing!”
“The last time I checked, there was nothing wrong with your heart.”
“If your heart isn’t racing in a situation like this, then you’re a corpse!”
Ziel nodded with satisfaction at Gilbert’s genuinely delighted demeanor.
Right.
Good is good, as they say.
“Then I’ll disguise the Solaris Church members as trading company staff. If we’re not careful, we could come under attack from the Imperial Palace.”
“Very well.”
Thus the merger of the Berte Trading Company and the Solaris Church was decided in a flash.
The Church’s leader consented as well.
“If it is an instruction from the Sun God, we will follow whatever is commanded. We shall make preparations at once and settle this matter.”
“Understood.”
Having acquired two organizations in an instant, Ziel had now come to control the secret underground village of the 50th District as well.
A good idea for utilizing this place occurred to Ziel.
‘It would be perfect as a training ground for the students.’
It was a rather secretive space and the interior was larger than expected, so it seemed quite usable.
“By the way, these people seem to worship the Sun God perfectly. The Bishop was like that, and so were the others—without a word of complaint, they follow the Sun God’s oracle whenever orders come……”
“Don’t you do the same with my orders?”
“That’s right. Because you’re a god, Boss!”
“……”
For some reason, he wanted to give Gilbert a good smack.
In any case, as Gilbert said, their faith seemed absolute.
‘The Empire’s downfall.’
Ziel cared nothing for how the Empire would fare going forward, and he had no intention of preventing its destruction even if it fell.
However, if damage came to himself, those around him, and his students, that would be a different matter entirely.
“Now that the Sun God has finally bestowed true divine grace upon us, the Empire’s downfall is not far off!”
“Hurraaaaay!”
“O Sun God!”
“O Sun God! Watch over us with compassion!”
At the cheers heard from outside, Gilbert nodded with a solemn expression.
“So that’s how heretical cult leaders do it. It stirs the heart.”
In any case, the objective had been achieved.
“Now we return. Once they confirm the Solaris Church has joined the Berte Trading Company, that will be sufficient.”
“I’ll need to inform the Berte Trading Company in advance.”
And thus, the moment the greatest charitable organization in the Empire was born.
‘Where will the ideal that Boss envisions ultimately lead!’
It seemed unlikely that Gilbert’s misunderstanding would be cleared up anytime soon.
* * *
Several days passed.
Today, Ziel was observing the Hell Training that Kelvin had volunteered for.
“Now, now some speed!”
“Slow. Keep moving.”
“Argh!”
“If you want to move faster, reduce your body weight. That’s your limit right now.”
That was it.
Kelvin had felt a great sense of disappointment when Ziel left with only Gilbert the other day.
He had sulked on the first day.
But starting from the second day, he had voluntarily undertaken the Hell Training.
‘Me too! Speed! Hell training!’
‘Understood. We start right now.’
Kelvin’s movements were far faster than those of ordinary knights or mercenaries.
But given his natural build, achieving the speed Ziel demanded was difficult.
Yet the reason he kept trying was simple.
‘He needs to reach Master Grade, so I should keep training him during this opportunity.’
In any case, it was training that had to be done, so Ziel was simply having him do it now.
Above all, Gilbert and Kelvin would now take on important roles.
Namely, as the students’ primary sparring partners.
Ziel’s multi-party sparring sessions were now being conducted by these two.
Conveniently, their swordsmanship styles differed from each other, which seemed ideal for the students.
Kelvin’s was destructive and weighty, like Quantus’s swordsmanship.
Gilbert’s approached the rapid and nimble swordsmanship befitting someone from the Crow clan, if not quite as swift as the fastest blade.
With both of them formally joining and teaching the same content, it was self-evident that class efficiency would improve.
The goal for this second semester was simple.
‘Everyone reaches high-level Walker status.’
It was exactly as publicly declared last semester.
By conventional achievement standards, that would require being fourth or fifth-year level, but Ziel’s second-year students would certainly be different.
Therefore, these two’s roles were very important.
“Boss, I’m back.”
Just then, Gilbert returned.
Gilbert deliberately whispered to Ziel as if to show off.
“All of the Solaris Church has now joined the Berte Trading Company. The company says they’ll deploy them to the slums for now.”
“I see.”
“Yes. The Trading Company Head was quite pleased, saying they gained more workers. It seems the shortage of staff had been quite acute with all the ‘good deeds’ lately.”
From Gilbert’s perspective, this was truly a transaction where no one lost.
The Berte Trading Company replenished its workforce, and the Solaris Church finally stepped into the light, rejoicing that the Sun God had come to find them.
Moreover, Ziel himself had gained the unified management of a single organization and built a reputation as the Dark Ghost.
Of course, Ziel did not consider that last part a gain.
It was merely an incidental benefit obtained in the process of achieving his goal.
What mattered was something different.
Specifically, the locations of several hidden branch offices.
‘The semester will start soon, so I’ll need to make time separately.’
Amid all this, Kelvin burned with jealousy.
“Me, me too! Infiltration!”
“Easy there, friend. You need to lose more weight.”
“Diet! Diet!”
It did seem like it was about time Kelvin stopped being so timid, but once a speech pattern became fixed, it was hard to change.
“Oh, Boss. When I came back from the Berte Trading Company, I wandered around beyond District 40, and the Dark Ghost’s reputation is incredible.”
“That so.”
“Yes! Everywhere I went, it was nothing but talk of the Dark Ghost. To the people beyond District 40, the Dark Ghost is now a god, a god.”
Gilbert glanced around and whispered discreetly.
“The Sun God.”
“No.”
“You’ve simply yet to awaken to the truth.”
To Gilbert, no matter what anyone said, Ziel was a god.
It didn’t really matter if he wasn’t the Sun God.
A god of any kind!
When you thought about it, wasn’t it so?
A life that would have been discarded by the organization as punishment for witnessing what should never be seen.
The Boss was the one who had saved that life and even made him stronger.
“To me, Boss, you are a god.”
“……”
Ziel pondered.
Should he tell the truth?
To this guy, at least?
‘Not yet.’
Ziel suppressed his heart and changed the subject.
“How are the good deeds progressing?”
“The Berte Trading Company is now establishing a separate organization. They say they’re creating something like a charitable group, and they’re planning to deploy a large number of the Solaris Church members to it.”
“I see. What of the Bishop?”
“The Bishop goes there as well. They’re trying to downplay it so it doesn’t look like religious activity. The combat personnel joined as guards for the Berte Trading Company. I suspect within a few years, the Berte Trading Company’s influence in the Capital will become unparalleled.”
Somehow, Ziel had become the head of both a massive trading company in the Capital and a religious sect seeking to overthrow the Empire.
Of course, under the identity of the Dark Ghost.
It was actually far better this way.
He could not conduct such affairs under the precious identity of Ziel Steelheart.
“Why are you discussing such pleasant matters without me?”
Zephyros approached at that moment.
Ziel explained briefly.
“We were discussing the Dark Ghost’s achievements.”
“The Dark Ghost’s achievements……?”
“Yes.”
Gilbert provided a rough explanation from the side.
Zephyros’s eyes widened.
“What exactly are you plotting?”
“I’m not plotting anything.”
It was true.
It was merely an incidental benefit that had rolled in during the process of achieving his goal.
“No, you’ve absorbed two massive organizations and yet you’re here teaching as an Academy instructor……”
The Boss’s intentions were utterly incomprehensible!
“I’m curious about that too, Zephyros.”
Gilbert was also wondering.
What was it that the Boss ultimately pursued!
“Zephyros, is the Research Laboratory construction proceeding well?”
“Ah, yes. It should be completed before the semester starts, so we can begin research in earnest.”
“Good. Let the first research be this.”
Ziel handed over a message slip.
Upon unfolding it, the contents were absurd.
“A device to attach to a sword that can calculate the sword’s trajectory and precisely measure the mana strength and force exerted……?”
“Yes, develop it. It will be used for the students’ training.”
Bewildered by this unprecedented request, Zephyros’s competitive spirit soon stirred to life.
“That sounds interesting. I’ll give it a try.”
“One more thing. Make it as light as possible. Later, even after removing it, they shouldn’t feel the slightest difference.”
“……I’ll try.”
Zephyros’s heart began to race.
Research is always more thrilling the more impossible it seems!
Gilbert, who was completely ignorant of magic unlike Kelvin, tilted his head.
“Does such a magical tool exist, Boss?”
“No. There hasn’t been one until now.”
“I see.”
But there had been something similar.
During his assassin days.
Every time he trained, he would always have a magical tool attached to his body.
It was a magical tool developed by Seitus, and after training ended, he would remove it and undergo some kind of analysis procedure.
He had drawn inspiration from there.
Now came a point where he needed precise information analyzing the students’ swordsmanship.
“Once the prototype is complete, Gilbert and Kelvin, you two will use it first.”
“Understood, Boss.”
Zephyros suddenly felt doubt.
“As far as I know, the second-year students’ achievements are no joke, so what’s the reason for teaching them this much more?”
At those words, Ziel and Gilbert looked at Zephyros as if he were an odd person.
“Does a teacher need a reason to do their utmost in teaching their students?”
“Ah.”
Initially it had been for identity stabilization and settlement, but that was no longer the case.
As a teacher, doing one’s utmost in teaching students!
That was Ziel’s greatest goal in life.
“Teacher Zieeeeel!”
A voice rang out at that moment.
“Student Celia Rihart, I see.”
It seemed students who had arrived early were now beginning to unpack in the Dormitory.
The second semester was approaching.
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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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