On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 361

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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 361
Time to Wield a Real Sword (1)
Following Ziel’s observation that countermeasures for the lower-ranked students were necessary, every noble family entered a state of emergency.
Amil made an extraordinary decision: he would not only conduct one-on-one sparring with the lower-ranked students, but would transmit the entire Renfield Family swordsmanship to them.
And word of that decision spread to the other families.
“Isn’t that what we’re already doing? From the start?”
“Well, the thing is…… they’re saying they’ll disclose the entire spectrum of swordsmanship to any student who can keep up…….”
“What kind of mad person does such a thing!”
The Family Heads who heard the news were beside themselves with outrage.
And rightly so.
Here they were, having deliberated carefully, agonized repeatedly, and finally suppressed internal resistance within their own houses just to reveal a handful of basic sword forms — and only that much!
“What, are they saying Northern swordsmanship has no notion of security?”
“I couldn’t say for certain, but it’s true that the Northern people are rather bold…….”
“Head Butler!”
“My apologies.”
Of course, beneath Amil’s actions lay a calculated scheme.
The dissemination of Northern swordsmanship, practical and rooted in real combat.
The Sword School unfortunately has limited Northern influence. Given its location south of the mountain range, it was inevitable.
But Amil intended to use this opportunity to spread Northern swordsmanship throughout the school and thereby prove its superiority.
His starting point was none other than the lower-ranked students who could not keep pace with his family’s practical training.
The justification and efficiency were both sound.
“Listen carefully from here on. Those of you gathered here share something in common. Who can tell me what it is?”
During the Renfield Family’s practical training session.
While other students focused intently on their training, a considerable number—including Karen—had gathered together.
“Is it because we’re…… lower-ranked students?”
“Correct. But you’ve only answered half right. There’s one more reason.”
Another student raised her hand this time.
“Our swordsmanship lacks…… ‘character,’ doesn’t it?”
“Correct.”
It was Karen.
“Exactly as she said—your swordsmanship lacks any distinctive character. It looks like something you’ve seen many times before, or simply carries no particular distinction. This means that when you face an enemy, you will have no strength unique to yourselves.”
“…….”
The students grew dejected.
It wasn’t untrue, but hearing it spoken aloud made their chests ache.
At this moment, Amil recalled something Ziel had once said.
‘If there’s no character, isn’t that the perfect time to instill character?’
“But conversely, what this means is that now is precisely your turn to develop swordsmanship that is uniquely yours.”
“Ah……!”
“Therefore, from this moment forward, you will learn the Secret Sword Techniques of the Renfield Family.”
Even Karen, who had known this beforehand, could not help but gasp again.
‘Was he serious?’
The secret sword techniques of a family.
Along with breathing technique, they are the elements that determine a knight’s talent from the moment of birth.
Taken to extremes, even if one lacks some talent, possessing these two alone is sufficient to reach the rank of Great Knight.
The students gathered here had mastered neither of these two.
But if even one were secured……?
And if it were the secret sword techniques of the Renfield Family, masters of the North……?
“More precisely, I will teach you the swordsmanship that made me stand unchallenged in the North.”
The Renfield Family flourished under Amil’s generation and ultimately seized the position of Council Lord.
At the heart of that rise lay the swordsmanship that Amil had refined and advanced in his own time—that goes without saying.
“But…… are we really allowed to do this? Won’t the other students want to learn as well?”
“That would be poison to them. Unless they grasp a portion of the Renfield Family’s swordsmanship, but……”
Amil tilted his head slightly.
“And why should you concern yourselves with the other students? Get your head straight. You’re here precisely because you can’t even manage your own affairs.”
For all the bluntness of the remark, the students could not protest.
Not because their opponent was a Family Head from a Great Family.
“Get your head straight. What’s the purpose of this practical training? That’s right, second year—you should understand well.”
“That would be…… for our swordsmanship to gain direction!”
“Exactly. You’re adrift, without that direction. To use an analogy, an endless open sea. But from this moment forward, I will be your beacon. Of course, whether I become a beacon or a reef depends entirely on what you do with it.”
The students’ eyes kindled with resolve.
There was nowhere left to retreat.
Even if things continued as they were, there would be no major problem reaching graduation.
But I didn’t want to remain just an average knight—or worse than that.
“We begin. Draw your sword.”
Meanwhile, on another front.
“Sir, surely transmitting a breathing technique is too much, is it not?”
“Sir Turner has finally lost his mind. Drag him out.”
“Sir! Siiiiir……!”
The other Family Heads had no clever solution.
There was nothing adequate enough to overcome Amil.
Bait and incentives meant nothing now.
The practical training had already begun.
‘What could I do to make the lower-ranked students stronger…….’
If he spouted nonsense like transmitting breathing techniques, he’d end up like Sir Turner, who’d just been dragged away.
Daren sank into deep contemplation.
Lower-ranked students had never been part of the plan from the start.
He’d figured it would be enough to simply take the ones already performing well and achieve results with them.
But everything changed after the midterm evaluation.
“If we raise the grades of the lower-ranked students to at least the average, we could even expect second place in this practical training—possibly first place.”
They’d lost in recruitment numbers, but what ultimately mattered was the average!
“Sir, what do you think of this?”
“Speak.”
“We rebuild their physical strength from the ground up.”
Daren leaned forward, listening.
It seemed there was some secret strategy here.
“Didn’t that Teacher Ziel say as much? If we first solidify their physical foundation, won’t the students’ swordsmanship improve?”
“……Is that all?”
“Uh…… I, I hadn’t thought of anything else. Teacher Ziel did it that way, so wouldn’t it be correct?”
“Do you want to be correct?”
“Sir?”
“Drag him out.”
“Yes, sir!”
“S, Sir! Siiiiir…….”
Two men had already been dragged away.
Naturally, no other useful ideas followed.
In the end, Daren resolved to take extraordinary measures.
“I will train them myself.”
“But Sir, all of the lower-ranked students seem somewhat disconnected from Swift Swordsmanship at present.”
“Do you think I rose to my position as Family Head through Swift Swordsmanship alone?”
At Daren’s words, the knights fell silent.
That was true.
Daren was the Family Head who wielded the greatest Swift Swordsmanship in Rihart’s history.
But it wasn’t Swift Swordsmanship alone that had placed him in that seat.
To reach that pinnacle, he’d mastered countless sword techniques!
“Assemble them all.”
“Yes, Sir!”
The situation in Amos’s camp was much the same.
“Sir, even so, using the Trial Cave…….”
“Students who cannot meet the standard require extraordinary measures.”
“Wouldn’t that be too dangerous?”
“I will enter with them.”
“Sir……!”
The Trial Cave—a place one could only glimpse after entering the Kundel Family’s knight order.
A place teeming with countless traps, where magical beasts occasionally emerged, and where illusions spawned from magical power accumulated over countless centuries.
‘Just how far does it go.’
There was no stopping now.
He knew it was strange.
This practical training wasn’t even inter-knighthood competition—they were bringing in Sword School students.
And yet, for just this training alone!
Secret sword techniques of the Family, extraordinary prizes, and access to mysterious locations had all been provided.
It all came down to one thing.
A deeply rooted competitive spirit!
And the problem was that until now, there had been no opportunity to vent that competitive spirit.
It wasn’t as though they could cut down enemies in war and compete over merits, nor could they have the Knight Orders clash directly.
Then came this opportunity to compete!
A golden chance to announce the dignity, prestige, and prosperity of the family.
And there was also the fact that the situation had grown even larger with the Northern Region getting involved.
‘Teacher Ziel, if you anticipated and intended all of this…… you’re truly a frightening man.’
Amos thought to himself.
What could be the ambition hidden behind such an unremarkable identity as an official teacher of the Sword School!
Surely, he must be scheming something beyond imagination.
And on the orders of the Imperial Family, no less!
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
“Finally.”
The corners of Ziel’s mouth curled upward.
Higher than ever before.
A dark, sealed room.
Ziel was laughing together with a man.
“At last, it’s complete. With this alone, we need envy nothing in this world.”
“Indeed.”
A sinister atmosphere!
What Ziel pulled from the darkness was none other than…….
“Now we need just one more thing.”
“What would that be, Teacher Ziel?”
Beer.
“Chicken skewers.”
“Ah!”
“We’ve never tasted them together, but it will be a perfect pairing.”
“Shall I fetch them right away?”
“No. I’ll be faster.”
Ziel set down the beer glass he’d been about to drink from and spoke to the brewmaster dispatched from Harmatan.
“I’ll be back before the glass grows cold.”
And then Ziel vanished.
The last glimpse of his departing figure that the brewmaster caught was one of unbridled excitement.

* * *
As the intensive practical training week progressed, results began to emerge gradually.
“Zephyros, how does it look?”
“All students’ swordsmanship metrics have shown marked improvement. It’s remarkable. We’re seeing such results from practical training.”
The data extracted from the attached device was unmistakable.
The students were definitely growing.
“The top-tier students are one thing, but…… even the students who normally showed slower growth rates are rising sharply now?”
“The measures we’ve taken in each practical exercise are bearing fruit.”
“From what I hear, each family presented something extraordinary…… this is all something you intended, isn’t it, Boss?”
Zephyros asked as though it were obvious.
It would have been impossible to achieve such results otherwise.
Zephyros had ears to hear as well, and he often participated in classes, listening to what the students had to say.
Each time he heard, it was a cascade of surprises.
“The way you got the family heads involved, and how you used their competitive spirit to benefit the students…….”
“I never intended it that way.”
“Anyone could see you intended it. You really should have been a mage, Boss. You’ve got a sharp mind. What a shame—if only you hadn’t neglected magic.”
“I can still learn it now.”
“Oh, I know, I know. I understand what you mean.”
Ziel tilted his head in confusion.
Lately, it seemed like his words and actions were increasingly being misinterpreted.
Not that he particularly minded.
“I’m going to class now.”
“Yes, sir. Have a good class.”
Ziel walked toward the students.
Today was the time for unlimited sparring.
Each student drew upon the swordsmanship honed through practical training, sparring against Gilbert and Kelvin in class.
But today was different.
Today, their opponent was Ziel.
“Gilbert, Kelvin. Take a rest.”
“Yes, Boss!”
“Long live Master!”
The two of them had been barely managing to handle the students, who were growing rapidly of late.
Four, five, ten, twenty.
That much they could handle, but once the numbers grew beyond that, it was pushing their limits.
Ziel gazed at the students and spoke.
“Everyone, show me what you’ve learned in practical training today. The data shows clear growth, but…”
Shring.
At last, Ziel’s sword was drawn.
“I’ll confirm it with my own eyes.”
He dangled the bait before them.
“I will award one Praise Card to each student who proves they’ve shown the most marked growth today.”
The students’ eyes lit up.
“Not coins—cards…!”
“Hey, hey, this is insane. Today’s definitely a feast day!”
“Why is the teacher acting like that today…?”
The students’ eyes gleamed at the mention of cards, which were rarely awarded.
Among them, Gilbert sensed something amiss and furrowed his brow.
“Hey, Kelvin.”
“Don’t talk to me.”
“Hey, isn’t something off? Before, when they introduced the Praise Card system, they just gave one out like nothing…”
“Did they?”
“They did, I’m telling you. The kids should be complaining, but instead they’re thrilled.”
Unbeknownst to anyone, Ziel had quietly devalued the currency.
“Cards, cards!”
“Good. It’s time to show the Swift Swordsmanship I learned in Rihart.”
“You fool, didn’t they say they’re evaluating growth? Show your own swordsmanship.”
“Is that so?”
“Hahahaha! At last I can demonstrate the splendor of power!”
“Quantus, what on earth does ‘the splendor of power’ even mean…?”
The students were thrilled.
It wasn’t simply because they could eat enormous cuisine from the Unlimited Table with a Praise Card.
It was equipment purchases!
“But do you know what kind of equipment the teacher exchanges?”
“No. Doesn’t the teacher just set the price when you tell him what you need and then tell you how many Praise Cards it costs?”
“Oh, right. That’s how it is.”
In any case, the students were elated.
Unaware that Ziel appeared slightly different from his usual self.
It was Delev who noticed the truth first.
“Hey, hey.”
“What.”
“Look over there. Teacher Ziel.”
“What.”
Celia, who’d replied with automatic terseness, creased her brow.
“That…”
“Is that the real sword the teacher sometimes draws…? Or not?”
Before the words even finished, Ziel issued an order.
“Everyone, draw your real swords. Not practice swords.”
The air froze in an instant.
At the end of the suddenly focused gazes lay none other than—
“From today’s class onward, we use real swords.”
Ziel’s Ether-Reinforced Sword.

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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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