On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 365

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

First Day of Infiltration, The Organization Was Destroyed 365
Praise Card Presentation Ceremony (1)
At last, the moment they’d been waiting for had arrived.
“Everyone, you’ve worked hard during your practical training.”
The Second Years erupted in cheers.
Only when they heard Ziel’s words did the practical training feel truly complete.
One month of intensive work.
Neither short nor long, yet what they’d learned in that span was extraordinary.
Most of the students had clarified exactly which direction their swordsmanship needed to take.
Those who hadn’t made that decision at least had gained a thread to follow.
After handling real swords, their entire approach to the blade had transformed.
Many students had neglected real swords before, since they’d otherwise have no use for them—they had practice swords.
“Did I sharpen mine again this morning?”
“Can you lend me your whetstone? Mine doesn’t seem to be working well.”
“That’s because you can’t sharpen properly.”
“That’s not true! I got praised for doing it well.”
“No. You’re just bad at it, plain and simple.”
“You’re really something!”
In tandem, they were learning how to maintain their blades.
Practice swords required no blade maintenance, but real swords were different.
Alongside that came subsidiary skills: emergency treatment, bandaging techniques, hemostasis methods.
What the students learned by wielding real swords numbered far more than one or two lessons.
“I need to get a Praise Card. My blade has gotten too many nicks.”
“Mine too. Just a little more use and it’ll crack, they say. I should replace it before that happens.”
“Should I switch to something genuinely durable? Ordinary steel, no matter how I look at it, doesn’t seem to last long.”
Of course, ancillary problems had emerged as well.
Namely, that swords didn’t last.
And so the students now desperately wanted Praise Cards.
“I will now announce the recipients of the Praise Cards.”
And finally, Ziel spoke.
In the tense silence, the first name called was—
“Student Karen Aswan. Come forward.”
Karen.
“Wow, Karen!”
“No way. Karen got it!”
“Karen struggled a lot at the start, but looks like it paid off.”
“Congratulations!”
Yurio cheered loudest among the sincere congratulations.
He’d watched Karen’s struggles firsthand, standing right beside her.
“Karen, hurry up and go.”
Karen quickly stepped forward to Ziel.
“Student Karen Aswan. Your progress level is the highest.”
“Really? Truly?”
“Yes. As promised before we began the practical training, I’m awarding you the most cards.”
Ziel handed her no fewer than four Praise Cards.
“This many….”
“It’s the fruit of your effort. Take them.”
“Thank you so much!”
Karen practically bounced with joy.
‘With these, I can exchange for a sword, and if I have any left over, maybe grab a meal at the Unlimited Table too….’
Following Karen, brimming with dreams, another student’s name was called.
“Next, student Lenoa Nihalis. Come forward.”
Lenoa.
The very student who had proven her worth during Ziel’s home visit over the break.
Her standing within the family had changed since that day.
She didn’t reject that improved treatment.
It wasn’t the situation itself she disliked—it was her father’s attitude. But she had no intention of denying her own roots because of that.
In any case, entering the second semester with that newfound confidence, she’d learned much, and had even been taught the Renfield Family’s swordsmanship.
And this was the result.
“Your growth across all metrics has been the most dramatic. At this level, you’ve surpassed the middle tier even within your year.”
“Really……?”
“Yes. In the first semester, you ranked 85th out of a hundred. By current standards, you’re around 40th.”
The most dramatic rise imaginable!
Renoa’s swordsmanship was finally beginning to shine.
After being overshadowed by siblings and living under his father’s contempt, he’d finally seized his chance during the last break to reveal himself.
Renoa had grasped it.
“It’s thanks to you, Teacher. I’m grateful.”
“That’s right. My doing.”
“Ah.”
“But you were the one who seized that opportunity and put in the effort, Renoa Nihalis.”
“Teacher…….”
“Keep working hard. That’s all.”
Ziel handed her four Praise Cards.
The same as Karen had received.
“Renoa did that well?”
“Anyone who went through the Renfield Family practical training knows. She did incredibly well.”
“From what I heard, she got more praise than Yurio.”
In fact, Renoa had even been among the outstanding students in the Renfield Family practical training.
Being from the Northern Region originally, she’d quickly absorbed the Northern Sword Technique, and as a result, she was able to determine the direction her own swordsmanship should take.
Being from the north also meant she’d grown accustomed to real swords far faster than other students—a point of genuine excellence.
“True talent is impossible to predict…….”
“The Teacher did mention that he gives more Praise Cards to the students who’ve grown the most…….”
As a result, quite a few students were beginning to feel a sense of crisis.
Renoa had proven that lower-tier students weren’t condemned to stay lower-tier forever.
Since she’d shot up to the middle tier in an instant, other students couldn’t afford to let their guard down!
Especially those who’d found their direction in this practical session but hadn’t made dramatic progress in swordsmanship itself.
That was Maris.
‘What am I going to do…….’
Since admission, Maris had been learning painfully that money couldn’t buy everything.
This practical training seemed to drive that lesson home more than ever.
Maris had grown.
But the growth wasn’t dramatic enough.
Most crucially, she still hadn’t settled on her own sword style.
Until now, she’d managed with purchased techniques and purchased breathing methods, supplemented by her own talent and Ziel’s instruction, but now she felt she’d hit a wall.
The Northern Sword Technique.
It was like wearing ill-fitting clothes.
“Kus Hillbilly, two cards.”
“Thank you!”
“Ann Peshwa, three cards.”
“Oh!”
“Quantus Hopel. Two cards.”
“Why’s that!”
“Your muscles grew more than your swordsmanship did. Focus on technique, not muscle. Too much muscle makes you sluggish.”
“This can’t be! Then next time I’ll learn Heavy Sword Technique instead of Swift Swordsmanship!”
While other students received at least two cards each, Maris walked away with only one, her head hanging.
“Lift your head, Maris Sopen.”
“Teacher, I feel like I did so poorly this practical session…….”
“You’re right. You did poorly.”
“…….”
“You were the only one who didn’t settle on a sword style.”
“I……didn’t, did I.”
“No. So stay after class. I’ll determine your sword style for you.”
Life flooded back into Maris’s eyes.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve just been worrying about it all this time…….”
“I don’t understand why you’d worry when I’m here, Maris Sopen.”
As always.
There was Teacher Ziel behind everything.
No matter how difficult things got, there was the problem solver!
‘What will I do after I graduate?’
As that worry suddenly gripped her, Maris returned with a spring in her step.
All she carried in her hand was a single Praise Card, but her heart held something far more solid and weighty than that.
“Maris looks excited.”
“Yeah. The teacher said he’d watch my swordsmanship.”
Celia felt a pang of jealousy at those words.
“He should watch mine too.”
“Why? You’re already good.”
“I just want to get better.”
For the record, Celia had received two cards, the same as Delev.
Both of them had undergone trial and error, reverting to their family swordsmanship and rebuilding from the ground up.
As a result, their growth metrics lagged behind the other students, so they had to settle for two cards.
It was disappointing, but unavoidable.
They could always do better going forward.
‘Still, I definitely learned something this time.’
Both Celia and Delev had clearly mapped out their direction during this practical training.
Focus on their family swordsmanship.
“That concludes the Praise Card awards. Additionally, scholarship recipients will be announced separately by the Sword School.”
At the mention of scholarships, two students reacted sharply.
One was Karen.
The other was Delev.
“W-wait, Teacher!”
Delev’s hand shot up.
“Delev Kundel, what is it?”
“That scholarship, sir… Am I possibly among the recipients?”
The other students’ reactions were decidedly negative.
“What, is he really going after scholarships too?”
“It’s too much. And he’s a Kundel.”
“Is he going to sweep up the scholarships now as well?”
Their resentment was understandable.
Until now, Delev had never cared whether scholarships came his way or not.
He’d focused solely on the fact that he was performing well enough to earn one.
But this semester, he’d begun showing an unusual attachment to scholarships.
‘Did the family go broke?’
Celia tilted her head in confusion, then found herself letting out a small, self-deprecating laugh at her own ridiculous speculation.
Kundel, falling into ruin?
Impossible.
Celia had no idea that Delev had nearly bankrupted himself through gambling during the break.
“You are not among them, Delev Kundel.”
“Ah…”
Delev’s face fell.
‘When will I pay it back?’
He wanted to repay at least some of it before graduation, but that opportunity didn’t seem to be coming.
“However, there will be two more chances. The Festa and an external exchange competition.”
Now the other students’ reactions turned fervent.
The Festa!
They’d forgotten about it while absorbed in practical training.
The Festa happens in the second semester!
But there was something more.
“Teacher, an external exchange competition?”
“Another competition?”
“That’s huge—who are we facing?”
The students were thrilled.
They were already brimming with confidence.
They were growing accustomed to real swords, and their swordsmanship had found its direction—so what they wanted to do was crystal clear.
To showcase their swordsmanship.
And why not?
Competing within the Sword School was good, but ultimately, displaying their skill outside and earning recognition was equally important.
Since it was called an “external” exchange competition, anticipation swelled at the prospect of demonstrating their swordsmanship to the outside world.
“It will be held with Telvir Academy. Beginning right after the Festa ends.”
“Telbier!”
“Wow!”
“This is huge—but have we ever done anything like this with Telbier before?”
“Not that I know of.”
The students erupted with excitement, exactly as he’d expected.
“I believe this will be an excellent opportunity for you all in terms of motivation. I should mention that several noble families have expressed their willingness to sponsor this external exchange competition. Prize money, scholarships, and awards are currently being discussed, so be aware of that.”
The students cheered.
Delev cheered especially loudly.
‘A scholarship!’
He’d find a way to claim one.
This time, absolutely.
“But Teacher, can all of us participate?”
“I don’t know yet. The format is still being discussed.”
“I see.”
“However, from what I understand, Department Head Berhal Abue is working to arrange it so that as many students as possible can compete.”
This too had begun as a very small breeze that Ziel had set in motion.
But the participation of the sponsor families and the thirst for revenge burning in Telbier Academy was turning it into an enormous storm.
The competitive spirit between families that had surfaced during the practical training was now extending all the way to the external exchange competition!
“I’ll announce the details once everything is confirmed. From now on, focus on your classes, exams, and Festa.”
“Yes!”
“And there’s one more thing I need to announce. Gilbert, Kelvin.”
“Yes, Boss!”
“Yes, Master!”
The moment Ziel finished speaking, Gilbert and Kelvin wheeled in a cart.
It was an enormous cart.
Covered with an equally massive cloth, and when they pulled it away, the students’ eyes went wide.
“No… you don’t mean…?”
“Equipment!”
Swords and armor—genuine gear, all of it.
The students’ eyes began to gleam even brighter than before.
It didn’t matter whether their current swords were dull, on the verge of snapping, or still in perfect condition.
“Starting now, I’ll be opening the ‘Ziel Shop,’ where you can exchange Praise Cards and coins for new equipment.”
“Yesss!”
The cheers of the Second Years filled the Auditorium.

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