On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 370

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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 — Chapter 370
The Crow in Darkness (1)
It was decided at the last Faculty Meeting that Telvir Academy would participate in Festa.
When the academic schedule was causing headaches all around, someone—specifically Ziel—had proposed inviting Telvir Academy as an efficient solution to the calendar problem.
This idea had come from Ziel as well.
Any other professor would have avoided it altogether, sensing the inevitable complications.
And so the faculty found themselves in a scramble.
“This is going to drive me mad. When Telvir comes, there’s no end to what we need to prepare…….”
Elcanto let out a groan and sighed.
It was a situation that warranted it.
Since last year’s Festa, the number of visitors had ballooned to tens of thousands.
You could say the entire Capital had turned out.
And on top of that, every regional family came draped in entourages of attendants!
It was burden enough to provide entertainment for them, and now Telvir Academy on top of it all.
“And they’re coming to compete, no less…….”
In short, nothing could afford to be halfhearted.
Elcanto had turned over a new leaf some time ago, but even he found such attention daunting.
“True enough. But what can we do? We’ll manage.”
Alyx merely shrugged, and sensing a loss of confidence, Elcanto quickly amended his tone.
“W-well, actually, I was thinking it might be fine. Excellent! This is our chance to really show Telvir what we’re made of!”
“Just a moment ago, you were—”
“What did I say?”
Elcanto cleared his throat delicately and posed the question with studied innocence.
“But Professor Alyx, do you have some secret strategy? I’m completely at a loss for what to do this time around…….”
“Since it’s my first time, I’m just planning to try a bit of everything. And the Department Head did say this time we should leave it to the students and minimize faculty involvement.”
“That’s precisely the problem. If we don’t involve ourselves, it’ll be a disaster, and if we do, the students won’t really be in charge anymore…….”
As was his habit when troubled, Elcanto reached for his trump card.
“……should we go consult?”
“With Teacher Ziel?”
“Ahem. I wasn’t suggesting specifically Teacher Ziel. There’s Professor Merhen as well, and Professor Idel, and if all else fails, Professor Isabella…….”
Elcanto rattled off his excuses and quickly changed the subject.
“But I suppose we should check on the Second Years first?”
“Of course.”
Alyx chuckled and followed Elcanto out.
She’d been curious herself, truth be told.
‘I wonder what brilliant scheme Teacher Ziel will come up with this time.’
Last year’s Festa had been nothing short of a fever dream, by all accounts.
The Sword Dance Performance had captivated the spectators—nobles included—and the performance had eventually made it to the Imperial Palace itself!
When it came out that Lord Mortis had designed it, the entire Capital had buzzed about it for weeks afterward.
Just what kind of person was he, really?
The more one learned, the more inscrutable his nature became.
‘Is he working with Lord Mortis again this time?’
The two arrived at the 2nd Year Auditorium, unable to guess what might come next.
“Huh?”
“Um?”
But Ziel was nowhere to be found.
“Oh, Professor Elcanto.”
Delev, recognizing them, came forward, and Elcanto asked him:
“Where is Teacher Ziel?”
“Yes? He didn’t come today. It’s just the Teaching Assistants here.”
“What? Isn’t this when the Second Years are supposed to have their Festa planning meeting?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then?”
“So…… excuse me? Was Teacher Ziel supposed to be here?”
“……What?”
While Elcanto was processing the confusion, Alyx spoke up.
“So you’re saying you’re conducting the discussion among yourselves right now?”
“Yes. Teacher Ziel said this Festa would be student-led, so we’re supposed to come to our own conclusions.”
…….
Elcanto found himself momentarily speechless.
True, theoretically we could still keep an eye on things to make sure no failed projects slip through.
“You really left everything entirely to them?”
“Yes. You told them to handle it that way, sir.”
Delev pointed toward his friends as if to prove his point.
“Exactly! What kind of plan is that?! Does it even make sense? A physique exhibition?!”
“It works, I’m telling you! Think about it. We have a month until Festa, right? A month of training, and we can pull it off! Look at me!”
“That’s only because you’re obsessed with muscles every single day anyway! How are you supposed to build a body like that in just one month?”
“Ann, should we drag him out?”
“Just knock him unconscious already. I’m dying of things to do, and he keeps going on about muscles since forever.”
An intense discussion was unfolding.
“Why not do another Sword Dance Performance? Completely different from last time, something we choreograph ourselves.”
“But can we manage it without Lord Mortis and Teacher Ziel?”
“It won’t be easy, but we could still give it a try, couldn’t we?”
It was a rather refreshing sight.
“The students are having quite the conversation, Professor Elcanto.”
“Indeed…….”
Our students would probably exchange a few words and then give up.
The words Elcanto couldn’t quite say lingered on the tip of his tongue.
“The Telbier students are coming anyway. Don’t you think we need to show them something? That’s why we should go with the Sword Dance Performance. Let’s make it a tradition altogether!”
“Then who’s going to plan the Sword Dance Performance?”
“I will!”
“Quantus, are you just trying to show off body-checking moves?”
“Wh—how did you know?!”
“Someone needs to drag him out of here, I’m telling you.”
In any case, watching this unfold was surreal.
It wasn’t just that the students were offering opinions—their ideas were actually coming together cohesively.
And it wasn’t only those from powerful families like Delev or Celia who were driving the discussion.
“Yurio, what do you think?”
“I was thinking……what if we showed the Northern Festival?”
“The Northern Festival?! What is that? What is it?”
“We hunt white bears without using any mana at all—just a single spear. After the hunt is done, we come back and skin the hide, eat the meat raw and…….”
“……is there nothing else?”
“I—is it strange?”
“Yeah. Completely.”
“Then there’s the Frostflower Lantern Festival—when frostflowers are infused with mana, they glow even at night. We plant them densely in spring, and then when winter comes…….”
“We only have a month left…….”
“…… W-what about the Ice Sculpture Festival then?”
“That one works.”
Alyx admired the sight before him.
“Watching the Second Years, it seems family background isn’t really that important after all. At least not in this moment.”
Whether they were Third Years, Fourth Years, or First Years, every other grade had students who dominated the discussion.
And without exception, they were all from the Great Families.
An implicit hierarchy and rank divided the student body, and those from lesser families typically remained powerless even here. That was the landscape of the Sword School.
But the Second Years were different.
“Then what about sculpting the perfect musculature!”
“You still haven’t dragged him out?”
“Who could drag out Quantus? You’d need at least ten people.”
There were occasional students who faced dismissal, but it seemed like their own doing.
“I’m envious. How on earth did you create an atmosphere like that?”
Hierarchy and rank.
Such a natural order.
It was true not only within the Academy, but in society beyond it as well.
Yet it was not so for Ziel’s students.
At least in front of Ziel, whether they were Kundel or Rihart, Riversong or Harmatan—all were equal!
“Professor Elcanto Paredes, Professor Alyx Rockbolt.”
“Ugh!”
“Ah!”
At the voice that suddenly reached them, they turned their heads to find Ziel standing there.
“I—I didn’t sense your presence at all!”
“No. I approached without letting you sense it.”
“…….”
“What brings you here?”
“Oh… I, I thought you weren’t coming today…….”
“I hadn’t planned to. But I caught the scent of two professors as I passed the Auditorium, so I stepped in to check.”
“Scent…….”
He wanted to ask how on earth he detected that, but something told him he’d regret knowing.
“The children are debating quite well. Among themselves.”
“Yes. I instructed them to do so.”
“Well, it’s called a debate, but usually only one or two voices speak up…….”
“Why is that?”
“Because there’s hierarchy and rank, of course…….”
“Ah. You mean swordsmanship skill.”
Swordsmanship skill was certainly a factor, but what Elcanto really meant was background—breeding, family standing, the weight of one’s name.
“In any case, it’s remarkable, sir. The way those students voice their opinions so freely. Not a single one holding back.”
“Yes. I’ve taught them well.”
“……But are you really not going to intervene?”
“Department Head Berhal Abue has asked me to defer to the students’ autonomy as much as possible, and since I raised that point myself, I’ll proceed accordingly.”
“I see.”
Elcanto and Allix made a decision.
“Shall we try the same approach?”
“Do you think it’ll work? Will the children follow?”
“Only one way to find out.”
Ziel had already influenced them both!
“Let’s head back. It’s getting close to our time anyway.”
“Teacher Ziel, we’ll see you next time.”
The two professors departed, and Ziel watched them go with a puzzled tilt of his head.
“I’m not sure if it’s difficult work.”
Students voicing opinions was entirely natural to Ziel.
He couldn’t fathom why the two professors had reacted so strangely.
“What ideas came up?”
Since he was in the Auditorium, Ziel asked the students.
“Uh, sir! A Sword Dance Performance, the Frostflower Festival, an Ice Sculpture Festival…… we got tons of ideas!”
“I see. I’ll synthesize all the suggestions soon. We can decide by vote.”
Then Quantus shot to his feet!
“Sir! Since you’re here, I have to ask! What about a Physique Exhibition!”
“When you say physique exhibition, you mean displaying the beauty of the body?”
“That’s right! With me as captain, we’d spend the next month sculpting everyone’s bodies into something impressive!”
“Hmm.”
Ann was desperate.
Please, please don’t show interest!
“I won’t offer my opinion on any of these. You all decide it yourselves.”
“Phew.”
But as Ziel turned away, he was already thinking.
‘Actually, that’s a fairly good idea.’
By displaying a disciplined, cultivated physique, one emphasized beauty in a tangible way.
It seemed like a solid approach.
But much to Quantus’s misfortune, this time the students would reach consensus entirely on their own.
“Boss, I heard you were heading to the Secret Base today.”
“I was passing by and stopped in briefly. Where’s Kelvin?”
“Over there playing with the others. He’s been dodging you lately.”
“Because of the Phantom-Overcoming Training?”
“Obviously.”
“But it’s unavoidable.”
Kelvin’s eyes met Ziel’s, and he nearly collapsed from shock.
“M-M-Master!”
“Kelvin. How’s your training coming along?”
“…….”
“If you don’t overcome it, you can’t come to the Secret Base. Is that what you want?”
“T-the Secret Base! I want! I want to go too!”
“Good. We’ll train again this evening.”
Ziel asked Gilbert.
“Did you get all the materials?”
“Yes, Boss. I’m planning to go out today and do a final check. Don’t worry.”
“Understood. Check on the equipment I ordered on your way back.”
“Yes, Boss.”
It was his first time out in ages.
He’d gone on a night journey with Ziel not long ago to find the secret base, but going out alone like this was almost unprecedented.
‘While I’m out, should I stop by that restaurant in the 15th District?’
A visit to the Black Market seemed promising too.
Lately Gilbert had been absorbed with Ziel in perfecting the secret base, and now he was determined to build a security facility that would put the safe house they’d prepared before to shame.
All to earn recognition from the Boss.
It promised to be an exciting outing.
“Kelvin, you’re going to have to work a bit harder.”
“Aw, that’s harsh!”
“I’ll bring back fried bread when I return.”
“Yes!”
Ziel added a word to that.
“And chicken skewers. About fifty of them.”
……
But at that very moment.
Near the Academy Main Gate where Gilbert would soon depart.
A group of thugs lay hidden.
Former members of the Red Raven, supposed to have been eliminated without a trace.
The Crows closing in on Gilbert.

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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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