On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 392

—————
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 — Episode 392
There’s somewhere I need to visit briefly.
The assembled students still couldn’t quite believe they were really participating in the Inter-Academy Exchange, and kept stealing glances at Ziel.
“Are we really doing this?”
“I mean… yeah.”
The problem wasn’t confidence or self-worth. It was the stage itself.
An internal exchange match would’ve been one thing, but this was the pinnacle event of Festa — with crowds of people gathered like this.
“Maybe the Telvir students are weaker than we think?”
“If that were true, Ziel would’ve picked stronger students and ended this more efficiently.”
“Right.”
The students had learned enough about Ziel by now to know better.
In any case, the selection was riddled with questions.
“I get my own case, but Kus — why you?”
“Hey, why? What kind of question is that?”
Kus Hillbilly.
One of the selected students.
By swordsmanship alone, middle-tier level.
His closest friend was Delev, also the strongest second year.
“What’re you talking about? You said yourself you had an ‘important role’ in the Labyrinth project, right?”
“…”
That wasn’t it.
Truth was, he hadn’t been that busy.
‘So that’s why I got picked?’
“What about you, Karen?”
“Once the sculpting event finishes, it’s just maintenance from there. Nothing complicated about it.”
“I heard tons of people are coming to see that ice statue you carved of Ziel.”
“Lord Mortis said that if the artist appears too often, it diminishes the mystique.”
“Huh.”
And then there was Karen.
She was the strongest among the eight second years selected.
Her skill had skyrocketed ever since she’d realized the direction her swordsmanship needed to go.
But that very fact made Karen more puzzled.
‘Shouldn’t there be at least one person stronger than me?’
Should’ve dragged Yurio along instead?
“Everyone’s here now.”
Ziel appeared then.
He surveyed the students’ faces.
Karen.
Kus.
Lenoa.
Drneur.
And four more students from the middle-to-lower ranks.
“Sir, our selection seems a bit… strange?”
The one raising a hand was Lenoa.
It wasn’t that her confidence was lacking.
“Telvir will send really strong students too… can we actually win?”
Doubt had crept in.
“Why are you worried, Lenoa Nihalis?”
“Well, I just thought it would be easier if Yurio or Celia, or maybe someone like Delev went instead of us…”
“Those students are busy.”
“Ah.”
So he really did select based on who wasn’t busy?
“That doesn’t mean I disregarded skill.”
Ziel met each student’s eyes in turn before continuing.
“You are strong. At least stronger than the fourth-year students Telvir will be fielding.”
“…!”
A fact they rarely felt among themselves!
That the second years were, in most respects, on par with or exceeding third-year standards — and drawing close to fourth-year level!
“You will win.”
At Ziel’s “prophecy,” the students’ faces brightened.
“Therefore, your objective is not to win.”
Hard on the heels of the half-smile came a question mark.
‘Then why?’
‘What is this? Intelligence operations?’
“There is another reason I selected you.”
“Another reason, you say……?”
That reason was precisely this.
“Your Swordsmanship abilities recently have either undergone rapid growth, reached a plateau, or stand at a point where you cannot achieve something that lies just ahead of you. Isn’t that right?”
“……!”
All eight students flinched for the same reason.
His words rang true.
Some students like Karen had experienced sudden growth, while others like Kus found their development stalled by an invisible barrier, and still others like Renoa grasped at something just beyond their reach, unable to seize it.
“Your goal is to grow through this Inter-Academy Exchange.”
“Growth……!”
There was one thing the students did not know.
It was that Ziel had, for the first time, abandoned his usual student selection principles and exercised flexibility.
And there was the calculation that developing students whose growth had stalled might be far more efficient.
“Which is why the next two days will be devoted to training.”
“Training…….”
“I will oversee the training myself.”
A chill crept up their spines.
The legendary Hell Training of the Northern Region came to mind.
That legendary Hell Training where Ziel had stopped the Rigron Family’s massive forces and, without rest for days and nights, trained Gilbert, Kelvin, and Amil.
“You will not return to the Dormitory for these two days.”
The room seemed to spin.
“Based on the results of the two days of training, I will assign each of you accordingly. That is all. We begin.”
Winning was, after all, a given.
The true goal was to develop these students in the process.
And Sigmund, who had come to spy on this scene, fell into confusion.
‘Not students like Delev, Celia, Yurio, or Maris, but those ones?’
They were overestimating themselves.
A glimmer of hope had emerged.
How could it be otherwise?
Unless he was a fool, anyone would devise a strategy to win outright.
Of course, Ziel was well aware that Sigmund had come to spy.
He simply hadn’t bothered to confront him about it.
‘No, wait. Just in case. Is this a smoke screen? Does he know I’d come to spy, and is he pretending to train weaker students while planning to field the strong ones on the actual day……!’
Sigmund was slowly unraveling under the weight of the need to win.
For the whole Capital would be watching, as if they were all seated in judgment.
There were even rumors that the Imperial Palace would send observers.
‘We must win, no matter what!’
It was a moment when greater hardship was being announced for Telbier’s students, who were already struggling without even enjoying Festa.
* * *
The training proceeded as a joint session.
With Berhal watching, forty students selected from each grade gathered together.
The Exchange Tournament was divided into four events in total.
“First, Territory Occupation Battle.”
Ziel stepped forward as the representative and selected the students; no one raised any objection.
“In Territory Occupation Battle, you capture the enemy’s stronghold first and defend the flag for a set duration. There are two occupation points total, and if you maintain at least three occupation points—including the opponent’s—for five minutes, you win.”
Ten students in total, including those from the Second Year, were selected.
Among these was Renoa and one other Second Year.
“These ten will then be divided into specific roles based on their physical capabilities. Professor Merhen Curtis will oversee the Territory Occupation Battle strategy. That is all.”
Next came the announcements for Destruction Battle and Flag Capture.
No one raised complaints or questions about the rosters.
Because it was Ziel.
Finally came One-on-One Combat.
“These consist of the strongest students among the grade representatives selected. That is all.”
Karen and Kus were representing the Second Year.
For they were among the strongest to be found.
Of course, both were strong enough to stand against Fourth Year students as well.
‘One-on-One Combat…….’
Karen tensed.
One-on-One Combat left little room for variables.
Strategy and tactics would certainly exist, but compared to team-based events, there was less opportunity for upsets.
Which meant pure skill alone would determine victory.
“Do you think we can win……?”
Kus muttered, his voice uncertain.
“We can. Ziel didn’t pick us for nothing.”
“That’s true, but I heard Telvir only sends out their strongest fighters.”
“We’ll still win.”
Karen’s faith in Ziel was absolute.
“Then, we shall begin training.”
Forty people total, all needing instruction.
Now it was time for the professors to step in.
Merhen and Idel may have harbored doubts once, but not anymore.
If anything, they were nervous.
Because of Ziel.
‘I hope I don’t make a fool of myself……’
As a teacher, Ziel’s ability to instruct students was nothing short of legendary.
Honestly, even if his Fourth and Fifth Years lost to the Second Years, there would be no shame in it—only regret.
“Professor Merhen Curtis. In Territorial Occupation Battle, speed of conquest matters, but holding the ground is paramount. Focus your training on defensive formations. In particular, you must leverage Fourth Year Walter Barit’s physical strength effectively.”
“Understood.”
“Professor Idel Record. In Destruction Battle, the key is seizing a single decisive opportunity. Train them with a six-to-four split between offense and defense.”
“Yes, I will do so.”
Because of this, Ziel’s counsel no longer grated on their ears.
‘Their minds have truly shifted. I have no worries for next year.’
Berhaldo smiled warmly at the sight.
Everything was perfect.
Festa was far more prosperous than last year.
Not only people from the Capital, but crowds from across the Empire had descended, and he’d seen a report this morning about how the Empire’s economy was thriving because of it.
Of course, so many people had gathered that various problems emerged, but at least the Imperial Palace seemed quite satisfied.
It was unfair to Telvir, but starting this year, even comparing them was absurd.
The Empire seemed to be enjoying many good things lately.
Festa was one, and the other dangerous faction, the Red Raven, had also vanished.
He’d heard they were still tracking the remnants, but they would likely disappear soon.
There was one thing that concerned him somewhat.
‘If the Imperial Palace zealously wipes out such factions, it’s certain that at least one new one will emerge somewhere.’
Not that he could say this aloud, but Berhaldo believed that no matter how much one suppressed such groups’ appearance, they would simply resurface elsewhere.
In the end, demand always exists.
In this world, there are always people who need things done in the shadows.
Whether they are the poor without coin or wealthy nobles.
Even the Imperial Palace itself.
In fact, Berhaldo was no exception.
“Professor Alyx Rockbolt, please instruct Third Year Dennis Logan in supplementing his weaknesses in Swordsmanship. Both his Lower Stance Attack and Defense are vulnerable.”
“Pardon? When did you observe that?”
“Just now.”
“I see.”
A Teaching Assistant approached Berhaldo, who was watching Ziel give instruction.
“Department Head.”
“Have you made progress?”
“Yes. I’ve continued looking into Deputy Director Locus’s whereabouts, but…… we found nothing new today either.”
Berhaldo exhaled quietly, too softly for anyone to hear.
“It seems that with the Red Raven gone, intelligence work has become more difficult. People are expressing reluctance about taking on such commissions.”
This was precisely the problem.
How could he report his son missing?
How could he ask someone to find him?
This was the only way.
‘Locus, where are you?’
After the Siren Family incident, Locus had secretly resigned from his position as Personnel Director and disappeared alongside Deputy Director Lenoa.
It had been kept so secret that even his father Berhaldo only learned of it days after he vanished.
Perhaps he’d kept it from Berhal as long as possible.
Their relationship wasn’t exactly warm, after all.
“Department Head, shouldn’t we investigate the remnants of the Red Raven? From what I’ve gathered, they’re supposedly trying to form a new organization by gathering together.”
“No, that’s enough. What you’ve uncovered is already impressive. Don’t dig any deeper—stop here. It’s dangerous for you to continue.”
“……Understood.”
It seemed Locus would need more time before they could locate him.
‘If he left his position behind, he must have some purpose in mind…….’
And Berhal had no idea.
That Ziel had overheard the entire conversation.
He hadn’t meant to listen.
It had simply reached his ears.
‘So the remnants are gathering to form an organization,’ he thought.
It seemed that cutting off their leader’s head yesterday hadn’t been sufficient.
Ziel suddenly recalled the plot of a novel he’d read the night before.
“Um, Ziel, so about the defensive formation—how exactly should we construct it……?”
“I’ll step out for a moment.”
“Pardon?”
“There’s somewhere I need to be. I’ll be back within the hour, Professor Elcanto Paredes.”
Ziel vanished like the wind.
Elcanto stood there muttering blankly.
“So how do we actually construct the flag capture defensive formation……?”

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