On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 403

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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 403
Magic Corps Incident (2)
Roton, appointed Vice Commander of the Magic Corps after the Osu Island affair, was eager to make a name for himself as quickly as possible.
So when he received intelligence that extraordinary magic was being used at the Academy, he rushed out without hesitation.
Now he was regretting it.
Ziel Steelheart — he’d heard the name, of course, but he should have at least learned what the man looked like before coming here.
Who could have known, really?
Not the Sword School event, but the Arcane School’s — and this teacher was involved in it!
No one would dare touch the Empire’s hero unless they were completely mad.
Yet he’d touched him.
And it was his own doing.
“…….”
But humans often make judgments that defy understanding.
‘If I retreat now, the prestige of the Magic Corps…….’
The countless eyes that were supposed to become the axis of his achievements had instead become a noose around Roton and the Magic Corps’s neck.
The Magic Corps backing down and withdrawing in front of all these spectators?
Their authority could be seriously damaged.
“Ahem. Forgive me for my rudeness. I am Roton Mayer, Vice Commander of the Imperial Magic Corps.”
“I’m not particularly interested.”
“…….”
It was an obstacle from the start, but Roton proceeded methodically nonetheless.
“This matter falls within the exclusive purview of the Imperial Magic Corps. Even if you happen to maintain certain relations with the Arcane School, I must respectfully request that you refrain from involving yourself in this investigation.”
“My subordinate planned and helped organize this event.”
“……Your subordinate, you say?”
“That’s right. That’s why I stopped you. You’re trying to ruin this event.”
Ziel’s straightforward logic struck Roton speechless.
‘What now?’
He’d planned to coax the man into a graceful retreat and make amends later, but that strategy had been blocked before it could even take concrete form.
“This event has been conducted with complete safety measures in place and without any violation of Imperial Law. So tell me — what other reason does the Magic Corps have for involving itself, halting the entire event, and collecting all equipment and evidence?”
“Well, we received a report, and once a report comes in, it’s procedure for the Magic Corps to verify it.”
“That procedure isn’t justified enough to interrupt this event that all these students are enjoying.”
“…….”
The sensation of sinking deeper into quicksand!
“Is the Magic Corps just looking for a pretext?”
“You didn’t know he was Teacher Ziel?”
“Are you stupid? You can tell just from his hair color and eyes. Even people passing on the street know.”
As the murmurs reached Roton’s ears, his heart began to race violently.
He and his men had only ever received admiring gazes or fearful looks; they had developed no resistance to this kind of whispered ridicule.
Roton eventually cried out as if seized by panic.
“This is an insult to the Magic Corps! Not a single person has ever refused to cooperate with our investigations!”
“Then I’ll be the first.”
At Ziel’s matter-of-fact reply, Roton felt he might faint right there on the spot.
“If you continue to insist on that claim, I’ll go directly to the Imperial Palace.”
“The, the Imperial Palace?”
“You said you’re Vice Commander. I’ll meet with the Commander and discuss this matter with him. Since you keep making nonsensical claims, I’ll speak with someone of higher rank than you.”
Roton’s face went pale.
Ziel was going to the Imperial Palace?
Only then did Roton’s mind begin to clear somewhat.
“I, I think there may have been some misunderstanding. Let me consult again with whoever filed the report. We should take our leave…….”
“You’re leaving, then?”
But his next words sent ice down Roton’s spine.
“I’ll see you again at the Imperial Palace.”
The mages of the Magic Corps froze solid.
When the Magic Corps said they were conducting an investigation, the normal response was to clear the way and cooperate.
But against Ziel, all of that became absurd — and worse still, foolish.
“…….”
Roton felt like weeping.
He’d simply come to establish authority as he usually did, hoping to achieve some results and leave…….
“And you won’t be able to leave.”
Ziel had no intention whatsoever of letting the Magic Corps depart.
Ziel was an efficient man.
Because of that, he had to compensate for this obvious loss.
“You’ll cover the damages.”
“D-damages, you say? Didn’t you say the investigation would be suspended and we’d return?”
“Now that it’s been halted because of you lot, what do you intend to do about this unsettled atmosphere and the fear spreading through everyone?”
……
Roton glanced around him.
Everyone was glaring at him.
It was a gaze he’d never received before.
‘Don’t these men fear the Magic Corps at all?’
Of course, it was a question he only dared think privately.
In the end, Roton submitted.
“What should we… what do you need us to do?”
Ziel turned to Emeric Kent.
“Professor Emeric Kent, I heard you required magical charging.”
“Ah, yes. I was just about to go fetch some Mana Stones.”
“There’s no need. Five of these men are mid-tier 5th Circle or above.”
“Pardon?”
“Use their Mana to conserve your Mana Stones.”
“Ah.”
Emeric was shocked at this completely unforeseen suggestion.
‘Magic Corps mages… for something so menial?’
The Magic Corps’s prestige was as lofty as the sky itself—so much so that even Emeric had used the word “menial.”
There was a saying in the Empire: if you wish to stand above others, you must either be born a noble or possess magical talent.
Among those blessed with such magical talent, only those who also possessed their family’s prestige and exceptional genius could enter the Magic Corps.
Using them “merely” for magical charging?
“Is that… really all right?”
“Here, that’s the extent of their usefulness.”
……
While his words weren’t wrong, Emeric couldn’t imagine anyone else in the world treating the Magic Corps this way.
“Vice Commander Roton Mayer, follow Professor Emeric Kent and charge the Station with magic. The Professor will instruct you on what’s needed.”
……
“You don’t like it? Your expression says otherwise.”
“No, no. I’ll do as you say.”
Fortunately, Roton’s mind was beginning to function again.
Thus, the Magic Corps was not only subdued in an instant but also reduced to becoming mere laborers for this event.
“The Magic Corps isn’t all that special after all.”
“Is this a performance too?”
“Get a grip. Teacher Ziel is just that impressive.”
It was a sense of helplessness and humiliation they’d never experienced before.
Of course, for Roton and the Magic Corps, there was no other choice.
“I’ll return your Mana. Just charge the magic as instructed.”
Today, the Magic Corps tasted humiliation—perhaps for the first time.
And Emeric, along with the Arcane School professors who arrived moments later to witness this, made a vow.
No matter what, they would not cross the Sword School.
Not as long as Ziel was there.
* * *
After resolving the brief incident, Ziel headed straight for the venue of the Masked Ball.
Though Festa had closed like the Arcane School’s event, most of the competitions continued through today.
But the Masked Ball was different.
While all other events concluded by evening and dismantling began, the Masked Ball’s evening was precisely when it began.
A great moon would rise as Yon had promised, and the stage would unfold beneath that lunar glow.
“Right then, your masks are all in order?”
“Quantus says his mask is too small. Can’t we make it bigger?”
“No, that one sticks out no matter what we do. Just have him wear it as is.”
All the Second Years would attend the Masked Ball tonight.
To be precise, only the Second Years participated.
Others were free to come and watch.
But the event itself was prepared solely for the Second Years.
Admission was free.
“How are the refreshments coming along?”
“Almost done. Everyone just needs to change into their clothes now.”
“I’m excited. A masked ball! The Academy used to hold them, didn’t they?”
“They did. But then there was that mass food poisoning incident, and they discontinued it indefinitely. Who knows? Maybe if we pull this off well, it’ll make a comeback.”
A few years ago, Edelwein Academy would host a grand masked ball at year’s end, open to all students across every grade level.
Students danced to music, enjoyed fine food, and for one night only, were permitted to drink—though in modest amounts.
As a result, it was a night when countless romances blossomed between young men and women.
Unfortunately, the current fifth-year students had never experienced it.
“But who do you really think will win, Yon?”
“Hard to say. But it definitely won’t be Quantus or Ann. Even with masks and voice modulation, I’d recognize them.”
“Hmm. You’re probably right.”
Yon glanced sidelong at Quantus.
“Why do you keep following me around!”
“Ann! I’ve already memorized your silhouette! No matter how you hide, I’ll know it’s you!”
“You pervert! Just try to figure it out at the ball like everyone else!”
“No! I’m definitely going to find you!”
“Go away!”
No matter how you looked at it, Ann didn’t seem to have a way out.
“You think our new rule is going to work?”
“Oh, the one where you’re forced to dance if your identity is exposed? That should be fun.”
Once a certain number of people had been eliminated, the person who guessed correctly could hand out a “penalty.”
Which was simply selecting another eliminated person and making them dance!
“Without something like that, the kids probably won’t dance at all.”
“True. It’d be awkward for everyone to dance while making eye contact, wouldn’t it?”
This rule existed because of a particular problem.
The second-year students studying under Ziel all took the exact same classes collectively.
Seeing each other in the same space almost every day had created a certain closeness.
Normally, people would know fewer of their peers, have some strangers among them. But because they knew each other so well, this became an issue.
“Left alone, they’d be dying of awkwardness the moment their eyes met.”
“That’s true. I think the forced dancing is a good idea.”
There was nothing quite as strange as seeing the very same people who’d been rolling around sweaty and weathered, struggling through hardship together, suddenly dressed up elegantly.
Of course, not everyone was pleased.
“Do we really have to do that? Forced?”
“Yeah. Why? Don’t you like it?”
“I really don’t! It’s too predictable!”
It was Celia.
“What do you mean, predictable?”
“Well…… if I get eliminated, they’ll point to Delev! Everyone will! Just to mess with me!”
“Then just don’t get eliminated.”
“……Am I not going to get eliminated?”
“You won’t. With the mask and voice modulation, your build isn’t that different from the other girls anyway, is it?”
“That’s……well, I suppose.”
“Unlike someone like Quantus or Ann, no one’s really going to be watching out for you.”
Yon brushed aside Celia’s objection and gazed up at the sky.
“It’s starting to rise.”
“What is?”
“The moon.”
Yon was right.
A truly enormous moon was slowly revealing itself.
“That can’t be real…….”
“It’s really beautiful…….”
“It’s art.”
The sight of the colossal moon hanging between the clouds seemed unusually breathtaking this evening.
Yon felt a swell of pride.
The great moon, arriving for the first time in sixty-eight years!
The calculations had worked out perfectly.
To be honest, he’d been nervous right up until it rose—afraid it might not appear.
But it had risen properly, and now the preparations for the ball were complete.
“It’s going to be a perfect night.”
And right on cue, Ziel arrived.
“Jon Riversong. You were right—there’s quite a moon hanging in the sky tonight.”
“See? Nobody believed me when I said so.”
“Mm. You have a gift for astronomy. I hear there are scholars at the Imperial Palace who study the heavens.”
“My father comes from there!”
“Is that so. Impressive. Are you staying with your family now to take on the role of Family Head?”
“Something like that. My father says my grandfather opposed it quite fiercely.”
Jon’s eyes gleamed.
“Is this what they mean when they say ‘blood cannot lie’?”
“You were reading books in the library, weren’t you, sir?”
“That’s right. I saw it in a book. The collection of sayings was quite entertaining.”
“The astronomy books are entertaining too. There are plenty of them in the Library, Section E, Row 13.”
Delighted to have a long conversation with Ziel for the first time in a while, Jon gestured excitedly toward the Masquerade Hall.
“Please be sure to watch all the way to the end, sir. I think it’ll be really exciting.”
“I see. Who do you expect to win?”
“What about you, sir?”
Ziel pondered a moment, then shook his head.
“I can’t predict it at all. I could predict a hundred people fighting at once, but these rules are unpredictable.”
“Even you say such things…….”
“I’m not omniscient.”
Ziel, having said something entirely unlike himself, asked again.
“So, Jon Riversong—who do you think will win?”
“Well, I think…….”
Jon’s gaze turned to one place.
“It might be one of those two.”
It was the two students who were fighting even now.
Ziel’s thoughts ran differently.
The two of them were early elimination candidates.
“Those two will be eliminated early.”
“Why?”
“Because they’ll want to dance together instead.”
“Pardon?”

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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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