On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 413

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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 413
Bandits and Steelheart (1)
Bandit organization.
On the way here, he hadn’t picked up the slightest trace of them.
“Family Head, forgive the interruption, but as we made our way to this place, we saw no sign of any bandit organization whatsoever. From what I’ve heard, they operate across quite a wide territory in the Garnish Mountain Range, and our group has passed through that area frequently, yet we encountered nothing.”
Gilbert was the one asking.
‘So the rumor was true.’
He’d definitely heard it.
That one of Teacher Ziel’s subordinates had reached Master-level.
It was true.
From the presence he could feel, it was clear.
Not yet as skilled as Teacher Ziel himself, the newly ascended Master-level practitioner wasn’t fully concealing his mana.
And beside him, that large man Kelvin — while not quite Master-level, he was practically on that tier!
‘What kind of training are they undergoing?’
Daren, who had raised the serious matter himself, found his mind wandering to curiosity instead.
“If what you say is true…”
“Ah, ahem. Yes. It’s quite serious.”
“Yes, indeed it is.”
It was serious, certainly.
But not for them — for the bandits.
That’s what Gilbert thought.
‘Do those fools live so cut off they haven’t heard the rumors?’
He’d heard they had a base deep in the mountains!
It was almost ironic that their remote mountain dwelling kept them from hearing the news spreading across the entire Empire about Ziel.
In truth, Ziel’s reputation had only begun to permeate the Empire from the second semester onward.
Those living in remote places where rumors didn’t reach, or creatures dwelling in mountains like these bandits, would naturally have missed it.
“They’ve lost their minds.”
“Pardon?”
“To dare seize the Boss’s territory…!”
“Yes, quite right. To dare occupy such a meaningful territory — one His Imperial Majesty himself restored to its proper standing — they deserve proportionate punishment.”
Now came the real crux of the matter.
Ziel asked a question.
“Why have the bandits seized my territory?”
“Our plan was to completely drive them out this year, or at the latest by next year. You’ve likely heard the reports from the Western Region… Yes. Things are rather unfavorable.”
It was a matter of political standing, as it were.
Unlike the prosperous South, the Western Region was harsh and unforgiving.
Further west, sandstorms swept in relentlessly, and the climate brought crop failures once every few years.
Mountain ranges were plentiful, magical beasts appeared frequently, and the terrain made ideal hiding places — so bandit organizations kept cropping up periodically.
“I understand. I know that eliminating the bandits is only a temporary measure. That preventing the periodic famines and the encroaching sandstorms should be our priority. But…”
Without addressing them, the Western Region’s political standing would continue to deteriorate.
As the representative house of the Western Region and its most powerful family, Rihart couldn’t simply abandon the matter entirely!
To do so would scatter the support of the Western families that propped up Rihart’s power.
“Then I take it the bandits have consolidated against the Rihart Family’s suppression campaign?”
“Yes, that’s how I see it. We’ve nearly cornered them completely. Because of that, they seized the former territory of the Steelheart Family — the one currently restored to standing — which they’d apparently been watching closely.”
“Does that position offer them particular advantages?”
“Yes. The elevation is high, giving them advance warning of any approaching force. And beyond it lies the Garnish Mountain Range — an optimal position for escape.”
“I see.”
Gilbert suddenly recalled something the Boss had said about the bandits.
If they got in his way.
He would deal with them then.
“They’re obstructing me.”
Why did a chill run down his spine at those words?
Gilbert, Kelvin, and even Daren felt it equally.
“Are the residents in that territory safe?”
“…They’ve likely been offered the choice to join the bandits. That’s always how it goes when they raid a settlement. They should be safe for now.”
Ziel nodded.
“Then that’s fortunate. We depart immediately.”
“What? But it’s nighttime, sir. Please, take time to think through a proper strategy. Morning will come soon enough, and moving then would be just as timely. These aren’t ordinary bandits. In circumstances like these, caution is—”
Ziel tilted his head at the mention of night.
“Is there a better time than night?”
* * *
Daren didn’t stop Ziel. Instead, he handed over information about the bandit organization and its leader.
“The leader of the bandit organization is a fallen noble named Rob. Rob Oconnor. He’s one of the few survivors of a family that’s now vanished.”
The Oconnor family.
Ziel had heard of them before.
It was a family that had once even commissioned Black Sky.
Ziel drew on his memories from that time and asked, “Could their downfall have been the Lepork family’s doing?”
“You knew about that. It was about ten years ago—back then, Oconnor and Lepork fought with extraordinary ferocity.”
Eleven years ago.
When Ziel had first begun his work as an assassin.
He hadn’t participated in the Oconnor family’s commission, but after the brainwashing was lifted, he’d reviewed records from that period.
“Eventually, the Oconnor family hired assassins themselves, but when that fact came to light, they lost their political standing entirely—and were destroyed by the Lepork family. One of the few family members who survived and escaped Lepork afterward was Rob Oconnor.”
Rob Oconnor.
A survivor of a fallen house.
Gilbert’s gaze naturally shifted toward Ziel.
One had become the Empire’s hero; the other had become the Empire’s champion.
“Over the past five years, he’s steadily built his power. In the process, he hasn’t been easily caught by the Western Region’s subjugation forces. His military might is formidable, but he also possesses the intelligence to avoid suppression.”
Coming from someone of the Rihart family’s stature, even the Boss seemed to grow tense somehow—
“Understood.”
“Yes? Ah… are you certain you’ll be all right?”
“I am. No issues. Gilbert, Kelvin. Prepare yourselves. We move.”
Unlike Daren, the two followed Ziel without hesitation.
It was the most pointless concern in the world.
‘The Boss will handle it himself. But will I get a chance to fight?’
‘What if the opponent is Master-level?’
Their worries amounted to exactly that much.
There was a slight concern, though.
Not about another territory, but about the intelligence of that Rob character who’d occupied Steelheart Territory.
“This fellow—bandit leader or not—may be well-versed in Western Region affairs, but he seems ignorant of how the rest of the world operates, Boss. If he’d known, he would’ve targeted a different territory. Or fled altogether.”
That was the point that remained somewhat unclear.
No matter how much a bandit organization had hidden in the mountains, they should have heard Gilbert’s perspective on Ziel’s deeds at least once.
And the people living in Steelheart Territory would certainly have heard the news as well.
The Rim family had fled the moment they learned of it, after all.
“How does occupying a territory make sense if he knew? Don’t you think, Kelvin?”
“Ah, I… I st-still don’t quite know.”
“Don’t know what?”
“M-Master! Strength!”
“Ah.”
Gilbert recalled the many enemies he’d faced over the years.
All those fools who didn’t realize how strong the Boss was, only to be shattered in an instant!
He suspected Rob was of that same breed.
Probably five years of operating in the Western Region had bred baseless confidence, leading to a poor decision.
Of course, the Rihart family’s relentless subjugation campaigns had played their part too.
Worn down and pushed back again and again, he’d finally seized a territory—that’s what the story amounted to.
“But thinking about it… I don’t really see why he’d abandon the mountains to settle in a territory.”
Ziel dismissed the whole confusing situation with a single statement.
“We’ll know once we arrive. Let’s go.”
“Yes, sir.”
And so they came to Steelheart Territory.
It was Ziel’s first time seeing it.
He’d never been here before.
He’d simply cross-verified records and confirmed them before selecting the Steelheart family and fabricating his identity.
‘So this is what it looks like.’
Vast.
Stakes marking the territory’s boundaries stood here, and in the distance, a very faint glimmer of firelight was visible.
A barren expanse.
Whether from crop failure or its natural state, the land was parched, not a single tree in sight.
Whether it was the Rim family or any other noble house, a devastated and neglected territory like this would have made excellent prey.
But not anymore.

“Indeed, it’s like a fortress. I’d think we could spot any approach from a mile away.”
“Perfect target for an ambush.”
Gilbert posed the question to Ziel, whose interpretation ran exactly counter to his own.
“But isn’t the visibility so good?”
“If they can’t see you, it doesn’t matter.”
“Ah.”
Ziel gestured them forward.
“Follow me. Hide in the shadows. Control your breathing—longer inhales, longer exhales than usual.”
“Understood.”
Ziel drew out the Polar Night Dagger.
And swallowed the moonlight whole.
In an instant, darkness swallowed the world around them.
Even Ziel was taken aback this time.
‘The moonlight—it’s different after all.’
It wasn’t just a matter of a few lamps; the sheer volume of light pouring from that massive moon was draining a considerable amount of his mana as he absorbed it all.
Of course, Ziel was different from the others—he didn’t store mana in his body.
He simply accepted it and used it.
So there was no problem at all.
‘To their eyes, it will look like darkness itself is moving.’
The moonlight tonight wasn’t particularly bright, but to a keen eye, it might seem that way.
Ziel moved as slowly as he could manage.
Slow enough that even if someone watched, they’d see nothing amiss.
There wasn’t a single tree or stone within the barren stretch, yet the group was steadily closing in on the Steelheart Territory.
“Boss, but what if you hadn’t had the Polar Night Dagger? How would you have moved then?”
“I would’ve moved anyway.”
“Sir?”
“I’m using it because I have to travel with you two. Without it, there are plenty of ways to hide in darkness.”
“How wo—”
“I don’t feel like telling you.”
“Ah.”
Because it was the way of assassins.
The Shadow Walking Technique of Black Sky—a secret only Ziel knew anymore.
“We’re here.”
The Steelheart Territory loomed higher as they approached.
Figures who looked like bandits stood guard along the wooden palisades hastily erected around the perimeter.
“But wait—if this really is the territory of that guy Ziel Steelheart, shouldn’t we be running?”
“The boss has his reasons. Has he ever steered us wrong?”
“Well, no, but…”
“That’s because you haven’t got the seniority yet, talking like that. Me? I’ve been with the boss for four years. He’s never been wrong. Not once.”
The trust this man Rob placed in his leader seemed absolutely unshakeable.
Ziel shrank the radius of darkness—or rather, reduced the range from which he was absorbing light.
Beyond the palisade, they reached the rear of a building where horse sounds could be heard.
“Status report on the guards?”
“No irregularities detected so far.”
“Good. Keep a thorough watch. We’ve set traps all around, but our opponent is Ziel Steelheart.”
Ziel had already disarmed or avoided every trap on his approach.
They were simple traps.
“But can we really stand against him?”
“Are you insane? We’re not standing against him. The boss is.”
Putting together what he’d overheard, this was the situation:
“Boss, I think they know you’re coming.”
They’d occupied the Steelheart Territory despite Ziel being on his way.
They weren’t ignorant of his reputation, either—nor were they underestimating him.
Of course, they probably didn’t know the specifics of how strong he was.
“Could they be Master-level?”
“Haven’t met them yet, so I can’t say.”
What was certain was that they hadn’t occupied the Steelheart Territory without deliberation.
‘Who is this bastard?’
Gilbert had been mulling it over when he suddenly turned to Kelvin with a question.
“Hey, you said you made a name for yourself in the Western Region, right? You know who Rob is?”
“I… I don’t know. Only the bandit organization.”
“You’ve only heard of the bandit organization?”
Now Gilbert could interpret whatever Kelvin said with practiced ease.
‘So he’s been careful enough to hide his identity all this time…….’
He understood that this place was Ziel Steelheart’s territory, and he knew what manner of man Ziel Steelheart was.
And for a considerable span of the past five years, the man had managed to keep his true identity concealed.
Moreover, there existed a clear reason why he had seized control of the Steelheart Territory.
Every signal pointed to danger.
Yet Gilbert felt no concern whatsoever.
Neither did Kelvin.
Their worry was singular.
Simply whether there was anyone worth fighting.
‘Besides the captain, isn’t there anyone else strong? I’m Master-level myself…….’
‘I need to face Master-level opponents…….’

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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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