On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 414

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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 414
Bandits and Steelheart (2)
Rob O’Connor first made a name for himself—regrettably, not through the O’Connor Family’s glory, nor through any noble deeds he accomplished as a member of the aristocracy.
Rather, it was because he was the leader of a bandit organization.
‘Five years now.’
Today marked the fifth anniversary of the bandit organization’s founding.
Rob held a crystal glass filled with alcohol to his lips and took a sip.
Excellent.
A taste perfectly suited to a night like this.
More than a decade ago.
His family had been destroyed.
Rob O’Connor grew his strength by relying on various patrons here and there.
He hadn’t built a faction—not in the traditional sense.
He had refined a ‘power’ he’d discovered by chance.
And then, five years ago.
He gathered the homeless poor of the Western Region and the mercenaries who followed him, founding his bandit organization.
The objective was singular.
To dominate the Western Region.
The culmination of that cherished dream was drawing near.
“Commander, there’s nothing unusual to report.”
A subordinate who had just entered his quarters reported. It was Sleinik, who had taken the position left behind after a mercenary named Kelvin departed from the Western Region.
“Sleinik, you’re not nervous at all?”
“Nervous, sir?”
“Yes. Soon we’ll be facing that Kelvin fellow.”
“Well, I’m not sure what audacity and strength remain in a man who quit being a mercenary. I hear he just loafs around at the Academy.”
Rob let out a soft chuckle.
“Have you ever beaten him before?”
“We never encountered him. He always traveled alone.”
“Then you’ll find out this time. That man is yours to handle.”
“Understood. But… will it be all right?”
“You mean Ziel Steelheart?”
“Yes.”
Rob rose from his seat.
Then he walked slowly toward Sleinik and looked down at him.
“Sleinik.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Sleinik’s body began to tremble without his realizing it.
It was always like this.
It wasn’t merely that Rob was larger in build than Sleinik.
The pressure one felt upon meeting him was something that had to be experienced.
“Do you think I’ll lose?”
“…No, sir.”
“Haven’t you witnessed my strength?”
“I have.”
“Then trust in it. Our victory is assured.”
“Understood, Commander.”
Rob nodded with satisfaction.
Ziel Steelheart.
A formidable man.
They say he even made Amil Renfield, the Northern Council leader himself, retreat with a single strike.
But the power he possessed could not be explained by the mere military force of ordinary knights and mages.
A low hum resonated.
Rob’s hand was suffused with a translucent membrane.
It was neither mana nor magic.
Rob intended to use this power to conquer not merely the Western Region, but the entire Empire.
And to achieve that, he had occupied the Steelheart Territory.
Deliberately.
“Once you defeat Ziel Steelheart, Commander, his renown will spread throughout the entire Empire.”
“Yes. This place was chosen for precisely that reason.”
The first stage.
Drape the Western Region in terror.
He’d already amassed sufficient personnel and wealth through bandit operations.
If he seized the Steelheart Territory here and brought down Ziel Steelheart, that terror would spread across the entire Empire.
Ziel Steelheart is a symbol.
When symbols crumble, people panic—they drown in fear.
The Western Region would fall into chaos first, and already unstable as it was, it would collapse, while the bandit faction’s power swelled rapidly in its wake.
And second.
He would annihilate the Repork Family—the family’s ancient enemy—utterly.
There was only one reason for destroying the Repork Family later rather than sooner.
Make them tremble in terror first, and their suffering would be maximized when destruction finally came.
The future took shape before him.
His confidence was boundless.
“Commander, and one more thing. There’s someone under him—one of the Red Raven operatives.”
“The one the Imperial Family supposedly had erased from existence? Leave him to Alexei.”
“Understood, sir.”
He’d already received word that Ziel Steelheart had departed for the Western Region.
Preparations were complete. Now it was merely a matter of waiting for his arrival.
No matter who came, nothing would stand before his power.
Rob affirmed it again and again.
Since the power latent in his bloodline had awakened—ignited by the fury of family annihilation—Rob had not gone a single day without remembering that moment.
The Western Region.
The Repork Family.
And the entire Empire!
He would dominate all of it and rebuild his family from nothing.
A goal made possible by strength alone!
“I’ll take my leave now, Commander.”
“Go ahead. Double-check the perimeter once more.”
“Yes. You needn’t worry. The moment anyone approaches, I’ll alert you immediately.”
“Understood. Oh, and… what happened to that one claiming to be a butler?”
“Ah, that crazy old man?”
Sleinik exhaled heavily.
It was rare to see him so weary.
“If you’re sighing like that, he’s hopeless, then.”
“That’s the thing, Commander. He’s thrashing about and refusing to budge, saying he’d rather die than move.”
“So you killed him?”
“No, sir. We couldn’t do that. Didn’t you say we should treat the territorial residents as well as possible?”
That was true.
The Steelheart Territory, by virtue of its symbolic significance, would be Rob’s base of operations and the future center of his dominion over the Western Region.
He couldn’t afford to mistreat it.
“We knocked him unconscious and moved him far away. But when he wakes up, he’ll start howling again.”
“Is he really the Steelheart Family’s butler?”
“That’s what he claims.”
“I’ll have to meet him once he comes to.”
“Understood, sir. I’ll check on him again to be safe. Damned old fool…”
According to his own account, he’d been protecting this place ever since the Steelheart Family was destroyed.
He bellowed that he would never surrender it—with such vigor that one’s eardrums might burst.
“The old man’s got lungs, that’s for sure. Still, try not to kill him if you can help it. You know our principles, don’t you?”
“Nobles are our enemies, and the common people are our pillars!”
“Good.”
Rob treated the residents well.
Not just the residents of the Steelheart Territory.
He never stole from the poor or ordinary citizens of the Western Region—not their money, not their possessions.
It was principle.
The bandits took only what belonged to the nobility: food supplies and wealth.
It was different from ordinary brigands, who robbed indiscriminately.
This was why the bandit organization had endured for five years.
And it was also why the mercenaries who formed the core of his force supported him.
In truth, Rob had never killed anyone unnecessarily. His targets were carefully chosen.
“Then, I’ll make a circuit of the perimeter and return.”
“Go on.”
As Sleinik left, Rob let out the laughter he’d been holding back.
“Khekhe.”
After dealing with Ziel Steelheart, the Western Region would be next—then the Empire itself.
And there was one more thing to accomplish in the meantime.
Recruiting the Dark Ghost!
‘That bastard who went to the Capital still hasn’t sent word.’
He’d dispatched a trusted subordinate to the Capital to make contact with the Dark Ghost, but there had been no news.
In Rob’s estimation, the Dark Ghost was undoubtedly a Secret Arts practitioner.
There was no other way to account for such legendary exploits.
Since their goals might align, it seemed worth arranging a meeting.
“Hehehe.”
Just as he reached for his wine glass, lost in pleasant thoughts—
“This wine is exquisite.”
A voice reached him.
From behind.
Right beside his ear.
His breath caught short, and he couldn’t form a single word.
“What kind of wine is it?”
The moment he mustered his strength and spun around—
“Hack.”
This time, his breath truly seized, his entire body went numb, and all power drained from his limbs.
The question came again.
Before his eyes lay the wine glass he’d been reaching for.
“I’ll ask again. What kind of wine is it?”
* * *
The power Rob possessed was the Secret Arts.
The Secret Arts were a force that could not be explained by Mana or Magic—something else entirely.
Those who wielded the Secret Arts were called Secret Arts practitioners, and the Secret Arts were passed down through bloodlines across generations.
Sometimes the manifestation never occurred, and a person could live their entire life unaware that such power lay dormant within them.
Rob had been such a person.
No record existed of anyone in the O’Connor Family ever using the Secret Arts.
Yet in the grip of intense fury, Rob had finally awakened the power, and once he understood it was the Secret Arts, he made his resolve.
To seek revenge and consume the Empire itself.
It was a force powerful enough to make such thoughts seem entirely reasonable.
“Your Mana Flow differs from the others. It’s irregular.”
“So he really is a Secret Arts practitioner, then?”
“Yes. The flow is similar to several Secret Arts practitioners I’ve encountered.”
“…Really?”
But what in the world was happening?
He’d been captured.
He hadn’t detected the intruders at all.
His entire body was paralyzed—he couldn’t move.
The ‘power’ was still present, but there was no environment in which he could exert it.
‘Silver hair…!’
What was most shocking was that this man—the one with silver hair who had rendered him helpless—was none other than Ziel Steelheart.
That realization itself seemed unreal.
“Boss, is this really the leader?”
“There’s no one else it could be.”
“That’s strange. He seems rather deflated.”
“That’s because I’m stronger than him.”
“I see.”
Rob managed to speak, his voice strained.
“Are you… Ziel Steelheart?”
Ziel turned his head.
Then he suddenly stepped closer and raised the wine glass before Rob’s eyes.
“You can answer questions, it seems. Now answer mine first. What is this wine?”
“…?”
“I asked what this wine is.”
A situation so absurd, so defying all ordinary logic and prediction, that it was almost laughable—yet terrifying.
Rob puzzled over it for a moment, utterly bewildered, then finally replied.
“That alcohol… it came from Nelia Territory. I’ve heard the Rim Family has some too.”
“Nelia Territory. Understood. I’ll remember it. Does it have a name?”
“…… I don’t know. It was just brought along.”
“Very well. I’ll come by later and smell it myself. That should tell me what I need to know.”
Rob kept wondering why on earth Ziel Steelheart was asking about alcohol, and it was in the midst of this puzzlement that—
“I’m Ziel Steelheart.”
Ziel answered obligingly.
He’d promised to answer if the other man answered his questions first.
“I… I see…….”
That was all Rob could manage.
What was his situation right now?
He could use his strength, but his body was paralyzed.
He had no idea how it happened, but—
“If I could just use my Secret Arts…… if I could only use that…….”
The moment those words escaped his lips unbidden, Ziel’s attention snapped to them.
“Would that change things?”
“I could beat you, Ziel Steelheart. I’ve been waiting for you. To bring you down.”
Gilbert let out a hollow laugh beside him, as if he’d heard something absurd.
“Seems like the pressure’s gotten to him and he’s lost his mind, Boss. Mystics are dangerous—there’s no need to listen to—”
“No. I’m curious.”
Ziel approached at once and released the paralysis that had bound Rob.
Rob quickly confirmed he could move again, then scrambled to his feet.
‘Is it confidence, or just stupidity?’
Either way, an opportunity had appeared.
“Boss, still—”
“I’ve been waiting for someone strong. My match with His Majesty the Emperor is months away. It’s been a while since I’ve fought a Mystic. I’m looking forward to it.”
The man across from him spoke as though the whole thing were beneath his notice.
“M-Master. You’re being too relaxed about this.”
“That’s right. That’s what a boss does.”
Rob committed the faces of those two—who seemed to be Gilbert and Kelvin—to memory.
After Ziel Steelheart, those two would be next.
‘No, wait—that’s Sleinik and Alexei’s job.’
Once he eliminated Ziel Steelheart, these complacent fools would kneel as well.
“What Secret Arts do you use?”
The question came flying at Rob then.
“A probe?”
“I released your paralysis. I’ve earned the right to ask.”
“…………”
The logic was sound enough, so Rob hesitated—then a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“A Secret Art that loses to no one.”
“Such a thing exists? How fascinating. I’d like to see it.”
“…………”
Rob hadn’t expected him to take the claim at face value.
Gilbert nodded knowingly.
“He’ll lose soon enough.”
“Yes, a reserve defeat.”
Kelvin added his agreement as well.
This first meeting with Ziel Steelheart was nothing like what Rob had imagined.
He’d planned to overpower him in their initial clash, then, if necessary, bring him into his fold and proclaim throughout the realm that the Empire’s hero had bowed before him.
But instead……
‘How did it come to this?’
Yet there was still a chance.
Rob gathered the power of his Secret Arts.
The reason he’d managed to come this far, leading nothing more than a bandit organization until now!
Now was the time to reveal it.
“Hah!”
Ziel watched him silently.
‘Plenty of openings. Sloppy form. His hands and shoulders—he doesn’t look like someone trained in the blade.’
That much was certain.
That he possessed some power that never lost.
Then there must surely be something hidden!
‘I hope he brings out his full power soon.’
He waited roughly ten seconds.
“Now it’s over, Ziel Steelheart.”
Finally, Rob caught his breath.
“Hnh!”
Boom!
And with the fist that crashed into the ground, a tremendous shockwave rippled outward in all directions.
Dust swirled thick into the air, and the shockwave sent the house where Rob and Ziel’s companions had been standing flying apart completely.
This was what Rob’s Secret Arts truly were.
Superhuman Strength!
And accompanying it, a body of extraordinary durability!
From that massive shockwave, Rob’s body bore not a scratch, and the fist that had carved a vast crater into the earth remained pristine.
“How about that!”
In Rob’s eyes, which shone with confidence, something strange appeared.
The thick dust began to settle, and silhouettes emerged.
Three silhouettes in total.
Between them came the sound of low conversation.
“Boss, was that Secret Arts? I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“Secret Arts. I want them.”
“It’s certainly impressive. But that one seems to still be alive.”
Still alive?
‘Really?’
Rob flinched and stepped back.
Ordinary men would have panicked and fled from a punch like that, or been swept up by the debris and fallen where they stood.
But those three were standing.
All three!
And when the dust cleared entirely, they appeared unscathed.
“Boss, shall I handle them?”
“No. I want to try something.”
Steel sang.
Ziel drew his sword.
Rob tensed.
But since awakening his Secret Arts, he had never once taken a wound from a blade.
His body had become that hard!
Yet Ziel’s sword was not aimed at Rob.
Instead—
Crash!
He aimed at the ground beside him.
Crack.
And the earth split.
Deeply.
Lengthily.
……
Rob had never seen this in his life.
The sight of earth splitting from a single swing of a sword.
Rob looked at Ziel again.
Ziel spoke.
“I can do it too.”
Then he swung the sword once more.
“I can make it even bigger than yours.”
For some reason, he looked pleased with himself.

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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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