On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 420

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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 420
There was somewhere he needed to go.
“Noooooooooo!”
Zephyros’s anguished cry filled the Steelheart Territory.
Bang, bang, bang!
“The mana release was too fast. Fragments scattered everywhere.”
“A-again!”
Crash!
“That was too slow. The fragment went too far this time.”
“A-again!”
The territory residents, absorbed in their daily work, tilted their heads at the shrieks and the bang-bang-banging.
“What is our Family Head doing?”
“Construction, probably. We need to build a new mansion, don’t we?”
“Right, with just the grounds left now. What kind of magnificent mansion will rise here?”
For the record, he was not building a mansion.
He was demolishing the one that had been moved here.
Just thirty minutes ago.
The moment Zephyros had set down the Rim Family Mansion — hauled here at great effort to the Steelheart Territory — he’d nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
Not from fatigue, though.
“Kelvin, start demolishing it now. Begin with the useless walls.”
It had become a training tool for Kelvin.
“B-but, b-boss. Why are you having me do it like th—”
“We were going to tear it down anyway. Might as well use the process as teaching material.”
“But you could have demolished it first, then moved it!”
“Then I’d have to make multiple trips. Since you can move it in one go, this works better.”
“Oh.”
Unable to decide whether to rejoice or despair, Zephyros gazed vacantly at the butchering operation.
“Tear it down good and proper.”
Gilbert let out a low whistle as well.
He couldn’t fathom why the boss was so jealous of someone with Mystic Arts running through their bloodline that he drove him to such frenzied destruction — but still.
Thinking of it as the path to reaching Master-level made it seem not so bad after all.
“Boss, while we’re demolishing anyway, how are you planning to build the mansion?”
Gilbert harbored some hopes.
The Steelheart Territory!
This place was destined to become the heart of the boss’s grand plans, so surely it deserved to be built to match that scale.
‘There’s plenty of land, so if I lay it out as wide as possible and install security equipment throughout….’
“From here to here.”
“Pardon?”
“We’ll build it the size of the Faculty Dormitory.”
“…….”
The Faculty Dormitory!
A structure barely one-third the size of the students’ dormitory.
It did have some decent ceiling height, but that hardly made it grand.
Certainly not something you could call a mansion!
“R-really?”
“Yes. Really.”
“But why……?”
Ziel tilted his head.
“Do I need a special reason?”
“Well, it would be better if it were bigger!”
“There’s no reason to build bigger. It’s tactically disadvantageous and wastes unnecessary space.”
“Space can always be filled in…… Boss, don’t you need a large dining hall? You’ll want to host guests and hold grand feasts in a spacious hall!”
Ziel hesitated at those words, then nodded.
“Food is important, after all.”
“Then surely building around a grand central hall is the way to—”
“I’ll have Chef Teo design a dining room identical to the Faculty Dormitory’s.”
“…….”
The grand scale where nobles threw parties and held banquets and balls — utterly incomparable to the Faculty Dormitory Cafeteria!
“If we need more space later, we can always expand.”
“Expand…….”
That the great empire’s hero lived in such a small, shabby place—the thought blurred his vision with tears.
‘No, wait.’
Gilbert felt as if he’d been struck on the head by a hammer—no, by Kelvin’s great sword.
‘This too must be the Boss’s design!’
Indeed, his depth of thought was incomparable.
Gilbert understood.
The mansion should be built to the bare minimum.
Done that way, the external perception would certainly be this:
A family head of great standing who lives frugally!
“Boss, I’ve failed to grasp your greater purpose once again.”
Gilbert lowered his head.
‘To the outside world, emphasizing frugality while simultaneously securing justification and prestige……!’
Now that he thought about it, there was no real need for a grand mansion.
In fact, at this stage, showing care for the territory’s residents would yield far greater dividends!
‘I still have much to learn, Boss!’
As another misunderstanding took root, Ziel watched Kelvin enthusiastically smashing the ornate decorations of the Rim Family Mansion.
‘Simple and unadorned is best, after all.’
Ziel was a man who preferred simplicity.
And so a thought had just occurred to him.
“Gilbert.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Did Lord Mortis have experience with construction?”
Several days later.
“Teacher Ziel, or rather Family Head Ziel Steelheart! No, Hero Ziel!”
“Using only one title would be more efficient.”
“Then I’ll call you Teacher Ziel! My artistic soul doesn’t ignite when addressing you as Family Head! Please forgive me if I’m being disrespectful! I can’t help it—all artists are like this!”
Mortis came running at full speed.
The moment he received the letter, he abandoned his new collection preparations and rushed over.
It was inspiration itself!
An opportunity to fill the inspiration he’d been lacking had finally arrived.
“A mansion design! Teacher, I cannot express the infinite honor you do me with such an opportunity!”
“I will compensate you for your work.”
“No, no! You’ve already paid the price! Simply seeing your face, the inspiration already flows!”
That was true.
To Mortis, Ziel’s face was perfect art itself!
“Hmm, simple, then. As simple as possible…… yes, this works. A scale of this size, facilities of this caliber, this degree…… it’s feasible. Yes. I’ll make it something that pleases you, Teacher. The sketching will take time, though. Oh, and how is Karen? I wish I’d brought her along!”
The artistic prodigy Karen, whom Mortis so admired, was likely undergoing rigorous training at the Imperial Knight Order by now.
“How wonderful—simple and elegant. And with this scale…… I believe I can perfectly realize my aesthetic vision. Wait, as I’m conceptualizing, inspiration for my collection is sprouting……”
Mortis muttered to himself before suddenly asking a question.
“Teacher Ziel, would it be permissible for me to stay here for a while?”
“Stay as long as you wish.”
“Oh!”
He wasn’t planning to move in permanently, but at least until his collection concept was fully developed, he could remain.
Ziel was the source of his inspiration!
Therefore, the place where Ziel existed was none other than the wellspring from which inspiration flowed like fresh water!
“Good. Everyone, let’s start gathering ideas.”
“Yes, Lord Mortis!”
Mortis’s disciples who had accompanied him answered with vigor.
The reconstruction of the Steelheart Territory proceeded smoothly.
Next was Theo.
“The cooking looks delicious.”
“I spent all day working the knife, but it’s deeply satisfying, Teacher Ziel.”
Theo was preparing food for the starving territory residents.
Just yesterday, he’d prepared meals for thousands.
The ingredients were plentiful, and the helping hands were plentiful too.
“My assistants’ knife skills keep improving. Indeed, one’s skill grows with practice.”
“I see. Are they serviceable?”
“I’ve never worked with such large numbers under my command before, but remembering how the head chef at my old restaurant operated, I manage well enough.”
“Excellent. Thank you again for your work today.”
“Don’t worry! I’m absolutely delighted!”
Teo seemed genuinely delighted to be doing his beloved cooking as something meaningful.
“Hey, you idiot! Who told you to grip the knife like that! I said you’d get hurt! Go wash it in water and wrap it up in a bandage. Properly! You can’t cook with that hand, so get out of here!”
But he treated Ziel rather differently from how he treated his ‘helpers.’
“C-Chef! I can do it!”
“No salt? You planning to season with blood? Shut up and get out!”
The former bandits, now laborers, were desperate to find their usefulness.
They believed that if they became useless, they’d be driven from this territory, and the moment they were cast out, all that awaited them was the cold blade of the gallows.
As a result, the workers labored with utter desperation.
Cooking.
Hauling materials.
Breaking things down.
Felling trees.
Repairing roofs.
And countless other tasks.
“Good grief, we don’t have anything left to do.”
“At this rate, they’ll be wiping our hands for us too.”
Given the scale of the territory, the former bandits were easing the Territory Residents’ labor quite considerably.
The residents hadn’t been plundered by these men, and though the bandits had occupied the territory for a time, they’d maintained a reasonably cordial relationship—which hadn’t soured now.
And Ziel fed them well.
“Eat. You need to eat to work.”
“Th-thank you! This is delicious!”
“Good. Make sure to thank Chef Teo.”
“Thank you, Chef!”
Whether they’d occupied the Steelheart Territory or what they’d done in the past mattered little to Ziel.
He hadn’t given it much thought from the beginning.
They hadn’t harmed the Territory Residents.
After all, they were now workers for the Steelheart Territory.
Hunger makes the belly growl.
That was reason enough.
“Eat as much as you like.”
Ziel didn’t view satisfying hunger as merely an efficiency matter.
It was one of the highest-priority imperatives.
That was what it meant.
“Master! The reconstruction is proceeding very smoothly!”
Gibson was delighted as well.
At first, he’d been upset about feeding these bandits, but once he saw the work progressing rapidly as they labored hard, he came to understand.
“Essential facilities are currently under construction. The mill is at twenty percent completion, the communal ovens are at fifteen and thirty percent respectively! And we broke ground on the wells, springs, and cisterns just today—”
The old man wasn’t simply obstinate.
He was someone who longed for the Steelheart Territory’s progress and the Family’s glory more than anyone.
“Gibson.”
“Yes, Master!”
“The house you’re living in now is inefficient. Wind blows through it, rain leaks in. The insulation is dreadful.”
“It’s fine! I can fix it!”
“No. Building a new one will be faster.”
Ziel turned to Mortis, who happened to be dining with him at the time.
“Lord Mortis, would you design a new house for the Head Butler, right next to the mansion we’re building?”
“Oh! Of course. Head Butler Gibson, do you happen to know anything about art?”
“Art, you say? Well, more importantly—Master! How could you build my house like this? And right next to yours at that!”
Gibson had already spent considerable time grumbling that it shouldn’t be built too large.
Of course, there was no bending Ziel’s resolve.
And now he was building him a house!
“Better living conditions mean better work.”
“M-Master…”
Gibson’s eyes grew misty with emotion.
“Oh, you crybaby,” Kelvin murmured, causing Gibson to quickly wipe his tears.
He muttered softly, “As you age, your eyes just grow watery…”
He hadn’t endured all these years trying to be compensated for the time gone by.
That was simply the only reason he lived.
The revival of the Steelheart Family.

The faces of his master and mistress as they ordered him to flee remained vivid in his memory still.
On the day he’d awakened near the ruins of the mansion, consumed by flame, Gibson had made a vow.
He would not die—not until the Steelheart Family had risen again.
‘And yet, thanks to them escaping safely, I’ve received such rewards as these.’
Could there be any greater recompense?
And a new house besides.
‘At this rate, by the time the break ends, the territory will be substantially rebuilt.’
The territory’s restoration was proceeding smoothly.
Left to its course, it would recover swiftly, and the Steelheart Family would flourish on a scale far grander than before.
Yet there remained one thing Ziel was still preparing.
“Zephyros.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll have you assume responsibility for the territory’s security.”
“Oh! Then may I create Magic Dolls?”
“You know how?”
“Of course. You’ve given me plenty of Magic Stones, I can source materials for the circuits from nearby, and I have sufficient supplies!”
“Good. Then proceed as you’ve outlined.”
In that instant, Magic Doll sentries would spring into existence without warning.
“Understood. But Boss, when you say briefly…….”
Ziel answered him.
“There’s somewhere I need to visit tomorrow, for a short time.”
Then he turned to Mortis.
“Lord Mortis, would you prepare a bouquet made from flowers that bloom only in the Western Region?”

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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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