On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 423

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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 — Chapter 423
Security Guard Selection Examination (1)
Students visiting their families’ territories was hardly an unusual occurrence.
News of the Steelheart Family’s restoration had spread across the entire Empire, and even among the capital’s residents, there was scarcely anyone who hadn’t heard of it.
Moreover, the fact that Teacher Ziel would be departing for the Western Region during the break was something all the students knew.
So the “Break Training Club,” centered around Maris, had made a decision.
To visit Teacher Ziel’s territory.
“Wow, the territory looks incredibly busy!”
“It’s under reconstruction, Student Maris Sopen.”
“What’s that over there? How fascinating!”
“That’s where the Mystics live, Student Celia Rihart.”
“Oh! Mystics!”
Teacher Ziel’s territory was full of wonders!
None of them had ever seen a territory undergoing such comprehensive reconstruction before. But then, these were students born and raised in already-completed territories, so it made sense.
“But how did you bring the Mystics here? I’ve never seen anything like this! Mystics don’t exactly advertise what they are, you know!”
“That’s why they wear masks while they work.”
“I see.”
Apart from those known to the public, most Mystics guard their identities fiercely.
So they wore the masks.
In truth, unless one openly declared themselves a Mystic, there was little risk of exposure—but since these individuals had come to work *as* Mystics, wearing masks was only natural.
In other words, it wasn’t a situation they welcomed.
But what choice did they have?
Their employer was Ziel, after all.
“But what are the Mystics constructing?”
“A brewery.”
“Ah.”
Building a brewery and crafting its equipment required both technical expertise and precision.
So Ziel had sent a letter to the Harmatan Family requesting brewing specialists, while enlisting Mystics to handle the construction itself.
Even the students could see it.
That the method Teacher Ziel was using to rebuild his territory was anything but conventional.
‘As expected of Teacher Ziel!’
Then Celia had a sudden realization.
“Our family… What will happen to us?”
Until recently, if asked to name the greatest family in the Western Region, nine out of ten would have named the Rihart.
But that would change now.
Or perhaps it already had.
“…….”
Celia gazed at Ziel, caught in a complicated tangle of emotions.
“Why do you stare at me so intently, Student Celia Rihart?”
“…….”
“Is there something you wish from me? Or is there something wrong with your eyes?”
“No… nothing.”
Celia answered gloomily, muttering to herself beneath her breath.
‘Father must be troubled as well……’
“Celia! You rascal! You said you wouldn’t be coming home to the family, so what brings you here?”
At the sound of her father’s voice ringing out, Celia’s head snapped up in shock.
Her father was really there.
With an expression full of disappointment.
“T-teacher?”
“Family Head Darren Rihart was scheduled to visit today.”
“Why… why… why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m telling you now.”
“Oh.”
The worst possible timing!
In the end, Celia met her father feeling like the most ungrateful of daughters.
Of course, Darren would never openly reproach Celia for something like this.
“And you should have told me you were coming! If I’d known, I would have at least mentioned it to your mother before arriving.”
Though slightly disappointed, he seemed so delighted at seeing his daughter’s face unexpectedly that nothing else mattered.
“But Father, what brings you here?”
“Why, to help Teacher Ziel rebuild his territory. Our family isn’t just any minor house in the Western Region, is it? The Steelheart Family has been restored—we Riharts must roll up our sleeves and lend our support!”
Celia fell into confusion.
So Father had already submitted to Teacher Ziel’s house?
“Father, does that mean our family…….”
To Celia’s whisper, Darren answered as if something had just occurred to him.
“Don’t worry, our daughter. Our family will remain the same.”
“Father…….”
“What good would it do us to antagonize and oppose the Steelheart Family? Especially your teacher’s family.”
“…….”
“Don’t worry. I’m working on finding a way to preserve our family’s standing.”
After all, Father was the Family Head.
Only then did Celia understand.
‘He chose the path of alliance!’
Rather than needlessly creating conflict by checking the Steelheart Family’s power to guard the Western Region’s most prestigious position, he’d chosen instead to stand beside them through active cooperation.
That was the method Father had chosen as Family Head.
The father who had seemed so indulgent before her now appeared in a different light.
Of course, he’d been merciless during training.
“My, Teacher Ziel. This is the first time I’ve seen so many Mystics gathered like this. Truly impressive.”
“Indeed. We’ve decided to cooperate with the Secret Arts Association under the name of the Steelheart Family.”
“Is that so? From that secretive association…….”
“Yes. They came seeking me out.”
“Oh!”
Her heart quickened.
It felt like hearing a secret conversation!
“What did they say about you?”
“They said I was a Mystic.”
“…….”
“I said no.”
She felt as though she’d stumbled upon something monumentally secret.
Of course he wasn’t.
More accurately, he couldn’t be.
‘Teacher Ziel was…… a Mystic?’
When Celia was three years old,
she’d once struck Father’s head with the palm of her hand, wanting to wake him from his nap.
Her hand had stung terribly.
From that moment, he’d resolved to raise Celia as a Knight.
Never had her mind been so suddenly jolted awake as it was then.
“Teacher, whenever you need anything, just say the word. The Rihart Family will always aid the Steelheart Family. If you wish it, we’ll even pursue a blood oath!”
“By blood oath, you mean marriage, don’t you?”
“Yes. Our branch family has many excellent women…….”
“I decline.”
“Ah.”
“I don’t wish to consider marriage.”
“I, I see.”
“However, cooperation in other forms would be acceptable.”
“Understood.”
The most certain path was closed off, and Darren found it regrettable, but at least the way for cooperation remained open.
Darren turned his head back toward Celia.
“Ah, our daughter. You’ll visit the family home, won’t you? Since you’ve come all the way to the Western Region.”
“Can I go with my friends?”
“Oh! Of course! But this is the first time you’ve brought friends to the house, isn’t it?”
“I suppose so?”
“I’ll need to arrange a banquet.”
But before that, there was something the students had to do.
Sightseeing was only a brief interlude.
Ziel observed each student carefully, one by one.
And he reached a conclusion.
“Since it’s the Break Period, training will be necessary.”
“I’m sorry?”
At those words from Ziel, everyone froze.
“W-we’ve been training this whole time with the Break Training Club, sir!”
“I trained on the way here too! Walked the whole time wearing sandbags!”
“That’s right!”
They all cried out urgently, but Ziel shook his head firmly.
“Compared to the last time I saw you, you haven’t grown much at all.”
“Ah…….”
“The most likely problem is that your training methods are wrong.”
To be honest…….
We goofed off.
Quite a bit, actually.
We all gathered together, but the moment we weren’t looking, we’d slip outside the Academy and go buy ourselves something delicious to eat.
What else could we do.
It was break period.
‘Break is for playing around…….’
‘When the semester starts we’ll be running ourselves ragged anyway…….’
And on top of that, we were only Junior Year students!
Everyone had rationalized it away, wondering what terrifying curriculum awaited us next.
Even though we’d resolved to do better the next day, we’d end up doing the same thing all over again.
And then Celia’s proposal had brought us here.
“…….”
“…….”
With no one able to offer a rebuttal, silence hung over the group until Ziel suddenly spoke up with something unexpected.
“From now on, you will all become teachers.”
“Pardon?”
“You will become teachers and instruct the security guards.”
* * *
Ziel hadn’t expected the students to take to it so enthusiastically.
Ten of them in total.
The so-called Break Training Club.
The students who had become teachers today were grinding their teeth with excitement.
“What should we do for the curriculum? Sandbags? Mana Blocking Bracelets?”
“We have Magic Dolls too—should we have them fight the dolls? One against many?”
“Or blindfold them and make them dodge swordwork?”
All the various teaching methods they’d received from Ziel came pouring out. Some had even grown considerably more vicious.
“How about this: making them fight Magic Dolls while their hands are bound, eyes blindfolded, wearing sandbags, and Mana Blocking Bracelets.”
“Wow. Maris, are you a demon?”
“So the rumors are true—a miserly family that only cares about money.”
“Why are we talking about families now? And do you know how expensive Magic Dolls are! And Mana Blocking Bracelets!”
As various opinions were offered, Ziel watched the scene with satisfaction.
“Everyone’s quite passionate.”
“After all, it’s said that no one can bear to suffer alone, isn’t that right, Boss.”
“I see. Revenge, then.”
Ziel poured fuel on the fire.
“Submit proposals for the security guard selection and educational curriculum design. Students whose proposals are adopted will each receive two Praise Cards as a special reward.”
“W-Praise Cards!”
Of course—people work harder when there’s a reward.
Already thrilled at the thought of returning the hell they’d endured, the students became even more absorbed in their planning.
“What do you think? This one’s good, right?”
“Why ask? This is individual competition.”
“Right, my bad. Hey, don’t peek at mine.”
The proposals were completed in no time.
Gilbert and Kelvin reviewed them from the side and stood speechless.
“I think the Boss has been raising demons.”
“Yeah, brutal schemes.”
Every single one was horrifying.
Looking at the particularly terrible proposals, he felt like he might faint.
The author of that proposal was none other than Maris.
“Student Maris Sopen, your proposal has the highest difficulty level.”
Running while wearing sandbags.
Then after that, engaging Magic Dolls while wearing Mana Blocking Bracelets.
Next, overcoming obstacles.
After that, he dodges incoming stones while blindfolded.
Finally, he heads to a nearby Magical Beast Habitat and captures one alive.
Note that he must capture it alive.
“Splendid. You even considered the external environment.”
“I happened to discover what seemed to be a Magical Beast Habitat on the way!”
Thus, the selection proposal was adopted!
Next came the educational curriculum proposal.
“Lenoa Nihalis. I will adopt your educational curriculum proposal.”
“Oh!”
It was Lenoa—surprisingly.
The reason was simple enough.
Everyone had struggled through the lessons, but Lenoa, whose grades had fallen slightly behind compared to the other students, had simply suffered that much more.
A proposal conceived from the perspective of the lower tier.
In other words.
The traces of someone thinking through how to make things even harder were evident.
“We’ll consider who should be the educator later.”
“In that case, can I become a Teaching Assistant later?”
Gilbert suddenly felt threatened.
“Well, that position…….”
“That’s right. According to School Rules, Teaching Assistant applications can only be submitted starting in the Fifth Year, so aim for two years from now.”
“Understood!”
Thus, the selection and educational proposals were adopted.
Next, Ziel called together the former bandits, now his workers.
Their number was a staggering three hundred.
“From now on, I will select security guards from among you to maintain order in the Steelheart Territory.”
The workers’ eyes lit up.
Right now, they were all simply workers, undifferentiated.
But if they became security guards…….
‘Does that mean I become a territorial resident?’
‘Then I won’t face execution?’
Such uncertainty of status!
The moment they stepped outside the territory, there would be nothing strange about a noose around their neck.
They were workers of the Steelheart Territory, but there was no guarantee they would be protected.
But if they gained the status of security guard……!
“I’ll do it!”
“Me too!”
“I’m strong! Today alone I carried construction materials fifty times!”
“I did eighty! And I’m Walker Rank!”
“I can use Mana!”
Workers crying out from every direction, boasting of their merits and begging to be selected as security guards!
Ziel looked at them, then nodded toward Kelvin.
Shortly after.
“……What is that?”
“A selection……examination?”
Kelvin brought forth a massive plank and set it upright.
Written on a canvas as enormous as the plank itself was the content of the test!
“…….”
“……Do I really have to do all of that?”
Jaws dropped.
It was full of utterly absurd tasks.
Especially the final test—capturing a Magical Beast alive—…….
“All who pass will be selected as security guards.”
Just when doubt crept in as to whether anyone could possibly pass.
“And those who become security guards will be granted a monthly salary and bonuses, as well as the authority to reside in the territory for life.”
Ziel dangled the bait.

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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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