On My First Day Undercover, the Organization Collapsed - Chapter 52

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Organization Collapsed on My First Day of Infiltration Episode 052

 

 

Can’t Be Helped

 

 

A few hours ago.

Ziel attempted ‘infiltration’ for the first time in a while.

Fourth Years.

And the dedicated auditorium where Fifth Year training was taking place.

An auditorium locked to prevent outsiders from entering, though not thoroughly secured.

But to Ziel, it was nothing.

 

Click.

 

The lock opened effortlessly.

Ziel hid in the shadows on the upper floor of the auditorium, looking down below.

 

‘Chaotic battle scenario training, I see.’

 

The scale was considerable.

Dozens of students were training together, as if they had mobilized all students from the same year.

Of course, only 10 were actual participants.

The rest had all come to help with the Fourth Years’ training.

 

‘First Years, Second Years, Third Years, Fifth Years… they’re simulating hypothetical enemies.’

 

Each formed teams of 10.

They were taking on the roles of each year in a chaotic battle situation.

And the Fourth Years’ tactics were simple.

 

“Deal with the First Years first! And those playing First Years! Don’t engage directly, just run!”

 

Chaotic battles are about reading the situation.

You need to strategically choose which year to defeat first and which year to form temporary alliances with.

Usually, Fifth Years and Fourth Years form temporary alliances and deal with the other years before competing against each other, or they often unite to attack the Fifth Years.

Watching what tactics would be executed at each year’s Exchange Tournament was part of the appeal.

That’s why Ziel was here now…

For ‘information gathering.’

 

‘This reminds me of infiltration missions.’

 

Assassins don’t rush into assassination recklessly.

Assassination takes place in a very short time, less than a second.

Most of the operation requires information gathering like movement pattern analysis, securing hiding spots, and escape route confirmation.

Ziel’s choice was effective.

Who would imagine that instead of coming to watch openly, he would infiltrate and observe like this?

 

‘An alliance with the Fifth Years.’

 

The Fourth Year team had gathered with students playing the Fifth Year roles.

Their main objective seemed to be forming an alliance to defeat the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Years in sequence.

It might just be part of their tactics.

But noticing even one aspect of the opponent’s tactics was important.

Naturally, no one knew that Ziel was taking all of this in.

 

“First Years, target the First Years first!”

 

Professor Idel shouted loudly, giving instructions.

What was noteworthy was that they had made the First Years their primary attack target.

Considering they usually dealt with opponents in order of strength, this was unusual.

 

‘They’re thinking of them as a threatening target.’

 

Up until the first match, no one paid attention to the First Years.

There was precedent for this.

First Years were always stuck in last place.

In lucky years, they’d compete back and forth with the Second Years at best.

But this time, they had not only surpassed the Second Years but even the Third Years, achieving a joint second place in the first match.

They had sufficient justification to become a major target for the Fourth Years.

 

‘We’ll need to prepare countermeasures.’

 

Afterward, Ziel went to spy on the training of the 5th, 3rd, and 2nd Years in turn before returning.

 

“Evasion training, Teacher?”

“Don’t we need to win in the chaotic battle?”

 

The students questioned the training method Ziel had proposed.

For chaotic battles, learning how to fight as a group should be the priority.

Like attack methods needed in fights between multiple groups.

Or methods for cooperating to defeat a single enemy.

They had already learned this in training for the first match, but that wasn’t enough.

 

“Teacher, I have a question.”

 

Now that sufficient trust had been built, even students like Delev spoke up.

Whether Ziel’s instructions were strange or not, they would follow them first and see.

 

“Speak, student Delev Kundel.”

“I’m sure you’re right since you’re saying it, Teacher, but I’m curious about something. What are we evading for?”

“You’re evading to win.”

 

For the students who still didn’t understand, Ziel spoke coldly.

 

“You cannot defeat the Fourth Years and Fifth Years.”

 

Followed by a calm statement of fact.

 

“Even if you face the Third Years head-on in a chaotic battle, you probably won’t win. It’ll be close, but.”

 

The gap in experience that can’t be filled with immediate training!

Delev, Celia, and Yurio’s talent alone would struggle to narrow that gap.

 

“That’s why we’re doing evasion training.”

 

Students nodding one by one at the cold analysis.

 

“Avoid fighting as much as possible. If possible, dodge enemy attacks and restrain from counterattacking.”

“So we just endure and win?”

 

Celia raising her hand to ask a question.

She had a point.

Simple ‘evasion’ alone couldn’t win.

 

“No. We evade while entering enemy territory. We induce the ‘enemy’s’ chaotic battle, not our own.”

 

Delev nodding as if something came to mind at those words.

 

“Teacher, you mean we evade as much as possible to buy time and slip between other grades to make them entangle with each other.”

“Accurate analysis, student Delev Kundel.”

 

Quantus also nodded.

 

“Mm. That matches what I first thought.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I’m the leader after all!”

 

Except for Ann who gave a half-hearted response, everyone ignored Quantus and focused on Ziel.

 

“Today we’ll proceed with evasion training.”

 

Ziel picked up and drew a sword from the weapon rack.

 

Shing.

 

Sharp energy flowing out the moment it was drawn.

It was a real sword, not a practice sword.

 

“We’ll proceed according to the 2nd match format.”

 

The Exchange Tournament where injuries were frequent.

The 2nd match sometimes reached the peak of brutality.

Because they used real swords.

But using swords even in training was…

 

“T-Teacher. If we get hurt…”

“If you’re afraid of getting hurt, you can’t participate in the 2nd match.”

 

This was exactly the difference in experience between grades.

From 2nd year onwards, they experienced the Exchange Tournament once and took field tests in early 2nd year.

They inevitably experienced real combat where sharpened swords clashed at least once.

The reason 1st year students had no choice but to place last regardless of talent.

Of course, they had fought magic dolls, but dolls and people were different.

Due to Sword School’s nature, there was also the burden of crossing swords with seniors.

However, before all these burdens—

 

“Do you want to win?”

“Yes!”

 

They wanted to win.

Joint 2nd place in the 1st match!

Continuing that excitement…

The greed to create unprecedented results in the 2nd match and surprise others!

 

“Form the Self-Defense Arts formation.”

 

They couldn’t win head-on.

But evasion was sufficiently possible.

Conserving stamina, inducing chaotic battles between opponents while watching for the moment to counterattack.

That was the core of this training.

 

“Begin.”

 

Finally, training for the 2nd match began.

 

 

Until the 1st match, there were no professors from other grades spying on the 1st year students.

Naturally.

They’d just fall over with a light touch.

Who would even care?

But after the 1st match, everything changed.

Ziel Steelheart!

A teacher receiving as much attention as students in this Exchange Tournament!

Therefore, the supervising professors of each grade felt a sense of crisis as if by agreement—

 

“Mm.”

“Hmm.”

“Ah, hello.”

“Ahem.”

 

They met in the auditorium where the 1st years were training.

By coincidence, no less.

 

“Haha, Professor Idel. What brings you here…”

“Ahem. 4th year training was boring so I thought I’d take a look… What about you, Professor Merhen…”

“Ah. I was just passing by…”

“I see. Hmm.”

 

They had all come to spy.

 

‘Getting worked up over just first years. Must be getting nervous?’

‘Acting like they’re not…’

‘Professor Elcanto probably feels the most anxious.’

 

Everyone pretending otherwise while showing such high vigilance!

Here, only the professor in charge of fifth years hadn’t come.

Fifth years could be like that.

Just as first years coming in last place was natural, fifth years taking overall first place was an obvious fact.

Therefore, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year professors gathered today watched the first years’ training scene intently.

 

“What are they doing?”

“Well… it looks like they’re doing evasion training…”

“Aren’t they just doing basic training? It doesn’t look particularly special.”

 

Ziel swung his sword, and the students dodged with all their might.

The problem was that was all there was to it.

They dodged, and dodged again.

 

“Why evasion training…”

“Maybe they’re doing it because upperclassmen’s attacks are fast?”

“Hmm. It doesn’t seem very meaningful.”

 

The professors sent disappointed looks.

They had come all this way expecting to learn something, but there wasn’t anything particularly special.

Only Elcanto was deep in thought.

 

‘There’s something here.’

 

Considering what Ziel had shown so far, there might definitely be something.

Evasion training.

 

‘What could he be thinking…’

 

Elcanto now thought complexly even about matters that should be considered simply.

Ziel wasn’t an ordinary teacher.

So there must definitely be something!

 

“Ah!”

 

Elcanto let out an exclamation.

The professors’ gazes focused on him.

 

“What, what is it?”

“Did you think of something?”

 

The other professors, knowing that Professor Elcanto was relatively close to Ziel, asked with expectant looks.

 

Gulp.

 

‘He really is an incredible guy.’

 

Elcanto once again admired Ziel and opened his mouth.

 

“It’s an advanced strategy.”

“Advanced strategy?”

“Yes. I know Teacher Ziel somewhat, and that’s not simply evasion training. There must be some secret plan derived from that.”

 

A secret plan!

Professor Idel and Professor Merhen’s eyes lit up at those words.

 

“I’ve seen Teacher Ziel’s skills. He easily suppressed magic dolls.”

“Hmm!”

“He’s definitely teaching techniques to counterattack while evading. And definitely techniques to counterattack decisively!”

 

The other professors felt a bit deflated.

 

‘What’s so great about that to get so worked up…’

‘Evading and counterattacking is common sense… isn’t it?’

 

But as Elcanto’s words continued, they couldn’t think that way anymore.

 

“Teacher Ziel is, well, different. He’s different.”

“So what exactly…”

“He comes up with tactics you’d never think of! Definitely, he’ll use strategies to strike vital points or attack to immobilize opponents.”

 

Elcanto spoke passionately.

If Elcanto hadn’t seen how Ziel handled the magic doll during the 1st match, he probably wouldn’t have gone this far.

But Elcanto’s evaluation of Ziel had already reached its peak.

 

‘He even has the Imperial Palace backing him. There’s got to be something.’

 

“I can’t know exactly. But there will definitely be something.”

 

Elcanto then sent serious looks to the other two professors.

 

“Probably the first years will be what we need to be most wary of in the 2nd match.”

“…!”

 

For Elcanto to say this much.

The two professors had also heard from Berhal about the series of events that occurred in the 1st match.

Ziel Steelheart.

The mysterious liberal arts instructor who joined at the beginning of the semester!

 

‘If he’s saying this much, there must be something!’

‘First years as the most dangerous target…’

 

Then the training definitely looked different!

 

“Ugh!”

“Your reaction is slow. This time I’m coming from the left.”

“Argh! You said you were coming from the left!”

“Student Quantus Hopel. Don’t believe everything so literally.”

 

Even in such simple training, some kind of philosophy and advanced psychological warfare began to show.

 

‘There’s something there.’

‘Then should the First Years be on maximum alert?’

 

The nightmare of the first match!

Especially the Third Years.

Not 3rd place, but 4th place!

It was because the First Years tied for 2nd place with the Fourth Years.

Professor Merhen, who was in charge, observed most carefully.

 

‘The Fourth Years will definitely ally with the Fifth Years.’

 

An obvious strategy.

Quickly eliminate the other years and then fight among themselves to divide 1st and 2nd place.

It’s a strategy used constantly in exchange tournaments and also the most stable strategy.

But they can’t keep falling for it every time.

Especially the Third Years need to secure at least 3rd place.

Why?

Exchange tournament results are directly linked to professor evaluations.

 

‘Then…’

 

The Third Years had already dropped to 4th place in the first match.

There’s only one way for the Third Years to somehow achieve 3rd place.

Secure at least 3rd place or higher in the second match and keep as many survivors as possible.

The same goes for eliminating as many as possible to secure points.

Originally, this wasn’t the plan when coming here.

But the moment he heard Elcanto’s words, his thinking changed.

 

‘Perhaps… this time might be a bit different.’

 

Teacher Ziel.

If Professor Elcanto would say this much, wouldn’t it be worth proposing once?

A ‘temporary alliance’ between the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years, that is.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————