Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Their Circumstances
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# 13
2. What is this? It's scary. (5)
#7 Their Circumstances: The Spy Infiltrating the Evil Organization (2)
Gulp.
The saliva pooling in my throat goes down on its own.
I'm already in a situation that's basically being a spy, and I mustn't get caught, but my opponent is that woman who beat me up with the weird object last time.
"We meet again, Junior No. 1."
She speaks with a grin, and my heart shrinks. She had that same smile when she beat me last time...
"Uh, Senior. You don't have to use formal speech that much..."
"Oh, it's fine. This is official business. Like last time, if I speak casually like in private, Master said it's not proper for work."
Ah, so she's saying she'll beat me officially!
If she beats me with that stick again and demands I tell the truth, I'm confident I'll spill not only my identity but even the grand duke's secrets.
Feeling pleasure from the pain! It's a demon's weapon that fills me with self-loathing.
"Alright then. Men are short, so I'll make it quick."
"Yes, yes!"
Later, I wondered why men are short, but at the time, I couldn't even spare a thought for that.
"Are you a spy?"
"No, I'm not!"
"Yes, you're done."
...Huh?
Does this organization really keep going like this?
#7 Their Circumstances: The Reserve Member of the Real Evil Organization.
"No. 1000?"
"Yes."
"Then we'll begin the verification. Is your ideal type older or younger?"
Ideal type? What was that again?
"Ideal type?"
"What you like."
Hmm... What I like. Of course, that's...
"Meat?"
"Ideal type is a person."
"Someone who makes tasty rice?"
"Hmm... This type is a first..."
The pretty big sister furrows her brow.
Did I do something wrong?
"Someone who makes tasty rice... Then what about the instructor?"
Instructor?
The instructor is good at cooking.
The desert fox steak she made during last training was delicious.
The instructor is amazing. There's no dish she can't make.
Animals, fish, bugs, tree bark—everything.
When she said there's nothing in this world that can't be eaten, I realized my enlightenment was still lacking.
"The instructor is good at making rice!"
"...Ambiguous. This is..."
The pretty big sister chatted with me, then left with a deeply furrowed brow.
Hmm... Did I mess up?
#8 Their Circumstances: Evaluation Report from a Certain Organization
No. 1: Overall, average.
No. 17: Very strong faith in the organization. Reliable force.
No. 1000: Extremely inscrutable. Requires caution.
***
Trainee verification is over.
It was surprising that No. 1000 was marked as requiring caution, but she doesn't communicate well, so it made sense.
Anyway, good thing.
I was worried Sia might fail them out of old grudges.
Fortunately, it passed. If a spy was found among my disciples, it'd be a fatal mark on my record. Must avoid that at all costs.
Therefore.
Today, time for ideology injection.
Of course, I'm not implanting weird ideologies like turning them into socialists.
Too distinct a color draws eyes. That's nature's law. Weak animals have camouflage for a reason.
If my disciples had unique ideologies and it got out that I was their master?
I'd look like a dangerous ideologue too.
Therefore, my disciples must all become gray men.
The untalented ones stay inconspicuous, and the talented ones get fought over.
The more both sides want them, the higher their value, and as their master, something slips into my back pocket if I put in a good word.
But unlike the near-automatic training, implanting ideology is very difficult.
Ideology is the sum of one's worldview from life experiences.
Changing it is like receiving a massive shock that twists one's entire life.
So how do I shock these guys?
"Real combat sparring."
Of course, by beating them.
I don't remember well, but someone said there's no one easier to persuade than someone mentally defenseless.
That's why they torture and mentally abuse POWs so diligently.
And someone else said:
A healthy body houses a healthy spirit! So if the body's defenseless, the spirit is too!
First up is our No. 1.
Yes. Honestly, perfect example.
He acts so annoyingly goody-goody. Sure, he reverse-toured No. 17 last time, but compared to others, he clings to morals more.
No. 17, already contracted with a great demon, will become a history-making archvillain, and No. 1000 is faster to persuade with tasty food than this.
This is for No. 1 too.
No villain who obsesses over morals dies slower.
"Understood."
He seriously points his sword at me, eyes wide.
Now, choices.
1. Body slam. 2. Sand throw. 3. Beat. 4. Run.
Alright, this choice!
"Huh?"
Choice 2: Sand throw! Amazing effect! No. 1's accuracy drops sharply!
"What is this, guh?"
Follow-up combo: 3. Beat. With a bat-equipped plain hit, passive pain amp and damage reduction!
A magical fight where HP doesn't drop no matter how much I hit!
"Ch-cheap, like this ugh..."
He groans, unable to continue, desperately dodging, but I've lived most my life on sword rice.
Even in my past life, Naruan the artisan with at least 50 years teaching swordplay.
"Cheap? I said real combat sparring, not duel?"
I taunt, but hands don't stop.
Villains who ramble about backstories or techniques let heroes recover stamina, prep magic, and right when the villain finishes: "I heard your story well! This is my thanks!"—then unleash ultimate.
"Never heard this? Mercenary rule: If ten times the enemy's force, surround and subdue. Five times, attack. Twice, divide with stratagems. Equal, fight head-on. Fewer, avoid and lure. If no conditions to fight, flee immediately. A small force that doesn't evade becomes POWs and burdens allies."
"Th-that's... hitting while talking too! Guh!"
Yep. Not me getting hit.
"Didn't get it? Just have numerical superiority. Fewer numbers? Run. Fair and square?"
"Th-that's... combat?!"
"Yes. That's combat. No fair play in a kill-or-be-killed battlefield.
Deceive, despair, cowardice—win anyway. That's war. The guy who said that won wars with dirty tricks."
"H-he was the empire's honorable famous general! No one denies that."
Oh, dodges and counters well.
Honor my ass.
Just smacked enemy rears constantly; empire full of idiots who couldn't, so called famous general.
"He ended the last great war early! Hero famed for utmost fairness. He wouldn't say that with dirty intent! Guh!"
Hmm. Weak to thrusts surprisingly. Keep thrusting. Flanks weakly defended, target there.
Anyway, this guy's properly duped by the princess's agitation.
Fair play? Where?
Princess scavenged my feats, slapped my name on them for her fraud show.
Big merits mean fewer oppose her marriage to me?
So she distributed my feats to subordinates, then agitated as incarnation of fairness.
Even roughly spouted a few lines from Sun Tzu or whatever knockoff, and empire military textbook printed it.
Good I fled early.
Two months ahead of schedule; on schedule, would've been caught for real.
Organization understood roughly. Lucky.
Honestly, survived chaos of great war.
"Guh!"
Stab, stab, stab!
"Kah!"
Blocks diligently, but I focus flanks, so he does too.
Shoulder strike. Thigh strike. Legs shaking? Another for encouragement.
"Fair play? Heroes yelling daily about evil nobles oppressing few with masses, but bring tens, hundreds, thousands against one demon king. Still claim fair. That's justification. They're absolute good, enemy's absolute evil, so any means is fair."
Wake the near-fainting guy forcibly. Still revivable, means tough.
"Hostages cowardly? Empire military code: First against criminal, seize friends/family. Prevents revenge crimes, sure, but practically hostages. If criminal flees, first amplify voices with magic tools, persuade."
By the way, used plenty in great war. Mostly me.
Capture enemy village, broadcast terrified citizens live—enemy morale plummets.
Hmm. Enemy famous general captured, tearfully screaming: Are you even human? Even demons don't do this! Laughed with princess yesterday-like.
That was fun.
"Why go that far! I just complained about the sand!"
"Sand's the same. I said real combat sparring, not duel. To find your fair duel, join a knight order, not here. But think knight orders different?"
Honorable knights, fair knights!
Yeah, good. Knight stories boomed when hero tales cooled.
But reality differs.
"Knight orders run on connections now. Father's knight captain? In despite skill. Commoner with skill? Even squire hard."
Of course. Knight houses, most martial families, teach sword before concepts from birth. Not called muscle-brains for nothing.
Difference huge vs. commoners scraping by, swords their life.
But that's not fair either.
Talent gap unfair from start; world's law, nothing else fairer.
To make him realize:
"St-stop!"
Gotta beat. Fine, fine. This makes body better. Legs shaky, dying pain now, but wake refreshed tomorrow.
If too much, he'll faint first. So beat.
Biggest reason:
"Besides, I can't use mana. Lived mostly sword, but even sword aura users beat me just for that."
Innate strength, skill—high mana wins.
Swordmasters fight who pulls sharper, bigger sword beam or aura.
Experience, veteran status matter. But massive aura blade crushes technique, experience in head-on. If head-on.
"So, to beat you with sword aura, deny it naturally."
"Th-that!"
Oh, mouth still moves. You're Sandbag 2nd.
P.S. 1st was your senior cohort. Famous sturdy beastkin, took beatings well.
"Martial houses preaching constant sword training prioritize sword aura. Use aura, better yet beam, for higher regard; pure swordplay sidelined."
All bullshit, of course.
Famous houses not for nothing. Famous sword arts valuable. Can't teach all, so paint 'em frauds.
"Anyway, what's fair play? Good? Just? Why'd a guy like you join this empire-labeled evil organization?"
Honestly evil, but deep historical roots. Founded by imperial滅亡 royalty descendants—anti-independence army!
That's why my double-face tactics enabled Utopia Plan despite evil org.
Huh, sleeping during important talk. Whites of eyes risky, but light beating wakes him.
Limits nearing, so main point.
"No evil in this world. Just people living by their beliefs."