Chapter 8

◈ Chapter 8: False Identity (3)

Inside Rudger's suit case, there was nothing that would make one's eyes widen.

Just a change of clothes and some books.

Perhaps a few documents and miscellaneous items.

‘I thought there would be something more impressive.’

I gathered the teaching materials, magic books, and papers into one pile and put them aside, and sorted through the clothes.

Among the books, there were not only magic books but also popular novels and essays by famous scientists.

He must have read all sorts of things.

The other items were a few letters, an ID, and personal tools.

The tools included a pocket watch, a small pipe used as a medium for magic, and a wallet with money.

I immediately began to check the ID and documents.

‘Rudger Chelisi. A fallen noble from the small kingdom of Queoden in the northern continent. No siblings, and both parents have passed away.’

Not bad.

Although he is a fallen noble, he still holds the title of nobility, so he won't be treated too poorly wherever he goes, and with no family, there's no one to recognize him.

‘Let’s see. His record is incredibly impressive. He submitted 12 papers to the magic tower, and he was the youngest to reach the 4th rank? He even served as a military officer?’

Indeed, he must be a teacher at Seorun.

To have such a record at such a young age.

‘The subject he teaches is magic manifestation and its specialization. Mainly magic power emission and elemental attributes.’

Given that manifestation is his specialization, it’s likely he also teaches practical combat.

I unfolded the letters and examined their contents.

If there were any conversations with acquaintances, I needed to catch and memorize any small habits.

‘The content of the letters is nothing special.’

The letters, presumed to be exchanges with acquaintances, contained only formal conversations about taking up a position at the academy, recommendations for books, and reports on events.

It seems he didn’t have close friends even when he was in the military.

Perhaps he was a bookworm.

Given the lack of personal content, it didn’t seem like he was particularly close to the people he corresponded with.

‘Now, what’s left is...’

The basic lesson plans for teaching students after the start of the semester, and information about how Seorun Academy operates.

First, I needed to familiarize myself with the layout of the campus.

Rumble.

Just as I was about to go outside, the loud rumble from my stomach made me stop.

Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten anything since the train today.

‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’

Today has been too eventful, and I’m mentally exhausted.

I’ll eat dinner and rest well today.

* * *

Two weeks have passed.

During this time, I roamed around Seorun Academy to familiarize myself with the layout.

As expected, the campus of Seorun Academy is incredibly vast, beyond imagination.

‘No wonder people call it Seorun.’

I sat on a bench at a quiet café, enjoying the peaceful scenery.

I’ve finished my initial checks and am now pondering the upcoming classes.

‘The start of the semester is approaching, so I’m seeing more students.’

I could see students in Seorun Academy uniforms walking around. The uniform design is stylish for the boys and pretty for the girls.

I heard it was designed by a renowned designer from the empire.

Indeed, as an academy that teaches magic, some students were riding brooms or moving around with strange mechanical puppets.

Seeing the young people chatting and laughing, I felt they were in the prime of their lives.

Since I arrived in this world, every day has been a fierce battle, but these kids are living a blessed life thanks to their innate talent and environment.

“Hmm.”

Two female students passing by glanced at me and started whispering to each other.

Well, if I were them, I’d be suspicious too if I saw a stranger hanging around before the start of the semester.

Feeling self-conscious, I took a sip of coffee.

I need to finish my drink and get back to my room to prepare for the orientation in a week.

Just as I was about to stand up after finishing my coffee, a woman sat down at the table next to me.

Thinking she was a new customer, she spoke to me in a low voice.

“I’m relieved to see you safe. Why haven’t you been in contact for two weeks?”

“...?”

My instinctive intuition stopped me from turning my head.

──Click.

I naturally placed the empty cup on the table.

“...”

Is she talking to me?

I looked around.

If she’s not talking to me, but to someone else, and I react, how embarrassing would that be?

But there’s no one else around. I can’t sense anyone else.

The only people sitting at the outdoor tables are me and the woman next to me.

So she’s talking to me. Or, is this even considered talking?

I continued to remain silent, and she continued.

“I was worried something might have happened. The other members are also curious about what happened to First Order.”

“...”

Member.

First Order.

A person who worries about me on first meeting.

This alone doesn’t reveal much, but one thing is certain.

I’m now involved in a very troublesome situation.

* * *

‘What is this?’

I fiddled with the handle of the coffee cup in my hand.

I was just enjoying a cup of coffee at the outdoor table of a café, and suddenly a strange woman approaches and starts talking to me.

But everything she says is far from ordinary.

The respectful tone and the mention of members.

Is she a mental patient? No, she’s serious.

Then did she come to the wrong person? No, she found the right person.

—Not me, but Rudger Chelisi.

The moment I judged the situation, my mouth moved naturally.

“I had some things to check.”

“Regarding the recent terrorist incident? It was just an accident. No one knew the rebels would attack the train you were on.”

“Among other things. General information about Seorun.”

“Didn’t you receive that information beforehand?”

“It’s not enough. There’s a big difference between hearing about it and seeing it firsthand.”

“T, That’s true.”

The woman nodded as if she understood.

Whatever.

I continued, not caring much.

“Did you handle your tasks well?”

“Yes, of course. I completed the assassination of all the academy’s key figures before entering. Most were servants.”

What? Assassination of academy key figures?

I almost jumped but managed to hold back.

“And during that time, a traitor within the organization was revealed and dealt with.”

What? Traitor? Dealt with?

I swallowed hard, trying not to show my surprise.

I asked, trying not to reveal my confusion.

“Dealt with. How did you do it?”

“I dismembered them and stuffed their limbs into their own mouths. The rest of the body was fed to the dogs, so I heard. I didn’t see it myself, but other members told me. It was a fitting end for a traitor.”

“...”

...They are even crazier than I imagined.

But in such a situation, my mind became even calmer.

As the atmosphere grew heavier, the woman next to me shivered.

“I, I’m sorry. I should have reported to you directly...!”

“Enough. Why did you come to find me now?”

“It, It’s because... First Order entered but hasn’t been in contact for almost two weeks...”

“So you decided to act on your own at this crucial moment?”

I analyzed as I spoke.

She called me First Order, not Rudger.

The "First" in the name suggests a high position within the organization.

I tried to act a bit arrogant, and it seems to have worked.

“H, Hic! I’m sorry!”

To the woman who was about to bow, I replied in a cold voice.

“Be quiet. Do you want to draw suspicion from others?”

“S, Sorry...”

“Don’t even say sorry.”

“...”

“Right. It’s about time I checked. How many members are here now?”

“Y, Yes?”

“How many members are in here?”

“Ah!”

She looked around as much as possible and lowered her voice.

“Currently, 31 Third Orders and 7 Second Orders have successfully infiltrated. And another First Order has entered according to the plan and secured a position.”

“Hmm. That’s appropriate.”

I nodded formally while piecing together the information I had gathered.

I roughly figured out that there is another First Order besides me, and there are nearly 40 of them.

The scale is not large, but to plant this many in Seorun, their capabilities are not ordinary.

The good thing is that this woman in front of me doesn’t suspect my true identity at all.

She looks at me with a mix of fear and respect, almost reverently.

‘Indeed, First Order!’ Her thoughts are so obvious.

Seeing her like this, I thought I could use her for something.

“I understand. Since the check is done, I’ll leave now.”

“Ah! If you need to meet later, just come to the designated place.”

Designated place? There’s such a place?

But I can’t ask ‘Where is it?’ now.

As I was thinking about what to do, a good idea came to mind.

“Come? Are you telling me to come and go as you please?”

I lowered my voice and gave her a cold look, and her face turned pale.

It seems my act worked, and she trembled like a baby squirrel, desperately trying to explain.

“N, No. I, I just...”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses. If I need to meet, I’ll decide the time and place. Understand?”

“Y, Yes.”

“If there’s something important to report, only another First Order can call me. Or someone higher.”

“H, Higher? Could it be Zero Order?”

There is a Zero Order.

I suspected it, and it turned out to be true.

“Yes. Don’t bother me with trivial matters unless it’s from them. Understand? This is a warning.”

So, behave yourself.

I said this and stood up.

Just as I was about to leave without looking back, she called out to me.

“Hey.”

I stopped and turned my head slightly to look at her.

“What?”

“W, When you call us...”

I realized I hadn’t explained it.

But I can’t explain a method I don’t know.

“...Do I have to say it out loud?”

“Hic! N, No! I spoke out of turn.”

“I’ll let it slide this time.”

With that, I quickly left the place.

* * *

Thump thump thump!

After returning home, I hurriedly went to the second-floor bedroom and took out the suit case from the closet.

I scattered the letters from Rudger’s suit case on the bed and checked them one by one, realizing that my uneasy imagination had become reality.

“...Damn.”

The strange sense of alienation I felt while reading the letters.

Why did he exchange such formal letters with an acquaintance who had no family?

Why did a man with such an impressive record restrain his personal life to the point of being obsessive?

All these questions were finally answered.

-These were not ordinary letters.

I scanned the special characters of certain words in the letters. The alienation I felt instinctively was due to the specific pattern these characters possessed.

Yes.

This was a ‘cipher.’

A secret code used to avoid detection by others.

I threw the letters and reread the documents that proved my identity.

‘Fallen noble? No family? Even from a distant small country in the empire?’

All of it was fake.

Even the impressive traces of his past were all lies.

Rudger Chelisi was an identity created with great effort by someone.

Why didn’t I realize it? Why didn’t I suspect it?

Why did I accept this ‘obviously ideal’ identity so naturally?

‘Then, the true identity of the Rudger I met on the train...’

A member of a secret organization infiltrated into Seorun Academy.

Even a high-ranking officer with the title of First Order.

And I am now wearing his mask.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the bed.

“Crazy.”

The identity of Rudger Chelisi, which I thought was ideal for starting a new life... turned out to be a dangerous nuclear bomb.

This is a complete mess.