I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander - Chapter 128

As Hamtal revealed his name, two men in suits entered the reception room.

A strange sense of pressure emanated from the men, each carrying a briefcase.

Theobalt, who was carefully observing them, could see that black bird tattoos holding laurel wreaths were engraved on the side of the men's necks.

'...An ordinary businessman?'

Theobalt removed his gaze from the men and looked at Hamtal with a meaningful expression.

Judging by the atmosphere he exuded and the appearance of his subordinates, he seemed more like the leader of a prominent mafia organization than a businessman.

'Even so...'

The goal of securing funds remained unchanged.

Theobalt, deliberately ignoring the growing sense of unease, finished the handshake with a business smile.

"I'm also pleased to meet you. We've prepared some refreshments, so how about we sit down and talk?"

Hamtal nodded calmly.

Thanks to this, Theobalt guided Hamtal to the sofa in the reception room and then began a modest business presentation.

He explained that the textile factory produces not only civilian goods but also war materials, so there would never be a shortage of work, and that the fabric production speed was significantly faster through mechanized production lines.

"...Related to this, we expect to be able to secure government contracts soon. If that happens, it's as good as providing you with stable profits, Mr. Hamtal."

Theobalt, confidently finishing his business presentation, smiled broadly.

His face showed certainty that the other party would open their wallet, as the explanation had been perfect.

Theobalt's thoughts weren't far off, as Hamtal nodded and raised his hand slightly.

At this, the man standing behind Hamtal stepped forward and placed the briefcase on the table.

When opened, the thick briefcase was full of bundles of cash.

Seeing this, Theobalt's eyes lit up.

"Wow. I could tell you were a bold person when I first saw you, but I didn't know you were this generous. Then, shall we proceed with the detailed adjustment of profit distribution, assuming you're ready to invest right away..."

Hamtal raised his hand, making Theobalt close his mouth.

As silence fell afterward, Hamtal lowered his hand and interlocked his fingers on his knee.

"I'm surprised. It's a more proper textile factory than I expected. Listening to what you said today, it seems to be generating steady profits. However, there was one disappointing point."

"What do you mean by disappointing?"

"For some reason, the hobbies of Mr. Belter's employees irritate me."

Hobbies? At this unexpected statement, Theobalt felt confused and a strange tension.

"Of course, I don't intend to criticize hobbies themselves. I tend to respect individual freedom. However, I'm concerned that the activities your employees engage in are bordering on the abnormal."

Suspicion arose amidst the tension.

"Nevertheless, I wouldn't mind if it didn't affect me, but I want to give you a warning because it seems the abnormality of your employees has recently crossed the line."

By this point, even the other spies besides Theobalt had noticed something was off.

They slowly began to place their hands on the guns hidden in their back pockets.

It was a tense situation, but Hamtal was more composed than expected.

Rather, he quietly reached out to grab and lift the cup filled with coffee.

To Theobalt, this looked like a provocation, as if saying "Go ahead and try."

The implication of provoking the other party while remaining unfazed was clear.

'The moment we attack, we die...!'

Theobalt, breaking out in a cold sweat, shouted loud enough to be heard throughout the vicinity.

"Don't move!"

At the branch head's order, the hands of the spies who were about to draw their guns stopped.

Although everyone else was confused, Theobalt understood.

His breathing quickened involuntarily as he hurriedly rolled his eyes.

Beyond the window, on the rooftop of a building taller than the textile factory, a scope reflecting sunlight glinted.

"Snipers..."

Theobalt swallowed and gritted his teeth, glaring at Hamtal.

"You've positioned snipers."

If any of the spies had drawn their guns, their heads would have exploded immediately.

From Theobalt's perspective, having barely prevented that horrific future, the Hamtal before him couldn't help but feel terrifying.

Was it simply because his life was threatened? No.

The source of the fear stemmed from the fact that Hamtal knew about the identity of the Palentia branch.

Thinking he had no choice but to take a humble approach for now, Theobalt took a deep breath before speaking.

"...What purpose did you come here for?"

Hamtal didn't immediately answer Theobalt's question.

He merely sent an expressionless gaze while savoring the aroma of the coffee.

Eventually, after taking a sip of coffee, Hamtal quietly put down the cup and said.

"I just came to let you know that you messed with the wrong person."

"I don't quite understand what you mean..."

"You know the individual named Daniel Steiner, don't you?"

Silence fell between the two.

Hamtal, who had minutely adjusted the position of the cup to make it the same as before lifting it, leaned back.

"We are uneducated people. Most of us were abandoned by society, deprived of even the opportunity to learn. So, to be honest, we can't properly understand why you're trying to kill Daniel Steiner."

Hamtal took out a handkerchief from his pocket and unfolded it.

"If asked, you'd probably use pedantic expressions full of pride. Something about the state, something about ideals. But things like state and ideals are truly foreign to us. Because we were born as slaves, we've never had a country, and because we couldn't realize our dreams, we couldn't even imagine ideals."

Hamtal wiped his mouth and folded the handkerchief in half.

"So we strived tirelessly to make even one city our own. We tried to negotiate in the most humane way possible. Sometimes using violence too. But all actions were in vain. The kingdom was more rotten than we thought."

Hamtal put the handkerchief back in his pocket.

"Exhausted, we were about to give up. We were about to accept that no matter how hard we tried, the world wouldn't change. But then Daniel Steiner appeared. He considered discrimination based on skin color a sin and practiced good governance."

A smile spread across Hamtal's lips.

However, his eyes remained fixed on Theobalt without moving.

"Thanks to him, the city changed. That's when we realized. A single word from someone with power changes the world for the better more than countless cries from the powerless."

"...Are you saying you chose Daniel Steiner to change the world?"

"His thoughts align with ours. He's an excellent person to swear loyalty to."

Hamtal said, wiping the smile from his lips.

"But you tried to kill Daniel Steiner."

Theobalt's gaze lowered.

He simply couldn't meet Hamtal's eyes.

"As much as I'd like to end everything right here and now, I'll hold back just this once. Creating a disturbance on the day of the coronation is something Daniel Steiner wouldn't want either."

Hamtal stood up.

In a place where everyone else had stopped moving, only Hamtal and his subordinates could move freely.

"But if you disrespect him again, it won't end with just a warning."

Hamtal looked down at Theobalt with a cold gaze.

"Answer me, Theobalt Berno."

As Hamtal mentioned his real name, Theobalt's shoulders twitched.

Hamtal knew the real name that Theobalt had never revealed to anyone except the spies.

This meant that Hamtal had secured someone connected to the Palentia branch.

Theobalt, who had been sweating with his eyes closed, had no choice but to nod.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Hearing the answer, Hamtal slowly moved his feet.

The frozen spies stepped aside one by one, making way.

Behind them, Hamtal's subordinates followed.

As the sound of Hamtal's footsteps faded away, Theobalt, breathing heavily, looked at the bundles of money in front of him.

The money, sitting there as if to say "This is the price of your life," felt chilling.

Theobalt gritted his teeth and raised his trembling hand to his forehead.

Just as he was trying to figure out where the information had leaked from, one of the spies approached and knelt on one knee.

"Branch Head! If the branch's location has been exposed..."

I know. It was no different from being in Daniel Steiner's grasp.

As long as Daniel Steiner's private organization that just left was monitoring them, it was nearly impossible to escape from the capital.

"Right now..."

Theobalt clenched his fist, feeling anxious.

"Call Platt. Daniel Steiner must have sent us a message through Platt. We need to figure out what he wants from us first."

Even as he gave the order, Theobalt couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling.

'The scheme that Daniel Steiner is plotting...'

He couldn't even begin to guess what it might be.