I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander - Chapter 131

Theobalt breaks out in a cold sweat at the words that if they don't obey, everyone will be killed.

He wanted to believe it was a lie, but considering Daniel Steiner's notorious reputation, it was highly likely to be true.

In the quiet conference room, Theobalt took several deep breaths before opening his mouth.

"...What's your evidence?"

Platt answered, having lost his usual composure.

"Shortly after leaving the grand banquet hall, a tracker started following me. No matter how hard I tried to shake them off, they stubbornly followed as if mocking me. I was eventually caught by them in a back alley."

Platt's face was filled with terror as if recalling the situation.

"The masked men approached me as I lay fallen and said they would spare me just this once, as He wouldn't want a commotion on the day of the coronation. But they said there wouldn't be a next time, so I should think carefully about how to act."

The conference room stirred upon hearing Platt's story.

It was similar in meaning to what Hamtal had said when he barged in here earlier.

Theobalt, feeling cornered, gritted his teeth.

'So they're saying they can strike us anytime since they know our location. They're treating us like toys to play with. Those arrogant bastards...'

Although the situation had become unfavorable, he had no intention whatsoever of dancing to Daniel Steiner's tune.

After a long silence, Theobalt made up his mind and spoke.

"Did you all hear that? Daniel Steiner is treating us like neighborhood mutts. He seems to think he can kill us whenever he feels like it."

A low laugh escapes through Theobalt's clenched teeth.

"To be honest, he's not wrong. The Palentia branch is located in the heart of the Empire. He can mobilize not only private organizations but even the military and police to surround us if necessary. If that happens, we won't be able to avoid dying like dogs."

Theobalt, suppressing his laughter, looks around at the intelligence agents in the conference room.

"But the same goes for Daniel Steiner. Conversely, we can also attack him. He shouldn't have given us time. He shouldn't have acted so arrogantly! Obedience? Ha! What disgusting words he dares to utter!"

Bang! Theobalt slams his fist on the table and stands up.

"We have sworn allegiance to the Allied Nations! We will fight to the death rather than submit to a filthy Imperial officer! Isn't that right?!"

At Theobalt's resounding words, the eyes of the intelligence agents change.

Until just now, they had been consumed by an unknown fear, but now a determination based on patriotism could be glimpsed.

"Comrades! The time for decision has come! The time to eliminate Daniel Steiner, who threatens the Allied Nations, with our own hands! Who will join me in this great cause!"

No sooner had Theobalt finished speaking than two intelligence agents raised their hands without hesitation.

It was an expression of the patriotism they had harbored in their hearts.

Theobalt pointed to the two and raised his voice.

"Good! Denders! Kontim! You two will disguise yourselves and bring pistols with me!"

As Denders and Kontim nodded, Leven raised his hand with a worried expression.

He was the man who had been arguing with Denders earlier, saying they should listen to Daniel Steiner's words.

"Wait. Branch Director. Even if we disguise ourselves, we'll be caught in their surveillance net the moment we leave the textile factory. Won't that make everything futile?"

"This bastard again...!"

Denders glared at Leven as if he would devour him, but Theobalt raised his hand to stop him.

Leven's words had a point.

"They only know that the textile factory is our location, but they don't know how the underground here is designed. So if we escape through a secret passage, we can evade their surveillance net."

"Even so, it's only a matter of time before we're discovered."

"We just need to attempt the assassination before we're discovered."

At Theobalt's confident words, Leven closed his mouth.

Seeing this, Theobalt turned his gaze from Leven and looked at the intelligence agents.

"All personnel except for Denders and Kontim, who will join me in the assassination mission, are to destroy the branch's documents and prepare to flee. If you're lucky, you might survive by evading their surveillance net."

One of the intelligence agents listening to Theobalt spoke up.

"Branch Director. We might survive, but you will certainly die."

It wasn't wrong.

Regardless of the success of the assassination, Theobalt, who had orchestrated everything, was destined for death.

However, for Theobalt, who had chosen to fight instead of submit, death was a trivial matter.

"If I can finish off Daniel Steiner..."

Theobalt, recalling his homeland, narrowed his eyes sharply.

"I'm willing to sacrifice my life any number of times."

• 
  

In the evening, Daniel, who had left work as usual, headed to a restaurant.

The restaurant was a modest establishment near the General Staff Headquarters with a sign that read "Beer Paradise."

Usually, he mainly used the cafeteria at the headquarters for dinner, but sometimes he wanted to spend money at a restaurant other than the headquarters cafeteria to lift his mood.

So currently, Daniel was sitting at an outdoor table of this restaurant, having ordered braised cabbage with sausage and enjoying a beer.

"Mmm!"

Daniel puts down his beer glass with a pleased smile.

'The draft beer here is excellent. I should come here often.'

Giving it full marks in his mind, Daniel looked around once, feeling the breeze.

He could see pedestrians slowly walking around the fountain spewing water and merchants soliciting customers in front of their stalls.

It was truly a peaceful and pastoral scene that naturally made one's heart feel cozy.

'I'm glad I chose to sit at an outdoor table.'

If he had ordered food inside the building, he wouldn't have been able to see such a leisurely scene.

Daniel rested his chin on the table and spent time without any worries for the first time in a long while.

Then, when he felt thirsty, he would take a sip of beer and bite into a sausage, enjoying the pleasures of everyday life. It was at this moment.

"Oh? Aren't you Colonel Daniel?"

An unfamiliar voice brought Daniel's mind back to reality from his romantic reverie.

Turning his head towards the voice, Daniel encountered an elderly man with impressive mustaches under his glasses.

It was Theobalt disguised as an old man.

Of course, Daniel couldn't know that.

"Oh, looking at the uniform you're wearing, it really is Colonel Daniel! To think I'd be able to see someone I've only seen in newspapers so close! It's such an honor!"

Although Daniel had wanted to spend time alone, he couldn't be rude to an old man showing interest, so he replied with a faint smile.

"You don't need to call it an honor. I'm just an ordinary officer."

"Nonsense! Who would think of the Empire's hero as just an ordinary officer! Besides, since we've met like this by chance, would it be alright if I joined you?"

"Ah. Of course."

As Daniel gestured to the opposite seat, Theobalt pulled out a chair and sat down.

Theobalt mumbled like an old man for a moment, then calmly opened his mouth.

"If I had known this would happen, I should have brought my son."

"It seems your son likes me."

"Yes. He's always raving at home about how great Colonel Daniel Steiner is."

While conversing amicably, Theobalt closely observed Daniel.

He observed the subtle changes in expression and whether the intonation remained constant.

After that brief observation, Theobalt came to a conclusion.

'He doesn't know.'

From Theobalt's perspective, Daniel Steiner was unaware of his identity.

'Well, I suppose he wouldn't think that the head of the branch he's cornered would turn around and bare his claws. You bastard. Know that your carelessness will cost you your life.'

Just as Theobalt had resolved to kill Daniel Steiner and die himself, a waiter approached.

"Would you like to order?"

At the waiter's words, Theobalt nodded vaguely.

"A beer and an assorted sausage platter, please."

"Understood. Mr. Theobalt, your order is one beer and an assorted sausage platter, correct?"

At the waiter's question, Theobalt felt his body stiffen.

The waiter knew his name even though he hadn't mentioned it.

And not his alias, but his real name.

Overcome with an inexplicable fear, Theobalt turned his head and discovered a tattoo of a black bird holding a laurel branch near the waiter's wrist.

'That's...'

It matched the tattoo on the neck of the person who had introduced himself as Hamtal and brought others with him.

So the waiter was now warning him.

Not to try anything foolish.

Theobalt, his eyes trembling, soon regained his composure.

Even with the waiter's surveillance, it wouldn't be too difficult to kill Daniel Steiner.

'I just need to pull out the gun and shoot.'

He was prepared to endure even if he was caught and subjected to terrible torture afterward.

'Everything is for the Allied Nations.'

Just as Theobalt, having steeled his resolve, was about to reach into his pocket to draw his gun, it happened.

Silence.

Silence fell over the entire area.

A person reading a newspaper raised their head and glared at Theobalt, and a couple who had been chatting normally turned to look at Theobalt.

Even the pedestrians walking by the fountain stopped in their tracks and cast glances at Theobalt, while several people drinking beer behind Daniel had already drawn their guns.

At this rate, they would attack before Theobalt could even draw his gun.

"..."

Theobalt, who had been dazed by the surreal situation, gradually began to feel fear.

Realizing that this entire area was Daniel Steiner's domain, Theobalt slowly withdrew his hand from his pocket.

Only then did the silence dissipate and the restaurant regained its liveliness.

The person reading the newspaper lowered their gaze, the couple resumed their casual chatter, the pedestrians continued their walk, and the people drinking beer put away their guns.

Theobalt, breathing heavily, slowly lowered his head.

He simply couldn't muster the courage to face Daniel Steiner anymore.

Daniel, who had been looking at Theobalt curiously, picked up his knife to cut the sausage.

"What's wrong?"

Daniel, spearing the cut sausage with his fork, continued speaking nonchalantly.

"Are you perhaps uncomfortable in this place?"

At that ominous voice, Theobalt slowly raised his head to see Daniel putting the sausage in his mouth as if he were just out for a casual meal.

On the surface, he seemed full of openings, but it was impossible to penetrate them.

Tears began to well up in Theobalt's eyes as he looked at Daniel.

Having come this far, everything became clear to Theobalt, who silently sobbed, feeling a sense of despair.

In his sobs, Theobalt could realize:

'Daniel Steiner wasn't being careless...'

He simply had the skills to play with his opponents like toys, literally.