I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander - Chapter 132

Tears begin to well up in Theobalt's eyes.

He was grief-stricken by the fact that he couldn't achieve his cause after coming here with such firm resolve.

Moreover, fear was rising within him that he might die if he said even one word wrong.

'And on top of that...'

The people who should be here were not present.

After rolling his eyes around intently due to a strange sense of discomfort, Theobalt soon realized.

'I can't see them.'

Denders and Kontim, who had left the textile factory together swearing to the cause, were nowhere to be seen.

Before carrying out the operation, Theobalt had ordered them to split up to prepare for possible tracking and then reconvene at Daniel Steiner's location.

Because no matter how sudden the attack, it was right to strike from different directions to deal with Daniel Steiner, who knew how to use nerve acceleration.

Moreover, he thought that even if one failed, the other could carry on the cause.

But they weren't visible.

As if they had forgotten about the meeting promise, they were nowhere to be seen here.

The implication of this fact was singular.

It meant that Denders and Kontim had been captured by Daniel Steiner's private organization before even arriving here.

'If they could subdue Denders and Kontim in advance, the same could have been done to me. Yet, allowing me to wander the streets means...'

It was a kind of mercy exercised by Daniel Steiner.

Or it was like a game.

He was just trying to have some fun before killing the mouse in the trap.

Thinking this way made him feel sick to his stomach, and nausea rose up.

"Ugh, hic..."

A sob escapes through Theobalt's clenched teeth.

His complexion was darkening, and his expression was twisting miserably.

Thinking that everything was over, he no longer felt the need to manage his expressions.

Of course, Daniel, who was watching this right in front of him, was just perplexed.

'Why is he acting like this?'

Daniel couldn't understand the old man who had sat down talking about his son and suddenly looked like he was about to cry.

So, while observing the old man's mood, Daniel tried to judge as rationally as possible.

'...Could his son no longer be of this world?'

It was possible that he had suddenly been reminded of his dead son after coincidentally meeting someone his son liked at a restaurant, causing him to burst into tears.

'The comment about wishing he had brought his son might have been a self-deprecating joke...'

Thinking this way, Daniel looked at Theobalt with somewhat sympathetic eyes.

Pondering how to broach the subject, Daniel spoke as carefully as possible to confirm the facts.

"Are you perhaps thinking about your son?"

Though the tone was benevolent, it sounded utterly chilling to Theobalt.

Looking at Daniel and swallowing hard, Theobalt spoke in a trembling voice.

"...Do you know my son?"

"I don't. But I suppose I could get to know him gradually."

Theobalt's pupils dilated in fear.

He was terrified of what intention Daniel had in saying such things.

One thing was certain: it wasn't in a good direction.

Opening and closing his mouth.

Gaping like a goldfish, Theobalt felt chills run down his spine as he became aware of his surroundings.

The couples were chatting, but their eyes were directed at Theobalt.

The middle-aged man reading the newspaper, the pedestrians taking a walk, and the waiter returning after taking orders—all of them kept their eyes fixed on Theobalt.

Everyone here right now was waiting for Theobalt's next words.

That pressure was choking Theobalt like a threat that 'they might harm his son.'

"Ah. Ah..."

After struggling to choose his words for a long time, a tear rolled down from Theobalt's wide-open eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Sorry for what? While Daniel was puzzled and blinking blankly, Theobalt continued speaking rapidly.

"I apologize. I will never do such a thing again. I shouldn't have ignored the warning. I was just stupid. Please! Please, I beg you. I will end everything at my level. Please, show even a shred of mercy..."

Having finished speaking, Theobalt bowed his head, showing his crown.

It was a miserable submission, but Daniel couldn't understand at all why this person was acting this way.

However, one thing was certain: this person was not in his right mind.

Not wanting to get involved with a crazy person unnecessarily, Daniel cleared his throat.

"I think it would be best for you to go back now."

Theobalt's shoulders trembled at Daniel's words.

"...Then what about my son?"

"To be honest, I'm not that interested. I don't want to hear about it."

Thud! Theobalt slammed his head on the table.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

Thanks to Theobalt expressing his gratitude so desperately, Daniel was on the verge of being scared.

Just as he was wondering if he should call the police, Theobalt stood up from his seat.

He looked at Daniel with a dazed expression and suddenly bowed his head deeply.

Then, without eating his meal, he left and walked off somewhere.

As Daniel was watching the old man's retreating figure with puzzlement, a waiter approached.

"Colonel Daniel Steiner. Here's your strawberry cake."

Daniel turned his head and tilted it in confusion at the slice of strawberry cake the waiter was holding.

"...Did I order strawberry cake?"

"It's on the house. We should at least do this much since you've come to visit us, Colonel."

Daniel, seeing no reason to refuse, accepted the cake.

"Thank you. I'll enjoy it."

As the waiter left with a smile, Daniel picked up his fork and deeply pierced the strawberry on the cake.

Putting it in his mouth, Daniel looked at the seat the old man had left.

'What a strange person...'

A strange person.

There were no other particular impressions beyond that.

From Daniel's perspective, he was just someone he had met for the first time.

• 
  

Theobalt, who had escaped from the restaurant, rushed towards the textile factory.

Having realized that everything was Daniel Steiner's scheme, he intended to inform others of this fact.

Thinking that he needed to let them know as quickly as possible to minimize the damage, Theobalt stopped in his tracks as soon as he entered the textile factory.

The looms and sewing machines, which should have been noisily operating by now, were not moving at all.

Of course, Theobalt had told them to destroy the documents and prepare to flee, but they should have at least pretended to be working to avoid outside surveillance.

However, the textile factory now was empty as if no one was there.

Theobalt, who had been looking at this scene with bewilderment, slowly moved his steps.

Only when he reached the edge of the factory did Theobalt understand the whole situation.

Crackle─

Sparks flew from the bonfire set up on the floor.

In front of the bonfire sat the black businessman he had seen before.

With a briefcase full of bundles of money at his feet.

On either side of him, he could see a group of people wearing gas masks standing at attention holding rifles.

It was all over.

Slowly turning his head in a state of helplessness, Theobalt discovered that the fabric dyeing machine had been pushed aside.

Hamtal had already known about the secret device that was the only passage leading from the textile factory to the underground bunker.

Theobalt, who had been dazed for a moment, slowly turned his head towards Hamtal.

"How..."

Hamtal took out a bundle of money from the open briefcase and threw it into the bonfire.

The flames danced, scattering sparks wildly.

"You failed to manage your subordinates properly."

Money burns away in silence.

Theobalt, who had been watching the bundles of money turn into mere ashes and disappear, spoke with difficulty.

"...Is Leven the traitor?"

Hamtal did not answer.

He simply took out another bundle of money from the briefcase and threw it into the bonfire again.

"Are Denders and Kontim safe? What about the other personnel?"

Again, no answer came.

Hamtal, with his fingers interlocked, looked at the burning money and slowly opened his mouth.

"I gave you a chance. That chance was about the survival of your organization."

Every time the flames of the bonfire flickered, Hamtal's shadow also changed erratically.

"But you ignored my advice. You didn't take this money now. Not only did you not take it, but you tried to kill Daniel Steiner."

"..."

"Perhaps you and I could have had a good relationship. We might have become reliable partners, working for mutual benefit without any hard feelings."

A faint smile appeared on Hamtal's lips.

"But everything is over now. Just like these bundles of money burning like kindling."

He couldn't use money that the enemy had refused.

It could bring bad luck.

However, to Theobalt, it seemed like a ritual performed before killing an enemy.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"That's quite bland for last words."

The monotone voice echoed emptily in the air.

Theobalt, thinking he couldn't escape death, let out a hollow laugh.

"...You people will never know, even if you live your whole lives. The noble feeling of dying for one's country. Asking me to betray my country and join hands with you was an absurd request from the start."

Hamtal quietly nodded.

"You're not wrong. But you also don't understand why we're doing this. You've never lived a slave's life from birth just because of your skin color."

Hamtal threw a bundle of money.

"If what sustains your organization is the Allied Nations, then what sustains our organization is simply Daniel Steiner. There's not much difference between us two in acting for our beliefs. It's just that..."

The flames grew a little larger than before.

"I was the strong one, and you were the weak one."

Having told this simple truth, Hamtal quietly moved his lips.

"Farewell. It was a pleasant conversation."

Theobalt's eyes widened.

The next moment, one of the Black Feather members raised a pistol and pulled the trigger.

Bang─

Right after the gunshot rang out, Theobalt collapsed with a thud.

Whatever was so unfair, even after death, he couldn't close his eyes.

Reflected in Theobalt's eyes, Hamtal took out a bundle of money from the briefcase and threw it into the bonfire.

Whoosh─

This was travel money for Theobalt, and the last bundle of money remaining in the briefcase.