chapter_0129

128 – What on Earth Are They Planning?

128 – What on Earth Are They Planning?

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

There was a strange sense of intimidation emanating from the men, each carrying a briefcase.

Theobalt, observing them closely, noticed the black bird tattoo holding a laurel branch etched on the side of their necks.

‘…Just ordinary businessmen?’

Theobalt, diverting his gaze from the men, looked at Hamtal with a meaningful expression.

Given the atmosphere and the demeanor of the subordinates, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they resembled the heads of a mafia organization rather than businessmen.

‘Even so…’

The need to secure funding remained unchanged.

Trying to ignore the growing sense of discomfort, Theobalt forced a business smile and finished the handshake.

“I’m also glad to meet you. We have prepared some refreshments, so how about we sit down and talk?”

Hamtal nodded calmly.

Thanks to that, Theobalt guided Hamtal to the sofa in the meeting room and began a modest business presentation.

He explained that the textile factory produced not only civilian goods but also war supplies, ensuring a steady stream of work, and that the mechanized production line significantly increased the speed of fabric production.

“…It seems we will soon secure a government contract related to this. If that happens, it will provide you, Mr. Hamtal, with a stable income.”

Finishing his confident business presentation, Theobalt smiled broadly.

His explanation was flawless, and he was certain the other party would open their wallet.

Theobalt’s assumption was not far off; Hamtal nodded and raised his hand slightly.

Then, a man standing behind Hamtal stepped forward and placed the briefcase on the table.

As the case opened, it revealed bundles of cash inside.

Seeing this, Theobalt’s eyes lit up.

“Wow. I realized you were a bold person when I first saw you, but I didn’t expect you to be this generous. So, I take it you’re ready to invest, and we can discuss the details of the profit-sharing…”

Hamtal raised his hand, silencing Theobalt.

As silence fell, Hamtal lowered his hand and clasped it over his knees.

“I’m surprised. It’s a more proper textile factory than I expected. From what you’ve said today, it seems to be generating steady profits. However, there is one disappointing point.”

“A disappointing point?”

“The hobbies of the employees of President Welter somehow irritate me.”

Hobbies? The unexpected remark left Theobalt flustered yet sensing a strange tension.

“Of course, I don’t intend to criticize the hobbies themselves. I tend to respect individual freedoms. However, I’m concerned that the activities of the president’s employees are bordering on the absurd.”

Amidst the tension, suspicion began to rise.

“Nevertheless, if they don’t cause me any harm, I won’t mind, but I must warn you that the absurdity of the employees has recently crossed the line.”

At this point, the other agents, excluding Theobalt, also sensed something was off.

They slowly began to reach for the guns hidden in their back pockets.

The situation was tense, yet Hamtal remained surprisingly calm.

Instead, he quietly reached for a cup filled with coffee and lifted it.

To Theobalt, this seemed like a provocation, as if to say, “Go ahead and try.”

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

‘The moment you attack, you die…!’

Cold sweat dripped from Theobalt as he shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Don’t move!”

At the branch manager’s command, the agents’ hands, which were about to draw their guns, froze.

Everyone was confused, but Theobalt understood.

His breath quickened without him realizing it as he hurriedly scanned his surroundings.

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

“A sniper…”

Swallowing hard, Theobalt clenched his teeth and glared at Hamtal.

“You’ve deployed a sniper.”

If any one of the agents had drawn their gun, their heads would have exploded instantly.

From Theobalt’s perspective, having narrowly avoided that horrific future, Hamtal appeared terrifying.

Was it simply the threat to his life? No.

The source of his fear stemmed from the knowledge that Hamtal was aware of the identity of the Palentia branch.

Thinking that he had no choice but to take a submissive stance, Theobalt took a deep breath and spoke.

“…What is your purpose for coming here?”

Hamtal did not immediately answer Theobalt’s question.

He merely savored the aroma of the coffee, sending a dry gaze.

After taking a sip of coffee, Hamtal quietly set the cup down and said, “I came to let you know that you’ve touched the wrong person.”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean…”

“Do you know a person named Daniel Steiner?”

Silence fell between them.

Adjusting the position of his cup slightly before lifting it, Hamtal leaned back.

“We are uneducated people. Most of us have been deprived of the opportunity to learn and have been cast aside by society. So, to be honest, I can’t fully understand why you would want to kill Daniel Steiner.”

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

“If you ask, I’m sure you’ll be filled with pride and use pedantic expressions. Something about the nation and ideals. But concepts like nation and ideals are truly foreign to us. We’ve never had a nation because we were born as slaves, and we couldn’t conceive of ideals because we couldn’t realize our dreams.”

Wiping his mouth, Hamtal folded the handkerchief in half.

“So we’ve been striving to make at least one city our own. We conducted negotiations as humanely as possible. Sometimes even resorting to violence. But all our efforts were in vain. The kingdom was more rotten than we thought.”

Hamtal tucked the handkerchief back into his pocket.

“Exhausted, we were about to give up. We were trying to accept that no matter how hard we tried, the world wouldn’t change. But then, Daniel Steiner appeared. He regarded discrimination based on skin color as a sin and enacted benevolent governance.”

A smile spread across Hamtal’s lips.

Yet his eyes remained fixed on Theobalt without a flicker.

“Thanks to him, the city changed. At that moment, we realized that a single word from a powerful person could change the world for the better, more than the countless cries of the powerless.”

“…Are you saying you chose Daniel Steiner to change the world?”

“His thoughts align with ours. He is an exceptional figure to whom we can pledge our loyalty.”

Hamtal’s smile faded as he spoke.

“Yet you sought to kill Daniel Steiner.”

Theobalt’s gaze dropped.

He could no longer meet Hamtal’s eyes.

“If it were up to me, I would want to end everything right here, but I will hold off just this once. Causing a commotion on the day of the coronation is something Daniel Steiner would not want either.”

Hamtal stood up.

In a room where everyone had frozen, only Hamtal and his subordinates could move freely.

“However, if you disrespect him again, it won’t end with just a warning.”

Hamtal looked down at Theobalt with a chilling gaze.

“Answer me. Theobalt Vernau.”

As Hamtal mentioned his real name, Theobalt flinched.

Hamtal knew his real name, which he had not revealed to anyone except the agents.

That meant Hamtal had secured a connection to the Palentia branch.

With his eyes closed, Theobalt, who had been holding his breath, could only nod.

“I will keep that in mind.”

Hearing the response, Hamtal slowly began to walk.

The agents, who had been frozen, started to step aside one by one, clearing a path.

Hamtal’s subordinates followed behind him.

As Theobalt listened to the sound of Hamtal’s footsteps fading away, he exhaled deeply and looked at the bundles of cash before him.

The money, sitting there like the price of his life, approached him with a chilling presence.

Clenching his teeth, Theobalt raised a trembling hand to his forehead.

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

“Branch Manager! The location of the branch has been compromised…”

He knew. It was as if they were in the palm of Daniel Steiner’s hand.

As long as the organization led by Daniel Steiner was watching them, escaping the Imperial City was nearly impossible.

“Right now…”

Theobalt felt anxious as he clenched his fist tightly.

“Bring Platt. Daniel Steiner must have communicated with us through Platt. We need to figure out what he wants from us first.”

Even as Theobalt issued the command, he couldn’t shake off his uneasy feelings.

‘What scheme is Daniel Steiner plotting…?’

He had no idea what it could be.