chapter_0132

131 – A Meal with the Branch Manager

131 – A Meal with the Branch Manager

Theobalt sweats at the threat of everyone being killed if they don’t obey.

He wanted to believe it was a lie, but considering Daniel Steiner’s notoriety, it was likely the truth.

Theobalt, who took several breaths in the silent conference room, finally spoke.

“…What’s the basis?”

Platt replied, losing his usual composure.

“Not long after leaving the Grand Ballroom, I was followed. I tried my best to shake them off, but they persistently followed me as if mocking me. I was eventually caught by them in a back alley.”

Platt looked terrified, as if recalling the situation.

“The masked men approached me as I lay on the ground and said that ‘he’ wouldn’t want any disturbances on the day of the coronation, so they would spare me this once. But there would be no next time, so I should think carefully about how to act.”

The conference room buzzed after hearing Platt’s story.

It was similar in meaning to what Hamtal had said after barging in.

Theobalt, feeling cornered, gritted his teeth.

‘They know our location, so they can strike us at any time. They’re treating us like toys. That arrogant bastard…’

Although the situation had turned unfavorable, he had no intention of being manipulated by Daniel Steiner.

Theobalt, having made up his mind, opened his mouth after a long silence.

“Did everyone hear that? Daniel Steiner is treating us like stray dogs. He seems to think he can kill us whenever he wants.”

A low chuckle escaped through Theobalt’s teeth.

“To be honest, he’s not wrong. The Palentia branch is located in the heart of the Empire. He can mobilize not only his private forces but also the military and police to surround us if he wants. If that happens, we’ll die like dogs.”

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

“But that goes for Daniel Steiner as well. We can attack Daniel Steiner in return. He shouldn’t have given us time. He shouldn’t have been so arrogant! Obey? Ha! What a disgusting thing to say!”

Bang! Theobalt slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

“We swore allegiance to the Allied Nations! We will fight to the death rather than be under the command of a dirty Imperial Officer! Isn’t that right!?”

The intelligence agents’ eyes changed at Theobalt’s words echoing in the conference room.

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

“Comrades! The time for decision has come! It is time for us to eliminate Daniel Steiner, who threatens the Allied Nations, with our own hands! Who will join this cause!?”

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

It was an outburst of the patriotism they held in their hearts.

Theobalt pointed at them and raised his voice.

“Good! Denders! Contim! You two will take pistols and disguise yourselves with me!”

As Denders and Contim nodded, Levem raised his hand with a worried expression.

He was the man who had argued with Denders, saying they should listen to Daniel Steiner.

“Wait. Branch Manager. Even if we disguise ourselves, we’ll be caught in their surveillance network the moment we leave the textile factory. Then it will all be for nothing, won’t it?”

“That bastard again…!”

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

Levem’s words made sense.

“They only know that the textile factory is our location, but they don’t know how the underground is designed here. So, if we escape through the secret passage, we can avoid their surveillance network.”

“Even so, it’s only a matter of time before we’re discovered.”

“We just need to attempt the assassination before we’re discovered.”

Levem closed his mouth at Theobalt’s confident words.

Seeing that, Theobalt turned his gaze away from Levem and looked at the intelligence agents.

“All personnel except Denders and Contim, who will go on the assassination mission with me, should prepare to destroy the branch’s data and flee. If you’re lucky, you may be able to survive, avoiding their surveillance network.”

One of the intelligence agents who had been listening to Theobalt spoke up.

“Branch Manager. We may survive, but you will certainly die.”

That was true.

Regardless of the success of the assassination, Theobalt, who had led everything, was destined to die.

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

“If I can put an end to Daniel Steiner…”

Theobalt, thinking of his homeland, narrowed his eyes sharply.

“I can sacrifice my life without hesitation.”

*

In the evening, Daniel, having finished work for the day, headed to a restaurant.

The restaurant was a commoner’s establishment called ‘Beer Heaven,’ located near the General Staff Headquarters.

He usually preferred to have dinner at the General Staff Headquarters’ cafeteria, but sometimes he wanted to spend money at a restaurant instead of the headquarters cafeteria to feel good.

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

“Mmm!”

Daniel put down his beer glass and smiled pleasantly.

‘The draft beer here is excellent. I should come here often.’

Daniel, giving it a perfect score in his mind, felt the blowing wind and looked around.

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

It was truly a peaceful and idyllic scene that made his heart feel cozy.

‘I’m glad I sat at an outdoor table.’

If he had ordered food inside the building, he wouldn’t have been able to see this leisurely scenery.

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

Then, when he felt thirsty, he took a sip of beer and a bite of sausage, enjoying the pleasures of everyday life.

“Oh? Aren’t you Colonel Daniel?”

An unfamiliar voice brought Daniel, who had been lost in romantic sentiment, back to reality.

Daniel turned his head towards the voice and could see an elderly man with an impressive mustache under his glasses.

He was Theobalt, disguised as an old man.

Of course, Daniel couldn’t know that.

“Oh, seeing the uniform you’re wearing, you really are Colonel Daniel! To think I’d be able to see someone I’ve only seen in the newspapers this close! It’s a great honor!”

Daniel, who wanted to spend time alone, couldn’t treat the old man who was showing interest rudely, so he replied with a faint smile.

“There’s no need to say it’s an honor. I’m just a mere Officer.”

“Nonsense! Who would think of the Empire’s hero as a mere Officer! More than that, since we’ve met like this, would you mind if I joined you?”

“Ah. Of course.”

Daniel raised his hand and pointed to the opposite seat, and Theobalt pulled out a chair and sat down.

Theobalt seemed to mumble like an old man, but soon he calmly opened his mouth.

“If I had known this would happen, I would have brought my son with me.”

“It seems your son likes me.”

“Yes. He’s always raving at home about how great Colonel Daniel Steiner is.”

While chatting amiably, Theobalt carefully examined Daniel.

He observed the subtle changes in his expression and whether his intonation was consistent.

After that brief observation, Theobalt came to a conclusion.

‘He doesn’t know.’

In Theobalt’s view, Daniel Steiner didn’t know his identity.

‘Well, he probably doesn’t think that the head of the branch he’s cornered would turn around and bare his claws. You bastard. Let your carelessness take your life.’

Just as Theobalt was ready to kill Daniel Steiner and die himself, a waiter approached.

“Are you ready to order?”

Theobalt nodded vaguely at the waiter’s words.

“I’ll have a beer and a mixed sausage platter.”

“Okay. Is that one beer and a mixed sausage platter for Theobalt?”

Theobalt felt his body stiffen at the waiter’s question.

He had never said his name, but the waiter knew his name.

And it wasn’t a pseudonym, but his real name.

Theobalt, overwhelmed by an unknown fear, turned his head and discovered that the waiter had a tattoo of a black bird holding a laurel branch near his wrist.

‘That’s…’

It was the same tattoo that the person who introduced himself as Hamtal had on his neck.

So, the waiter was warning him now.

Not to try anything funny.

Theobalt, whose pupils were shaking, soon regained his composure.

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

‘All I have to do is take out my pistol and shoot.’

Even if he was caught afterwards and subjected to terrible torture, he would endure it.

‘All for the Allied Nations.’

Just as Theobalt, having steeled his heart, was about to put his hand into his coat to take out his pistol…

Silence.

Silence fell over the entire area.

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

The pedestrians who had been walking around the fountain also stopped in their tracks and cast their gazes at Theobalt, and some of the people who had been drinking beer behind Daniel had already taken out their pistols.

If this continued, they would attack before Theobalt could even draw his pistol.

“…”

Theobalt, who had been stunned by the surreal situation, slowly began to feel fear.

Theobalt, realizing that this entire area was Daniel Steiner’s territory, slowly removed his hand from his coat.

Only then did the silence disappear and the restaurant regain its liveliness.

The person who had been reading the newspaper lowered his gaze, the couple started chatting casually again, the pedestrians continued their stroll, and the people who had been drinking beer put away their pistols.

Theobalt, breathing heavily, slowly lowered his head.

He couldn’t muster the courage to face Daniel Steiner.

Daniel, who had been looking at Theobalt with a puzzled expression, picked up a knife and cut the sausage.

“What’s wrong?”

Daniel, having speared the cut sausage with a fork, continued calmly.

“Are you perhaps uncomfortable in this seat?”

Theobalt, slowly raising his head at the ominous words, could see Daniel putting the sausage in his mouth as if he had just come out for a stroll.

He seemed to have many openings on the surface, but it was impossible to find a way in.

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

Theobalt, who had finally understood everything after coming this far, felt frustrated and sobbed silently.

In the midst of his sobs, Theobalt was able to realize.

‘Daniel Steiner isn’t being careless, but…’

He simply possessed the skill to play with his opponents like toys.

Author’s Note

Thank you for reading today as well!

Have a good weekend!

Then, I’ll see you again tomorrow!