chapter_0133

132 – What Supports the Organization

132 – What Supports the Organization

Tears began to well up in Theobalt’s eyes.

He had come to this place after a firm resolution, but the realization that he could not achieve the greater cause filled him with sorrow.

Moreover, a rising fear gripped him that a single wrong word could lead to his death.

‘On top of that…’

The person who should be here is not present.

Theobalt, who was diligently rolling his eyes in a strange sense of discomfort, soon realized.

‘They’re not here.’

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

Before the operation, Theobalt had given the order to regroup at the location where Daniel Steiner was, in case of any unforeseen tracking.

Even if it was a surprise attack, it was wise to strike from different directions against Daniel Steiner, who could use neural acceleration.

He thought that even if one person failed, the other could continue the cause.

But they were not visible.

It was as if they had forgotten the promise to regroup; their figures did not exist anywhere in this place.

The implication of that fact was clear.

It meant that Denders and Kontim had been captured by Daniel Steiner’s private organization before they could even arrive here.

‘If they could have subdued Denders and Kontim beforehand, I would have been in the same situation. Yet, allowing them to roam the streets means…’

A kind of mercy from Daniel Steiner.

Or perhaps it was akin to a game.

It felt like he was merely enjoying himself before killing the rat trapped in the cage.

Thinking this made Theobalt feel uneasy, and he felt a wave of nausea rising.

“Ugh, huff…”

A sob escaped through Theobalt’s teeth.

His complexion darkened, and his expression twisted in despair.

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

Of course, Daniel, who was watching right in front of him, could only feel bewildered.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

He couldn’t understand why the old man, who had been talking about his son, suddenly looked like he was on the verge of tears.

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

‘…Could it be that his son is not of this world?’

It was possible that he had unexpectedly met someone his son liked at a restaurant, and that thought had suddenly made him remember his deceased son, causing the tears to flow.

‘The thought that he should have brought his son along could also be a self-deprecating joke…’

With that thought, Daniel looked at Theobalt with a hint of pity.

As he pondered how to speak, Daniel cautiously approached to confirm the truth.

“Are you perhaps thinking of your son?”

His tone was gentle, but to Theobalt, it felt utterly chilling.

Swallowing hard while looking at Daniel, Theobalt spoke in a trembling voice.

“…Do you know my son?”

“I don’t. But I could get to know him gradually.”

Theobalt’s pupils dilated in fear.

He was terrified of what intentions Daniel might have behind such words.

One thing was certain: it was not a good direction.

He opened and closed his mouth.

Like a goldfish gasping for air, Theobalt felt a chilling sensation as he became aware of his surroundings.

Couples were chatting, but their eyes were fixed on Theobalt.

The middle-aged man reading the newspaper, the pedestrians taking a stroll, and the waiter returning with orders all kept their gaze on Theobalt.

Everyone present was waiting for Theobalt’s next words.

That pressure soon became a threat that tightened around Theobalt’s throat, whispering that ‘he might harm my son.’

“Ah. Ah…”

A single tear flowed from Theobalt’s wide-open eyes after a long pause in choosing his words.

“I was wrong.”

What wrong? Daniel blinked in confusion as Theobalt continued speaking rapidly.

“I’m sorry. I won’t do this again. I shouldn’t have ignored the warning; I was just foolish. Please! I beg you. I will end everything on my end. I’m begging you to show me a shred of mercy…!”

Having finished speaking, Theobalt bowed his head, exposing the crown of his head.

It was a pitiful surrender, but Daniel could not understand why this man was acting this way at all.

Yet one thing was clear: this man was not in his right mind.

Not wanting to get involved with a madman, Daniel cleared his throat.

“I think it would be best if you returned 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 onto the table.

“Thank you! Thank you!”

The desperate gratitude from Theobalt made Daniel feel frightened.

Just as he thought about whether he should call the police, Theobalt stood up from his seat.

With a vacant expression, he looked at Daniel and suddenly bowed his head.

Then, without eating, he left the table and walked away somewhere.

As Daniel gazed at the old man’s retreating figure in confusion, a waiter approached him.

“Colonel Daniel Steiner. Here’s your strawberry cake.”

Turning his head, Daniel tilted it at the slice of strawberry cake the waiter was holding.

“…Did I order strawberry cake?”

“It’s a service. Since you came, we should at least do this much.”

There was no need for Daniel to refuse, so he accepted the cake.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

As the waiter smiled and left, Daniel picked up a fork and plunged it into the strawberry on the cake.

As he put it in his mouth, Daniel looked at the spot where the old man had just been.

‘What a strange person…’

A strange person.

He had no other particular thoughts.

From Daniel’s perspective, he was merely a stranger he had never seen before.

–

Having exited the restaurant, Theobalt rushed toward the textile factory.

He knew that everything was part of Daniel Steiner’s scheme, and he wanted to inform others of this fact.

Thinking that he needed to inform them 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 noisy by now, were completely still.

Of course, it was true that Theobalt had instructed them to dispose of the materials and prepare to flee, but still, they should have at least pretended to be working to avoid external surveillance.

Yet the textile factory was eerily empty, as if no one was there.

As Theobalt looked on in confusion, he slowly moved forward.

Only when he reached the end of the factory did he begin to understand the entire situation.

Tap—

Sparks flew from a campfire set on the floor.

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

He had placed a briefcase full of bundles of cash at his feet.

On either side of him stood a group wearing gas masks, standing with rifles at the ready.

It was all over.

In a sense of helplessness, Theobalt slowly turned his head and noticed that the fabric dyeing machine had been pushed aside.

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

After a moment of daze, Theobalt slowly turned his head toward Hamtal.

“How….”

Hamtal pulled out a bundle of cash from the open briefcase and threw it into the campfire.

The flames danced, and sparks scattered chaotically.

“You didn’t manage your subordinates properly.”

In the silence, the money burned away.

As Theobalt watched the bundles of cash turn to ash, he finally managed to speak.

“…Is the traitor Levem?”

Hamtal did not answer.

He simply continued to pull bundles of cash from the briefcase and throw them into the campfire.

“Are Denders and Kontim safe? What about the others?”

Once again, there was no response.

Hamtal, with his hands clasped, gazed at the burning money before slowly opening his mouth.

“I gave you a chance. That chance was about the survival of the organization.”

Every time the flames of the campfire flickered, Hamtal’s shadow twisted erratically.

“But you ignored my advice. You didn’t take this money. Not only that, you tried to kill Daniel Steiner.”

“….”

“Perhaps you and I could have had a good relationship. We might have become strong partners without any need to redden our faces and sought mutual benefit.”

A faint smile appeared on Hamtal’s lips.

“But it’s all over now. Just like these bundles of cash burning like kindling.”

One could not use money that had been rejected by the enemy.

Because it would lead to corruption.

However, to Theobalt, it felt like a ritual taken before killing the enemy.

“Are you planning to kill me?”

“Quite a simple farewell for a last word.”

His voice, devoid of highs and lows, echoed emptily in the air.

Thinking that he could not escape death, Theobalt let out a hollow laugh.

“……You will never understand, even if you live your whole life. What it means to die for the noble cause of the nation. It was an unreasonable demand from the start to betray the nation and join hands with you.”

Hamtal quietly nodded.

“That’s not incorrect. But you also don’t understand why we are doing this. You’ve never lived as a slave from birth simply because of the color of your skin.”

Hamtal threw a bundle of cash.

“If the Allied Nations support your organization, then Daniel Steiner supports ours. In terms of acting for a belief, there isn’t much difference between us. It’s just that….”

The flames grew slightly larger than before.

“I was the strong one, and you were the weak one.”

Hamtal, who had revealed this simple truth, quietly moved his lips.

“Farewell. It was a pleasure talking with you.”

Theobalt’s eyes widened in shock.

In the next moment, one of the members of the Black Swan drew a pistol and pulled the trigger.

Bang—

Immediately after the gunshot rang out, Theobalt collapsed.

He could not close his eyes even in death, wondering what was so unjust.

Reflected in Theobalt’s eyes, Hamtal pulled out a bundle of cash from the briefcase and threw it into the campfire.

Whoosh—

This was the fare for Theobalt, the last bundle of cash remaining in the briefcase.

Author’s Note

Thank you to Licorice for the 100 coin donation! Ah…! Licorice, it’s been a while! I’m so glad to hear that my novel has helped you during your tough cadet life! I’m grateful just for you reading it, and I don’t know how to express my gratitude for your support and the long message filled with affection. And um… as for book recommendations! I’m not sure what genre you like, so… for now, I’m reading Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary, which is really interesting. I’ve only read about half of it so far, but it’s captivating. It’s in the sci-fi genre, but it’s composed of easy-to-understand words. I’ll also recommend The Martian, written by the same author. I hope you like it! Good luck with your cadet life! Thank you for your support!

And to all the readers who have read this, thank you always!

It seems like the weather is getting warmer these days… I hope it really is warming up? I hope there won’t be a sudden cold snap or anything…!

Anyway, have a great week! I’ll be cheering for you from afar!

See you again tomorrow!