episode_0100
by fnovelpiaThe hands on the wristwatch turn. Karmendorf stared blankly at it, then raised his head.
‘It’s time.’
As Karmendorff stood up, the mysterious man who had been standing far away followed him. Karmendorff had noticed the presence of the man long ago, but he walked silently without looking back.
As he walked, the bustling crowd began to thin out. He was heading towards a place where people were increasingly deserted.
Karmendorf stopped walking. He was standing in front of an old cathedral in one of the most backward districts of the system.
Because it had endured the ravages of time, it was a church that had not received proper management in a backward area of the system. Now, Karmendorf stepped foot into that house of faith that had been abandoned.
– Squeak… .
The door of the old cathedral opened. As soon as the door opened, Carmendorf entered the chapel that appeared without hesitation and soon took his seat in the chapel.
– Thud. Thud.
Of course, the same was true of the mysterious figure that followed him. The voice of Karmendorff, who vaguely realized that someone was sitting behind him, echoed through the empty chapel, where only candles were lit.
“Are you Walter Bailey, a first-class agent of the Federal Intelligence Service? ”
“That’s right.”
Karmendorf took out his money bag without saying a word. Its heavy weight passed through his hands, but without a moment’s hesitation, he handed the bag to Walter, who was sitting behind him.
“Can I check the amount?”
“Yes, of course.”
The sound of paper turning echoed through the chapel. Carmendorf looked up and saw the large cross in the chapel, softly lit by candlelight.
Does the Lord know what Karmendorff is going to do from now on?
‘…well.’
If the Lord was so omnipotent, he should have prevented the Great War from the beginning. Karmendorff was not very religious.
Finally, the sound of paper turning stopped. Karmendorf lowered his gaze straight ahead again.
“… I checked. The amount is correct.”
“Don’t you already know what I asked you to do?”
“There may be confusion based on information heard only through the grapevine, so if you could explain it simply verbally, we can process the work more easily.”
It was annoying. Karmendorff almost clicked his tongue without realizing it, but he barely managed to hold it back.
“3rd floor, 331-2, Central Square, System. You can take care of the people there.”
“Survivors are… .”
“If possible, please do not leave any.”
“If you want no survivors, there will be an additional charge.”
“Does that amount include the aftercare costs?”
“Yes. I will clean up the mess so that no one will say anything.”
Karmendorf silently put his hand into his bosom and handed a considerable amount of money to the person behind him. The money in his hand quickly slipped out.
“… Yes, I think that should be enough. Is there anything special about the work that I should know?”
Should I tell you this? Karmendorff hesitated for a moment, but his thoughts were short-lived.
“ These are veterans who fought in the Great War. Please proceed with utmost caution, but do not give them any gaps if possible. ”
“… I know this isn’t right, but… . I have one question for you.”
Carmendorf’s brow furrowed. Walter Bailey, I had come to see him because I had heard so much about him, but if there had been this much talk, I would have hired someone else.
“Can you tell me why you want the target of your work to die? Of course, if you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to answer.”
However, Walter was a person who couldn’t stand being curious. He also enjoyed listening to the circumstances of his clients as a way to pass the time.
“Do I have to tell you that?”
“… … .”
Naturally, Karmendorff had no intention of revealing such detailed reasons. Karmendorff added nervously.
“Please take good care of this request, as it is not a small sum of money. So that it does not fail.”
“… Okay.”
Walter’s footsteps grew distant, and soon all traces of life in the chapel, except for Carmendorff, disappeared. Carmendorff looked up at the cross again.
‘…What is the reason?’
It was almost by chance that Karmendorff received information that the retired soldiers were planning to stage a demonstration against Major General Adelheid.
After receiving that outrageous information, Karmendorff thought:
The Empire was still not free from the scars of the Great War. The Empire was still in need of war heroes.
Moreover, Major General Adelheid is someone he regards as his superior. There would be no disloyal hound who would just stand by and watch his master fall.
It seemed that Director Adelheid was still unaware of Karmendorff’s plan, but that was only natural, since Karmendorff had not reported it to him in the first place.
If he knew this fact, it was obvious that he would express concern and oppose it. Although Director Adelheid would not bend his opinion, he was not a murderer who would indiscriminately kill those who stood in his way.
And, Karmendorff was willing to get blood on his hands on behalf of Major General Adelheid.
‘In the future, sir, nothing should ever happen to anyone.’
If you catch bugs gnawing on the rope you’re holding onto, it’s only natural to get rid of them.
‘If the director continues to prosper, I too… can rise higher.’
Karmendorff was a man full of ambition.
* * * * *
Until he got up on the roof, Carmendorf didn’t know that Maximilian was talking to Cesar. If he had known, he wouldn’t have come up.
The moment I saw Cesar’s face on the rooftop, it was vague at first. It was the first time in my life that I had seen such an ugly appearance, but his voice and the vague remnants of his appearance felt familiar.
“While guys like you just stood by and watched, you trampled on our will to raise our voices… . You even set fire to a perfectly good building, and tried to kill me and my comrades! ”
And what he says.
Only after hearing those words did Karmendorf realize his true identity. The memories that had sunk back to the surface again.
3 years ago. Flames. War Soldiers Association.
These three things combined to bring out memories buried deep inside Karmendorff, fanning the flames that were fading away.
He lived his life convinced that he had left no survivors. Karmendorff was confident.
They hired an agent who was well-known among some upper-class people, and everything was burned down to the ground, completely destroying the evidence.
Although it was beyond the expected scope for such a large fire to break out, it was somehow managed to be covered up.
‘…how?’
Karmendorff’s first thought was, How on earth?
‘How did you survive?’
The fire was not Karmendorff’s intention. Karmendorff only wished for their deaths.
However, things did not go as Karmendorf expected.
The fire was so large that it spread to the next building, and the building that housed the War Soldiers’ Association office was completely burned down. Karmendorff, who was watching the scene from a hiding place, witnessed the miserable scene with his own eyes.
According to the announcement from the fire department that had been searching for survivors, no survivors were found there. It was a somewhat unsettling ending, and additional costs were incurred by the administrative agency, but the deaths of the veterans of the War Veterans Association seemed so certain that no one dared to doubt them.
So, you can’t survive in that hot flame.
Yeah, I’m sure that’s true… .
“Comrades of the War Soldiers’ Association who promised to protest with me… . You set fire to our Military Association office building, and killed them—!!”
So then, is that man who is alive and breathing right in front of me… a ghost?
“Ugh… .”
Karmendorff’s breathing became irregular, not because he realized that the person he thought was dead was alive.
Cesar now thought that the Duke of Adelheid had done it. If he had died on the spot, such misunderstanding would not have arisen, but the problem was that he had survived the fire.
The cracks in Karmendorff’s plan all stemmed from the fact that Cesar was alive.
And the real problem is… .
“What the heck is that… .”
Duke Adelheid, who was looking at Cesar with a very bewildered expression next to Carmendorf. The questions flowing from his eyes, and the small doubts showing on his expression.
That made Karmendorf impatient.
Cesar is convinced that Duke Adelheid set the fire to kill him. His disillusionment with the miserable reality of the retired soldiers is reason enough to take Laura hostage…
In the end, Caesar was expressing his hatred towards the arsonist who set fire to the building. And that hatred was directed at none other than Duke Adelheid.
What if Duke Adelheid finds out the truth?
What if it turns out that Carmendorff was the ultimate culprit behind the incident that attempted to kill Cesar and his men, and ultimately set the building on fire, even though it wasn’t her intention?
What if the responsibility that naturally follows is placed on Karmendorff, that he contributed greatly to Laura’s condition?
‘I’m… finished.’
Although it was a big decision for the future of Duke Adelheid and himself, it was actually becoming a dagger that was squeezing Carmendorff’s breath. Carmendorff bit his lip and studied Duke Adelheid’s expression.
Duke Adelheid’s mouth opens. He wants to demand a more precise explanation from Cesar, who is making remarks that he cannot understand. When Carmendorff sees this, he feels his mind turn completely blank.
‘Fuck! Fuck! Damn!’
I wish I had died on the spot.
Instead of crawling out into the world like this, suffering from burn wounds that melted in the hot flames… it would have been easier for Caesar himself if he had accepted death on the spot.
Selfish thoughts filled Karmendorf’s mind, but it didn’t matter to Karmendorf. He just felt dizzy at the thought that his position was on the verge of falling to the bottom.
His brilliant mind began to work hard to come up with a solution, but instead, his overloaded mind began to spit out thoughts bordering on delusion.
‘…If I hadn’t killed him then.’
And finally.
‘Even now, that mouth must be shut!’
Karmendorff ended up making the worst decision.
– Taang—!!
It was the biggest misjudgment of his life, coming from the hot and cold barrel of a gun.
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