As Hamtal revealed his name, two men dressed in suits entered the reception room.
Each man carried a briefcase, and an unsettling sense of authority radiated from them.
Theobald, who had been watching them carefully, noticed a black bird tattoo with laurel held in its beak inked on the side of their necks.
‘…An ordinary businessman?’
As Theobald shifted his gaze from the men, he looked at Hamtal with a meaningful glare. Based on the aura and the subordinates Hamtal commanded, he seemed more like the head of a powerful mafia organization than a regular businessman.
‘And even so…’
The purpose of securing the funds remained unchanged.
Theobald forcibly ignored the rising discomfort and finished a handshake with a business-like smile.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. I’ve prepared some refreshments, so why don’t we sit and have a chat?”
Hamtal nodded calmly.
Thanks to this, Theobald was able to guide Hamtal to the sofa in the reception room and began a modest explanation of his business.
The textile factory in question produced both civilian goods and war supplies, ensuring a constant flow of work. Thanks to mechanized production lines, the speed of fabric production was unparalleled.
“…I believe we’ll soon secure a government contract as well. In that case, it would amount to providing you, Mr. Hamtal, with a steady stream of profit.”
Confidently concluding his presentation, Theobald smiled broadly, as if assured that the other party would open his wallet.
Hamtal didn’t seem to be far off from Theobald’s expectations as he nodded and gestured with a wave of his hand.
At this, a man who had been standing behind Hamtal stepped forward and placed the briefcase on the table.
When the case was opened, it revealed a large stack of cash.
Theobald’s eyes gleamed upon seeing this.
“Wow. I realized you were a bold man when I first met you, but I had no idea your generosity was on this scale. I’ll take your placing of an investment as a given, and we can then proceed with detailing the profit distribution…”
Hamtal raised his hand, signaling Theobald to stop speaking.
When silence fell, Hamtal put down his hand and crossed his fingers on his knee.
“I’m impressed. The textile factory is more competent than I thought. Listening to you today gives the impression that it generates consistent profits. However, there’s one regrettable point.”
“Regrettable point?”
“Mr. Beltar, your employees’ hobbies seem to grate on my nerves for some reason.”
“Hobbies?”
Confused by this unexpected remark, Theobald nevertheless felt a strange tension growing.
“Of course, I don’t intend to criticize hobbies themselves. I respect individual freedoms. But I find the activities of your employees quite abnormal and concerning.”
Though the tension escalated, suspicion began to arise.
“Still, if it doesn’t harm me, I won’t interfere. However, I must warn you that your employees’ eccentricities have gone too far recently.”
By this point, the other intelligence agents, apart from Theobald, had also noticed something was off.
They slowly began to reach for the pistols tucked in their back pockets.
The situation was tense, but Hamtal remained calm beyond measure.
Instead of reacting, he quietly extended his hand to pick up a coffee cup and lift it.
This gesture seemed like a provocation to Theobald—a silent challenge.
To provoke yet remain unmoved could imply only one thing.
‘To attack means to die…!’
Breaking out in cold sweat, Theobald shouted.
“Don’t move!”
At the branch manager’s command, the intelligence agents who were about to draw their pistols stopped.
Though most were confused, Theobald knew.
Panting heavily and instinctively, Theobald quickly glanced around.
Through the window, across the rooftop of a taller building than the textile factory, the glare of sunlight reflecting off the scope of a sniper rifle caught his eye.
“Snipers…”
Swallowing hard, Theobald clenched his teeth and glared at Hamtal.
“You’ve positioned snipers.”
If any of the agents had drawn their weapons, their heads would have exploded instantly.
Theobald could do nothing but feel an overwhelming sense of fear from the man sitting in front of him.
Not just from the threat to his life. No, it was not that.
The root of the fear was Hamtal’s knowledge of the true identity of the Palencia Branch.
With no other option but to play it low, Theobald took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
“What purpose does your visit here serve?”
Hamtal did not immediately respond to Theobald’s question.
He merely savored the aroma of his coffee and shot an emotionless gaze.
After taking a sip of coffee, Hamtal quietly placed the mug down and spoke.
“I am simply here to let you know that you’ve meddled with the wrong person.”
“I don’t quite understan—”
“Do you know a person named Daniel Steiner?”
The silence between them stretched.
Hamtal, having repositioned the mug precisely as it was before, leaned back slightly.
“We are uneducated people. Most of us have been deprived of the chance for education, having been cast out by society. Frankly, we couldn’t fully understand your reasons for wanting to harm Daniel Steiner.”
Hamtal pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and unfolded it.
“If you were asked, you’d probably give a self-important and lofty explanation about the nation’s ideals or a lofty concept, no doubt. But those ‘nations’ and ‘ideals’ are strange things to us. Born as slaves, we never had a nation, and without the ability to realize dreams, we couldn’t conjure ‘ideals’.”
Hamtal dabbed his mouth and folded the handkerchief in half.
“That’s why we sought with all our effort to claim even one city as our own. We attempted negotiations using the most humane methods possible—sometimes resorting to violence. But all our efforts were in vain. The kingdom was far more corrupt than we had imagined.”
Hamtal tucked the handkerchief back into his pocket.
“We were exhausted and ready to give up—ready to admit that no matter how hard we tried, the world would never change. But then Daniel Steiner appeared. He viewed discrimination based on skin color as a sin and governed with benevolent rule.”
A smile appeared on Hamtal’s lips.
Nevertheless, his eyes remained fixed and unmoving upon Theobald.
“As a result, the city changed. That’s when we realized—one word from a powerful individual could be more effective in improving the world than the countless cries of the powerless.”
“…So you’ve chosen Daniel Steiner to change the world?”
“Our thoughts align with his. Isn’t he a man worthy of our loyalty?”
Hamtal removed the smile from his lips and continued speaking.
“And yet, you dared to attempt to kill Daniel Steiner.”
Theobald’s gaze shifted downward.
He simply could not meet Hamtal’s eyes.
“As much as my heart wishes to settle everything here and now, I’ll restrain myself this one last time. Causing a commotion on the day of the coronation of Daniel Steiner is not something he would wish for either.”
Hamtal stood up.
In a room where all were frozen, only Hamtal and his subordinates could move freely.
“But if you offend him again, know that it won’t end with just a warning.”
Hamtal glanced down at Theobald with a chilling stare.
“Answer me. Theobald Verne.”
When Hamtal mentioned his real name, Theobald’s shoulders trembled slightly.
A name he had kept hidden from all but intelligence agents—Hamtal knew it.
This meant that Hamtal had already secured someone affiliated with the Palencia Branch.
Exhaling through closed eyes, Theobald had no choice but to nod.
“I understand.”
Upon receiving the response, Hamtal slowly moved away.
As Hamtal and his subordinates passed through the room like statues, the frozen agents gradually stepped aside to clear his path.
Behind him followed his subordinates.
As Theobald heard Hamtal’s footsteps fading away, he took a deep breath and stared at the pile of money before him.
The stack of cash, sitting there as if to say “This is the price of your life,” felt unsettling.
Clutching his forehead with his trembling hand, Theobald clenched his teeth.
Just as he was about to figure out where the breach of information had occurred, one of the agents knelt before him.
“Director! Our branch’s location being exposed means that…”
He knew. They were practically in Daniel Steiner’s grasp.
With Daniel Steiner’s organization watching them, escaping from the web would be nearly impossible.
“Right now…”
Overcome with anxiety, Theobald clenched his fists.
“Summon Plarte. Daniel Steiner must have conveyed his message through her. Understanding what he wants from us must come first.”
Even as Theobald issued the order, he couldn’t shake off his unease.
‘What sinister plan is Daniel Steiner plotting…’
He had no clue.
