Edvol nervously darted his eyes around before swallowing hard.
Deciding it would be best to cooperate for now, Edvol gave a small nod.
Moving cautiously, Edvol walked over to the sofa and sat down opposite Hamtal.
The Black Crow operative disguised as a soldier still had his pistol aimed.
Noticing this out of the corner of his eye, Edvol glanced sideways – but then Hamtal raised his hand.
At this, the operative silently lowered his gun without a word.
Realizing they didn’t intend to kill him, Edvol let out an internal sigh of relief as he looked at Hamtal.
“…What do you want from me?”
Hamtal didn’t respond.
He simply stared intently at Edvol without saying anything.
Silence can often be a powerful weapon.
Feeling the pressure, Edvol began speaking even though Hamtal hadn’t asked any questions yet.
“Are you from the Empire’s Intelligence Division? If so, I’ll cooperate. As you probably already know, it was me who ordered the submarine to open the territorial waters. But that was because the Allied Nations were threatening us! I can provide evidence regarding this…”
Wait.
Edvol hesitated mid-sentence.
His thoughts had suddenly stopped.
‘Was there any evidence…?’
Edvol reflected on his dealings with the Allied Nations.
They always sent someone to give him verbal orders or deliver bribes in person, always in locations where there were absolutely no witnesses.
Additionally, the bribes were always in pure cash, never through bank transactions.
This meant there were no basic documents or communication records whatsoever.
There’s no evidence.
Realizing he’d been played by the Allied Nations, Edvol’s eyes began to tremble.
“Edvol.”
Hamtal quietly spoke while observing Edvol’s state.
“What we want from you isn’t trivial things like that. We merely wish for you to tell the truth to the world.”
Edvol broke out in cold sweat.
The ticking sound from the wall clock seemed unusually loud.
Taking quick breaths, Edvol furrowed his brows.
“I can’t do that. It’s the same as asking me to die, isn’t it? If you’ve come here to make a deal, make a proper proposal.”
Hamtal let out a low chuckle.
“You still see us as agents from the Empire’s intelligence division, don’t you? There’s no cure for stupidity, they say.”
After pondering for a moment, Hamtal nodded.
“Fine. Since we’ve met, let me tell you an old story of mine.”
Hamtal raised his hand and stroked his fingers.
“Edvol, do you know how long it takes for a fingernail to regrow after being pulled out?”
Edvol didn’t answer.
Rather, he couldn’t answer.
If one had lived an ordinary life, they wouldn’t have thought about fingernails growing back after being pulled out.
“It takes anywhere from six months to almost a year. To be honest, it was information I didn’t want to know myself. Pulling out fingernails is truly one of the worst kinds of pain.”
Hamtal softly clicked his tongue.
“When I was young, it was taken for granted that black people would be discriminated against. Though things aren’t much different now, back then black people weren’t even treated as humans. We were considered talking animals, on par with beasts.”
Hamtal chuckled bitterly.
That laugh somehow made the atmosphere heavier.
“I too was just another beast back then, because my master treated me like one. He had a nasty hobby – torturing black slaves.”
Hamtal took off his leather gloves.
The smile disappeared from Hamtal’s face as he looked at his own hands.
“Because of that, I was regularly beaten by my master. My whole body was covered in wounds. Ridiculously, I thought I could endure this much back then. What terrible slave mentality.”
“…”
“One day, it seems my master decided he needed stronger stimulation. He came at me with pliers. That day, I lost my fingernails amidst screams of agony.”
Hamtal turned his hand to show Edvol.
Fingernails that had grown back unevenly were visible.
These were deformations caused by the nails regrowing after being pulled out.
“It hurt. Why did it hurt so much? Later I learned that there’s an excessive amount of nerves under the fingernails, making the pain unbearable compared to even cutting flesh.”
Having put his hand down, Hamtal put his gloves back on.
“Even worse was not being able to hold objects because I’d lost my fingernails. Every time I tried to pick something up, excruciating pain shot through my fingertips, making it difficult to even hold a cup of water.”
“…”
“So I resolved. I would kill the man who brought this hell upon me. That anger alone allowed me to endure years of suffering. Unfortunately, I never got the chance for revenge.”
Hamtal’s eyes slowly closed, then opened again.
“It was because a fellow slave, unable to bear my master’s brutality any longer, snatched a gun and shot him. Can you guess how I felt at that moment? Go ahead, take a guess.”
Judging Hamtal’s expression, Edvol finally managed to speak.
“…I imagine I wouldn’t have been happy?”
Hamtal shook his head with a low chuckle.
“Not at all. My master died too easily. With a bullet to the head, he likely didn’t feel any pain. For him, a peaceful death was an immense luxury.”
“So…”
“In my youth, I was furious. If possible, I wanted to bring him back to life. Bring him back so I could return the exact same pain I endured. I wanted to show him the living hell of neither dying nor living.”
With his laughter subsiding, Hamtal stared directly at Edvol.
“But now…”
An empty gaze held a chilling murderous intent.
“…that anger is directed at you.”
At those words, Edvol gasped in fear.
For in them lay a mysterious terror beyond mere threats of torture.
Watching Edvol trembling in fear, Hamtal shook his head.
“But I won’t do that. I’m not the same as my former master. However, Edvol, if you refuse our offer…”
In the desolate atmosphere, Hamtal continued.
“We will gladly assume the role of demons.”
Looking at Hamtal, Edvol unconsciously lowered his gaze.
He couldn’t bear to meet Hamtal’s eyes.
“This is your only chance. I hope you make a wise choice.”
If you don’t reveal the truth to the world, you’ll see hell.
With that meaning, Hamtal picked up the fedora on the table and put it on his head.
As Hamtal stood up, Edvol, who had been bowing his head, spoke with a trembling voice.
“…Can I ask one question?”
“What is it?”
“If you’re not from the Empire’s Intelligence Division, why are you trying to uncover the truth about the sinking of the official ship?”
Though Edvol had mustered the courage to ask, Hamtal and the Black Crow operative simply chuckled as if it were absurd.
However, the laughter didn’t last long.
Suddenly, the laughter cut off, and Hamtal’s icy voice rang out.
“Don’t you already know? Haven’t you meddled with someone you shouldn’t have?”
Edvol’s eyes widened.
“Could it be…”
He was well aware that Daniel Steiner supposedly had an unknown armed private organization called the Royal Guards.
Just as Edvol realized Hamtal’s identity, a dull “puk” sound hit the back of his neck.
Unable to even scream, Edvol collapsed onto the floor, his eyes rolling back.
Through his fading vision, he could see Hamtal looking down at him.
“Everything…”
His consciousness gradually faded.
Right before losing consciousness, as Hamtal lowered the brim of his fedora, he whispered.
“…is for Daniel Steiner.”
*
Meanwhile, following Princess Selvia’s orders, the Empire’s fleet successfully arrived at Tentarvahem Port after crossing Belanos’ territorial waters.
A magnificent sight it was, with four massive surface combat ships escorting four landing ships carrying search forces and two supply ships arriving at the port, slicing through the sea.
Above them, maritime patrol aircraft circled around the fleet, while several Imperial fighter jets conducted reconnaissance flights over Tentarvahem’s airspace, leading the citizens to initially mistake it for the outbreak of war.
To prevent unnecessary misunderstandings, the fleet commander, upon arrival in Belanos, explained the reason for the troops’ presence to the citizens and ordered a search operation.
Without wasting any time for rest, the troops immediately launched into the search operation.
Among the search forces were members of the Royal Guard, with Colonel Hartmann, responsible for Princess Selvia’s chief security detail, commanding a battalion-level unit.
“We will investigate this nearby coastline! By order of Her Highness the Princess! Search thoroughly!”
Upon Colonel Hartmann’s command, the guards scattered in all directions to begin their search.
Confirming the troops moved efficiently, Hartmann glanced around.
“Abandoned fishing boats and shacks…”
It was a rather dreary landscape.
While enjoying the scenery for a moment, Hartmann decided to inspect one of the shacks when suddenly…
“Hartmann Colonel!”
Turning instinctively at the subordinate’s voice,
“…we seem to have found something.”
At the word “found,” Hartmann immediately approached his subordinate.
There, beneath the sand at his subordinate’s feet, a uniform was buried.
Recognizing it instantly, Hartmann knelt down and dug out the uniform.
The uniform bore not only the National Order of Goryeo Medal but also the Golden Cross Medal.
It was undoubtedly Captain Daniel Steiner’s military uniform.
“Huh…”
Stunned, Hartmann gaped until his subordinate spoke.
“Did someone hide the uniform?”
Coming to his senses, Hartmann nodded.
“It looks like he quickly buried the uniform in the sand before leaving this place. The recent strong winds must have uncovered it.”
“Why would Captain Daniel…”
“Captain Daniel must have realized there were traitors collaborating with the enemy within Belanos at the time of the disaster. So it’s reasonable to assume he removed his uniform to conceal his identity for safety.”
Laying down the uniform, Hartmann stood up.
“Of course, hiding his identity wasn’t the only reason. Captain Daniel surely intended to use the situation of his supposed death strategically.”
“What do you mean…?”
“Think carefully, Lieutenant Pandeim. By using Captain Daniel Steiner’s death as justification, we achieved a bloodless entry into Belanos. What does that imply?”
Now it meant the Prime Minister of Belanos had no choice but to approach the Empire humbly.
Not only had a terrorist attack occurred within their territorial waters targeting the Empire, but there were also suspicions of internal collaborators working with the Allied Nations.
Moreover, with the Empire’s army already stationed in Belanos, the Prime Minister was placed in an extremely disadvantageous diplomatic position.
Realizing this, Lieutenant Pandeim blinked blankly.
“Indeed, the Empire gains significant diplomatic advantages. But why didn’t Captain Daniel inform the homeland? He could have carried out a secret operation.”
“Daniel Steiner fundamentally doesn’t trust allies. Because he doesn’t know who the spies are.”
There was a similar incident previously in the southern part of the Empire.
Daniel went alone to the south without informing anyone inside the Empire and successfully dismantled the Prince’s secret organization.
To deceive the enemy, one must deceive their own side as well.
Hartmann knew very well that Daniel Steiner was the best at utilizing this maxim.
Swallowing dryly, Hartmann looked at his subordinate.
“Report to the homeland that there’s a high probability Captain Daniel Steiner is alive. Her Highness the Princess, who is grieving, will be pleased.”
“Understood!”
Lieutenant Pandeim saluted vigorously before heading towards the radio operator.
After seeing his subordinate off, Hartmann looked toward the city not far away.
Captain Daniel Steiner was definitely operating covertly somewhere in there.
“Though I knew he wasn’t an ordinary person…”
Using his own death for the sake of the Empire, he’s become almost superhuman.
Hartmann felt an indescribable sense of reverence as he swallowed again.
“What schemes is he plotting over there…”
For Hartmann, who struggled to keep up with even one move ahead, the brilliant strategist Daniel’s thoughts were completely beyond reach.
