The mont he heard the words "If you do not obey, I will kill all of you," Theobald broke out in a cold sweat.
He wanted to believe it was a lie, but given Daniel Steiner’s infamous reputation, the chances of it being true were high.
In the silent conference room, Theobald took several deep breaths before finally speaking.
“...Proof?”
Platt, having lost his usual composure, responded.
"Not long after leaving the grand banquet hall, a pursuer began following . No matter how hard I tried to shake them off, they clung to persistently, as if mocking my attempts. In the end, I was caught in a back alley."
Recalling that mont, Platt's face was filled with terror.
"The ones wearing masks approached as I lay on the ground and said this: 'He wouldn't want a disturbance on the day of the coronation, so this ti, we will let you live.' But they also made it clear—there would be no next ti. They told to think carefully about how I should act."
The conference room stirred upon hearing Platt's story.
The words echoed the sa aning as the ones Hamtal had spoken when he stord in earlier.
Realizing they had been cornered, Theobald clenched his teeth.
"So they know our location, which ans they can strike at any ti. They're treating us like playthings, toying with us at their leisure. That arrogant bastard..."
Even though the situation had turned against them, Theobald had no intention of becoming Daniel Steiner’s puppet.
With his resolve hardened, he finally broke the long silence.
"You all heard that, didn't you? Daniel Steiner sees us as nothing more than stray dogs. He believes he can kill us whenever he pleases."
A low chuckle escaped through Theobald’s clenched teeth.
“To be honest, he’s not wrong. The Pallentia Branch is right in the heart of the Empire. If he wanted to, he could deploy not only his personal forces but also the military and police to surround us. If that happened, we’d be slaughtered like animals.”
Theobald stifled his laughter and looked around at the intelligence officers in the room.
"But the sa applies to Daniel Steiner. We can strike at him just as well. He should have never given us ti. He should have never grown so arrogant! Obedience? Ha! What a disgusting joke!"
Bang!
Slamming his fist on the table, Theobald stood up.
"We swore loyalty to the Allied Nations! Rather than bowing to a filthy Imperial officer, we will fight to the death! Isn't that right!?"
At the sound of Theobald's voice resonating through the conference room, the intelligence officers' eyes changed.
A mont ago, they had been consud by an uncertain fear. But now, what flickered in their gazes was a determination fueled by patriotism.
"Comrades! The ti for decision has co! The mont to eliminate the nace threatening the Allied Nations with our own hands is upon us! Who will stand with !?"
As soon as Theobald finished speaking, two intelligence officers imdiately raised their hands without hesitation.
It was the embodint of the patriotism they had harbored in their hearts.
Pointing at the two, Theobald raised his voice.
"Good! Denders! Kontim! You will co with —disguised and ard with pistols!"
As Denders and Kontim nodded, Rebem hesitantly raised his hand with a worried expression.
It was the sa man who had earlier argued with Denders, insisting they should listen to Daniel Steiner.
"Wait. Chief, even if we disguise ourselves, the mont we step out of the textile factory, we’ll be caught in their surveillance net. That would ruin everything."
"You bastard, again...!"
Denders glared at Rebem as if he wanted to tear him apart, but Theobald raised a hand to stop him.
Because Rebem had a valid point.
“They only know that our base is inside the textile factory, but they don’t know how the underground is structured. If we use the secret passage, we can escape without being detected.”
"Even so, it’s only a matter of ti before we’re discovered."
"Then we strike before they find us."
Hearing Theobald’s firm response, Rebem closed his mouth.
Satisfied, Theobald turned away from Rebem and looked at the intelligence officers.
"Except for Denders and Kontim, who will accompany on the assassination mission, the rest of you will destroy all branch records and prepare to evacuate. If you're lucky, you might escape their surveillance and survive."
One of the intelligence officers, who had been silently listening, finally spoke up.
"Chief, we may survive, but you... you’re definitely going to die."
He wasn't wrong.
Regardless of whether the assassination succeeded ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ or failed, Theobald was as good as dead the mont he took charge.
But to Theobald, who had chosen to fight rather than submit, death was a trivial concern.
"If I can take down Daniel Steiner..."
Recalling his holand, Theobald narrowed his eyes sharply.
"Then my life is a price I'm more than willing to pay."
****
As evening fell, Daniel finished work as usual and headed to a restaurant.
The restaurant, located near the General Staff Headquarters, bore a humble sign that read "Beer Heaven."
Normally, he preferred to eat at the headquarters' cafeteria, but there were tis when he felt like spending money at an actual restaurant for a change of pace.
And so, Daniel now sat at one of the restaurant’s outdoor tables, enjoying a glass of beer with a side of braised cabbage and sausages.
“Mm.”
Lowering his beer mug, Daniel let out a satisfied smile.
"The draft beer here is excellent. I'll have to co back more often."
Awarding the place full marks in his mind, Daniel leaned back, feeling the breeze, and took a mont to observe his surroundings.
Pedestrians strolled leisurely around the fountain, and rchants stood by their stalls, calling out to potential custors.
The scenery was peaceful, almost idyllic, and it put him at ease.
"Good thing I chose to sit outside."
Had he eaten indoors, he would have missed out on this tranquil sight.
Resting his chin on his hand, Daniel allowed himself the rare luxury of zoning out with no worries on his mind.
Every now and then, he took a sip of his beer, bit into his sausage, and simply enjoyed the little pleasures of life.
That was when a voice interrupted his peaceful mont.
“Oh? Colonel Daniel, is that you?”
The unfamiliar voice pulled Daniel back to reality.
Turning toward the source, he found himself looking at an elderly man with a distinctive mustache beneath his glasses.
It was Theobald in disguise.
Of course, Daniel had no way of knowing that.
“Oh! Judging by the uniform, you must really be Colonel Daniel! I never imagined I’d get to see soone I’ve only read about in the newspapers up close! What an honor!”
Daniel had wanted to spend ti alone, but it wasn’t as if he could outright dismiss an old man expressing admiration. Offering a faint smile, he responded politely.
“There’s no need for such formality. I’m just an ordinary officer.”
“Nonsense! Who would ever think of the Empire’s hero as just an ordinary officer? But since fate has brought us together like this, may I join you, if you don’t mind?”
“Oh. Of course.”
Daniel gestured toward the seat across from him, and Theobald pulled out a chair and sat down.
Mimicking the mannerisms of an elderly man, Theobald smacked his lips before casually speaking.
“If I had known, I would have brought my son along.”
“Ah, your son must be quite fond of , then.”
“Oh, indeed. At ho, he always goes on and on about how Colonel Daniel Steiner is truly remarkable.”
As they conversed in an amicable atmosphere, Theobald carefully observed Daniel.
He scrutinized every subtle shift in expression and listened for any irregularities in his tone.
After a brief mont of analysis, Theobald ca to a conclusion.
"He doesn’t know."
From what he could tell, Daniel Steiner had no idea who he really was.
"Well, of course. He would never expect that the very man he backed into a corner would bare his fangs in retaliation. That bastard. Your carelessness will cost you your life."
Just as Theobald had resolved himself to kill Daniel and accept his own death, a waiter approached.
“Would you like to place an order?”
Without much thought, Theobald gave a casual nod.
“A glass of beer and a mixed sausage platter.”
“Understood. One glass of beer and a mixed sausage platter for Mr. Theobald, correct?”
Theobald froze.
He had never ntioned his na.
And yet, the waiter had addressed him—not by a false identity, but by his real na.
A naless fear gripped Theobald as he slowly turned his head, his eyes locking onto the waiter’s wrist.
There, just above the sleeve, was a tattoo—a black bird holding a laurel branch in its beak.
"That’s…"
It was identical to the mark worn by the man who had introduced himself as Hamtal.
That ant one thing.
The waiter was issuing him a warning.
A warning not to try anything foolish.
Theobald’s pupils trembled, but he quickly steadied himself.
Even if he was being watched, killing Daniel Steiner wouldn’t be difficult.
"All I have to do is pull out my pistol and shoot."
Even if he were captured and subjected to brutal torture afterward, he was prepared to endure it.
"All for the sake of the Allied Nations."
Firming his resolve, Theobald reached into his coat for his pistol—
—And then.
Silence.
A suffocating stillness blanketed the entire space.
A man reading a newspaper lifted his head and glared at Theobald.
A couple who had been chatting idly turned to look at him.
Pedestrians who had been strolling past the fountain halted, their gazes fixed on Theobald.
And behind Daniel, several individuals who had been casually drinking their beer had already drawn their pistols.
If he moved even slightly, they would fire before he could even pull his weapon.
“……”
Trapped in an eerie, surreal mont, Theobald was overco by creeping terror.
He finally understood—this entire area belonged to Daniel Steiner.
Slowly, he withdrew his hand from his coat.
The mont he did, the heavy silence lifted, and the restaurant resud its normal, lively atmosphere.
The newspaper reader lowered his gaze.
The couple resud their conversation.
The pedestrians continued their leisurely stroll.
And the drinkers quietly holstered their pistols.
Exhaling shakily, Theobald dropped his gaze.
He no longer had the courage to et Daniel Steiner’s eyes.
Watching him curiously, Daniel picked up his knife and cut into his sausage.
“What’s wrong?”
Stabbing a piece of sausage with his fork, Daniel spoke as if making casual conversation.
“Is sothing about this seat making you uncomfortable?”
At the chilling tone in his voice, Theobald slowly lifted his head—only to see Daniel, completely at ease, casually popping a piece of sausage into his mouth.
On the surface, he appeared full of openings, but there was nowhere to strike.
A faint glimr of moisture welled in Theobald’s eyes as he stared at Daniel.
Only now, after coming this far, did everything beco painfully clear to him.
Silent tears slid down his face as he was overco with despair.
Through those tears, he finally realized—
Daniel Steiner wasn’t being careless.
He simply had the power to toy with his enemies like playthings.
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