I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 128

As soon as Hamtal revealed his name, two men dressed in suits entered the reception room.

Each of them carried a briefcase, and their presence exuded a strange sense of intimidation.

Observing them closely, Theobald noticed a black bird tattoo clutching a laurel branch imprinted on the side of their necks.

‘...A simple businessman, you say?’

Theobald withdrew his gaze from the men and looked at Hamtal with a meaningful glint in his eyes.

No matter how one looked at it, based on the aura he gave off and the subordinates he commanded, Hamtal seemed far more like the head of a mafia organization than a mere businessman.

‘But even so...’

The objective remained unchanged—he needed to secure funding.

Forcing himself to ignore the creeping sense of unease, Theobald maintained his business smile and completed the handshake.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. I’ve prepared some refreshments. How about we sit down and discuss matters?”

Hamtal gave a calm nod.

With that, Theobald guided him to the sofa in the reception room and began his modest business presentation.

He explained that the textile factory produced not only civilian goods but also wartime supplies, ensuring a steady stream of work. Furthermore, the factory's mechanized production lines allowed for a significantly higher textile output than its competitors.

“...And on top of that, we’re on the verge of securing a government contract. Once that happens, Mr. Hamtal, you’ll be assured of stable returns on your investment.”

Confidently concluding his business pitch, Theobald grinned widely.

His explanation had been flawless, and his expression revealed his certainty that the man before him would open his wallet.

It seemed he wasn’t entirely wrong, as Hamtal nodded before raising a hand with a slight gesture.

At that signal, one of the men standing behind him stepped forward and placed a briefcase on the table.

When the clasp was undone, the thick stacks of cash inside became visible.

Theobald’s eyes gleamed at the sight.

“Well now, I had an inkling that you were a bold man from the moment we met, but I didn’t expect you to be this magnanimous. Then, I take it you’re ready to invest right away? In that case, let’s move forward with the detailed adjustments for profit distribu—”

Hamtal raised a hand, cutting Theobald off mid-sentence.

A heavy silence fell over the room. Hamtal then lowered his hand, clasping his fingers together atop his knee.

“I must say, I’m impressed. Your textile factory is more well-established than I had expected. And from what I’ve heard today, it does seem to be generating stable profits. However... there is one disappointing aspect.”

“A disappointing aspect?”

“The hobbies of your employees, Mr. Belter. For some reason, they have been bothering me quite a bit.”

Hobbies?

At the unexpected comment, Theobald felt both confusion and an odd sense of tension creeping up on him.

“Of course, I have no intention of criticizing someone’s personal pastimes. I believe in respecting individual freedom, after all. However, I find it concerning that your employees’ activities are bordering on the unacceptable.”

The atmosphere grew heavier. Suspicion began to bloom.

“If their behavior doesn’t affect me directly, I have no reason to involve myself. However, their recent actions seem to have crossed the line of what can be ignored, and so I thought I’d issue a warning.”

At this point, even the other intelligence officers in the room, aside from Theobald, had begun to sense something was off.

Slowly, their hands moved toward the pistols hidden in their back holsters.

The tension was on the verge of snapping, but Hamtal remained far calmer than anticipated.

Instead, he silently reached out, lifted a cup of coffee, and took a sip.

To Theobald, it looked like a provocation—an open dare to make a move.

A person who could taunt an opponent without displaying the slightest hint of agitation...

There was only one conclusion to be drawn from such behavior.

‘The moment we attack, we die...!’

Cold sweat ran down Theobald’s back. He shouted loud enough for his voice to echo through the room.

“Stand down!”

At the command of their superior, the intelligence officers froze, their hands halting just before they could draw their weapons.

None of them fully grasped the situation, but Theobald did.

His breath had become ragged without him realizing it. His eyes darted around, frantically scanning his surroundings.

Beyond the window, on the rooftop of a building taller than the textile factory, something caught the sunlight and flickered.

A sniper scope.

“...A sniper?”

Swallowing hard, Theobald clenched his teeth and turned a glare toward Hamtal.

“So, you had a sniper positioned.”

Had any of his men drawn their pistols, their heads would have been blown apart in an instant.

From Theobald’s perspective—having barely averted that gruesome fate—Hamtal was no longer just an adversary. He was a looming specter of terror.

Not just because his life had been threatened.

No, the true source of his fear lay in the undeniable fact that Hamtal knew about the Pallentia Branch’s existence.

Realizing that, Theobald concluded that, for now, he had no choice but to adopt a subservient stance.

After taking a deep breath to steady himself, he opened his mouth.

“...What is your purpose in coming here?”

Hamtal did not answer immediately.

Instead, he simply inhaled the aroma of his coffee, his expression devoid of emotion.

Only after taking a slow sip did he finally set the cup down and speak.

“I came to let you know that you’ve messed with the wrong person.”

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“...I’m not sure what you mean.”

“You know the name Daniel Steiner, don’t you?”

Silence settled between them.

After subtly adjusting the placement of his coffee cup, returning it to the exact spot it had been in before, Hamtal leaned back into his seat.

“We are uneducated people. Most of us were denied the opportunity to learn, discarded by society before we even had a chance. That is why, to be frank, we struggle to understand why you are so determined to kill Daniel Steiner.”

Hamtal pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and unfolded it.

“If I were to ask you, I imagine you would respond with great pride, dressing your words in flowery rhetoric—something about the state, about ideals. But concepts like the state and ideals are foreign to us. We were born as slaves, never having a country to call our own, never having the chance to dream of anything greater.”

Hamtal wiped the corners of his mouth with the handkerchief before folding it in half.

“So we struggled relentlessly to claim at least one city as our own. We conducted negotiations as humanely as possible. Sometimes, we resorted to violence. But in the end, it was all for nothing. The kingdom was far more rotten than we had anticipated.”

Tucking the handkerchief back into his pocket, Hamtal continued.

“We were exhausted. We were ready to give up—to accept that no matter how hard we tried, the world would never change. But then, Daniel Steiner appeared. He saw discrimination based on skin color as a sin and governed with righteousness.”

A smile spread across Hamtal’s lips.

Yet, his unblinking eyes remained locked onto Theobald.

“Because of him, the city changed. And that’s when we understood—countless cries from the powerless will never shape the world, but a single word from someone with power can change everything for the better.”

“...Are you saying you chose Daniel Steiner to change the world?”

“His beliefs align with ours. There is no one more fitting to swear loyalty to.”

The smile vanished from Hamtal’s face as he spoke again.

“And yet, you people tried to kill Daniel Steiner.”

Theobald’s gaze dropped downward.

He simply could not meet Hamtal’s eyes.

“If it were up to me, I’d end this here and now,” Hamtal said. “But I will hold back—just this once. I doubt Daniel Steiner would want any disruptions on the day of the coronation.”

Hamtal rose from his seat.

In a room where everyone else remained frozen in place, only Hamtal and his subordinates moved freely.

“But if you dare to disrespect him again, it will not end with just a warning.”

His icy gaze bore down on Theobald.

“Answer me, Theobald Vernot.”

Theobald’s shoulders flinched at the mention of his real name.

No one outside of the intelligence network knew it, yet Hamtal did.

This could only mean one thing—Hamtal had secured an informant within the Pallentia Branch.

Eyes shut and a deep sigh escaping him, Theobald had no choice but to nod.

“I understand.”

Hamtal, satisfied with the response, began walking away.

The intelligence officers, who had remained rigid like statues, instinctively stepped aside, clearing a path for him.

One by one, Hamtal’s men followed after him.

As the sound of their footsteps faded into the distance, Theobald let out a shaky breath, staring at the stack of cash before him.

It sat there, as if mocking him—like a silent declaration that this was the price of his ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) life.

Clenching his teeth, Theobald raised his trembling hand to press against his forehead.

Where had the information leak started? He was just beginning to process the situation when one of his agents approached and knelt on one knee.

“Director! If they’ve uncovered our branch’s location, then that means—”

“I know.”

It meant they were already in Daniel Steiner’s grasp.

With Steiner’s private organization watching their every move, escaping the city was close to impossible.

“Immediately...”

Feeling the weight of urgency pressing down on him, Theobald clenched his fist.

“Summon Platt. Daniel Steiner must have sent us a message through him. Our priority is to figure out what he wants.”

Even as he issued the command, Theobald couldn’t shake his unease.

‘Daniel Steiner’s scheme...’

He had no idea what it could be. But whatever it was, it was already in motion.