98
A Man Like a Pearl in the Mud
Sebastian wasn’t one to miss this opportunity. He arranged a meeting with Canaris. Of course, the representative sent by Canaris this time was Otto Layer.
He had lost some weight. His once friendly-looking face was haggard, and perhaps because of that, his bad personality seemed more apparent. He had dark circles under his eyes, and above all, the irritating smile that usually lingered on his face was gone. Something must have happened to him.
It couldn’t be otherwise.
The Security Bureau was looking for him. Not just looking, but searching with the intention of filleting him alive if they found him. And his value within Canaris had dropped considerably. How could his situation now, where he’d be buried alive without Canaris’s protection, compare to when he was useful as a spy within the Security Bureau?
He must feel like he’s walking on thin ice every day. So now he has those vicious wildcat-like eyes… No, wait. Wildcat doesn’t quite fit that round uncle-like face, does it? That’s unfair to wildcats.
“Damn it, listen!”
Otto Layer suddenly directed an angry outburst at me.
“Me?”
“Hey, why do you always ignore a third of what people say and think about other things? I’ve been curious since the Security Bureau. Why do you do that, seriously!”
Layer shouted at me as if he had pent-up anger. While I was just going “Hmm” without being able to say anything, Nakaban, who had been listening to Layer’s whining grumbles, exploded.
“Don’t you know why? It’s because you don’t talk about the meeting agenda, you keep saying the same thing over and over, talking about the past, and acting like you’re still a subordinate to a relationship that’s already over, showing no tact, no sense, and no common sense!”
Oh—
It was quite a sight to see Nakaban, who couldn’t say anything to Sebastian whom he so (because of the high salary) revered, and who had been patient with me, Sebastian’s fiancé, now unleashing his anger on this former public servant who had played the role of a Canaris spy.
“Are you done talking?”
“You whined for an hour, and I spoke for just 10 seconds, and you’re asking if I’m done? Do you have no brain? Of course I’m not done!”
I thought when an evil organization met with good citizens, the meeting would take place in a grand atmosphere, but no, it was a mess. Well, Security Bureau people are always like this. Often, when love affairs break out within the same company, other places might file lawsuits or have exposure wars on company bulletin boards, but our company people first pull out their guns.
Otto Layer and David Nakaban, who were practically strangers, instantly became mortal enemies and started fighting, pointing fingers at each other. I slightly moved my chair closer to Nakaban’s side. Even though Layer looks like that, he’s eaten Security Bureau cafeteria food for a long time. I had to get within rescuing distance of Nakaban in case Layer pulls out a gun and goes crazy.
“Stupid bastards like you are ruining this country. Do you think your life will improve by getting crumbs from Riegel? Don’t be ridiculous. You’re just a tenant farmer. You’ll live like that just as your father did, and because you’re ruining our noble cause like this, your kid will live like that too!”
“Wasn’t there someone like you in the past? Didn’t that mustached bastard in Western Europe ruin his country completely by making a fuss about creating a ‘great fatherland’ just like you? You’re exactly the same as those guys. You say that for the return of communism, some sacrifices are unavoidable, and that mustached bastard said it was okay to exterminate a few small races for the great world of the Aryans.”
“Who are you comparing me to!”
“I’m comparing you to the same kind of bastard, why!”
What did we come here to talk about again…?
As I was touching the wood grain on the table and watching the two of them, Sebastian, who was sitting next to me, suddenly picked up a water glass and casually threw it at the wall. With a violent sound, the glass shattered into pieces, and only then did the two turn to look at Sebastian.
“Let’s end the recreation time here. I’d like to discuss important matters.”
He continued without expressing any regret for the two office workers who were panting from fighting due to lack of physical strength.
“So what your ‘group’ wants is energy products.”
There’s no one here crazy enough to say “energy bomb.” The single phrase “energy products” is sufficient to convey the meaning.
“Cover 35% of the purchase price and connect us with the seller, Leonov.”
“Of course, we would be very pleased if Mr. Riegel would join us, but we understand your position. After all, with the Riegel Group and being responsible for the livelihoods of numerous people, including that vermin, it would be difficult for you to fully join us.”
What is this crazy bastard saying? Sebastian, join with you bastards? As I was about to jump up and grab him by the collar, Sebastian grabbed my hand under the table, as if he knew what I was going to do.
“I’m grateful that you understand my position. I just want the Riegel Group family to be safe. Is my position clearly understood?”
“Of course.”
“Whether the world changes or not, Riegel doesn’t care. Riegel is just Riegel.”
Sebastian spoke in a tone that was not just elegant, but almost arrogant. It seemed like the first time I’d heard him speak so abstractly since I got to know him. He always had a corner that made people uneasy with a slight “hmm” and a smile, but… what the hell is this nonsense? You’re going to get revenge on Canaris, aren’t you?
“I understand.”
I didn’t understand, but Layer said he understood and smiled like a merchant. I mean, a business smile that’s just pure kindness without a shred of soul.
Sebastian took out a thin booklet from a file of documents.
“Leonov is prepared. However, given the nature of the item, it’s not something that can be purchased just like that. And the item is a system that’s operated by one authorized person. So we need one person who will be responsible for that item. This is the catalog. For security reasons, we can’t give this to you, and you must return it to us as soon as you’ve seen it. Do you agree?”
Layer looked at the booklet in Sebastian’s hand with bewildered eyes. It seems he hadn’t expected that they wouldn’t even give out the catalog. After pondering for a moment, he agreed with “Alright,” and Nakaban took the booklet from Sebastian’s hand and passed it to Layer.
Layer quickly flipped through the booklet, and after a few minutes, he frowned.
“This is more like a user manual than a catalog, isn’t it? There’s no explanation about the item, just content about usage, like ‘authorized person’ and ‘key’.”
Sebastian smiled gently.
“Mr. Layer. You were originally from the Security Bureau. And now you’ve become a spokesperson for Canaris. Your position has been too volatile for us to build trust, and the time to accept those changes has been short. So I have no choice but to ensure safety. I believe that you, who held a high-level management position in the Security Bureau, will fully understand what I’m saying.”
By this point, he seems amazing. While I’m trying to jump out saying “This bastard!” and even Nakaban is making a fuss saying “You’re worse than a son of a bitch!”, how is Sebastian so elegant in the midst of all this? How can he be like this? He seems like he’d be elegant even if you stripped him naked and made him train in the dead of winter, which is a bit scary. I’ve both undergone and conducted a lot of that kind of training, and it’s normal for both me and the guys being trained to be a sniveling mess. But he seems like he’d be the male version of the Ice Queen…
“Of course, I understand. But for a deal to be made, don’t you need to provide at least some basic information?”
What’s even stranger is that Layer, who was just exchanging insults with Nakaban, is now as polite as if he were an intellectual of this era. How is this possible?
“What you’ve just seen is the basic information. One authorized person must meet with Leonov and his technicians. Arrange your own security. And that authorized person can set the ‘key’.”
“According to this booklet, you can set a key that can activate the bomb within a designated time. This key is…”
“A person. The ‘authorized person’ Leonov refers to means the trading party he deals with. Leonov only deals with one person from a group. His profession is somewhat… sensitive. He doesn’t want his information exposed.”
Sergei Leonov. A legendary figure who would certainly be at the front or in the top two or three if you lined up all the arms dealers in the world. I’ve never even seen his shadow, let alone his face, but you know such a Leonov? Wow, I’m not sure if it’s the chaebol that’s amazing or if it’s amazing that our country’s chaebol is no different from a semi-mafia.
Sebastian took a sip of tea from his cup and gave Layer a warm look.
“The deal you want to make necessarily involves these things. I’ve seen the bombs you’ve been using. Most of them were homemade bombs. You’ve accomplished what you wanted with those bombs, and that’s very impressive. But it’s unfortunate that your precious comrades lost their lives in the process of achieving that. It can’t be helped. Your bombs were so unstable that someone had to take responsibility for them until the end. It might be okay for you since you’re expressing your cause and are prepared to throw away not just your lives but even more for it. I’m not arguing about the value of life here, but pointing out your amateurism. Isn’t it too… clumsy? Those who have been there for a long time might think this method is natural, but in Mr. Layer’s case, you’ve worked in a cutting-edge place in a rational way, so you’ll understand what I’m saying. So I won’t go into a long explanation.”
By this point, Layer must know that Sebastian is subtly needling him. He keeps saying “You’ll understand, right?” in a deceptive manner, how could he not understand? Yet Layer kept his mouth shut. Why? With that temper, you’d think he’d yell at Sebastian or Riegel. Has Sebastian’s elegance gotten to him?
For whatever reason, Layer said “I understand,” and with a faint smile, he only offered a handshake to Sebastian before turning away. You petty bastard, I didn’t want to shake hands with you either! I was about to kick him, but I feel like I’ve been rejected because I was a few seconds late. I feel frustrated.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
