TürkçeThe old man floundered helplessly on the ground, his clumsy movements betraying his paralyzing fear. When had he become so cowardly? Once, he had been a brave man, making countless risky decisions and standing tall even after facing losses. But now? Now, he was afraid—terribly so. And not of some mystical creature from folklore or legend, but of an ordinary man. In truth, it wasn’t the man he feared but death itself—like everyone else. Death now loomed closer than ever, and the weight of that realization buckled his knees, sending him to the ground.
He lay there for a moment, overwhelmed by a sudden bout of hysteria. Desperately, he writhed and squirmed in disgrace, emitting incoherent sounds, until his eyes landed on a pair of boots. How had he crawled to this spot? Was he still in the room, or had he reached the corridor? Had he arrived?
Terrified, the old man slowly raised his gaze, only to find Frederick standing over him, his face impassive. Overcome with fear, the old man broke down, clutching at Frederick’s boots and sobbing miserably.
“Commander Frederick! Please help me! Albert… he’s going to kill me!”
“Albert?”
“Yes, he’s ready to cast me aside! I am the founder of this organization! After everything I’ve done for him, he dares to betray me. Please, you must help!”
Frederick’s cold expression shifted slightly, revealing a mixture of disdain and pity.
“Maximillian, you’re about to lose the last remnants of the respect I had for you. Get up.”
“You too? Are you going to abandon me as well? I gave you money! Your mission was to protect me—and Germany! But instead, here you are, playing at statesmanship!”
“Don’t worry. This torment won’t last much longer.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Albert will finish you off. And I will not intervene.”
“How can you not intervene? How, Frederick? I thought…”
“You thought what?”
“I thought you were different! From the first moment we met, I knew you weren’t like the others. You are more than what people think.”
“Perhaps you’ve overestimated me.”
“Never! I know you don’t share Albert’s views, and you can defeat him. You are better than this—you can help me!”
“It’s true that Albert and I have our differences. But what would I gain from fighting him? How would division within the organization benefit anyone?”
“This isn’t you, Frederick! This isn’t the man I once knew! Where is the ambitious Frederick I remember? Answer me!”
“Calm down, old man. If you can’t explain things clearly, I’ll leave.”
“I am explaining! Don’t you understand? Albert is going to kill me! I don’t want to die!”
“I know. I’ve known about his plans for some time. He wants to consolidate his influence within the organization.”
“Forget influence! You have to help me somehow. I’ve always managed to look after myself, but this war… it’s worn me down. I’m old now. My hair has fallen out, and I’ve got cancer. I thought I had made peace with death, that I would welcome it with open arms. But I was wrong—so very wrong.”
“What did you think death would be like? Dying isn’t easy, especially when your sins outweigh your virtues.”
At these words, Maximillian fell silent. Frederick was right—completely and utterly right.