Shadow Oath

Chapter 7: A Deal

Ram obediently bowed his head and waited for Terdin’s judgment.

He said nothing and didn’t try to add details that weren’t asked for.

He had thoroughly learned the manners needed when dealing with masters or nobles.

Any mistake led to a beating so severe that he naturally became proficient.

That was the only way to survive.

That was the only way to avoid being beaten.

No, even then, he was still beaten.

The army was no different; only the methods had changed.

The context remained the same, so adhering to etiquette wasn’t difficult.

Ram always behaved just polite enough to keep his superiors pleased and sufficiently servile to avoid conflict.

In some ways, the army was more comfortable. At least they didn’t beat you for no reason.

Ram tried his best to maintain his manners before Terdin, but he couldn’t tell if he was doing it right.

Terdin, who sat before Mantum’s head, appeared displeased.

Ram carefully chose his words to avoid offending him and to protect Young Master Zenri’s honor, but it didn’t seem to work.

The old man’s face looked older and more lined than Mantum’s. Even during this rest, he hadn’t removed the armor covering his chest.

Though he didn’t stand at the forefront of battles for tactical reasons, it was clear he could still cut down younger knights in an instant if he wielded his sword.

Ram calculated how he might kill such a powerful man head-on. Then, realizing the dangerous thoughts crossing his mind, he quickly bowed his head and shut his eyes tightly to erase them.

“Did you handle it alone?”

Terdin muttered, repeating the same words.

Ram still couldn’t say a word.

A slave must never react to their master’s monologues.

They shouldn’t try to interpret the meaning, wonder if they could assist, or presume their master’s intentions.

A slave shouldn’t prepare in advance for something the master might ask for later.

They were only to do what they were directly ordered.

Not a step ahead, nor a step behind.

Still, Ram couldn’t help but try to guess Terdin’s thoughts.

There could only be one reason for his deliberation.

A slave not only let his young master die but also left the body behind.

What greater crime could there be?

‘Why didn’t I just stay silent? Even though the young master ordered it, I could have claimed we weren’t together and that he was sleeping somewhere in the barracks. If I’d stuck to that, how would they find out he was mauled by wolves in enemy territory?’

But as Terdin had said, one lie would lead to another, and repeated lies would eventually snowball into an unmanageable disaster.

The punishment for that would be far worse, so honesty seemed the better option.

That’s what he’d been taught.

Now, there was no turning back.

Baron Selkon’s only son had officially died today.

Ram, fearing the punishment he’d face, clung to one final hope.

‘I hope it’s a beheading. That would hurt the least.’

Ram waited for Terdin’s command, pondering whether he was deciding the punishment or figuring out how to report it to Baron Selkon.

Or perhaps Terdin was calculating whether to mobilize the army to recover Zenri’s body.

“Did you hear a sound from the sky?”

Suddenly, Terdin asked.

“Yes, I heard it while crossing the stream on my way here.”

“Was it a sound related to you?”

Ram was puzzled.

“What kind of… relation do you mean…?”

“So, it has nothing to do with you?”

“Not at all.”

“That’s what I thought. Then it’s fine.”

Terdin fell back into thought, muttering again.

“This will be no easy matter to clean up.”

It took a long while before he spoke again.

“This might be a useless question, but how did you kill Adian?”

Ram found it strange that Terdin didn’t ask about Zenri, but he answered dutifully.

“I stabbed his neck with a sword.”

“Did he resist?”

“I stabbed him from behind, so there wasn’t much resistance.”

“Were you discovered?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“And on your way out?”

“I used the same route in and out. No one saw me.”

Zenri hadn’t managed that.

“Can you promise never to speak of this to anyone?”

That was the easiest task for Ram.

Of course, he didn’t answer in that manner.

Baron Selkon had always emphasized this point to Ram.

Keep your answers short and free of emotion.

“Yes.”

“Then listen carefully to what I’m about to say. Your life, as well as mine, depends on this.”

Was he worried about Baron Selkon, after all?

Even if he was a legion commander who could control the entire army of the Kingdom of Triton, someone like Baron Selkon would inevitably weigh on his mind.

Ram answered with a firm expression.

“Yes.”

“A mere soldier brought back the head of the enemy commander. Not just any general, but the great chieftain of the Gerans, revered as a living god and the one who united ten tribes.”

Ram had no idea where Terdin was going with this, so he simply continued to respond briefly.

“Yes.”

“You say you acted under Zenri Selkon’s orders, but in the end, you’re within my army. This means I now hold an assassin capable of decapitating Mantum within four days. If this becomes public knowledge, what kind of misunderstanding do you think will arise?”

Ram answered honestly.

“I don’t know.”

“Let’s make a deal, Ram.”

It was the first time in his life he’d heard such words.

A deal?

He had only heard that term when accompanying stewards or chamberlains to buy or sell goods.

Sometimes it was used when trading slaves.

Ram’s role was to carry the purchased items, not to participate in any deal.

“Yes, General.”

“I want to claim this blade of yours. So tell me what you want. I will take you, and you’ll take what you desire.”

After pondering for a long time, Ram interpreted it in his own way.

“Does this deal mean that my master will change from Baron Selkon to General Terdin?”

He thought of exchanging slaves as a kind of deal.

Ram didn’t want to become part of a slave trade. He’d heard that the slaves sold from Selkon’s castle were regularly beaten.

‘You don’t know how lucky you are! Slaves sold elsewhere are beaten, starved, and raped every single night!’

Terdin bellowed.

“I have no intention of keeping anyone as a slave.”

“But I’m a slave. As far as I know, I cannot escape that until I die.”

“Until you die, you cannot escape?”

Terdin burst into laughter.

“Then it’s simple. You’re dead. You died during the recent battle. You said that Selkon’s young master died to wolves, didn’t you? Perfect. You’re dead too. Your corpse was devoured by wolves, so it couldn’t be recovered. Our army can’t be moved to retrieve the corpse of a mere ‘slave.’ Records will suffice. From now on, all records in this army will list you as deceased.”

Ram felt terrified, as if Terdin truly meant to kill him.

“Then what happens to me?”

“You simply stay as you are.”

He didn’t fully understand.

“What should I say if someone asks who I am?”

“Say you’re on a secret mission for General Terdin. Don’t leave my side. Stay close to me and do the tasks I assign you. Among nobles, someone in that role is called a shadow. No one will question it if you say you’re Terdin’s shadow. You won’t need to explain further.”

“But there are many people in the garrison who recognize me.”

“A shadow doesn’t show its face. Wear a hood or helmet to cover yourself. Shadows don’t speak either. They have no mouths.”

“But I…”

Ram stammered and blurted out something he hadn’t intended.

“I need to retrieve Young Master Zenri’s armor.”

“What?”

“Well…”

Ram fumbled for words.

“When we crossed the stream earlier, the young master had to remove his armor. If it was too heavy, he would have sunk… I heard it’s an extremely valuable item.”

“So?”

Terdin didn’t laugh, as if it wasn’t some absurd joke.

“So… to inform Baron Selkon of his son’s death and deliver his belongings, we need to retrieve the armor. I’ll carry it myself and personally give it to him…”

“You’ll personally give it to him? And then what happens to you?”

“Most likely… I’ll be executed. Because I allowed the young master to die.”

“Then don’t give it to him.”

“What?”

“There’s no need to retrieve the armor. If it’s such a valuable item, whoever finds it will be lucky. You don’t need to be the one to claim that luck.”

“But my master…”

“When the son is declared deceased, it’s the duty of our clerks to notify the father. A letter of apology and condolence from His Majesty will follow, along with compensation. You’re dead as well. The value of a slave will also be appraised by the clerks and included in the compensation.”

“Then… I won’t be executed?”

“How can the dead be executed again?”

“But what if, by some chance, my master recognizes me in the future… and orders me to return to him?”

“As I said, keep your identity hidden. If discovered, say this: You are now Illiam Terdin’s shadow and follow only his orders.”

Terdin spoke firmly.

“When the supreme commander of Triton’s army claims a single slave as his own, a mere provincial lord can’t object. Sure, they might try to file a complaint.”

At that moment, the sound of a horn trumpet echoed.

Ram wondered if it was another sound from the sky, but this time, it was an actual trumpet.

A voice urgently shouted from outside.

“General! Torches are being lit in the enemy camp!”

“Prepare for battle readiness. I’ll join shortly, so stand by.”

Though Terdin spoke with urgency, his actions were far from hurried.

Ram quickly prepared to leave, but Terdin gestured for him to calm down.

“Sit down. I didn’t say you could leave.”

“But when a battle order is given, I must return to my assigned position.”

If he was late, he’d face severe punishment from his unit commander. In some cases, immediate execution was possible; his commander always warned them of this.

“Trash like you—what record would note a missing head? Get here now! Latecomers will lose a slice of their buttocks. You’ll sit crooked for the rest of your life!”

“You don’t need to go. From now on, the only person in this army you’ll take orders from is me. Ignore all others.”

Terdin spoke casually.

For Ram, it was an unimaginable situation, something he couldn’t fully grasp.

“This is another piece of evidence proving your story. The enemy has only now realized that Mantum’s head is missing. There’s no need for us to rush.”

Terdin rested his hand on his chin.

“Now, Ram, it’s your turn to state your demands. Whatever is within my power, I will grant it. That’s how a deal works.”

Ram’s mind was blank.

He still felt anxious, as if he should be heading out into the chaos outside.

He wanted to rush to his unit commander, stand in position, and claim he wasn’t late. Otherwise, he’d lose part of his backside.

“I don’t have any requests. I just want to return to my place.”

“If that’s truly what you want, I can grant it. But neither of us truly wants that. We must each get what we genuinely desire. That way, neither of us can betray the other.”

It was a strange statement.

Ram couldn’t even imagine the concept of betrayal. So why mention it?

He’d do whatever he was ordered to do—whatever it was.

“This isn’t an order between master and slave, or general and soldier. It’s a promise between people, built on trust. You do what you can for me, and I give you what you want. When that trust becomes more valuable than life, it becomes a true oath.”

Terdin’s eyes gleamed with a passion Ram had never seen before.

“Ram, become my shadow. Now, what is it that you want?”

For the first time in his life, Ram wanted something.

At that moment, he desired something he had never dared to before. And he said it aloud, despite believing it would bring punishment and death.

“Free me from slavery.”

“That’s all?”

“I desire nothing more.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all.”

Terdin said nothing.

The noise outside grew louder, and Ram became more restless, unsure of what to do.

“If that’s all, then there’s nothing more to say. Because you’ve already obtained it.”

“I still don’t understand. How is that possible?”

“I told you, didn’t I? You’re now my shadow. You have no name, no identity. You don’t even exist in any records. How can someone like that be a slave? Your only task is to keep this a secret. Can you do that? If you can, the moment you leave this tent, you’re no longer a slave.”

It was simple.

He had always done as he was told.

Doing what he was ordered… it didn’t seem any different from being a slave. But as long as it meant avoiding Baron Selkon’s punishment and escaping responsibility for his son’s death, it was nothing.

“Yes, General.”

“Any questions?”

“No.”

“My promise remains valid as long as I live.”

“Thank you.”

As he answered, something felt off, as if it were a warning.

Only after bowing did Ram notice the faint trace of fear in Terdin’s gaze.

It was the same look Ram saw in others every time he killed.

‘Why is he afraid of me?’

In truth, Ram could kill Terdin at any time.

He simply chose not to.

‘Could he have sensed that?’

When Terdin stepped out of the tent, Ram followed behind him.

Adun, the adjutant, began to report to Terdin but froze in shock.

“You! How dare you stand behind the General!”

Ram immediately lowered his head and began to step back, but Terdin spoke.

“What did I say earlier?”

Ram hesitated, then returned to Terdin’s side and addressed the adjutant.

“I am General Terdin’s shadow.”

“And where should a shadow be?”

“Behind.”

“Then that’s your place.”

Those words were meant as much for the adjutant as they were for Ram.

Adun looked utterly confused but didn’t say another word to Ram.

Ram didn’t fully understand the situation either. But it wasn’t difficult.

From now on, the person he served had simply changed—from Zenri to Terdin.

Amid the commotion outside, Ram realized that, in the end, Zenri’s plan had succeeded.

The war was over.