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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 7: The Deal
Ram obediently lowered his head, waiting for Terdin’s decision.
He said nothing, nor did he try to elaborate on unasked details.
He had learned proper etiquette when dealing with masters or nobles, lessons instilled through beatings so severe they could have killed him.
Survival depended on mastering it.
It was the only way to avoid being beaten—or at least beaten less.
But even then, he was still beaten.
The army was no different in essence, only in form.
Adhering to the protocols wasn’t difficult for him.
Ram always behaved just deferentially enough, always sufficiently servile to keep his superiors in good spirits.
In some ways, the military was more comfortable; at least they didn’t beat you without reason.
Ram did his best to show the utmost respect to Terdin, but he wasn’t sure if he was succeeding.
Terdin, standing before Mantum’s head, seemed irritated.
Despite carefully choosing his words to avoid tarnishing Young Master Zenri’s honor, it appeared Ram hadn’t done enough.
The old warrior’s face was older than Mantum’s, deeply lined with wrinkles.
Even during moments of rest, he didn’t remove the armor over his chest.
Though he didn’t fight on the frontlines for tactical reasons, his seasoned aura suggested he could easily cut down most young knights in one stroke if he picked up a sword now.
Ram found himself calculating how one might kill someone so strong head-on.
He quickly shook off the treacherous thought, bowing his head deeply and shutting his eyes tight in an effort to dispel it.
“You did this alone... is that right?”
Terdin muttered, repeating the same question.
Ram still couldn’t respond.
When the master spoke to himself, a slave wasn’t to react, wasn’t to wonder what the words meant or how they might help.
They weren’t to presume the master’s intentions.
Nor were they to prepare in advance for any possibility.
A slave was only to follow direct orders—no more, no less.
Even so, Ram couldn’t help but guess Terdin’s thoughts.
There could only be one reason for such deliberation.
A slave not only allowed his young master to die but also left his body behind!
What greater crime could there be?
He should have kept quiet from the start.
Sure, the young master gave him the orders, but he could have said he didn’t go with him and was sleeping somewhere in the camp.
How could they prove he was killed by wolves in enemy territory?
But just as Terdin had said, one lie would lead to another.
Lies would pile up until they became uncontrollable, and the punishment then would be far worse.
Honesty was safer, after all.
That was how Ram had been taught.
Now there was no turning back.
The only son of Baron Selken was officially dead as of today.
Ram, fearing the punishment that awaited him, clung to a final hope.
Please, let it be an execution by beheading.
That’ll hurt the least.
Ram waited for Terdin’s command, unsure if he was deciding on a punishment or deliberating how to inform Baron Selken.
Perhaps he was even contemplating rallying the army to retrieve Zenri’s body.
“Did you hear a sound from the sky?”
Terdin’s sudden question caught Ram off guard.
“Yes. I heard it when I crossed the stream on my way here.”
“Was it related to you?”
Ram was puzzled.
“What do you mean... related?”
“It had nothing to do with you, correct?”
“None at all.”
“Of course not. That will suffice.”
Terdin murmured again, lost in thought.
“This won’t be easy to clean up.”
It was a while before he spoke again.
“This might be a pointless question, but how did you kill Adian?”
Ram found it odd that Terdin wasn’t asking about Zenri but answered dutifully.
“I stabbed him in the neck.”
“Did he resist?”
“There was little resistance—I attacked from behind.”
“Were you seen?”
“I wasn’t.”
“Not even when you left?”
“I used the same path to enter and exit. No one saw me.”
Zenri hadn’t managed that.
“Can you keep this matter to yourself?”
That was the easiest part for Ram.
Though, of course, he didn’t phrase it that way.
Baron Selken had always drilled this point into him:
Keep your answers short.
Show no emotion.
“Yes.”
“Then listen carefully to what I’m about to say. This concerns not only your life but mine as well.”
So he was worried about Baron Selken after all?
Even a commander who could control Triton Kingdom’s entire military force wouldn’t take the terrifying baron lightly.
Ram replied with a resolute expression.
“Yes.”
“A mere soldier brought back the head of an enemy leader—not just any general, but the great chieftain revered as a living god by the Geronian tribes, who united ten tribes.”
Ram couldn’t guess where Terdin was going with this, so he gave another curt reply.
“Yes.”
“You claim to have acted under Zenri Selken’s orders, but ultimately, you’re in my army. This means I have an assassin capable of killing Mantum in four days at my disposal. What would people think if this became known?”
Ram answered honestly.
“I don’t know.”
“Let’s strike a deal, Ram.”
It was a phrase he’d never heard before.
A deal?
He’d only heard the word when attending to stewards or butlers making purchases.
Sometimes, he heard it when slaves were traded.
Ram’s job was to carry the goods, not to engage in deals—that was for nobles.
“Yes, Commander.”
“I want you as a weapon. In return, tell me what you want. I’ll take you as mine, and you’ll get what you desire.”
Ram deliberated for a long time before interpreting it his own way.
“Does this mean I’d no longer belong to Baron Selken but to you, Commander?”
Trading slaves was also referred to as a deal.
Ram hoped he wouldn’t become the subject of such a transaction.
He’d heard that slaves sold away from Selken’s estate endured daily beatings, starvation, and worse.
‘You think you’ve got it bad? Other slaves get beaten, starved, and raped every night. You should be grateful!’
Terdin barked at him.
“I have no intention of keeping anyone as a slave.”
“But I am a slave. As far as I know, I can’t escape that until I die.”
“Can’t escape until you die, you say?”
Terdin burst into laughter.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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“Then it’s simple. You’re dead. You died in battle not long ago. That young master of Selken you mentioned? He was killed by wolves, wasn’t he? Perfect. You died too. The wolves devoured your body, so it couldn’t be recovered. There’s no way our army would move for the corpse of a mere slave. A record alone will suffice. You’ll be officially declared dead in all our military records.”
Terdin’s words sounded to Ram like a death sentence.
He was terrified.
“What happens to me then?”
“You’ll just stay as you are.”
It didn’t make sense to him.
“If someone asks who I am, what should I say?”
"Tell them you're on a secret mission for General Terdin. Stay by my side. Stick close to me and do as I say. Among nobles, such a person is called a 'shadow.' No one will find it strange that I have a shadow. If you say you're Terdin's shadow, you won't have to explain yourself to anyone."
"There are many in the garrison who will recognize me."
"Shadows don't show their faces. Cover yours with a hood or helmet. You don't need to speak either. Shadows are meant to be voiceless."
"But I..."
Ram blurted out something he himself found absurd.
"I need to retrieve Master Zenri's armor."
"What?"
"Well..."
Ram stammered as he continued.
"…When crossing the stream earlier, Master Zenri had to remove his armor. It would have sunk him because of its weight... I heard it was an incredibly valuable piece."
"And?"
Terdin neither laughed nor seemed amused by the strange notion.
"So... to inform Master Selken of his son's death and deliver his belongings, I need to recover the armor. I should carry it personally to him and—"
"Carry it personally and deliver it? And what happens to you after that?"
"I'll probably... be executed. For allowing Master Zenri's death."
"Then you don't need to give it to him."
"What?"
"No need to retrieve the armor. If it's valuable, whoever finds it will strike it lucky. There's no need for you to claim it."
"But to Master Selken..."
"When the son is declared deceased, our administrative officers will handle notifying the father. The king's apology and condolences will be sent, followed by compensation. You're considered dead, too. Even the value of a slave will be assessed by the officers and paid out as part of the compensation."
"Then... I won't be executed?"
"How can you kill someone who's already dead?"
"But if Master Selken recognizes me someday... and orders me to return to my former master..."
"As I said, keep your identity hidden. If you're discovered, simply say this: you are now the shadow of Iliam Terdin and take orders only from him."
Terdin emphasized his words.
"If the Commander of the Triton Kingdom's army chooses to keep a slave, no mere local lord will dare object. Though they might file a suit."
At that moment, the sound of a horn echoed.
It was not an imagined sound from the heavens this time but a real trumpet.
An aide's urgent voice called from outside.
"General, torches are rising from the enemy camp!"
"Everyone, prepare for battle. I'll be out shortly. Wait for me."
The general spoke as if in haste, yet his actions betrayed no urgency.
Ram hurried to prepare to leave, but Terdin gestured for him to calm down with a flick of his finger.
"Sit. I didn’t say you could go."
"But when the command for battle preparation is issued, I must report to my assigned position."
If he were late, his unit commander would dole out severe punishment.
Depending on the circumstances, he might be executed on the spot—a threat his commander constantly hammered into him.
‘Do you think lopping off the head of trash like you will even make it into the records? Get over here! If you're late, I'll slice off a chunk of your backside. You'll have to sit crooked for the rest of your life!’
"You don't need to go. From now on, I'm the only one in this army whose orders you must obey. No one else."
Terdin spoke casually.
For Ram, it was an unimaginable declaration, hard to believe.
"This proves what you said earlier. The enemy must now realize Mantum's head is gone. There's no need for us to hurry."
Terdin rested his chin on his hand.
"Now, Ram, it's your turn to state your demands. Whatever my authority allows, I'll grant it. That's the deal."
Ram's mind went blank.
The chaos outside made him anxious to leave.
He wanted to rush to his commander and take his position, explaining that he wasn't late.
Otherwise, he'd lose a chunk of his backside—or worse.
"I don't wish for anything. I just want to return to my post."
"If that's truly what you want, I could allow it. But neither you nor I truly desire that. We must both get what we genuinely want. Only then will betrayal be impossible."
It was a strange thing to say.
Ram couldn't even imagine betrayal.
Why would the general mention it?
He would simply follow orders, whatever they might be.
Whatever they might be.
"This isn't a command between a master and a slave, or a general and a soldier. It's a pact, bound by trust, between two people. You do what you can for me, and I grant you what you desire. If that trust becomes more precious than life itself, only then does it become a true vow."
Terdin's eyes shone with a fervor Ram had never seen before.
"Ram, become my shadow. What do you desire from me?"
For the first time in his life, Ram desired something he had never dared wish for.
The words he believed would bring him punishment and death tumbled out of his mouth.
"Free me from slavery."
"That's all?"
"I desire nothing more."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Terdin said nothing.
The commotion outside grew louder, making Ram feel increasingly uneasy.
"If that's all, I have nothing to add. Because you've already obtained it."
"I still don’t understand. How is that possible?"
"I told you. From this moment, you are my shadow. You have no name. You are nothing. You leave no records. How could such a person be a slave? All you have to do is keep this secret. Can you do that? If you can, from the moment you leave this tent, you are no longer a slave."
It was simple.
It had always been.
He just had to do as he was told.
It seemed no different from being a slave.
But if it meant escaping Baron Selken's punishment and avoiding blame for his son's death, it was nothing at all.
"Yes, General."
"Any questions?"
"None."
"My promise holds as long as I live."
"Thank you."
After speaking, Ram found the words strange.
It felt more like a warning.
Only after bowing and leaving did Ram notice the faintest hint of fear in Terdin's gaze.
It was the look Ram often saw in the eyes of those he killed.
‘Why is he afraid of me?’
In truth, Ram could kill Terdin at any time.
He just had no intention of doing so.
‘Could he have sensed that thought?’
When Terdin left the tent, Ram stood behind him, following.
The aide, Aedun, started to report to the general but froze in shock.
"You wretch! How dare you stand behind the general!"
As Ram instinctively lowered his head and stepped back, Terdin spoke.
"What did I just tell you?"
Ram flinched, then returned to his place behind the general and addressed the aide.
"I am General Terdin's shadow."
"Where should a shadow be?"
"Behind."
"Then that's your place."
The words were directed at the aide as much as they were at Ram.
Though confused, the aide said nothing further to Ram.
Ram didn't understand the situation either.
But it was simple enough: the person he had to serve had changed from Zenri to Terdin.
Amid the growing chaos outside, Ram realized that, in the end, Zenri's plan had succeeded.
The war was over.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!w
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