Shadow's Oath

Chapter 5

[Translator - Jjescus][Proofreader - Gun]

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Chapter 5: The Sound of Trumpets

Running across the plains, Ram arrived at the stream and was about to dive in to cross when he stopped.

The sack containing Mantum's head would get soaked.

But then again, it was a dead man’s head—what did a bit of water matter?

Soon he realized that wasn’t the real problem.

A human head was surprisingly heavy, let alone the axe.

To cross as quickly as possible, he needed to reduce the weight.

Although there were no signs of pursuit, Ram felt someone was chasing him.

In haste, he hurled the sack across the stream with all his might.

The sack containing the head landed somewhere in the bushes beyond the stream.

Then he threw the axe.

It was much heavier, but it spun as it flew and went farther than the sack.

Ram silently swam across the Targef River.

As soon as he crossed, he started

Whenever Ram insisted on meeting the baron in person, even if the baron’s expression was unpleasant, neither the head steward nor the guards stopped him.

This was the protocol, and there was no exception.

For the safety of the baron and himself, it had to be this way.

With Zenri gone, there was only one person left who matched the baron’s stature in Ram’s mind.

‘I must go to General Terdin.’

Ram thought meeting Terdin might be even harder than killing Mantum.

The trembling sound in the sky continued until Ram reached the allied camp, then disappeared as if it had never been there.

* * *

"When will the provisions arrive?"

General Terdin asked.

"Tomorrow…"

Lieutenant Aedun’s voice was filled with despair.

"…I’ll send another courier, General."

"No, don’t bother. I was just checking."

Despair was contagious.

Sending couriers, checking remaining provisions… If the commanders showed anxiety, the soldiers would inevitably feel uneasy.

‘I must be getting old. I’m saying out loud things I used to keep to myself.’

He was exhausted.

More than his body, his mind was worn down by the endless war.

The Geronians’ resistance was fierce, and the morale of the allied forces was plummeting.

‘If winter comes again, we’ll have no choice but to retreat the troops. If we don’t resolve this before then…’

Suddenly, Terdin remembered something and asked,

"By the way, about that sound from the sky earlier…"

It was hard to describe.

[Translator - Jjescus]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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That strange vibration and sound… there were no better words for it.

"…Have you ever heard anything like it?"

"I can say with certainty, in my thirty years of life, I’ve never heard anything like it. Not in battle, not during travel, not at home, not in dreams—never in my life."

The lieutenant emphasized firmly.

"Yes, I’ll say the same thing. In fifty years, on battlefields, during journeys, while sleeping—I’ve never heard anything like it."

Aedun, finding his own expression inadequate, repeated,

"I’ve never even heard of anyone hearing such a sound. To emphasize further…"

"No need to emphasize further."

"My apologies."

"Could it be common in the north?"

"Should we interrogate the captured Geronians about it?"

"No, that can wait… What did the patrols say?"

The lieutenant had stepped out of the meeting and returned to verify something.

“When the sound occurred, I thought perhaps the barbarians were bringing some extraordinary weapon, so I kept watch around…”

“A weapon?”

“Something like a magical weapon from the northern gods that we could never imagine.”

It was an absurd idea, but given how bizarre the sound had been, it wasn’t an unreasonable thought.

“And then?”

“So, I kept watch, but we found nothing.”

Of course.

“What did the soldiers say?”

“They were talking nonsense, likely because they had just woken up.”

“Nonsense?”

“The soldiers gathered near the campfire were sharing their thoughts with each other. When I joined in to listen, most of them talked about the trumpet of the apocalypse.”

He knew it.

This was what he had feared the most.

Mentioning gods never brought good fortune or advantageous strategies.

It always turned things sour.

“You mean the Nine Trumpets of the Dragons?”

“Wasn’t it seven?”

“It’s nine. Aside from that, was there anyone saying anything different?”

“The most peculiar idea was that it was the procession of the thunder god worshipped by the Gerons. It seemed plausible since the Gerons always chant that god’s name in battle. Was it Rahim?”

“Raham.”

The father of gods.

“Yes, they said that god appeared to assist the Gerons since it seemed like we were about to win. It didn’t seem like something to punish them for, but I told them to stop since others might start agreeing… Should I have scolded them?”

“Let it pass. What else?”

The lieutenant pondered for a moment before answering.

“That’s about it. No one seems to know anything specific.”

Of course.

“Where did the sound come from?”

Terdin at least wanted to determine the source.

He didn’t want to think it was coming from the sky—it would only lead back to the gods.

“They all pointed in different directions. Most just said it was the sky, without specifying east, west, south, or north. Two of them claimed it was coming from the ground, though…”

“What about the enemy’s movements?”

“No unusual activity so far, but I’ve doubled the number of patrols just in case.”

“We can’t even let the sentries rest. What a mess…”

Terdin inadvertently showed a side of himself he should never reveal to his subordinates: doubt and hesitation.

A battlefield commander, even if aware they were stepping into a flawed strategy, must never show doubt or hesitation.

Yet, he couldn’t help it now.

‘I’m starting to feel my age.’

When this war ended, Terdin wanted to retire.

He no longer wanted to face these dilemmas.

He wanted to escape the smell of blood and the constant anticipation of death.

“Shall I summon the entire command staff?”

The lieutenant cautiously suggested.

Terdin waved the idea away.

“At this hour? Let them sleep. It’s rare for them to have gone to bed early. Maybe it’s just a landslide. Or a volcanic eruption. Didn’t you say there was a volcano somewhere to the north?”

“That’s possible. When it erupted last year, it caused quite an uproar.”

But it hadn’t made a sound like this.

“Even so, wouldn’t it help to exchange ideas…”

“We’ve already held three meetings yesterday and three the day before. That’s enough. Let’s not fuss over a single sound.”

There wouldn’t be an answer even if they met again.

“You should rest too, Aedun.”

“You should rest first, General. You haven’t slept for days.”

“I know. Rest first, and then I’ll follow.”

“Understood. I’ll go rest for now, then…”

Just then, a guard’s voice called out from outside.

“Who goes there?”

This was followed by a timid but cautious reply.

“A servant of Lord Zenri Selken from the 4th Infantry.”

“What’s your business?”

“I’ve come to see the General.”

Terdin gestured to Aedun, who immediately understood and stepped out of the tent.

“What’s the commotion?”

Aedun shouted.

“This soldier approached carrying a suspicious object.”

Terdin closed his eyes, focusing on the voices outside the tent.

“What are you carrying, soldier?”

“I cannot say.”

“What did you say? Have you lost your mind?”

“My apologies, but I must see General Terdin.”

“For what purpose?”

“I must tell him directly.”

Timid as he sounded, there was no hesitation in his answers.

Judging by his voice beyond the tent, he was quite young.

Maybe eighteen?

“A mere infantryman can’t bypass his immediate superior to meet me. Even meeting me here is already a privilege, and now you wish to meet the General without going through me?”

Aedun was being uncharacteristically sharp.

But given the time and the circumstances, it was understandable.

‘What’s really going on?’

It was rare for a soldier of that rank to come directly to Terdin.

In two years of war, not once had something like this happened.

Even in previous battles, such incidents were almost nonexistent—perhaps just the occasional low-ranking soldier who didn’t recognize Terdin and asked him, “Where’s the General?”

But now, this unnamed soldier was boldly requesting a private audience with the commander of the Triton Kingdom’s army.

‘What could this mean?’

A chill ran through Terdin.

Not once before.

This wasn’t a matter to dismiss with, ‘How dare a mere soldier…’ Perhaps they truly needed to speak privately.

This conversation had to be stopped.

Terdin shot to his feet.

“I came to deliver this.”

But the unknown soldier had already spoken, and Aedun’s next question immediately followed.

“What is it?”

Before Terdin could order, ‘Aedun, let the soldier in,’ the soldier responded.

“The head of the enemy commander.”

[Translator - Jjescus]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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