Shadow Oath

Chapter 20: The King’s Procession

General Terrdin did not stand in the most prominent spot to greet the king but instead waited at the rear of the allied camp.

Adjutant Adun, along with a few knights from the royal guard, stood nearby, with Ram guarding them from behind.

As always.

Even though such an incident had occurred at dawn, nothing had changed.

Ram spotted the vanguard of the procession beyond the distant hills.

Five riders bearing the golden lion banner symbolizing the Kingdom of Triton led the way, followed by the banners of the various knight orders in succession.

Behind them came a mounted cavalry unit, trailed by supply wagons.

The soldiers cheered merely at the sight of the flags denoting the supply wagons.

Amidst the cheers, Ram caught Adjutant Adun muttering.

“I told the soldiers to cheer when the king arrived, but it seems I didn’t even need to issue the order.”

Terrdin chuckled heartily. It wasn’t a lighthearted laugh.

When King Gallant finally reached the allied camp, the cheers reached their peak.

Loaves of bread and chunks of cheese were practically thrown to the soldiers from the wagons.

Adjutant Adun continued to voice his complaints.

“Shouldn’t these supplies have arrived half a year ago?”

“If they had, the king wouldn’t have received this kind of reception. The man knows how to win the favor of his subjects.”

Terrdin muttered in a tone that made it unclear whether he was mocking or praising.

“And distributing them like that? They should have been sent to the supply officers first and then distributed in order….”

Adjutant Adun trailed off with a sigh.

Ram faintly caught him muttering, “Why does Count Badio act as if he’s the general?”

Ram, who hadn’t been paying attention to that side, then noticed Count Badio waving at the soldiers beside the king.

As Adun had put it, Count Badio looked as triumphant as a general returning home victorious from battle.

“My vision isn’t great, so describe who’s standing next to the king.”

Terrdin spoke in a low voice.

The cheers from the soldiers were so contagious that even the commanders were shouting, making it hard for Adjutant Adun, just three steps away, to hear Terrdin clearly.

However, since Terrdin had directed the question to him instead of Adun, Ram assumed it was significant and answered diligently.

“The one wearing the golden crown must be King Gallant, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then who’s the elderly man dressed in luxurious white robes beside him?”

“Does he have a long beard?”

“Yes, his white beard covers his chin entirely. He’s wearing a white hat, wide-sleeved robes, and holding a staff with a red gem at the end. He seems to be just over sixty years old.”

“That’s Archbishop Aikop. For him to appear on a battlefield himself—he must’ve caught the scent of money. If you ever need to address him, be sure to call him ‘Your Grace.’”

“Understood.”

“Keep going.”

“Next to Archbishop Aikop is a man around my age. He has blond hair, is about that height, and rides his horse exceptionally well. He bears the same insignia on his armor as the king. He’s riding ahead of the king and saying something….”

Before Ram could finish his words, the young man spurred his horse toward General Terrdin.

“Are his eyes blue or black?”

Terrdin asked.

Though nearly three hundred paces away and wearing a helmet, Ram discerned the faint glow of color through the strands of hair beneath the helmet.

“They’re blue.”

“Then it’s the second.”

“The second?”

“The second prince, Demion Gallant. The first prince, Ramuel, inherited his father’s black eyes.”

Terrdin let out a long sigh and muttered to himself.

“So that’s how it’s going to be?”

“Pardon?”

“That was truly to myself.”

As the prince passed by the supply wagons, soldiers surged toward him, cheering.

“Prince! Prince! Look over here!”

Voices calling out to him echoed from everywhere.

The royal cavalry hurried to flank the prince and pushed the cheering soldiers back.

Terrdin’s officers also rushed over to command the soldiers.

“Make way! The prince is passing through!”

Yet the soldiers, busy cheering for the prince, barely heeded the orders.

The prince, meanwhile, rode close to the soldiers without much caution, waving back at them.

He even clasped hands with a few soldiers along the way.

Adjutant Adun shouted as though witnessing his child breaking the rules.

“Look! Look! Look! Who knows what the soldiers might do with him so close…!”

The prince continued without stopping and brought his horse to a halt in front of General Terrdin.

The abrupt stop made the horse rear its front legs threateningly before the general.

While it might be considered improper for even a prince to act this way before the supreme general, neither seemed to mind.

“General Terrdin!”

“Prince Demion.”

Terrdin placed a hand over his chest and gave a slight bow.

“I’d jump down and embrace you at once, but my father will be here soon, and he’d say such behavior is unbefitting of a monarch.”

Up close, Demion’s blue eyes shone like jewels.

“If I were to hug the prince as I used to, my back would break. This armor is made of straw and colored like steel—it’s too heavy to wear real iron armor anymore.”

Both laughed heartily.

Demion then guided his horse forward, greeting the other commanders one by one.

“Adun! It’s been a while. Betian, was it since my birthday? Domien, you’re still alive, I see. Boti, the battlefield seems to suit you—it gives you a glow. And….”

The prince paused when he saw Ram. Still smiling, he asked.

“I see a face I haven’t seen before?”

“Introductions can wait.”

Terrdin naturally redirected Demion’s gaze, which had been fixed on Ram, toward the approaching royal procession.

“Was it difficult for you to get here?”

Demion replied while gazing at the slowly advancing royal procession.

“Not at all. Except for the supply wagons getting stuck in the mud for half a day, the weather was favorable, and we didn’t have to rest even for a single day. How about you, General? I heard this war was especially challenging.”

“It was challenging, and it could have been worse. The enemy commander’s skill was exceptional. For a moment, I thought I might lose.”

“They say the god of war is humble. Even General Terrdin starts by praising his enemy.”

Terrdin simply chuckled.

“By the way, Count Badio mentioned on the way here that the barbarian chieftain is my age?”

“He’s not the same age, but he’s roughly in the same range.”

“To think someone so young could be a chieftain! Could I meet him?”

For the first time, hesitation colored Terrdin’s voice, which had previously answered all of the prince’s words with laughter.

“That depends on what His Majesty decides after we speak.”

“Then I’ll go ask my father right away…”

“Please, Your Highness. There’s no rush.”

“Well, that’s true. We have plenty of time.”

Demion made the cryptic remark and walked toward Adjutant Adun, bombarding him with trivial questions about the war—how many enemies were killed, how many allied soldiers died, the costs incurred, the debt owed, and the reparations required.

Adun, though flustered, answered calmly, while Terrdin leaned toward Ram and spoke in a low voice.

“Have you memorized the faces of the prince, the king, and Aikop?”

“Yes.”

“Then withdraw now.”

Without responding or questioning, Ram stepped back.

“Do not stand behind me once the king arrives.”

This was something Terrdin had quietly instructed Ram before the royal procession came into view.

“Other than protecting Jedric, you have no other tasks. I won’t have any reason to call you, and you shouldn’t come to me unless something extraordinary happens. The fact that you cut down Mantum will inevitably come to light in some form, but there’s no need to reveal yourself. The king might summon you personally. If he asks whether you are an assassin, you may answer yes. After that, do not lie no matter what he asks. But you don’t have to tell the whole truth either. The king will say something, and all you need to do is relay his words to me.”

It was a simple task.

Ram had heard similar instructions countless times from his lord, Baron Selkon.

Among the vassals who swore loyalty to Selkon, there were often whispers of “Selkon’s assassins,” with people speculating about their identities.

Selkon had prepared a response in case anyone ever inquired directly.

“I’m just a slave and know nothing.”

Ram assumed that answer would suffice this time as well.

Just as Ram began stepping back, Terrdin whispered softly, ensuring only Ram could hear.

“What happened at dawn—was it taken care of?”

“Yes.”

“No traces will be found?”

“None.”

No one had ever discovered the “targets” whose traces Ram had erased.

Unless Selkon had intentionally left traces as a warning.

After distancing himself from Terrdin, Ram dismounted and mingled with the cheering soldiers.

Shortly afterward, King Gallant and Terrdin met.

The soldiers cheered as the great commander and the king greeted each other.

The two exchanged a few words before the king clasped the general’s wrist and lifted it high.

The cheers were so loud that it was hard to hear what was being said.

Judging from the lip movements, it seemed to be something like, “The greatest general of the kingdom, my brother, my right hand!”

It was a grand display, as it was meant to be.

The soldiers were thrilled, but Ram sensed an odd tension. The atmosphere between the two was far from that of comrades reunited after a long absence.

Terrdin’s gaze had been warmer when he looked at Mantum’s severed head.

At that moment, the old general had seemed to mourn a longtime friend’s death.

In contrast, his gaze toward the king lacked any such emotion.

It was then that Prince Demion looked around as if searching for someone.

He asked Terrdin something before scanning the crowd of soldiers.

Despite the fifty paces separating them and the throng of soldiers, he found Ram with precision, removed his helmet, and beamed with a radiant smile, revealing his golden hair and white teeth.

He even waved.

The soldiers thought the prince was waving at them and enthusiastically waved back.

Ram, unsure if he should wave in return, did nothing.

He had followed the directive to avoid drawing attention from the king but seemed to have failed with the prince. Still, he wasn’t too concerned.

“Someone like me will never meet the prince again anyway.”