Shadow Oath

Chapter 13. Count Badio (2)

Badio, upon leaving Terrdin’s tent, immediately went looking for Knight Jenabin.

As a count, such trivial matters should have been handled by a servant.

Regardless of different affiliations, calling a knight or two to his tent to give a report while half-reclining on the bed was hardly unusual.

But Badio handled it himself.

He couldn’t stand the formalities of ordering a servant, waiting for the slow execution, receiving the report, and then meeting Knight Jenabin with the appropriate etiquette.

Who has the time to wait for all that?

Badio asked around briefly and quickly found Jenabin.

“Knight Jenabin, I heard you attended to the chieftain.”

Badio approached Jenabin with a friendly tone.

Jenabin had been discussing with others which knights should lead the king’s escort.

It was an important matter.

However, when Badio called, he stepped away from his colleagues and stood beside him.

“Yes, Count. I did.”

“What did you do?”

“Not much.”

“I’d like to hear about that ‘not much.’ Specifically, what exactly did you do?”

Jenabin furrowed his brows, recalling.

“I brought him a meal once… prepared water when he asked to wash… well, that’s about it.”

“Did that savage try to pry into our military secrets?”

“No, not at all.”

“How can you be sure? He could’ve subtly asked something you didn’t catch.”

“He didn’t say a word.”

“Not a single word?”

“Yes. The Grand General said he seemed to understand a little Southern speech, but there was no way to confirm. I didn’t speak to him either. He never even stuck his head outside the tent.”

Badio nodded as if it made sense.

‘Well, even if he’s a spy, he wouldn’t act immediately after being captured.’

“Do you know how old this so-called chieftain is? I couldn’t tell because of that fancy helmet he was wearing when he was captured.”

“I’m not sure. He looked young, but their faces are so peculiar, aren’t they?”

Though Badio had lost interest in Jenabin’s words, he feigned curiosity and asked another question.

“What was his condition like?”

“For someone captured, he was surprisingly composed. I was once taken as a prisoner myself. Even though I knew my parents would pay the ransom, I still cowered in a corner, trembling. But that one… he seemed less like a captive and more like he had come to rule over us.”

Perhaps realizing he had spoken too much, Jenabin abruptly stopped.

“My apologies.”

“It’s fine. Thank you. Go ahead with your duties.”

Badio dismissed him with a wave, as if granting mercy, and Jenabin gladly returned to his colleagues.

The discussion about who would lead the escort likely continued for over two hours.

Badio made his way directly toward the tent where the chieftain was confined.

Located not far from Terrdin’s tent, the chieftain’s tent stood isolated, over twenty steps away from any others for ease of surveillance.

Two guards stood watch, and at that moment, ‘Terrdin’s Shadow’ emerged from the tent.

He carried empty bowls, likely from serving food.

Suddenly, Badio felt a pang of hunger, realizing he hadn’t eaten while wandering around.

‘Good, just who I needed!’

Badio strode toward him.

The man’s face was concealed by a helmet and hood.

Now that he thought about it, Badio couldn’t even recall the color of his eyes or hair.

Looking closer, his hair was black, though the hood obscured whether it was long or short.

As the man noticed Badio, he stepped aside and bowed, positioning himself as if to guide Badio toward the tent’s entrance.

Badio changed his mind.

‘Let’s see the chieftain’s face first. I can deal with this one anytime.’

He addressed the man.

“Stay here for a moment. I have something to say to you later!”

The man obediently replied.

“Yes, Count.”

Just as casually as when he barged into Terrdin’s tent earlier, Badio headed toward the chieftain’s tent.

But as he was about to step inside, two spears crossed in an X to block his chest.

“You cannot enter, Count.”

Inside the tent, the chieftain sat on the bare ground.

He had no blanket, yet he didn’t seem uncomfortable.

Stripped of his helmet and armor, he wore nothing but a thin piece of fabric.

His shoulders and slim waist were exposed, revealing smooth, pale skin.

Northern people, who rarely saw the sun, were usually paler than Southerners, but this one’s skin was unusually clear.

Having only seen brutish, rugged Northern warriors, this one didn’t even seem like a Geran.

With long, flowing red hair cascading over his shoulders, he looked more like a woman than a man.

‘My son is fifteen, and he looks older. No, my son has some bulk and rough skin, but… this one must be at least sixteen.’

Why would the Gerans follow such a child as their chieftain?

The Gerans, who detested being looked down upon, had chosen this boy?

The young chieftain stared intently at Badio.

Badio wanted to enter and question him but couldn’t proceed past the crossed spears.

“Move these spears.”

Badio spoke threateningly, but the guards didn’t budge.

“You may not enter.”

“Do you not know who I am?”

Badio bellowed.

The guards glanced at Terrdin’s Shadow, who calmly replied.

“General Terrdin specifically ordered that no one but ‘him’ may meet the chieftain.”

Frustrated, Badio stepped away from the tent.

Yet, the guards didn’t lower their crossed spears.

‘Disrespectful brats. When I become the commander, the first thing I’ll do is fire both of you.’

Badio turned back to the Shadow, who had waited as instructed.

Grabbing the man by the collar, Badio was surprised by how light he was, despite his large frame.

He had thin limbs and a slender neck.

Compared to the burly knights Badio employed, he felt like a scarecrow stuffed with straw.

“Tell me who you really are.”

Badio glared into the man’s eyes through the helmet.

“I’m not sure what you mean, sir…”

Before the man could finish, Badio knocked the bowls from his hands.

The wooden bowls clattered loudly on the ground.

“Speak now. How can you stand at General Terrdin’s side?”

“That’s…”

The man hesitated, choosing his words carefully.

Suspicious.

His behavior and demeanor didn’t resemble that of a noble.

And yet, he was clearly calculating.

Low-ranking soldiers or commoners didn’t behave this way.

“…Because I am the General’s Shadow…”

“Don’t be ridiculous. How could someone like you attend to the enemy chieftain?

Such tasks should be handled by someone of command rank.

The chieftain may be young, but he’s as good as a king.

How is it that someone like you is entrusted with this role?

Who are you, really, that General Terrdin values you so highly?”

“I don’t know.”

The man bowed repeatedly, his actions resembling those of a slave under Badio’s domain.

Badio pressed further.

“You didn’t exist until recently. Then you suddenly appeared, claiming to be a Shadow. You appeared right after Mantum’s death, didn’t you? Are you connected to Mantum’s death? It was the day after the trumpet sounds from the sky, wasn’t it?
Are you connected to that? Which is it?”

The man couldn’t answer.

“Can’t answer, can you? Disobedience to a superior is grounds for immediate punishment.”

Badio placed his hand on the sword at his waist as a warning.

The guards stationed at the tent didn’t move, even at the sight of Badio’s sword.
While Badio didn’t actually have the authority to punish any soldier arbitrarily, the guards couldn’t stop a count from drawing his blade.

Finally, the man spoke.

“A Shadow has no mouth.”

“Then what is that mouth making noise right now?”

The man lowered his head and continued bowing.

“I am only a Shadow. I am nothing, and because I am nothing, I cannot say anything.”

No matter how Badio looked at him, the man was strange.

He bowed and submitted without appearing servile.
Even when scolded, he said everything he needed to say.

“You must be relying on General Terrdin’s favor. Soon, I’ll expose your true identity and make you pay for taking ‘my position.’”

Badio raised his sword, though he didn’t unsheath it. With Terrdin’s loyal guard dogs watching from the tent, he couldn’t afford to harm Terrdin’s Shadow.

Instead, Badio tapped the covered nose of the man’s helmet with the hilt of his sword.

“Just wait until then.”

The man asked in a hesitant voice.

“Excuse me, but I don’t quite understand what position I’ve taken from you, my lord.”

That cautious remark ignited the anger Badio had been holding back.

“The seat at the negotiation table for the surrender should have been mine—Ril Badio, Lord of Norralin!”

Badio raised his sword to strike but restrained himself and turned away.

‘I need to find out who this man is.
Then I’ll uncover what Terrdin is hiding.’

How could he find out?

Badio quickly remembered that the personnel records were kept in the supply depot.

Once again, he acted personally.
He didn’t have time to summon a servant, wait for the report, and make adjustments if necessary.
Who has the time to wait for all that?

“Supply Officer!”

The supply officer ran toward Badio the moment he saw him from afar, sparing Badio the effort of walking to him.
The supply depot was practically empty, so there was little need for strict security.

“Yes, my lord!”

“I want to see the records of the person acting as General Terrdin’s Shadow.”

“Shadow, you say?”

The supply officer didn’t understand what Badio meant.

“Have you not seen him? The man who’s always around General Terrdin lately. He always wears a helmet to cover his face and a hood over his head.”

“I’ve been serving since the early days of this war, but I’ve seen General Terrdin less than three times.”

“So you haven’t seen him?”

“No, I haven’t. After all, isn’t it Adun, the adjutant, who handles the Grand General’s affairs? I see the adjutant often, but he’s never come with someone wearing a helmet and hood. Even when he came to erase records a few days ago, he didn’t have a companion…”

“Erasing records?”

The supply officer clapped a hand over his mouth, realizing his slip.

“He ordered it as a military secret.”

Badio burst into laughter, deliberately loud.

“Do you know who I am? I’m a commander privy to the most critical secrets without needing your input. I am the administrative officer of the North, directly appointed by the royal family. Every record you write is sent to the royal family through me. Even the records you erase are erased through me. Your insignificant actions as supply officer are of little importance to me.
I’m merely curious.”

The supply officer scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly.

“Yes, but he insisted it had to remain confidential.”

Badio’s expression turned serious, and he spoke in a cold tone.

“You’ve been on this assignment since the start of the war, haven’t you? That means your salary has been delayed for over a year.”

“Well, yes…”

The supply officer continued scratching the back of his head.

“A year is long enough for you to forget that I’m the one who stamps your salary vouchers.”

The supply officer’s face went pale.

“If you were to die in the war, that voucher would be all that’s left for your wife and children. Did you know that quite a few lords forge the vouchers of deceased soldiers? By changing a single digit, 100 nobles turn into 10. By altering one word, a gold noble becomes a silver crown.”

Badio patted the supply officer’s shoulder.

“Of course, the reverse is possible too.
How much is your guarantee amount?”

The supply officer flinched and answered.

“With the winter allowance, it’s about 35 nobles and 50 crowns.”

“What? Did you say 50 nobles and 35 crowns? You’d better be careful not to mix those numbers up. Isn’t that right? As a supply officer, you should know these things well.”

The supply officer swallowed nervously.

“Yes, of course. I’m very cautious about such things.”

Badio gently patted the supply officer’s shoulder and asked quietly.

“What records did Adun erase?”

The supply officer glanced around and whispered.

“…He ordered the deletion of a record about a noble named Zenri Selkon and his slaves.”

“What’s the name?”

“I don’t know. The document was burned, so I don’t remember the name well. Oh, but I do remember one thing.”

“What is it?”

“You know, the night when the trumpet sounded from the sky. Do you remember it?”

“Of course I do.”

“That night, Zenri Selkon came to me and requested a supply item.”

“A supply item?”

“Yes, and he still hasn’t returned it.”

“What was it?”

The supply officer made a circle with his hands, roughly the size of his head.

“It was a leather pouch about this size.”