For eighteen years, he has survived in an army unit where few soldiers live more than two or three years. Now he finds himself in circumstances where his life is a living hell. Will the soldier who defied death find that life is too great a challenge?

Soldiers, spies, slaves, rebels, assassins, gods, and men who set out to break him . . . The Lieutenant of the Border Mountain Patrol will learn that his greatest test is himself.

MAY 2025 EDITION CONTENTS

1: Acknowledgment Whistle. "When I was nine years old, my father told me that a man's life is determined by fate, and that any attempt to escape that fate can only result in a twisted spirit."

2: Probable Danger Whistle. "I knew, of course, that the chances of our meeting again were next to nothing, but stranger events had happened in my life, strengthening my belief in fate."

3: Immediate Danger Whistle. "I reflected that this was one fate I had not expected."

4: End of Hunt Whistles: Alive, Dead, and Lost. "'Somehow our fates must be bound together.'"

Side story: Light and Love. In a world where two people who love each other must enter into the role of antagonists, what will preserve their love?

Side story: The Fire Before. The god's fire is fierce, but not as fierce as the god's wrath if you turn away.

Side story: Hidden Blade. His father is a dull farmer. His mother is a dull farmer's wife. He seems destined for a similarly dull life. But then a stranger appears in their village, and suddenly the talk is of soldiers and spies and secrets and gods. Will he be able to break free of his father's legacy and make a bold dash to a life of his own?