Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

“Th-the village chief… ugh!”

The pressure choking his neck made it hard to speak. Oswin barely managed to answer while resisting the invisible force.

“Where is the village chief?”

Binaeril slightly loosened the magical grip around his neck as he asked.

“Haah, haa. The village chief lives in the house across from the inn.”

Oswin was horrified. Did all mages possess such power? However, even Binaeril wasn’t fully aware of his control over his magic at that moment.

“Lead the way.”

The other men were already unconscious. Oswin, being somewhat armored, had managed not to pass out. He didn’t know whether to be glad or dismayed about this fact. The mage boy resembled a demon from a wandering minstrel’s song, with a strangely unfocused gaze and the brutality to burst a person’s head in an instant. Oswin trembled as he looked down at the corpse of Rick, whose head had been shattered.

How could someone with such an innocent face commit such atrocities? If he didn’t comply, he might end up the same way.

“F-follow me.”

Sylvia was also stunned by Binaeril’s ruthless actions. This Binaeril seemed different from the boy she knew.

“Wait inside,” he said with a blank expression.

“Is this really necessary?” Sylvia asked.

Binaeril responded in an even tone, “What’s wrong with this?” 

His voice was innocent, as if he didn’t understand what the problem was. He seemed like a person in a dream. Sylvia felt a sense of incongruity and remained silent.

Binaeril released Oswin from the wall and made him lead the way. When they stepped outside the inn, a few villagers who had heard the commotion were peering curiously. Seeing Oswin emerge first, covered in blood, they exclaimed in shock.

“Oswin, what happened!”

“Why are you in that state, and what’s with all the blood?”

Oswin couldn’t answer because Binaeril followed him out immediately. Binaeril appeared completely unscathed, without a single drop of blood on him. To the villagers, it looked as if Oswin had threatened and dragged out an innocent young boy.

“Did you mess with the mages?”

“He’s lost his mind. Someone, call the village chief!”

The rumor that young mages were staying in this small village had already spread widely.

“What’s all this commotion!”

The village chief of Rostock appeared through the crowd. Oswin felt relieved, as if he had met a savior. Finally, someone else would bear the brunt of this situation.

“That man is the village chief.”

“I know.”

Despite wondering how Oswin knew, since he had been carried here unconscious, Binaeril let him step aside.

“Are you the village chief of this village?”

The chief grew suspicious seeing Oswin fleeing. The mage, who should have been unconscious, was fine, and Oswin, who had been tasked with something, was terrified. The chief thought things had gone awry but decided to brazen it out, as there was no concrete evidence against him.

“Yes. I am the village chief. What is all this commotion in the middle of the night?”

“Did you incite the young men of the village to commit robbery and murder?”

It was a straightforward question. The chief, taken aback by the sheer audacity of it, couldn’t immediately deny it. Gasps of surprise came from the people around.

“W-what are you talking about?”

“So, it is true that you ordered it.”

The chief’s words didn’t matter. The truth was already known through Veritas. Binaeril only wanted to see the chief’s reaction.

He looked around at the people and shouted, “We have no grudge against this village. We endured paying for absurd charges. Is this how Rostock welcomes its guests?”

Certainly not.

“They say you are the kings in a land without a king. You command people with a word, silence the villagers if things go wrong, and quietly end things once our bodies are buried. Is that not so?”

With each of Binaeril’s words, the villagers’ gazes turned colder.

“It’s a false accusation! It’s slander!”

“When a person sins, the king punishes. Then who punishes the king? Do you know, chief?”

“What nonsense are you spouting!”

“For those who have no one to punish them, I will deliver the punishment. Here, receive your punishment.”

Binaeril’s eyes were sad as he lifted the chief into the air. Ever since leaving Elfenbine, they had harmed no one. But people were different. Because they looked young, because they seemed naive, because they appeared wealthy, people showed kindness outwardly but held knives behind their backs.

From today’s events, Binaeril learned one thing: Humans do not respect those they do not fear. So, Binaeril decided to instill fear in them. The sound of the chief’s limbs cracking could be heard as he was lifted. The villagers, unable to stop the young mage, covered their eyes and ears, relieved that it wasn’t happening to them.

As Binaeril’s imagination turned increasingly cruel, someone called his name. It was Rike’s voice.

“Stop.”

Rike, disheveled, appeared at the inn’s front door. Sylvia must have informed her of the situation. Seeing Rike’s terrified expression, the darkness in Binaeril’s heart seemed to lift.

With eyes on the verge of tears, Rike approached Binaeril and said firmly, “Put him down.”

“But…”

Binaeril set the chief on the ground. The chief had already fainted from the unbearable pain. In her flustered state, Rike’s imagination couldn’t manifest properly and kept getting tangled. Despite being in a land abandoned by the Empire, she refused to give up on her people. Sweat beaded on her white forehead as she bit her lower lip, chanting stubbornly, until the chief’s torn limbs healed.

Having finished her healing, Rike looked up at Binaeril.

Her eyes were clear and spotless.

“Rike, I…”

“Binaeril, I’m glad you’re better. Let’s go now.”

The princess didn’t ask anything. Too much had already happened in this village for them to stay any longer.

Binaeril looked around. The villagers were watching them with frightened eyes. It was only then that Binaeril fully realized that he had killed someone.

“…Alright. Let’s go.”

Amidst the silence and reverence, surprise and fear, curiosity and malice of the villagers, the three of them left Rostock.

After leaving Rostock, they bought clothes in the nearest village. These clothes were shabby and old, the exact opposite of what they had worn when they left Elfenbine. Sylvia wore a rusty longsword at her waist that wouldn’t come out of its scabbard, and Binaeril wore a flute with a string around his neck. As for Rike…

“No matter what we do, you stand out too much.”

“Should we smear mud on your face?”

“Not until dirt gets in my eyes,” Rike responded jokingly, but Sylvia took it seriously.

Her loyalty was evident. With her blonde hair drawing attention, Rike decided to wear a long robe with a hood. It was her first time wearing a hood, and she said she found it very comfortable and to her liking. Seeing her happy, for whatever reason, wasn’t a bad thing.

“How much further do we have to go?”

Since leaving Rostock, they minimized their time in villages. They camped whenever possible and avoided interacting with people unless necessary. Before they knew it, they had taken on the scent of travelers.

“We’ve traveled quickly so far, but there’s one place we must visit.”

Sylvia unfolded a map and pointed to a spot.

“Here, Bruno City.”

Bruno City was located at the foot of a mountain. To its west lay the great Hoenberg Mountain Range, which seemed to divide the Empire.

“If we weren’t in a hurry, we’d go around the Hoenberg Mountain Range. But we’ll go straight over the mountains to Edenver.”

The Hoenberg Mountain Range was quite large, so going around it would take time.

“The problem is that Hoenberg is too rugged to pass through without preparation. So we need to make our final preparations in Bruno City before climbing the mountains.”

“Hmm, I see.”

“What do you think? Any objections?”

There were none. Sylvia was the most knowledgeable about the geography of the Empire and was entirely in charge of their travel plans.

They walked diligently and reached Bruno City before sunset. The low-setting sun illuminated everything in sight. The city at the end of the mountain slope looked majestic. With its high western walls and extended bridges, it seemed like a shield welcoming visitors.

Wandering travelers climbing to Bruno City wiped their sweat and exhaled heavily at the sight of the ancient city.

Since it was a rarely traveled place, the smell of the city was a welcome change. The wanderer glanced at his short-term companions who had been walking in the same direction for a few hours.

“Are you all headed to Bruno too?”

The companion, who looked like a wandering minstrel with a flute around his neck, lifted his head to confirm the sight of Bruno. The wanderer was a bit surprised upon seeing his face clearly for the first time. He hadn’t paid much attention before, but the minstrel seemed quite young.

“Yes, we’re going to Bruno.”

“Do you have family there? Or are you going to sing? Bruno City isn’t what it used to be; begging for food might be hard. Looks like you’ve taken the wrong path.”

The minstrel gave a bitter smile. “There’s always a way to make a living.”

As the wanderer scrutinized them a bit more, he felt a sense of unease. Only the one in front carried an instrument. The other two, with hoods pulled low and swords at their sides, didn’t look like minstrels at all.

‘Well, it’s none of my business.’

“Well then, if we meet on the way, let’s say hello. Have a good journey. I’ll be going ahead.”

But he didn’t pry further. He had deeply internalized the unspoken rule among wanderers: don’t delve too deeply into others’ affairs.

As the wanderer hurriedly moved on, Binaeril turned to look at his companions. Their clothes were dirty and worn from frequent camping. Now, even to a stranger, they looked undeniably like beggars… no, travelers.

“Pfft.”

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, really.”

In the classrooms of Elfenbine, Binaeril had long been like a ghostly student. Back then, he wished anyone would notice him. But now, he preferred that no one paid him any attention, just like the wanderer had. Binaeril found this irony amusing. He hadn’t realized before how comfortable and enjoyable it could be to hide behind anonymity.

“Someday.”

“Someday what?”

“I was just thinking that it wouldn’t be so bad to live as a wandering mage someday.”

“…What nonsense are you spouting all of a sudden?”

Sylvia frowned at his frivolous comment, but Binaeril just laughed.

The mountain foothill city of Bruno, with its towering walls, was welcoming them.