Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

Before nightfall, Binaeril and his group decided to replenish their supplies. They bought food, selected new clothes, and stocked up on herbs. All the purchased items were stored in a magic pouch gifted by Dean Yulio.

“This thing is amazing every time I see it,” Sylvia marveled.

No matter how many items they bought, they all fit into the pouch, reducing in volume arithmetically and in weight geometrically. Only the purse containing their travel money remained tied to Rike’s waist. She enjoyed walking with the pouch of gold coins, liking the jingling sound it made with each step.

“Are you really buying all this?” the shopkeeper asked in surprise.

“Yes. How much is it altogether?”

While Binaeril and Sylvia picked out items in the general store, Rike sat on a bench across the street, swinging her legs. Street children gathered around her, as she loved talking to them.

“It’s five Florin silver coins,” the shopkeeper declared.

“What? That’s too expensive!”

“Oh my, look at this girl. I’ve already given you a huge discount! Selling it at this price is practically a loss!”

Sylvia handled most of the haggling. Despite her noble origins, she had a knack for bargaining that was almost unbelievable.

“Take three coins.”

“How much are you trying to knock off?”

After a persistent negotiation, Sylvia and the shopkeeper reached a dramatic compromise of four Florin silver coins. Sylvia even added a special agreement to buy more items from this store if they needed anything else.

“You really won’t starve wherever you go,” Binaeril remarked, observing the long and tense negotiation.

“Is that a compliment?”

As the two bickered, the shopkeeper asked, “You seem like travelers. Where are you headed with all this stuff?”

“We’re going to the capital,” Binaeril replied.

“The imperial capital?”

“To go around the Hoenberg would be a long way. But you have a lot of stuff for that. There are quite a few villages along the way around the mountain.”

“We’re going through Hoenberg to Edenver.”

The shopkeeper’s eyes widened in shock as if she had heard something unthinkable.

“You’re going to cross the mountain range?”

“Oh my, you must be out of your minds. Don’t you value your lives?”

She then launched into an unsolicited lecture about the dangers of Hoenberg.

“It’s not safe. That place is no place for young travelers like you. The terrain is incredibly high and rugged. If the tough path was all, it’d be one thing, but once you’re out of human reach, who knows what monsters live there. Even the Empire has long abandoned trying to control the Hoenberg mountains.”

Of course, they were already well aware of this information.

“Yes, we know,” Binaeril said.

“Kids these days don’t value their lives… tsk, tsk, tsk.”

Her concern seemed genuine rather than intrusive, so it wasn’t irritating. To avoid further scolding, Binaeril changed the topic and asked about Bruno.

“If there are so many monsters in Hoenberg, how come Bruno City is still safe?”

The shopkeeper looked up at the western wall instead of answering directly.

“Because of that.”

She pointed to the massive stone walls surrounding Bruno City.

The walls of Bruno had an unusual shape. The eastern wall, where Binaeril and his group had entered, was old and relatively low. In contrast, the western wall facing the Hoenberg Mountain Range was twice as high and looked much sturdier. It gleamed, suggesting regular maintenance.

“They’ve fortified the wall well on the mountain side. And here’s a secret.”

“A secret?”

“There’s a mage protecting this city.”

“A mage?” Sylvia asked, looking puzzled.

Unlike near Elfenbine or other areas outside the Empire, mages were rare within the Albrecht Empire due to a long history of persecution.

“Yes. The soldiers keep quiet about it, but everyone knows that a mage is protecting this city.”

“…Interesting.”

While there were many stories about official mages from Elfenbine or wandering mages, tales of mages settled in one place were rare. Most mages had died fighting demons, and those who survived had returned to Elfenbine. For Binaeril, this was new information.

“Is this mage well-known?” Binaeril asked cautiously.

If the mage were famous, the Elfenbine-born wouldn’t be unaware. And if the mage wasn’t famous, it seemed unlikely they could protect a large city alone.

“His name is Sorisimon.”

Binaeril and Sylvia exchanged glances. Neither had heard of the name before.

‘Don’t jump to conclusions. He could be a skilled mage even if we haven’t heard of him.’

‘I didn’t say anything.’

After traveling together for a while, they had become adept at communicating through glances.

“Sorisimon is very dignified. He even made the talisman hanging in this shop.”

“A talisman?” Sylvia asked.

In one corner of the shop, there indeed hung a talisman with red scribbles on it.

“Yes! It’s a talisman to ward off demons. Every house in this city has one of Sorisimon’s talismans. And he only charges five silver coins each!”

Coincidentally, it matched the amount they had been charged. Binaeril found it hard to shake the reasonable suspicion that the shopkeeper was trying to extract talisman money from them. But a suspicion was just that. One thing was clear.

‘It’s a scam.’

‘Definitely a scam.’

Binaeril and Sylvia exchanged looks, confirming they were on the same page and silently agreed not to say anything.

“Rike, can you pay here?” Binaeril called.

“Oh, yes,” Rike replied, untying the coin purse and handing over the silver coins.

“We need to get more food,” she said.

“Huh? We’ve stocked up plenty. Don’t we still have some jerky left?”

“Um…”

Rike pointed to the children she had been talking to. The street kids were busy sharing something to eat.

“We have plenty of money anyway, right?” Rike said.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Binaeril sighed.

With the special agreement in effect, they bought more food from the same place and then headed to their lodging for the night.

“Take care, kids,” Rike said as she hugged one of the children goodbye.

“Bye, pretty sister! Take care!” the kids waved enthusiastically as they left.

Their lodging for the night was the Primrose Inn, located on one side of Bruno. Binaeril had become increasingly picky about choosing their accommodations. They avoided places that were too large and flashy, knowing it wasn’t beneficial for young travelers to flaunt their wealth. Likewise, they steered clear of places that were too shabby and old, wanting to ensure Rike, the princess, had at least minimal comforts. They also avoided inns with too many guests to prevent potential trouble and stayed away from places with unfriendly-looking owners.

The Primrose Inn fit the bill perfectly: clean, moderately sized, and even quiet. The only remaining concern was the quality of the food, which varied greatly from one inn to another—a true hit or miss.

“Just lodging, or will you be dining as well?” the innkeeper asked.

“We’d like some decent bread, stew, and pie, please,” Binaeril replied, swallowing nervously.

“Very well.”

Binaeril watched the middle-aged innkeeper disappear into the kitchen with a tense expression. Now, all they could do was hope.

Having traveled westward for a long time, the group was desperate for a good meal. Pickled vegetables and salted meat had been novel for a day or two, but after weeks, they were starting to become nauseating. Binaeril looked at the two girls seated at the table with similar expressions and declared solemnly, “The die is cast.”

Nodding in unison, the two girls acknowledged his statement. Binaeril sat at the table, quietly waiting for their fate.

“What do you think about what we discussed earlier?” Binaeril asked.

“About the mage?” Sylvia replied.

“Yeah.”

Sylvia rolled her eyes upward, rubbing her chin. “You haven’t heard of him either, have you?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“What are you talking about?” Rike asked.

Binaeril explained about the mage selling talismans.

“Chasing away demons with talismans?” Rike echoed.

“That’s impossible,” Sylvia said. Creating magical artifacts required not only a skilled mage but also the right materials and a master craftsman. It wasn’t something a single mage could make easily. Moreover, the idea of talismans that could repel demons sounded like an outright scam—none of them had ever heard of such a thing.

“If it were possible, they’d just hire mages to hunt down the demons in the first place,” Binaeril said.

“So, should we tell people?” Rike asked.

“And say what? ‘A fake mage is ripping you all off!’?” 

It was unfortunate, but it wasn’t their concern. They hadn’t been swindled, after all.

“Let’s not get involved in matters where we don’t know the people and can’t see it through to the end. The talismans might be fake, but he could still be a real mage.”

Through their short journey, they had learned not to meddle too easily.

“Here’s your meal,” the innkeeper announced, breaking the heavy mood as he brought the dishes.

“Wow.”

The smell was promising, and despite the rough appearance, the food looked quite appetizing.

“This is potato stew, here’s bread, and this is venison pie.”

With trembling fingers, Binaeril cut a piece of the pie and tasted it. Jackpot! Today’s fortune wasn’t so bad after all.

“This is delicious, sir!”

“Your cooking is amazing!”

The excited reactions of the girls made the innkeeper laugh heartily.

“Haha! I used to be an herbalist, so I got good at cooking for myself. People always told me I should quit being an herbalist and open an inn.”

The warm and tasty food almost brought tears to their eyes. Binaeril gave a thumbs-up, praising the former herbalist’s culinary skills. He felt like giving a standing ovation.

“Enjoy your meal, and let me know if you need anything.”

“With food this good, why aren’t there any other customers?” Sylvia asked.

“Bad luck, I guess. This city doesn’t see many travelers. The inn barely gets by. Ever since the Hoenberg pass was blocked, people stopped coming through.”

Come to think of it, apart from the traveler they met at the village entrance, there weren’t many people around.

“Once you’re done eating, I’ll prepare a bath for you, so take your time.”

Binaeril called out to Eden, offering her a piece of freshly baked bread. Eden, with a bright smile, grabbed the finger-sized piece of bread and enjoyed the feast.

-What about my share?

‘You ate plenty of magic stones recently.’

-Hmph. So my mouth is just a mouth, but someone else’s is just a snout?

Binaeril ignored the grumbling voice amidst the joyful feast. He went to bed that night with a full belly, feeling content and ready for a peaceful sleep.