Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

After the verbal sparring with Sori, a wave of relief washed over them, and the tension began to dissipate.

“Ugh…”

Binaeril could feel the effect of the anesthetic on his shoulder starting to wear off. Rike watched him endure the pain, feeling helpless as there was little she could do for him. She, too, had exhausted a significant amount of her mana during the ordeal in Wind Gorge.

“Hang in there a bit longer, Binaeril. The spirit priest will be here soon.”

Before long, a stout elderly Miao Tribe woman entered the house where they were staying.

“Are these the children?”

“Yes, they are,” Sori said as he guided her to Binaeril.

“Let’s see… No tail? Did it get cut off?”

“No, priestess. It’s not the tail, it’s the shoulder…”

“Oh dear, if the tail got cut, what a shame.”

“No, not the tail, the shoulder.”

“Poor thing. It brings tears to this old woman’s eyes.”

“…Yes, well, anyway.”

The elderly woman seemed hard of hearing.

“Let’s take a look.”

She fumbled around Binaeril’s backside and suddenly yanked down his pants.

“Grandmother!”

Binaeril was caught completely off guard by the unexpected attack.

The two girls watching found themselves abruptly exposed to Binaeril’s backside. Sylvia quickly covered Rike’s eyes before her own.

“Princess, you shouldn’t see such rough sights.”

Binaeril hastily pulled up his pants.

“Could you please step outside for a moment?”

“Y-yes, of course.”

Blushing, the two girls scurried out.

Binaeril could hear Veritas laughing in his ear.

“The injury is here.”

Binaeril guided the elderly woman’s hand to his wounded shoulder.

“Oh my, no tail and a pierced shoulder too. This needs healing.”

“Yes, yes. Here first, the tail can wait.”

The elderly woman removed the anesthetic herb from Binaeril’s shoulder, causing a wave of intense pain to wash over him.

Her touch was rough, characteristic of an elderly person.

“You took quite a beating. Child, bear with it for a moment.”

She dipped her hand into a bowl of water beside her and then splashed the water onto Binaeril’s shoulder.

“There, there, it’s okay~ It doesn’t hurt at all~”

‘It hurts…’

She soaked the area around the wound with water as well. From the droplets, something began to take form.

“May I ask for your help?”

A water spirit, who had been summoned, nodded and then vanished into Binaeril’s wound. It seemed she truly was a spirit priestess.

‘It feels cool.’

It was a peculiar sensation. It felt like new skin was forming from the cooled area. He couldn’t quite find the words to describe the feeling, as it was something entirely new to him.

“Child, does it feel better?”

“Yes. It feels cool.”

“Let’s see… it looks like it will take about a week for a full recovery.”

The regeneration through the spirit was something Binaeril had never seen or heard of before. Even in Elfenbine, such healing techniques were unheard of.

‘Is this a secret of the Miao Tribe?’

– It’s not magic. It seems to be a form of spirit art.

“Child, you said you spoke with the wind spirit?”

“What did you discuss with the spirit?”

Binaeril gave a brief explanation of the situation. However, he had to leave out parts about the Fragment, which made his explanation somewhat incomplete. The reasons for Zilph falling asleep and waking up… those details had to be glossed over. For some reason, he felt it was best not to mention the Fragment, or the Book of Truth. Especially since Veritas was attentively listening with keen interest.

The grandmother listened to Binaeril’s entire story with her eyes closed, never interrupting him. At a glance, she almost seemed to be dozing off.

“The spirit mentioned that my name is Jinulbam.”

“You said you serve a spirit. Show it to me.”

Binaeril called out Eden. With a curious expression, Eden cautiously emerged.

“Such a young spirit. Truly adorable.”

When the grandmother extended her hand, Eden, uncharacteristically, climbed onto her palm without hesitation. It was the first time shy Eden approached a stranger so readily. On her palm, Eden started to open and close its mouth as if speaking.

“Oh, really? Yes, yes. Of course.”

Though it seemed they were conversing, Binaeril could only hear Jinulbam’s voice.

“Grandmother, are you talking with Eden right now?”

Jinulbam was naturally communicating with Eden.

“It seems it had a lot on its mind.”

“Eden?”

“Yes.”

Binaeril watched as his spirit sat in the grandmother’s wrinkled hand, showing a relieved expression.

“Imagine how frustrating it must have been not being able to communicate.”

“How can you talk with Eden, Jinulbam?”

“If I couldn’t do this, I wouldn’t be called a priestess.”

“What did Eden say?”

Jinulbam paused before answering.

“Child.”

“You have potential. Would you like to learn how to serve the spirits from me?”

It was an unexpected offer.

Rike and Sylvia, with flushed faces, stepped out of Sori’s house.

“It seems the boy’s treatment will take about a week.”

Sori came out and relayed the situation.

“A week?”

“We’ll have to stay here until Binaeril recovers.”

“You’ll need a place to stay for that week.”

Binaeril was receiving treatment at Sori and Simon’s house. Sori guided them to a vacant house where they could stay. It was covered in layers of dust, indicating it hadn’t been occupied for a long time. Sori cleared out the old furniture and created a space where they could rest.

“Is this an empty house?”

“It used to belong to a friend who was captured by humans while hunting.”

Sori’s words carried a weight that left Rike speechless.

“Don’t worry. I don’t blame you for it.”

Whether they liked it or not, this was where they would stay for the next week.

As Sylvia helped Sori clear out the belongings, she made up her mind about something.

“Sori.”

“Yes?”

“While we stay here for the week, could you teach me how the Miao Tribe fights?”

During their climb up the mountain with Simon, Sylvia had closely observed the movements of the Miao Tribe boy. Despite having a similar body structure to humans, Simon moved differently. He was far more flexible, lighter, and more agile than any human.

Every time Sylvia watched Simon, she felt a growing desire.

‘If I could make those movements my own…’

Before meeting Binaeril, Sylvia had been confident in her abilities. She believed she had a unique talent that set her apart from other students. She never doubted that her hard work and the sweat she shed were making her stronger, capable enough to protect the princess.

But outside of Elfenbine, Sylvia encountered too many situations beyond her capabilities. In Fairhill, Rostock, and the battle in Wind Gorge, she realized she was becoming a burden.

Binaeril had such a brilliant talent as a mage. It was ironic; Binaeril, who once envied others for their talent, now found others envying him.

Sylvia wanted to become stronger. Strong enough not to be a burden. Strong enough to protect the beloved princess with her own hands.

Sori looked at Sylvia with a mix of disbelief and amusement.

“What are you talking about?”

“Sori, you’re one of the best warriors in the Miao Tribe, right? Please teach me how to fight.”

“A human? Learning from the Miao Tribe? What’s your scheme?”

“I have no hidden agenda. I am sincerely asking for your help.”

Sylvia bowed deeply.

“Please.”

Rike, dusting off the furniture, watched the exchange with wide, curious eyes.

Sori folded his arms and looked down at Sylvia, still bowed.

“This is absurd.”

“Taking you into the village, giving you a place to stay, treating your injured friend, and sending you off safely—that is the extent of my goodwill.”

Sori’s tone grew harsher.

“And now you want me to teach you our ways of fighting? Do you think I favor humans?”

Sylvia remained silent, still bowing.

“The audacity of humans… It’s truly unbelievable. Why should I?”

“…There is no reason. All I have is my word…”

“Hey, you used that line earlier. Give me a different reason.”

“Ugh.”

The same strategy didn’t work twice. Sori was no fool.

***

“Child, what do you think spirits are?”

It was a question Binaeril had never considered. Spirits were just spirits to him; his main interest was magic.

“Uh… they’re entities… embedded in all things… natural beings, so to speak.”

Lacking prior thought, his explanation became convoluted. Eden was a spirit of the Elfenbine library, a being who resided there, welcoming and assisting visitors.

Binaeril thought, ‘Then what about Zilph?’ Zilph was a wind spirit, embodying the very essence of the wind itself.

While Binaeril was organizing his thoughts, Jinulbam casually provided an answer.

“Spirits are the homeostasis of the world.”

“Homeostasis of the world?”

It was a complex term coming from the stout grandmother.

“Do you understand what that means?”

Homeostasis refers to a living organism’s tendency to maintain internal stability. But this alone didn’t clarify her point.

“…I don’t quite understand.”

Jinulbam’s expression, as Binaeril glanced up, had shifted from the warm visage of a grandmother to the solemn authority of a grand master. For a moment, Binaeril saw a resemblance to Dean Yulio.

“Just as people act according to their will, there is also will within nature. Spirits are the embodiment of that will.”

This was a perspective he had never encountered before.

“Do you know the fundamental difference between humans and the Miao Tribe?”

Another unexpected question. Binaeril offered a rudimentary answer, but Jinulbam once again provided clarity.

“Humans strive to change the world with their power—through war, states, magic… Tail-less ignorants do not know how to revere the world. Those who do not revere the world will not hear the voices of the spirits.”

Binaeril began to understand why spirit priests were so rare, even among the elite of Elfenbine. Jinulbam’s teachings felt like sweet, enchanting secrets of the world.

Binaeril awaited her next words, spellbound.

Jinulbam, at that moment, was not just an old grandmother or a mere priestess of the Miao Tribe. She was a sage.

“Child, remember that life is embedded in all things. Listen to the voices of the wind, the forest, the river, and the earth. That is the only way to serve the spirits.”

Though the answer came easily, Binaeril recognized it as a lesson of golden value.