Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

With every swing of Sori’s spear, another gnoll corpse hit the ground. Outnumbered, Sori resorted to guerrilla tactics. While the gnolls were cunning and had a keen sense of smell, they lacked Sori’s agility. He darted between trees, picking off isolated gnolls one by one. It was a slow but safe method. When the number of gnolls dwindled to single digits, they began to adjust, standing back-to-back and watching all directions.

The dense forest scent masked Sori’s presence, but the gnolls were no longer being caught off guard. When Sori’s spear pierced through another gnoll’s chest, one of the remaining gnolls grabbed the spear. As Sori struggled to retrieve his weapon, he lost his balance. The gnolls seized the opportunity and attacked simultaneously.

“Roar!”

Sori abandoned his spear and retreated, but he couldn’t avoid sustaining minor injuries. A thin red line appeared along his forearm. He quickly climbed into the trees, but the situation had changed. The gnolls could now pinpoint his location with their sensitive noses. Gnolls were cunning creatures; they knew how to use tools. They began throwing makeshift weapons into the branches where Sori was hiding.

A vine made from twisted tree trunks caught Sori’s ankle. The gnolls worked together to pull him down. The more he struggled, the tighter the vine constricted. A gnoll with a sinister grin pulled out Sori’s spear and charged at him. Sori’s pupils dilated as the gnoll prepared to stab him.

Just then, a clear, young voice echoed through the forest.

A breeze began to blow, starting as a gentle zephyr, then becoming a stronger wind.

Sylvia focused her imagination on the spear in the gnoll’s hand.

“Hold on tight!”

A powerful wind gust made it hard to keep one’s eyes open. The gnolls were blown off their feet by the force of the wind. Sylvia adjusted the wind’s path, sending the spear back to Sori’s feet.

“Human!”

“It’s Sylvia! I have a name, you know!”

Though he tried to hide it, Sori couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief and joy.

“What are these pests?”

The gnolls drooled as they glared at the intruder.

“How dare you drool at a lady? Disgusting.”

Gnolls were as dangerous as dire wolves, creatures Sylvia had faced during her training in Elfenbine. She couldn’t help but smirk. 

Back then, it had been different, but now she was confident she could handle a pack of gnolls, especially since Sori had already taken care of half of them.

“Medicine for the sick, weapons for the skilled, and monsters for the mage. Sori, just watch.”

Sylvia flashed a mischievous grin, just as sinister as the gnolls’.

This was a rare chance for her to unleash her pent-up stress, an opportunity that had been overshadowed by Binaeril’s prowess for too long.

The gnolls, sensing an inexplicable dread, trembled all over. It took Sylvia less than 20 minutes to dispatch the remaining gnolls.

“Not so tough after all,” she said, dusting off her hands with a satisfied expression.

Sori was at a loss for words.

“Hey.”

“It’s Sylvia.”

“Why would someone as strong as you seek my instruction?”

Having watched Sylvia fight, Sori was puzzled. As a mage, she seemed stronger than he was. Her magic was powerful, and her attacks were sharp. Why, then, did she want to learn the ways of the Miao Tribe?

Sylvia kicked the gnoll corpses into a pile, looking at him as if his question was unnecessary.

“Be honest. If I fought you, I couldn’t guarantee a win. Do you really think there’s anything I can teach you?”

“Sori.”

“Could I have defeated these gnolls without using magic?”

From what Sori had observed, Sylvia’s physical abilities weren’t up to that level.

“No, you couldn’t have.”

“But you did. If you had my level of magic, would you have been caught by the gnolls?”

“I would have won overwhelmingly.”

“Exactly. If I could move as quickly and strongly as you while using magic, I would be much stronger than I am now. That’s what I want.”

“For what purpose? Binaeril is probably not a lower-tier mage. And the girl who claims to be a princess was adept at healing magic. Even with strong companions, why do you want to become stronger?”

“Even with those strong companions, we were no match for the spirit of the gorge.”

“Of course, humans can’t compete with a spirit…”

“I’m the princess’s guard. If the spirit of the gorge had been an enemy and had tried to harm her, I would have been helpless and watched my liege get hurt.”

Sori remained silent. Sylvia’s words carried a heavy responsibility uncommon for a girl her age.

“You said you couldn’t risk the safety of the Miao Tribe. I’m the same. I can’t gamble with the princess’s safety on vague hopes that things will be okay.”

Sori felt a connection to her words, understanding her resolve.

“…Every Wednesday, I train the men of the Miao Tribe.”

“Tomorrow is Wednesday. Observing shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve never taught a human before. Any disadvantages will be yours to bear.”

It was a tacit approval.

“Understood, Sylvia?”

It was the first time Sori had used her name.

He quietly approached and helped clear away the gnoll corpses.

“…Yes, master!”

“Don’t call me master.”

On the third day of training, Binaeril adjusted his goal from listening to the voices of all spirits to focusing solely on hearing Eden’s voice.

On the fourth day, possibly due to oversleeping, he no longer fell asleep during breathing exercises.

On the fifth day, Binaeril spent over 12 hours in a state between wakefulness and sleep, a semi-dream state.

Unlike the time in Bruno City when he fell into a trance and killed someone, this time Binaeril felt different. His mind was free of all extraneous thoughts, and his breathing was calm. Simultaneously, his senses were heightened, absorbing every detail of his surroundings.

“Binaeri…l…”

Shhh.

Rike had come by several times, worried about Binaeril’s wound, but Jinulbam had sent her away, recognizing that Binaeril had reached the state he sought. Binaeril, in a state of meditative clarity, opened a window in his mind. Although his eyes were closed, he could see Eden and Jinulbam through this mental window. Jinulbam began to speak.

“The day I met you, I was returning from Wind Gorge,” she said. “I spoke with the spirit there. He asked me to help you.”

Only then did Binaeril understand why Jinulbam was teaching him spirit arts—it was all part of Zilph’s plan.

“The spirit said someone had blocked your eyes and ears. He asked this old woman to open them for you.”

Even with his eyes closed, Binaeril realized he could see something through the window. Eden’s lips were moving, but the voice was not hers.

[Keeper of the Fragment.]

It was Zilph’s voice.

“Zilph?”

[I have imprinted my will upon the spirit child.]

Zilph was speaking through Eden. Binaeril felt a twinge of disappointment; he had hoped to communicate directly with Eden.

[I warn you.]

About what?

[Do not trust the Fragment.]

Zilph referred to Veritas as the Fragment.

[You must learn to separate yourself from the Fragment. The spirit child will aid you. Then, come find me again.]

It had been some time since Binaeril had heard Veritas’s voice. Since entering this meditative state, he had not heard a word from Veritas.

‘Is this how to separate myself from Veritas?’

Since his contract with Elfenbine, Veritas had been parasitizing his mind. The infinite mana Veritas provided was tempting, but now Zilph was warning him against it.

‘Why?’

Zilph’s voice began to fade, indicating it was likely the final message.

[Find a mage who can help you. Her name is…]

The connection broke off.

Despite only spending a week in the Miao Tribe village, the bonds formed were strong. Miao Tribe children clung to Rike’s pants, tears welling in their eyes.

“I’m sorry. I’ll come back again,” Rike said, patting each child’s head and saying her goodbyes.

Guided by Sori and Simon, they descended from Hoenberg.

“Goodbye, mage brother and sisters. Thank you!”

Simon waved both hands cheerfully, smiling broadly.

Even the normally stern warrior Sori gave a rare smile as he saw off the three humans.

“Take this. It’s my final gift to you.”

“What is it?”

Before they parted ways, Sori handed Sylvia a final gift. It was a necklace, roughly crafted but beautiful, made to look like ivory teeth.

“It’s a necklace made by the spirit priests for the warriors. It will make your movements lighter.”

“It’s an artifact imbued with magic, Sylvia.”

In other words, it was an artifact refined in a manner different from conventional magic.

“Thank you, Master!”

During the five days she trained under Sori, Sylvia had diligently learned the movements of the Miao Tribe. Whenever Binaeril strolled around the village, he would often find Sylvia drenched in sweat.

“How’s it going? Making progress?”

“Confident enough to say I won’t lose if we spar again?”

“Haha, still full of bluster.”

“It’s not bluster!”

As they walked briskly, the forest ended, and a flat road began to appear, indicating they had crossed the Hoenberg Mountains.

“Follow this road, and we’ll reach Edenver,” Sylvia said, looking at the map.

“Edenver is the beginning of the metropolitan area. We can probably find a carriage to the capital there.”

This meant that their journey to the capital was almost over and that the remaining path posed little threat.

“Everyone,” Binaeril stopped the two girls.

He had something important to tell them.

“Why, Binaeril?”

“I need to part ways with you for a short time.”

The sudden announcement startled them.

Binaeril had somewhere he needed to go.

[Find a mage who can help you. Her name is Priya. Priya Merzina. Find her in the Thornwinter Swamp to the northwest.]

Binaeril knew little about Veritas. Their bond persisted due to the contract they had made, but he couldn’t continue to trust Veritas in this state of informational imbalance. He needed to confirm things.

“I have to meet someone in the Thornwinter Swamp to the northwest. Let’s say a brief goodbye here. I won’t keep you waiting long.”