Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

“There’s a mage here,” Dominic declared, smiling with a predator’s delight. Binaeril felt a chill as their eyes met.

‘Could he have noticed?’ 

Binaeril hadn’t uttered any incantations and had only used simple magic to avoid detection.

‘Yet he still sensed me?’

The moniker “Witch Slayer” was well-earned, it seemed.

Dominic stepped out of the carriage and walked to the middle of the road. If Binaeril’s hair was a dull gray, Dominic’s was a near-shimmering silver, reaching down to his shoulders. His sharp features and piercing eyes gave him a stern, but undeniably handsome, appearance. Now Binaeril understood why the crowd had gathered in such numbers.

Dominic’s sword, matching his hair color with its platinum hilt, hung at his waist. He wore a dark blue surcoat over light armor, presenting a surprisingly unencumbered appearance.

Schling!

The Platinum Knight drew his sword. The crowd, who had been admiring Dominic’s looks, sensed the growing tension.

Meanwhile, the boy hurriedly picked up the scattered bread.

“Who is it?” Dominic scanned the crowd, looking for the hidden mage. Binaeril hid behind a large man, pulling his hood down to avoid eye contact.

“Where is that rat hiding?”

Calm down. In such a crowd, the chances of Dominic identifying him were slim. Only someone with exceptional perception, like Rike, could pinpoint Binaeril.

Yet, contrary to Binaeril’s hopes, Dominic moved closer, pointing his sword at people as he questioned them.

“Is it you? No. You? Not you either.”

‘I should’ve run earlier.’

Regret filled him, but running now would only draw attention. Staying still seemed the best option.

“You there. Move aside,” Dominic commanded, finally reaching the large man shielding Binaeril. The man complied immediately.

Binaeril kept his head down, hoping to avoid Dominic’s gaze.

“Take off your hood and look up.”

Looking around without raising his head, Binaeril saw everyone staring at him. There was no escape. The command was directed at him.

Slowly, Binaeril lifted his head, meeting Dominic’s eyes once more. The gray-haired mage and the silver-haired knight locked gazes. Dominic’s unsettling smile returned.

Women nearby sighed softly at the sight of his smile.

Binaeril braced himself for an attack, his mind racing through dozens of scenarios, seeking the best defensive option. Just as he was about to draw on Veritas’s power,

Swish!

Dominic’s sword sliced through the air.

However, the tip of Dominic’s sword wasn’t aimed at Binaeril’s neck. Instead, Dominic threw his sword toward a well-dressed young man on the opposite side of the street. He did this without taking his eyes off Binaeril and with perfect control. The blade pierced the young man’s chest cleanly, the hilt glinting in the sunlight. Those standing behind the young man recoiled in horror, some falling to their knees and others fleeing.

The knights assisting Dominic hurried to him, shocked.

“Captain!”

“That man is the mage. Arrest him.”

He issued the command while still locking eyes with Binaeril. Despite maintaining a calm facade, Binaeril felt a deep urge to collapse.

‘I didn’t even see it coming.’

“A… a mage?”

“Do I have to say it twice?”

“N-no! Sorry!”

Only then did Dominic turn away and climb back into his carriage.

“Drive.”

The coachman, who had been huddled on the ground, quickly got up and took his seat, despite his still-wet trousers. Binaeril swallowed hard as he watched the carriage, with Dominic inside, depart.

‘I couldn’t react in time.’

For some reason, the thought that Dominic, the so-called Witch Slayer, had spared him lingered in Binaeril’s mind. The real issue was the certainty that had Dominic’s attack been directed at him, he would undoubtedly be dead. The fact that he was even slightly aware of the sword’s path and the falling body was thanks only to the heightened senses he’d developed during his training with Jinulbam.

-I told you not to meddle.

Veritas’s voice echoed in his mind with its trademark ‘I told you so.’

‘But why?’

When he had removed his hood and met Dominic’s gaze, Binaeril felt sure that Dominic had seen through his disguise. Dominic must have known that the person who had used magic was the boy standing right in front of him. And yet, he had spared Binaeril’s life despite being fully capable of killing him.

The reason for this was unknown. Pondering it further would yield no answers. Gathering himself in the now-dispersing crowd, Binaeril decided to find lodging and leave the area.

In Ayaxen, at the mansion of the Marquis of Schiller, Dominic knocked on the door to the office and waited for a response.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Dominic.”

“Come in.”

Dominic opened the door and entered, offering a slight bow.

“Enough with the formalities between us.”

The office was lavishly decorated. Standing by the window overlooking Ayaxen, sipping from a teacup, was Viktor von Schiller, known to most as the Marquis of Schiller. The city below him was vibrant and orderly.

“Tell me, Captain Schiller, have you ever looked at the view from here?”

Dominic glanced up to see what Viktor was referring to.

“I have seen it a few times when visiting your office, sir.”

“…Indeed. The citizens are all safe under your care, sir. It couldn’t be better,” Dominic replied.

The Marquis of Schiller shook his head slightly at Dominic’s response.

“My feelings are somewhat different.”

“What do you mean, sir?”

“No matter how beautiful a painting is, one grows tired of seeing it every day. Ayaxen feels too small. I long for broader and more varied landscapes.”

Dominic immediately understood the marquis’s implication. He bowed his head.

“I apologize.”

For the Marquis to call Ayaxen, one of the empire’s largest cities, small meant he desired more land—perhaps even the entirety of the Albrecht Empire.

“You have nothing to apologize for. I was just venting after being confined in this narrow space for too long,” said the marquis, placing his empty teacup on the table. It was time to discuss the main issue.

“Did you find her?”

“Yes. She is believed to be in the Thornwinter Swamp to the northwest.”

They were searching for a mage. Since the Albrecht king had fallen ill, the marquis had been seeking this mage for a long time.

“Is it definitely the Enchantress?”

“Based on the information, it is.”

The Enchantress had repeatedly evaded the marquis. But her power was essential for the upcoming war. The marquis had paid a fortune to bring Dominic Schiller into his service solely to capture this mage. If they could capture her alive, it would be a worthy investment.

“You know what to do?”

“No matter what, capture her alive. As long as her tongue and life remain intact,” Dominic recited.

“Exactly. Good.”

The Marquis of Schiller smiled, satisfied with Dominic’s answer.

“Then set off immediately.”

“Yes. Sir, one more thing before we leave.”

“What is it?”

“There is a sewer rat within the city that might aid in the witch hunt.”

‘Sewer rat’ was Dominic’s usual term for mages. The marquis’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You saw it yourself?”

“Yes.”

If Dominic had seen the mage and spared his life, it meant the mage had significant value.

“The Enchantress is a powerful mage, almost too much for me to handle alone. Using one mage against another is a prudent strategy.”

The marquis appreciated Dominic’s cunning.

“If our captain deems it necessary, then proceed as you see fit.”

Dominic bowed respectfully and left the office.

That night, Binaeril found it hard to sleep. Despite the comfortable bed, the events of the day left him tense. Dominic Schiller, the Platinum Knight, was nearly as renowned as Binaeril’s own brother.

Reputation alone may not measure true strength, but Binaeril couldn’t help but compare himself to his brother. 

‘I couldn’t even react to his attack.’

If his brother, Binaeril Dalheim, were as strong as or stronger than Dominic Schiller, it meant that Binaeril himself was significantly inferior in skill.

That was a difficult reality to accept.

‘I am so weak.’

Binaeril had been arrogant. He had started learning magic to surpass his brother, to give him the punishment he deserved for not atoning for their mother’s death.

He wanted his brother to seek redemption.

But facing Dominic made Binaeril realize he was just a frog in a well, dreaming grandiose dreams.

Veritas, Eden, Principal Julio, Jinulbam, the Wind Spirit Zilph… People acknowledged Binaeril as a remarkable mage, and he had demonstrated abilities to match.

Yet, people’s recognition had also become a limit for Binaeril, something he could rest on.

‘This can’t continue.’

Binaeril realized he needed to train himself harder.

‘Thornwinter Swamp.’

The Wind Spirit Zilph had mentioned a mage in the Thornwinter Swamp who could awaken the abilities he needed.

Binaeril didn’t know who this mage was.

But the spirit who had overwhelmed him wouldn’t recommend someone inferior.

‘I must become stronger.’

Lying in bed, Binaeril reaffirmed his determination.

In Thornwinter Swamp, he would train harder than anyone else.

As Binaeril gathered his thoughts and resolved his heart, other movements were happening behind the scenes.

Death was approaching the inn where he stayed.

The innkeeper looked troubled by the late-night visitor but quickly recoiled in terror.

“Is there a boy staying here?” Dominic Schiller had come looking for Binaeril Dalheim.