Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

“Can you let me out of here… please?”

Priya Merzina didn’t fail to hear Binaeril’s voice. She just didn’t have time to respond.

“Impressive, Enchantress. To have defeated all those soldiers.”

Dominic Schiller’s cold eyes conveyed a flat admiration.

“That’s my line. Didn’t you cut down half of them? Truly impressive, in many ways.”

The two faced each other, maintaining a tense atmosphere.

How did this awkward confrontation come to be?

Let’s rewind a bit.

Dominic Schiller’s forces had pushed through to Thornwinter Swamp with minimal rest.

“Commander, the troops are exhausted. We should rest for a bit…”

Dominic’s face was wrapped in bandages, with bloodshot eyes peeking through, reflecting a grim determination.

The vice-commander couldn’t meet Dominic’s gaze and hung his head.

“I’m… I’m sorry.”

“No rest until we reach Thornwinter Swamp. Convey that to the troops.”

“…Understood.”

As they finally saw the edge of the swamp, the soldiers sighed in relief, thinking they could finally rest a bit.

“We’re moving in immediately.”

“What? But…!”

“Do you have a complaint, vice-commander?”

The knight serving as vice-commander had been the most senior before Dominic joined the Marquis’ house. He spoke up on behalf of the others.

“The men are exhausted from the continuous march. Even an hour of rest would…”

“Sir Maxwell.”

“The Marquis is staking a lot on this mission. If we delay and lose the target, will you face his wrath?”

“If they can’t keep up, they’re useless to the mission. Behead those who can’t follow. We’re moving in.”

Though Dominic Schiller was harsh, he wasn’t usually oppressive towards his subordinates. Maxwell Schiller swallowed his discontent and relayed the command.

They entered the Thornwinter Swamp.

“Sooner than I expected.”

Priya sensed Dominic and the Marquis’ men entering the swamp. Originally, she planned to leave before they arrived. But now things had changed.

Binaeril Dalheim was still training intensely in her dream. If she left now, they would find the boy sound asleep.

She could forcibly wake Binaeril and flee, but she didn’t want to disturb him. Moreover, she had obtained crucial information that was more important than immediate safety.

“I can’t keep running forever. Today, I’ll have some fun.”

The Marquis had persistently pursued her. She had no idea what grudge he held against her, but she had always avoided a direct confrontation until now. She couldn’t run forever.

Priya prepared for battle.

The swamp water lapped at her knees. The soldiers, heavily armed, struggled to move swiftly. As they entered the swamp, their pace slowed considerably.

“Damn bugs.”

“So muggy. I’d kill for a beer.”

“Quiet, or the commander will hear you.”

Amid the grumbling, complaints began to surface.

Maxwell was equally displeased, but as vice-commander, he couldn’t voice it like the soldiers.

“What a cursed place…”

Though the sun shone brightly outside, the deeper they went into the swamp, the more their visibility decreased.

The reeds grew chaotically, and bugs and swamp creatures leapt out unexpectedly. At some point, fog began to roll in as well.

“Truly the hiding place of a witch.”

As he turned to check if his troops were following, he froze in his tracks. No one was there. The fog had thickened to the point where he couldn’t even see his outstretched hand.

Maxwell felt a chill run down his spine. The nickname of their quarry flashed through his mind.

“The Enchantress…”

“Commander!”

It was hard to tell front from back in the fog. He shouted Dominic’s name, but only silence answered.

“Shit…!”

Maxwell drew his sword and stood on guard. The bandages soaked with moisture felt clammy. As he walked aimlessly, sleepiness crept in.

Dominic Schiller, holding onto his fading consciousness, walked obsessively. The reason he had rushed to Thornwinter Swamp with minimal rest was simple. Every time he dreamed, he saw the final blow of the sewer rat that always struck his face. Following that, he vividly remembered the contemptuous gaze of Marquis Schiller.

“Humiliating…”

He could only watch as the unprecedented feeling of humiliation trampled his spirit. Never before had he lost to a mage, but his confidence was shattered by a mere boy.

If only his opponent had been a notable figure like the Enchantress, it might have been different. But a nameless boy…

He would have preferred facing the Enchantress…

“Hup!”

Stab!

As soon as he realized he was losing consciousness, Dominic drew a dagger from his holster and stabbed his thigh. The sharp pain snapped him back to awareness. As his vision cleared, the fog began to recede.

“It wasn’t natural fog after all.”

They had entered the witch’s domain. Looking back, he saw his soldiers succumbing to madness one by one.

“So warm, I want to sleep…”

“It’s a demon, a demon!”

“I told you I wasn’t going!”

Some stared blankly into space, some strangled themselves, and others screamed at the air. None of them were in their right mind. Dominic beheaded a soldier who charged at him in a frenzy. Several others, lost in their stupor, faced summary execution.

Though he didn’t realize it, Dominic himself was also under the witch’s spell.

“Commander Dominic!”

It was Vice-Commander Maxwell Schiller.

“What are you doing, slaughtering our own men!”

Unlike the others, Maxwell had experience facing mages. Blood poured from his own thigh.

“They were in the way.”

“What?”

“They were hindering the mission, so I cut them down. That’s all.”

Maxwell’s jaw trembled.

“That’s your excuse!”

He drew his sword against his superior.

Dominic Schiller, wandering through Thornwinter Swamp, reached Priya’s hiding place. His body was covered in the blood of over a dozen men, presenting a gruesome sight.

The sound of his approach echoed from the entrance of her abode.

Priya didn’t stop him. The bloodstains on the floor bothered her immensely. Dominic, now standing before her, spoke in a calm voice. He had changed a bit since their last encounter.

“I feel like my mind is finally clearing up. It seems even I couldn’t escape your magic.”

“Don’t you feel any guilt?”

“Guilt?”

“You killed your subordinates.”

“They would have died by your hand anyway.”

“Well… I won’t deny that.”

Priya dispelled the swamp’s fog. It was no longer needed.

“Why didn’t you run away?”

“I had something to wait for.”

“What?”

Priya tilted her head towards the sleeping Binaeril.

“…Hand over that rat to me.”

“I’ve heard the stories. Got wounded by a rookie mage, didn’t you? Is that why your face is all bandaged? Congratulations, you finally have a face that matches your filthy soul.”

“Provoking me won’t do you any good.”

Priya couldn’t suppress her laughter.

“Haha! Me? Why? Should I kneel and beg instead?”

“If you come quietly, I’ll leave your limbs intact.”

“If you get lost quietly, I’ll leave your limbs intact.”

Dominic swung his sword, shaking off the blood clinging to the blade.

“Hey! What’s with the dirty tricks?”

“Don’t worry. Soon your neck will have something similar. After that, I’ll deal with the rat.”

“You’re really obsessed. You know that won’t make you popular with women, right? And hold on a second. I’ll call someone to take your place.”

“…?”

Dominic didn’t immediately understand Priya’s words. She took a deep drag from her pipe and exhaled the smoke, which swirled around the room like a ghost before shooting into Binaeril’s body.

Binaeril Dalheim opened his eyes.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we? Platinum Knight.”

Seeing Dominic, Binaeril made a sly joke. It was the first thing Dominic had said to him when he found him in the inn.

“I was going to say ‘please sit,’ but there’s nowhere suitable.”

“Not funny? Your reaction is rather cold.”

-Your sense of humor is terrible.

‘Yeah, nice to see you too.’

-?

Even Veritas’s usual scolding was welcome. To Veritas and Eden, it might have been a short time, but for Binaeril, it had been very long.

“This is perfect. I can deal with both rats at once.”

Ignoring Dominic’s mutterings, Priya asked Binaeril, “Binaeril, did you succeed?”

“Yes, sister. Of course.”

“Then you can handle him, right?”

“You’re not going to do it yourself?”

“I’m too tired from buying you time.”

“Got it, sister.”

Priya’s lips curled slightly at the affectionate “sister.”

‘This is why I like younger men.’

Binaeril stepped forward, moving Priya aside. During their conversation, Dominic had awkwardly stood there like a misplaced bundle of barley.

“…There’s a limit to how much you can underestimate someone. Rat, didn’t you once run away from me with your tail between your legs?”

“And where’s the person who got his face turned into a bloody mess by that rat?”

Dominic let out a short, clipped laugh.

Hoo, hoo, hoo.

Before, he seemed scary, but now… how should I put it…

He seemed to be bluffing.

“I usually ignore shallow provocations, but I’ll let it slide just for today.”

“Why is the tongue of the so-called Platinum Knight so long?”

Grit.

The sound of Dominic grinding his teeth was loud enough for Binaeril to hear clearly. Without warning, Dominic attacked.

His sword aimed for the space between Binaeril’s brows.

However, Binaeril had been taunting him while keeping all his nerves focused on the tip of Dominic’s blade.

Dominic’s strike and Binaeril’s incantation occurred almost simultaneously.

Dominic’s eyes wavered.

The recoil felt in his grip was unusual.

With his sword raised high, Dominic had to reposition himself, leaving his chest exposed.

“…Shoot.”

With a faint smile, Binaeril pointed at Dominic’s unguarded chest with his finger.

There was no need, but it was a kind of showmanship.

Feeling a chilling sensation, Dominic desperately twisted his body. His balance broke, and he fell clumsily.

…Nothing happened.

Binaeril looked down at the fallen Dominic, smiling with his eyes.

“You, I let you off once.”

“You damn rat…!”

Enraged, Dominic stood up and swung his sword again.