Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

Starfall slashed through the cardinal’s heart. As the sword was withdrawn, his lifeless body collapsed helplessly against Yunnaeril. The once imposing figure of the cardinal now appeared emaciated, like a desiccated mummy. Yunnaeril pushed the cardinal’s shoulder, and his dried-up body shattered into pieces as it hit the ground.

Yunnaeril picked up the bishop’s staff, a remnant of the cardinal, and fed it to Starfall.

– That makes… four now…

Including Starfall, Yunnaeril had gathered three remnants from those under Cardinal Cristopho. With the addition of the staff that the cardinal had held, he now possessed four remnants.

Starfall had mentioned that the number of remnants would never exceed ten.

– The three with the greatest presence have been collected: the Demon Sword Mimung, the Book of Truth Veritas, and myself, the Holy Sword Starfall.

“And it seems Binaeril has two of them.”

– Hmph! But even among remnants, there are ranks. Even if the other two combined their strength, they wouldn’t reach my toes.”

“But didn’t you say you were defeated by Binaeril?”

– It wasn’t a defeat! He merely summoned a peculiar spirit. Besides, I obliterated that spirit with my own power, so there’s no chance of losing again.

Despite Starfall’s bravado, Yunnaeril knew better than to underestimate his younger brother’s full strength. Binaeril was a brother who had ground his teeth in preparation for revenge. He would have prepared every means to bring his elder brother down.

“What kind of remnants does he have?”

According to Yunnaeril’s research, there were two types of remnants. There were those like Starfall or Mimung, where strong magical power formed a self-conscious identity, and those that did not. Binaeril’s remnants belonged to the former category.

– The name of his remnant is the Book of Truth, Veritas. A noisy, talkative thing.

Even among remnants with consciousness, there was a clear hierarchy of power. Starfall asserted to Yunnaeril that he was the strongest piece among them.

– Each self-aware remnant is fixated on a particular desire.

“In your case, Starfall, it’s ‘power,’ isn’t it?

– Exactly. I am the piece of the strongest remnant. In the case of the Demon Sword Mimung, it’s gluttony, and as for that loudmouth, it’s… a lust for knowledge.”

“Lust for knowledge?”

– Lust for knowledge. Vanity. Arrogance. You could say it’s the dregs of intellectual desire.

“So at least in terms of information, it surpasses other remnants, then.”

– Indeed. The reason it has collected more remnants than you, who started earlier, is because of that.

The process of tracking remnants was grueling and arduous. Even Yunnaeril, who had been pursuing remnants for nearly a decade, had only managed to gather four. Yet, Binaeril, who had started years later, had already collected several remnants. His growth was terrifying.

– But thanks to his efforts, we’ve been able to drastically reduce the time needed.

That was also true.

“If only I could seize Binaeril’s remnants…”

Yunnaeril’s voice trembled. If he could defeat Binaeril and take his remnants, Yunnaeril’s goal would be almost within reach. How long he had waited for this moment—the future he longed for was now within sight.

– Of course. The day you achieve your goal is not far off now.

Starfall spoke in a low voice.  

– You must kill your brother.

“…The remnants can grant anything. Is that true?” Yunnaeril asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

For years, he had endured humiliation under the Church, playing the role of the Cardinal’s pawn. Secretly, he had been gathering remnants while masquerading as a knight of the Order. All of it had been for a single purpose—a deeply buried, long-standing guilt.

The voices of Starfall and Yunnaeril overlapped, speaking as one.

– The power to influence death naturally extends to influencing life.

“The power to influence death naturally extends to influencing life,” Yunnaeril echoed.

Through his brother’s death, he would bring forth new life. That was Yunnaeril’s true objective.

As he stepped out of the chamber, Yunnaeril locked eyes with a man. It was Scylla, the Cardinal’s shadow and most trusted confidant. His background, origin, and even age were unknown. Yunnaeril suspected he was another of those the Cardinal had picked up during the Heresy War, much like himself.

“Cardinal Cristopho is dead,” Yunnaeril declared.

Scylla remained motionless, as if nailed to the spot, showing no reaction.

“Do you seek revenge?” Yunnaeril asked, aware that Scylla’s skills were far from ordinary. His swordsmanship was on par with that of the other paladins, perhaps even superior. However, his true expertise lay in infiltration and assassination—skills that would make him an unbeatable adversary for the others. Perhaps only Callisto, the former vice-commander, could match him.

Yet, Scylla’s eyes, fixed on Yunnaeril, betrayed no emotion. It wasn’t merely the stoic demeanor of someone accustomed to such tasks—there was nothing there at all. Yunnaeril found himself questioning what he saw in Scylla’s empty gaze.

– The Cardinal must have cast a spell on him,

“A spell?”

– A spell of obedience, it seems. With the Cardinal’s death, it must have malfunctioned.

Yunnaeril looked at Scylla with pity.  

“I thought I was the only puppet controlled by the Cardinal, but it seems there’s someone worse off than me.”

– He’s lost the meaning of life. Even if you let him live, he won’t find any happiness,”.

“But it would be a waste to kill him,” Yunnaeril responded.

Despite the conversation regarding his fate happening right in front of him, Scylla remained unresponsive, like a wooden puppet carved from flesh.

“Can you alter the obedience spell cast on him?”

– It’s not difficult.

Starfall had already absorbed the Cardinal’s power. If anyone else had tried to meddle with Scylla, he would have likely chosen to end his own life. However, Yunnaeril, who had absorbed the Cardinal’s magic, was an exception.

– Touch his body

Yunnaeril hesitated for a moment, then placed his hand on Scylla’s shoulder. A gray aura crept up Yunnaeril’s arm and enveloped Scylla. His body shuddered momentarily, and then the focus returned to his eyes.

“I will follow your orders,” Scylla said, his voice steady.

– He’s your servant now

“It doesn’t feel particularly pleasant,” 

Yunnaeril stepped out of the building where the private chamber was located, with Scylla quietly following behind him. Though it was difficult to detect Scylla’s presence through normal senses, becoming his master allowed Yunnaeril to sense his location through a subtle magical link.

– Where are you going? Shouldn’t you be heading straight to capture Binaeril?

‘Binaeril has allies. After the battle at Barbaroana, it’s highly likely that Elfenbine won’t remain idle any longer,’ Yunnaeril thought in response.

The Church—or more accurately, the Cardinal—had already issued a warrant for Binaeril’s capture and dispatched forces to pursue him twice. Traditionally, the Church and the Mage Tower had an unspoken agreement not to encroach on each other’s territory. This was the first time the Church had officially ordered the pursuit of a mage affiliated with Elfenbine. It was surprising that the Mage Tower hadn’t reacted more aggressively so far, but the outcome had been…

‘The Church lost six paladins.’

What had started as a personal vendetta of the Cardinal was now likely to escalate into a full-scale campaign. The Church now had sufficient justification to go to war.

‘Their target will be Binaeril, and the Mage Tower will undoubtedly protect him.’

If that were the case, Yunnaeril knew he would need to be the one leading the forces. It was time to sway the archbishop to his side.

Archbishop Vigilio was the natural rival of Cardinal Cristopho within the Church. Unlike the heretical origins of the Cardinal, Archbishop Vigilio had been a devout member of the Church from a young age, steadily climbing the ranks due to his recognized piety. However, it would be a mistake to envision him as a benevolent and incorruptible figure. Vigilio was as greedy and ambitious as Cardinal Cristopho.

“…What brings you here?” the archbishop asked bluntly, addressing Yunnaeril with casual disdain.

Despite Yunnaeril’s high position within the Church, the archbishop did not bother with formalities. It was well within the archbishop’s knowledge that Yunnaeril had been the Cardinal’s pawn, and he saw no need to treat him with respect.

“I heard you were imprisoned in a private chamber by the Cardinal. So, what’s this? Are you here to grovel now that you’ve been discarded?” the archbishop sneered.

Yunnaeril, maintaining the formalities, responded calmly, “Are you aware of the expeditionary force recently dispatched by the Church to the North?”

“The one sent to capture the paladin slayer? Of course.”

“They’ve been annihilated.”

A heavy silence fell over the room.

“…What did you say?” the archbishop asked, his voice low and disbelieving.

“Every member of the force, including Paladin Antero who led them, along with the four other paladins and the soldiers who accompanied them, have either been killed or captured.”

“Is this true?” The archbishop turned to his aide for confirmation.

However, this information had not yet been officially reported to the Church.

“Why should I believe your words?” the archbishop asked skeptically.

“Time will reveal the truth,” Yunnaeril replied.

“Very well, Commander Yunnaeril. So, what do you intend to do about it?” the archbishop pressed.

“My brother has killed six paladins,” Yunnaeril stated plainly.

The archbishop fell silent. The paladins were the Church’s most elite forces, and losing half of them to a single mage was a devastating blow.

“I intend to atone for the sins of my brother. Grant me the authority to command the Church’s forces.”

“Why not go beg Cristopho, the one you’ve been tailing all this time? Why come to me for permission?” the archbishop sneered.

“Cristopho Cardinal is dead.”

This time, a wave of shock far greater than before rippled through the chamber.

“Is that… true?”

“His body is in the solitary cell where I was detained. If you doubt me, you can verify it yourself.”

“Umm…!” 

The archbishop realized that with this, one of his competitors for the papacy was now out of the picture.

“Did you kill him?” he asked, his tone probing.

“I was bound in solitary confinement. No matter how skilled a knight may be, it’s impossible to kill someone while completely restrained.”

“Then how did it happen?”

“It was an accident.”

An accident that resulted in the death of a perfectly healthy cardinal? And this occurred inside the solitary cell where Yunnaeril had been held? Now, the commander of the Holy Knights was standing freely before the archbishop, who happened to be Cristopho’s political rival. Such a convenient “accident” was hard to believe. No one who heard the story would think the cardinal’s death was a mere accident. It was a preposterous explanation.

Yet the archbishop sensed that Yunnaeril had a deeper motive hidden beneath this implausible story.

“So you’re saying the hound bit its master before it could be devoured.”

“Interpret it as you will, Your Eminence. I’ve already stated my intentions,” Yunnaeril replied calmly.

Archbishop Vigilio was struck by Yunnaeril Dalheim’s audacity. If the archbishop were to publicly denounce Yunnaeril’s crimes and order the soldiers to arrest him, he would once again find himself in solitary confinement, perhaps indefinitely. The gravity of concealing his brother’s crimes, not to mention the murder of a cardinal, was on a completely different scale. Yet Yunnaeril stood there with unwavering composure, showing no sign of fear or hesitation. It was as if he already knew what the archbishop would decide.

“Commander Yunnaeril, if I grant you command of the army, what do you intend to do?” the archbishop asked, now addressing him with the respect his rank deserved.

“I will kill my criminal brother and bring down Elfenbine,” Yunnaeril replied without a blink.

His response was calm, but the weight of his words was immense. It was a declaration of a great war to come—a war between the Church and the Mage Tower that would engulf the entire continent.