Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

Everyone looked at Binaeril with blank expressions, not understanding what was being said.

“What do you mean by that, Binaeril?” Duke Dux asked, speaking on behalf of the group.

“Do they want Elfenbine? Who is the Order planning to wage war against?”

“Of course, it’s Elfenbine. The ones the Order is after are you, Binaeril.”

“Then let me ask again. What exactly is Elfenbine?”

At this sudden philosophical question, question marks appeared on everyone’s faces.

“Are you trying to start a debate? Elfenbine is this place. It’s also the name of your sister.”

“Priya, something suddenly occurred to me from what you mentioned earlier.”

“What did I say?”

“You said, ‘Elfenbine has no territory.'”

Indeed, Elfenbine wasn’t a specific location. Rather, it referred to a towering structure. The wide space they walked and gathered in was also inside a tower constructed by magic. However, this clue alone wasn’t enough to make others understand.

“If the Order’s army fails to capture me, how can they win the war?”

In a typical war, victory could be achieved by occupying the capital, capturing the king, or killing someone equivalent to the king. But Elfenbine?

“No matter how many tens of thousands of soldiers the Order brings, I don’t think they can capture the Lord of the Magic Tower.”

Elfenbine was a symbolic figure. She herself was the Magic Tower, and she was a symbol of magic. Even if thousands or tens of thousands of soldiers tried to kill her, she would not fall.

“No matter what they try, Sister won’t fall. Her magical power is on a completely different level from ours.”

“Then, their only option left would be to take over the Magic Tower.”

Now the others began to grasp what Binaeril was trying to say.

“The Magic Tower is a space made entirely of magic.”

“No matter how large an army the Order brings, they will ultimately…”

“They won’t be able to take over the Magic Tower. Ever.”

Everyone was astonished by Binaeril’s brilliant idea. Unless Binaeril and Elfenbine were killed or captured, the Order could never win. A war in which they could neither win nor lose—that was Binaeril’s idea.

Duke Dux spoke up again. Binaeril’s idea was ingenious, but it wasn’t enough.

“Binaeril, I understand your point. If we set our minds to it, we might not lose the war.”

“But that alone isn’t sufficient. If you aren’t captured, then what? Simply running away won’t end the war.”

“Are you finally agreeing with my suggestion to hide away?”

“It’s not about hiding. What I’m saying is that we don’t need to foolishly engage the Order’s army head-on.”

Dean Yulio shook his head and asked, “So, Binaeril, what exactly are you trying to say?”

“My thoughts are…”

***

Torben Dux, the Duke, stood before the people he had gathered. Behind him, a mix of ordinary folks—farmers, merchants, blacksmiths, and bards—stood in a line, trembling with fear. The Duke’s soldiers surrounded these commoners, awaiting his orders.

“Is this all we have?” 

“It seems so,” 

“Not as many as I expected.”

The first action taken by the anti-Order alliance, after their meeting, was to survey the villages around Elfenbine. Since this task required a lot of manpower, most of it was carried out by the Duke’s soldiers. Although the villages near Elfenbine had benefited from its unique needs, they were not officially part of Elfenbine. Nor were they subjects of the Empire, the Duchy, or any neighboring nation. These were free people, belonging to no one.

The smaller villages had never had large populations, but with the rumors of war spreading, more than half the residents had already fled. Binaeril insisted that these remaining villagers should be evacuated first.

“They’re the type who would run for their lives if they valued them. Why should we care?” the Duke asked.

“I don’t want to see innocent villagers get caught up and killed in the war,” Binaeril replied, causing the Duke’s face to twist in displeasure. As a former soldier, he found Binaeril’s soft-heartedness hard to stomach.

“And there’s another reason,” Binaeril continued. “If we vacate Elfenbine, where do you think the mages will hide?”

“Hide the mages?” the Duke asked.

“If we don’t intend to make a stand at Elfenbine, they’ll need somewhere to flee. The Order’s soldiers can’t tell a mage from an ordinary person just by looking at them, can they?”

Binaeril had a plan.

“Your Grace, please ensure these people reach a safe place. In the meantime, the mages of Elfenbine will hold back the Order’s forces.”

“Are you sure you can manage without my army?” the Duke asked.

“Of course. You’ll be back, won’t you?”

While the Duke’s forces were away, Binaeril and the remaining mages of Elfenbine planned to wage a guerrilla war against the Order’s army. It was the best strategy a handful of mages could employ against tens of thousands of soldiers.

“Very well. Stay safe. I’ll return soon.”

“And take Lady Vivian with you,” Binaeril added.

Although Vivian had stubbornly insisted on staying with them in Elfenbine, she ultimately couldn’t have her way. Rationally, she was still a junior who had not even fully entered the world of magic. There would be no one on the battlefield who could protect her.

“I’ll be back soon,” the Duke repeated, leading his troops and the villagers hurriedly toward the southwest.

Once the Duke’s army had left, only a handful of people remained.

“To think we have to fight the Holy Order of Vitory with just the people here. It makes me want to sigh,” someone muttered.

“Doesn’t it excite you? Too easy a fight wouldn’t be any fun,”

“It’s more horrifying to be on the same side as someone like you,” 

Priya sighed as she looked at Inyakan.  

“Don’t fight. From now on, everyone here is a comrade. We need to prepare for our own tasks.”  

They closed the main gate of the tower and reviewed their plan once more. Then, each person moved to their designated location.  

Binaeril spread her wings and soared high into the sky. It was time to face Yunnaeril and the Order.  

Clemens, a paladin serving as Yunnaeril’s lieutenant, approached the commander who was leading the march towards Elfenbine and asked,  

“Commander, doesn’t something seem off to you?”  

“What do you mean?”  

“It’s too… quiet.”  

The army that had set out from the Holy Kingdom of Vitory with a force of 40,000 soldiers had now swelled to 60,000. This was clear evidence that the Order was fully committed to this crusade. The problem, however, was that Elfenbine had taken no action while the army crossed several borders after departing from the kingdom.  

No nation had ever gone to war with Elfenbine before, so when the army set out, there was a palpable tension among the troops, including the paladins. But now, that tension had all but dissipated. Marching day after day, setting up camp each night, this routine had repeated for over a week, causing the army’s sense of urgency to deflate like a balloon losing air.  

“There hasn’t been a single sign of life,” Clemens continued.  

Once they crossed into the Pigny Duchy, they were in lands unclaimed by any nation, under Elfenbine’s influence. Yet, every village they passed was already deserted.  

“It feels like we’re thieves sneaking into an empty house. How can it be so quiet?”  

“What are you on about, Clemens? If we’re moving safely, that’s a good thing,” the commander responded.  

“Could it be that everyone fled upon hearing about the war? It seems even those under Elfenbine’s influence understand how futile it would be to oppose our Order,” Clemens speculated.  

Clemens’ concerns sparked discussions among the others, with most concluding that there was nothing to worry about. However, Yunnaeril, like Clemens, felt an unsettling sense of unease.  

“Could those sneaky mages be gathering all their power for one big attack?” Paladin Leo suggested, offering the most plausible explanation.  

Although they were all largely ignorant about magic, they knew that mages possessed tremendous power capable of slaying demons. The thought of that superhuman strength being turned against their human army sent chills down their spines.  

“In any case, there’s nothing we can do about it right now,” Yunnaeril said, careful not to show any signs of wavering as the overall commander.  

“No matter what Elfenbine is planning, we have six of the Order’s swords here. Sir Clemens, the fact that our march is proceeding without issue is a good sign.”  

“My apologies, Commander…”  

“For now, make sure the vanguard remains vigilant. I’ll push the pace a bit. The sooner we arrive, the less time they’ll have to scheme.”  

The paladins responded with a vigorous shout.

The troops each returned to their assigned units, picking up the pace of their march. Paladins Pascal and Sergio, leading the vanguard, craned their necks upward. No matter how high they tilted their heads, the top of the tower remained out of sight; they stood before Elfenbine. Yet, it was eerily quiet. Unlike a place preparing for war, there was no sign of life, no noise coming from Elfenbine. Even as the Order’s army pressed right up to its doorstep, Elfenbine made no response. They only found a few villagers nearby who had not yet managed to flee.

If they had encountered any resistance, they would have waited for the main force, but with no one to stop them, they found themselves at Elfenbine’s gates. Yunnaeril, upon hearing the vanguard’s report, quickly arrived.

“But this is…,” Yunnaeril began, examining the scene.

“What should we do? Should we attack?” someone asked.

The main gate of Elfenbine was firmly shut.

“Of course we should attack. What, should we knock?” Yunnaeril replied sarcastically.

“Are you joking?”

It would be absurd for an army that had come to declare war to knock and ask for entry.

“Still, with so little response, maybe a knock wouldn’t hurt?” another suggested, half-jokingly.

Yunnaeril dismissed the suggestion without a second thought. “We’ll break in.”

As soon as he gave the order, Paladins Pascal and Sergio drew their swords and slashed at Elfenbine’s main gate. The once-elegant door tore apart like paper, allowing them to step inside Elfenbine for the first time.

But once inside, they were left speechless.

“Is this really what Elfenbine looks like?”

No matter where they looked, there was nothing. The paladins stood in stunned silence, bewildered by the barren interior. The problem was that none of them knew what Elfenbine was supposed to look like. It was as if someone who had fled with stolen money had also taken every last possession; not even a blade of grass remained inside Elfenbine.

Yunnaeril was just as confused. But then, suddenly,

“Yunnaeril, behind you!”

A drumbeat sounded, signaling danger. It was the army’s alarm, indicating they were under attack.

“We’re under assault! We’re being attacked!”

The paladins scrambled to exit through the gate they had entered. But the gate they had slashed apart had somehow reformed, now blocking their path. The paladins were trapped.

From beyond the gate, the screams of soldiers began to echo.