Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

The explosion in front of Binaeril sent him flying like a kite with its string cut. The one who caught him was Sylvia, who had arrived early thanks to Rike’s urging. Sylvia instinctively caught the incoming figure, not realizing it was Binaeril until she saw his familiar face as she steadied him.

“Binaeril?”

She gently laid Binaeril flat on the ground. Friederike, filled with longing, stroked his face, checked his breath with a finger under his nose, held his battered hands, and gazed intently at his unconscious face.

“He seems to have lost consciousness. It doesn’t appear to be life-threatening,” Sylvia remarked, but her words fell on deaf ears.

Rike was too focused to hear anything else. Something was off—something she should have seen and felt wasn’t there.

“This is strange.”

As Rike and Sylvia looked on, others arrived one by one, rushing to Binaeril’s side, concern evident on their faces.

Priya, meanwhile, examined another figure that had been thrown alongside Binaeril. The body was caked with mud and blood, but there was no mistaking it—it was Yunnaeril Dalheim. His body was cold.

As Priya washed away the grime, the serene face of Yunnaeril, with his eyes closed, was revealed. He looked as if he were peacefully sleeping.

Priya gently cradled Yunnaeril’s face against her chest, holding him close. She had known this would be the outcome, but seeing his lifeless body still made it difficult for her to keep her emotions in check.

“Sister…”

Kaya, standing beside her, looked down at Priya. Nymphs could recognize each other immediately.

“That… is dangerous,” Kaya said, placing a hand on her sister’s shoulder and pointing somewhere.

“What…?”

The war was over. With Yunnaeril dead, what could still be dangerous?

Priya followed Kaya’s pointing finger to see a large black crystal—an object that seemed utterly out of place on a battlefield filled with blood and death.

The moment she recognized what it was, Priya sprang to her feet.

“It’s the fragment.”

“Fragment?”

Inside the black crystal was the Book of Truth—the fragment Binaeril had been carrying. The book was trapped within, its pages splayed open as if ready to devour something.

But why? 

Was it trying to consume Yunnaeril? But Yunnaeril was already dead.

Could it have been after Binaeril? But wasn’t the Book of Truth supposed to be on Binaeril’s side?

There was no one to answer her questions. The Book of Truth was sealed within the crystal, Binaeril was unconscious, and Yunnaeril had lost his life.

“This magic… it belongs to our eldest sister,” Kaya said again, sensing Priya’s confusion.

Priya remembered seeing this magic before when Elfenbine used it to heal Binaeril after he had been injured by Starfall. 

But something was different.

The crystal she saw back then had been a milky white, transparent enough to see what was inside clearly. Now, it was a dark black crystal, barely allowing the trapped presence within to be identified.

“Are you sure our sister did this?” 

It seemed that Kaya, the youngest, had a far more developed sense of intuition than Priya. 

“This is ominous,” Kaya muttered as she began to gather her magic, directing it at the fragment trapped within the black crystal. 

A low rumble filled the air as the black crystal started to vibrate. Even without Kaya explaining, Priya could tell that whatever was inside the crystal was resisting fiercely. The fragment’s magic was pushing against the thick walls of the crystal, trying to break free.

Priya swallowed hard. Was it not over yet? Did they still have to fight?

Both she and Kaya, along with everyone else here, were already exhausted. Yet, the power of the fragment was still an unknown, and victory was far from certain.

The vibrations of the crystal grew stronger and stronger. Just as Priya, her face tense with concentration, began to gather her own magic, another comet streaked across the sky, smashing directly into the crystal above the two nymphs.

Boom!

Over and over, the comets struck the crystal with immense force. To the onlookers, it seemed as though the heavens themselves were casting down spears of judgment upon the condemned. For magic attributed to Elfenbine, it was exceptionally brutal.

“Priya, Kaya.”

At that moment, the voice of Elfenbine spoke directly into the minds of the two nymphs. They both flinched in surprise.

“…Sister?”

“Bring Binaeril and the Book of Truth back to Elfenbine. Right now.”

Her voice was more commanding than they had ever heard before. The black crystal, now battered by the light of the comet, had grown larger and thicker, becoming completely opaque.

“Hurry!”

Elfenbine’s voice urged them on. Priya looked down at the lifeless body of Yunnaeril cradled in her arms.

“…Kaya. Your name is Kaya, right? In any case, you heard our sister. Please, take that crystal to Elfenbine.”

Priya then turned to her sister, asking her for help. Despite their lack of familiarity, there was no one else she could turn to. The others wouldn’t be able to move the massive crystal, and worse, they might be affected by the fragment’s power.

Seeing Kaya nod in agreement, Priya walked toward the group of people surrounding Binaeril. A tall woman with brown hair stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

“Stop. Who are you?”

“And who are you?” Priya shot back, looking at the woman who had frowned at her.

If she had any sense, she should have recognized the royal insignia on her own clothing.

“She’s Count Forzia, the courtier to the Second Emperor of the Empire. You should let her through,” Duke Dux intervened, trying to ease the tension.

“And who is this?” the woman asked, glancing at Priya.

“She claims to be Binaeril’s magic mentor, or something like that.”

“Binaeril’s magic mentor?”

Rike looked Priya up and down. She seemed far too young to be a professor. And more importantly…

“I’ve never seen a mage like her at Elfenbine before…”

“What do you want me to do about that? I have no business with little girls, so step aside.”

Priya was unconcerned, brushing off the tension. Duke Dux and Dominic exchanged troubled looks at her sharp words.

“That’s the Second Emperor of the Empire and her courtier you’re speaking to. You should apologize properly.”

“Duke Dux, you keep quiet too. I’m not in the mood for pleasantries. More importantly, we need to move Binaeril to Elfenbine.”

“What do you mean by that?” Duke Dux asked, confused.

Priya pointed to the newly revealed Mage Tower. 

“My sister is calling for Binaeril. Right now.”

“Lady Elfenbine?” 

“Lady Elfenbine?” Rike repeated, piecing together the identity of the person they were speaking to.

‘Is she Lady Elfenbine’s sister? The mistress of the Mage Tower?’

“To be exact, she asked for both that massive crystal and Binaeril to be brought back. My youngest sister will handle the crystal, so all you need to do is bring Binaeril.”

“Wait. Are you saying Lady Elfenbine is asking for Binaeril?” Rike interjected.

“Yes. So, why don’t you hurry up, Your Majesty? I saw the entity trapped inside that crystal causing quite a commotion, and Binaeril’s condition doesn’t seem normal either. If we’re late, who knows what could happen.”

Rike looked down at Binaeril’s unconscious face. There were no visible injuries, and he was breathing steadily. But the sense of unease she felt lingered—there was no trace of magic emanating from him.

“Could it be that something happened to Binaeril…?”

“That’s enough. I don’t know the details either. Please, just stop wasting time and move Binaeril already.”

“Why don’t you do it yourself?” Sylvia asked.

“I have something else I need to do,” Priya replied, shifting slightly to reveal the face of the man she was holding.

The man’s face bore an uncanny resemblance to Binaeril’s, like an older version of him with longer hair.

“Is that…?”

When Duke Dux pointed at the body, Priya pulled it closer to herself, shielding the face from view.

“Isn’t that the Knight of Salvation?”

The others didn’t take long to recognize him. As they realized they were looking at Yunnaeril’s body, anger and outrage spread across their faces.

Priya stepped back, holding Yunnaeril’s body even tighter.

“I won’t give him up,” she declared, her eyes resolute as she glared at those around her.

Duke Dux spoke with cold logic. “That man is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands. No matter how many Order soldiers we capture, the surest way to signal victory to our troops is by taking his head and displaying it.”

It was a completely rational suggestion. Yet Priya didn’t flinch.

The only person who seemed to understand her reasons was Dominic. He remembered that Priya had once been Yunnaeril’s lover.

“Your Grace, if I may…” Dominic began.

“Hmm? What is it, Margrave Dominic?” Duke Dux responded, his expression stern.

Dominic Schiller, coming from a family that had once rebelled against the imperial family, was keenly aware of the high-ranking imperial figures surrounding him, including Emperor Friederike II herself. Naturally, he hesitated, aware of the delicate situation.

Still, he stepped forward to support Priya.

“I don’t believe she has any ill intentions. Please, allow her to go.”

Duke Dux’s face twisted in displeasure. “What are you saying? That man’s head is the most certain proof that the war is over. Surely you understand that?”

“I do understand. However…” Dominic hesitated, struggling to find the right words to explain.

“Let her go.” 

“The battlefield is almost completely secured now. If a symbol of victory is needed, I will make the announcement myself in my name. If she has reasons she cannot disclose, then let her go,” Emperor Friederike II declared.

Even Duke Dux, who had been adamant in his opposition, could not defy the Emperor’s command. Priya gave a small nod of gratitude to the young Emperor who had rescued her from the situation with just a few words.

“You all should head to Elfenbine first. My sister is looking for Binaeril, so you should go now. I’ll follow shortly,” Priya said, her voice tinged with sorrow as she cradled Yunnaeril’s face.

“Very well. Let’s take Binaeril, Duke,” Sylvia agreed.

As they gathered at Elfenbine, the weariness and fatigue were evident on everyone’s faces, yet there was also a palpable sense of excitement that couldn’t be hidden.

“To think Elfenbine was hidden… it’s quite ingenious,” 

“It was all Binaeril’s idea, Your Majesty,” replied Professor Yulio.

“Please, you don’t need to be so formal, Master. Speak freely,” Friederike responded.

“No, I must insist. Without the support of Duke Dux and the Empire, who knows what would have become of us…”

“That was only possible because Elfenbine bought us enough time,” someone else interjected.

“And the reason we could hold out for so long was entirely thanks to Binaeril,” another voice added.

“Come now, old man, don’t be so modest! If someone heard you, they’d think only the Empire helped Elfenbine!” joked the Toin King.

“Haha, not at all, Your Majesty. I am deeply grateful to everyone here,” Professor Yulio said as he stood and bowed deeply. His sincere gratitude caused Ducat to blush and stroke his beard in embarrassment.

“Without your help, Elfenbine wouldn’t have survived. Our victory in this war is thanks to all of your sacrifices and efforts.”

Victory.

The word made everyone’s heart beat faster. They had won the war against the Vitory Order. Even in the midst of their elation, no one shouted in celebration. They all understood too well what this war had cost them.

“Elfenbine has suffered near-catastrophic losses,” 

“…Yes,” 

It wasn’t just Elfenbine. The Imperial army, the Toin reinforcements from the Federation, the Miao tribe, the Barbaroi, and all others who had participated in the battle had also suffered heavy losses. But the most severe casualties were sustained by Elfenbine and Duke Torben Dux’s forces.

“…Let’s set that aside for now. What we must focus on is how to handle the captured forces of the Order, and also…” 

Everyone present knew Binaeril. And, more than anyone, they were deeply concerned about his fate.

“What has become of Binaeril?”

All eyes turned to Professor Yulio, who had taken charge of Binaeril after he was brought to Elfenbine.