Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

Dominic Schiller unwrapped the bandages covering his face and looked into the mirror. He had to touch his skin to confirm that the reflection was indeed his. The once-handsome knight known for his cold demeanor was no more. The wounds had healed, no longer bleeding, but his face had become horribly disfigured due to the lack of timely treatment. It now resembled that of the man known as Goblin.

“Damn it!”

Dominic slammed the mirror in rage.

Crash!

The shards reflected countless images of him, showing a multitude of hideous faces. He stomped on the pieces, grinding them into smaller fragments. A Warlock! Dominic Schiller’s hatred for mages stemmed from those damned Warlocks. Born into a minor noble family and raised in comfort, Dominic lost his entire family to a Warlock when he was fifteen. The Warlock, a vile creature, was eventually slain by the royal knights’ commander, who took Dominic in and trained him as a knight. His natural talent saw him rise quickly, earning the title of “Witch Slayer” and being knighted by the Marquis of Schiller in less than two years. 

Now, his liege was planning to ally with a damned Warlock, blinded by the lure of the Empire’s throne.

While Dominic’s breath came in ragged gasps, the Marquis of Schiller returned, his face beaming with satisfaction.

“Captain Dominic! How are you feeling?”

“Fine… You seem to be in a good mood?”

“Yes? Well, don’t be surprised. The Emperor is dead.”

The Emperor’s death was the event the Marquis had long awaited. Following the Marquis into the room was Goblin, the Warlock.

“Marquis, does this mean it’s time to execute the plan?”

“No, not yet. Not right now.”

“What’s the problem now?”

“Be patient, Goblin. Timing is everything in a plan. With the Emperor dead, the Regent will soon call for a Great Assembly. That will be our chance.”

“The Great Assembly?”

“Yes. On that day, both of the Emperor’s daughters will be in the same place. It will be the perfect opportunity to deal with them both at once.”

“This is exasperating. I’m itching for action.”

Goblin twitched his lips impatiently. He turned to Dominic, picking a fight for no reason.

“Heh, hey! Your face looks much better now. I saw you from a distance once, and I must say, this new look suits you better!”

“Shut up.”

“Oh, scary! The Witch Slayer only kills women, right? I’m a man!”

It was a stroke of luck that Dominic didn’t have his sword in hand. The Warlock’s repulsive voice and foul breath made Dominic feel he might lose control and strike him down.

“Here, take this.”

Goblin handed Dominic a vial containing a dark purple liquid.

“I pity you for getting beaten by some young brat of a mage. This is a special elixir made from refined mana stones. Drinking it will enhance your pitiful skills.”

Dominic shattered the vial in front of Goblin’s face. The smile faded slightly from Goblin’s face.

“I’m strong enough without relying on such power.”

“That was expensive… Well, I’ll just bill your master for it.”

Goblin waved dismissively and stepped back.

“Well, I can’t stay here any longer. I’ll be off to prepare the poison for the appointed day. Until then, take care, Marquis.”

The Marquis clicked his tongue at the soured atmosphere and sat down.

“Captain, you should try to get along. We’re all in this together.”

“I do not ally myself with Warlocks.”

“Well, fine… If that’s your belief, so be it. Just don’t get in the way.”

“Why are you relying on Warlocks?”

The Marquis tilted his head, looking at Dominic.

“Do you really need to ask?”

“I’m genuinely asking. I wouldn’t want to ally with such unsavory characters either. But we have no other choice now. You’re the one who failed the mission in the first place.”

“Are you talking about the Enchantress?”

“Yes. The ‘Witch’ Slayer couldn’t capture the Enchantress, so I had to find an alternative.”

The Marquis emphasized the word “witch.”

“I’m sorry about your face, but part of the blame lies with you. Keep your head down and stay quiet for now.”

“Binaeril Dalheim… I won’t lose if we fight again.”

Dominic had learned Binaeril’s name from the Marquis after the banquet.

“Ah, that arrogant boy. I saw him too. He’s the Second Princess’s guard. The Regent gave him the title of Junior Baron, so he must be quite skilled.”

“He won by luck.”

“Losing twice by luck means it’s skill.”

“That’s not…!”

“Captain Dominic,” the Marquis’s voice lowered.

“Didn’t you hear me before? Keep your head down and stay quiet. When we need you, we’ll call for you. For now, remain at the estate and don’t let your temper get the better of you.”

Dominic clenched his fists but bowed his head and complied. For now, obedience was his only option.

“Understood, Your Lordship.”

***

A few days later.

Binaeril quietly left his assigned room, watching for any prying eyes. The palace was eerily quiet. Today was the day of the Great Assembly, summoned by the Regent. The meeting was to discuss the succession to the throne with high-ranking nobles, but it didn’t seem like it would end anytime soon.

In Binaeril’s mind, it seemed simpler just to ignore the nobles and claim the throne, but it was clearly more complicated than that. Veritas had given a long-winded explanation, but all Binaeril understood was that it was “complicated.”

With most of the palace’s staff focused on the meeting, Binaeril had his own secret task to attend to.

– It’s on the upper floor.

“Where are the stairs?”

– Turn right and take the third corridor.

The reason for his secretive departure was none other than Veritas.

Veritas, which had been quiet for a while, suddenly started to make a fuss again.

– I sense something, something significant!

“What exactly do you mean…?”

Though Binaeril asked curtly, he knew what this meant. When Veritas got this worked up, it usually indicated one of two things: a magic stone or a page. There was no way a magic stone would be in the heart of the imperial palace, given Veritas’s frantic reaction.

‘Is it possible that the page we’re looking for is in the middle of the imperial palace?’

Based on past experiences, pages often took the form of specific artifacts—a book like the Book of Truth, or the ring he wore. This meant the page in the palace was likely a treasure.

– It’s here.

“…Here?”

They arrived at a massive door that filled an entire corridor. The size of the door wasn’t the issue; it was the guards stationed at the entrance—two of them.

‘Doesn’t this look exactly like the entrance to a treasure vault?’

– It’s inside.

‘How do we get in?’

– Deal with the guards.

‘We could just ask Rike to take a look later…’

– No, we need to check now.

‘You’re stubborn.’

Binaeril approached the guards, pretending to be lost.

“Junior Baron Dalheim, this area is off-limits.”

Binaeril silently apologized to them. He couldn’t do it with his own magic alone, but there was a spell he could cast using Veritas’s power.

“A world slowly fading, as heavy eyelids close.”

The guards quickly fell into a deep sleep and slumped to the ground. He had cast a sleep spell. Intervening directly with someone’s mind was high-level magic, but with Veritas’s power, he could manage to complete the incantation. Thanks to his intense training in the Thornwinter Swamp, Binaeril’s ability to draw on magic had significantly improved. Where he once barely managed to cast 4th-tier spells, he could now do so with relative ease.

“Sorry about this. I’ll just take a quick look.”

He pushed open the enormous door to reveal the room inside.

“As expected…”

Binaeril’s eyes widened at the sight of gold filling the room. This was indeed the imperial treasury. There were ancient porcelain and cups, intricately crafted jewels, and old but powerful artifacts. The scale of the treasure was befitting the Empire.

– It’s over there!

At the far end of the treasury was what Veritas had been sensing. The object was…

“A staff?”

Not just any staff, but an excessively ornate one. The central grip was ivory, while the top was decorated with gold.

At the top of the over one-meter-long staff was the emblem of the Empire, a lion adorned with various gemstones, shining so brightly that it was dazzling even in the dim light of the treasury.

– It’s not just a staff. It’s the royal scepter.

“The Albrecht royal scepter?”

– Yes. It’s a symbolic object passed down to legitimate successors of the emperor to prove their legitimacy.

“Wow, no wonder it’s so ornate.”

– Binaeril, take it. That scepter is part of the page I’ve been looking for. We need to take it.

“No, wait! That’s too much. You just said it yourself—it’s the symbol of the Empire’s legitimacy.”

– So?

“Doesn’t that mean Rike or her sister needs it to claim the throne?”

– Are you an idiot? Of course they need it.

“…I’m not an idiot. If I take it, Rike won’t be able to get it!”

– Who cares? The only thing you should worry about is that I need that scepter. Everything else is irrelevant.

It was an incredibly selfish thought.

– You cannot refuse my request. This is part of our contract…

“No, no, I get it. Book of Truth, listen. I’m not trying to break our contract.”

Binaeril began to calmly reason with Veritas.

“But Rike’s situation isn’t settled yet. I promise, once she or the Regent safely ascends the throne, I’ll find a way to get the scepter to you.”

– Effort alone isn’t enough.

“I’ll make sure to get it.”

– There’s a catch in your words. What if they don’t succeed in ascending the throne?

That implied the death of the two princesses.

“…If that happens, it would be even better for you. I won’t feel any guilt about stealing the scepter.”

Veritas was silent for a moment after hearing Binaeril’s reply. Then, finally, a response came.

– …Fine. That answer will suffice for now.

Without touching anything else, Binaeril quietly left the treasury. He confirmed that the guards were still asleep and then started heading back to his room. 

As he walked, a woman tapped him on the back and spoke. Binaeril was startled as if he had been caught doing something mischievous.