Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

Essen Royal Palace, Great Assembly Hall

The long table in the center of the room was divided, with the royalist faction, including the Regent Charlotte and Rike, seated on the left, and the noble faction, led by Marquis Schiller and Marquis Papen, on the right. The central seat of honor remained empty. Although Charlotte, as the Regent, was the highest authority in the absence of Duke Dux, she did not sit at the head.

The meeting, which had started in the early evening, had dragged on with tedious discussions.

“The coronation will be held in the Royal Hall on the first of next month.”

“We should take our time to decide.”

“What time is needed?”

“In the history of the Empire, there has never been a female emperor. You won’t find a country outside the Empire ruled by a queen either.”

“Then what alternative do you propose? My sister and I are the only children of our father.”

Directly telling the Regent to forgo the throne could be construed as treason. Marquis Papen was stalling, spinning the discussion to waste time. Charlotte pounded her chest in frustration at the noble faction’s response.

“What do you want to do! Do you wish to leave the throne vacant forever? Or is it just that you can’t stand the idea of my sister and me taking it?”

“Please, Regent, calm down….”

Count Hans Brante, the royal physician, attempted to soothe her.

“Stop saying no, or we can’t, or wait, and provide a clear alternative!”

“…Then how about this?”

Marquis Schiller, who had been silent with a sullen expression, finally spoke. Charlotte, exhausted, felt she might agree even if he proposed selling the Empire.

“Historically, the Empire and the Holy Kingdom of Vitory have maintained close relations.”

The Holy Kingdom of Vitory was a religious nation located in the northeastern part of the Empire. Ruled by the Pope, it had been a steadfast ally of the Empire for centuries, each recognizing the other’s authority.

“If our positions are so different, why don’t we send an envoy to the Holy Kingdom to seek their opinion on who holds the legitimacy for the throne?”

It was a straightforward suggestion. The moment Schiller mentioned legitimacy, the noble faction had no grounds to oppose. If the Emperor’s children were not legitimate, who else could be? Given the conservative nature of the Holy Kingdom, it was highly likely they would support the princesses.

It was an absurd idea to let a foreign nation decide the next emperor, but it was a situation that couldn’t possibly harm their cause. The conditions were so favorable that Charlotte began to suspect Schiller’s true intentions.

“Are you serious?”

“Do we have any reason to deceive you, Regent?”

“If the Holy Kingdom supports us, we will proceed with the coronation immediately without further objections.”

The discussion had taken an unexpected turn, and too easily at that. Charlotte felt uneasy as she declared the end of the Great Assembly. 

After the nobles had left the assembly:

“Good job, Hans. Go and rest now.”

“You did well, Your Highness. Are you and your sister going to rest now too?”

“No. I’ll have a brief discussion with my sister in my chambers.”

“Ah, I see. Then I shall leave so as not to be a disturbance.”

After Count Hans Brante had left, the two of them walked to the Regent’s chambers.

“What do you think about the Marquis’s proposal?”

“Doesn’t it seem a bit odd?”

“Yes, I can’t understand why the Marquis would make such a proposal.”

“Could it be that they’ve already made contact with the Holy Kingdom?”

“That’s unlikely. They might have negotiated with a few individuals, but requesting an envoy on a national level? That’s practically impossible.”

“So, what do you think is the reason behind this proposal?”

“I’m not sure… Marquis Schiller is a cunning man.”

As they were about to reach the Regent’s chambers, an unexpected figure was waiting in the chimney, shivering from the cold.

“Damn, when is the signal coming? At this rate, I’ll freeze to death before I can kill the princesses.”

Goblin muttered a string of curses as he endured the cold. The weather worsened, and soon rain began to fall.

“Damn it!”

At his feet lay a dead soldier, his throat brutally torn. Goblin, while cutting the dead soldier’s fingers off one by one, awaited the Marquis’s signal.

“Knock, knock, knock. How far have we come? Knock, knock, knock. How long must I wait? Knock, knock, knock. Not much longer now~”

Just then, the communication stone he had for contact with the Marquis began to vibrate.

“It’s here!”

Throwing the corpse aside, Goblin immediately started his preparations. He pulled a vial from his waist and mixed it with a prepared low-grade magic stone. As bubbles formed and the color changed, it was ready.

“Hehehehe!”

Goblin was an alchemist among Warlocks, specializing in handling potions. The concoction he had prepared was a potent poison, designed to vaporize on contact with flames and affect the respiratory system. Goblin stuck his head into the chimney, listening intently for any sounds from inside.

“Anyway, until the envoy from the Holy Kingdom arrives, we should be cautious.”

“If they haven’t contacted the Holy Kingdom, their goal might simply be to buy time. If they’re stalling, it could mean they’re targeting the two of us.”

“Then, sister.”

“Shouldn’t you also have a mage as a guard?”

“Yes. The Royal Guard will protect me, but they might have other plans.”

“That makes sense.”

Rike thought. If the noble faction targeted them through magic, she would likely be safer. She had Sylvia as her guard, and she herself was a mage. Most importantly, Rike had the unique ability of magical sight, enabling her to detect even the faintest magical presence.

Like the faint magic coming from the chimney right now….

“Chimney?”

“What’s that?”

Charlotte turned her head in the direction Rike was looking, but saw nothing unusual. The room looked the same as always.

“What are you talking about?”

There was a shattering sound of glass from the fireplace’s base. Suddenly, they felt a strong magical wave from the top of the chimney. It was Goblin’s flame spell. Rike realized it was a sign of an imminent attack.

“Sister, we need to get out!”

“What? Why?”

Flare!

As soon as the Regent finished speaking, flames shot down the chimney, igniting the fireplace. Simultaneously, a thick, acrid gas began to fill the room.

‘Poison!’

“Sister! Don’t breathe!”

Rike grabbed Charlotte’s hand and ran to the door. 

Bang!

She pushed hard, but the door was firmly blocked.

“It’s stuck! Where should we go…!”

In desperation, she tore a piece of her dress and cast a water spell on it. In the brief moment she took a breath to chant, she inhaled some of the poison gas. Her head spun, but she couldn’t afford to collapse yet. She used the damp cloth to cover her sister’s mouth, and pressed the other piece to her own face, then dashed towards the window with all her might.

***

Meanwhile, Binaeril, startled, fell backwards. As he lay on the ground, he saw a woman’s face come into view.

“What are you doing here?”

Even in the dim hallway, her green eyes shone brightly. Binaeril recognized her name from his prone position.

“Vivian?”

“Oh my, you called me Vivian?”

She smiled, seemingly pleased to hear her name.

“I’m sorry, Miss Vivian.”

“No need to apologize.”

She looked slightly disappointed.

“What’s going on with these guards?”

Vivian asked, noticing the fallen guards.

“Well, uh… maybe they’re tired from long shifts!”

“Hmm~ Really?”

“Yes, really.”

Binaeril avoided her gaze, his eyes darting around. He was not accustomed to lying.

“Well, okay then.”

“What brings you here, Miss Vivian?”

“I was just taking a walk. They don’t let me join the meetings with my father.”

“I see…”

“It’s rare to have the chance to leisurely explore Essen’s palace. But this is a pleasant surprise, running into you.”

Vivian smiled alluringly. Binaeril forced a smile back, feeling uneasy. Vivian’s boldness from their first meeting and her cryptic comments about liking drifters made him wary. Given her family’s background, he knew he shouldn’t get too close. Her father was an enemy of Rike, after all.

“You were out for a walk. Well, be careful not to catch a cold. I should be going…”

As he turned resolutely, Vivian spoke.

“If you’re just leaving, can you explain what you were doing in front of the treasury? Why are all the guards unconscious?”

“…Where are you headed on your walk?”

Binaeril decided to compromise for a moment.

Crash!

Rain began to fall, adding to the already chilly weather and causing the temperature to drop rapidly. Binaeril pulled his indoor coat tighter around himself as he listened to Vivian chatter.

“My father couldn’t respond to the invitation because of an emergency. Strange monsters appeared in one of our territories, so he had to go there. Thanks to that, I got to see the invitation early and sneaked off to the palace without him knowing.”

“I see.”

“How long can you keep an eligible maiden cooped up in the estate? My father is overprotective.”

“Seeing you, I can understand why he would be.”

“…What do you mean by that? Are you siding with my father?”

Vivian’s face hardened, and she glared at Binaeril.

“No, I mean… ahem, any father would be protective of such a… beautiful young lady.”

“…I see. You passed.”

She smiled slyly, though Binaeril couldn’t tell what she found so satisfying. He just wanted to get back to his room before the guards at the treasury woke up and noticed something was wrong.

“It’s getting colder.”

Though Binaeril wore a light coat, Vivian was dressed in an outfit that left her arms exposed, quite unsuitable for a nighttime walk, even indoors.

“I’m a bit cold…”

She repeatedly mentioned her discomfort, staring pointedly at his coat.

“Shall we head back? It’s really getting chilly.”

“…Do people often say you’re oblivious?”

“No, actually, I usually get told I’m quite perceptive.”

“…Lies.”

At that moment, Binaeril’s keen hearing picked up a faint sound.

‘Crash!’

It was the sound of something breaking, not like a small bottle in the kitchen but more like…

‘A window breaking?’

Binaeril turned his head towards the direction of the sound, which seemed to come from where Rike and the Regent’s rooms were located.

“Excuse me, miss.”

It might be his imagination, but he felt a bad premonition.

“Miss, take this coat. Wear it and go back to your room. Sorry, I need to check something.”

He quickly took off his light coat and draped it over Vivian’s shoulders, then sprinted towards the upper floor, where the princesses’ bedrooms were located.

“Wait, …Binaeril!”

Vivian tried to catch him, but this time he didn’t stop. She gave up and unfolded the coat he had given her. She brought it up to her face and inhaled deeply.

…it smelled like rain and wind.

“Binaeril and rain… their names are similar.”

Vivian put on the coat and decided to return to her room.