Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

The image shows a tormented Duke’s army with a Lich floating in the air. Binaeril, without needing any explanation, grasped the entire situation immediately. Balram, too, recognized Binaeril’s face.

“You scoundrel!”

“He attacked us! We couldn’t counterattack effectively since he’s floating in the air.”

Despite his large build, Balram’s tone resembled that of a younger sibling complaining to an older one, as if saying, “He bullied me, punish him!”

“I know him.”

“How do you know him?”

“I encountered him in the underground of Paguin Castle.”

“That scoundrel!”

The one who threatened our Vivian!

The Duke regretted not throwing his mace harder.

“Is he still alive?”

“A Lich doesn’t die.”

“Isn’t it just a fake immortality, gained by stealing others’ lives?”

“Your arrogant attitude hasn’t changed.”

Balram was convinced. This guy is the one who destroyed the altar.

Binaeril approached from the direction of the Bido entrance.

“Are you the mastermind behind all this?”

Balram replied, “What good will it do you to know? You’re going to die soon anyway.”

Black magical energy began to gather at Balram’s fingertips. Binaeril recited the incantation for the Magic Bullet in response.

Whiz― Bang!

Balram’s black beam and Binaeril’s Magic Bullet collided with a loud explosion. From just one exchange, Balram had a gut feeling.

‘I have the upper hand!’

While his opponent’s magic was potent, it couldn’t match the power he gained from the demon sword. Binaeril also sensed that the Lich’s magic surpassed his own. However, he couldn’t afford to give up.

As Binaeril charged forward, firing a barrage of Magic Bullets, the real battle began. Balram, hovering in the air, dodged the incoming Magic Bullets deftly. Binaeril focused intensely on intercepting him, keeping a close watch on the Lich.

“Tell me! What do you gain from sacrificing people?”

“My army. I increase the followers of my master. The sacrifices return as my power. With this immense magic!”

Binaeril caught on to one particular word and raised an eyebrow.

“You have a master? Is something controlling you?”

“That’s none of your concern! Unleashing death and decay upon you!”

An unnaturally formed dark cloud followed Binaeril, pouring black rain. Binaeril led the attack away from the Duke’s army.

“Freeze!”

The falling rain couldn’t touch him, freezing in mid-air. The black rain quickly turned into black snowflakes.

“Do you know the name ‘Fragment’? Or ‘Page’?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your master is not a living being. It’s probably an object with a consciousness that has bonded with your mind, isn’t it?”

Binaeril had accurately pinpointed the nature of the demon sword. Though Balram didn’t know how he knew this, he couldn’t admit the truth. The demon sword was his life vessel. If his enemy found out, he could destroy Balram completely.

“Stop talking nonsense!”

‘How about it, Veritas?’

– He seems to be hit where it hurts.

The Lich was indeed connected to the Page.

In the end, it was the sentient Page on the other side that was the cause of all the incidents. But something seemed odd. No matter how closely Binaeril examined Balram, he couldn’t spot any special item on his body. Unlike the worn book Binaeril always carried at his waist, all Balram had was a hooded cloak. There were no accessories or weapons, and even the clothes under his hood were nothing but rags.

‘Can’t you see it either?’

– I can’t sense it well. Get a bit closer.

Veritas had said that he could definitely recognize the Page if they got closer. If Binaeril could knock down the Lich and take his Page, everything would be over.

Binaeril approached Balram, inching into a dangerously close range.

“Black flames that burn life!”

Binaeril dodged the flames precariously, bending his body into an ‘S’ shape.

‘I can’t get any closer!’

– He doesn’t seem to have it on him.

– I can’t feel anything. There’s definitely a trace of it in his magic, but none of his possessions hold it.

“Then just tell me quickly!”

The front of Binaeril’s hair, slightly singed, smelled like grilled squid.

“So what do we do? Do we just fight?”

– He definitely doesn’t have it on him right now. We might have to search the other Bidongs.

Binaeril evaded the Lich’s attack with a backward somersault.

“Hey, Lich! Where is your master?”

“Do you think I would tell you?”

“Should I tear your pathetic body to pieces again?”

“If you can….”

Balram took a deep breath, readying himself to unleash his heightened magical power all at once.

“Go ahead!”

Balram’s black magic exploded outward. The power of death and decay, forces contrary to life, condensed into magic. The black magic radiating from Balram began to erode the surroundings, pushing toward Binaeril. Binaeril intended to counteract this force and fired his Magic Bullet at Balram.

Crack!

The Magic Bullet, fired by Binaeril, was consumed by Balram’s magical field before it could even reach him. Binaeril’s magic alone wasn’t enough. He drew upon Veritas’s power and infused it into his Magic Bullet.

There had been times like this before.

‘I’ll break through!’

Just like when he defeated the dark mage goblin or faced Dominic. It was a moment when he had to focus all his energy on one point.

He poured an ocean of magic into a single beam.

Although it was creaky and precarious, it was also a highly powerful single move.

“Pierce!”

With the addition of Veritas’s power to Binaeril’s blueprint, his Magic Bullet began to push back against the black magic.

Balram was so startled he almost lost his concentration.

The intense magic made every bone in his body tremble.

“I need more power!”

He cried out to his master. The demon sword responded to his call, pouring even more magic into him.

-…!

“Ha! That’s not enough!”

Binaeril’s Magic Bullet began to be pushed back once more.

“…Ugh.”

Come to think of it, even at Paguin Castle when he first met Balram, he couldn’t handle the Lich.

‘How did I win back then?’

The Lich had taken Vivian hostage. When his ominous magic threatened Vivian’s life….

‘I remember now. What helped me back then.’

Binaeril called out to the spirit within his ring.

[…]

But all he received in return was silence. He tried calling Eden’s name again, but there was no response.

‘She must have fallen asleep after healing the soldiers.’

The thought that he might not be able to defeat Balram without her help began to dominate his mind. Binaeril felt his strength waning. If he lost to Balram now, the Duke and the remaining knights would all fall at Balram’s hands. The Rotfallen expedition would end in failure. He wouldn’t be able to keep his promise to the Duke to share a beer at Vinzburg.

Binaeril made one last sincere attempt to call Eden’s name. Again, there was no response. 

Twitch!

But then, there was a reaction from an unexpected source.

‘Huh?’

He sensed Balram’s black magic momentarily retreat. Binaeril tried to comprehend the situation. Once again, the Lich’s magic recoiled reflexively. Binaeril realized something.

‘He’s afraid of Eden’s power!’

Eden had the power to negate all of the Lich’s magic. Balram was clearly wary of this. So, Binaeril had to bluff, making it seem like he could use Eden’s power at any moment.

This was the perfect time for a bluff!

“Heh…”

Binaeril hid his burning anxiety behind a smile. Would Balram fall for it? Wouldn’t he suspect something since the spirit hadn’t been summoned yet? No, it wasn’t a matter of whether he could deceive him or not.

He had to deceive him.

“What are you laughing at!”

“As expected, I can’t handle this with my magic alone.”

“But I cannot afford to lose here. I have a trump card.”

Maintaining his focus, Binaeril gritted his teeth and moved his body to fiddle with the ring. He felt Balram’s attention shift entirely to his fingers. As a being of pure magic, losing control over magic was Balram’s greatest fear.

“Eden, attack him!”

Binaeril shouted Eden’s name and poured the last of his magic into his Magic Bullet. Finally, Balram’s concentration broke, and Binaeril’s Magic Bullet swiftly penetrated the black magic.

“Damn it!”

Balram retreated, half of his body blasted away.

“When we meet again, I will take your head!”

Binaeril had exhausted all his magic, leaving him utterly drained.

“I’ve heard that… a lot, and it’s never been… scary.”

Balram’s skeletal form quivered before he flew off and disappeared. Inside Binaeril, Veritas spoke.

– He drew on the Page’s magic. Thanks to that, I have pinpointed its exact location.

After relocating to the outpost with the Duke, Binaeril listened to Veritas and pointed to a spot on the map.

“Where is this, Gustav?”

Sir Gustav studied the point Binaeril indicated.

“That is where the Rotfallen underground tomb is located.”

“Is that where this Balram fellow is?”

Binaeril had just learned the Lich’s name was Balram.

“Yes, Your Grace. Not just the Lich, but the presence controlling him is also there. I am certain.”

“The presence? What is it?”

“I don’t know its identity, but it’s likely a cursed object. An artifact with consciousness.”

While Binaeril and the Duke were planning their descent into the depths of Rotfallen, another group was heading towards the same destination.

Their appearance was peculiar. One person was holding something tightly wrapped in white cloth against his chest, while the other had his eyes covered with a white cloth as he rode a horse. All the horses they rode were white and seemed weary from a long journey.

“Vice-captain, how much further?” the blind man asked.

The man referred to as the vice-captain lifted the wrapped object in front of him.

Brrrr―.

He gauged the remaining distance by the intensity of its vibrations.

“It seems we are not far now, brother.”

Their attire was neither overly extravagant nor shabby. However, the identical emblem on their right chest indicated they belonged to the same organization. The emblem consisted of two black horizontal stripes crossed by a long red vertical stripe within a golden circular border. It was the symbol of the Holy Order of Vitory.

“I apologize, vice-captain. This mission could have been handled by me alone.”

“No, brother. It signifies that the captain himself took great interest in this mission.”

“Even so, it didn’t require two of the twelve knights.”

Transparent tears fell from beneath the blindfold covering the blind man’s eyes.

“No, brother! It’s fine! Don’t cry, please….”

“But it’s because I’m unreliable that you have to go through this trouble….”

“No, no, it’s fine! Really! We don’t often get a chance to visit the Empire, so it’s nice to sightsee!”

“Is the Empire’s scenery beautiful?”

The vice-captain lifted his head and looked around. In truth, they were traveling through a forest path, so there wasn’t much scenery to speak of, but he lied to calm the blind man.

“Yes! It’s truly beautiful. When your eyes open, I’d love to bring you here to see it.”

“…Thank you, vice-captain.”

The strange pair was headed towards Rotfallen. Though they did not know the exact location of their destination, they did not lose their way. As they got closer, the object in the vice-captain’s arms and the demon sword of Rotfallen began to resonate, sensing each other’s presence.