Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

Relentlessly pushing himself to the brink, his fingers began to tremble.

But despite the outpouring of mana, his mind did not feel any lighter.

‘A bitter defeat.’

On the Rotfallen expedition, Binaeril suffered three defeats.

Against Balram, Mimung, and then in battle with the Paladins.

But the last defeat felt entirely different from the others.

Balram and Mimung were not human. Mimung was a page like Veritas, and Balram was a servant of that page.

But Callisto was human. An ordinary human like Binaeril.

Among humans, he was someone Binaeril needed to defeat, a Paladin like his brother.

‘I thought I had become much stronger.’

He couldn’t even touch a hair on Paladin Callisto’s head.

Not just Callisto, but even the lowest-ranked knight who accompanied him.

‘They were far stronger than I could compare.’

Paladin Matthias sent Balram to hell in a single stroke.

It was a feat Binaeril couldn’t even mimic.

In the end, he lost control of his mana and went berserk to face them.

If the Paladins hadn’t stopped him, Binaeril’s life wouldn’t have been spared.

What made Binaeril feel even worse was that it was those very Paladins who had stopped his rampage.

This meant that no matter what abilities he consciously or unconsciously used, he couldn’t defeat them.

Just as he couldn’t defeat his brother.

“I have been too complacent.”

Relying solely on the power of the page was not enough.

He had to become stronger himself. Binaeril thought this resolutely.

As he took a brief rest, someone approached him.

“You’re here again today.”

“Miss Vivian.”

It was Vivian Dux, the only daughter of Duke Dux.

“I came to ask a favor.”

“If it’s a request for a sparring match with the knights of the fortress, then…”

“It’s not that.”

Vivian looked at Binaeril with unwavering eyes.

It was an unusually serious expression for her.

“What is it?”

Meanwhile, Duchess Melina was looking down at the two from the duke’s office.

“Husband.”

“It seems our daughter has finally drawn her sword.”

The duke also approached the window to look down at the two.

Their expressions were contrasting.

One looked as sorrowful as could be, while the other looked as joyous as could be.

***

Paladins Callisto and Matthias were quickly leaving Rotfallen, heading towards the Holy Kingdom.

The Starfall was once again wrapped in its customary white cloth.

The halved Mimung was wrapped in old rags they had found in a village.

Unlike their swift journey to Rotfallen, their return was noticeably slower.

There were several reasons for this. Chief among them was the interference from the halved magic sword.

Mimung constantly attempted to invade Callisto’s mind.

Persuasion, temptation, intimidation, and threats.

None of it worked on the faithful Paladin. But Mimung’s interference didn’t stop there.

Encountering demons every half-day, even the paladins of the Order could not help but grow increasingly weary.

Moreover, there was an issue with one of their companions’ health.

“Brother Matthias, are you still unwell?”

“I’m sorry, Vice-Captain.”

Matthias was suffering from the aftereffects of that day.

Even after leaving Rotfallen and resting for a full day, Matthias was plagued by chills.

When they met the captain’s brother and stopped his rampage,

Binaeril’s mana had undoubtedly left a hard-to-heal mark on Matthias.

“It’s not your fault. We’ll see a priest as soon as we return.”

Because of Matthias’s unwell state, Callisto had to handle all the battles against the demons.

Naturally, their progress slowed.

‘At this rate, we won’t reach the Holy Kingdom until the new year.’

They were walking along a forest path.

It was the northeastern border of the duchy, a quiet and nameless forest with few travelers.

“Vice-Captain.”

“Vice-Captain?”

“…Ah, what is it, brother?”

Momentarily distracted by Mimung’s whispering, Callisto quickly regained his focus.

“The mountain fog has become very thick.”

It was as Matthias said. They had entered a dense fog.

“Hm. We must be cautious, as we may be attacked by demons.”

They tried to ignore it and move through the forest, but something was amiss.

Despite walking for a long time, the fog did not thin but grew thicker.

It became difficult to see each other even when standing close by.

The most peculiar fact was that, despite the thickness of the fog,

“It’s not damp at all.”

Matthias replied from within the gray mist.

“Brother Matthias, do you find this place cold?”

“I am cold, Vice-Captain.”

“Ah, I asked the wrong question. I meant to ask if you find it dry despite the fog.”

Matthias did not reply immediately.

“Now that you mention it, it does seem that way.”

“It’s an ominous sign.”

Callisto’s premonition soon became a reality.

“It’s been a while, Sir Callisto, Sir Matthias.”

A voice, whose location was impossible to discern, echoed through the fog.

Both men recognized this voice.

A voice that was languid, kind, and enchanting.

“Priya?”

“Lady Priya?”

Hearing the voice after so long, they both repeated her name simultaneously.

“Let’s skip the pleasantries and get to the point. Sir Callisto, would you kindly hand over the Starfall?”

Callisto gripped the Starfall wrapped in its white cloth.

It was the captain’s cherished weapon. He couldn’t hand it over to just anyone, not even to his old lover.

***

In the duke’s office, four people were gathered.

The duke and duchess, Vivian, and Binaeril.

After finishing her conversation with Binaeril, Vivian had brought him up to the duke’s room, holding his hand.

The Duke finally closed his eyes tightly, thinking that the moment he had been dreading had finally arrived.

Before the expedition, he had promised to respect his daughter’s wishes if Binaeril made significant contributions in Rotfallen.

And Binaeril had indeed distinguished himself greatly there.

If Vivian expressed her intentions regarding marriage now, he would have no way out.

‘My precious Vivian…!’

Vivian opened her mouth to speak, basking in the expectant gaze of Duchess Melina.

“Mother, Father, I have something to tell you.”

“No!”

Duke Dux’s desperate resistance was quashed by a single blow from Duchess Melina.

“Go ahead and speak, Vivian. Whatever your decision, your mother supports you.”

Duchess Melina was solidifying the situation so that the Duke couldn’t back out.

“Father, Mother, since the moment I first met Sir Binaeril, I’ve had one wish.”

The Duke’s expression was on the verge of tears at her formal introduction.

“I want to go to Elfenbine!”

“Absolutely not… What did you say?”

The Duke wasn’t the only one who didn’t understand her words immediately.

Duchess Melina also asked her daughter with a bewildered expression.

“Vivian, what do you mean by that?”

“I want to become a mage like Sir Binaeril, Mother.”

The Duke and Duchess looked at each other, their bewildered gazes lost.

“What are you talking about?”

“What do you mean?”

They both exclaimed at the same time.

“I mean it literally. I want to enroll in Elfenbine. I even consulted with Sir Binaeril.”

Binaeril, watching the Duke’s reaction, also spoke up.

“Elfenbine does not have an age limit for admission. Although the recruitment period has passed, there are special admissions as well.”

“If it helps, I can write a letter of recommendation to the headmaster of Elfenbine.”

“Um, Your Grace?”

Binaeril thought the Duke and Duchess’s dazed expressions were due to their surprise at their daughter’s sudden announcement.

“Was it not about marriage?”

“Vivian, was that the reason you followed Sir Binaeril?”

The Duke and Duchess had clearly misunderstood something.

Duke Torben Dux found it difficult to manage his expression, not knowing whether to feel relieved or sad.

Vivian resolutely reiterated her intention.

“Please allow me, Father. I want to go to Elfenbine.”

The fog thickened around them.

Both Callisto and Matthias were well aware of Priya’s abilities.

She was a mage who dealt with illusions and enchantments. Her fog was a medium that bewildered people.

Callisto knew this, but knowing it and experiencing it were worlds apart.

Once trapped in Priya’s fog, he found himself at a loss for what to do.

“I don’t want to hurt you both. If you lay down the Starfall and step back, the fog will no longer obstruct you.”

“Sister Priya, you know we won’t do that, don’t you?”

“Because it belongs to the captain.”

“Is the sword of Dalheim more important than your lives?”

There was a subtle emotion in Priya’s voice when she mentioned the captain’s name.

“Priya, do you truly think you can harm us?”

“I know you both. I know how you fight.”

“We know you just as well.”

“…This is as far as my friendly advice goes.”

Callisto unwrapped the cloth from Starfall and grasped its hilt.

“What a sad situation.”

Callisto knew the best way to deal with an enchantress was not to become her enemy in the first place.

If you became her enemy, the next best thing was to avoid getting caught in her fog.

In that sense, the current situation was nearly the worst-case scenario.

Priya had declared herself their enemy, and they were caught in her fog.

Now, they had to find the next best solution.

The fog churned, as if concealing something beyond.

A streak of light shot out from the mist.

Callisto raised Starfall to block the flash.

“…Matthias?”

A faint shape of Matthias stood before him.

From beyond the fog, he heard Matthias’s confused cry.

It dawned on Callisto then.

Callisto and Matthias. Matthias and Callisto.

Priya had conjured each other’s images to make them turn their blades on one another.

“This is my gift for you both.”

Priya’s dreamy voice echoed through the fog.

Callisto shouted,

“Matthias! Focus! The one holding Starfall is the real me!”

“Yes, Vice-Captain!”

Callisto scrutinized the figure before him.

The real Matthias was suffering from chills. But the figure before him showed no such signs.

The moment he realized this, the fake Matthias began to tremble slightly.

“Do you take me for a fool?”

“…This is Starfall.”

“Damn.”

The fake Matthias swung his sword at him.

Callisto whispered a prayer and swung Starfall at the impostor.

Matthias’s condition wasn’t good. He had to fight hard to assist him.

“Getting Starfall won’t be easy, sister!”