Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

The barbaroi rescued from the underground dungeon were in terrible condition. Dehydration, starvation, and the soldiers’ torture had left none of them unscathed. Though the warriors were astonished to see Inyakan, they didn’t have the energy to share in the moment.

Under Duke Dux’s supervision, the former Margrave’s butler was ordered to provide the rescued barbaroi with water, food, and a place to rest. It wasn’t until Binaeril and his group had tended to the exhausted warriors that they were able to reconvene.

“So, what do we do now?”

“We’ll have to wait until they rest and recover.”

“No, I mean this place.”

The Margrave’s castle was in a state of complete disarray. The guards who had defended the castle were either dead or had surrendered. Many of the servants had fled when Binaeril’s group stormed in, leaving only a few who had been caught and couldn’t escape.

“Weren’t all the soldiers dealt with?” Inyakan asked, and Binaeril shook his head.

There weren’t many garrisoned soldiers in the castle itself, but the real concern was the main forces of the Margrave, which were spread across the northern border.

“We’re safe for now, but once word gets out that the Margrave is dead, chaos will ensue. We need to come up with a plan before that happens.”

The Margrave, who had been beaten to a pulp by Duke Dux, had died on the spot. Considering he had been struck by two of the strongest men—Inyakan and Duke Dux—surviving would have been more surprising.

“Can’t we just leave?”

“The Margrave commanded an army of tens of thousands. No one knows how an army without a leader will react.”

“That’s not our concern.”

A vein bulged on Duke Dux’s forehead.

“Did you torture and kill Valhardt without any thought?”

“Hey, Duke, let’s get something straight. We didn’t kill the Margrave. We just wanted information from him. The one who killed him was you.”

When Priya pointed this out, the Duke had no rebuttal.

“And who are you to speak so casually to me?”

It was too complicated to explain who Priya was.

“She’s one of my magic teachers,” Binaeril interjected.

“So, from Elfenbine?”

“Not exactly, but she’s a mage nonetheless. So, Your Grace, what do you suggest we do next?”

Binaeril redirected the conversation back to the main issue.

“We need someone to replace the Margrave.”

“Shouldn’t we consult the Emperor about this?”

“If we follow proper procedure, that would be correct. But who knows how long it will take? Sending word to the capital, waiting for Her Majesty to deliberate, appoint a suitable person, and then having that person travel here…”

It would take at least a few months.

Binaeril’s suggestion was dismissed outright.

“What about entrusting this to the neighboring nobles? Is there anyone Your Grace knows who could handle this?”

“The Margrave commanded an army of tens of thousands. He was able to lead such a large force without issue because he was a seasoned soldier who had proven himself on the front lines.”

“So, there’s no one around here with those qualifications,” Binaeril observed.

Duke Dux nodded in agreement.

“Then perhaps this situation could actually work to our advantage.”

“What exactly do you mean by that?” the Duke asked.

Binaeril pointed to the Margrave’s corpse, which had been preserved with magic since it was difficult to deal with at the moment.

“From what you’ve said, it seems the Margrave had no intention of accepting the end of the war.”

“That does seem likely,” the Duke admitted.

“If another rebellion were to be sparked in the north so soon after the two Empresses were crowned, what do you think the atmosphere would be like within the Empire?”

Duke Dux looked at Binaeril in surprise. He hadn’t considered that far ahead.

“Not only would the immediate chaos in the north be a problem, but the prestige of Their Majesties would be severely damaged.”

“That’s true…”

The coronation of the two princesses, now Empresses Friederike and Charlotte, had already been a difficult affair, marked by an attempted coup by the noble faction. The Duke had been focused only on the turmoil the Margrave’s death would cause in the north, but Binaeril, despite not being from the Empire, understood the broader implications better than the Duke.

‘Every time I see him, I’m more impressed by his insight,’ the Duke thought.

A young mage from Elfenbine, favored by the new Empress, and with such political acumen—Binaeril was a talent the Duke increasingly wanted by his side.

“In that case, we definitely can’t leave the Margrave’s position vacant,” the Duke said, nodding in agreement.

Binaeril nodded as well.

“What about putting this man in the position?” Priya asked, gesturing toward Inyakan.

“He’s likely to refuse outright,” Binaeril replied.

Inyakan scratched his head and looked at them, as if wondering why they were staring at him. As soon as the conversation turned to something troublesome, he had distanced himself as if it didn’t concern him.

“The soldiers on the border likely harbor the same deep-seated hatred for barbarians as the Margrave did. They wouldn’t accept a barbaroi as their ruler, even if we set aside what His Majesty might decide.”

The Duke responded, “Then, it seems there’s no one else but me.”

“Are you serious? I have my estate in the south. You expect me to abandon that and settle here?”

“Then there’s only one person left.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

Binaeril and Duke Dux had reached the same conclusion. There was only one person who truly suited the role.

‘It’s Binaeril.’

“But are you okay with this?” the Duke asked.

“I thought Sir Binaeril wasn’t interested in taking on such positions…”

Binaeril had previously declined the Duke’s request to stay by his side at Vinzburg Fortress. The Duke would have liked nothing more than to bring Binaeril into his own service if possible.

“What do you mean? I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” Binaeril replied.

“I have no intention of replacing the Margrave.”

“Then who are you suggesting?” the Duke asked.

Binaeril extended his finger. The man whose face was covered in burn scars looked startled and pointed at himself in disbelief.

“Me?”

“Him?”

“This guy?”

“This fool?”

Dominic, Priya, the Duke, and finally Inyakan each expressed their surprise. Inyakan just wanted to add a comment to dismiss Dominic.

“No, no, it’s impossible. You’re suggesting I take on the Margrave’s position?”

“Who is this person?” the Duke asked.

“Your Grace, I believe you’ve heard of the title ‘Platinum Knight,'” Binaeril said.

“Isn’t that the title of Sir Dominic Schiller?”

“Do you know of him?”

“I’ve met him a few times. But why Sir Dominic?”

“This is Dominic Schiller.”

Just as the Duke remembered Dominic, Dominic also remembered the Duke. However, there was no familiarity between the two.

The Duke scrutinized Dominic with a puzzled expression, his gaze lingering on the terrible scars covering Dominic’s face.

“Unless I’m mistaken, Sir Dominic didn’t used to look like this…”

“There was an incident,” Binaeril explained.

A brief silence followed.

“Yes, Your Grace,” Binaeril continued.

“Sir Dominic was a knight of House Schiller.”

“And Marquis Schiller was the leader of the noble faction that conspired against Their Majesties.”

The Duke’s concern was whether Dominic Schiller still harbored resentment toward the Emperor. For Dominic, it was a bitter prejudice to endure. Even though he had abandoned the name “Schiller,” people still remembered him as a close associate of the Marquis Schiller. It was this perception that had driven him to leave the Empire. But it was also a burden Dominic had to bear.

“Your Grace, when I left the Marquisate, I abandoned the name Schiller,” Dominic declared. Despite this, the Duke’s expression remained one of skepticism.

“You mentioned needing someone who is both from the Empire, capable of managing rough soldiers, and even respected by them,” Binaeril reminded him.

“The reputation of the ‘Platinum Knight’… does fit that criteria,” the Duke conceded.

“I can personally vouch for Sir Dominic,” Binaeril added.

“If Sir Binaeril speaks so highly of him…”

Dominic felt a wave of gratitude toward Binaeril for standing up for him.

“…Wait a moment,” Dominic suddenly thought.

Now that he considered it, this wasn’t the time to be feeling grateful.

“Wait, wait. I never agreed to this!” Dominic protested.

“Then it’s settled. Sir Dominic will take the position temporarily, and we’ll send a letter to the capital, Essen,” the Duke announced.

“Hold on, Your Grace, please!”

“I had hoped Sir Binaeril would take on the role, but it can’t be helped,” the Duke said, shaking Binaeril’s hand in celebration of a successful negotiation.

“So, it’s all settled? I’m going to get some rest until the fools wake up. Don’t wake me,” Priya said, yawning as she left the room.

“I think I’ll have a beer. Once the warriors wake up, we’ll have to go deal with Senegakan,” Inyakan said, leaving next.

“Sir Binaeril, my wife and Baron are in the quarters. Will you go see them?” the Duke asked.

“Of course. I should at least go greet Duchess Melina and Sir Baron,” Binaeril replied.

With Binaeril and Inyakan gone, Dominic was left alone.

“Hey, excuse me? Can someone please listen to me?”

In the now-empty Margrave’s bedchamber, the only one left to hear Dominic’s cries was the frozen corpse of the Margrave.

“Edra, who bit the wolf’s throat!”

“Mahika, born as pure as snow!”

“Frieda, whose fists are as big as boulders!”

The emotional reunions of the barbaroi warriors with their kin might have seemed somewhat absurd from the perspective of civilized people.

“Their names are all so ridiculous.”

“Let’s just keep quiet and watch.”

Binaeril’s group had dwindled from four to three. Dominic had stayed behind at the Margrave’s castle, ultimately taking on the role he had been reluctant to accept. The warriors who had been kidnapped were from various small tribes, each numbering only a few dozen. These warriors were the heads of their families, vital for their tribes’ survival.

The barbaroi expressed their deep gratitude to Binaeril and his companions repeatedly. Among them, Inyakan received the most overwhelming praise.

“Inyakan! Thank you so much!”

“You are the savior of the barbaroi!”

“The greatest warrior! Our hero!”

Inyakan, looking somewhat bewildered, waited patiently for the moment to pass.

As for Senegakan, who had colluded with the Margrave, he was eventually dragged away by the furious barbaroi.

“What happened to Senegakan?”

“Do you really want to know?”

The expression on Cherokee Khan’s face as he spoke was telling.

“…No.”

Binaeril decided to keep Senegakan’s fate buried in his heart.

Ultimately, gathering the barbaroi warriors as originally planned required more time. It took two days for the warriors to reunite with their families, for Inyakan to enlist their cooperation, and for them to regroup.

“Are we ready?” Binaeril asked.

Finally, the warriors Cherokee Khan had gathered were assembled in one place. Inyakan stood on a platform about two spans higher than the others, while the two mages, Binaeril and Priya, stepped back.

“Follow the call when I give it,” Inyakan instructed.

“We know, Inyakan,” Cherokee Khan responded.

Binaeril held the *Veritas* in his hand, which had been tied to his waist.

“Be careful,” Priya, who had unpleasant memories associated with the Word Spirit of Inya, warned Binaeril, her tension palpable.

“Don’t worry, sis.”

Inyakan took a deep breath.