Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage's Book - Chapter 15

“Y-you…!”

Gospelt, who had been insisting on his claim, suddenly looked horrified. Sylvia thought he had finally come to his senses. Just as she was about to berate him further for his shamelessness, the supervising instructors arrived.

“What’s going on here?”

“Is everyone okay?”

Familiar and unfamiliar teachers alike had arrived, alerted by the magical disturbance Gospelt had caused. The supervisors had been stationed quite a distance away, explaining their delayed arrival.

The approaching instructors were startled by the sight of the fallen dire wolf.

“Did you kids take this down?”

One of them asked. Gospelt started to step forward, but Sylvia raised her hand to stop him. Both Rike and Sylvia pointed to Binaeril.

“He did.”

The instructors were skeptical. The boy they pointed to looked too unscathed for such a feat. They might have believed it if Sylvia, with her torn clothes and visible injuries, or even Gospelt, who had been rolling around, had claimed the victory.

‘They must have worked together to bring it down,’ the instructor concluded on their own.

“You must be hurt. Good job. We’ll handle the cleanup. All of you, return to Elfenbine.”

Several instructors approached the dire wolf’s body to ensure it was dead. One of them, skilled in healing magic, moved towards Binaeril’s group. However, Sylvia, already healed by Rike, indicated they didn’t need any further help.

“Oh, you were lucky.”

The instructor knew that a dire wolf wasn’t a monster that a few students could take down without sustaining significant injuries. He attributed their success to sheer luck.

On their way back to the tower, Binaeril remained silent. He looked somewhat dazed. Sylvia was exhausted, and Gospelt was trembling for reasons unknown.

“Binaeril?”

Rike called his name. He didn’t respond immediately, lost in his thoughts.

“Huh? Oh, yes.”

When Rike called again, Binaeril finally answered.

“Is something wrong?”

“…No.”

Rike worried that Binaeril might have overexerted himself with magic.

“Bullshit!”

Gospelt, who had been quiet, suddenly shouted, trembling with anger.

“This crazy bastard, how could he—!”

“What are you talking about?” Sylvia asked irritably.

“He swallowed the magic stone!”

Binaeril slowly turned his head upon hearing Gospelt’s accusation.

“You insane… how could you be so greedy? How did you…?”

Gospelt met Binaeril’s gaze and fell silent, struck by fear. Binaeril’s eyes were not those of a human. Gospelt remembered clearly the look in the eyes of the dire wolf. It was the gaze of a monster.

“How could you…?”

“What are you talking about?”

Sylvia urged Gospelt to speak. He forcibly turned his gaze away, moving mechanically. He had seen Binaeril’s prowess and felt the fear that the fearsome magic might be directed at him if he spoke carelessly.

“What’s wrong with him?” Sylvia asked, puzzled.

Gospelt made a concerted effort not to meet Binaeril’s eyes for the rest of the return journey.

***

“Damn fool!” Professor Freud slammed his desk with uncharacteristic fury. The usually arrogant and composed professor was visibly agitated.

“How could he! Even after taking the elixir! Produce such a pathetic result!”

The news from the subjugation practice was shocking. Gospelt Louis didn’t even come close to first place; he barely avoided last place. Securing the elixir had been costly. Achieving such a poor result was unacceptable.

“What nonsense did he pull?”

He had called for Gospelt Louis immediately after receiving the results, but Gospelt hadn’t shown up. According to his assistant, Gospelt had locked himself in his room, mumbling incomprehensible things.

“Seems like he’s lost his mind, fearing reprimand.”

If it were just Gospelt’s failure, Professor Freud wouldn’t be so enraged. Binaeril Dalheim’s result was first place. First place. The “overwhelming first place” Freud had demanded from Gospelt. He even suspected that Binaeril might have stolen Gospelt’s kill.

But the students present had testified clearly: “Binaeril hunted the dire wolf alone.”

“How is that possible?”

A dire wolf was a ferocious monster that even a fully-fledged mage would struggle with. Yet a senior student, practically a novice, had taken it down alone? Binaeril’s abilities, seen in previous magic duels, didn’t seem that advanced.

“There must be something more.”

If his student had been foolish enough to let someone else take the credit, it was the professor’s job to reclaim it. In Freud’s mind, Binaeril Dalheim was no longer considered his student.

Professor Freud instructed his assistant to establish a communication spell.

“Bring Binaeril Dalheim to me immediately.”

***

Meanwhile, Binaeril Dalheim was in agony. The physical pain was nothing compared to the mental torment he was experiencing.

– How is it?

– Do you feel your magic increasing?

– Aren’t you glad you listened to me?

“Shut up, you crazy book.”

Binaeril and Veritas shared a deep connection. While they didn’t share visual perspectives, the impact of recent events was profound. The aftermath of swallowing the magic stone was hitting Binaeril hard.

Binaeril understood why the term “magic stone” was apt. The stone and magic shared the same root. Magic was the crystallization of willpower, bringing imagination into reality. Similarly, a monster’s magic stone was a condensed embodiment of will and imagination. However, unlike magic, which could manifest in infinite ways, the magic stone from a monster was purely a force of destruction and killing.

– I told you, it’s pure magic.

“You should have… explained properly…”

Veritas wasn’t wrong; the magic stone was indeed pure magic. But it was also a pure embodiment of madness. Binaeril struggled with surging violent urges, striving to hide them from his friends. When he met Gospelt’s eyes, he nearly lost control.

Binaeril recalled lessons about magic stones from past classes, trying to find clarity amidst the chaos within him.

Magic stones could be processed into elixirs to replenish magic power. However, Elfenbine strictly prohibited its apprentice mages from consuming such elixirs. Even processed elixirs could corrupt the user’s mind if taken excessively.

“So, this is what it feels like to have your mind corrupted,” Binaeril muttered. He was walking a dangerous tightrope, trying to keep his sanity from slipping away. His bed was soaked with sweat.

“Why did you tempt me?” Binaeril asked Veritas in his anguish. “Why do you torment me like this?”

– You made a pact with me.

“I know, to find the lost pages or whatever! What does that have to do with this?”

– Do you think you can fulfill my request with such a weak spirit?

– You’re weak. Don’t you want to surpass your brother? Can’t you endure this much pain?

– The remaining pages of the Book of Truth are beyond your current abilities. You need to become much stronger.

Mentioning his brother was a low blow. Binaeril knew exactly what kind of person his brother was.

– Blaming me is useless. I’m actually helping you. I’m your only ally.

What an audacious book. Binaeril knew he couldn’t win a verbal battle with Veritas. As he was lost in his mental turmoil, someone knocked on his door.

Binaeril ignored it.

Knock, knock, knock!

The visitor was persistent.

“Binaeril Dalheim, you are summoned by the supervising professor. I’m confirming you’re inside. Open up!”

“…What happened to you?”

Even Professor Freud, who harbored a deep dislike for Binaeril, couldn’t help but ask. Binaeril was trembling all over as if he were sick, with disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes. His appearance was so dreadful it would elicit sympathy from anyone.

“Just get to the point.”

His rude tone confirmed it was indeed the Binaeril Freud knew.

“Learning magic hasn’t changed your attitude. You can’t even thank the teacher who helped you.”

‘What nonsense.’

“I heard you did well in the recent practice. Quite an achievement.”

Binaeril wondered what Freud’s intentions were. Surely he wasn’t calling just to praise him. Was he trying to act like a mentor now that Binaeril had shown talent? His thoughts grew more negative.

“You seem unwell, so I’ll keep this brief. The Dalheim Marquisate is quite influential in Ruben, isn’t it?”

‘What is he talking about?’ The Dalheim family was not powerful; if anything, it was the opposite.

“If you show sincerity to your old mentor, I’ll recommend you for the upcoming Scala exams.”

“Hah.”

Binaeril couldn’t suppress a laugh. This was it. The tyrant professor’s true face. The youngest 4th-tier mage, acclaimed authority in elemental magic, Professor Freud’s true nature was laid bare.

Binaeril found it laughable that he had once feared this man.

“It’s not a bad offer, is it? You don’t think you can graduate peacefully while antagonizing me, do you?”

Binaeril had met a mage far superior to Freud: Dean Angelo Yulio. Compared to him, Freud was insignificant. A small tyrant ruling over the pond of Elfenbine.

“Stop talking nonsense.”

“No matter what happens, I will never accept your offer. Whatever it may be.”

“Hah. You’re bold. Fine. I didn’t expect you to accept easily. You’ve always been a rebel.”

Binaeril’s body trembled. Whether from the magic stone’s effects or another reason, he couldn’t tell.

“Here’s the main point. The academic office has a matter that requires face-to-face notification. Binaeril Dalheim, you are expelled from Elfenbine.”

“What did you say?”

“Your hearing must be poor. The reasons for your expulsion include insubordination, poor attitude, and disrespect towards your supervising professor. The expulsion request has already been submitted.”

“How about now? Does my offer sound more appealing?”

Binaeril looked at him with eyes filled with a mix of emotions. Professor Freud met his gaze with indifferent eyes.

“Do you even realize what you’re saying?”

Binaeril’s suppressed defiance began to surface.

“What doesn’t make sense? Do you think you’re someone important? You’re just a student. I am your supervising professor. My word is law to you.”

Under normal circumstances, Binaeril would have left, planning to formally contest the decision later. He wasn’t one to enjoy confrontations, preferring to avoid dirty fights.

But now, both his body and mind were feverish and unwell. Professor Freud shouldn’t have provoked him now.

“You made a promise, Professor.”

“You said you’d kneel and apologize if I broke the cube. You promised, didn’t you?”

“Apologize for the unfair treatment, including your recent comments, and I will let this go.”

“You must be out of your mind.”

Professor Freud scoffed. A mere student demanding an apology from an Elfenbine professor? He thought Binaeril must be completely naive.

“I’ve been too lenient with you. Actually, you should be the one on your knees, apologizing to me right now.”

Freud summoned his magical power, his mental energies resonating and boiling over. But there was another presence. Binaeril’s internal magic responded to Freud’s challenge, the energy swirling within him.

Objects in the room began to rise, lifted by the escalating magical power.

“What the…!”

Freud was taken aback. What was this power?

“Kneel.”

“Kneel and apologize to me right now.”

Binaeril’s eyes were fierce as he stared down Professor Freud. Freud felt a chill run down his spine. In Binaeril’s gaze, he saw the same corrupted ferocity that he had seen in monsters.