Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

Dominic may have acted unsociable and as if he had zero social skills, not fitting in with Binaeril or Inyakan, but he wasn’t a hindrance during the match.

“Out! The winner is Binaeril’s team!”

It was the second day of the Three Names Festival.

Today’s event was a traditional game of the Miao Tribe called “Catball.” 

Catball involves two teams of three members each competing against each other in a match. Each team has a “Priest” who, if touched by the ball, results in the entire team being out. The roles are divided into “Shield,” who protects the Priest and catches the opponent’s ball, and “Warrior,” who attacks the opposing team with the ball received from the Shield. The game continues until a Priest is hit, with neither the Shield nor the Warrior being out even if hit by the ball. In simpler terms, it’s like dodgeball.

In the preliminary round of the Catball match, the Toins, who faced Binaeril’s team, were utterly stunned.

In a flash, the possession switched, and with the very first throw, their Priest was out.

“Oh… Impressive.”

Even Inyakan, who was not one to give praise easily, couldn’t help but be impressed by Dominic’s sharp throw.

During his days as the Platinum Knight, his specialty had been sword techniques as swift as lightning.

Dominic applied his specialty perfectly in the Catball match as well. Gripping the ball in his right hand, he pulled it close to his body to lure the opponent into a false sense of security, and then, in the split second they let their guard down, he unleashed a decisive strike!

“Nothing special.”

“I won’t lose either.”

Inyakan, having witnessed Dominic’s performance, became fiercely competitive.

Whoosh—

“Dodge!”

“Bang!”

The ball that Inyakan hurled flew with a bone-chilling whistle.

Despite the opposing Shield’s desperate attempt to catch the ball, his reflexes weren’t sharp enough to handle Inyakan’s throw.

The ball struck the opposing Shield directly in the face, knocking him out cold as he collapsed backward with a loud thud.

“S-Surrender!”

The face of the Toin Priest turned ashen as he hastily declared their surrender.

Grabbing their fallen Shield, the teammates dragged him out of the arena in retreat.

“T-The winner is Binaeril’s team!”

“Wasn’t that a bit much?”

Inyakan had performed just as impressively as Dominic.

If Inyakan was the “power type,” then Dominic was the “speed type.”

Although Inyakan’s control was erratic, his sheer strength forced the opposing team to forfeit. On the other hand, Dominic’s speed allowed him to eliminate the opposing Priest before they could react, ending the match quickly and decisively.

Thanks to the two of them, Binaeril’s team sailed through the preliminaries without lifting a finger.

“How was that?”

“Hmph. Brutal.”

“…You really don’t know how to acknowledge others, do you?”

Inyakan and Dominic took turns alternating between the roles of Shield and Warrior.

The first match of the finals began.

Their opponents were a team of Miao Tribe members.

Since Catball was a traditional game of the Miao Tribe, it seemed unlikely they would win as easily as they had in the preliminaries.

The Miao Tribe opponents also looked confident.

Binaeril warned his teammates.

“This time, the opponents won’t be as easy as in the preliminaries.”

“I’m the ‘Warrior’ for this match too!”

“No, you were the Warrior in the last match!”

“Normally, the best player takes the offensive role!”

“Which is exactly why *I* should be the Warrior.”

However, the teammates, who were bickering over their roles, paid no attention to Binaeril’s words.

“Hey, Binaeril’s team….”

“I’m the Warrior!”

“No, *I’m* the Warrior!”

‘They’re acting like complete children.’

The argument escalated to the point where the two of them ignored even the referee, quarreling over who would take the ball.

“Just hurry up and decide, whoever it is. We’re going to win anyway.”

“Humans can’t possibly grasp the subtle and intricate tactics of Catball.”

“We’ve spent half our lives playing Catball. We won’t lose to the likes of you.”

The opposing team chimed in as they watched Binaeril’s team squabble.

Binaeril, frustrated, finally shouted at his teammates.

“Would you just listen for a moment!”

“For this match, Dominic will be the ‘Warrior.’ Inyakan, you’ll be next. We’ll take turns. Okay?”

“Fine. I can’t believe we even had to argue about something so obvious. Are you really that dense?”

In the end, the first ball went to Dominic.

“Alright, the match begins!”

Inyakan, with a face full of dissatisfaction, stepped in front of Binaeril to shield him.

“Here I go!”

Dominic unleashed his specialty, not his swordplay, but his “ballplay” this time.

However, this opponent was different from the last.

Thud!

The opposing team’s “Shield” caught Dominic’s lightning-fast throw.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

Dominic’s expression revealed his wounded pride.

Inyakan’s mocking laughter beside him only added insult to injury.

“How….”

“Take this!”

The opposing team’s “Warrior,” having received the ball from their Shield, smoothly transitioned into an attack.

But that attack was also caught in Inyakan’s large, pot-lid-like hands.

The opposing team’s Priest shouted,

“That team’s Warrior is no big deal! The Shield is the real problem!”

It was a scathing comment that not only wounded Dominic’s pride but shredded it.

Inyakan, handing the ball back to Dominic, added fuel to the fire.

“You heard them? I told you I should’ve been the Warrior. From now on, you’re stuck as the Shield.”

Dominic’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

This time, he didn’t assume his earlier ballplay stance.

Instead, he gripped the ball with both hands and carefully observed the opponent.

The Miao Tribe member who served as their Shield was well-trained. Even though it was just a ball, managing to catch Dominic’s throw was no small feat.

This meant that a straightforward attack wouldn’t work.

What to do?

After a moment of contemplation, Dominic seemed to reach a decision. He precariously balanced the ball on his fingers, spreading his arms wide in a windup position.

Whoosh!

The ball shot forward, but this time it was different. Instead of aiming directly for the opposing team’s “Priest” like before, the ball traced a curved trajectory. The target wasn’t the Priest but the opposing team’s “Warrior.”

Seeing the ball coming his way, the Warrior flinched. 

“Ugh!”

The ball struck him in the side, causing it to ricochet off at an angle toward the Priest. The Shield tried to reach out, but it was already too late.

“Priest out! The winner is Binaeril’s team!”

The referee declared the victory.

“What an absurd….”

Ignoring the bewildered Miao Tribe team, Dominic turned his head and smirked at Inyakan.

“This is what I’m capable of.”

The rest of the matches in the finals proceeded in a similar fashion. Inyakan, with his wild throws, managed to force the opposing teams into submission purely through intimidation, while Dominic, with his precise control and sharp throws, systematically took out the opposing Priests. No one could stop the two, whose competitive spirits were fully ignited.

Finally, the championship match arrived.

This time, Inyakan was assigned the role of Warrior.

“Tch. Don’t mess it up since it’s the final match.”

“Just focus on protecting the team.”

Their opponents were once again members of the Miao Tribe.

‘We should win this one smoothly.’

Binaeril thought to himself.

Before the match began, the opposing team whispered among themselves, occasionally glancing over at Binaeril’s team.

“Hurry up already.”

Inyakan bounced the ball on the ground, giving the opposing team a sharp look.

The Miao Tribe team nodded among themselves, finalizing their strategy and preparing for the match.

As the referee raised the flag, Binaeril’s team took the first attack.

Whoosh—

Inyakan, spurred on by Dominic’s earlier taunt, threw the ball with all his might.

But the opposing team was quick to react. As soon as Inyakan assumed his throwing stance, both the Shield and Warrior scattered, abandoning the Priest.

It was clear they knew that getting hit by that ball meant a physical elimination, role or not.

Inyakan’s poorly controlled throw cut through the air, missing everyone.

“Binaeril’s team, reattack!”

Although no one had been hit, that wasn’t enough. In Catball, unless the opposing team catches the ball, the attacking team retains possession.

“Attack again, Binaeril’s team!”

“Again, Binaeril’s team!”

“Again!”

The opponents seemed to have no intention of catching the ball and continued dodging it instead.

“Hey, throw it properly.”

Inyakan, whose pride was taking a hit, was now breathing heavily in frustration.

“You want to keep this up forever? Fine, let’s see who lasts!”

Whoosh—

Inyakan’s throws still packed a punch, but his control remained a problem. As the ball soared overhead, the opposing team’s “Shield” leaped into the air. He threw himself toward the ball, clutching it tightly with his whole body.

*Sizzle.*

The ball, now securely nestled in his arms, made a grinding noise as it spun for a moment.

“Owww…”

The Shield let out a pained groan. His abdomen was likely bruised or worse.

“See? They ended up taking it,” Dominic grumbled.

“Hmph. Weren’t you supposed to catch it?”

The opposing team’s “Warrior” received the ball with a determined look and stepped forward. He knew well that if the ball switched possession again, their chances of winning would be slim.

He threw the ball.

At that moment, Binaeril, standing behind Dominic, sensed something was off. The opposing team’s “Priest” was intently focusing on the ball as it flew.

The ball wasn’t particularly fast or threatening. It was something Dominic could easily catch.

Just as Dominic placed his hand in the ball’s trajectory, a strange energy emanated from the opposing “Priest.”

‘Is that… the energy of a spirit?’

Binaeril felt the wind shift in response to the energy released by the Priest. It was subtle, something only Binaeril, with his affinity for spirits, could detect.

The ball, carried by the wind, twisted in its path and slipped out of Dominic’s grasp.

“Wha—?!”

Dominic let out a startled gasp as the ball shot directly toward Binaeril. It was within his reach, but touching it would mean getting out.

Binaeril smirked inwardly.

‘So that’s how you want to play it, huh?’

The opposing team’s “Priest” was the real deal, a genuine spirit priest from the Miao Tribe, capable of controlling a spirit, at least to some degree.

But they had overlooked one crucial detail.

Binaeril could command a spirit as well.

In his mind, Binaeril called out the spirit’s name. He felt Eden, ever perceptive, awaken from within the ring without physically manifesting.

‘Stop it.’

At Binaeril’s request, the ball suddenly halted in midair and then dropped to the ground. The opposing “Warrior” and “Shield” might not have noticed, but the “Priest” certainly did. He stared wide-eyed at Binaeril, pointing an accusing finger.

“H-How can a human…!”

Binaeril feigned innocence, placing a hand over his chest as if relieved.

“Whew, that was close.”

“Couldn’t you even catch that?”

“No, something’s off….”

Inyakan and Dominic, noticing the unnatural movement of the ball, suspected that Binaeril had pulled some trick once again.

‘Cunning fellow.’  

At that moment, both Inyakan and Dominic shared the same thought.

“Alright, let’s go again!”  

Dominic tossed the ball back to Inyakan.

“Got it!”  

Inyakan, energized, sought out his next target and hurled the ball.

“The winner is Binaeril’s team!”  

No matter how wild Inyakan’s throws were, as long as the other team’s attacks didn’t land, they had no chance of winning. In the end, the second day of the Three Names Festival also ended with a victory for Binaeril’s team.

“Only one day left now.”  

“Hey, boss. When are you paying my wages?”  

“…I’ll give it to you after tomorrow.”  

“Why even pay? You haven’t done much anyway.”  

“Well, it’s not like Dominic didn’t eliminate several teams.”  

“Hmph. If that guy hadn’t taken the Warrior role from me, I would’ve handled everything myself.”

Despite his grumbling, it was clear that Inyakan didn’t entirely dislike Dominic.

The three of them returned to the inn where they had been staying for the past few days. Inyakan ordered a huge amount of food and three mugs of beer.

“You don’t get to drink. You can’t even handle it.”  

“That was just because it was my first time. I can handle it now.”  

“Stop pretending.”  

“Don’t you two ever get tired of this?” Binaeril interrupted, pretending to cover his ears.

“So, Binaeril, what’s the third event tomorrow?”  

The truth was, Binaeril didn’t really know. The events of the first and second days of the Three Names Festival were well-known, but there was little information about the final day.

He had no idea what the event would be, how many people would participate, or even which race the third day of the festival was meant to honor.

“To be honest, I’m not sure. Dominic, do you know anything?”  

“I don’t know either.”

In reality, though, with this group, Binaeril felt confident they could handle whatever came their way on the third day. With a former khan of the Barbaroi, a former Platinum Knight, and a mage from Elfenbine, what did they have to fear?