Chapter 5: Seeing Stones as Gold (1)

"I am quite famous! Though I never expected my name to be known in the Eastern Continent. This is a bit embarrassing."

I furrowed my brows while watching Wolfram laugh good-naturedly. This character being alive meant that Verdandi hadn't yet begun her activities as a hero.

In the novel, Verdandi had cut down the Gold Tower Master, who had come to welcome her as a hero, in her very first appearance.

Of course, that was my writing. I thought it was the easiest and simplest way to shock the readers.

"Master, that mage seems frivolous and too fond of alcohol. I think it would be better to keep our distance...!"

Seeing me observe Wolfram intently, Bi Wol pulled my arm in the opposite direction. She turned her head away, apparently disliking the strong smell of alcohol.

"Haha, who's this impudent little lady? Is she your daughter?"

"Daughter?! How dare you utter such nonsense!"

"...This is my disciple, Bi Wol. She's young and doesn't know proper manners yet."

I pressed down firmly on Bi Wol's head to make her bow. She strained her neck, struggling against my guidance.

Showing disrespect to the head of a fantasy world's magic tower could endanger both Bi Wol and me.

The magic tower was a place of magical study, and its tower masters were beings far stronger than ordinary mages.

"My name is Bing Yeon. In the East, I run a small sect and teach disciples."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Wolfram Alchemista. A mage and alchemist. You seem to have heard of my reputation?"

Wolfram swept her golden hair to the side and spoke confidently. She was a character with such a cheerful and bright personality.

"Yes, I've heard rumors that you can turn even roadside stones into gold."

"Ha, such an old man's way of speaking. Though your face is quite nice."

Suddenly, Wolfram lifted my chin with her finger and examined my face carefully.

Making a contemplative "hmm" sound, she looked like someone appraising a jewel.

"Do all people from the Eastern Continent look like this? I don't think so."

"...?"

I just watched Wolfram's actions, not understanding her intent, hoping she might know a way to cure my condition.

"Ah, cold! Why is your skin so cold?!"

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Wolfram shuddered in surprise at the extremely low temperature of my skin.

"So even the 'Golden Sage' of the Gold Tower can't solve this? How disappointing."

I clicked my tongue. I had hoped that a tower master-level mage might find a way to overcome my Extreme Yin Constitution.

After all, she was the famous Gold Tower Master who could turn even roadside stones into gold.

I had visited magic towers in the Western Regions before, but as an outsider, I couldn't easily meet important people like tower masters, so I had some expectations.

"Your blood vessels are blocked with something strange. Ice shards? No, something even more serious..."

Wolfram rubbed her hands together and blew on them. Given how she could read information about my body in that brief moment, she didn't seem to be someone falsifying her identity.

"How dare, how dare you touch Master's chin... even I rarely get to touch it..."

While I was sighing, strange muttering began behind me.

The source of that chilling killing intent was Bi Wol. Her red eyes glowed slightly, and the surrounding air vibrated as her hair began to float.

'Oh no, emergency situation.'

It was similar to her reaction when I had once teased her with ghost stories, knowing she was afraid of them.

There was one sure remedy for this.

"Bi Wol, calm down. She was just checking my condition."

I embraced the agitated Bi Wol tightly. It was a rather forceful method.

"Hee, heek..."

After struggling briefly in my arms, she soon quieted down and stabilized herself by putting her arms around my back.

Such a high-maintenance disciple. She seemed to be feeling my firm muscles while running her hands over my body.

"This unworthy disciple failed to understand Master's deep intentions..."

Bi Wol grinned widely and even let out a "wow..." in admiration. It was natural for a martial artist to show interest in a well-trained body.

'Starting to get ticklish.'

Even the Infinite Sword Emperor of the Namgung Family and the Poison Dragon Way of the Four Heavens Party had commented on my good physique.

Unable to bear the tickling anymore, I detached Bi Wol, who showed disappointment with a short sigh.

"...Did I just almost die? Right?"

Wolfram showed a defeated smile, seemingly dumbfounded. She must have been strong enough to sense the killing intent.

"Heh, these two are really funny? I'll let it slide since they're cute."

"......"

Instead of answering Wolfram, I gave a small nod, silently advising her not to provoke Bi Wol's sensitivities.

"Hehe, Master's scent. Ehehe..."

Bi Wol wrapped her arms around herself and sniffed around. Like a dog rubbing against its owner's clothes, she carefully marked different parts with my scent.

Even I thought this level of attachment seemed excessive, but a strong relationship was necessary to suppress the karma of the Heaven-Killing Star.

'A person's fate can be changed by another person.'

Someone might say this was like trying to cover the sky with your palm or pour water into a bottomless jar, but.

'I am also Bi Wol's creator. This is only natural.'

I believed in Bi Wol. She was also the first final boss I had written with my own hands.

If a master couldn't trust their disciple, and an author couldn't trust their own writing, what could be trusted in this world?

"Are you going to meet the hero chosen by the Main God?"

"How do you know that? Is it because people from the Eastern Continent are so knowledgeable?"

With a swish, Wolfram turned her wine bottle upside down, and orange-colored drink poured out. She demonstrated her alchemy by transforming one substance into another.

"Here, this is just juice made from clean oranges. Let's have a more honest conversation while drinking this."

Wolfram raised the corner of her mouth and began to speak about information regarding the hero Verdandi.

***

To get straight to the point, at this rate, Wolfram would die.

"The Main God bestowed the title 'Hero of Justice' and chose the hero. I'm heading down to this countryside to find that girl."

"...Is that all? What about the hero's abilities or points to be cautious about?"

"Are there such things? She's a hero. Someone who beheads the Demon King and brings peace to the world."

Wolfram took another sip from her wine bottle and let out an old man-like sigh. The alcohol seemed to be taking effect.

Yes, in my novel's world, heroes were generally thought to be good.

The Western Continent was under constant attack from the Demon King, and historically, heroes had always stopped them - that was the basic setting.

"It might not be so. What if the hero is insane and kills everyone around them..."

"Come on, how could that be? How could a young girl who hasn't even had her coming-of-age ceremony have such power? Besides, she was chosen by the Main God."

That was the problem - I had been above that so-called Main God. I sighed deeply.

Among all the heroes, I had given Verdandi an especially dark backstory, making her into a vessel for the final boss.

Looking back now, I had just wanted to twist the common Japanese isekai tropes of hero banishment or heroes turning evil after betrayal.

"Master, this is..."

"Yes, it's probably similar to your situation before I saved you, Bi Wol."

Bi Wol was listening intently while sipping the orange juice Wolfram had given her. She must have liked it, as she had already gotten several refills.

"Listen well, Wolfram. After sobering up completely, wrap yourself in several layers of defensive magic before meeting the hero."

"Why should I do that?"

Wolfram frowned at my words as if looking at a strange person.

"This smells like money. If I can convince the hero to make a contract..."

Originally, Wolfram would drink when money-related matters came up. It was her habit to hide anxiety and unease.

And,

"...You think you'll strike it rich? That shallow thinking will get your body cut in half and killed."

Because of that carelessness and habit, Wolfram would fail to properly respond to Verdandi's attack and die.

That was the plausibility I had set up. Even the strongest person could let their guard down against an unarmed young girl.

"Are you picking a fight with me? Saying a hero chosen by the Main God will kill me? Don't be ridiculous. I'm the Gold Tower Master, you know."

"Should a mage speak so carelessly? Heroes are those who even kill Demon Kings."

I recited the setting that only I knew. Though she was originally meant to be killed by the hero Verdandi.

"The king who rules the demon continent, the monarch who commands demons and monster folk, the being who dyes this world in darkness."

With their death, the threat to royal authority would disappear. I had used the Demon King as a device to hide the fact of corrupt royal authority.

"So what? I-I'm not scared at all! That's just a common legend about the Demon King!"

"Doesn't it seem strange that such power resides in one young girl? Power enough to kill such a being?"

After the Demon King was dealt with, the king, fearing Verdandi's power, would try to kill her by accusing her of treason or being a witch.

"You mean...?"

And,

That was the ability called 'Scales of Justice' - judging all of them as evil.

"...It's about time someone went mad. The human mind is as fragile as glass; once broken, it's hard to piece back together."

I spoke with my arms crossed. Thinking about it, it was a simple matter. Problems and events caused by plausibility could be broken by other plausibility.

"You know that's blasphemy, right?"

Wolfram swallowed hard and opened her eyes wide as she spoke. We were in a secret place below deck where no one else was around.

"If a god forces an innocent young girl to save the world, I don't think that's right."

I was the one who had created that damned Main God in the first place.

In other works too, there were many twists where the god turned out to be the hidden mastermind or the source of all evil.

"Hahaha! You're really funny. You couldn't complain if the Pope declared you insane."

Wolfram burst out laughing at my words. The scent of wine lingered on her breath.

"...That's why I like you even more!"

The Gold Tower Master I had written was originally a slightly eccentric woman.

A character who preferred dynamic over static things, and liked alcohol-induced excitement over quiet.

"Alright! Come with me to meet the hero!"

Wolfram Alchemista requested that Bi Wol and I accompany her.

"I was planning to do that even without you asking. I too have business with the hero."

I nodded while taking her extended hand.