“I mean, I am somewhat famous! Who would’ve thought my name would be known in the Eastern Continent? This is a bit embarrassing.”
I narrowed my eyes while watching the grinning Wolfram. The fact that this character is alive means it’s still before Verdandi starts her hero career.
In the first scene of the novel, Verdandi mistakes the golden tower master, who comes to welcome her as a hero, for a villain and slices him down.
Of course, that was my direction. I thought it was the simplest and easiest way to shock the readers.
“Master, that Taoist seems a bit too light-hearted and looks like someone who enjoys drinking. I think it would be best to keep our distance…!”
As I focused on Wolfram, Bi-Wol pulled my arm to the opposite side. She seemed repulsed by the smell of alcohol wafting around and turned her head back.
“Haha, who’s this feisty little girl? Your daughter?”
“Daughter? How could you speak such severe nonsense!”
“…She’s my disciple, Bi-Wol. She’s just young and doesn’t know proper manners.”
I roughly pressed Bi-Wol’s head down to make her greet him. She was stiffening her neck, trying to resist my intentions with all her might.
Being rude to the head of a magic tower in a fantasy world could potentially cause trouble for me and Bi-Wol.
The magic tower is a place to study and learn magic, and its tower masters are powerful beings, leagues ahead of ordinary mages.
“My name is Bing Yeon. I’ve founded a small sect in the East and teach my disciples.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Wolfram Alchemist. A mage and an alchemist. I hear my fame precedes me?”
Wolfram swept his golden hair to the side, speaking with a confident expression. She is such a cheerful and bright character.
“Yeah, I’ve heard rumors saying you can turn stones that roll on the ground into gold.”
“Haha, now that’s an old-timer’s way of talking. But your face is quite lovely.”
Suddenly, Wolfram lifted my chin with a finger and began examining my face closely.
With a hmm and a heavy sigh, she looked like someone appraising a gemstone.
“Do all people from the Eastern Continent look like this? I don’t think so.”
“……?”
I had no idea what she was doing, just watching her actions while secretly hoping she knew a way to cure my cold body.
“Ah, it’s cold! Why is your skin this cold?!”
Unfortunately, it didn’t seem so. Wolfram gasped and shuddered upon feeling the extreme coldness of my skin.
“Even the ‘Golden Sage’ known as the master of the golden tower could not solve this? What a shame.”
I clicked my tongue. I had hoped that a wizard of tower master caliber would find a way to overcome my extreme cold body.
After all, Wolfram was the famous tower master who could turn stones on the ground into gold.
Although I had previously traveled around the Western Region looking for a magic tower, as an outsider, it wasn’t easy for someone like me to meet someone as important as a tower master, so I had some expectations.
“Your blood vessels are strangely clogged. Frozen shards? No, something more serious than that…”
Wolfram rubbed her hands together and blew hot air into them. Seeing her read information about my body in that brief moment, she didn’t seem like someone lying about her identity.
“How dare you touch my master’s chin! I rarely get to touch it myself…”
While I let out a sigh, I began to hear strange mutterings from behind.
The source of that chilling aura was Bi-Wol. A slight light sparkled in her red eyes, and the air around us vibrated, lifting her hair.
‘Oh no, it’s an emergency.’
This was a reaction similar to when I had teased her with ghost stories before, knowing she was scared.
In times like this, there was one surefire remedy.
“Bi-Wol, calm down. This person was just checking my body’s condition.”
Hug, I tightly embraced the trembling Bi-Wol in a rather aggressive manner.
“Eek, h-hin…”
She squirmed a bit, flailing her arms and legs in my arms, but eventually settled down, resting her arms on my back.
Such a high-maintenance disciple. It felt like she was fondly exploring the texture of my solid muscles.
“Eep, I must have not understood my master’s deep intentions…”
Bi-Wol opened her mouth wide, exclaiming ‘Wow…’. It was only natural for a martial artist to be curious about a well-built body.
‘This is getting a bit ticklish.’
Even characters from the Namgung Clan or the Four Heavenly Warriors had said my body was impressive.
I couldn’t stand the ticklishness any longer, so I released Bi-Wol, who appeared to let out a short sigh of disappointment.
“…Did I almost die just now? Right?”
Wolfram showed a defeated smile as if she couldn’t believe it. It seemed she was strong enough to sense a bit of danger.
“Ha, these kids are just too funny. They’re cute, so I’ll let it slide.”
“…….”
I nodded slightly at Wolfram as a silent suggestion to not provoke Bi-Wol’s mood.
“Hehe, it smells like my master. Hehehe…”
Bi-Wol wrapped her arms around herself and smelled different parts of her body. Like a puppy marking its territory on its owner’s clothes, she was meticulously rubbing my scent on herself.
At this point, it felt a bit obsessive, but to suppress the fate of the Heavenly Demon Star, strong relational ties were necessary.
‘A person’s fate can be altered by another person.’
If someone were to see this, they might think it’s like pouring water into a bottomless pit while covering the sky with one’s palm.
‘But I am also Bi-Wol’s creator. It’s only natural.’
I trusted Bi-Wol. After all, she was the first final boss I had directly written.
If a master can’t trust their disciple, and if a writer can’t trust their own writing, then what in the world is there to trust?
“Are you going to meet the hero chosen by the god?”
“How do you know that? Is it because you’re knowledgeable since you’re from the Eastern Continent?”
With a swift motion, Wolfram flipped a wine bottle, pouring out an orange-colored drink. She showcased her alchemy that turned substances into different materials.
“Here, this is just pure orange juice. Drink this, and let’s have a more sincere conversation.”
Wolfram grinned and began to divulge information about Hero Verdandi.
—
To conclude, if things continue as they are, Wolfram will end up dead.
“The god bestowed the title ‘Hero of Justice’ and destined her. I am going down to find that girl in this countryside.”
“…Is that all? What about the hero’s abilities or points to be cautious about?”
“Is there really such a thing? It’s a hero, after all. She’s supposed to be the one who decapitates the demon king and brings peace to the world.”
Wolfram took a sip from the wine bottle, letting out a sound like an old man appreciating his drink. It seemed the alcohol was starting to kick in.
In my novel’s world, heroes are generally thought to be kind-hearted.
The Western Continent had been continuously attacked by the demon king, and the setup was that past heroes had always managed to thwart those attacks.
“It’s also possible she may not be like that. What if the hero is insane and kills everyone around her…?”
“Come on, surely not? How could a young girl who hasn’t even undergone her coming-of-age ceremony have such power? Plus, didn’t the god bestow a blessing?”
The issue is that I, the one above the god, made this a problem. I sighed deeply from the very bottom of my lungs.
Among all the heroes in history, only Verdandi was given a uniquely dark backstory, setting her up as the final boss.
Looking back now, I just thought I wanted to twist clichés like the hero exile tropes circulating in Japan or the stories of heroes who were betrayed and fell.
“Master, this is….”
“Yeah, it’s probably similar to your situation before I saved you. Bi-Wol.”
Bi-Wol was gulping down the orange juice Wolfram had given her while attentively listening to my story. Perhaps it was to her taste, as she had already refilled several times.
“Listen carefully, Wolfram. Once you completely sober up, put multiple layers of defensive magic on yourself before meeting the hero.”
“Why do I have to do that?”
Wolfram frowned as if looking at a strange person after hearing my words.
“This is about money, you know. If you can manage to charm the hero and make a contract…”
Wolfram usually drinks when it comes to money-related matters. It was her habit of concealing anxiety and restlessness.
And,
“…So you’re telling me I’ll be sitting on a pile of money? Because of that ridiculous thought, your body will end up splattered in half, leading to your death.”
Because of her carelessness and bad habit, Wolfram was destined to die without being able to properly respond to Verdandi’s attack.
This was the reasoning I had set. Even the strongest person could become complacent against a defenseless young girl.
“Are you challenging me right now? The hero chosen by the god is going to kill me? Don’t talk nonsense. I’m the golden tower master.”
“Can a mage speak so recklessly? The hero can kill even the demon king.”
I recited the settings known only to me. Originally, she was supposed to be killed by the hero Verdandi.
“The king who rules the Demon Realm, the monarch commanding demon beasts and demons, the being that fills this world with darkness.”
With his death, any threats to royal authority would vanish. To hide the corrupt monarchy, I had used the guise of a demon king.
“What does it matter? Even saying this doesn’t frighten me! It’s just some ordinary folklore about a demon king!”
“Think about it; such power has manifested within a single girl. Doesn’t that seem strange to you?”
After the demon king was dealt with, the country’s king, fearful of Verdandi’s power, would brand her as a traitor or a witch and would seek to kill her.
“So, what you’re saying is…?”
And, that power which judged everyone as villains is what [The Scale of Justice] embodies.
“…It’s about time to become insane, isn’t it? A person’s mind is as fragile as glass; once it’s broken, it’s tough to piece it back together.”
I crossed my arms as I spoke. When you think about it, it’s a simple problem. An issue arising from mere causality can be shattered by another causality.
“You know that’s blasphemy, right?”
After hearing my words, Wolfram gulped, her eyes widening as she opened her mouth. We were in a secret area beneath the deck, so there was no one around.
“If the author, who trapped an innocent girl, is a god telling her to save the world, then I’d say that’s nonsense.”
After all, it was I who originally set up that damn god.
In many other works, gods often turn out to be hidden masterminds or the source of all evils.
“Haha! You really are funny. Even if you were treated as a madman by the pope, there wouldn’t be anything to say about it.”
As soon as she heard my words, Wolfram burst into laughter. The smell of wine wafted from her mouth.
“…That’s why I like you even more!”
After all, the golden tower master I had written was a bit eccentric.
She preferred dynamic activities over static ones, and she enjoyed lively atmospheres filled with alcohol over quiet settings.
“Great! You all should come with me to meet the hero!”
Wolfram Alchemist requested that Bi-Wol and I accompany her.
“Even without you saying, I was already thinking that. I have business with the hero too.”
I nodded, grasping her outstretched hand.
