Ch.6Chapter 6 – Seeing Stones as Gold (2)

The scenery after disembarking at the dock was completely different from what I had been seeing in the East.

The people’s accents and food were different, and they were walking around dressed as adventurers and wizards.

“Master, didn’t you say this was your second time visiting the West?”

“Yes, it’s been quite a while since I last came.”

Bi-wol stuck close to my side, watching everything around her with curiosity.

Her hands were full of desserts, and she seemed to particularly enjoy the fruit tart made with green grapes.

“Then why didn’t you tell your disciple about such delicious things?”

Bi-wol spoke with her mouth stuffed like a hamster. I found her slightly slurred pronunciation rather cute.

“I’m sorry. The ingredients are hard to find in the East, so I thought it might only make you uncomfortable.”

When I wrote the novel “Diamond Fist King,” I mentioned that Bi-wol, as a Heavenly Demon, had an attachment to sweet foods because she had consumed human flesh and blood during her childhood.

Reflecting this, the real Bi-wol also enjoyed sweet and spicy foods like tanghulu made from hawthorn berries and dumplings filled with spices.

“…This disciple would happily eat anything Master bestows. Even plain rice cakes would taste as sweet as twisted fried dough with Master’s sincerity added to them.”

When I spoke with self-reproach, Bi-wol replied in a small voice. She must have thought her request was too unreasonable.

She had suffered from seasickness on the boat ride here. I had comforted her as she vomited and worried.

The reason I was buying her so many sweet foods now was because I didn’t want my disciple Bi-wol to have bad memories of her first journey.

Like when I first saw the sea in Busan, I hoped that someday she would come to love the sea too.

“Please don’t blame yourself. This disciple was momentarily captivated by sweet foods in front of a master as lofty as the heavens…”

“What’s wrong with that? It’s natural at your age. Pure emotions that can be moved by a simple snack aren’t bad things.”

I slightly raised the corner of my mouth as I watched Bi-wol stuffing food into her mouth. She seemed more like an ordinary young girl than a Heavenly Demon bearing the karma of the Star of Heavenly Murder.

I felt a deep joy seeing her living the normal life she should have had.

“Please don’t treat me like a child. Someday I will grow several inches taller than you, Master.”

Bi-wol looked up at me with puffed cheeks. She even gestured with her hand, measuring from her head to above mine.

“I truly hope so.”

I imagined Bi-wol’s future greatness. Like in the later parts of the web novel “Diamond Fist King,” a woman with the impression of a well-honed, sharp sword.

I could say my desire to see the ending of the story I wrote was stronger than anyone’s, but…

Would I live that long?

The feeling of someone shoveling dirt over my head day by day, the sensation of life gradually fading away…

“You will definitely see it.”

“Yes, I look forward to it.”

I had no choice but to tell Bi-wol this small lie. Not wanting to be sad in advance, I forced a smile.

* * *

Bi-wol, Wolfram, and I took another carriage after disembarking at the port. During the journey, I cross-checked the information I knew with her.

“The hero’s name is Verdandi Astraia. I heard she was originally the daughter of a farming woman in the countryside.”

“What’s the name of the village where she lives?”

“Wonderhill Village. They say it got its name because a miracle of rain occurred during a severe drought.”

This matched the setting I had created.

When I came to the West alone, I couldn’t find Verdandi no matter what I tried, so I would need Wolfram’s help to meet her.

“What about the Holy Sword or Holy Armor? Does she have them?”

“I don’t know. She just received the oracle from the god, so I doubt she has such things yet.”

Verdandi’s two secret weapons. Equipment that the protagonist used in the original work “I Need To Kill The Hero.”

I made Verdandi grow alongside the protagonist because I thought it would be interesting to have the final boss level up too.

‘One is a weapon that allows her to make powerful attacks, and one is armor that prevents anything from harming her.’

This was also why I brought Bi-wol here. If dialogue with Verdandi proved impossible, fighting might be unavoidable.

I had planned to use one final boss to catch another final boss—a strategy of using barbarians to control barbarians.

“Bi-wol, if our new sister tries to kill me, could you subdue her without killing her?”

“…That would be difficult. How can you ask me not to kill someone who tries to harm you, Master?”

I looked at Bi-wol, who was mumbling with her head down. From her position, this must be incomprehensible.

It must be truly unpleasant for her—not only suddenly having a new sister, but one who wants to kill me.

“She is a poor child who cannot trust people. Because she sees the world in black and white, she doesn’t understand the emotion of love-hate.”

I spoke while slowly stroking Bi-wol’s head.

By now one might suspect she was a puppy rather than a disciple, but she was moving her head to make it easier for my hand to pet her.

“Humans are contradictory and complex creatures. Like a well-honed blade, they can hurt others but…”

“…They can also protect, just as you saved me, Master.”

Bi-wol smiled broadly, seemingly not minding my touch. Seeing this, I could understand why fathers become so devoted to their daughters.

“Do you know the newly chosen hero? How do you know so much about her?”

“I can’t help but know her.”

I was the creator of Verdandi, Bi-wol, and Azazel. I had brought them to life with words on blank pages.

Facing Wolfram, who kept doubting my identity, I decided not to lie.

“I also received an oracle from the god. I heard a voice telling me to take the hero as my disciple and cure her madness.”

Sometimes mixing truth and lies in equal measure is more easily trusted than the truth alone.

“So that’s why you came all the way to the West? You’re really unusual. I thought people from the East didn’t believe in gods.”

“Actually, I prefer people who try to change themselves over those who pray to gods.”

I had given up my dream of being a writer and met many students while living as a math teacher.

Half of them postponed studying, saying they would start tomorrow,

Another half just talked about studying hard without actually doing it.

And half of those blamed their poor family circumstances or lack of parental support for not being able to study.

“People who build their bodies first if they lack stamina, who work hard if they lack talent, who blame themselves rather than the heavens—honest people.”

But among those remaining, there were students who wanted to change.

“Anyone can make excuses, but not everyone can put in effort or show passion.”

I saw students who exercised every morning to prevent themselves from dozing at their desks due to lack of stamina.

I saw students who, despite poor family circumstances, weren’t ashamed of their poverty and honestly spoke to their homeroom teachers to receive support.

“I like imperfect people with flaws and rough edges. There are no perfect people in this world.”

Watching such students, I often thought that my life hadn’t gone wrong.

Though I had cowardly fled from my dream of being a writer, I seemed to have become a proper teacher. I was glad that one failure didn’t lead to another.

“…Master, do you like me too?”

“What master in this world would dislike their disciple? I think saving you was the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

I smiled at Bi-wol. I was glad I had saved her, even at the cost of overexerting myself.

“You should be careful later. You play with people’s hearts without even taking a breath.”

Watching this, Wolfram crossed her arms as if annoyed. The way she fidgeted with her toes suggested she was holding something back.

“I’ve always been told I have a way with words.”

“No, that’s not what I meant… Ah, this is so frustrating! It’s ambiguous—you’re not completely oblivious, but you’re not fully aware either!”

Wolfram messed up her golden hair in irritation. She was glaring at me as if angry.

“You won’t even notice when your disciples bully you later! I clearly warned you!”

“Yes, I’ll keep that deeply in mind.”

As if my sweet and cute Bi-wol would ever try to kill me? I slightly raised the corner of my mouth, almost mocking her.

“Anyway, if you want to take the hero as your disciple, shouldn’t there be something in it for me? After all, I guided you to this village!”

“……”

Isn’t saving her life enough?

I couldn’t understand Wolfram’s behavior or way of thinking. In common terms, “the character was moving beyond the author’s intentions.”

To demand a deal for personal gain from the very person who created her settings and backstory…

“How much do you want?”

Actually, this is good.

I always welcomed such variations. Sometimes when writing, it’s better to follow the characters than the plot.

“300 Aslan gold coins.”

“That’s an outrageous proposal. Can’t you lower it?”

Wolfram’s eyes sparkled, and I could almost hear the sound of her mind working.

“Haha, are you trying to negotiate with the Gold Tower Master?”

She was a born negotiator. She had extensive knowledge about money-related information and judged people by their monetary value.

“I’m negotiating because you’re the ‘Golden Sage.’ If you can turn even roadside stones into gold, why do you need gold coins?”

“Because the gold I make isn’t ‘real.'”

In fact, the gold Wolfram creates isn’t pure gold.

Since it’s made from stones rather than metal, it’s a counterfeit with many impurities—so fake that it won’t even show teeth marks when bitten.

“Isn’t a fake that wants to be real always impressive?”

I had set up all the magicians in my novel to be somewhat mad in their own ways.

Among them, Wolfram dreamed of ‘perfection.’

“Then, let me give you better information instead.”

“Is there really information more useful than 300 gold coins?”

Knowing her personality, I pulled out another solution. Information known only to me, the creator of this world.

“…The Philosopher’s Stone. Wouldn’t you like to know where it is?”

I knew exactly where the legendary stone that could turn lead or other metals into gold was located.