Chapter 104
The Archmage of the Tower, Rio Blair, was called a genius that transcended eras.
However, there was a field of magic even he could not touch: creation magic.
Creation magic had long been known as an impossible form of magic, for the magical power required far exceeded the amount an ordinary human could possess.
But the contents of the booklet Arines had found today were slightly different.
“Arines, don’t be surprised.”
Rio forced his voice, trembling with anger, into calmness as he reassured her.
Arines, not knowing what he meant, stared at him with wide eyes.
“According to this book, the power that can substitute for the magical energy needed to cast creation magic is… ‘the life force of a person from another world.’”
Rio lifted his gaze and met Arines’ eyes as she nestled in his arms.
Arines herself… wasn’t she someone from another world?
“In other words, we can conclude that the one who created this world used not only the story in your novel but also your noble existence itself as a component for creation magic.”
His eyes glinted sharply. The anger toward the one who had dared exploit someone precious surged through him.
Arines, showing signs of unease, asked Rio,
“So that means my novel was the subject of creation, and my life force became the material for creation magic?”
“Exactly. Perhaps the reason you couldn’t stay in your original world and were drawn into this one is a side effect of using up all your life force.”
“Who on earth would do such a thing… Who is the caster of creation magic…?”
Arines’ voice trembled helplessly.
A certain person flashed through Rio’s mind.
He carefully observed Arines’ condition and asked her,
“Before you were transported here, you mentioned meeting some elderly woman. Could you tell me the details of that encounter?”
“Of course. I have nothing to hide from you.”
Arines began to speak, nervously rolling her eyes as she stammered through the story.
“…That elderly woman was selling herbs on the street. She always stayed in the same spot. One day, she was selling some kind of accessories instead of herbs. I looked at them curiously and accidentally dropped my smartphone, and after that, everything went as I told you before.”
The woman, surprisingly agile for her age, picked up the fallen smartphone, skimmed through the screen, and then began rattling off ideas she had.
“…I really love the sea. A story set against the backdrop of the vast ocean, full of love, conflict, and desperate sacrifices… I thought it was a topic I could never pass up. I immediately asked for the concept and decided to write the novel myself.”
While giving her the story idea, the elderly woman had several conditions:
Certain characters she mentioned had to appear.
The novel’s setting, main storyline, and ending must not be changed.
It must be kept secret that she provided the concept.
“…But since I wasn’t that skilled at writing, I recruited my friend Seo Ha-yoon—who loved novels and was very smart, now known as Jiana—to help me.”
“So it was a collaborative writing effort.”
“Yes. The main character was already decided, but we were free to design their appearance and personality, so I designed you according to my tastes, and Jiana created the character of Duke Lupellen. It was quite a fun process.”
Arines’ eyes sparkled briefly, as if recalling the past.
But soon, her expression darkened.
“However, I never told the elderly woman that I was writing the novel with Jiana. That would have violated the conditions… Anyway, it was just a story we were reading ourselves, so I didn’t think it would be a big problem at the time. Was that a mistake?”
Arines’ voice grew quieter as the realization sank in that her actions were not entirely justified.
“It’s fine. Keep talking,” Rio said gently, encouraging her.
Arines hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“The day the novel was finally finished, I brought it to the elderly woman as promised. She was very pleased to receive it. After that, I never saw her again… and a few days later, I was transported to this world.”
“It seems the completed novel was then used as material for creation magic. Hah, now it’s starting to make sense.”
Rio clenched his teeth, glaring into the empty air.
The thought that someone had used Arines for creation magic made him unbearably furious.
“Who were the characters the elderly woman insisted must appear in the novel?”
“You, me, and Duke Lupellen had to appear as the main characters. She also said to include the final boss dragon, the head of the Magic Academy, and the CEO of Pen-Sing Factory.”
“The CEO of Pen-Sing Factory, huh. I knew that name would come up.”
Rio lightly tapped his knee and clenched his fist.
“The Karun Ring, the abduction by the Dark Mage’s Kari, even the recent incident where Duke Lupellen collapsed due to overusing the contract quill—all of these events trace back to CEO Jang. He is the one involved in creation magic, and may even be the person who directly orchestrated this.”
Arines murmured, unable to hide her unease.
“Why didn’t I suspect…? If I had known, I wouldn’t have written the novel. No, I wouldn’t have even talked to that elderly woman… How did I end up so recklessly dragged into such a massive situation?”
Rio gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders, calming her.
“Arines, you did nothing wrong. You are merely a victim, exploited by a malicious form of magic.”
Arines trembled pitifully.
“You look exhausted. Shall we go back and rest?”
“Yes… Honestly, I’m overwhelmed. I’m scared knowing I was used for creation magic… I just can’t believe all this is happening.”
“Alright. Let’s eat something warm and rest properly.”
Rio swiftly tucked the book into his chest and lifted Arines in his arms. His hands gently cradled her head and back with tender care.
Yet his mind was working coldly.
‘This is not just creation magic. Far more complex spells are entangled in this.’
And at the center of it all was Arines.
‘Even creating a single apple would require life force from another world. But what Arines created was not just an apple—it’s a vast world.’
To create such an immense world with just one person’s life force?
Even using any loopholes, that would be impossible.
‘The caster of creation magic will certainly have to pay the price. But how… and by what means…?’
Rio’s thoughts twisted in complexity.
But for now, stabilizing Arines, who was highly unstable, was more urgent.
His intellectual curiosity and desire as the Archmage of the Tower were insignificant compared to her safety.
‘They dared exploit my muse, my Arines.’
After driving out all those who tried to manipulate this world using Arines, his sole goal was to bring her happiness.
He tightened his embrace around her.
Even before reaching the Duke’s bedroom, the Duke’s loud voice echoed through the hall.
“Don’t go! Where do you think you’re going? Are you trying to leave me behind again, leaving me here alone?!”
His voice was filled with anger and despair.
Rushing into the bedroom, the scene before him was more shocking.
Shards of glass and broken furniture were scattered across the floor. The Duke, his eyes bloodshot, snatched at whatever he could reach, screaming in anguish.
“What more do I have to do to make you stay by my side!? Huh? Answer me!”
Several strong servants tried to restrain him, but to no avail.
Their interference only fueled his fury.
‘Fools, who tries to calm a Sword Master by force!’
Without hesitation, I approached him and grabbed him tightly in my arms.
A letter knife in his hand slashed the air, brushing past my hair, but it didn’t matter.
The Duke, who had been screaming with a cracked voice, suddenly froze and loosened his grip on the knife.
It clattered to the floor with a clang
