The Wizard of Fairy Tale World

Chapter 42: The Mermaid Princess's Wish

The mermaid princess Ariel led Rhine and Aurora on a giant fish through the ocean currents. Along the way, Rhine recast the transformation spell on the dog-turned-giant fish to ensure it didn’t revert before they reached their destination.

They passed through foaming whirlpools and muddy wastelands bubbling with heat, eventually entering a grotesque forest made entirely of coral.

Hanging amidst the coral were skeletons of drowned humans and even a few merfolk who had died by accident. Whenever sea creatures passed through the forest, the coral polyps would come to life, extending "arms" to try to seize them, intent on trapping them forever.

"This place is horrifying. Anyone who lives here can't possibly be a good person," Rhine thought.

Ariel, the mermaid princess, felt her heart pounding in fear. She kindly warned her two human companions:

“The Sea Hag has a very peculiar temperament. When you meet her, speak politely, and whatever you do, don’t anger her!

“She wields terrifying black magic. Even my father, the ruler of this sea, avoids provoking such a dangerous sea witch!”

Ariel was worried that her human friends might underestimate the Sea Hag's terror. Not fully understanding human maturation rates, Ariel thought the two appeared younger than herself, which stirred a protective, sisterly instinct in her.

She wanted to shield them from harm, fearing they might be eaten for a careless word or mistake. While Ariel wasn’t sure the Sea Hag would do such a thing, everyone said she was terrifying, so it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.

“What’s the big deal? Magic isn’t that rare, and plenty of people are important enough to command a ruler’s respect!”

Aurora couldn’t help wanting to retort, but one glance at her silent teacher kept her competitive nature in check.

“I only know a bit of magic myself, but my teacher’s magic must be far more advanced than the Sea Hag’s!” Aurora thought.

Based on their earlier conversations, Aurora sensed that merfolk’s grasp of magic didn’t seem as strong as humans’.

—This starkly contradicted the legends!

The tales of mermaids summoning storms, sinking ships, or luring sailors to crash on reefs seemed like nothing more than misunderstandings.

Merfolk weren’t the malevolent creatures described in human books but were as kind and vulnerable as most humans.

Was it possible for humans and merfolk to better understand each other? Aurora couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“Ariel, why are you seeking out the Sea Hag? You’re a princess of the sea. It must be something serious,” Aurora asked, swimming up to the mermaid princess ahead of her.

Ariel lifted her chin slightly, her eyes filled with warmth as if recalling a beautiful memory.

“After I turned fifteen, I was allowed to swim to the surface, and I fell in love with your human world, with you wonderful humans.

“Your world is so much bigger than ours. You can sail across the oceans, climb mountain peaks that pierce the sky, and explore endless forests and fields.”

Her tone grew wistful as she continued:

“But sadly, I can’t truly enter your world. You can ride a giant fish into the sea, but I can’t walk on land.”

Then she added:

“Recently, I fell in love with a human. He’s a noble prince, a handsome young man. Hmm, he’s a bit older than you two.

“I saved him from a shipwreck during a storm, but I had to leave him behind.

“I want to be with him forever! I want to share his soul.

“But my grandmother told me it’s absolutely impossible, urging me to give up on such an unrealistic fantasy. How could a mermaid and a human stay together for long?

“I thought, if the usual ways won’t work, perhaps the Sea Hag’s magic could help turn me into a real human!”

Aurora listened intently, piecing together Ariel’s predicament. Could her teacher possibly help? If so, Ariel wouldn’t need to rely on the Sea Hag!

Aurora pondered the mermaid princess’s plight deeply before suddenly widening her eyes and asking seriously:

“Ariel, why can’t merfolk and humans be together for long?”

What a strange question, Ariel thought.

She was about to answer but found herself at a loss, nearly freezing mid-swim.

That’s right. She’d never truly considered: Why can’t merfolk and humans be together?

“What’s the real barrier preventing me from being with a human?”

“Is it my tail? Grandmother said humans find tails hideous, believing only ‘legs’ are normal.”

“Is that really the reason?”

“Would humans reject merfolk tails outright? Or is it because I can only stay at the shore and can’t venture further inland?”

“So, does that mean if I fell in love with a sailor who spent most of his life at sea, we could be together?”

Ariel’s head was spinning with questions, but fortunately, they had arrived at their destination—a sticky clearing in the coral forest.

Here stood a house made of bones.

“This is the Sea Hag’s lair,” Ariel introduced her human friends.

—Though it was her first time here too, she tried to act like an older sister.

“Speak your wishes to the Sea Hag first. Then it’ll be my turn,” Ariel said. “You’re only here to ask her a question, so you probably won’t have to pay a heavy price.”

Still, Ariel felt a twinge of worry.

Her wish wasn’t simple. What price would the Sea Hag demand?

“I never thought the day would come when I’d turn to another magician to fulfill a wish,” Rhine thought, finding it amusing.

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