The Wizard of Fairy Tale World

Chapter 121: The Queen – Am I Still Dreaming?

“I’ve run far enough. Can I finally ride my flying broom now?”

Once again, the Queen mounted her broom and soared towards the royal city at the foot of the mountain.

As she neared the kingdom she had been away from for so long, her heart swelled with excitement.

“King, Magic Mirror, ministers, and the people of the White Kingdom—your Queen is finally returning!”

“I wonder how His Majesty and the Magic Mirror will react when they see me again after all this time.”

At that thought, a trace of resentment surfaced in her heart:

“The forest and the royal city both look so peaceful. That King... He didn’t even send out the entire army to search for me?”

Perhaps due to her eagerness, the Queen sped through the air on her broom and arrived at the royal city much faster than expected.

However, the moment she arrived, her eyes widened in shock.

The mud and grime that once covered the streets had been completely cleared. The roads were neat and orderly. Even the dilapidated parts that had fallen into disrepair had been restored. The patrolling guards moved in an organized and disciplined manner.

“Where am I? Is this really the royal city of the White Kingdom?”

The Queen was utterly bewildered.

With suspicion in her heart, she continued walking forward.

At that moment, she heard voices calling out behind her:

“Heavens! Is that Her Majesty the Queen?”

“I can’t believe I’m seeing Her Majesty with my own eyes. She’s walking through the streets!”

“As expected of our benevolent Queen—so down-to-earth, without even a single attendant or guard by her side.”

“Her Majesty is a formidable witch, proficient in magic. She doesn’t need mere guards.”

“This is so moving. Look at the simple clothes Her Majesty is wearing. She looks just like one of us commoners—I almost didn’t recognize her.”

“Exactly! I thought the Queen would be adorned in luxurious garments woven from silk and gauze, with a golden crown inlaid with pearls. But her everyday attire is so modest and unassuming.”

“This is the Queen who has dedicated herself wholeheartedly to the kingdom? She’s truly incredible.”

“...”

A chorus of murmurs and discussions filled the air.

The Queen was startled.

“What’s going on? Am I dressed plainly?”

Instinctively, she lowered her head to examine her clothing.

Only then did she realize that she was still wearing the commoner’s clothes she had used to disguise herself as an old peddler woman.

“Damn it! How humiliating! I, the Queen of the White Kingdom, have been seen by these lowly peasants wearing such common clothes.”

“Wait a minute... The way these commoners are talking about me... Why does it sound so strange?”

“Why do they seem... to admire and revere me?”

The Queen was utterly baffled.

She was well aware that her reputation in the kingdom had never been like this!

Wasn’t she supposed to be a terrifying and awe-inspiring Queen?

Commoners had never dared to openly discuss her. In her presence, they were always trembling with fear, terrified of saying something wrong and being thrown into prison—or worse, losing their heads. ṚÄꞐ𝐨𝐛Ëꞩ

She couldn’t make sense of this change.

But as long as she was being respected, she was satisfied.@@novelbin@@

The Queen continued walking toward the palace.

A squad of royal guards approached from the front. When they saw her, their faces lit up with joy as they saluted her:

“Oh great and wise Queen, you have finally returned! Everyone has been waiting for you!”

Is this because I’ve been missing for so long, and they’re relieved to see me? No... From their expressions, it looks like I’ve only been gone for a day or two—not long at all.

Could it be that I haven’t actually been asleep for a long time?

Still lost in confusion, the Queen found herself swept along by the crowd.

“Your Majesty, I can finally meet you in person and express my endless respect for you!”

“Now, other nations envy us—the White Kingdom—because we have a diligent and wise Queen, as well as a Magic Mirror that knows all about the affairs of the kingdom, which helps in selecting talents and governing the realm.”

“Under your diligent rule, Your Majesty, all spies from the Doma Kingdom have been captured, and the underground criminal syndicates have been completely eradicated. How would you like to deal with them?”

“Your Majesty, all praise to you! Ever since you began using the Magic Mirror to govern, the entire kingdom has become incorruptible—no one dares to be corrupt anymore.”

“Your Majesty, the case of the murder committed by that witch from the Witches’ Council is still awaiting your decision.”

“We’ve received the latest list of selected talents—all of them have leadership and loyalty ratings above 50. Please take a look...”

The Queen was dumbfounded.

“Magic Mirror governance? Is that even a thing? That’s not how the Magic Mirror is supposed to be used!”

“What the hell is ‘leadership and loyalty above 50’? Since when can those things be quantified?”

“The enemy spies and underground organizations have all been wiped out? Weren’t they incredibly rampant before? How were they caught?”

“Wait—was it with the Magic Mirror? But other than me, who else can use it?”

“No, based on what they’re saying, it was all my doing?”

“Why don’t I remember any of this?”

The Queen was utterly bewildered.

“What the f*** happened while I was gone?”

“Am I still dreaming?”

Meanwhile, in a clearing in the forest, Rhine and the Eastern Witch remained locked in a tense standoff.

“Can a Silver Shoe still work if only one is left?”

Rhine seemed completely oblivious to the Eastern Witch, who hovered in mid-air, glaring at him with murderous intent. Instead, he was focused on examining the single silver shoe in his hand.

He even crouched down, about to remove his left boot and put on the lone Silver Shoe to test if it still worked.

Seeing this tiny (literally) magician completely disregard her and casually try on her magical shoe right in front of her, the Eastern Witch seethed with rage.

“You… I’m going to KILL YOU!” she hissed through clenched teeth.

Like a falling meteor, she shot toward Rhine, her robes billowing wildly in the wind. A deadly curse was already forming at her fingertips, ready to strike the boy who was still crouching to change his shoes.

At the same time, the flock of birds surrounding her swooped in from all directions.

Just like before, the Eastern Witch dismissed them. She knew they couldn’t harm her and didn’t bother to pay them any mind.

Her full attention remained locked on the silver-haired boy in front of her.

Her instincts told her—this was the real body of the magician Rhine!

However, the next moment, a surge of danger sent her senses into overdrive.

The threat was coming from—

The birds!

All of a sudden, one of the birds above her rapidly expanded, transforming into a massive hound the size of a tower.

Its enormous eyes gleamed, its gaping maw filled with razor-sharp teeth as it lunged at the Eastern Witch, aiming to tear her apart!

—The largest of the three monstrous dogs summoned by the Tinderbox!

“Damn, another bird is a threat.”

Now she understood.

“Not only did he disguise his real body as a bird, hiding among the flock, but he also turned one of his giant hounds into a bird to lie in wait.”

“This time, he used himself as bait to lure me in while secretly reversing the transformation spell on the hound for a surprise attack!”

It was a layered scheme.

Even though Rhine’s magical prowess wasn’t as great as hers, he was far too cunning.

As one of the core members of the Witches’ Council, she had been forced onto the defensive the entire time!

Sensing the danger half a second early, she sharply changed course mid-air, narrowly dodging the lunging beast.

The massive hound crashed into the ground, sending dust flying and shaking the earth.

As the Eastern Witch landed, she took a deep breath, relieved that the immediate threat was over.

“I’ve eliminated the real danger from that bird.”

“This time, you have no more tricks left.”

At that instant, her eyes widened in shock.

A sharp blade plunged into her back.

Behind her stood a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl with a valiant presence.

Aurora.

She gripped her longsword tightly, pushing it deeper into the Eastern Witch’s back, aiming straight for her heart.

Feeling the searing pain, the Eastern Witch finally realized—

The real dangerous bird wasn’t just one.

Aurora, gripping her sword, shouted in excitement:

“I did it!”

She had been the third bird.

Her blade had already pierced through the Eastern Witch’s robe and skin. If nothing unexpected happened, in the next moment, she would skewer the witch’s heart.