The Wizard of Fairy Tale World

Chapter 89: Who Bestowed the Immortal Soul

Listening to the conversation and watching Maleficent’s shifting expressions in the mirror, Rhine’s suspicions were finally confirmed. Deep in thought, he murmured a single word:

“The Coven of Witches…”

He had a premonition that with this organization’s influence, his future journey would inevitably involve more dealings with them.

“That old witch was only a reserve member of the Coven. Once news of her death reaches them, Aurora and I will definitely be on their radar.”

“The Sea Hag living in the Coral Forest is in danger. We need to find an opportunity to warn her.”

Rhine attempted to trace earlier communications through the mirror, but ultimately failed.

The limits of divination meant there was only so much he could uncover.

Stowing away the mirror, Rhine plucked a strand of hair from the old witch’s corpse for future divination. Then, his figure disappeared into thin air.

—

The sun was slowly rising over the eastern horizon.

On the deck of the Western Asia Kingdom’s flower ship.

Prince Eric held Ariel tightly, repeating words of love over and over, as if believing that if he could love her just a little more in these final moments, an immortal soul would take root within her, saving her from dissolving into sea foam.

“Ariel, once we return to the Western Asia Kingdom, as long as you are safe, we’ll hold a grand wedding!”

“It will take place on a ship at the center of the ocean, the very meeting point between the human world and the sea kingdom. That way, your grandmother, your sisters, and your father can all see you happy.”

“I won’t let my father stop us again. If he still refuses and tries to use me as a pawn for political marriage, then we’ll leave together and live in the world beneath the sea.”

—

Ariel gently touched the prince’s anxious, trembling face.

“Don’t worry about me, Eric. I think…I’ll be fine.”

Beside them, Aurora kept glancing toward the ever-brightening east.

She watched as the light burst from the horizon, as dawn’s whiteness drove away the night’s darkness and melted the stars. She was anxious.

Aurora paced restlessly, worried that things might not end as beautifully as they had hoped.

They had been through so much, overcoming countless obstacles. Enderland’s conspiracy had been exposed, the old witch had surely been defeated by her teacher, and they were on the verge of a happy ending! Ｒᴀ𐌽ỘβÊs

How could Ariel fall just before dawn?@@novelbin@@

Finally, the golden sun rose completely, bathing the sea in warm, radiant light.

The ocean breeze blew, making the golden and purple banners aboard the ship flutter. In the distance, the cries of seagulls echoed.

“Ariel! You’re fine! You’re unharmed!”

Both Aurora and Prince Eric saw it with their own eyes—Ariel was still there, perfectly safe.

The dawn’s light had indeed arrived, but Ariel had not turned into sea foam.

“It seems a rushed, interrupted wedding like that wasn’t enough to trigger the curse,” Prince Eric said with a relieved laugh.

He lifted Ariel into his arms and kissed her again, celebrating her survival.

Aurora finally let out a breath of relief, agreeing with his reasoning:

“Yes, that makes sense. This ceremony lacked true love, was too hasty and incomplete, and neither the bride nor groom had fully accepted it in their hearts. It couldn’t possibly count as a real marriage, so Ariel remained unharmed.”

Just as they were about to celebrate, a calm, youthful voice rang out behind them:

“That’s not the reason.”

The three of them froze.

Turning around, they saw Rhine had somehow returned to the ship. He was leaning against the railing, gazing at the sunlit golden sea, letting the cool ocean breeze tousle his silver hair.

Rhine turned to them with a gentle smile.

“Ariel is safe for one reason only.”

“Long before this flower ship reached Enderland’s royal harbor, before the old witch even set this plan into motion—Ariel had already gained an immortal soul.”

“On the journey to Enderland, I secretly boarded the ship, approached Ariel, and performed a complex divination. That was the conclusion I reached.”

The three of them were stunned.

“So that means…” Prince Eric’s mouth fell open in shock.

“Yes,” Rhine said calmly. “The old witch’s scheme never had a single chance of succeeding.”

“To a mermaid who had already received an immortal soul from a human who truly loved her, the curse was meaningless.”

They all thought back to the old witch’s smug, victorious grin when she thought her plan had succeeded.

Now, in light of what Rhine had revealed, she seemed nothing more than a complete fool.

“But… but,” Aurora stammered, still in disbelief. “Teacher, didn’t you say before that Prince Eric had only known Ariel’s true identity for a few days? That wasn’t enough time for love alone to grant her an immortal soul.”

“Indeed, Prince Eric’s love alone was not enough.”

Rhine took a slow step across the deck, then turned his gaze to the shimmering golden sea in the distance.

“There are many forms of love in this world—it isn’t just romantic love.”

“When a human who has an immortal soul cares for a mermaid without one—when they think of her, worry for her, and hold her in their heart—a fragment of their soul splits away and merges with the mermaid’s.”

“When enough of these fragments accumulate, quantity becomes quality—an immortal soul is born within her.”

Aurora lowered her head. She had already understood what her teacher meant.

Ariel, too, covered her mouth in realization and looked toward the silent Aurora.

“…Me?” Aurora murmured softly.

“Yes.” Rhine smiled. “Prince Eric wasn’t the only human who cared for Ariel. And compared to him—who only learned her true identity about a week ago—you knew her even earlier.”

Aurora understood.

There wasn’t just one human whose love had bestowed an immortal soul upon Ariel.

She was the other one.

From the moment they first met in the sea,

From the moment Ariel, a newly acquainted friend, shared her wish,

From the moment Aurora stood up for Ariel against the Sea Hag out of pure righteousness,

From the moment she murmured, “I feel sorry for the merfolk,” in the deep blue ocean,

From the moment she rushed through the dark night in desperate worry for Ariel’s safety…

In each of those moments, a fragment of Aurora’s soul had been breaking away and merging into Ariel’s.

“Aurora!”

Ariel could no longer hold back her emotions.

She rushed forward and hugged the golden-haired girl—who, despite being shorter, had an extraordinary presence—with all her strength.

“Thank you, my human friend. You saved me! It was your constant worry for me, your care for me, that kept my heart from shattering, my body from dissolving into sea foam.”

“I remember—when we faced the Sea Hag, you said that beyond the prince, I could receive an immortal soul from another human’s love.”

“I was so shocked when I heard you say that.”

“And now, it turns out you were right. Thank you!”

Aurora, suddenly being thanked and hugged like a child, flushed red in embarrassment.

“Sorry, Aurora,” Rhine said with a gentle smile. “I didn’t tell you the truth earlier—I intentionally created a tense atmosphere.”

He explained:

“A newly formed immortal soul is incredibly fragile. If it were suddenly deprived of love, there was still a small chance it could dissipate.”

“With Prince Eric at risk of losing his memory, I had to ensure absolute safety. I needed to create a constant sense of crisis, to make sure you kept worrying about Ariel—to make sure the love you gave her never wavered.”

Aurora nodded, completely understanding her teacher’s reasoning.