The Wizard of Fairy Tale World

Chapter 36: The Journey

For the past two months, in several small southern countries near the Rose Kingdom, many people had witnessed the following peculiar sight:

A silver-haired boy and a golden-haired girl traveling together.

The boy appeared to be no older than twelve or thirteen, while the girl looked even younger. The boy had an air of scholarly refinement, often seen reading a book under the gentle sunlight. The girl, on the other hand, was more lively, yet her playful demeanor still carried the elegance of a noble child.

Both children were extraordinarily beautiful. Their bright, clear eyes resembled crystalline lakes, exuding an otherworldly charm. They seemed as if they had stepped out of the pages of a fairy tale.

The girl, in particular, was remarkable. She had an innate charm that made people feel drawn to her. Her voice was melodious, like the song of a springtime lark. Not a single innkeeper or shop owner could resist giving her a discount when they saw the adorable golden-haired girl.

The two children were polite and well-mannered, staying in inns every night, which suggested they carried plenty of money for their journey. However, no one ever saw any family members or servants accompanying them.

Many speculated that they were half-siblings, explaining their different hair and eye colors.

Some said they were children from a wealthy family, having run away to escape their parents’ control and embark on a journey to foreign lands.

Others suggested that some disaster must have struck their hometown, forcing the children to leave their home after losing their parents.

But no one knew the truth: that they were a former Sage and the future Queen of a prosperous kingdom.

One day, a kind innkeeper curiously asked the two beautiful children:

"Children, where are you from? Did something happen to your family? Do you need help?"

Aurora responded:

"The day I was born, a catastrophe struck my homeland, and my family was cursed. That’s why we’re traveling far, far away—to find a way to break the curse and save them."

Her answer was honest enough.

"Thank you for your kindness, good sir. But we don’t need help. This is a mission we must complete ourselves," Rhine added.

"Then may the gods protect you both," the innkeeper said, offering his blessing.

"And may the gods protect you too, kind sir," Rhine replied. "Do you have any wishes you’d like to come true? Miracles often favor the kindhearted."

The innkeeper scratched his head and thought hard for a moment:

"I don’t have any wishes, really. I’ve been through tough times in my youth, but now I own an inn, have a wife and daughter, and live a happy life. Apart from my bad leg, I have no regrets."

The next morning, just as the innkeeper woke up, he discovered the two children had already departed before dawn.

As the innkeeper stood up, he suddenly froze in shock.

To his astonishment, his leg—crippled for more than a decade—had miraculously healed. It was not only restored but felt stronger and healthier than it ever had, even in his youth!

Not everyone the children encountered on their journey was as kindhearted as the innkeeper, however.

From time to time, malicious bandits would try to take advantage of the cover of night to rob these seemingly unprotected, wealthy children.

"Boss, we’ve checked. There’s no bodyguard, no servant, no one around to keep these kids safe. They’re really traveling alone!"

"Perfect! Let’s act tonight. They look like they’re loaded. We’ll take them out!"

The bandits chuckled wickedly, their eyes filled with greed. They downed their last drinks with sinister laughter—unaware that these would be the final sips of their lives.

Later, those bandits were never seen again. They seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Other bandits and human traffickers with similar intentions met the same fate, disappearing without a trace.

As more time passed, the story of the two children began to spread.

Yet, as it traveled through word of mouth and retellings, the tale became distorted.

People started to say that there was a pair of siblings whose parents had been cursed by a demon and left bedridden.

The two children, driven by desperation, left their home, journeying across mountains and wilderness to find a legendary rainbow-colored flower atop a sacred mountain. This flower was said to have the power to break curses and cure their parents.

According to the legend, a magical sprite was so moved by the children’s determination that it secretly protected them.

When the children encountered man-eating beasts, the sprite would use its magic to drive the creatures away. When they ran into murderous bandits, the sprite would transform the criminals into ugly toads.

Those who heard the story praised the children’s bravery and wished them success in finding the miraculous flower, so they could return home and heal their parents.

Later, two brothers, both scholars specializing in linguistics and history, began collecting and compiling folk tales and legends from the continent.

Through interviews with storytellers and scribes, the scholarly brothers unearthed this tale.

"Brother, this is truly an interesting folk legend, widely spread in the southwestern part of the continent," one of the brothers said. "This story exists in several variations, but the protagonists are always a pair of siblings seeking to break a family curse. I think we should document it."

"Alright, let’s call this story The Siblings and the Rainbow Flower, then."

Of course, that’s a tale for another time.

...

At the end of the second month of their journey, while sitting in a rented carriage, Aurora gazed out at the retreating forest and asked Rhine,

“Teacher, I remember you have magic to teleport over long distances. Why are we walking, riding, and traveling by carriage instead?”

“I cannot teleport to places I haven’t been or am unfamiliar with, so we have to measure the land with our own feet, or rely on horses, carriages, and ships,” the young mage replied. “But once I’ve been to a place, returning becomes much easier.”

“Then, after we defeat the Black Witch Maleficent, we can return to the Rose Kingdom on the same day to share the good news with everyone?”

“Of course,” Rhine said with a smile.

Aurora sighed again. “But no matter if it’s by carriage, ship, or foot, it’s all so slow. Why isn’t there a faster, more convenient means of transport?”

A faster means of transport... Rhine froze momentarily, struck by a thought.

“I believe there will be in the future,” Rhine said. “Humans are clever and always inventing new tools. Long ago, people could only walk on foot. Later, they invented wheels to conquer the land and boats to conquer the seas.”

Rhine lifted his chin, his mind wandering far. He thought of the days before he arrived in this world.

“A hundred years from now, two hundred, three hundred perhaps, people might invent strange vehicles made of metal, powered by the burning of coal and fire, running without needing horses to pull them.”

Aurora imagined the strange tools the mage described and smiled. “Teacher, I’m sure you’ll live to see that day!”

Her words made Rhine’s eyes freeze momentarily. His body trembled, a chill creeping up his spine, and he fell into a long silence.

For the next few minutes, Rhine didn’t say a word.

Leaning against the carriage’s backrest, his thoughts drifted to another matter. At present, this continent’s development level was roughly equivalent to the Middle Ages. But not all fairy tales fit seamlessly into a medieval-like setting.

The Grimm Brothers’ Fairy Tales, collected and compiled by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, largely took place “long, long ago.” However, Andersen’s Fairy Tales later broke from tradition, often set in contemporary times, reflecting the 19th-century historical context, making them hard to completely detach from that era.

And after them, authors like Oscar Wilde created new fairy tales with distinct characteristics of their time.

From the kingdom’s historical records, it seemed that the history of this continent and Earth were strikingly similar.

If I truly could live for a long, long time, what might the future of this continent look like? Rhine couldn’t help but wonder.

...

After a long journey, the mage and the princess finally reached the southern coast, gazing out at the boundless sea.

The water was so blue, like a pristine, washed sky. The water was so clear, like the brightest gemstones.

Golden sunlight spilled across the waves, sparkling as though sprinkled with fragments of gold leaf. The waves rose and fell, breaking into foam as white as freshly fallen snow.

“The books say that beneath this ocean lies the kingdom where mermaids and other intelligent sea creatures live,” Aurora said.

One of the Black Witch Maleficent’s “sisters in black magic” was supposedly beneath these immense waves, in the mermaid kingdom. If Maleficent was in contact with this Sea Hag, she might know where Maleficent was!

Gazing at the turbulent waves, the princess furrowed her brow. “But how do we get down there?

“And even if we manage to go under, how can we find the mermaid kingdom amidst the vast sea?

“And even if we do find it, how would we communicate with them?

“I read that mermaids are highly hostile toward humans on land! Some even deliberately cause disasters, attacking ships that pass through their waters!

“If the two of us humans managed to enter their kingdom, we’d definitely be unwelcome. Who knows? They might even attack us!”

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