The Wizard of Fairy Tale World

Chapter 47: The Third Question – Answer Before the Question

As the boy finished his tale, the coral reef forest fell into silence.

Not a sound could be heard except the bubbling of water escaping cracks and the distant swish of swimming fish.

Aurora and Ariel, both listening intently, felt the weight of eternity settle over them.

When people speak of infinity or eternity in conversation, they are merely simple words—lengths too abstract to describe. But once infinity and eternity are made tangible, given form and metaphor, they become heavier than the diamond mountain itself.

Aurora suddenly had an epiphany:

"So that’s it. The second riddle wasn’t a literal question but a way to depict the weight of ‘eternal’ in ‘the immortal soul.’"

How cunning.

The Sea Hag burst into laughter:

"As expected of a human with an eternal soul, to tell me the weight of eternity so eloquently. How did you come up with such an intriguing answer, human?"

Rhine answered truthfully:

"This answer isn’t mine. It’s from a story I read in a book long ago. I only added a few details."

It was a story from Grimm’s Fairy Tales, where a young shepherd answers a king’s question with this tale. What made it particularly memorable for Rhine in his past life was its mention in an episode of Doctor Who.

He hadn’t expected that here, in an entirely different fairy tale, the same answer would prove useful!

Seeing the Sea Hag’s evident approval, Rhine felt a quiet sense of relief.

Behind him, Aurora’s soft voice murmured:

"After the diamond mountain is pecked away, wouldn’t the first second of my teacher’s life also have passed?"

Rhine’s body stiffened slightly.

He didn’t know if he truly had an immortal soul, but his physical body seemed eternal—unless an accident claimed him. Of course, pondering the heat death of the universe or the end of existence felt premature. He decided to focus on the present instead.

As Rhine pricked up his ears, ready for the Sea Hag’s final question, Aurora’s clear, bell-like voice rang out again:

"Teacher, I’ve been thinking.

"Today, after learning such profound secrets from your conversation, I finally understand.

"Teacher, I am like you—we are both eternal."

Rhine flinched as though struck by lightning but said nothing.

The Sea Hag raised her voice:

"And now, humans, it’s time for the third and final question.

"This question is far more difficult than the previous two."

As the sea witch prepared to speak, Rhine suddenly felt a surge of scorching energy emanating from the distant seawater, piercing the belly of the great fish and radiating to his skin. R̃ÀƝОВÈS

This burning sensation—it was...

The Power of a Wish.

The wish of a Child of Destiny!

Based on Rhine’s understanding, a "Child of Destiny" didn’t necessarily have to be the main character of a story. They could also be pivotal supporting characters, like Oz or Aurora’s parents.

The Sea Hag, Rhine realized, was also a Child of Destiny.

Her wish was to "find the answer to this question."

If the first two riddles were tests for the respondents, the third question was the Sea Hag’s deepest desire. Only someone who truly understood the secret of the immortal soul and the weight of eternity could answer it.

Suddenly, the Sea Hag’s voice turned icy:

"But before I proceed, I must address something, humans.

"Under normal circumstances, I would never agree to share the secrets of the Black Witch Maleficent or the Witches’ Coven.

"Yet earlier, I inexplicably agreed to this exchange.

"I suspect you’ve used some magical means to manipulate my mind!"

Rhine’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He didn’t know magic that could charm or twist thoughts. In theory, the Sea Hag’s agreement was entirely her own will.

Of course, this accusation wasn’t baseless—Aurora’s voice, blessed by magic, carried extraordinary power. It was her persuasion that had secured the deal.

"We’re just one question away from learning everything about Maleficent," Rhine thought. "Surely the Sea Hag won’t back out now!"

As if sensing Rhine’s concern, the Sea Hag continued:

"I won’t suddenly break my promise, but I will add a rule.

"By the original terms, both of you may answer the questions. However, the first two questions were answered by the silver-haired boy alone.

"So I believe the final question should be answered by the golden-haired girl. That way, it’s fair—both of you will have participated."

Aurora objected:

"That’s unreasonable.

"You previously said the second and third questions are deeply tied to the first riddle’s answer, the ‘immortal soul.’

"From my performance, you can see that I only just learned the secret of the immortal soul. There’s no way I can answer your final question. This is clearly meant to hinder us."

Rhine was equally puzzled.

He couldn’t believe the Sea Hag would forgo the answer she desired just to block him from responding.

The Sea Hag smiled as if she had anticipated the rebuttal, presenting herself as though making a great concession:

"Very well. Both of you may answer.

"However, if the golden-haired girl is the first to provide the correct answer, I will share everything I know about Maleficent, including her potential weaknesses."

The Sea Hag sneered, her tone deliberate and cunning:

"But if the silver-haired boy gives the answer first, I won’t reveal everything. I’ll share only one piece of information about Maleficent. For instance, the last place she used magic to contact me or the location of her ancient castle."

Ah, so that was it. Rhine immediately grasped the Sea Hag’s ploy:

She wanted to minimize the information she disclosed about Maleficent and the Witches’ Coven, avoiding unnecessary risk while technically upholding her agreement.

"Is Maleficent at her full strength, along with that Coven behind her, really so terrifying?" Rhine pondered.

"Go ahead, ask your question," Aurora said, her voice carrying a tinge of unease. She suspected she wouldn’t be able to provide the correct answer.

It’s fine. Even one piece of information would help.

There were still four and a half years until the prophecy’s curse would descend.

The Sea Hag smiled wickedly and posed her question, word by word:

"Now, tell me this. How can beings like us, non-human creatures, obtain an eternal, immortal soul like yours?"

Ariel pressed her lips together, clearly knowing the answer but bound by the rules not to speak.

Grandma told me the answer not long ago! How could humans possibly know it?

At that moment, Rhine felt the scorching force of the Sea Hag’s wish radiating from her. It was an unrelenting, fiery energy born of profound longing.

"This question…?"

Rhine’s expression froze. He almost couldn’t believe his ears.

The Sea Hag’s deepest desire was simply this? Didn’t she already know?

Rhine, of course, knew the answer. It was the very core of the original tale.

The answer was love.

If a human genuinely loved a mermaid, they could grant the latter an immortal soul, and the human’s own soul would remain untouched.

In the original story, the Sea Hag was described so sparsely that her sudden understanding of the Little Mermaid’s intent implied she knew how merfolk could gain an immortal soul.

But now, the unrelenting force of her wish was no lie.

"Could it be that in this world, the Sea Hag’s association with Maleficent and her Coven led her to immerse herself in dark magic so deeply that she was utterly ostracized by the oceanic kingdom? Was that why she never learned this hidden, beautiful truth?"

Rhine speculated, glancing at Aurora, who was clearly struggling to find an answer.

Aurora couldn’t possibly know the answer. After all, she had just learned about the existence of human immortal souls today. How could she know how non-human creatures might gain one?

Should I answer myself? Aurora clearly can’t solve this.

But if I answer, we’ll only receive one piece of information.

Rhine found himself caught in a dilemma.

Suddenly, inspiration struck. A clever idea sparked in his mind.

Pointing toward Aurora, Rhine smiled at the Sea Hag and declared:

"My friend has already given you the answer.

"According to the rules you established, all three questions have been answered, and you should now tell us everything about Maleficent."

"What?" The Sea Hag looked utterly baffled.

"When did she say anything? She hasn’t uttered a word since I posed the question!"

Rhine scanned the Sea Hag and Ariel, both looking equally confused, and reiterated the Sea Hag’s own rules:

"If the golden-haired girl speaks the answer first, you will share all the information you know.

"By this rule, it doesn’t matter if her answer comes before or after the question—it only matters that she said it first."

The Sea Hag’s face twisted in disbelief.

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