The Wizard of Fairy Tale World

Chapter 49: Ariel’s Request

Ariel took a deep breath of the icy seawater.

This was something she had planned for a long time, yet now that she was face-to-face with the Sea Hag, her heart pounded uncontrollably.

Her two human friends had braved countless obstacles to fulfill their wishes, answering three impossibly difficult questions as payment.

What price would she have to pay?

Swimming forward, Ariel hesitated before the Sea Hag. She wanted to voice her wish but felt a twinge of shyness.

"My foolish princess, you don’t need to say it—I already know what you want," said the Sea Hag.

The Sea Hag possessed a unique magic. Whenever a sea creature stood before her, their heart filled with an earnest desire for her help, she could discern their wish just by staring at them for a moment.

For someone who spent her life granting the wishes of others, this was an incredibly useful ability.

Perhaps, the Sea Hag thought, the wishes of merfolk reside only in their hearts and minds, while humans, with their immortal souls, bury their desires deep within those eternal essences—places even she couldn’t reach.

"My beautiful princess," the Sea Hag chuckled darkly, "your wish is utterly ridiculous!

"You want to shed your tail, grow two human legs, and turn yourself into one of their misshapen forms to walk on land and live among humans.

"You wish for a handsome prince to fall in love with you, pouring all his passion and affection into you, so you can gain an immortal soul.

"I’ve never heard of such a thing before! A human falling in love with a creature of the sea—what a laughable fantasy!"

The Sea Hag burst into laughter at the mermaid princess’s wish.

When her laughter subsided, she felt a pang of regret.

She realized that simply by seeing Ariel’s wish, she already knew how merfolk could obtain an immortal soul.

There had been no need to learn it from the two humans at all!

The Sea Hag addressed Ariel again:

"You little fool. It’s a silly wish, but I’ll grant it nonetheless, even though it’s bound to end poorly.

"I can brew a potion for you to drink. Bring it to the shore under cover of night, and before the first light of dawn, consume it.

"Then, your tail will split in two and transform into what humans call beautiful legs. It’ll feel as though a sharp blade is cruelly slicing your tail in half—it will hurt, no doubt!

"Because these legs are fashioned from your tail, you will retain your graceful swimming motions. Your dance will be more elegant than that of any other dancer!"

Ariel was overjoyed to hear that her wish could be granted with just a potion.

However, the Sea Hag had only mentioned the benefits. Feeling uneasy, Ariel asked,

"And what price must I pay for these legs?"

The Sea Hag smirked.

"Nothing in this world comes without a cost.

"The legs you gain will not be the natural legs of a human but a counterfeit crafted by the potion’s sharp magic.

"Thus, every step you take will feel as though you’re walking on sharp blades!

"If you can endure this pain, only then will I help you."

Before Ariel could respond, Aurora interjected indignantly,

"Why does it have such a drawback? Graceful dance steps, yet you can’t even walk normally without pain—this is nothing but a cruel trick!"

Aurora saw the mermaid princess as a friend and returned her affection in kind. She genuinely didn’t want Ariel to endure such unbearable pain.

Glancing at Rhine, Aurora mumbled,

"But I’ve seen magicians transform one creature into another without any side effects. It must be that your potion is flawed!"

The Sea Hag bristled, retorting angrily,

"This is no fleeting transformation magic! Every being in the world has its original form. Transformation magic merely paints over it with a heavy layer of makeup, leaving the essence unchanged.

"Magicians’ spells may seem miraculous, but they are nothing more than illusions!"

"Not long after, everything will revert to its original form.

"But the potions I brew bring lasting change!"

Rhine nodded slightly, acknowledging the truth in the Sea Hag’s words.

It was much like the story of Cinderella, where everything transformed by magic returned to normal at the stroke of midnight. Transformation magic always had an end—either when its time limit expired or when dispelled by some counter-magic.

In terms of systems like Dungeons & Dragons from Rhine's previous life, only effects with a duration of "instantaneous" were truly irreversible.

Ariel, worried that the Sea Hag and her human friends might quarrel, quickly interjected,

"No problem. I can endure it!"

Her voice trembled, but her determination was clear. She thought of the handsome prince and her goal of obtaining an immortal soul.

The Sea Hag laughed darkly, continuing her explanation.

"That’s not all. For a mermaid without an immortal soul to take on a human form defies the natural order and incurs the curse of the world!

"If you fail to win the prince’s love and gain an immortal soul, on the morning of his wedding to another, at the first light of dawn, your heart will shatter, and you will become nothing but foam on the sea."

Aurora could no longer hold back her outrage, leaping to Ariel’s defense.

"Why? This sounds absurd! You’re just giving her a potion to transform her tail into legs. Why should her life hinge on whether this prince loves her?

"If, and I mean if, the prince doesn’t end up with Ariel, why must she die? Couldn’t she just find another goal, someone else who loves her?

"Ariel is so beautiful—once she becomes human, she’s sure to attract a flood of admirers.

"There are so many handsome and wonderful people in this world. Ariel could gain an immortal soul from someone else who truly loves and cherishes her!"

Ariel was both warmed by Aurora’s concern and surprised by her unconventional way of thinking.

She had never considered such a possibility.

Never even thought to imagine it!

"Could I truly gain an immortal soul from another human, not just that handsome prince?"

Her newfound human friends had consistently opened her eyes to perspectives and ideas completely different from what she had known, leaving her in awe time and again.

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