In the original story, the "immortal soul" was merely described as ascending to heaven. However, in the Sea Hag's recounting, although the wise beings of the sea knew about the existence of the immortal soul, its destination remained a mystery.
It might rise, it might fall, or it might reincarnate:
"When an elder passes away and their family sheds their first tear, somewhere else in the world, a newborn lets out its first loud cry. Death and rebirth are inseparable twins, forever embracing each other."
Rhine was certain that this version bore no resemblance to the original.
Its core concept was also drastically different from the Christian scholastic philosophy in the original tale. Instead of implying the existence of a singular deity, it seemed closer to Buddhist ideas of reincarnation, diluting the theological undertones.
Could this mean that, in this fantasy world, "the immortality of the human soul" was merely a natural law, no more extraordinary than "water flows downhill" or "the sun rises in the east and sets in the west"?
The immortality of the human soul was not a gift from a singular deity.
Perhaps this world had no god, no heaven at all!
Even if a heaven existed, it wasnât created by a singular godâit was merely the natural destination for many souls.
From Arielâs lack of surprise or doubt when hearing the Sea Hagâs description of the soulâs journey, Rhine inferred that the mermaid matriarchâs beliefs about the immortal soul aligned with what the Sea Hag had just shared.
In this magical fantasy world, it seemed unlikely that there was an omnipotent, omniscient god.
At this thought, Rhine quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
This aligned with the understanding he had built since arriving in this world. On this magical continent, at least in the Western countries, there were many diverse faiths, but no dominant monotheistic religion.
"Alright, human," the Sea Hag said, her tone a mix of sarcasm and admiration, "I admit youâre smarter and more knowledgeable than I thought. But tell me, human, how did you come to know the secret of the immortal soul?"
From the moment she posed the first question, the Sea Hag had never expected the two humans to answer correctly!
Even among the wise beings of the sea, only a few knew this secret.
Let alone human scholars.
Human lives were too brief, and their scholars too forgetful.
Unlike the legless merfolk, the Sea Hag had legs and could step onto land temporarily. She had once ventured to the surface and met many human scholars.
Those white-haired human sages, who prided themselves on knowing everything, did not even know what their most precious possession was.
Perhaps the worldâs wise beings were all the same, more preoccupied with what they lacked and always forgetting what they had.
Yet now, this boy, who appeared to be only twelve or thirteen, knew the secret of the soul?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
The Sea Hag grew wary.
"Humans who can reach this undersea kingdomâthis has never happened in the history of the deep-sea kingdom.
"Youâve come seeking information about Maleficent and the Witches' Coven.
"And you know the secret of the immortal soul."
Her tone turned icy as she demanded, "Who exactly are you?"
Rhine understood the Sea Hagâs astonishment.
If he hadnât read the original story and noticed Arielâs hints as she sought the answer, he believed he wouldnât have been able to solve the riddle under such pressure. êÃð½ÅÎÃSÌ
Gracefully, Rhine bowed and responded politely, "Weâre merely a traveling scholar and his friend."
This was no lie.
In epics and tales, mages were always portrayed as well-traveled scholars. For many mages, knowledge was a weapon even more frequently used than magic.
The Sea Hag snorted, clearly unconvinced, and then said, "But donât forget, solving the first riddle means nothing. You still have two more questions to answer before Iâll tell you anything about the Black Witch Maleficent.
"If you fail to answer even one of the next two questions, you wonât get the information you seek."
"Even one question was this difficultâitâs truly a fitting price for the Sea Hagâs help," Ariel thought, a mix of admiration and anxiety.
After Rhine and Aurora were done, Ariel herself would need to make a wish to the Sea Hagâto gain human legs so she could walk on land and be with the prince.
For the humans, the exchange was three questions.
But for her wish, the price would undoubtedly be different.
What would that price be?
"Now for the second question. Listen closely, humans."
Aurora and Rhine prepared themselves, nerves taut.
Based on the first question, the next one would likely be another riddle, requiring wisdom to solve. They strained their ears, afraid to miss any detail.
The Sea Hag raised her voice and declared:
"Humans, you now know the answer to the first question: the eternal, immortal soul.
"Now tell meâhow long is eternity?"
"Eternityâdoes it mean a hundred years? A thousand years? Or perhaps ten thousand years?
"Oh, wise humans, tell me, how long is eternity?"
Hearing this question, Aurora, who was braced for a mental marathon, nearly stumbled in disbelief. Beside her, Ariel was equally stunned.
What kind of question was this?
It wasnât some long, intricate riddle?
Aurora found the Sea Hagâs question utterly baffling.
"If itâs eternity, how could it have any concept of length? Thatâs completely contradictory!"
The young girl struggled to make sense of the Sea Hagâs logic. This sea witch always seemed to ask the strangest questions.
"Teacher, isnât eternity just infinitely long?" Aurora whispered to Rhine.
"In factual terms, yes," Rhine replied quietly, "but I doubt thatâs the answer the Sea Hag is looking for."
Deciding to give it a try, Aurora answered:
"Eternity is infinite time."
There were no limits to the number of attempts for this question. And, after all, who could argue that her answer was wrong?
The Sea Hag chuckled.
"Yes, but if eternity is infinite, then just how long is that?"
The Sea Hagâs mocking smile irked the young girl. If not for their precarious situationâbeing at the bottom of the ocean, inside the belly of a giant fishâshe might have drawn her sword, reasoning that a sharp blade often made discussions much more amicable.
"A sword is a universal solution to any riddle," Aurora thought to herself. "Even the densest warriors can use this simple logic to solve the most complicated puzzles set by so-called wise men!"
Noticing the golden-haired girl glancing at her sword, Rhine smirked inwardly, guessing her thoughts.
Thatâs so like you, Your Highness!
Still, as a virtuous and wise teacher, Rhine lowered his voice to dissuade the princessâs violent inclinations:
"My lady, I know what youâre thinking. Even the greatest chess masters in my homeland have considered such moves.
"I understand youâre just entertaining the thought, but itâs entirely unnecessary here."
Although the Sea Hagâs reputation in this ocean kingdom was abysmal, and her death might even bring cheers, Rhine felt that intimidation by force wasnât the best approach.
Aurora nodded lightly.
"So, how should I answer this question, teacher?"
How long is eternity? It seemed like a question with no logical entry point.
"If the last riddle tested knowledge and wisdom, this one is purely peculiar, lacking any clear direction," Rhine mused.
"Did you notice? When the Sea Hag spoke earlier about the immortal soul, she used poetic descriptions. Just like the previous riddle, which was also phrased poetically.
"I think this gives us a clue about the kind of answer she wants.
"Future queen of the Rose Kingdom, you are right to approach questions with logic.
"However, most things in the world arenât entirely bound by logic and reasoning. Try to answer this question as if you were in a fairy tale."
A fairy-tale approach... Aurora pondered her teacherâs words.
Meanwhile, Ariel grew increasingly anxious as she watched her two human friends whispering. Perhaps due to her innate fondness for humans, she genuinely wished for them to answer the question and achieve their goals.
While Aurora was deep in thought, Rhine stepped forward, as calm and composed as a bard weaving a tale around a campfire, and began:
"Above the sea, deep within the human lands, in a faraway place, there is a mountain of diamonds.
"This mountain is vast. To climb to its summit would take an entire year. To circle its base would also take a year. And to journey straight across to its other side would likewise require a year."
As she listened, Arielâs imagination soared.
"That must be a truly immense mountain," she thought. "Far larger and grander than the tallest peaks Iâve seen from the surface of the sea.
"And more magnificent stillâitâs made of diamonds! Iâve never seen such a mountain when gazing at the land from the ocean.
"So, in the human world, deep in the lands far from the sea, there are wonders like this?"
This thought strengthened her longing to gain legs and live among humans. Her desire grew even stronger, anticipating the moment when the Sea Hag would grant her wish.
She had yearned for the human world for so long, even before meeting the handsome prince.
"But what does this mountain have to do with eternity?" Ariel wondered, confused by Rhineâs storytelling.
Rhine continued:
"Once every hundred years, a bird flies from a distant place to the diamond mountain. It pecks at the mountain with its beak, just once, then flies away.
"When the bird returns again, another century has passed.
"Many of the humans living at the mountainâs base spend their entire lives without witnessing the birdâs visit.
"Only the longest-lived elders might witness the birdâs arrival twice in their lifetime, a memory they cherish as their greatest pride."
The Sea Hag sighed softly:
"Indeed, human lives are so brief compared to ours.
"This is a beautiful story about life and time.
"But how does this story relate to my question? Have you mentioned the length of eternity?"
Rhine smiled and delivered the storyâs conclusion:
"When the entire diamond mountain has been worn away by the birdâs pecking, the first second of eternity will have passed."