Chapter 61: Chapter 62: Expel Sage Rhine!

In the grand hall of the palace, the king, queen, and Prince Eric were meeting with the delegation from Enderland.

The Enderland envoy looked impressive, with half of them being burly warriors clad in fine armor that showcased their might. However, the strangest member of the group was an old witch. She fit every stereotype—a haggard, frightening figure with sharp, piercing eyes, clad in a traditional witch’s hat and robes. She held a wooden staff and muttered strange incantations from time to time.

It was said she was the Emperor of Enderland’s advisor, the eldest, wisest, and most formidable member of the court’s coven of mages.

The moment Ariel saw her, a chill ran down her spine, reminding her of the Sea Hag and the terrifying legends surrounding witches.

“But the Sea Hag, while scary in appearance and temper, isn’t truly evil. I hope this witch is the same,” Ariel thought.

“Crossing the seas and traveling such a long way, you must be exhausted. Please enjoy the finest wine our Western Asia Kingdom has to offer!”

The king, all smiles, warmly commanded the servants to fill the Enderland delegation’s golden goblets to the brim.

Prince Eric had rarely, if ever, seen his father display such an eager attitude—not even toward himself or his mother. This filled him with unease, as it signaled how much his father valued ties with Enderland.

And, of course, the king was intent on having him marry the princess of Enderland!

“What should I do? I belong to Ariel. I absolutely cannot marry someone else—Ariel would turn into sea foam if I did!” the prince fretted internally.

“What are you thinking about, my child? Raise your glass and toast our esteemed guests,” the king urged Eric. “And while we’re at it, we should discuss your marriage formally.”

As Eric opened his mouth to object, the old witch tapped her staff against the marble floor.

The crisp sound echoed through the grand hall, silencing all laughter and chatter.

Everyone—especially the Enderland envoys—fell quiet, for they knew nothing was more terrifying than the old witch’s wrath.

“Your Majesty, ruler of the Western Asia Kingdom,” the witch began sternly, “I heard something most displeasing on my way to this palace!”

“What is it?” the king asked nervously.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“It seems you have invited a Sage from the Rose Kingdom—a despicable magician—who is now staying in this palace!” she accused angrily.

“This is utterly disrespectful! That magician was once an enemy of my nation and me. Yet here you are, hosting him, letting him sleep in a luxurious room with a silk-woven quilt atop a soft bed!”

The king, having already learned about the identity of the divination competition’s winner from his staff, forced a smile and tried to explain:

“Please don’t be upset. It’s purely a coincidence. I’ve been recruiting renowned diviners recently, and the Sage from the Rose Kingdom just happened to respond…”

“Expel him!” the witch demanded with an unyielding tone.

Her voice was so loud that every noble in the hall could hear her.

“Oh, her temper is as erratic as ever,” thought the Enderland warriors. “Witches who dabble in magic and potions tend to be like this—eccentric and neurotic. And lately, her mood has grown even worse!”

The king, caught in an awkward position, waved over a subordinate to instruct them to relocate Rhine to a nearby inn or some other place outside the palace.

Hearing the witch’s words, Ariel felt deeply uneasy. Not long ago, it was that very young magician who had shown them a glimmer of hope for happiness.

“Rhine is such a kind person. How can they treat him like this? The human world is so complicated,” Ariel couldn’t help but think.

“Wait, this isn’t fair!”

Prince Eric, unable to bear it any longer, stood up abruptly, confronting the old witch under the astonished gazes of the nobles.

Why? Why should a foreign witch—a representative of a bandit nation—dictate terms in the palace of the Western Asia Kingdom and demand the expulsion of a magician who had greatly aided him? Eric couldn’t accept it.

After all, he was a hot-blooded young prince!

“The Sage from the Rose Kingdom—a learned magician—is our guest, a guest of the Western Asia Kingdom. This is our country, our palace. We don’t need you, old witch, to tell us what to do!” Eric declared.

In that moment, he felt like a true hero, just like the ones depicted in storybooks.

“What did you say, Prince Eric?”

The old witch nearly jumped in fury, striking the marble floor with her staff repeatedly as if she intended to shatter it. The other Enderland envoys quickly rushed to restrain her.

“Fine, do as you wish,” she said, sitting back down. Her anger faded into a sinister smile as she added, “But this is a poor choice—for both you and that ‘friend’ of yours, Prince Eric.”

The Enderland envoys turned pale. They knew that when the old witch wore that expression, it usually meant someone was about to die.

…

“Prince Eric is truly loyal!” Aurora praised as she watched the scene unfold in the crystal ball. “I can see that no matter the obstacles or the cost, he will find a way to be with Ariel.”

Then, with a sigh, she added:

“If Eric’s persistence convinces the king to let him and Ariel live happily ever after in the Western Asia Kingdom, that would be wonderful. The only downside is that Ariel would still never return to her undersea home and her family.”

“That’s why we must pursue a better ending,” Rhine said, his gaze fixed on the crystal ball as he pondered something else.

“Why does that old witch harbor such hostility toward me? Is there some hidden reason, or is her temperament simply that erratic?”

The world is full of peculiar witches, but in Rhine’s experience, the most erratic and unpredictable of them all was Black Witch Maleficent.

“We should stay alert. I have a feeling she might act against us soon—perhaps even tonight!” the silver-haired boy warned Aurora.

The arrival of the delegation from the former enemy nation of Enderland had put Rhine on high alert.

The connections between kingdoms on this continent were intricate. Just as Black Witch Maleficent and the Sea Hag belonged to the same coven, former adversaries could reappear with new schemes, plotting in ways unknown to them.

In this web of complex interactions, the story’s progression could deviate entirely from its original fairy-tale script. Knowing the original plotline didn’t mean they could predict everything.