The Wizard of Fairy Tale World

Chapter 29: A Monster in a Girl's Skin



Chapter 29: A Monster in a Girl's Skin

Dragged away in the dead of night and told by a strange man that the kingdom was on the brink of destruction, Aurora showed no sign of fear.

Though she was clearly wary of the soldier before her, she maintained an air of elegance and politeness, displaying a maturity far beyond her years. Her composure was nothing like that of a naïve, sheltered little princess who had never stepped outside the palace.

"Why do you say the kingdom will be destroyed in a few years? Do you have any evidence?" she asked.

The soldier laughed.

"Perhaps you've heard of Enderland, our neighboring country, which has long had constant friction with us.

"I once served in the army. A few months ago, my comrades and I captured a nobleman from Enderland. He told us that, years ago, he had attended a grand banquet in our kingdom as a foreign guest.

"According to him, at that banquet, Black Witch Maleficent cursed the Rose Kingdom, vowing to destroy it within a few decades! By my estimate, there are only five or six years left before that prophecy comes true.

"When the time comes, the kingdom will be overrun with thorns and brambles, and everyone will bleed from their seven orifices, dying in horrifying agony.

"And yet, the King has deceived us all! He kept this secret from his people, hiding the truth."

The Rose Kingdom was, of course, the "Kingdom of Sleeping Beauty."

Clearly, the soldier didn’t know the whole truth—at the very least, he didn’t realize that the source of the curse was the girl standing before him.

"The nobleman also said that Enderland is considering revealing this secret to our people, exposing the truth behind the curse.

"When everyone learns about the curse, the entire kingdom will descend into chaos. Everything will fall apart.

"But fear not! I can protect you. I’ll take you away from this kingdom before disaster strikes."

As he spoke, the soldier puffed out his chest, attempting to showcase his masculinity.

To be honest, even the soldier himself wasn’t entirely convinced by the nobleman’s words. But that didn’t stop him from presenting them as fact to the girl in front of him.

He believed that a terrifying crisis would surely throw an innocent young girl into panic—and that would be his chance to win her heart!

Even if she didn’t believe him, he still had the tinderbox. He could simply use the dogs to forcefully take her away!

There would be plenty of time in the future to develop feelings.

After hearing the soldier’s passionate speech, Aurora remained as steady as a mountain, her expression betraying no emotion. She simply looked skeptical.

The soldier began to grow impatient and added:

"It’s the corrupt nobility who provoked the wrath of the Black Witch, and now we must bear the consequences of their sins.

"If I were king, I would never have angered such a powerful witch!"

To his surprise, Aurora sharply retorted, her tone resolute and righteous:

"Even if everything you say is true, the real culprit is the Black Witch Maleficent who cursed the kingdom!

"If the King has committed any crime, it is the sin of cowardice.

"He should have declared war on the Black Witch, mobilized the entire army, and hired every mage he could find to kill her and end the curse. Even if everyone perished in the process, it would be better than sitting idly by and waiting for the end!" 𝖗𝐚ƝО𝐁Еś

For the past ten years, Aurora had been raised by Rhine and the twelve witches. She loved this land deeply and cherished her kingdom.

She adored the sound of babbling brooks and the bustling life in narrow alleys. She played ball with children in the town square (and no one could beat her!) and explored the kingdom’s rich history through books with her scholarly tutors. Guided by Rhine’s teleportation magic, she had visited many of the kingdom’s famous landmarks.

Though she wasn’t sure whether the soldier’s words were true, the thought of her kingdom plunging into chaos and being destroyed in a few years filled her with a burning anger.

The soldier was stunned.

He never expected this beautiful, flower-like girl, whose height barely reached his waist, to rebuke him so severely.

And to say something as chilling as "mobilize the entire kingdom to kill the Black Witch" or "better to die fighting than await destruction"!

The soldier felt a twinge of unease.

There was something terrifying and dangerous about this golden-haired girl’s presence, hidden beneath her breathtaking beauty.

Who was she to contradict him? Who was she to say such things?

Wasn’t she supposed to be the princess—born into seclusion, sheltered from the world?

No, this wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

She should have been obedient, trembling with fear upon hearing his grim tale of the kingdom’s future, seeking solace in his arms.

He should have been able to stroke her soft golden hair, comforting the quivering princess in his embrace!

The soldier felt a surge of irritation. He was an adult, a soldier who had faced life-and-death battles. What right did a mere child have to argue with him?

"I’m doing this for your own good, my beautiful princess—if you really are the princess. When the kingdom truly falls into chaos, you’ll understand," he said.

Then, he turned to the giant dog beside him, its saucer-sized eyes glinting in the dim light, and commanded:

"Take this girl and leave!"

The soldier had previously used the dogs to deal with roadside bandits, so he knew just how terrifying they were.

They were incredibly strong, with skin tougher than rock and bones harder than steel.

The soldier even suspected that the three dogs alone could crush the King’s royal guards. With creatures like these, he could take the throne any time he wanted.

The dog opened its enormous mouth, as large as a barrel, and lunged at the golden-haired, green-eyed Aurora, intending to forcibly take her away!

But to everyone’s surprise, the girl—who barely reached the soldier’s waist—moved with exceptional agility. She deftly sidestepped to the left, completely avoiding the dog’s attack.

Aurora’s movements were so fast that they left afterimages in the air.

"What the—?"

The soldier froze, his body trembling in shock.

The girl’s fluid motion was far too practiced, as though she had performed it hundreds or thousands of times. Even he, a seasoned soldier, couldn’t fully process what he had just witnessed.

What was going on?

Wasn’t she supposed to be the delicate princess?

How did she possess such extraordinary skills?

As a soldier through and through, he knew that neither he nor his comrades could ever achieve movements as fluid as hers.

"No big deal, no big deal—it’s just a little girl. At most, she’s a bit quick. Am I really afraid of a little girl?"

The soldier tried to comfort himself while instinctively backing away to put more distance between himself and Aurora.

The girl’s movements were smooth and practiced, like those of a seasoned warrior. Using the momentum of her leftward roll, she quickly positioned herself against the wall.

The soldier’s eyes widened in alarm as he realized her intent—her target was the sword hanging on the wall!

In the next moment, with a crisp sound, the blade was unsheathed.

Aurora stood poised, sword in hand.

Nothing gave her a greater sense of security than a weapon in her grasp.

The dog, still following its earlier orders, lunged at Aurora again, its massive body barreling toward her.

But the golden-haired girl moved swiftly. The sword in her hand sliced through the air with a sharp, chilling whistle!

In the blink of an eye—a moment so brief that the soldier’s naked eye couldn’t even catch it—the dog collapsed. It fell into a pool of its own blood, convulsing and whining in pain.

The creature’s agonized cries echoed through the entire inn—and beyond, waking everyone on the street.

Hot blood gushed out like a fountain, quickly staining the luxurious room crimson.

"How is this possible?"

The soldier could hardly believe his eyes, questioning if he was trapped in a nightmare.

Ever since summoning the dogs with the tinderbox, he had never seen them bleed—not a single drop!

These three giant dogs had been like wish-granting monsters, accomplishing any task effortlessly.

Now Aurora stood amidst the bloodied remains of the dog, its lifeless body sprawled at her feet. Her once pristine white nightgown was now dyed a vivid scarlet.

The golden-haired girl, drenched in blood, advanced slowly. Her radiant hair and one side of her beautiful face were stained red, while her right hand gripped the blood-dripping sword with unnerving calm. She looked as though nothing had happened.

This eerie and horrifying sight pierced the soldier’s heart like a blade of pure fear.

Monster!

This was no mere girl. This was a monster wearing the skin of a girl!

"My god, what kind of creature did the dog bring back?!"

The soldier panicked, bolting from the inn. His trembling hands could barely hold the tinderbox as he frantically struck it several times.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

The other two dogs appeared in the darkness.

One had eyes as large as wagon wheels, while the other’s eyes were as big as the dome of a tower.

"That tinderbox… It really is you—the soldier who betrayed us, wounded Grandma Rosa, and stole the tinderbox…"

The moment Aurora saw the tinderbox in the soldier’s hands, everything clicked.

Now she knew: this was the man responsible for attacking Grandma Rosa and taking the enchanted artifact!

Aurora rushed out of the inn, her gaze sharper than ever before.

The soldier was terrified—completely and utterly terrified. He had never felt such overwhelming fear, not even on the battlefield. The murderous aura emanating from the girl was so intense it felt like it was pressing against his back, soaking his shirt in cold sweat.

"She’s going to kill me. No doubt about it! She’s definitely going to kill me!"

The soldier fled toward the edge of the street and into the dark of the night, almost on the verge of tears.

"Dogs, attack her! Protect me!"

He shouted commands at the two dogs while running, as though any delay would result in this monster in a girl’s skin devouring him whole.

The two enormous dogs charged toward Aurora simultaneously.

The dog with eyes like wagon wheels bit down on her shoulder. This time, Aurora didn’t dodge. But it didn’t matter—its sharp teeth couldn’t even leave a scratch on her skin.

The other dog, with eyes like a tower dome, clamped its jaws around her as well. The result was the same—it was completely ineffective.

The two dogs strained with all their might, trying to tear the girl apart. But it was like biting into something harder than steel.

Crunch!

Both dogs’ teeth shattered simultaneously!


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