The Wizard of Fairy Tale World

Chapter 3: Naming Sleeping Beauty

From that day on, the Queen began taking evening strolls by the river. Every time she reached the water's edge, she would crouch down, peering at the fish swimming below. Sometimes she would listen closely, hoping to catch murmurs of human-like speech from the fish. Other times, she would speak directly, asking if they could grant her wish for a child.

Night after night, the only response was the gentle murmur of flowing water. The fish remained silent.

The King, who had long abandoned hope, often accompanied his wife. He didn’t understand her actions, though he might have had an inkling but chose not to comment or intervene.

It was yet another wine-stained evening, with the sun dipping low in the sky.

The Queen crouched by the riverbank as usual, watching the crimson twilight dye the water a vivid scarlet. She observed the fish weaving through the glimmering currents, and, as she always did, softly asked, “Will I ever have a child of my own?”

By now, her daily questioning had become a mechanical routine, devoid of expectation. She no longer hoped for a response.

As usual, the only reply was the silvery sound of the water.

“Just the same as always,” she murmured, preparing to stand and leave.

A golden fish swam forward and stopped in front of her.

The Queen’s eyes widened as the fish opened its mouth and spoke in human language:

“Dear Queen, your wish will soon be granted. You and the King will have a lovely daughter.”

Before she could react, the fish swished its tail and disappeared into the shimmering school.

The Queen froze, stunned, her expression carved in stone. After several seconds, realization dawned, and she gasped as if waking from a dream.

“A fish spoke!” she exclaimed. “It spoke human words and gave me a blessing!”

Overwhelmed with joy, the Queen jumped to her feet, ecstatic and giddy, and ran to share the news with the King.

The King, seeing his wife’s excitement, was puzzled at first. He suspected she might have been so consumed by her longing for a child that she’d started imagining things.

But then, several loyal guards confirmed:

“Your Majesty, we saw it too. A fish spoke human words and blessed the Queen.”

Not long after, the Queen discovered she was pregnant.

“That mage was right about everything. He didn’t deceive me!”

Seeing his aging wife pregnant with their first child, the King was overjoyed.

“Summon Mage Rhine! Bring him back to the palace at once!”

Rhine, however, didn’t need the royal summons to know their wish had been fulfilled.

In his forest cabin, he shuddered as a flood of wish energy surged toward him. Deep within his soul, his magic boiled and bubbled like a roaring fire, climbing to new heights with astonishing speed before gradually calming down. ṜÃ𐌽ồ𝐛Ês

Feeling the newfound power coursing through him, Rhine was both shocked and thrilled.

As he had suspected, the parents of Sleeping Beauty, key figures in a classic fairytale, were undeniably "Children of Destiny." Helping them fulfill their wish to have a child had granted him immense benefits.

Even though their destiny was already preordained, Rhine’s actions—healing their ailments, providing an effective prescription, and delivering an accurate prophecy—had sped up the process.

Since neither the King nor Queen knew the story’s destined course, they wholeheartedly believed that Rhine’s efforts had brought about the miracle. And that belief translated into a significant reward in wish energy.

“Looks like I’ve even learned a new spell!” Rhine muttered.

Stepping outside his cabin, he raised his small hand. A vivid green light blossomed from his palm, and the fallen leaves on the forest floor seemed to come alive. Without any wind, the leaves floated upward, swirling together to form humanoid shapes.

The leaf figures bowed respectfully to their creator.

This was Rhine’s newly gained magic, acquired by fulfilling the King and Queen’s wish for a child. The spell allowed him to animate lifeless objects, turning them into obedient servants or soldiers. It even held potential for more complex uses that he had yet to explore.

“It’s quite handy,” Rhine said with satisfaction, dispersing the leaf creatures with a wave of his hand. The figures crumbled into scattered foliage. “I’ll call it ‘Life-Giving.’”

While his magic power still likely fell short of the twelve witches in the kingdom, Rhine felt confident that the gap was now much smaller. With more experience and a few more fulfilled wishes, he could easily catch up.

Reflecting on his progress, Rhine mused:

“Helping Sleeping Beauty’s parents brought such enormous rewards. I can only imagine what would happen if I helped Sleeping Beauty herself— the true protagonist of the story. Would the benefits be even greater?”

As his thoughts wandered, curiosity and questions filled his heart:

“Have I truly entered the story of Sleeping Beauty?”

“But the tale only mentions one kingdom. It says nothing about the world beyond.”

“Yet here, I often hear rumors of other kingdoms, other mages, and heroes. What kind of vast, fantastical continent lies beyond Sleeping Beauty’s kingdom?”

Rhine was summoned to the palace once again.

Clad in his mage’s robes and hood, the delicate boy walked through the gilded halls, escorted by soldiers. The hem of his robe dragged slightly on the ground, oversized for his petite frame.

The sky outside was bright and clear, white clouds against a vivid blue.

In the palace, the King greeted him with a beaming smile:

“Praise be to you, O Sage of the Forest! Your prophecy has come true. A fish blessed my wife, and soon we shall have our child.”

Rhine bowed in return.

“There is no need to thank me, Your Majesty. All is the work of destiny. I merely played a small part.”

He then added, “May I ask, is there anything else Your Majesty requires of me?”

The King’s eyes lit up as he replied with a line he had long been waiting to say:

The King spoke with earnest enthusiasm, his words tumbling out as he presented his offer:

“O Sage of the Forest, I have heard that you reside in a humble wooden cabin. Such a place cannot shield you from the wind and rain.

“In my palace, I have warriors of great strength, but I lack a sage of your wisdom and a mage of your unmatched skill.

“Master Rhine, I sincerely invite you to reside in the palace and serve as a royal advisor to the kingdom for the next ten years!

“You will be revered as the Sage of Rose Kingdom. Gold and silver will flow to you endlessly. The people of the kingdom will honor you, and my soldiers will guard your safety day and night.

“You will hold power second only to mine. Whatever reasonable requests you have, the entire kingdom will strive to fulfill them.

“Moreover, my court contains an ancient spellbook, passed down through generations, filled with profound magical knowledge and powerful spells. If you agree to serve as the court sage, the spellbook will be yours as well.

“What do you say, Master Rhine? Will you consider my proposal?”

The King, nervous about a possible rejection, laid out the most generous terms he could muster. He had heard that most mages were reclusive and eccentric, preferring to dwell in secluded cabins or ancient castles to concoct potions and study arcane lore.

The thirteen witches of the kingdom were prime examples: occasionally obeying the King’s commands but never willing to serve as royal advisors.

But now, a rising star had appeared—a mage whose abilities seemed to rival or even surpass the existing witches! The King was determined to secure Rhine’s allegiance.

Rhine remained silent for a moment, appearing to weigh the offer.

The old King swallowed hard, bracing himself for refusal. He had seen enough of the world to know that rulers like himself were countless, and few were worthy of a mage’s lasting loyalty.

Next, the boy with silver hair and a painterly face, standing gracefully below the throne, bowed slightly.

“I accept your request, Your Majesty. It is my honor,” Rhine said, placing a hand over his chest.

“From this day forth, I am the Sage of the Court!”

The King exhaled deeply, as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He couldn’t believe it—Rhine had agreed!

For Rhine, the decision was clear. While ten years might feel long to others, to someone who no longer aged, it was but a fleeting moment in what could stretch into millennia.

Unlike other solitary mages, Rhine saw no reason to shun the comforts of palace life. The prospect of courtly luxury appealed to him, and more than material wealth, he was intrigued by the ancient spellbook.

His current repertoire of magic was limited, and the book could hold practical spells and invaluable insights into this world’s supernatural forces.

Moreover, having confirmed that he was in the kingdom of Sleeping Beauty, Rhine’s curiosity about this world had only deepened. What lay beyond this kingdom? What kind of continent had he crossed into?

The average commoner rarely knew more than local legends, much of which were exaggerations. But royalty and nobles interacted with foreign lands, offering a chance to glimpse the larger world.

Through the palace, Rhine hoped to unravel the mysteries of this vast, fantastical realm.

While the King was still basking in the joy and shock of securing Rhine’s allegiance, the Queen could no longer contain her excitement.

“Master Rhine, you mentioned before that the child I will bear is a clever and adorable princess, correct?” she asked eagerly.

“Indeed,” Rhine confirmed. He knew well that the unborn princess was destined to become Sleeping Beauty.

Delighted, the Queen smiled warmly and said:

“In that case, O Sage of Rose Kingdom, and now Court Mage, I have a request. Please, grant our beloved daughter a name.”