"My command is to find Black Witch Maleficent!"
In the clearing, the three large dogs, after receiving their master's command, looked around, sniffing left and right.
Finding nothing, the three dogs all lay down weakly, sticking out their tongues, and looked pitifully at their master, Rhine, who held the tinderbox.
"Sure enough, Black Witch Maleficent must be very far away, well beyond the search range of the tinderbox dogs."
"Of course, even if Maleficent were nearby, she might have a way to prevent herself from being found by magic and other supernatural forces."
Rhine dismissed the dogs and tossed the tinderbox back to Aurora.
The two walked back to the palace and flipped through a large stack of papers on the table.
"These are the intelligence reports compiled by the King and the witches, concerning Black Witch Maleficent's origins, places she might have gone, and other clues!"
This information pointed the way for the journey he and Aurora were about to embark on.
According to these reports, Black Witch Maleficent was not born in Rose Kingdom, but traveled to the Kingdom from another country and settled here permanently, a dozen years before Aurora's baptism ceremony.
No one knew how long she had lived, or where she had learned her terrifying witchcraft.
People only discovered that Maleficent practiced terrifying dark magic, was skilled in curses and torturing people, could summon dark creatures to serve her at any time, and could even transform into a giant dragon.
Moreover, Maleficent's magical attainments seemed to be more profound than those of the other witches in the Kingdom—of course, it was not until after that catastrophic night that people truly realized her power and terror.
According to the intelligence, Maleficent once mentioned that she had several "sisters" outside the Kingdom.
Of course, not true sisters, but witches who studied black magic with her.
Maleficent and her "sisters" occasionally held gatherings, or communicated with each other through magic mirrors, discussing new dark witchcraft and how to concoct new potions. The ingredients they used for their potions were, naturally, strange and terrifying things like frog eyeballs, spiderwebs, toad saliva, and dead infant umbilical cords.
"The gathering organization of black magic witches seems to be quite formidable."
Rhine frowned slightly.
If he had to face multiple opponents as powerful as Black Witch Maleficent, the thought alone was despair-inducing.
On this continent, which blended many stories, who could be the witches who formed a gathering with Black Witch Maleficent?
Rhine couldn't help but wonder.
He continued to read the text in his hand, his attention falling on one line of text.
This passage stated that Maleficent once mentioned to Violet Fairy while boasting that one of the witches in the gathering was not human, but a Sea Hag living in the deep sea, skilled in concocting strange potions.
This Sea Hag lived in Mermaid Country, which was located beneath ten thousand waves. Because she rarely came ashore, Maleficent and she communicated with each other using magic mirrors. For this, Maleficent even complained a few times.
"The Sea Hag living in Sea Kingdom. Perhaps she can be our breakthrough point!
"If Maleficent still has contact with her, this Sea Hag might know where Maleficent is now.
"According to the Kingdom's historical documents, Mermaid Country is located beneath the sea off the south coast!"
Having determined the direction of their first destination, before officially embarking on their journey, Rhine and Aurora had one last task—
To bid farewell to the King and Queen.
...
Deep within the royal palace complex, behind many walls and many buildings.
There was indeed a palace made of brass here, the legendary dwelling of the beautiful princess.
—In fact, it was merely an abandoned palace left over from the previous dynasty; for most of the time, the Brass Palace was empty.
But today, perhaps for the first time in 10 years, the legendary beautiful princess of the Kingdom truly came here.
To bid farewell to her parents.
The King nodded gently.
The monarch of the Kingdom showed a weathered smile, took off the crown on his head, and slowly moved it towards Aurora's head.
The aged monarch taking off his crown and suspending it over the head of a 10-year-old girl looked truly comical.
—The old King handing over the Kingdom to a brave warrior who could save the country, consecrating him as the new King of the Kingdom, this was the promise the old King had made to the magician ten years ago.
The King gestured over the princess's golden-haired head, as if checking if the crown's size matched her:
"My daughter. I am already too old. When you return from your journey with the Sage, this crown will truly belong to you."
The King finished speaking and withdrew the crown.
Aurora nodded gently, performing the elegant court etiquette taught to her by her etiquette teacher, bowing to the King and Queen:
"Farewell, Father and Mother.
"I will embark on a journey with the Sage, traveling abroad to seek out Black Witch Maleficent. We will find the Black Witch, defeat her, and end the shadow that hangs over this country.
"One day, I will return to the Kingdom with the Sage, and succeed you as the King of this land, my Father.
"During this journey, I will strive to learn how to become an outstanding hero and an excellent King."
The Queen, also aged, took out a handkerchief to wipe away tears from the corners of her eyes, but said nothing.
Beside them, the Little Magician, dressed in a spacious wizard's robe and in classical wizard attire, smiled and nodded, saying to Aurora:
"Let us go, my future Queen."
The Sage and the future King bid farewell to the current King and left the palace made of brass.
Walking among the royal palace complex, Aurora gazed at the distant mountains as she walked:
"Teacher, I think, when we return, I will become the King of this country, and you will become a legend of this country."
In the past, grammar teachers specifically taught Aurora complex and ornate grammar and exquisite rhetoric, and the little princess cleverly learned them all, so her language was like sentences polished by poets.
"Father told me that ten years ago, after you helped him, you asked him to spread your story—spreading the magician's story must have a special effect on you."
"Therefore, once I become the new King, I will do the same."
"Teacher, I will sing your story, record your deeds in history, and hire artisans to sculpt your statue."
"I will invite scribes to record every story from our journey, weave these stories into books, and ask painters to illustrate the most memorable scenes from the journey in color—so they will not be forgotten. Then I will ask bards to tell these stories around campfires and wells."
"Many years from now, the events we experienced on our journey will eventually become popular legends, turning into collections of fairy tales by every child's bedside."
"Imagine that scene, it's truly exciting…"
The young girl looked up at the azure sky and the white clouds, her eyes gleaming with the light of hope.
Aurora then looked at the silver-haired boy in front of her who never seemed to age.
—When she was an infant, her teacher looked as he does now, and now she was almost a graceful young woman, yet her teacher had not changed. Time seemed to have paused for the Little Magician.
The young girl stretched out her hand to measure his height, confirming that her head reached exactly to Rhine's shoulder, and giggled:
"Teacher, you won't grow up, will you?
"I guess in two or three years, before the curse is completed, I'll be taller than you.
"Even if I become old and gray, you will still be as you are?"
Rhine did not speak, but simply walked quietly.
He could imagine this scene, but was somewhat surprised that a 10-year-old girl would think so far ahead.
"Who knows what the future holds?"
After a long silence, Rhine said.
Aurora once again cast her gaze towards the distant horizon, her thoughts soaring among the clouds, her face blooming like a flower:
"Teacher, one day, I will become a pile of bones, a mound of yellow earth. And you will still walk upon the earth in this form."
"At that time, the earth will surely be filled with your legends."
"On this journey, I will learn how to be an excellent King, striving to become the greatest King in the history of Rose Kingdom, and be remembered for all time."
"Thus, after I leave this world, people will say that Rose Kingdom once had a great Queen, and my deeds will be passed down."
"In this way, the length of my story in time can try to catch up with your life itself—though it's impossible to catch up, at least not be left behind too quickly."
"Even many centuries later, when you walk upon the earth, you might occasionally hear the people of that era telling the story of our journey."
"In my story, people will say that many years ago, the King of the country was granted 13 blessings at birth and bore a great mission, and she was raised by a wise, knowledgeable, clairvoyant, and miraculously powerful legendary magician."
"Oh my, that sounds truly epic! Just like the epic legends I used to hear."
As Aurora spoke, her gaze grew deeper and more profound.
Like King Arthur and Merlin… Rhine thought.
"Your philosophy and grammar are both excellent. Your perspective is quite unique." Rhine was unusually quiet today, trying to appear more mature, "It seems I didn't waste my efforts in inviting those teachers to teach you."
Rhine shifted his gaze from the young girl and also looked at the snowy layered clouds in the sky.
The clouds were like gentle sheep, leisurely strolling in the vast pasture called the blue sky, basking lazily in the sunlight.
He had also been looking forward to this journey for a long time.
This world is vast, very vast. Countries like Rose Kingdom are countless in the entire Western continent. Moreover, if one keeps going East, there is the even more magnificent and mysterious Far East.
As an immortal being with eternal life, Rhine understood that he was destined not to stop at this tiny place.
Repeatedly fulfilling the same person's wish would greatly reduce its effectiveness. Generally, a "destiny protagonist" can only provide two significantly effective wishes.
Rhine knew that to become a legendary magician worthy of an epic story, he needed to find more destiny protagonists on his journey.
Suddenly, the silver-haired young man felt a burning desire ignite beside him. He knew this was Aurora's wish.
"To learn to become an excellent hero and an outstanding King on the journey, defeat the Black Witch, and end the Kingdom's curse."
This was the heaviest and most fervent wish the Magician of Wishes and Miracles had taken on since coming to this world.
The former Sage of the Kingdom, leading the future King, gradually walked further and further away.