The Wizard of Fairy Tale World

Chapter 58: “Why Don’t They Look Alike?”

Rhine nodded.

“Of course. Finding that girl isn’t difficult for me. Divination isn’t omnipotent; it requires mediums and prior information.

“But the information you’ve provided is sufficient, and Your Highness standing here yourself is the best medium.

“Besides, not much time has passed.”

What he didn’t mention was that the prior information for his divination didn’t solely come from the prince’s account; it also came from his own advantage of knowing the story’s context in advance. As for the medium, it wasn’t just the prince standing before him—it was also the beautiful fish scale in his wide pocket.

This scale belonged to another witness of the prince’s tale.

“Let us begin.”

Rhine produced a crystal ball and began reciting a strange incantation.

Ordinary crystals come from deep within the earth, but curiously, those who study mysticism and prophets who cherish crystals attribute them to the element of water. Rhine’s crystal ball, however, came from the deep sea, formed over thousands of years under immense water pressure. Its magic was unparalleled on land.

It was with this miraculous crystal ball that he had glimpsed the prince’s portrait even before the court artist painted it.

“Allow me to untangle Your Highness’s doubts,” Rhine said as he cast his spell.

Specks of starlight emerged within the crystal ball, resembling a boy holding the vast cosmos in his hands.

“Wait!” the prince interjected. “Let’s prioritize my father’s task first. Discovering the origins of that amnesiac girl is more important than my personal questions!”

Rhine chuckled.

“My prince, destiny’s arrangements have a subtle elegance.

“Sometimes, people choose different paths at a fork in the road only to arrive at the same destination. Occasionally, different questions may yield the same answer.”

The prince didn’t fully grasp Rhine’s words, but he sensed that the prophet was hinting at something.

The dim light within the crystal ball dissipated, and points of starlight coalesced into vivid, colorful images. The prince was struck with wonder.

“So this is magic! Though Father has seen many mages perform miracles, it’s my first time witnessing something like this!”

The crystal ball displayed an image of Rhine holding the ball, with the prince crouched nearby, peering closely at its surface.

“What’s this?” the prince asked.

“Your Highness, this is our present moment,” Rhine explained. “Now, we’ll rewind.”

The scene in the crystal ball began reversing, as though time itself was rewinding in a modern film. Past events unfolded in reverse: Rhine retracting the crystal ball, the two walking backward and chatting, followed by the earlier competition where the prince declared Rhine the victor on a fishing boat.

The rewind accelerated, becoming too fast for the prince to follow.

Suddenly, the swirling colors stabilized into a clear scene, replaying events in chronological order.

Within the crystal ball, an unconscious prince lay by the shore, dawn’s light casting a soft glow on his pale, bloodless face—just as one would expect of someone who had recently fallen into the sea.

“That’s me! That’s me! I’m about to see the girl who saved me!”

The prince was brimming with excitement.

She was the person he thought of day and night.

Soon, a young woman approached, shocked to find the unconscious prince. She woke him and called for help—everything matched the prince’s memory exactly.

“Quick, dear mage, please enlarge her face. I want to see her features more clearly,” the prince urged.

“As you wish,” Rhine replied.

The woman’s face grew larger and clearer. The prince finally saw the stunning visage:

Her skin was delicate and white, her long black lashes framing eyes filled with a gentle smile.

“Yes, it’s her! It’s definitely her!” the prince exclaimed. For all his princely stature, he was still just a 16-year-old boy.

But then, he suddenly noticed something amiss.

“No, no, why don’t they look alike?”

The prince recalled the amnesiac girl with the beautiful singing voice.

When he first brought her back, it was because she resembled the girl who had once saved him.

Yet, now that Prince Eric saw the woman who had actually rescued him, he realized the two bore no resemblance whatsoever!

Though both were equally beautiful, their features and figures shared no similarities.

Still, the prince was utterly certain the woman in the crystal ball was indeed his savior.

“Why? Why don’t they look alike?” The prince froze, confused and dazed, as if awakening from a dream.

“Your Highness, let us continue,” Rhine said, gently stroking the crystal ball.

The images within rewound once more.

Time flowed backward again, and the tranquil dawn gave way to the tempestuous night of the storm.

The howling winds, deafening thunder, and cries of sailors filled the crystal ball. Silver lightning streaked through the dark clouds, and mountainous waves dwarfed the tiny ship.

The prince clenched his fists, as if reliving a nightmare.

It was all coming back—the harrowing elements of that unforgettable nightmare.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

In the crystal ball, he saw his ship, himself aboard it, the vessel tossed skyward by a massive wave before crashing down again. He watched as the thick wooden planks splintered under the relentless onslaught, and he fell into the sea.

“Dear mage, why are you showing me this?” the prince asked, his face pale.

“Isn’t this exactly what you and your father wished to uncover?” Rhine smiled. “Didn’t you want to know the origins of the amnesiac girl with the world’s most beautiful voice?”

In the crystal ball, a figure darted swiftly across the stormy seas.

A beautiful silhouette braved the raging currents, weaving through shattered beams and planks, undeterred by the danger of being crushed.

Her upper body resembled a human’s, but her lower half trailed a long, shimmering tail. She leapt through the waves, reaching the prince and holding him tightly, refusing to let go.

And then the prince saw her face—the same, unmistakable face.

Once again, he saw her.