The Legendary Warrior

Violet Fairy gently patted the king on the shoulder, comforting him:

"No, Your Majesty, this is not your fault. A fated curse is like a prophecy—no matter how much effort you put in, it is difficult to change the outcome..."

Seeing that the king had lost all interest in the images in the mirror, Rhine wiped his small hand across its surface, clearing the scene.

As for the more distant future, he could not be certain either.

If it followed the most popular version of "Sleeping Beauty" on the market, exactly one hundred years after the princess fell into slumber, a handsome prince would cut through thorns, successfully kiss the princess, and break the spell.

But even Rhine was not entirely sure whether, in this world, the story would perfectly follow that happy ending.

After all, there were too many versions of the fairy tale in circulation. For instance, in the more primitive original version, "Sun, Moon, and Talia," the subsequent plot involved rape and cannibalism—hardly suitable for children. The one who awakened the princess was not a prince, but a neighboring king who was a rapist.

The moment he withdrew the mirror, Rhine clearly felt the power of wishes flowing into his soul, and his own magical strength had increased considerably.

—By leveraging his foreknowledge as a transmigrator, he had successfully fulfilled the king and queen's wish to "see the future"!

Even if that future was not beautiful.

After fulfilling this wish, Rhine also gained a sliver of true prophetic power. Using this new strength, he could probe distant or future scenes, though the information was very vague unless he had a suitable medium.

—As early as when he was providing free medical treatment, Rhine had discovered that fulfilling the same person's wishes multiple times greatly diminished the effect. Generally, only the first one or two attempts yielded significant results. Now that he had fulfilled the king and queen's wishes twice, he needed to seek out other "Fate Protagonists."

The queen, watching the little magician silently put away the silver mirror, was already sobbing uncontrollably:

"Lord Rhine, is this our destined fate? Is there truly no method we can use to break the curse, to stop this calamity from coming?"

Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, Rhine shook his head:

"No, according to the principles of magic, every curse has a method of removal; otherwise, it could not have been established in the first place.

"When the Black Witch Maleficent cast the curse, she already set the conditions for its removal.

"As long as we fulfill those conditions, we can break the curse without waiting for the princess's fifteenth birthday."

The 12 Witches, along with the king and queen, fell silent at once.

They knew full well what the method was to completely remove the curse from the little princess.

Kill the Black Witch, and the curse would be lifted! "But the Black Witch's magic is far too powerful—we cannot possibly oppose her!" the Old King lamented.

He immediately thought of another possibility and asked tentatively:

"Could it be, Lord Rhine, that you mean you are capable of defeating the Black Witch Maleficent?"

Had Rhine been hiding unused trump cards in the earlier battle? Was he confident enough in himself to make this suggestion? Rhine smiled faintly and answered with certainty: "No."

The youth continued:

"Tonight, we faced Maleficent right after she had just unleashed a powerful curse.

"If we go to challenge the Black Witch Maleficent later, she will only be stronger and more invincible than she appeared tonight!"

The Old King's mouth twitched, and his face turned grim.

Since the Black Witch was nearly invincible, what was the point of saying this?

Who could possibly kill her?

He had known before that the Black Witch Maleficent was more powerful than the other 12 Witches, but he had not realized the gap between them was as vast as a chasm.

The 12 Witches also wore expressions as dark as water.

In the earlier battle, the dragon that the Black Witch had transformed into left a deep impression on them.

Even among spellcasters who wielded magic, twisted nature, and reshaped reality, the disparity between them was despair-inducing.

Even if the entire kingdom's army were gathered together, facing such an inhuman beast, their morale would collapse in an instant!

Sheer numbers could never overcome a dragon.

"Your Majesty..."

Scanning the gloomy faces around him, the little magician pulled up his white-gold robe and gave a slight bow to the king:

"Relying solely on my own power and the kingdom's soldiers, I truly cannot defeat the dragon the Black Witch has become.

"But a blessed warrior can!"

After studying the Spellbook, Rhine had gained a deep understanding of the supernatural forces in this world.

Not only could magicians use wondrous magic, but powerful warriors could also train their bodies to far surpass those of Earthlings! Rhine raised his voice:

"Your Majesty, I know of such a warrior—braver and smarter than every knight under your command.

"This warrior was born bathed in powerful magic, with an extraordinary physique, invulnerable to blades, master of every sword technique in the world, proficient in every weapon, armor, and shield, and may even know a little magic.

"When this warrior draws a sword, only a god can match them in swordsmanship; when they pull a bowstring, the arrow can cross half the kingdom to pierce its target.

"When this warrior rides a steed across the battlefield, even a scattered army will yield to their charisma and obey their commands! When this warrior sings a battle song before a routed army, even the most undisciplined troops will regroup and willingly die for them! "I believe such a warrior can lead Your Majesty's army, kill the Black Witch, and remove the curse at its root!"