The Wise Man's Three Instructions

After a series of psychological exchanges, the Old King, amidst his shock, actually felt a trace of relief.

He had already steeled himself to give the kingdom to a Warrior he had never met.

But now, since it was to his own child, wasn't that better than handing it to an unfamiliar outsider? Withdrawing his gaze from the king, Rhine shot another glare at the still-stunned witches.

What?

The blessings of being Invulnerable to blades and Impervious to fire and water—weren't those added by you? What's there to be surprised about?

Rhine cleared his throat twice and continued, "Today, the blessing I have bestowed upon Princess Aurora must be kept secret by everyone.

"After the Black Witch Maleficent leaves the kingdom, it's not impossible that she will continue to monitor the curse's progress.

"If the Black Witch learns that we have used blessings to create a Warrior who will kill her, she will surely find ways to obstruct the blessing's fulfillment.

"The power of the blessing is ultimately limited. We cannot simply wait for the prophecy to fulfill itself without doing anything; we must actively strive to make it come true..."

—Earlier, when everyone was discussing what blessings to give, Rhine had already dismissed the nearby Soldiers and attendants, ensuring that only the king, queen, and witches knew the content of the blessing.

Rhine had also considered granting an exaggerated blessing like "Omniscient and Omnipotent." But the power of a blessing has its limits; it couldn't even remove a single curse from the Black Witch, let alone directly bestow power surpassing hers. So he tailored a blessing that emphasized talent and the direction of fate.

Rhine turned to the Old King again. "For the blessing to succeed, there are three more matters I must trouble Your Majesty with."

The Old King, true to his title, had already accepted this somewhat absurd reality. "Please, go ahead, Lord Rhine."

This monarch of the kingdom might not have realized it himself, but after a series of events, he had vaguely come to see the young mage before him as his only remaining pillar of hope.

Thus, when Rhine made his suggestions, it felt only natural to follow them.

Rhine spoke slowly. "First is the first matter.

"Please, Your Majesty, seal off the news of tonight. The people of the kingdom must not know that this land has been cursed by the Black Witch and will face destruction in over a decade.

"If the news leaks, the entire kingdom will be thrown into panic!

"Whether it's nobles wielding immense power or merchants of boundless wealth, everyone, given the chance, will desperately flee this cursed land.

"Your Majesty's court will never again see wise ministers, your army will lack brave Soldiers, and the kingdom's fields will be empty of diligent farmers.

"Before the curse even descends, the kingdom will have already ceased to exist in name."

Hearing Rhine's reminder, the Old King nodded gently.

This was indeed a huge hidden danger!

But could this curse be avoided by fleeing the kingdom? If so...

As if understanding what the king was thinking, the youth's water-blue eyes dimmed slightly, and he let out a soft sigh. "I just performed a divination using the Princess as a medium and determined the nature of the curse: The Black Witch Maleficent's curse cannot be avoided even by fleeing the kingdom! But even if Your Majesty says this, people may not believe it; they'll only see it as a ruler's trick.

"Our goal is to break the curse. The kingdom must not collapse under the curse called 'fear' before the witch's curse even arrives!"

As Rhine spoke these words, the expressions of several witches shifted noticeably.

His gaze sweeping over the witches, Rhine continued the topic. "Next is the second matter.

"Please, Your Majesty, pretend that I never showed you the future or bestowed this special blessing upon Princess Aurora.

"Proceed exactly as Your Majesty originally planned—including confiscating the Spinning Wheels from the people and fabricating the illusion that Princess Aurora is confined to the palace...

"Meanwhile, I and the 12 Witches will take Princess Aurora away from the royal palace. Before the day of the curse arrives, we will train her into a monarch worthy of the throne and a Warrior capable of slaying the dragon..."

Thus, Rhine laid out his plan in detail.

The Old King accepted it without objection, though the Queen looked somewhat sorrowful.

The youth continued. "After that is the third matter.

"From now on, I will take the Princess away from the palace for a long time, until she is raised into a self-reliant hero. During this period, I ask Your Majesty to spread my legend throughout the kingdom. You may embellish and exaggerate it as needed.

"Before I became the Court Magician, I had already healed over a thousand patients with potions and spells, but the scale of my influence was far from enough. Moreover, the legend I need now must include even more important details.

"These tales should emphasize that there is a mage in the kingdom who can grant wishes. If one harbors a wish burning bright enough and chants the legendary title, they may have their wish come true.

"That title is:

"'The Sage from beyond the world, the Prophet who knows the future, the Wizard of Miracles and Wishes...'"