The big fish carrying Rhine and Aurora spat out the medicine jar.
The little wizard explained, "My potion won't crudely cut open a fish tail like a sharp blade and split it into two legs. Instead, it will be like warm sunlight shining on the tail, slowly melting it into legs.
"This process won't cause any injury or pain.
"The newly formed legs will be as perfect as real human legs. You won't feel as though you're walking on knife edges with every step.
"Therefore, you can freely display your beautiful dancing, a dance lighter than any dancer's, and captivate that prince!
"Its effects are so gentle because I added golden sunflowers to the potion—flowers that can only grow in sun-drenched fields. Noble girls on land like to wear them on their chests, but such flowers cannot be found in the sea."
By combining the knowledge from the two potions, using divination to improve the original formula, surpassing the Sea Hag's magical power after accumulating vast amounts of wishes over the past decade, and adding some of the power of his Healing Art, Rhine's potion was far better than the Sea Hag's original version! "Thank you, thank you, my friend." Ariel was immensely grateful.
She would no longer have to lose her beautiful voice and become a mute unable to express her love.
When Ariel accepted the Sea Hag's terms and waited for her to cut out her tongue with a sharp knife, she had already felt regret for her future. Even if she ultimately gained the prince's love and an Immortal Soul, she would never be able to speak that love aloud. She could only remain a mute, blinking helplessly as she gazed longingly at the young prince's incomparably handsome face.
Even if she became one of the humans—though she had long yearned for the human world since childhood—she would never be able to run and sing freely like a healthy human, chat with human friends, and truly become part of their world.
But with the help of her wizard friend, all those sad possibilities no longer had to become reality.
"Of course," Rhine reminded her, "the world's curse still exists. This isn't something that can be solved merely by adjusting the formula."
"When a mermaid is given a human form but does not possess an Immortal Soul to match that form, she will suffer the world's curse.
"If the one you love—that prince—marries someone else, then at the next dawn, your heart will still shatter, and you will still turn into foam upon the water.
"The only way to break this curse is to possess an Immortal Soul. So long as you successfully win the prince's love, the curse will be dispelled."
The little mermaid princess nodded firmly.
With a heavenly singing voice and peerlessly beautiful dancing, what human heart could not be conquered?
"I will remember your kindness, good and kind human!"
Ariel tremblingly accepted the medicine jar. "But I cannot accept your free help with a clear conscience. Just as the Sea Hag said, how can one enjoy benefits without paying any price?"
"I am the mermaid princess, Old Grandmother's most beloved sixth granddaughter. Tell me what you need. I will do everything in my power to fulfill it!"
The moment the mermaid princess took the medicine jar, Rhine felt an endless stream of Power of Wishes gathering, like a pet spotting its owner, ready at any moment to throw itself into Rhine's arms.
He knew that once Ariel drank the potion and her wish to "grow human legs" was officially fulfilled, this Power of Wishes would truly belong to him.
"Having your wish fulfilled is the best reward for me." Rhine smiled. "There's nothing in particular that I want for now. Why not give me one of your fish scales as a memento—before your beautiful tail disappears? With a Mermaid Scale, I can learn how to temporarily transform myself and my companions into mermaids, and I can also use divination to learn where you are."
Ariel did as he asked.
She broke off a small scale from her beautiful tail and gave it to Rhine as a gift.
—This was the first time in the entire history of the Sea Kingdom that a mermaid had given a gift to a human.
"My wizard friend, I will remember your help and forever remember the debt I owe you today! If you ever need anything in the future, I will provide help of equal value once." Ariel excitedly made her vow.
At the end of the story, the mermaid princess led the big fish carrying the two human children away from the ugly Coral Forest.
The Sea Hag watched them disappear into the depths of the ocean.
"A human wizard? He really is impressive!"
Rather than feeling disappointed that her business had been stolen and the deal had failed, the Sea Hag's heart was instead filled with surging delight:
"Could a human wizard from land possibly fulfill the wish I mentioned before?"
The Sea Hag had not forgotten that, in exchange for information about the Witch Coven, that human wizard was still considering paying her a second reward.
"Help me gain the recognition and acceptance of the entire Sea Kingdom. Make the mermaids and other sea creatures in these waters no longer fear me or disdain me!"
"That is the second reward I ask for."
—If it were not to fulfill this wish and become someone as beloved as Ariel, why would she have demanded "the Mermaid Princess's beautiful singing voice"?
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