The mermaids who had been waiting there for a long time knew what to do when they heard the sound of the flute.
The mermaids looked at the fish in the sea just like people on land looked at cattle sheep and other animals. The difference was that it was much easier for them to tame fish than for humans to tame livestock because the mermaids only needed to sing a song and the fish in the sea would obey their call.
The mermaids from the mermaid country called out to each other.
"It's the signal from the magician Rhine. According to the agreement, it's time for us to act!"
"We want to help the princess and gain the prince's love and immortal soul!"
The mermaids hummed a beautiful melody in the sea, driving the fish in the sea, just like a shepherd driving a flock of sheep on the grassland. They drove all the fish into the net.
Rhine picked up another shell, cast a magic spell, and threw it into the sea. As soon as it fell into the sea, the shell opened its mouth and sang a beautiful song. The song echoed in the sea, attracting more fish.
'The song of the mermaid princess'
After waiting for a while, Rhine said:
"Okay, now you can pull up the net."
The fishermen began to collect the net but failed.
They used all their strength, but they couldn't pull up the net full of fish.
"Your Highness, it's too heavy. There are too many fish! I have been fishing for many years, and I have never seen so many fish!" The fishermen said in unison.
Rhine clapped his hands, gave life and magic to the fishing net, and pulled up the full load of fish. The people around screamed and shook.
...
The final winner was naturally Rhine.
Prince Eric took Rhine's hand and wished him to become the winner.
The magician who called himself Magredo didn't expect that he would lose to a child.
He glared at Rhine and said fiercely:
"You just beat me once. It doesn't mean anything!
"Just wait until I find a treasure that can make me the most powerful magician. Remember me, my name will resound throughout the continent in the future! "
Rhine ignored him and watched the furious Maglido disappear into the crowd.
Just at this moment, a guard ran to the prince and whispered something in his ear.
The prince looked at Rhine with awe.
"So that's how it is. You are the sage of the Kingdom of Rose, a Court magician with superb magic! I heard that the Kingdom of Rose is a rich country in the north, and I have always wanted to see it with my own eyes Respected magician, please follow me," the prince took Rhine's hand.
"Mage, your task is to predict the life experience of a mysterious amnesiac girl..."
Prince Eric took Rhine to the palace room where Ariel was, and Aurora followed behind her teacher.
...
In the palace.
The mermaid princess Ariel was very nervous.
She heard that many powerful fortune tellers had come to apply, and she was uneasy.
"What if I'm found to be a mermaid? "
In the palace, she listened to the maids' reports on the competition and heard that a powerful contestant had overcome all obstacles and stood out.
She finally learned that the winner was the court magician from the northern kingdom, a sage with a far-reaching reputation.
"Oh my God, such famous and powerful people are here, no wonder he can pass such a difficult test!"
"Since he is a well-known and real magician - just like the sea hag, he may know my origins."
Ariel became more and more afraid, worried that the magician would mercilessly accuse her of being a monster and kill her cruelly after discovering that she was a monster. What would be worse than that would be not doing it herself, but letting the prince do it.
These days, Ariel has long understood that in the eyes of humans on Land, mermaids are monsters that symbolize shipwrecks, storms, disasters, temptations, and curses!
...
On the way to Ariel's room, the prince explained the tasks in detail. "Respected magician," he said, "as I mentioned earlier, my father has hired fortune tellers to uncover the life experiences of a girl with a beautiful singing voice who has lost her memory. He also emphasized the importance of discovering how she acquired such a remarkable singing voice."
"In addition, I also have a special request. It is related to a voyage I took some time ago."
At this point, the prince raised his chin slightly.
He recalled that terrifying and warm night.
"Please speak, Your Highness. Whether it is a task assigned by Your Majesty or your request, Your Highness, I will accomplish it." Rhine responded with a smile.
Aurora, who followed behind, remained silent.
After mutual communication and planning, they actually guessed what the prince's request was, but they tacitly did not say it out loud.
The prince recounted the stormy night:
"A month ago, I set sail on a ship.
"Before sailing, the sailors on the ship said that if they saw mermaids floating on the sea and singing curse songs, the ship would encounter misfortune and be caught in a terrible storm;
If no trace of mermaids is seen during the voyage, it means that there is a high probability that the journey will be calm and the bright sunshine will shine on the sea."
"This is just a superstition," Rhine said.
He looked for an opportunity to find a breakthrough point and lay the groundwork for more important information:
"Sometimes, rumors may not be true. As a prophet and a seer, I know very well that eyes often deceive humans. The truth may be far from what people know, or even the opposite.
"I have studied mermaids in-depth and talked to many mermaids. I know very well that the singing of mermaids can neither call storms nor deliberately lead sailors into dangerous waters full of reefs and undercurrents."
"On the contrary, mermaids like to sing in the dark sky and to the accompaniment of the storm when the storm is about to come.
"Their beautiful singing is a kind of early warning, helping sailors to avoid the storm."
Prince Eric nodded gently:
"I see. Thank you for your advice, honorable magician."
He did not doubt the truth of what Rhine said.
The sage of a certain kingdom, a prophet who has just proved his ability, such a special identity makes the boy's words naturally authoritative.
The prince continued:
"Yes. We didn't see the singing mermaids along the way, but the storm still came."
"It was a disastrous night that I couldn't bear to look back on:"
"The sky was scary black, silver lightning shuttled between the dark clouds, the strong wind was wrapped in cold rain, the whistling of the wind swallowed up the sailors' calls, and the sound of thunder almost shattered our eardrums.
"The waves hit like a huge black mountain. The ship we were on was like a toy in this storm, constantly being thrown to the top of the waves and falling."
"Finally, I lost consciousness and fell into the sea."
Recounting this unbearable memory, the prince, who was still just a teenager, couldn't help but turn pale, as if he recalled that disastrous night again.
But immediately, the handsome prince smiled again:
"Fortunately, the huge waves rolled me to the shore."
"A beautiful girl saved me, woke me up in the dawn, gave me food and water, and found people around me."
"I was fuzzy at the time, but the girl's smile and figure were still imprinted in my mind.
"It's a coincidence that the girl who saved me seemed to be somewhat similar to the amnesiac girl with a beautiful singing voice."
"But I'm sure they are not the same person. The girl who saved me said a few words to me, and she didn't have such a beautiful voice. After saving me, the girl left and went to a temple in the forest."
"Respected magician, do you have a way for me to find that girl? Let me know her identity?"