Wizard World Irregular

Illumina gazed at the wand for nearly a minute before shifting her gaze back to Ethan.

“I didn’t know that my scale would be used as an ingredient to create this… wand,” Illumina stated. “This is the first time I’m seeing something like this. Do you use it to harness the Aether of the world.”

Ethan nodded. “Yes. I use it as a medium to use magic.”

“Then, has it been useful to you?” Illumina inquired before returning the wand to Ethan’s hands.

“Yes,” Ethan replied. “It has saved my life on more than one occasion.”

A faint smile appeared on Illumina’s beautiful face after hearing that a part of her had helped the young man in his time of need.

“But I still don’t understand,” Ethan said. “Why did you give your rainbow scale away if it’s that precious to you? I’m not complaining or anything. I wouldn’t be where I am now without this wand.”

“It’s because of a selfish wish,” Illumina replied.

“A selfish wish?”

“Yes. A selfish wish of a young, innocent, and naive mermaid, who believed in the prophecy of a seer.”

“Can you tell me more about it?” Ethan inquired.

“It’s a boring story, are you sure you want to hear it?” Illumina asked in a teasing tone.

“I do.” Ethan nodded.

The two little girls, who were also inside the room, perked up after hearing this because they didn’t want to miss this juicy gossip.

“Three hundred years ago, when the Tidebringer visited our kingdom under the sea, a Mermaid Princess fell in love with him.

“Fortunately, he also developed feelings for her, so the two of them married. Many years passed, and the Mermaid Princess had become the Queen of her Kingdom, with her consort by her side.

“When their two twin daughters were born, they invited the other Mermaid Kingdoms to celebrate their happiness.

“That was when I met the Tidebringer. I was still a little girl back then, just as old as these two girls here. The Tidebringer and the Mermaid Queen were like a match made in the seven seas.

“Every mermaid and merman who saw them wished to find the same happiness. And I, when I was young, wished to have that kind of happiness as well.”

Illumina paused as she recalled the events that happened three hundred years ago.

“The Mermaid Queen’s mother was a seer, and a very powerful one at that,” Illumina continued her tale. “Her visions were very accurate, and it had helped their kingdom evade the calamities during that era, where the Progenitors and the Colossi were always at war with each other.

“When she saw me, she had a vision, and told me that there was a possibility that my wish would come true. However, there was a price that I needed to pay, and that is none other than my precious scale.”

Illumina’s face reddened a bit, which made Ethan unable to take his gaze away from her.

The Mermaid Princess, who was already very beautiful, rose that beauty even further in the span of a few seconds due to her bashful appearance.

“All Mermaids have a special scale that only grows once in their lifetime. That scale holds a fraction of our power, and life force, which we only give to our special someone. The Mermaid Queen had given her Rainbow Scale to the Tidebringer.

“It is a token of our love, trust, loyalty, and devotion. Something that is very dear to us, and that was the thing that the Seer told me to sacrifice, if I wished to find the person, who would make me a part of their world.”

The Mermaid Princess gaze softened as she looked at Ethan, who was holding the wand, which contained the scale that she had given up, in his hands.

Ethan suddenly remembered the first time he saw Illumina after getting his wand from Sanders, who sold wands in Limeburgh Town.

Illumina had said “Finally, I am now a part of your world.”

It was one of the turning points in his life because he thought that he would never find a wand that would suit him.

Someone who didn’t have any magical powers was chosen by a wand, who also took his first kiss from him.

But, Ethan thought that back then that the kiss didn’t count as a first kiss because that would be weird, since he kissed a wand instead of a girl.

“What did the Seer say?” Ethan, who suddenly became curious about Illumina's Prophecy asked.

“I can’t answer that question,” Illumina smiled faintly. “It is one of the things that I am unable to tell you because, if I answer it, I will turn into sea foam.”

Ethan’s body stiffened after hearing Illumina’s reply.

She was smiling, and said those words in a teasing tone, and yet, for some reason, Ethan knew that she was telling the truth.

Because of this, he no longer insisted on the topic, and changed the subject.

“Do you know that I live in the future?” Ethan inquired.

“I learned that only a few weeks ago,” Illumina answered. “Your sister told me about it.”

Ethan glanced at Joanne, but the latter was leaning on the couch with her eyes closed, pretending that she was taking a nap.

The young man once again shifted his attention to the Mermaid Princess, and asked another question.

“Do you think we will meet each other in my own timeline?” Ethan asked.

Princess Ramona lowered her head, and looked at her hands that were resting on her lap. Ethan’s question made her feel sad because she knew that she wouldn’t be able to meet him in his own timeline.

Their worlds were not only far apart, but were also separated by hundreds of years.

The princess knew that no matter how hard she tried, she would be unable to live that long.

Humans weren’t like Elves and Mermaids.

Their time was finite and, at most, they would only be able to live up to a little over a hundred years.

But, what was the point?

Even if she lived that long, she would already be a wrinkled old lady.

She wouldn’t want Ethan to see her in such a state, which made her very sad.

The young man, who wasn’t aware of what Princess Ramona was thinking, waited for Illumina to answer his question.

“Mermaids can live up to ten thousand years,” Illumina replied. “It is also the reason why some races want to eat our flesh, and drink our blood, thinking that they will be blessed by immortality, or a longer lifespan by doing so.”

The Mermaid Princess’ smile dimmed a bit after remembering these vile practices, which the Merefolk abhorred the most.

“Right now, I’m still considered a very young mermaid,” Illumina stated. “We are only treated as adults once we are two-

thousand years old.”

“I guess we will be able to meet each other then,” Ethan smiled.

“Of course we will,” Illumina nodded. “After all, I paid the price for it.”

Illumina narrowed her eyes, which made Ethan shudder.

For a brief moment, he felt like a fish on the chopping block that was about to be hacked in two.

The Mermaid Princess’ choice of words made him think that since she had paid the price, she would get something in return.

As for what that thing was, Illumina couldn’t say until the promised time arrived.

“I-Illumina, your eyes are getting scary,” Ethan smiled stiffly, feeling a bit intimidated by the Mermaid Princess’ sharp gaze.

“Scary?” Illumina’s smile widened. “Why would you find my eyes scary? Did you do something bad? Are you guilty of something? Did you perhaps have more than five wives and one concubine?”

Ethan didn’t know how Illumina learned about the five wives, and one concubine promise he made with Lily.

However, for some reason, the beautiful mermaid, who could cause the downfall of a nation, made him feel as if his little Ethan was about to face a battle that he absolutely had no way to win.