tinderbox!
The familiar term instantly awakened Rhine's memories.
"Quick, call her back!"
Rhine recalled the classic Andersen fairy tale, "The tinderbox," sometimes also called "The Soldier and the tinderbox."
In this story, an ordinary Soldier, with the help of a Witch, obtained gold and a magical tinderbox from a tree hollow.
However, the Soldier did not hand over the tinderbox to the Witch as agreed; instead, he killed the Witch who had revealed the secret to him, keeping the tinderbox for himself.
Afterward, relying on the tinderbox's magic, he gained wealth, killed the King, became the new King, and married the King's daughter—a beautiful princess confined deep within the palace.
Its plot, one might say, is a standard "underdog's rise to power after finding a golden finger" scenario, and the ending was as expected.
And now, the Witch going to find the tinderbox was Granny Rosa!
"I've seen it, I've seen a dangerous future. Granny Rosa might be in danger!" Rhine said seriously.
"But she's already been gone for some time… we might not catch up…" Violet Fairy's face was clouded with worry.
…
More than half a day ago.
On a road at the kingdom's border.
A hunched, white-haired Old Witch looked at a tree hollow by the roadside and shouted:
"Did you get the tinderbox?"
This elderly Witch was none other than Granny Rosa.
This 173-year-old Old Witch had lived in the forest for a long time, leading a reclusive life, rarely appearing in public before the kingdom's populace. Only other Witches and the royalty and nobles knew her.
Among the 13 good Witches in the kingdom, Rosa's magic was the least suited for combat.
But she also had her strengths—she could occasionally hear strange whispers containing useful knowledge.
Not long ago, the whispers told Granny Rosa a secret, involving a hidden chamber left by an ancient legendary sorcerer and a powerful magical item within it—the tinderbox.
This hidden chamber was guarded by three magical and terrifying magical creatures, and the tinderbox was the tool to control them, its value far exceeding all the gold and silver in the chamber, truly a priceless treasure!
"Princess Aurora is destined to become a valiant rider, and ordinary warhorses cannot withstand her combat. The magical creatures summoned by the tinderbox are perfectly suited to be Her Highness's mounts!
"Hahaha, I never thought that an old thing like me, who has lived for hundreds of years with no particular strengths, would also contribute to defeating Black Witch Maleficent.
"Once I get the tinderbox, I'll give it to Aurora as a gift for her 10th birthday. Oh, I wonder how happy she'll be when she receives this gift."
Granny Rosa fantasized about giving the tinderbox to Aurora and suddenly laughed. Her wrinkles, squeezed together by her smile, deepened, like the etchings left by the passage of time.
In her mind, Aurora's beautiful face appeared, and the girl's wonderful singing voice, like the sound of nature.
—Aurora's enchanting, irresistible voice was the gift she personally gave to the little princess at her baptism ceremony 10 years ago.
The voice in her ear also told Granny Rosa the method to "pass" this hidden chamber, which involved a peculiar magical ritual—as long as on a day with the correct astrological alignment, she found the first person dressed as a Soldier on this road and gave him a magically enchanted blue checkered apron, the magical creatures guarding the chamber would remain docile, allowing her to take the money and the tinderbox without hindrance.
Of course, Granny Rosa wouldn't let others help for nothing.
As long as the tinderbox could be obtained, all the money in the tree hollow could be given to the Soldier.
"The gold in the tree hollow is definitely a windfall for an ordinary Soldier!
"He can live a very good life, eat very good food, live in a very good house, and then use the remaining money to marry a like-minded wife, have his own family and children, and live a carefree life."
From beneath the tree hollow came rustling sounds, occasionally interspersed with the Soldier's exclamations and laughter.
It seemed everything was proceeding smoothly… Granny Rosa thought.
Just then, the Soldier's voice came from the bottom of the tree hollow:
"I got the tinderbox, pull me up quickly!"
Granny Rosa pulled the Soldier out.
The Soldier's pockets, boots, knapsack, and hat were all filled with gold and silver coins.
"Alright, thank you, handsome and strong Soldier. Now all this gold is yours, hand over the tinderbox to me." Granny Rosa smiled broadly.
The next second, Granny Rosa's eyes widened.
The Soldier's longsword pierced her chest.
As a 173-year-old, Rosa was too slow, she didn't even have time to react.
The Soldier forcefully pulled out the longsword.
Crimson blood gushed out like a fountain, hot as fire.
"This Old Witch cares so much about this tinderbox, it must be a good thing! Now it's mine!"
The Soldier laughed loudly.
Then, carrying the tinderbox and money, humming a cheerful tune, he headed straight for the city.
In a pool of blood, the 173-year-old Old Witch's mouth hung open, still not recovered from the shock of the sudden attack.
Her eyes bulged, wider than they had ever been.
In her pupils, the Soldier's retreating figure was reflected, and she watched helplessly as he walked further and further away with the tinderbox.
She hadn't expected the Soldier to be so insatiably greedy.
The Soldier walked further and further, muttering softly as he went:
"If what that prisoner said is true, and the kingdom is really cursed, and disaster will strike in a few years, then I can only enjoy it for a year or two, and then I'll have to start planning my escape from this doomed country…"
Ten minutes later.
Once certain the Soldier was completely gone, the Old Witch, who was lying in a pool of blood and should have died, suddenly opened her eyes again.