Chapter 116: Princess Olivia

Under the tower, Ino's mind was racing.

Although he found the situation strange, he had no evidence at the moment and could only proceed cautiously. He decided to enter the tower first and see what happened.

If things went wrong, he could always use his Animagus form to escape. After all, that was the primary reason he had learned the spell in the first place.

For now, entering the tower was his main priority.

As an independent structure, the tower's only entrance was a small window at the top, just big enough for a person to squeeze through.

Seeing Wilhelm's anxious expression, Ino waved his Magic Wand.

"Winter's Breath!"

Snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

But these snowflakes didn't fall randomly. They seemed to have a purpose, concentrating around the tower.

A miraculous scene unfolded. The accumulated snow gathered together, slowly forming a staircase that spiraled around the tower.

"You two follow me and be careful not to slip."

Under the astonished gazes of the Grimm brothers, Ino slowly stepped onto the snow.

Each step he took transformed the soft snow beneath his feet into solid ice.

Ino led the way, creating the staircase, while Jacob held a short sword to ward off the crows, and Wilhelm took up the rear.

The three of them climbed the stairs for half an hour, finally reaching the top of the tower.

A small window, seemingly enchanted to block light, was pitch black inside.

"Wait, I'll go first!"

Jacob suddenly grabbed Ino's sleeve.

He then extended his glowing short sword into the window, and seeing no reaction, swiftly leaped into the tower.

Witnessing this, Ino was filled with apprehension. He realized he had been reckless for not performing any checks before.

"It's a room inside, you can come in now!"

Hearing Jacob's voice from inside, Ino also climbed through the window.

The room inside was spacious. Although Jacob's glowing short sword provided some illumination, it wasn't enough to cover everything.

After all, a short sword was a weapon, not a candle, and Jacob's constant movement made the light flicker, making it hard to see clearly.

"Solarium!"

An orange light floated in the air, like a small sun, illuminating the entire room.

Seeing the luxurious decor inside, the three were astonished. It seemed like the room was built to royal standards.

After a brief moment of amazement, they shifted their focus from the furnishings to the bed in the center of the room.

On the bed lay a mummy-like corpse, ravaged by time. Its skin was completely withered, devoid of elasticity and sheen, dark and rough like parched tree bark.

But eerily, it was still breathing. Each rise and fall of its chest was accompanied by a heavy breath.

Seeing this, Wilhelm pulled a stone pen from his pocket and drew a circle around the bed, inscribing various strange symbols on the floor.

After finishing, Wilhelm looked at Jacob.

Without hesitation, Jacob stabbed the short sword into the corpse's heart. The silver short sword emitted a blinding light.

"Ugh..." The corpse made a sound like air escaping from a bellows.

In just a few seconds, it turned into a pile of ashes.

At the same time, the flock of crows outside the tower scattered.

...

"Is that it? Is it over?"

Ino muttered as he looked around.

He had felt an oppressive atmosphere here before, but now it seemed like drawing a circle and stabbing a sword was all it took to resolve the situation. The contrast was overwhelming.

"Haha! Of course, it's over." A voice, melodious and clear, rang out.

"You've already killed the old witch. What else do you want, my dear little swan..."

"Thud! Thud!" Two muffled sounds followed.

When Ino came to his senses, the Grimm brothers were already knocked to the ground, wrapped in webs, and suspended in midair in a strange posture.

From the full-length mirror in the room, a beautiful woman slowly emerged.

"Sectumsempra! Sectumsempra!"

Taking advantage of the fact that she hadn't fully stepped out of the mirror, Ino cast two of the most powerful curse he knew.

This wasn't a drama; no one would wait for the enemy to walk out foolishly.

With the two spells, the large mirror seemed to be struck by an invisible force. Its edges began to show tiny cracks, like spiderwebs spreading on ice.

The cracks quickly expanded, spreading like a spider web.

Finally, with a loud "bang," the mirror shattered completely, and with a piercing "crash," the shards scattered to the ground.

Although the mirror was gone, the beautiful woman inside it appeared at the original spot.

Dressed in a luxurious princess gown, her skirt floated lightly like clouds. Her features were delicate, her skin fair and smooth, with a high nose bridge and violet eyes... In short, she was stunningly beautiful.

"The scent of a curse! You are indeed a charming boy!" The woman licked her lips slightly, speaking with a tone of indulgence.

"But why did you attack me? You heartless little swan. Look, I didn't even close the window, because I enjoy watching you soar in the sky..."

It seemed the story had taken a turn. The powerful dark spells not only failed but seemed to please her.

Seeing this, Ino quietly moved towards the tower window.

However, as soon as he approached the window, numerous spiders appeared, spinning a giant web that firmly blocked it.

"Hahaha, you are truly adorable!"

The sweet voice rang out again.

Since his escape route was blocked, he changed tactics and swung his wand, casting two cutting spells at the webs binding the Grimm brothers.

The spells hit the webs as if slicing through flowing water. The webs instantly reattached, as if alive.

Magic seemed ineffective.

With a sigh, Ino turned to the woman.

"Alright! You must be the true source of the curse, the princess kidnapped by the witch. Everyone has been deceived by you, including the exorcists from the church!"

"Indeed! You can call me Princess Olivia!" Olivia gave a graceful curtsy.

"As for the exorcists, where were they when I was captured? I was trapped here for ten years, and where were the exorcists then?"

"Hahaha, but when I killed the witch and was about to escape! The exorcists came, like heavenly soldiers, a team of fifteen, well-equipped, experienced..."

Although Olivia's tone remained unchanged and she still wore a gentle smile, her violet eyes were filled with hatred.

"Maybe they got lost; the exorcists were originally meant to deal with the witch." Ino nonchalantly chatted.

At the same time, he slipped his hand into his inner pocket, tightly grasping an irregular die and a box of matches.

These were his lifesaving tools. As long as he held the die, no matter how deadly the damage, he would be transported to Professor Hans's side before suffering it.

It could only be used once, but it was invaluable.

This was why he always felt confident, whether facing Dumbledore, Gandalf, or Voldemort.