When Rhine made his request, not only was the King perplexed, but even the twelve witches, well-versed in magic, couldnât quite understand his intentions.
Was defining a multi-part title for others to recite some sort of magical ritual?
Yet, the idea of a story where simply chanting a name could make wishes come true did have a certain mystical charm.
âOf course, itâs no problem. Lord Rhine, everything will be as you wish,â the King agreed without hesitation.
To him, this was the simplest of requests!
Rhine smiled and thanked the King.
This, too, was one of his own innovations in using prophetic powerâa concept inspired by novels.
âUnlike the other magicians of this world, I possess many novel ideas from another world, from another time. As I fulfill more wishes and accumulate supernatural rewards, those elements from Earthâs entertainment works can all be replicated one by one.â
Reflecting on this, Rhine couldnât help but feel a sense of anticipation.
After his confrontation with the Black Witch, Rhine had come to a sobering realization: compared to the truly powerful magicians of this world, he still had a long way to go.
â¦
That night, the Kingâs soldiers stormed into the old craftsmanâs residence. Acting on orders, they sought to arrest the deceitful craftsman and have him hanged.
However, when they burst through the doors, they found that the old craftsman had already hung himself from a beam.
After learning of the disastrous events at the banquet, the old craftsman had taken his own life out of guilt.
The old craftsman left behind a letter, pleading for the King and Lord Rhineâs mercy. In his letter, he begged them to spare his family, including his wife and his younger brother Oz, who worked in the circus.
â¦
Weeks passed since the great battle within the royal palace.
The version of the story circulating among the common folk had transformed into the following account:
The infamous Black WitchâMaleficentâhad been invited to Princess Auroraâs baptism ceremony but suddenly flew into a rage at the banquet. She attacked the Kingâs guards, causing significant casualties among the soldiers.
Fortunately, the kingdomâs court mage, the wise Sage, and grand magician, Lord Rhine, displayed extraordinary power. He protected the King and Queen and, along with the twelve witches, turned the tide and repelled Maleficent.
Now, it was rumored that the Black Witch Maleficent had fled to another kingdom.
As for the critical fact that "the witch cursed the Princess and even the entire kingdom," it was deliberately omitted.
The sun continued to rise as usual, but no one knew that the shadow of death already loomed over the entire kingdom.
In this period, a new, fantastical legend began to spread between taverns and campfires.
âHave you heard the story of the magician who grants wishes? Do you think itâs true?â
âCome on, Jerry, youâre not a three-year-old. How could such fairy tales be real?â
âBut I heard someone say that the magician from the story is the same Lord Rhine who treated thousands of patients in the southern region before becoming the kingdomâs Sage!â á¹ð¢âá»ðÐá¹¥
âHaving a real person as the inspiration for the story isnât unusual. Besides, Lord Rhine is now the kingdomâs revered court magicianâwhy would he bother listening to the wishes of commoners like us?â
The versions of the legend varied wildly, but they all revolved around a mysterious boy magician who could grant wishes.
Almost every version also mentioned a peculiar title.
It was said that a starving and desperate child once recited the title and made a wish. Not long after, a brightly colored bird brought her bread and water.
After a few such incidents seemed to come true, the legend spread rapidly, becoming a bedtime story for many children and even starting to gain traction beyond the kingdomâs borders.
However, most people who made wishes out of curiosity saw no miracles come to pass.
Some doubted the legendâs authenticity, while others believed that only particularly sincere wishes had a small chance of being fulfilled.
â¦
During this time, Oz was in a poor state.
As the circusâs hot air balloon operator and headline magician, he was constantly consumed by fear and unease.
âOz, are you in some sort of trouble? I have a suggestionâdo you want to hear it?â
A colleague at the circus tried to comfort the pale-faced Oz.
âNo, no. Just leave me alone,â Oz muttered, waving them off.
Only Oz knew that his terror was something he couldnât share with others.
A few days ago, his older brotherâthe craftsman who had served the royal court for many yearsâhad taken his own life out of guilt for faking the golden plate.
Even worse, according to rumors Oz had picked up, the âfake golden plateâ was what had provoked Maleficentâs sudden attack at the Princessâs baptism ceremony!
âItâs all over. Itâs all over. Itâs because my brother provoked the Black Witch that this disaster happened.â
âWhatâs even scarier is that my brother seemed to get the idea to commit fraud from my careless joke!â
âIf His Majesty discovers that this is connected to me, Iâm as good as dead!â
âNo, even if His Majesty doesnât find out, he might still vent his anger on me.â
The more Oz thought about it, the more terrified he became. He trembled uncontrollably, overwhelmed with regret and despair.
"Oz, while I donât know what kind of trouble youâre in, I have a suggestionâyou could try making a wish to the magician from the recent legend. They say that only particularly strong and sincere wishes have a chance of coming true. With the state youâre in, maybe itâll actually work,â the colleague, who had been sent away earlier, reappeared at some point. Poking his head around the doorframe, he offered the suggestion.
âMake a wish to the magician from the legend?â
Oz froze, his eyes flickering with a hint of light.
He had heard about the "wish-granting magician" legend recently as well.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
It didnât cost anything, so why not give it a try?
But the very next moment, Oz dismissed the thought.
What a joke!
The magician in the legend was said to be none other than the kingdomâs sole Sage, the Kingâs advisor, and the royal court mageâLord Rhine.
Oz had offended the King, and now he was supposed to seek help from the Kingâs advisor and court magician? What kind of suicidal thinking was that?
If the great magician really could hear his heartfelt prayers from afar, Oz thought, then it would be a mercy if he didnât send a bolt of lightning down to strike him dead!
With that, Ozâs glimmer of hope extinguished, leaving him in despair. His face darkened, clouded by the shadow of his hopeless situation.
â¦
As the saying goes, âWhat you think about by day, youâll dream of by night.â
That night, Oz couldnât sleep peacefully at all.
He dreamed of soldiers breaking down his door, capturing him, and condemning him to death by hanging.
Terrified by the nightmare, the crying Oz, desperate and panicked, decided to give the legend one last shot. He repeated the words from the story:
âSage Beyond the World, Prophet Who Foresees the Future, Wizard of Miracles and Wishesâ¦
âPlease, I just want to live. Help me escape this kingdom safely!â
As Dream-Oz chanted the plea, the real Oz muttered the same words in his sleep.
Far away, on a distant road.
Having packed up and left the palace with little Princess Aurora, Rhine was traveling in a bumpy carriage when he heard the faint sound of a distant plea.