The next day.
In Emerald City.
The brilliant sunlight once again illuminated the city. In the eyes of those wearing green glasses, the city seemed to be inherited from emeralds and green gemstones, sparkling brightly.
People on the streets wore green clothes, coming and going, their faces full of smiles. Children ate green popcorn, and couples chatted on benches.
Maglido, disguised, was also quietly hidden in the city at this time.
After several inquiries, he learned that Dorothy and her companions had already gone to visit Oz.
"Great! I told them about Oz's deception in advance, so they'll definitely discover that Oz is just an ordinary person without magic, a big liar!"
"Once these outsiders expose Oz's deception, I'll make a big fuss, letting everyone in Emerald City know that their King has been deceiving them for too many years!"
"Haha, I can't imagine what the angry public will do then!"
...
Meanwhile, in the palace of Emerald City.
Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Lion, and Pinocchio were summoned by Oz and came to his palace once again today.
This time, in the originally spacious and luxurious hall, waiting for them was not only Oz but also a silver-haired boy wearing a pure white cloak.
While the others were wondering who he was, Pinocchio recognized the boy at first glance and beamed:
"Rhine, the Great Magician who granted me life!"
Oz introduced Rhine:
"That's right, this is my teacher, the great Magician Rhine!"
"Your wishes are not easy to grant, so I specifically consulted my teacher, Rhine."
"This great Magician, after hearing that you are Aurora's friends, is willing to personally come forward and work with me to fulfill your wishes!"
Everyone had already heard Aurora introduce this knowledgeable Magician to them on their journey, and now, finally seeing Rhine in person, they were all overjoyed.
"This is wonderful, Oz's teacher must be an even more powerful Magician than Oz. I'll soon feel wonderful thoughts popping out of my brain," Scarecrow's voice was light and cheerful.
Rhine and Oz first took out a brain made of nails and pins and stuffed it into Scarecrow's skull.
Several nails poked out of Scarecrow's head, and Lion said this meant his thoughts were very sharp.
The two then took out a meticulously woven, beautiful heart made of silk thread and placed it into Tin Woodman's chest.
Finally, they took out a bottle of potion, had Lion drink it, and told Lion that this magical potion would grant him courage and bravery.
The wishes of these three companions were thus fulfilled.
Scarecrow felt that he was now full of wisdom, with new ideas constantly emerging from his mind.
Tin Woodman tried walking around the hall and heard a thumping sound from his chest, happily declaring that he finally had a heartbeat.
He felt that this heart was now even kinder and more loving than his original one.
Lion felt himself filled with an endless supply of courage and strength, declaring that he would not flinch even when facing an army.
Now, only Pinocchio's wish remained unfulfilled.
Oz smiled with relief as he watched Dorothy's companions leave joyfully.
"They believe that my teacher and I are great Magicians, believing that we are omnipotent, so their wishes are actually very easy to fulfill."
Oz thought, then cast an approving glance at Rhine—it was this clever Magician who came up with such an idea!
Rhine shrugged his shoulders.
The idea he thought of was precisely what Oz would think of in the future. So yesterday, when he proposed this idea and Oz was amazed by his genius, he told Oz, "Actually, if you just calm down and think about it, you'll eventually come up with such a method."
Pinocchio, seeing his companions fulfill their wishes and leave the palace happily, eagerly ran to Rhine and Oz:
"It's my turn, it's my turn, it's time to fulfill my wish!"
His carved eyes widened, staring expectantly at Rhine:
"Great Magician, you were able to make me move, so you must also be able to make me flesh and blood, to become a real boy, right?"
Rhine nodded gently:
"Yes, I can indeed do such a thing."
After traveling through several kingdoms, absorbing much wish power, and mastering several types of magic, Rhine was confident that he had the ability to achieve this level of miracle.
Rhine knew that "becoming a real boy" was Pinocchio's ultimate fate.
The moving and talking puppet no longer existed; Pinocchio eventually received the blessing of the fairy and became a flesh-and-blood human.
At the end of the original work, "becoming a real human" was considered a reward given to the puppet, a perfect ending.
But Rhine's view on this was somewhat different.
"However, before fulfilling your wish, I have a question I want to ask you, Pinocchio."
young wizard changed the subject:
"Can you tell me why you want to become a real, flesh-and-blood human?"
Pinocchio was stunned.
He had never thought about this question carefully.
The little puppet scratched his head:
"I... I don't know."
"But I think a real boy must be better than a moving puppet, right?"
"Because most people on this continent are those flesh-and-blood people. I'd better become like everyone else."
Rhine smiled, however:
"Look, among your companions, there's Tin Woodman, Scarecrow, and Lion. Aren't they also very happy now? Are they inferior to those humans?"
Pinocchio tilted his head: "It seems so?"
He hesitated a little.
Rhine continued:
"You see, you are a moving and talking puppet, which is what makes you most special."
"When you fall into the water, you can easily float; when your feet are burned, you can ask a carpenter to make you new feet."
"In White Kingdom, the Queen discovered your potential and invited you to become a puppeteer—this would certainly be the most special puppeteer in the world, because you are the puppet."
"If I turn you into a real boy, all your unique and special qualities will disappear, and you will be no different from many people on this continent."
"So, I'll confirm with you one last time, do you really want to become a real boy?"
Pinocchio was hesitant.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the Magician who had given him new life made a lot of sense!