Rhine slowly explained:
"First, the simplest thing is that destruction is much easier than creation. A magician who can turn an entire kingdom into ruins often cannot conjure a city out of thin air, providing homes for thousands of people.
"More crucially, even with the ability, direct magical production would cause a huge impact on society.
"Imagine you conjure a loaf of bread and a bottle of milk for a hungry child. That child gets to eat their fill and is very grateful to you. There's no problem with that.
"However, if you conjure enough milk and bread for an entire kingdom and give it away for free to everyone in the city, then the original bakers and milkmen would lose their jobs. They would lose their original place in this world and become irrelevant.
"Similarly, if you conjure a city, then the construction workers building houses would lose their jobs; if you conjure tens of thousands of warm clothes, a mother at the loom would lose an important source of income. They would all become, as a result, irrelevant to this world and the entire country.
"Perhaps you could kindly continue to conjure bread and milk, but if everyone in the entire kingdom becomes irrelevant due to the existence of magic, the next Wish Magician to succeed you would probably not view them normally.
"That new Wish Magician might then believe that everyone else in the kingdom is worthless and meaningless, and he or she has no obligation to support such a group of useless people."
Aurora pondered Rhine's words.
"Directly using magic to help thousands of people does indeed present many problems..."
A look of determination immediately appeared on the young girl's pretty face:
"But I believe these problems are not insurmountable.
"Perhaps there will be many problems along the way, but this direction is absolutely correct!
"Isn't the Queen of the White Kingdom governing the country with magic now?
"As long as magic is used appropriately, the entire Rose Kingdom, the entire continent, will become different.
"People will live better lives, and more Little Match Girls won't have to walk the streets on cold winter days! This is far more important than helping one or two people."
Seeing Aurora excitedly rattle off this long speech, Rhine's lips curved into a relieved smile.
He slowly stroked the young girl's head:
"These are the problems you need to think about, Aurora.
"No matter how powerful I am, I am ultimately just a magician.
"And you are not only the new Wish Magician but also the future monarch of the Rose Kingdom!
"I have said that there are always some things in this world that a magician cannot do and must be accomplished by a King."
Rhine stood up and, with the demeanor of a sage, bowed to the future Queen:
"Your Majesty, the future Queen, you have already learned my spells, inherited the traits of the Wish Magician, and hold the infinitely powerful Godly Lamp in your hand.
"After replicating my special abilities, you will also no longer age, forever remaining in the prime of your youth.
"You will inherit a prosperous and flourishing kingdom. The White Kingdom, the Sea Kingdom, and Oz Country are all your allies.
"The future of this continent is in your hands!"
Rhine smiled.
"This is my farewell gift to this continent!"
Aurora was momentarily stunned.
She remembered her teacher had said before that he would leave gifts for her and the entire continent!
The golden-haired young girl nodded firmly.
But Aurora immediately felt a touch of sadness.
Her teacher saying this meant he was truly leaving.
"Teacher, after you go home, can you come back?" she asked.
"I don't know." Rhine shook his head. "I also don't know if this journey is one-way, or if I can return someday."
Just then, a puff of green smoke emerged from behind Rhine.
The black-haired young girl stepped out of the swirling smoke, looking lazily at Rhine:
"How is it? You've already learned the ritual to open the doors between two worlds, haven't you?"
"I know it by heart," Rhine replied calmly.
"Then shall we go back to Earth now? After so many years away, I'm more or less a little homesick."
"Give me a few more minutes." Rhine smiled as he looked at Aurora, then at the azure sky outside the window.
"I want to see this world one last time!"
"Alright," Night Ruge agreed.
Rhine's figure vanished into a silver whirlwind.
...
The palace of the Rose Kingdom.
The King and Queen were discussing Aurora's succession to the throne with the twelve good witches.
Thinking that the child they had blessed more than ten years ago would soon become the Queen of the Rose Kingdom, the witches felt quite relieved. Granny Rosa, who especially loved Aurora, was filled with mixed emotions.
Just then, the silver-haired young man's figure appeared in the hall.
"Your Excellency, the Sage, you've come too!"
The King greeted Rhine.
"I am leaving this continent, going to a very distant place," Rhine said. This was something he had already told the King in advance.
The King felt a slight reluctance but still respectfully blessed Rhine:
"Your Excellency is a hero of the kingdom; the Rose Kingdom will forever remember your immortal deeds!"
...
In Emerald City.
Pedestrians wearing emerald-green spectacles walked along the streets, chatting and laughing, a peaceful and happy atmosphere filling the air.
In the magnificent palace, Oz sat on the throne, giving instructions to the beautifully dressed ministers below.
Ever since the Great Oz publicly revealed his true form, the ministers in the palace could be normally summoned by Oz, no longer having to rely on intermediaries as before.
Oz now had no pretense at all because he was no longer a fraud but a true magician!
The ministers all called him "the Great Oz," no longer "the great and terrible Oz," because their King was not terrible at all.
Just then, a silver breeze swept through the hall, and the young man appearing in the wind slowly approached.
"Teacher!"
As soon as Oz saw Rhine, he joyfully waved to him.
"I am going to a very, very distant place, even farther than the distance between the Rose Kingdom and your kingdom," Rhine said peacefully.
Oz was quite disappointed, and his little old head drooped.
Rhine pulled out a silver hair, blew on it gently, and handed it to Oz.
"This hair has my magic attached, linking two locations. You can return to the Rose Kingdom at any time, and you can return here at any time.
"If you want to see your homeland again, you can go back whenever you wish."
Oz joyfully accepted this treasure and carefully put it away.
"Oh, and one more thing to tell you.
"In the near future, Aurora, the girl who was by my side, will become the new monarch of the Rose Kingdom!"
Rhine smiled, enjoying Oz's surprised expression and wide eyes.
...
The back garden of the White Kingdom palace.
Although it was winter, thanks to the Queen's magic, this garden was still in full bloom. Scarlet, azure, and pure white flowers bloomed in profusion.
The Queen held Snow White's hand, strolling through the garden.
Ever since the White Kingdom's reforms began, the Queen had spent most of her time dealing with state affairs using the magic mirror; this was one of her rare moments of relaxation.
"Mom, what kind of flower is this?"
The young Snow White pointed to a crimson flower that looked like it could drip blood, looking up at her mother and asking.
The Queen knelt down, observed for a long time, and finally said helplessly:
"Mommy doesn't know, I'll ask the magic mirror later."
Neither the stepmother nor the daughter noticed a bird perched on a tree branch, quietly watching the two.
The bird did not speak, so as not to disturb the peaceful and beautiful time between mother and child.
...
In the palace of the Sea Kingdom, in the Prince's bedchamber.
Princess Ariel danced gracefully, the young girl's toes touching the ground, her movements as light as a fish swaying in the water.
Ariel danced and sang, her exquisite voice a unique treasure of the sea and land, moving people to tears.
After the song and dance, Prince Eric applauded frantically:
"Ariel, your singing is more beautiful than ever.
"People all over the world will envy me, envy the Crown Prince of the Sea Kingdom for marrying such a beautiful princess!"
Eric's words made Ariel's cheeks flush slightly, and she shyly averted her gaze.
Just then, a silver breeze lifted the curtains, swept through the room, and transformed into the figure of a handsome young man.
"Rhine!"
"Your Excellency, Magician Rhine!"
Princess Ariel and Prince Eric simultaneously shouted excitedly at the magician.
Rhine's face held a peaceful smile as he said unhurriedly:
"I am going to a very, very distant place, to another world even farther than the end of the continent.
"In the not-so-distant future, Aurora will inherit the throne of the Rose Kingdom.
"In the future, I hope you two can get along well with her, as the King and Queen of the Sea Kingdom."
Upon mentioning Aurora, a beautiful smile appeared on Princess Ariel's face, and past fond memories surged forth:
"I'm really looking forward to seeing Aurora again!
"After all, half of my soul comes from her!"
Eric also placed a hand on his chest, his demeanor solemn, and bowed with the etiquette of a Crown Prince facing a great sage:
"As you wish, Your Excellency Rhine.
"Aurora will certainly become a wise and upright child; she will surely become an outstanding Queen."
Rhine's gaze lingered on Prince Eric for a moment, seeing that this once rebellious young man's demeanor had gained much more composure than before, feeling quite emotional.
Those two spirited, impulsive young people of yesteryear would now become the monarchs of two kingdoms! They had once together experienced enemy conspiracies, together written moving and tragic stories, and in the future, the monarchs of the two kingdoms would jointly lead the continent to go further.
Rhine bid farewell to the two, his figure blurring and disappearing, reappearing high above the ocean, looking down at the azure expanse of the sea—
Under the bright sunlight, ships were sailing out of the Sea Kingdom's port, and groups of mermaids gathered on the surface of the sea, guiding the sailors in front of the ships, showing them the way for their long journeys.
...
"I'm back..."
Rhine returned to the Rose Kingdom's Brass Palace, his figure appearing beside Night Ruge.
"You're finally back. Your 'few minutes' were quite long," Night Ruge complained.
Rhine took off his silver shoes, stepped barefoot on the ground, and handed them to Aurora:
"These shoes are for you too. With them, you can go anywhere in this world."
Aurora remained silent, nodding with a touch of sadness.
"Are you done with your farewells? Let's start the ritual quickly," Night Ruge yawned impatiently.
Rhine and Night Ruge walked outdoors, lit a bonfire, threw spices into it, and chanted obscure incantations, jointly casting the magic that spanned two worlds.
When the incantation reached its climax, the sky darkened, sand flew, stones rolled, and a strong wind swept across the sky, dispersing the clouds on the horizon.
A shining door was outlined in the air.
Rhine and Night Ruge stepped forward, about to push open the illusory door.
"Teacher..." Aurora looked at Rhine, who was about to leave, her voice suddenly choked.
She hesitated for a long time, finally mustering the courage to wave goodbye:
"Goodbye, Teacher!"
"Goodbye, Aurora!"
Rhine also waved at Aurora, his face adorned with a happy yet reluctant smile.
Aurora watched the silver-haired young man push open the door, his figure completely disappearing into the brilliant light beyond the doorway.
"Teacher has left."
"From now on, I have to rely on myself."
"I am the future King of the Rose Kingdom, the new Wish Magician."
Aurora, with a hint of sadness, picked up the Godly Lamp, chanted a spell, and flew into the air.
The young girl stood high in the sky, watching the clouds drift past her, overlooking her kingdom, taking in all the myriad homes below.
...
Many years later.
"Your Majesty, the shipping route to the Eastern Empire has been opened. The Sea King of the Sea Kingdom has promised to dispatch the mermaid guard most familiar with this sea route to escort the ships."
"Your Majesty, thanks to your and the Godly Lamp's magic, we have become the most prosperous kingdom on the continent, and the first kingdom to solve the problem of food and clothing for all its people!"
"Your Majesty, the Magician Academy you established has begun enrollment. Everything follows Your Majesty's arrangements; all children with relevant talent, regardless of their status, can attend for free, and subsidies are provided for poor families. Within ten years, we will have a world-class team of magicians!"
"Your Majesty, just yesterday, the Ender Empire also agreed to our alliance request, and accepted all the conditions we proposed—perhaps because their Emperor has senile dementia. Now, the entire Western Continent, all kingdoms, are our allies."
"Your Majesty, King Eric and Queen Ariel of the Sea Kingdom wish to meet with you soon. When would you be available..."
"..."
In the palace of the Rose Kingdom, the young Queen was busy with countless affairs.
However, what outsiders did not know was that even this resolute and wise Queen still harbored a cherished memory in her heart.
"Teacher once said he didn't know if he could return to this world."
"Will he come back?"
"Perhaps, one day in the future, Teacher will invent magic that allows him to freely travel between the two worlds, shuttling between his homeland and our continent..."
Lying in bed, gazing at the silvery moon in the night sky, Aurora fell into deep thought.
On every similar night, she had hoped that one day when she opened her eyes, that silver-haired young man would reappear before her.
Under the moonlight, Aurora, filled with longing, drifted into a dream.
Until the sun rose, and the light of dawn shone through the window onto the Queen's face.
Aurora opened her sleepy eyes.
The next second, her eyes widened.
The smiling face of the silver-haired young man was reflected in Aurora's emerald eyes, until the reflection became hazy and blurred due to the moisture in her eyes.
"Long time no see, Aurora! I'm back."
Rhine, with a smile, greeted the new King of the Rose Kingdom.
(The End)