The Wizard of Fairy Tale World

Chapter 171: The Emperor’s New Clothes

The moment the Emperor of Ender heard the genie’s words, he immediately went on high alert.

Without hesitation, he ordered his soldiers to raid the Crown Prince’s palace in the dead of night.

Sure enough, by dawn, the emperor had found concrete evidence of treason.

“My son,” the emperor reprimanded, his tone laced with disappointment. “You were already the heir to my empire. Yet, you couldn't be patient and instead conspired to overthrow me. How foolish.”

What the emperor didn’t mention, however, was that he had already wished for immortality—he would never die, and his sons would never inherit the throne.

The Crown Prince, furious, shouted back:

“Father! You’ve grown old, blind, and senile! You cling to that filthy oil lamp day and night, speaking nonsense and making a fool of yourself! Someone needs to replace you!”

The Emperor of Ender flew into a rage.

By the end of the day, the Crown Prince was publicly executed on the guillotine, his death witnessed by all.

Afterward, the emperor sighed with deep satisfaction.

“The magic lamp truly is infallible. Even when I don’t make a wish, it warns me of danger.

“This treasure… must never fall into the hands of others!”

From then on, the emperor never let the lamp out of his sight. He held onto it as if it were more precious than his own life.

His ministers, confused by their ruler’s obsession with an old, tattered oil lamp, tried to persuade him to discard it.

But no matter how much they advised him, the emperor ignored them all.

—

One day, the emperor decided that as the ruler of the world, he needed to display his power and majesty for all to see.

Once again, he rubbed the lamp, summoning the genie.

The towering spirit appeared and spoke:

“My master, you already rule the world. What more could you wish for?”

The emperor proudly declared:

“I want a magnificent, magical robe fit for a ruler of my stature!

“This robe must be invincible—so strong that even the sharpest legendary blade cannot cut through it.

“It must be resistant to magic—impervious to the most powerful curses cast by the greatest sorcerers.

“With this robe, I should be able to travel anywhere in the world with just a single thought, appearing before all my subjects to remind them of my supreme authority.

“And above all—it must be grand and awe-inspiring. Anyone who sees me in this robe must immediately recognize that I am the true ruler of the world!”

The genie bowed and said, “Master, your wish is granted.”

The genie raised both hands, and with a flick of his wrists, a resplendent, majestic robe appeared in the air.

Its patterns were intricate, its colors brilliant, and its glow dazzling—it was truly the most luxurious garment in existence.

“Master, put it on,” the genie urged.

The emperor eagerly removed his old clothes and took the new robe in his hands. He stepped in front of a mirror, admiring himself, turning side to side.

“This is perfect! Exactly what I wanted!”

Excited beyond measure, he summoned his ministers and announced a grand parade.

The emperor marched through the capital, his attendants holding up a magnificent canopy over him.

They also lifted the long train of his regal robe, ensuring it flowed majestically behind him.

As he strode through the streets, citizens leaned out from windows and balconies, cheering:

“What an exquisite robe!”

“This is true majesty—the perfect attire for the Ruler of the World!”

Hearing their praise, the emperor was ecstatic, fully immersed in their admiration.

He activated the robe’s magic, traveling across different kingdoms, appearing in royal capitals across the continent to display his glorious attire.

—

Aladdin had never forgotten the mysterious emperor who had taken the fake magic lamp.

But he still didn’t know which empire the man ruled or what spell Rhine had placed on the lamp.

One evening, while dining with his wealthy and influential friends, Aladdin casually inquired:

“Have there been any major events in the empires of the Western Continent recently?”

Unlike his past companions—lazy, greedy, and foolish troublemakers—Aladdin’s current friends were intelligent merchants, scholars, and nobles who kept up to date with the latest news.

One of them, after taking a sip of wine, laughed and said:

“Well, there is one strange story. It’s about the Emperor of Ender. The poor fool must be losing his mind—he’s been doing all sorts of ridiculous things lately.”

Aladdin’s interest piqued immediately.

“What kind of ridiculous things?” he asked, leaning in.

His friend, amused, elaborated:

“The Emperor of Ender returned from a trip one day and suddenly started claiming that he had become the ruler of the world.

“No matter how much his ministers and princes tried to reason with him, he refused to listen.”

Aladdin’s eyes narrowed.

That sounds familiar…

His friend continued, “Ever since then, he’s been talking nonsense every day.

“One day, he announced that he had traveled to the Eastern lands, where the people bowed before him—but Ender has no Eastern territories!

“The next day, he declared that he had executed a rebel—except the person he named was alive and well.

“But the best part?” His friend burst into laughter.

“There was a day when he **walked through the streets **completely naked, claiming he was ‘inspecting his empire.’”

The entire group roared with laughter, treating it as nothing more than a joke from a faraway kingdom.

Another friend added, shaking his head,

“What’s strange, though, is that despite his usual madness, the emperor always suddenly regains clarity whenever a prince tries to seize the throne.”

A third friend, who had studied Ender’s history, mused,

“That emperor was once a warrior of legendary strength. He’s still in excellent health—he could remain on the throne for decades if he’s lucky!”

And… he couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for the emperor.

No wonder Rhine was trying so hard not to laugh when he mentioned Ender…

“Haha! Having a senile and delusional emperor ruling for decades—what a tragedy for Ender’s people.”

One of the guests at the banquet laughed, shaking his head.

But another guest disagreed.

“You don’t understand,” he said, swirling his wine glass. “That Emperor of Ender was once a ruthless conqueror—he started wars everywhere, invaded numerous neighboring nations, and even let his royal pirates plunder foreign ships, forcing maritime nations to submit to his rule.

“Now that he’s lost his mind, at least there’s been peace for years. Honestly, for both his people and foreign nations, this might actually be a good thing.”

The table erupted into laughter once more.

To them, the Emperor of Ender was nothing more than a ridiculous foreign joke.

But only Aladdin, who knew the truth, sat in silent shock.

He understood—the emperor hadn’t just gone senile.

He had been cursed by the fake magic lamp.

"What a terrifying curse..."

"If I ever misused my magic ring, could I end up the same way?"

Aladdin glanced at his reflection in his golden cup, then down at the magic ring on his finger.

He thought of Rhine’s calm yet commanding face, of the words of warning and wisdom he had given him.

"Fortunately, I always remembered his teachings. I never abused the magic of this ring to harm others."

Resolving himself, Aladdin lifted his cup and drank deeply.

Then, one of his friends turned to him with a sly grin.

“Aladdin, I heard a rumor—the emperor is marrying the princess to you! Your wedding is next month, is that true?”

“What?!” another friend gasped. “Aladdin, you’re moving up in the world, and you didn’t even tell us?”

Hearing their teasing, Aladdin smiled, raised his cup, and confirmed proudly:

“It’s absolutely true!”

—

After safely returning Aladdin home, Rhine and Aurora vanished from the city.

In an instant, they reappeared in the royal palace of the Rose Kingdom.

Rhine flipped his hand, and the real magic lamp appeared in his palm.

It no longer bore any dirt or grime—his magic had restored it to its original, pristine state.

Now, it was time for a test.

Rhine took a deep breath and rubbed the lamp.

Immediately, a gust of wind swirled out, condensing into the form of a majestic and powerful genie.

The upper half of the genie was a muscular humanoid, draped in flowing white cloth.

The lower half was a spinning vortex of wind, sending out a constant howling breeze.

The moment the genie laid eyes on Rhine, it bowed deeply, its expression filled with reverence.

“My master,” the genie intoned, “what is your command?”

Rhine got straight to the point.

“Do you know of other worlds beyond this one? Can you send me to them?”

To his surprise, the genie looked utterly confused.

“Master, I do not understand what you mean.

“I know nothing of ‘other worlds.’”

The genie, still bowing, humbly continued,

“My power is great, but not limitless.

“However, I can feel that your magic is vaster than the ocean, far greater than my own.

“I believe that if there is anything I cannot do, then neither can you.

“If even you cannot accomplish a certain wish, then I doubt that I can.”

Rhine’s expression darkened.

"So it really is impossible..."

But he wasn’t surprised.

From the beginning, he had never truly believed that the magic lamp could send him home.

Aurora’s face twisted with anger.

“So that Witch Society’s founder—she lied to us!” she fumed.

“I’m going to find her and demand an answer!”

Rhine calmly pulled out a small mirror—one that had once belonged to Maleficent.

The mirror’s surface rippled like water, revealing a dark void.

Slowly, the ripples faded—

And a face emerged.

For the first time, Rhine saw her clearly.

The enchantments that had once obscured her identity were useless against his overwhelming magic.

The founder of the Witch Society, Ye Ruge, was finally revealed.

She had delicate Eastern features, with long black hair cascading like a waterfall.

She wasn’t breathtakingly beautiful, but her charm was undeniable.

Her half-lidded eyes, perpetually drowsy-looking, gave her an air of mischief and cunning.

When she saw Rhine, she stretched lazily, as if expecting his arrival.

“Rhine, I knew you’d come looking for me.”

Her voice was playful, her smirk amused.

Rhine, his tone even and measured, responded,

“Ye Ruge, the magic lamp does not have the ability you claimed.

“The genie knows nothing of other worlds.

“It cannot send me home.”

To his mild surprise, Ye Ruge didn’t even try to deny it.

“Yes,” she admitted with a grin. “I lied to you.”

“I just wanted to see if the greatest magician in the world could get his hands on the magic lamp.

“And sure enough, you did it—effortlessly.”

Aurora was about to curse her out, but before she could, Ye Ruge’s eyes snapped open.

For the first time, her half-lidded gaze sharpened.

She stared directly at Rhine, and her tone turned serious.

“Tell me, Rhine.

“How did you know to find Aladdin’s mother?

“How did you know that only Aladdin could unseal the vault?”

Rhine remained silent.

Ye Ruge continued, pressing on:

“The ancient spell states:

‘The vault’s seal can only be broken by a boy named Aladdin—one who is destined to exist in the future.’

“This information is recorded in only one book, an ancient text that only two people ever read—

“The magician brothers, Khalid and Magrido.

“But neither of them ever shared this secret with anyone—not even with the Emperor of Ender.

“So tell me, Rhine—

“You knew this from the very beginning, didn’t you?”

—

Aurora, confused, glanced at Rhine.

To her surprise—he smiled.

Ye Ruge smirked.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Rhine.

“I grew tired of this continent long ago.

“I traveled west, founded the Witch Society, and searched endlessly for a way to leave this world.

“And after all these years—I finally found it.

“But I cannot do it alone.

“I need you.”

She stood from her wooden chair, her playful expression vanishing, replaced with resolve and anticipation.

“Come find me.

“You already know my location—the capital of the Eastern Empire.

“I will teach you how to open the door between worlds.”

She hesitated for only a moment—then solemnly added,

“After that—we’ll go home together.”

Rhine’s reply was immediate.

“Alright.”

The mirror faded into darkness.

Aurora, staring at Rhine, finally understood.

Her voice was soft, tinged with reluctance.

“Teacher… you’re really leaving soon, aren’t you?”

Rhine smiled and ruffled her golden hair.

“Yes. But not immediately.”

Aurora blinked. “Not immediately?”

Rhine’s eyes glimmered with mischief.

“First, we’ll find Ye Ruge and confirm her method.

“Then, before I leave this world—I have one last thing to do.

“A final gift to this continent.

“And a special gift for you.”

Aurora’s heart pounded.

“What… kind of gift?”

Rhine grinned, eyes twinkling.

“That’s a surprise.”

Then, he grabbed her shoulders—

And in a flash of silver wind, they vanished, speeding toward the Eastern Empire’s capital.