色戒完整版

Chapter 5: Veridiana

Veridiana was just like any other older kingdom from Earth, but the laws and the system of governing that they implement could be considered out of the ordinary when compared to the norm on the planet that George was currently in.

Most other countries have potent wizards and witches to protect them, but Veridiana was a country that cultivated wizards to protect them instead of having wizards to protect them and having the citizens treat them like kings.

And this has allowed them to be more economically powerful than the countries that are ruled by the wizards and witches since the wizards and witches place a high tax on the citizen to protect them, limiting the growth and production of the citizens.

"This place is… different", George whispered.

Michael nodded as he laid his back on the carriage seat. "It\'s nice, right? Better than those Emerald designs… I have no idea who decided to make the whole of Emerald City green."

"It would\'ve been better if we would get a better view, though," George said, peeking out of the window before Michael closed it.

"Don\'t even think about it. Oz doesn\'t show his face in public, and that is how it has been for a decade. It has given him a more mysterious aura to his identity. And if you take that away, it will take away the fear that everyone has for Oz."

George rubbed his chin where his beard would have been, but since he turned young, the beard was no longer there. "That makes sense… So the only reason why no one has attacked him or Emerald City is because they have a fear of him. The more you talk about him, the more he reminds me of a godly figure."

Michael nodded as he gestured his finger in agreement, "Exactly, in some miraculous way, even though he has not claimed to be god, there are some uhm munchkins who have created some sort of cult that worships him."

George felt slightly weirded out as he heard that; even though he wanted to be somebody and acting as someone powerful was something that he really wanted to do, pretending to be a benevolent god while taking advantage of the faith of innocent munchkin didn\'t sit right with him even though what he was currently doing was very similar to what Oz did.

"Alright, before we get there, you need to make sure that you maintained looking like The Great Wizard, make the king believe that you are someone that cannot be messed with, and if possible, take back what Oz said; you know about threatening to destroy the whole city?" Michael said.

George nodded, "And I should take back a threat while still looking like a threat? That\'s uhm, sounds like a challenge."

"I know, I know, just try; I mean, what\'s the worst that could happen if you fail? You die, and if you try running away, you will probably get killed by a bunch of bandits and the whole world gets destroyed."

"You know that lying to me to comfort me is an option, right?"

"Would you like me to lie to you?"

"No, I mean…"

"Then shut up."

George sighed as he laid back in his seat.

Even though he might be walking to his inevitable death, it made him feel alive, more alive than he ever felt; it was as if the possibility of death excited him, or maybe, it was his confidence in his skills.

The bustling crowd around the carriage made it hard for him to think, "I think it\'s time to close the window entirely. Hey guards! Move them away, will ya!?" The monkey shouted as he saw the citizens waking closer to the carriage to take a glance at Oz.

"You have any idea about what you are going to do?" Michael asked.

George sighed, "Yeah, maybe. But you will be heavily involved in this. But if this works, I bet the King will never be able to forget what I\'m about to do."

Michael got closer, waiting to hear George\'s plan, "Alright, tell me."

George then spent about half an hour talking about the plan, and even though it wasn\'t really a good amount of time to create and discuss a plan, it was the only time that they were going to have.

Michael didn\'t seem very confident in it, and neither did George, "This plan sounds feasible if you have the luck of this plan sounds feasible if you have the luck of a one-legged black cat crossing a field of four-leaf clovers during a full moon while wearing a rabbit\'s foot necklace and carrying a horseshoe. "

"Do you have any better idea?" George asked.

Michael shook his head, he had tried thinking of a plan, but he wasn\'t the type of thinking about a plan, he had always been the one to help execute it, and the mastermind behind all of the plan was none other than Oz himself.

"Then shut up." He replied, getting one back at Michael.

The carriage came to a stop right in front of the steel castle gate, which opened as the castle guards saw the Emblem of Oz on top of the carriage, with the Emerald City Guards following from behind.

As the carriage entered, the Veridiana castle guards waited while making sure that Oz didn\'t take any advantage in attacking the castle.

The door to the carriage opened, and every castle guard had their hands on the sheath, their wrists sore from maintaining an uncomfortable position holding onto the sheath.

The Emerald City Guards, however, held onto their bows, prepared to shoot the arrows at the castle guards if Michael ordered them to.

As it opened, Michael exited out of it first with a dignified expression which he had picked up from hanging around with Oz for a long time, while George followed Michael from behind, disguising himself as an Emerald City Guard.

The leader of the castle guards, Captain Roland, walked towards Michael as he bowed his head slightly, "Sir Michael, will The Great Wizard be here?"

Michael nodded, "He is here; he will make himself visible only to those he deems worthy of meeting him."

Upon hearing this, Captain Roland nodded and sighed before looking around to detect any source of mana to see if he could just see a speck of Oz\'s power.

"Oz has ordered me to meet with King Adrian first. Would that be okay?"

"Yes, sir." Captain Roland replied. "He has actually prepared a grand feast for you and the Great Wizard… wherever he is…."

Michael smiled, "Great, let\'s meet him then." He replied before glancing and nodding at George, signalling at him.

George sneakily strolled back into the carriage again as the driver drove it to the parking area and parked it there, leaving George inside of it.

He exited the carriage with a different look, he looked more simple, and his clothes were nothing out of the ordinary; he looked just like any other cleaner you could find in the castle.