Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1359 In Your Way?

Today is another beautiful day. Sunlight streams through the glass windows of the Cloud Whale Sky Island's living room, casting dappled patterns of light onto the oak floor, swaying gently as the island moves. Outside, a vast sea of ​​clouds stretches out, occasionally punctuated by the clear calls of birds. The distant clouds drift slowly, occasionally revealing patches of azure sky—the territory of the Kingdom of Billingsman. Unfamiliar lands unfold below, while the Cloud Whale Sky Island, like a silent ship, sails on this boundless sea of ​​sky.

Since the start of our journey, every day has seemed so bright and beautiful, a gift from the Creator to help travelers prepare for the next new adventure.

"Lingge, the primroses in the flower field are blooming again. Ietta said they're very beautiful. Do you want to go and see them too?"

"Yes, I'll go when I have time. But aren't the primroses there always in bloom?"

"Ah, is that so? I'm not quite sure, hahaha. Speaking of which, do you know where Cloud Whale Sky Island is now? I looked at the map last night and realized we've left the Kingdom of Noah and seem to be in the territory of a country called the Kingdom of Billingsman. Although it's only separated from the Kingdom of Noah by the Ansers Mountains, it's said to be closer to the central battlefield, and the situation there isn't very stable. Do you think we might be discovered by the Axis powers if we fly over there so openly? Shouldn't we be more cautious?"

"There's no need to worry so much. The Cloud Whale Sky Island flies at a height high enough to avoid the sight of people on the ground. Besides, it's also covered by Gloria's royal authority. Ordinary people would have a hard time spotting it."

"I think so too, hehehe. By the way, the landlady said we're having beef stew with potatoes tonight. Medien said you're the best at making this dish, and you used to make it for her all the time when we were in Linwell. When can I try your cooking?"

"if it is possible."

Princess Beman looked at the young man with eager anticipation, but his ambiguous reply left her somewhat disappointed. The little lamb, who had been lying quietly on the ground, sprang to its feet at the mention of beef stew with potatoes, its large eyes fixed intently on the young man, as if to say: I want some too!

"It's not dinner time yet."

Lin Ge gently patted the lamb's head with one hand, making it lie down again. With the other hand, he held a wooden comb and slowly brushed through the soft, cloud-like wool, transforming the messy hair that had been sticking up or knotted during the lamb's energetic running and playing into a dazzling brocade. In the sunlight, each strand of wool was almost transparent, reflecting a golden light.

The lamb lay on the ground, contentedly enjoying the grooming service from the young man. Judging from its relaxed and comfortable expression, it was clearly satisfied with the technique and strength. However, it would occasionally raise its head and bleat at the young man, probably to express something like, "Although you did a good job, you are still far from being as good as my real master, so don't get carried away."

In fact, the young man's technique was very similar to that of the blue-haired girl, even inherited from her. Otherwise, the little lamb, who looked down on everyone, wouldn't have obediently lay there, letting him groom it with the comb its master had once used. But it could never admit this, because in the mind of this young creature, its master was always the best. Others might be able to imitate, but they could never surpass her status.

But in Ling's mind, wasn't that the case as well?
Xia Jie is always the best. No matter how good others are, they can never surpass her. Besides, there's no chance for them to surpass her anymore.

Ovira sat in her chair, watching the young man meticulously grooming the lamb's fur, and a sudden pang of sadness struck her. A week had passed since the Cloud Whale Sky Island left the Ansers region, yet the long war seemed to have vanished as if it had never existed. With remembrance for the deceased and determination for the future, the group emerged from their grief and continued their journey, heading towards their mission.

The same was true for Ling Ge. A week wasn't a long time, but it seemed enough for him to heal his wounds. He no longer stared blankly at the moon at night, no longer stared at the empty chair in thought during meals, and no longer let his eyes betray a sadness that no one could see. He became again the gentle older brother, the reliable companion, the leader everyone trusted.

He greeted everyone he met with a smile when he woke up in the morning, took the lambs for walks, prayed with Medine in the Church of Heaven, and read the books he hadn't had time to finish... He wasn't alone when he did these things, but Ovira knew, or rather, everyone on Cloud Whale Sky Island knew, that this young man had never truly left. The reason he never felt lonely was simply because he still firmly believed that when he did these things, that person was watching.

In essence, he was no different from the little lamb he had always cared for. From that day on, the young man had been consciously or unconsciously resisting close contact with others. Even his sister, Medine, could no longer reach out to stroke his cheek and gently and earnestly comfort him, as if that had become someone's privilege. The little lamb, too, had never accepted the approach of anyone other than him. It remained as proud and stubborn as ever, and only the young man could hold its leash, barely gaining the right to share the same feelings as it.

So, rather than being relieved, could it be said that this person and the sheep haven't accepted reality yet, which is why they huddle together for warmth?

Ovira kept trying to pull him back, not through a simple and crude method like popping the bubble, but hoping to use her own light and warmth to guide the young man back to reality.

However, it has never been successful.

No matter how hard she tried, it seemed impossible to enter his heart; it was as if that place was already full. But that wasn't actually the case, at least not before. Before, apart from Sister Xia, everyone on Cloud Whale Sky Island—whether it was her sister Medine and the maid Alice, whom she had met long before their destiny began, or the young princesses who joined the journey later—had all held a place in that young man's heart. This even included the three sisters of the Fairy Deep Sleep Inn and creatures like Little Sun and Little Sheep, who were neither human nor otherworldly; the only difference was the size and weight they occupied.

Because he was the gentlest person O'Vila had ever met, a "merciful savior," the only person in the world who loved everyone equally. Because his love was so passionate, he lost his own emotions and became so cold. Later, someone opened that door with a key, and people flocked there, leaving behind laughter and tears. O'Vila thought that on an endless, long journey, he had long since rediscovered all his emotions. Unexpectedly, years later, the person with the key sealed it away again. Perhaps it wasn't her intention, but the emotions of the world are never subject to human will; rather, it is the profound scheme of fate.

Ovira tried to open the door with the same key, but suffered the most painful failure of her life, because a key can only open a door once. "What only Saint Charlotte could do" is, in the end, still "only Saint Charlotte could do".

Princess Beman could not do it. Holding the key called "understanding" and "love," she lingered outside the door, searching for the keyhole again and again, but to no avail.

Perhaps in his world, he is just a broken lamp, no matter how hard he tries, he can never release the light to illuminate the whole world, nor can he have the warmth to warm the whole world.

Nevertheless, Ovira still has no intention of giving up.

If Xia Xia's method fails to open that door, because memories are irreplaceable, then she can try her own way.

The only problem is that Princess Beman doesn't yet know what "her own way" truly means. After all, self-awareness is always the most difficult thing in the world. If Xia-jie hadn't met Ling-ge, she probably would have wandered the mortal world for hundreds or thousands of years, never able to grasp a single thread of fate.

So, are there any other people on Cloud Whale Sky Island who have reached Sister Xia's level?

Faces flashed through her mind, finally settling on one particular face. It was an unexpected answer, but strangely, the moment the answer was fully revealed, the princess also felt a sense of "I knew it."

Although I'm very unwilling, it really can only be her, right?
Ovira quietly stood up from her chair. She thought she was being careful and discreet, but the young man with his back to her seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, asking without turning around, "Are you leaving, Ovira?"

"Hmm, hmm, I'll go ask the landlady when we can start serving food!"

After uttering those words, she fled the living room as if running away. A moment later, the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard outside, and the ancient wooden staircase groaned under the princess's hurried footsteps.

Ling stopped grooming, glanced in the direction Ovira had left, and then sighed helplessly.

It's only noon, why are you in such a hurry to eat dinner?

Besides, the proprietress seems to be taking a nap, right? Disturbing her at this time could have some pretty terrible consequences...

"Bah!"

"Oh, sorry, let's continue."

"BAA Baa baa!"

……

"So you came looking for me?"

Alice sat on the bed, tilted her head at Ovira, and looked at her with a puzzled expression: "What do you mean only I can save Linger? He's downstairs perfectly fine, and he doesn't seem hopeless at all."

"Oh dear, Alice, it's a metaphor, a metaphor, you know? There's no need to take it so seriously!" Princess Beman didn't realize that if what she said had been said in the past, it would have been more in line with Alice's character, since she had always been the carefree type, while Her Highness the Princess was the one who was responsible for questioning.

Their positions had subtly shifted today, but neither of them seemed to realize anything was amiss, and they continued their conversation.

“Even if you say that,” Alice scratched her cheek, “it’s all so abrupt, I have a hard time understanding it. You have to tell me the whole story first, right?”

"The cause and effect? ​​Isn't it obvious! Haven't you noticed that Lin Ge has been acting strangely lately? Ever since, um, ever since Sister Xia left, he's been like that, it's really worrying!"

A week later, when Ovira mentioned the incident, her tone was still somewhat unnatural, and Alice, as the listener, couldn't help but avoid eye contact, as if trying to escape that ever-present gaze. In the past, whenever she wanted to play a prank or secretly plotted something, the blue-haired girl would always notice immediately, then smile and reach out, gently but undeniably seizing her fate by the throat, until the genius player begged for mercy before letting her go.

Not only the genius players, but everyone else too: Ovira's worries, Ieta's troubles, Rorona's illness, Gloria and White Night's arguments, Leticia's truancy, Shaymi and the lamb's antics... everything happening or about to happen on the Cloud Whale Sky Island seems to be under her watchful eye. She patiently observes everything, then appears at the appropriate time to clean up the mess for her sisters or offer guidance.

Alice didn't know how she did it. Maybe it was just a gift from being the older sister.

It is something that only a girl named "Saint Charlotte" could do.

"...Alice? Alice! Are you even listening to me?!"

Princess Beman's call pulled the genius player back from her reverie. As soon as she returned to reality, she met a pair of puffed-up, protesting eyes. She felt a little guilty, but she still didn't want to show her weakness: "Of course, I heard everything. It's just that Lin Ge has something on his mind, but he doesn't want to talk about it and share the burden with everyone, so you want me to comfort him?"

In reality, she hadn't listened at all; she was simply repeating what Ovira had said at the beginning. But the genius player probably wouldn't care about such details, after all, she wasn't Xia...

“That’s not how it is!” Ovira glared at her in disappointment. “You really weren’t listening. If it’s about comforting Linger, I can do it myself. If all else fails, there’s Medion and Ietta. Why would you need to do it?”

"I feel like you said something very rude. Apologize to me."

“You misheard me, I didn’t say that.” Ovira casually changed the subject: “In short, I’m not simply asking you to comfort Linger, but to use your own methods to guide and persuade him, understand? The key is, you must use your own methods; ordinary methods won’t work!”

Because Princess Beman had already tried it.

"My own way?"

Alice thought for a long time, then honestly shook her head: "I don't know."

　Give me some cats
　　(End of this chapter)