Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1376 Does everyone have secrets?

With Medion being open and honest, Arnor also showed his sincerity.

“I cannot make any promises to you immediately, Miss Medion, and Mr. Ringer. But I swear on my own behalf, and as a believer in the goddess, that I will report to Lady Cheryl in its entirety what I have seen and heard today, especially this Canon and your wishes.” His tone was solemn. “However, the final decision rests with Lady Cheryl and the Assyrian spirits. We have no right to interfere with their decision, how they decide, or when they decide; we are only responsible for conveying their message. I ask for your understanding.”

This wasn't a promise, but it was the necessary path to one. A relieved and happy smile finally bloomed on Medine's face. She joined her index and middle fingers together and lightly touched her brow, the tip of her nose, and her lips, offering him a simple prayer: "That's enough. Thank you for your justice and courage, Mr. Arnor."

Not letting the prejudice of the Eastern Continent people against the Western Continent people sway his judgment—that's fairness; being willing to stake his reputation as a follower of the Goddess on vouching for a group of people of unknown origin—that's courage. Medien was very fortunate that the person sent by the Holy War Army to contact him was this Mr. Arnor; if it had been any other stubborn character, persuading him would probably have required a lot of effort.

Then, on second thought, did Lady Cheryl consider this possibility from the beginning, which is why she entrusted this important task to the upright and open-minded Arnor? After all, his strength was only Sequence 7, and there should be people stronger than him in the Holy War Army, but they were not more suitable for this task.

After reaching a consensus, the atmosphere inside the Tianxin Church relaxed considerably. The companions were no longer as tense as before, while Arnor, gazing at the statue of the Virgin Mary on the altar, suddenly asked, "If possible, may I offer a prayer here?"

His companions all looked at him with surprise.

Praying in an unfamiliar church is a dangerous thing, but for some reason, Janor had this impulse and didn't think he would be harmed.

Perhaps it was because the goddess's compassionate and merciful gaze brought him a long-lost sense of peace.

Medion smiled and stepped aside: "Of course, the Church of Heaven always welcomes the devout."

Arnor stepped forward and knelt on one knee before the altar, just as Medien had done before. He joined his index and middle fingers together and touched his brow, the tip of his nose, and his lips, symbolizing heaven, earth, and mortals. This was the simplest prayer ritual of the Goddess Cult. Even after countless years, and with the original Goddess Cult splitting into two factions on the eastern and western continents, some things remained unchanged. Behind him, his companions exchanged glances for a moment before finally choosing to follow. Whether it was Edwin, a barbarian from the desert with his own ethnic beliefs, or Gordan, the most impious mercenary, they all imitated their captain, bowing their heads before the altar to express their reverence for this ancient deity.

A brief silence fell over the church, broken only by the soft rustling of the wind through the dome. Lin Ge watched this scene, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes. He had chosen to become a follower of the Goddess to repay his adoptive father, Mr. Yang Ke, for his nurturing kindness. Even in the most difficult times, he had never wavered in his decision, yet he had also questioned the meaning of his faith countless times due to the strange changes in the world, and had even considered abandoning this heavy responsibility. But now, seeing believers from different continents and races gathered here because of the same name, he suddenly understood his adoptive father's perseverance.

Hopefully, the final result won't disappoint him, now that he's returned to the Sea of ​​Darkness.

Of course, there are other souls who have returned to the Sea of ​​Light, enjoying a peaceful slumber. Surely they are also watching over everything in the human world? Rochelle, Themis of the Celestial Realm, and... Saint Charlotte.

The young man was slightly lost in thought.

The longing has lasted for only a month, yet it feels like an eternity.

……

After the brief prayer, Arnor told Medien that if he wanted to meet with Cheryl, the leader of the Holy War Army, he could send Cloud Whale Sky Island to the Feather Mine area in the northwest of Atoliga Province. That was the Holy War Army's headquarters and the site of their most significant victory in the long war of rebellion.

The province of Atoliga is a land of contradictions, not only in the war between the Imperial Army and the Holy War Army, but also in its natural ecology. On the surface, its arid climate, sparse vegetation, and surface dominated by deserts, rocky mountains, and sparse hills, constantly eroded by wind and sand, make it seem more suitable as a land for exiling criminals than as the most important strategic production base of the Yalas United Empire. However, if you look deeper, beyond the surface phenomena, and delve into its underground essence, you will find how fertile and rich it is, nurturing countless riches and powers: the winding underground veins have astonishing reserves and are rich in variety, from the most common copper and iron ore to magic copper ore and brilliance crystals suitable for magical materials, and even extremely rare metallic minerals such as adamantite, mithril, and orichalcohol.

No one knows how the subterranean world of Atoliga province gave birth to such vast mineral resources. Their distribution is so wide and their reserves so astonishing that even geologists believe they have exceeded the limits of natural growth. However, this primitive and mysterious continent is never short of strange legends. Therefore, some believe that an ancient dragon fell here, and its blood nourished the magical ley lines of the Atoliga province. These ores are essentially crystallizations of the dragon's life force. Others claim that it is a gift from the gods. It is said that at the border between the Atoliga and Yetria provinces, there is a boundless abyss underground. The breath of the sleeping god in the abyss formed these mineral veins. When He opens His eyes and awakens, all metals and stones will be swallowed back into His belly and forged into a great god of steel... But all these rumors cannot be verified without actual investigation. The Empire obviously did not have that much patience. It simply used force to incorporate this land, which it had previously disregarded, into its territory and established a complete production line here, from exploration and mining to smelting and casting. For the Empire, acquiring the province of Atoliga was tantamount to gaining a treasure trove of resources: ordinary copper and iron ore was used to forge weapons and armaments, magic copper ore was an excellent material for conducting magic power, brilliance crystals could be used as energy to power alchemical golems, adamantite and mithril were precious materials that even the gods would covet, and even Orichalcum, which was originally of unknown use, became a precious raw material for forging magical weapons and constructs after the introduction of the magic system from the Western Continent...

After the colonial wars began, the Empire did not achieve its anticipated glorious victory over the other continent by relying on its massive military force, mysterious relics, and high-ranking gods. Instead, it suffered greatly from the efficiency, precision, and universality of the magic system. Having learned its lesson, the still-intelligent Emperor decided to learn from his enemies, thus initiating the "Magic Reform." The strategic importance of the Atoliga province, capable of producing high-quality magic-converting metals, rose once again within the Empire. The Feather Mine was the core production area of ​​this mineral deposit, supporting nearly half of the Empire's war machine for over thirty years, but also paving its underground graveyard with the bones of countless conscripted laborers and exiles.

This relentless oppression and suffering became the initial spark of the Jihadist uprising.

Legend has it that the hero who gained the approval of the Assyrian spirits uttered the cry of rebellion in the deepest part of the Great Mine. Within half a month, the spark of rebellion spread like wildfire, engulfing the entire mining area from the bottom up, ultimately reducing everything to ashes. Ironically, despite the crucial strategic importance of the Atoliga province to the empire, its harsh environment was considered barren. Furthermore, the empires didn't believe that the already weakened natives and barbarians would dare to rebel against Yahweh's rule, and thus paid little attention to its military defenses. The legions stationed there were either weak in combat or marginalized and had nowhere else to go. This unintentional arrangement helped the rebels through their most difficult initial stages. Even more unseen, large numbers of similarly oppressed soldiers deserted their posts and joined the rebellion.

They brought invaluable military knowledge and strategic planning to the rebels, transforming what was initially a group driven by mere passion into a true military organization. The name "Holy War Army" began to circulate from that time onward. They conquered the Feather Mine, liberated the miners and criminals, and led them like a flood across vast lands, even sweeping into other provinces of the empire. Their momentum was so great that it seemed poised to engulf half the empire.

Despite ultimately suffering a crushing defeat, the solid foundation laid in the early stages of the uprising allowed the Jihad Army to hold onto their last stronghold, the Feather Mine region, after the uprising's failure. They firmly believed that as long as the mine remained in their hands, the Jihad Army still held hope that one day they could completely drive the Imperials out of this province and reclaim their freedom.

This is somewhat similar to Lostella, the mineral town in the Gray Hills region, but it is even more tragic and dramatic.

After receiving Yanor's guidance, Ling went to see Ieta and asked her to control the Cloud Whale Sky Island to head towards the Feser Mine area. Actually, there was no need to change direction, as the Cloud Whale Sky Island was already flying in that direction. Everyone knew that the Holy War Army's base was in the Feser Mine; even outsiders like Ling knew this. However, without Yanor's approval and guarantee, their reckless intrusion would have been somewhat illegitimate.

As for Yanor and his group, they naturally settled down temporarily on Cloud Whale Sky Island.

When Ling invited them to stay at the Fairy Sleep Inn, perhaps still harboring some concerns, they did not immediately agree. Instead, they suggested that they could simply find a clearing in the forest to camp and rest, since they were already used to the feeling of wandering and sleeping outdoors, and could even find a sense of security in it.

Until they saw Shemi, who had come to tell everyone it was lunchtime.

Upon learning that the Fairy Sleep Inn was, as its name suggests, an inn run and operated by travel fairy spirits, they changed their attitude and accepted Ling's invitation without hesitation, seemingly even looking forward to it.

On the one hand, it was because they had never seen an inn run by a travel fairy before and wanted to satisfy their curiosity. On the other hand, it was because the goddess believers naturally had a high degree of affinity for the fairy race. The Goddess of Creation and the Paradise Village Assyria had supported each other and shared joys and sorrows for nearly ten centuries on the continent of Eastern Empire Fant, and had long since forged a deep friendship.

The Traveling Fairies are the most human-friendly branch of the fairy races, and extremely rare. According to Yanor, even in Assyria, the fairy land where fairies gather, Traveling Fairies are seldom seen. This race once had a close relationship with the winged elves of the sky, a relationship arguably even closer than the current relationship between the Goddess of Creation and the paradise of Assyria. However, since the fall of Sky City and the extinction of the winged elves, the Traveling Fairies have rarely appeared before the world. It is said that they deliberately avoid the world for some reason. The Traveling Fairy race is not only skilled in various arts of travel and trekking, but also knows how to conceal their whereabouts and avoid being seen. Therefore, unless it is by the decree of the Fairy Queen, no one can find these elusive little creatures.

Lin Ge wasn't surprised by this. He had known for a long time that the three fairy traveler sisters at the inn were from the same family, but he had never heard them talk about their family or their parents and friends. This deliberate avoidance often hinted at something, especially considering their special attitude towards Ietta all along...

However, Ling didn't intend to pry. Everyone has their own secrets, and only a "protagonist," as Alice said, would delve into every secret of the world. Young people are clearly not like that. Ieta was the same; she had little recollection of her people. Rather, as the last surviving winged elf, she acquired this identity solely due to the special soul of the young queen. Who knew what race she was in her previous life, or even her life before that? Could one expect a young girl to bear every responsibility that comes with every identity?
Miss Gloria, whose identity is the most complex and multifaceted, has something to say.

So let's put aside these digressions and have the proprietress welcome these guests from afar with a grand banquet, and let them experience the warmth of the traveler fairies.

Give me some cats