Alice in the Land of Steam

Selena woke up in bed to an unfamiliar ceiling, not the boundless sky and the distinctive desert landscape of Atoliga Province, with its weathered boulders and clusters of stone pillars that seemed to exist only in distant memories. The werewolf girl was dazed for a moment before she realized she was a guest.

Last night, at the warm invitation of the Sky Island's innkeeper, she and her companions decided to stay at the Fairy Sleep Inn. The innkeeper was incredibly welcoming, even hosting a lively welcome banquet for them—truly befitting a hospitable fairy traveler. Serena only remembered eating many foods she rarely ate or had never even heard of at the banquet, enjoying a fireworks display concocted by the alchemist named Lorona, and then drinking a lot of sweet and sour fruit juice—or rather, what she thought was juice but was actually fruit wine—and unsurprisingly, getting completely drunk…

The last scene in my memory is frozen in the night sky illuminated by fireworks as if it were daytime, and the smiling faces of my companions.

I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time.

As a member of the secret mobile force of the Holy War Army, I am either on a mission or on my way to one. Running around and working hard is my innate mission. For my own ideals and the common wishes of everyone, I have to grit my teeth and persevere even when I feel wronged and in pain. Perhaps only when I return to the big mine to rest after each mission can I unload all my burdens and feel relaxed from the bottom of my heart.

Unexpectedly, today, in an unfamiliar hotel, I experienced the same feeling.

Perhaps this is also related to the other party's identity. Although Brother Arnor said that these people's identities needed to be verified and should not be trusted lightly, and that confirmation with the Assyrian side was necessary before drawing any conclusions, Serena was already seven-tenths convinced. Their origins were traceable, the canon and the goddess's icon didn't seem to be forgeries, and most importantly, she truly sensed a unique aura from the girl named Medien, an aura that only a follower of the goddess could possess.

What kind of quality was it? Gentleness? Inclusivity? Compassion? Mercy? Perhaps a bit of all of these. It was this same quality that once drew her in, transforming her from a petty thief into a steadfast jihadist warrior. Although the person who brought her warmth and kindness is no longer there, Serena hopes to pass on this spirit, until one day she too becomes like them…

Just as the goddess said, if we always cherish sincere emotions, everything in the world will become more beautiful.

After a moment of blankness, the werewolf girl suddenly perked up and sprang out of bed with a somersault, knocking the blankets off to the floor. Looking embarrassed, she was thankfully alone in the room and no one else witnessed the awkward moment. She quickly gathered the blankets, carefully folded them, and placed them with her pillows and sheets. She then quickly washed and tidied herself in front of the mirror before leaving the room to go downstairs for dinner.

She seemed to have woken up a little late; everyone else had already eaten breakfast. The werewolf girl vaguely heard the youngest traveler fairy muttering about how she was still sleeping in at her age, and her face flushed with embarrassment. Fortunately, the kind-hearted landlady came to her rescue, not only scolding the impolite younger sister but also saving her a breakfast. Although it was just simple bread, jam, and cheese, Serena was already very satisfied. She sweetly thanked the landlady, which somehow triggered a feeling of gratitude in her heart, and she repeatedly sighed that she wished she had such a sensible younger sister.

Upon hearing this, the little fairy Shemi cast an unfriendly glance at her, and the bartender behind the counter also kept glancing at her. The werewolf girl sensed something was wrong and quickly slipped out of the restaurant.

In the living room, Brother Yanor was chatting with a young man named Linger, with Sister Kalia sitting behind him. Next to Mr. Linger sat a young woman with long platinum blonde hair and an elegant demeanor. Selena had seen her at the banquet the previous night and knew that her name was Ovira, and that she was said to be a princess from some ancient kingdom. No wonder she was so beautiful.

Serena sat down as well, eating and listening to their conversation. Although it seemed impolite, she wasn't one to be overly concerned with etiquette. Even the princess, of the highest birth, didn't seem to mind, and even looked up and smiled kindly at her. Hmm, she must be a very gentle person.

They discussed topics related to the province of Atoliga and the Feather Mine, such as geography, political situation, the historical ties between the Holy War Army and the Imperial Army, and the recent conflict, sometimes even specifying the time, place, and number of people involved. Strangely, Mr. Ringer mostly listened passively, remaining unmoved by the content, his most noticeable reaction being a slight nod to indicate understanding; Princess Ovira, on the other hand, was quite talkative, frequently asking questions and chattering incessantly—was she actually a chatterbox?
No, that's impossible. It would be too disrespectful to Her Highness the Princess to think that way.

Selena shook her head repeatedly, banishing the absurd idea from her mind. After quickly finishing her breakfast, she patiently listened in for a while longer, but eventually found it too boring. Taking advantage of the fact that her older brother Arnor and sister Kalia weren't paying attention, she secretly slipped away—in fact, they had noticed, after all, how could such a grown person just disappear for no reason? But they knew the werewolf girl's nature, so they didn't force her to stay.

After leaving the inn, Selena took a deep breath. The morning air was moist and cool, unique to the forest, completely lacking the stickiness of the desert wind, making her feel refreshed. However, for some reason, there was also a clanging sound of metal clashing, like someone was fighting. Curious, the werewolf girl circled around to the back of the inn, only to find Uncle Gordan sparring with the young knight named Hino. He showed no mercy, his massive steel axe slashing with all its might at the spear blade that looked no different from a tree branch, yet it was steadily blocked. Selena's eyes widened as she saw the young knight's face still showing an expression of complete ease.

I heard that Uncle Gordan was defeated by his opponent yesterday, and he lost badly. He must be very dissatisfied, which is why he is so eager to get revenge today.

"Not bad." The giant mercenary grinned, knowing he had lost again, but still trying to sound tough: "I rarely encounter an opponent who can match my strength anymore. Let's have another showdown, knight!"

The other party smiled slightly and repeated what he had said yesterday: "It's just a friendly spar, how can we talk about winning or losing?"

The giant didn't know why she was so sensitive to the concepts of sparring and decisive battle, but he had no intention of investigating; as long as she was willing to fight, that was enough.

The two began a new round of competition. The werewolf girl thought to herself, "Uncle Gordan still likes to test his strength with others, just like he always has. And he's still as stubborn as ever."

However, since they were companions, she naturally supported the former.

"Good luck, Uncle Gordan!"

After giving him a few words of encouragement while clenching her fist, Serena turned and left. She had no interest in fighting; missions were tiring enough, and she wanted to make the most of her rare rest time. She'd take a stroll around this magical island, exploring the island and perhaps discover something interesting.

Well, except for yesterday's Atelier.

Later, the werewolf girl discovered her last companion, the bard Edwin, in a beautiful flower field. He was playing a rock flute, and the music attracted many small creatures among the flowers, mostly spirits. Selena recognized flower fairies, water sprites, and gnomes. Where else, besides Paradise Country Assyria, could so many different kinds of spirits gather at once? She marveled, but didn't disturb them, simply observing from afar and quietly listening to the melodious and distant flute music.

At the edge of the flower field stood a pure white windmill tower, but the door was closed; perhaps the owner wasn't home? Selena, not wanting to intrude, could only leave regretfully. But before leaving, she glanced back and seemed to see a few pure white feathers swirling and slowly drifting down from the roof of the windmill tower. Were they the feathers of some kind of bird? But she had never seen them before. Could they be a species unique to the Cloud Whale Sky Island?

The girl wandered aimlessly along the forest path, lost in thought. As she wandered, she came to her senses and realized she was in a familiar place. Looking up, she could see the familiar little church perched on the hillside, surrounded by lush green grass, peaceful and serene. "Since I'm here," she thought, "why not offer a prayer?"
I am, after all, a believer of the goddess.

The werewolf girl, having made her decision, was about to take a step when suddenly her expression froze, and she stood frozen in place, at a loss for what to do. Right under the tree in front of her, in a place that had been empty, a pair of scarlet eyes had opened and were staring at her intently, their calm reflection, like jewels, mirroring her gradually paling face.

"Wow!?"

Startled, Selena stumbled back several steps, tripping over a stone and falling to the ground, looking quite disheveled.

At least that's how Leticia sees it.

So lame.

The little bat hanging upside down in the tree curled its lip in disdain, then performed a graceful backflip, spinning 360 degrees in mid-air before landing smoothly, creating a stark contrast with the werewolf girl who was still staring at her in a daze.

Ignoring her surprised gaze, the little bat walked straight up to Selena, crossed her arms, and looked down at her from a superior position—although she was actually much shorter than Selena, since the latter was sitting while she was standing, it wasn't entirely wrong to say she was looking down on her—and said in a commanding tone, "You, come and duel with me!"

"Huh?" The werewolf girl stared blankly, seemingly not yet having reacted.

The little bat had to repeat the command: "You, get up, and then fight me!"

This time, Selena finally realized what was happening, but instead of agreeing immediately, she scratched her cheek, her fluffy wolf ears twitching nervously: "Um, can I refuse?"

"Why refuse?" Leticia retorted, her tone as if accepting a duel was the most natural thing in the world.

"Because I can't beat you." Serena honestly stated her reason: "I heard from Sister Kalia that you can easily detect her stealth, which means you must be stronger than her. And Sister Kalia is stronger than me, so I definitely can't beat you."

If you can't win, why bother with a duel?

And in the final analysis——

"Do we have any reason to duel?" Serena looked at her curiously. "I...haven't offended you, have I?"

Leticia probably didn't expect her to be so frank, admitting without hesitation that she was inferior in skill. Usually, shouldn't the reaction to receiving a duel invitation be more intense? Like in those random novels Alice liked to read, knowing you're no match, but for honor/reputation/dignity, you're still willing to accept the duel invitation... and so on.

The other person's frankness made him seem a bit aggressive (which was true), so Little Bat looked away, feeling embarrassed to meet her gaze, and whispered, "Because that's how it's written in the novel..."

"Huh?" Selena blinked in surprise. What kind of reason was that?
"In short, that's it!"

The little bat blushed, but still stubbornly insisted, "I'm a vampire, and you're a werewolf. Aren't vampires and werewolves natural enemies? So, we must fight! Come on, let's defend the dignity of our respective races and fight to the death!"

The more she talked, the more she believed her own story. She stopped feeling ashamed and became righteous, as if she were talking about something perfectly natural.

But Serena took a step back, looking troubled. "I don't want to."

"Eh?"

"I'm not going to risk my life for such a childish reason. After all, who says vampires and werewolves have to be mortal enemies?"

"That's what it says in the books..." the little bat said blankly.

"Those are just things written by bards and novelists to fool people. Perhaps a long, long time ago, there was indeed a war between vampires and werewolves, just like the war between the Empire and the Western Continent now, but that was a long time ago and has nothing to do with the present. Dust elves and mirror elves also fought wars, dragons and giants also fought wars, but why doesn't anyone portray these races as sworn enemies? To put it bluntly, it's because people always like to exaggerate and believe rumors."

Selena, hands on her hips, shook her head and earnestly advised the little bat with its extreme views: "Life is very precious; everyone only has one. You can't just squander it." (End of Chapter)