Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1380 Is everyone full of confidence?
Neither of them spoke again.

One gazed silently at the sky, the other stared blankly at the grass, a subtle and prolonged silence falling between them. The wind continued to blow gently, the blades of grass continued to rustle, and the clouds continued to drift slowly across the blue sky, as if the soul-stirring conversation had never happened, or as if everything had quietly changed.

It wasn't until Selena pushed open the church door again, the sound of the hinges turning breaking the tranquility of the grass, that the air seemed to begin to move again. The werewolf girl stepped out of the church, a refreshed and relaxed smile on her face. It seemed that seeking confession from the gods had indeed effectively dispelled her worries and troubles. She was about to wave and greet the two, but suddenly sensed the subtle atmosphere around her, her smile faltering. She realized that in the short time she had been praying to the goddess, something extraordinary seemed to have happened outside.
“Miss Medien? Leticia?” Her gaze shifted back and forth between the two as she asked cautiously. For some reason, she used honorifics when addressing the usually gentle and kind Medien, but her tone was noticeably more intimate when addressing the little bat who had challenged her to a duel. However, no one noticed this subtle detail at the moment: “Did you... have you two had a fight?”

Actually, she shouldn't have asked, or rather, she shouldn't have asked so directly, but the atmosphere between the two of them made her feel a little regretful.

It wasn't fear, but regret. Although they hadn't known each other for very long, she had already discovered how deep the friendship between Medine and Leticia was—something she had once admired and aspired to. It would be such a pity if such a sincere friendship were to fall apart over something trivial, which was why she had asked the question, and even thought that if the problem wasn't too serious, perhaps she could mediate.

After all, she's an outsider. Outsiders always have many things they can't say, but they also have many things they can say more easily.

Medine was snapped out of her reverie. Hearing Selena's words, she paused, surprised that she and Leticia would be misunderstood as arguing. Come to think of it, they had known each other for so long and had never actually fought. Was it because they were so compatible, or because one of them was always giving in?

She shook her head, her usual gentle smile returning to her face, though a hint of wistfulness lingered in the corner of her eye: "No, Miss Serena, we didn't quarrel, we were just enjoying the breeze here."

“That’s right,” Leticia chimed in, glancing sideways at the werewolf girl. “How could Medien and I possibly argue? Don’t overthink it!”

"Really? That's good."

Selena breathed a sigh of relief, unconcerned by the subtle rejection and wariness in Leticia's words, and said with a smile, "Friends should get along harmoniously."

This is something Medine said!
The little bat was very perceptive about this and even wanted to accuse her of plagiarism, but then she thought about it again and felt that she was even more unreasonable, because this was not something that anyone in the world had said, but a consensus, or even a truth? She pouted and withdrew her accusatory words.

"Miss Serena, have you finished praying?" Medion asked.

“Yes, I feel much calmer inside.” Selena nodded. She glanced at Leticia, who still didn’t react, and then at Medien. She keenly sensed that there was still a strange atmosphere between the two of them, but considerately didn’t ask any further questions.

Medine stood up and gently brushed the grass clippings off her skirt. "That's good. By the way, Miss Serena, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Please say?"

“I have some things to do and would like to stay here a little longer, or perhaps go inside and sit quietly for a while.” Median pointed to the church. “Could you please take Leticia back to the hotel first? I’m worried that she might… well, who knows where she might go off to play by herself.” She offered a seemingly reasonable excuse.

Selena naturally wouldn't refuse this small request, and she readily nodded, "Of course, no problem." She looked at Leticia, who was still sitting, "Shall we go then, Leticia?"

Leticia slowly raised her head, looked at Medien, then at Selena, and stood up silently without saying anything.

Medine gave Selena a thankful look, then said softly, "Take care on your journey, and see you later."

So, Serena and Leticia set off one after the other along the forest path back to the Fairy Sleep Inn. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground. At first, they walked in silence, the atmosphere seemingly returning to its initial slightly awkward state. After walking for a while, just as Serena was considering whether to break the silence with something, Leticia, who was half a step behind her, suddenly spoke, her voice somewhat muffled, completely unlike her usual arrogant self.

"Hey... Serena."

"Huh?" The werewolf girl turned around in surprise.

Leticia seemed to hesitate for a moment, her silver hair slipping down as she lowered her head, partially obscuring her profile: "You said before... life is precious, you only have one, and you should cherish it and use it wisely... right?"

“Yes.” Selena nodded, slowing her pace to walk alongside Leticia. “That’s what I think.”

"Then..." Leticia's voice lowered, as if the question was difficult for her to answer, yet she couldn't suppress her curiosity, "What does 'proper use' mean to you? How do you know... that your life... um... is meaningful?"

Serena was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting Leticia to ask such a question. It wasn't that she couldn't think about the meaning of life, but not long ago this girl had been clamoring to duel her for a rather childish reason. How could there have been such a drastic change in her behavior? Had Miss Medien said something to her while she was praying?

"I can't quite explain its profound significance either."

After a while, Selena spoke, her tone calm and honest, "For me, it might not be that complicated. You know, before joining the Holy War Army, I was just a thief wandering in the desert and ruins, thinking every day about how to survive, how to steal enough food to fill my stomach, and how to avoid dangerous people and monsters. At that time, life for me was just about struggling and surviving, and it didn't have any meaning."

She paused, a hint of reminiscence in her eyes: "Later, I met the person who guided me and joined the Holy War Army. I began to fight to protect those who, like me, were struggling to survive, and to fight for a better world, the world that Her Majesty the Goddess desires. When I see the smiles on the faces of the villagers I rescued because of my missions, when we reclaim a small piece of land ravaged by the Imperial Army, allowing the people there to catch their breath, I feel, ah, living like this seems so much more meaningful than just thinking about myself before, and... more grounded."

“So,” Selena concluded, looking at Leticia with clear and firm eyes, “I think the meaning of life might not be an answer laid out from the beginning, but rather a feeling you gradually discover as you strive to live and do something. It's like finding a path in the desert; you have to keep walking to know which path might lead to an oasis. If there's a path that makes you feel at ease, that you can't stop or you'll be letting something down, or even that you think, ‘Ah, this isn't bad,’ then that's probably the answer you're looking for.” She smiled sheepishly and scratched her cheek. “Of course, this is just my own opinion. Miss Medien could certainly offer far more compelling reasons. But I think the most important thing isn't what others say, but what you think and what you do.”

Leticia listened quietly, then suddenly asked, "If you keep walking and searching, does that mean you've succeeded?"

“I don’t know if it counts as a success, but it certainly doesn’t count as a failure, right?” Selena smiled. “If, I mean if, I were to die now for some reason and not finish this journey, I think I probably wouldn’t feel like a failure, just a little regretful.”

For some, regret is synonymous with failure, but clearly not for the vast majority.

Serena is not one of the few; she was born to be on the more ordinary side.

but me.

I won't die.

Leticia thought, does that mean I won't fail, and I won't have any regrets? Although Medien said that memories only happen once, and that the reincarnated self and the previous self have different experiences and memories, and cannot be considered the same life, they are essentially the same person. Since they are the same person, they will eventually walk the same path and eventually finish walking it.

"That's it!" The little bat regained its confidence.

"Huh?" Selena didn't understand what she was trying to say, and after a long pause, she hesitantly replied, "I think, it should be like this?"

Although she didn't know exactly what "this" meant, she figured it was probably right to agree in this situation.
The two suddenly found themselves in sync.

……

In the days that followed, people kept seeing the little bat in various places on Cloud Whale Sky Island. Sometimes she was gazing at the starry sky on the cliffs under the moon, as if deep in thought; sometimes she was wandering alone in the deep and quiet forest, searching for the unknown; and more often she was kneeling in prayer before the altar of the Heavenly Heart Church, piously asking the merciful goddess for something.

But what kind of wish could make the little bat, who had always scorned so-called faith and religion, put aside her prejudices and willingly become a prayer before the idol, even spending the time she used to play on thinking? Apart from Median, probably no one knows, not even her grandmother can see through her granddaughter, as if she has changed a lot overnight.

Oh, perhaps there's one more person who knows.

But she won't say anything.

Because they were afraid of being challenged to another duel.

……

Starting from the Burial Grounds, heading northwest into the province of Atoliga, the journey first crosses the vast Gobi Desert known as the Wind-Sheared Wasteland, a place of endless wilderness, drought-resistant thorns, and the occasional sweep of Imperial patrol airships—a place traditionally seen as a barrier between civilization and barbarism. The route continues to ascend, passing through the rusted canyons surrounding the mining area. Natural barriers formed by landslides caused by early, brutal mining and chemical waste create turbulent air currents at high altitudes, requiring extra caution to avoid stumbling into the eye of the storm. Of course, this is no challenge for the experienced Angel. After rounding the canyons, the route flattens out, and the Cloud Whale Sky Island flies over Black Iron Town—the first settlement encountered on the journey, a gloomy town entirely dependent on mining, comprised of workshops and taverns, now a buffer zone between the Imperial Army and the Holy War Army.

Further west from the town, remnants of the ancient kingdom's civilization begin to appear on the surface: city walls, watchtowers, and ruins. The Imperial Army and the Holy War Army vie for strategic locations here. Although large-scale conflicts have ceased for various reasons, small-scale skirmishes still frequently break out. In such situations, the Cloud Whale Sky Island will temporarily land and play an unparalleled role in these skirmishes, appearing from the sky. As for which side it supports, that goes without saying.

Cloud Whale Sky Island helped the Holy War Army's guerrilla squads win several skirmishes, and Medien's medical skills also shone brightly in these battles, saving many lives. Arnor and his group treated them much more kindly. Although they hadn't yet opened their hearts to each other, they at least regarded them as trustworthy people.

Therefore, before reaching the core area of ​​the Feather Mine region, Arnor specifically requested that Ling and his group temporarily halt their advance. He then sent a letter in his personal capacity to Cheryl, the leader of the Holy War Army, vouching for these self-proclaimed goddess followers from the Western Continent and even privately expressing his praise and admiration for them. Ultimately, he obtained the leader's permission to allow the Cloud Whale Sky Island to land directly at the Holy War Army's base.

Allowing such a war behemoth to enter one's territory truly requires immense courage and fortitude. Whether it was due to Anor's guarantee or Leader Cheryl's confidence in herself and the Holy War Army, it reflected the leader's character. Linger also somewhat understood how he should approach the sister of this legendary hero.

In any case, on this long journey that spanned almost half of the Eastern Continent, they finally reached their destination, or at least a temporary one.

What challenges await us next?

neither knows.

Everyone is full of confidence, and no one is confident.

Give me some cats