Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1396 Arriving at the predetermined ending?
Overnight, Ieta was a completely different person. Yesterday, she was pondering the philosophical question of "Who am I?" by the flower field, and today she was beaming as she told Ringer that she could grant Cheryl's request. She even seemed full of enthusiasm and couldn't wait. Ringer wasn't sure what had caused this change. At least Alice and Rorona had both sworn it was their doing, and the young man was too lazy to call them out. Since Ieta hadn't denied it, he'd just assume it was true.

However, the true heroes remained indifferent, keeping their achievements and fame hidden.

Ovira suddenly appeared behind her and gently patted the girl's shoulder: "Bai Ye?"

"who!?"

The girl was startled and hurriedly turned around. Her misty eyes reflected Princess Bemang's curious face, and she breathed a sigh of relief, complaining, "Oh, it's you, Ovira. Why were you hiding in the corner scaring people?"

“I didn’t scare you.” Ovira also felt wronged: “I’ve been here the whole time, you just didn’t notice me.”

"Is that so?" The girl scrutinized her suspiciously, trying to discern a clue from that pretty face.

“That’s right.” Ovira’s sincere expression made it impossible not to believe her.

After all, Princess Beman was someone who couldn't even lie.

Thinking this through, the girl felt much more at ease. Then, remembering something, she emphasized, "Also, I'm not Bai Ye, I'm Gloria! If you mistake me for her again, I'll get angry!"

"Really?" Princess Beman tilted her head, sunlight streaming in through the window and illuminating her platinum-blonde hair, as if coating it with a soft halo. She thought to herself, this gray-haired girl before her, in every way—temperament, expression, and tone—was exactly like Gloria, and completely opposite to Bai Ye. Logically, she shouldn't have mistaken her for someone else. But for some reason, Ovira felt something was amiss.
"Of course!" The girl who called herself Gloria felt a chill run down her spine, but she didn't leave any openings in her mouth. She deliberately lowered her voice and imitated Bai Ye's cold tone, threatening, "If I really were Bai Ye, I wouldn't let you off so easily!"

"Hmm, you're right." Ovira subconsciously rubbed her arms, as if recalling some chilling feeling. If it were Bai Ye, he might not have cursed, but that cold gaze would have been enough to make her suffer.

Gloria is easier to fool.

“I wronged you, Gloria,” she said sadly. “It’s so good that you’re not Bai Ye.”

"..." The gray-haired girl's lips twitched slightly, unsure whether it was a compliment or an insult. Realistically, it was probably the latter. So she gritted her teeth inwardly, deciding to find a time to scare Princess Bemang a bit, to see if she'd dare say such things again.

"By the way, what were you looking at just now?" Ovira suddenly remembered her original purpose for coming to find Gloria, so she asked casually, "Want to chat with Alice and the others? Then don't hide here. You've been with us for so long, why are you still so shy?"

I'm shy, my foot!
The gray-haired girl's eyes darted around, and suddenly an idea came to her.

She lowered her head slightly, only showing the back of her head to Ovira. Her bangs concealed the barely suppressed laughter in her eyes, and she deliberately spoke in a shy tone, "Actually, I didn't want to chat with Alice and the others, but rather with Ling. However, Bai Ye told me that it's better for a lady to be a little reserved, so I..."

She didn't continue speaking, but the implication was profound.

Ovira's expression froze. Ladylike? Reserved? She had a feeling that Ovira was implying something, but it was probably just her imagination.
How could Gloria, such a simple, cheerful, and slightly naive girl, possibly come up with such a vicious metaphor? Hahaha... But Bai Ye might be a different story?

Could it be that I have really offended the person that Cloud Whale Sky Island should never have offended?

Thinking of this, Princess Beimang suddenly lost the desire to continue the conversation. She felt that she should first think of a way to please Bai Ye? Or, to be more straightforward, imitate Sister Xia's authority and force that guy to submit to her? It all seemed difficult.

The future looks bleak.

Ovira left sadly, and watching her retreating figure, Bai Ye felt a pang of pity, as if she had gone too far. But this last vestige of humanity lasted only a second before she quickly dismissed it, even wondering why she had such inappropriate feelings. Was it because she had been impersonating Gloria for so long that she had unknowingly caught her influence?
This is really bad news.

Of course, what's even more infuriating is... even someone as oblivious as Ovira could sense something was wrong, so what exactly are you doing, Ling?
When will we finally find out?

What a hopeless idiot!

The Curse of the Girl.

……

Unaware that someone was secretly cursing him, Ling went to Malakasha's palace again after receiving Ieta's reply, representing the people of Cloud Whale Sky Island in granting her request. Cheryl's reaction was naturally pleased, but she didn't seem particularly surprised. Did she really assume from the beginning that these people wouldn't refuse her? Such questions naturally wouldn't be answered, but perhaps they proved that this leader of the Holy War Army was a thoughtful person.

A plan devised by a thoughtful person, even if it fails, will at least not lead to a wrong outcome.

After the deal was struck, Cheryl provided them with a map of the Dark Cloud Abyss area, including several suspicious locations that had already been explored by members of the Holy War Army but could not be further explored for various reasons. Even in the harsh environment of Atoliga, these were dangerous places where life was extinguished. Perhaps only travelers who control cloud whales and soar through the sky could glimpse their secrets.

In addition, she sent several reliable guides, namely the familiar Yanor team. Among them, Yanor was the most composed and good at communication, a standard leader; the dark elf Kalia and the werewolf girl Selena both had the ability to operate covertly and could be used to gather intelligence; the giant mercenary Gordan had traveled all over Atorica with a mercenary group in his early years and was very familiar with every place; and the bard Edwin came from the oldest barbarian tribe in the wasteland. His keen sense of the wind could help the group avoid the most terrifying weather disaster in the wasteland—the sandstorm where gales and dust danced together.

Although Alice privately grumbled that these abilities sounded good, there were already replacements available on Cloud Whale Sky Island, and even better ones. But since it was Cheryl's good intention, Ling accepted gladly. In return, and to fulfill her initial promise, Cheryl frankly revealed the most important information to the group: the location of Paradise Country, Assyria. "After passing through the snow-covered, icy Southern Snow Country of Saint-Chron, you will arrive at the ancient and mysterious Great Forest of Ragnia. There dwells the Tree People, the guardians of the great forest. They are actually descendants of mortals who were protected by the Fairy Queen and settled here. The [Sacred Tree of the Forest] they serve is none other than the distant Paradise Country you are pursuing—Assyria."

Through Cheryl's words, the mysterious legend was finally partially unveiled before the travelers, allowing these mortals with stubborn ideals to peek into the secrets and reach the truth.

The girl's magnanimity was truly astonishing. After all, Ling and his group could have simply left after receiving the intelligence, leaving the Holy War Army with no recourse. While they certainly wouldn't do that, this trust didn't diminish; rather, it felt even heavier. But perhaps it wasn't that she trusted them, but rather that the fairy sword Hydras trusted a certain orphaned winged elf?

Not wanting to put too much pressure on the other party, Lin Ge did not voice his guess.

After resting for a few days in the Feather Mine, the group officially prepared to embark on a new journey—a short trip—to search for the legendary Nibelungen, the celestial warship that once challenged the stars, and a dream about the Holy Grail that could grant any wish. But who could know whether the legends were true or false, or whether their wish would actually come true?

On the day of the departure, not many people came to see him off; only Cheryl and a few officers who knew the inside story. Notably, the guardian beast named Serphis also came, though it looked very reluctant, lying prostrate in a corner, its breath snorting white mist, its tail impatiently slapping the ground.

Before the morning light had completely dispelled the lingering chill of the earth, at the entrance to the Feather Mine, suspended miners' lamps cast pale, weak beams of light, carving out a boundary of light and shadow on the damp rock walls. The air was thick with the stench of mineral dust, the fishy smell of groundwater, and a faint, almost imperceptible, metallic scent that seemed to belong to a distant legend.

Cheryl stood at the edge of the halo, her simple gray attire almost blending into the jagged rock face behind her. A gentle breeze ruffled her gray hair, a few strands clinging to her cheeks, making her skin appear even paler. She wore no ornaments befitting a leader, only quietly holding the fairy sword, Hydras. The sword remained sheathed; the gold and silver gems on the ancient hilt were dulled by dust, as if they, along with their owner, had sheathed all their sharpness. The girl's hair swayed gently in the damp breeze, her expression serene, but deep within her eyes, gazing at Ling and the others, lay an unyielding solemnity and a hidden expectation.

"The road ahead is uncertain, so I urge you all to proceed with caution."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it echoed clearly in the relatively quiet entrance area, drowning out the faint mechanical roar from afar. "The Dark Cloud Abyss is no benevolent place. The corrosive mist and chaotic leyline magic are merely the surface. Deeper still... perhaps something slumbers that even legends haven't detailed. Be extremely cautious."

Standing slightly ahead of his companions, Lin Ge's clothes were gently lifted by the wind. He didn't speak when he heard this, but simply nodded slightly, a concise yet powerful response.

Cheryl's gaze swept past Linger, moving down to each of his companions behind him. It lingered a little longer on Ieta. The angel seemed unusually quiet today, her pure white wings tightly folded, almost enveloping her, her eyes somewhat unfocused, as if her thoughts had drifted into an unknown abyss. Cheryl didn't say much, but simply added softly to her, and to everyone else: "Following legends is not the goal; seeing the true legends is what matters. This is just my humble opinion, which I'd like to share with you all."

After speaking, she took a half step back, held the Sidras upright in front of her, and gently pressed the hilt of the sword against her forehead, performing an extremely ancient gesture that seemed to originate from the fairy race.

"May the winds of freedom that His Majesty Italos once protected brush your wings."

Along with the blessings, the earth trembled.

In the once barren plaza, now empty of ore waste, the Cloud Whale Sky Island rises steadily, its massive tail fin gently swaying, stirring up a downward-pressing wind carrying earth, stones, and moisture. A colossal shadow rapidly shrinks, merging into the vast, desolate Atorica sky, tinged red by the dawn. Reaching its highest point, it adjusts its course, leisurely drifting towards the Dark Cloud Abyss, perpetually shrouded in corrosive mist at the provincial border—its posture suggesting not an exploration of peril, but a return to its homeland.

Cheryl gazed for a long time in the direction where the cloud whale had disappeared, until its long, mournful song had completely dissipated in the wind. She slowly exhaled, and her fingers, which were tightly gripping the hilt of her sword, relaxed slightly.

Someone beside him breathed a sigh of relief, seemingly relieved of the immense insignificance and overwhelming pressure they had felt before the colossal whale. He whispered, "Lady Cheryl, will they succeed?"

“I don’t know.” Cheryl slowly shook her head: “There are countless fates and countless possibilities in this world. I have only chosen one of them, but I cannot predict their ending.”

“At least, it should be the one with the highest success rate, right?” the man said again, trying to make his voice sound more optimistic, but the trembling at the end betrayed his inner unease: “Fortunately, time is on our side.”

Cheryl, however, was not so optimistic.

“I used to think the same way you did, until I saw so many similar examples in the book.” She sighed softly, “Those who are complacent always fade away, while those who plan ahead have a future. Keep a close eye on the developments in the central battlefield; I have a bad feeling about it.”

"Atorica's fate is in the hands of many people."

Like her, like the travelers who had just left, like... the imperial army and the invaders.

……

"Lord Peleke!"

A report came from the communications room: "Response signal received! We have successfully made contact with the Nidhogg!"

“Then issue a docking request.” Pereike stood by the porthole, the rolling sea of ​​clouds and faint flashes of lightning reflected in her deep emerald eyes. She found her voice to be far calmer than she had imagined, perhaps because she had long foreseen this moment: “Proceed to the target area and continue.”

Until arrival.

Reaching the predetermined ending.

Give me some cats