Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1426 Have I always been by your side?
The group awoke one after another, quickly washed up, and ate the fungi brought by the gray fungus people. Perhaps cultivated with some unique mineral, they had a hard and dry texture, like eating stones. The little bat, who never liked vegetarian food, practically forced herself to swallow it with a bitter expression, but surprisingly, she didn't try to cheat them, which impressed the countess. In just one night, her granddaughter had become a completely different person; if it weren't for Ling and her companions being there, she would have surely suspected she had been asleep for a hundred years.

Just as they finished packing and were preparing to bid farewell to Elder Momogu and continue following the directions to Nibelungen, the old mushroom man arrived at their dwelling first. His purpose in coming was partly to see off this group of earthlings who were about to leave, but he also had a personal motive.

Please accept this, everyone.

He held a polished, work of art-like staff in his hands and handed it to Ovira. The pale crystal inlaid at the top of the staff emitted a faint magical aura, yet also gave off an ominous feeling. It was the symbol he held as an elder, used to signify his status and position.

"You are about to embark on a journey to the forbidden land," Elder Momogu's voice was low and slow, carrying the vicissitudes of time. "I am old and can neither stop you nor accompany you. Only this item, a token passed down through generations of tribal elders, may offer you some small assistance at a crucial moment. You have sworn an alliance with my Mushroom Power Tribe, becoming friends with each other, and have presented thirteen treasures from our ancient tradition as gifts. We should naturally reciprocate with equal courtesy. Therefore, please do not hesitate to accept this item."

He extended his cane forward, the grayish-white cap appearing even more mottled in the dim light of the surrounding minerals.

"This..." Everyone was surprised and couldn't understand his reason for doing so. Even if Lin Ge and his group did offer thirteen treasures and establish a friendly alliance with the Mushroom Power Tribe, there was no need to return the favor with such precious tokens, was there?
Seeing the hesitation among the crowd, unsure whether to accept, Elder Momogu smiled gently and explained, “This staff was a ritual implement used by our ancestors and people in their ignorance when they worshipped Nibelungen as a god. Now that we know Nibelungen was not a miracle but a calamity, we no longer have the same faith, nor do we need it as a symbol of divine authority. Furthermore, when Nibelungen crashed to the bottom of the sea, the ship was damaged, and countless fragments, each different, fell away. My ancestors chose this crystal from among them to forge a token, perhaps already sensing something at that time. There must be some connection between it and Nibelungen, but I am old and cannot leave my people behind to embark on a perilous journey. Therefore, I can only entrust it to you all. Perhaps you can find the secret hidden within.”

If this is true, then Ling and his group should indeed accept this parting gift. Although they do not yet know why Elder Momogu's attitude has changed so drastically. When he heard yesterday that they were going to the site of the Nibelungen's fall, his attitude was not so enthusiastic; on the contrary, he should have been avoiding them and issuing warnings.

However, while her companions were still immersed in speculation and doubt, Ovira calmly stepped forward. Her face showed no surprise, as if the elder's gift was something she had already anticipated, as natural as the alternation of day and night on the ground. She extended both hands and solemnly accepted the heavy staff. Perhaps due to the accumulation of years, a thick layer of dark blue moss covered the staff, but it wasn't sticky to the touch; instead, it had a slightly cool, metallic feel. A very faint, almost imperceptible hum flashed by.

“Thank you for your gift, Elder Momogu.” Ovira’s voice was clear and calm as she bowed slightly. “This gift is indeed important to us. On behalf of my companions, I am grateful for your and the Mushroom Power Tribe’s trust.”

Elder Momogu gazed intently at Ovira, a glimmer of expectation seeming to flicker in his aged, withered eyes. He said nothing more, only slowly nodding: "May the earth protect your path. Although that region has long been corrupted by the curse, and the earth's grace has thinned, perhaps it will work for you... Please be careful."

Ovira thanked them again, then, holding the elder's staff, turned to face her companion. The staff stood beside her, strangely blending with her serene demeanor, as if it were meant for her to wield. "Let's go," she said, her tone as gentle as ever, yet with a subtle firmness.

Ling nodded. Selena clenched her fists, her fighting spirit rekindled in her eyes. Leticia glanced at Ovira, then at the cane, and finally gave a soft "humph," turning her head away without saying anything more.

Neville withdrew her gaze from Ovira, letting out a silent sigh. The road ahead was unknown, the future uncertain; everything was shrouded in mist, including Ovira's unpredictable changes, Ling's constant silence, Leticia's growth, Elder Momogu's gift, and this mysteriously ordained staff. All of this made the experienced countess realize that the journey ahead would likely be far more complex and unpredictable than she had imagined. In contrast, the werewolf girl's innocence and naivety stood out even more; at least she had only one goal from beginning to end: to bring Nibelungen back and help the Holy War army win the war.

After bidding farewell to the elders, the group left the small village they had only known for one night, amidst the hesitant and fearful gazes of the other Grey Fungus people who wanted to approach but dared not, and who wanted to speak but were afraid to. They resumed their journey to find the Nibelungen. Before leaving, Ovira seemed to look back once more, her lips slightly pursed, her heart heavy with a weight unimaginable to the others.

Only she knew why Elder Momogu had changed his attitude and given her the staff. Just as she knew who had overheard her conversation with Leticia behind the chalk cliff last night, she knew why she had deliberately spoken of things that could help the Gray Fungus people break the curse, and she knew that even if the possibility was extremely slim, the elder was willing to place his hopes on it because he had no other choice. The birth rate of the Mushroom Force tribe was decreasing every year, and the newborn mushroom people were showing more severe symptoms of ashification. Almost less than half of the newborn mushroom people were able to grow into qualified laborers. The curse's erosion of their bodies and minds made these grown mushroom people completely unable to shoulder the responsibility of leading the tribe... If it weren't for the arrival of outsiders, it wouldn't be long before the Mushroom Force tribe would completely disappear into the long and forgotten history of the Abyss World.

These matters were tribal secrets, and the elders would never mention them to anyone, not even their own people, but Ovira knew them nonetheless. She quietly pressed the small pocket hidden in her sleeve; through the fabric, the medicine bottle felt hard and cold, like minerals that had grown year-round in the underground world. To anyone, it symbolized cruelty, death, and endless darkness, but it brought her only a slight sense of peace.

Sometimes, Princess Bemang felt she was a cold-hearted person, cruelly deceiving her companions and an old man who had devoted himself to the tribe and its people, exploiting his kindness to achieve her own ulterior motives. In fairy tales and novels, this is a tactic only used by villains, isn't it? Ovira used to hate characters like that, but she had no other choice. If she directly told Elder Momogu, "I want to help the Gray Fungus people break the curse, so please give me your elder's token," he probably wouldn't believe her and would instead doubt her true intentions. But by overhearing it herself, he would believe it was true, without any element of concealment or deception. After all, people are always more inclined to believe their own subjective judgment.

The Ovira of the past wasn't like this. She was gentle, cheerful, and approachable, though sometimes stubborn and prone to tantrums over trivial matters (mainly because of a certain young man). However, her sincerity and kindness earned her the affection of her companions. She once had two dreams: one was that the violets she inherited from her teacher and later planted in her small garden would bloom successfully; the other was to write a novel that would captivate everyone, sharing her journey with countless people. But now, it seems neither of these wishes will come true.

Because violets won't bloom for a cold-hearted person, and stories full of deceit and lies are not suitable for inclusion in this story based on love and courage.

Nevertheless, even so, or rather, precisely because of this—

Princess Bemang became even more determined. She strode forward without hesitation.

……

Ling stared intently at Aurelia's retreating figure, pondering a question: If something is destined to happen, and you're unsure whether your intervention will make it better or worse, would you actively expose it? Or would you remain silent and pretend you didn't see it?

The group followed the faint light through the dark forest, their footsteps echoing beneath the empty canopy, like hammering against their hearts. Ovira, carrying a lantern in one hand and the cane inlaid with pale crystal in the other, walked with a steady gait, as if she had become one with the shadows of this underground world. Ling watched her back silently; her straight spine was completely different from the slightly hesitant girl of yesterday. An indescribable bitterness welled up in his heart, like seeing a flower that had once basked in sunlight quietly turn towards the dark depths of the earth.

The light emitted by the spore dust flickered, sometimes clear and sometimes blurry, illuminating the profile of Ovira's face. Ling suddenly quickened his pace to walk beside her, his calm voice like a question about the weather—though not exactly a pleasant topic of conversation in the underground world: "Is your cane... heavy?"

Ovira paused slightly, then turned to him with a faint smile: "It's alright. But Ling has been unusually quiet since this morning."

“I was just thinking—” Linger’s gaze swept over her fingers, which were gripping the cane tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force, “You must have a hard time sometimes, Ovira?”

The path suddenly narrowed here, the dampness seeping from between the rocks and tree trunks carrying the smell of mold. The deeper one went, the more one felt the decay of life; the withered plants and decaying spores made it clear that one was heading further and further away from the forbidden land of legend at the bottom of the abyss. Ovira listened to Ling's voice, her steps involuntarily faltering, her hand once again touching the medicine bottle hidden in her sleeve pocket. The cold touch reminded her of the sorrow and expectation Elder Momogu had hidden behind the chalk rocks last night in the dim light of the spores, and of the lie she had deliberately uttered, raising her voice to promise the lifting of the curse. Now, Ling's concern flowed through her chest like the spring sunshine, but she could only let it cool and harden into a rock within her heart.

Neville led the way at a distance, scouting ahead, while Selena used her claws to slash aside the tangled vines hanging from the fungal tree. Leticia muttered a complaint about the spores clinging to her skirt. In the midst of this commotion, no one noticed the two's movements, nor did they eavesdrop on their conversation. Perhaps for these increasingly familiar companions, it was already commonplace for Ling and Ovira to chat secretly behind the others' backs; what secrets they held, kept hidden from the world for so long, remained unknown to all.

pity……

Ovira's fingers, gripping the staff, curled unconsciously. She tilted her head back, and the crystalline light that drifted down from between the glowing canopy shattered into starlight in her eyes, possessing a stunning beauty. Yet, the curve of her lips remained nonchalant: "I knew you would say that."

It seems she had anticipated my reaction, but whether she guessed it or did so through other means, it doesn't prove anything, because I was bound to say those words eventually. It's based on human emotion, not any other factor. Therefore, predicting someone's reaction is actually quite simple; it requires neither fate nor wisdom… right?

Young people's minds are filled with complex, ever-changing thoughts that seem unrelated to the current topic, yet they always vanish in a flash, impossible to grasp. Therefore, no matter how much they think, in the end, all that comes out of their mouths is always a light, airy sentence: "Then, don't be afraid."

He said softly, "We've always been by your side."

"Mmm." Ovira's smile became more genuine, and for a moment she seemed to return to the girl who stood in the courtyard watching the violets bloom. The memory was filled with a sweet fragrance, like a promise: "Thank you, Ling, with you by my side, I'm not afraid of anything."

But as Linge's brow relaxed slightly at her words, Ovira turned back to look at the darkness ahead. A smile still lingered on her face, while a voice deep within sighed softly: "But I should be the one saying those words to you."

Don't be afraid, Ringer.

I've always been by your side.

Give me some cats