Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1433 Do you know the answer to love?
Gloria and Baiye, the twins of the Mind Kings, have always been in a very special state on Cloud Whale Sky Island. Although they have been together for some time, everyone still feels somewhat unfamiliar with them. For the latter, this unfamiliarity stems from a sense of distance. Baiye dislikes contact with others, which is obvious to the naked eye. Her aloof expression and disdainful demeanor often deter those who want to get to know her better. But for Gloria, this unfamiliarity seems a bit strange, because at heart, Gloria is actually an optimistic and cheerful girl. Although she often switches personalities and identities due to the curse, she can get along well with everyone, regardless of which personality or identity she uses.

If that's the case, why does it still feel unfamiliar to people?

Perhaps it's because she's too far away?

Like a hazy mist, like a fleeting dream, like an illusory reflection in a mirror, everything about her made her seem so distant, as if she weren't a real soul in this world. In contrast, Bai Ye, as the alter ego, felt more grounded. Although she was cold, aloof, and indifferent to everyone, such people were not uncommon in the world; Lin Ge was a prime example. Moreover, her initiative to help the young queens regain their lost memories and powers through dream entry suggested that she wasn't simply withdrawn, but rather warm-hearted beneath her cold exterior.

In contrast, people like Gloria, who often exist between reality and illusion, are rare in the world.

This subtle contrast is perhaps only something that the person involved can truly understand.

Back to the main topic. When Alice brought up the question that everyone had been overlooking, a collective silence fell over the room. They exchanged glances for a moment before Ieta raised her hand and said weakly, "If I remember correctly, Gloria was helping out at the Cathedral of Heavenly Hearts, right? Didn't she say she became a nun...?"

Everyone looked at Medion, but the pink-haired little girl was also puzzled: "Sister Gloria did help out at the Church of Heaven for a while as a nun, but she hasn't come back since the Battle of Grayhill. I thought she had changed her identity again, so I didn't ask. What, you didn't know either?"

“So,” Hino said thoughtfully, resting his chin on his hand, “Alice, didn’t you go to tell everyone to come to the meeting? Why didn’t you tell Gloria and Bai Ye? Do you have a problem with them?”

All eyes turned to Alice again. The genius player quickly waved his hand in denial, trying to clear his name with testimony: "Of course not! I did look for them, but I couldn't find them anywhere on the Sky Island. I thought they were already at the inn, so I came here, but they weren't here either..."

“I can testify for Alice,” Sheria, who had been quietly wiping glasses behind the bar and hadn’t intended to join the discussion, spoke up: “You might not remember, but actually, Gloria has rarely stayed at the inn lately. She always leaves after dinner and doesn’t return until the next mealtime. I occasionally see her when I go to water the herb garden or deliver food to Ietta, but she’s always alone, at most with that gray-feathered falcon named Little White. When I greet her, she just nods at me from afar. I always feel—”

The bartender hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should say the last sentence, but Lorena had already finished it for her with a smile: "I have a feeling she's deliberately avoiding us."

Alice immediately sensed something was wrong. A rift had formed within the team—this was a major issue. If left unchecked, it would inevitably lead to a terrible bad ending. But then again, why were Gloria and Bai Ye avoiding everyone? Could it be—

"Could it be," she blurted out her guess without hesitation, "that someone has offended them?"

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone turned their attention back to Alice.

"Uh, why are you all looking at me like that? What does it mean?" Alice felt uneasy. Why did everyone suspect her the moment something happened? Weren't there any other more suspicious people? Even so, she pondered for a while, reflecting on whether she had really done something unknowingly that displeased Gloria or Bai Ye, causing them to be so temperamental these past few days. But after thinking for a long time, she still couldn't come up with anything, and became certain that this matter really had nothing to do with her; she had been framed.

“I’ve been behaving myself these past few days,” she emphasized, word by word. “So it couldn’t have been me.”

"But whether you did it or not, this is related to you, Alice," Rorona said slowly. "After all, you're the leader of our team now. Isn't it a leader's job to care about the mental health of his teammates? Put yourself in Linger's shoes, what would he do?"

If it were Ling Ge, what would he do?
This question doesn't actually require any thought.

Of course, it's talk therapy... no, it's about touching them with love and connection, and melting away their knots with warm and beautiful emotions!

It doesn't sound like something I'm good at, but now there's no way to back down.

Alice scratched her cheek: "Shall I give it a try?"

"Go for it, Alice!" Ieta clenched her fists, cheering her on. "Show me the passion you have as a genius player! I believe you can do it!"

……

Strategizing with teammates, advancing the story, deepening bonds, unlocking achievements… these are indeed things a genius player should do, although Alice hasn't wielded that title for a long time. But this world is truly strange. When she constantly talks about being a genius player, no one takes it to heart; everyone sees it as Alice boasting. But when she doubts herself and even subconsciously resists the title, everyone brings it up repeatedly in front of her, as if deliberately reminding Alice: never forget how important this title is to you.

Is the change in her thoughts a change in mindset, or is it simply a matter of time and circumstances, with the past being incomparable to the present? The answer to this question must be quite complex. Alice is not one to engage in deep thinking, so after a brief moment of reflection, she put it aside and focused on her current task.

She searched for a long time on Cloud Whale Island, looking through every place where White Night might appear, from quiet forests to secluded riverbanks, from lonely valleys to desolate cliffs. In her memory, that girl always liked to appear in such remote places, as if deliberately avoiding contact with others. But Alice never thought about why she was looking for someone according to White Night's habits, instead of Gloria.

Intuition often foreshadows something, even if the person involved is unaware of it.

Finally, as Alice passed by the primrose field, she saw the figure standing atop the tower, lost in thought. It was the clearest time of night, the moonlight most radiant, a misty, sandy glow spreading across the earth. A gentle breeze stirred the girl's slender, graceful figure, even casting a soft, silvery glow on her pale grey hair. Alice was momentarily stunned, and in a daze, she felt that that was the girl's true form: distant, lonely, otherworldly, and unacceptable to the world.

Perhaps she had been looking for a while, which caught the attention of the girl at the top of the tower. She slowly lowered her head and looked at Alice. She seemed surprised that even though she had deliberately avoided her, someone could still find her. Her beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly, showing a clear attitude of aloofness: "What are you doing, Alice?"

Her cold voice snapped Alice out of her reverie. She grunted in response, instinctively shrinking back, inwardly groaning. It really was Bai Ye, the most unapproachable person on Cloud Whale Sky Island. If it were Gloria, Alice could joke around, try to build rapport, and use lighthearted banter to coax her into revealing her troubles before offering a solution. But with Bai Ye, Alice dared not do that. For some reason, she was always a little afraid of him, just like she sometimes felt afraid of Ling Ge and Xia.

Is this the same feeling? If so, does that mean these three are actually the same person? The outwardly cold but inwardly warm-hearted Ling Ge, the understanding Xia Xia, and… the enigmatic Bai Ye. “Um,” without thinking, Alice awkwardly raised her hand and greeted her, “W-good evening, Bai Ye?”

She looked even sillier. Bai Ye stared at her for a while, unable to help but think this to herself. Of course, she wouldn't voice this thought aloud, but instead replied calmly, "Good evening."

"Huh, she responded? It seems like we can communicate?" Alice was secretly pleased and decided to proceed gradually, first getting closer to Bai Ye, then subtly extracting information and devising a strategy: "Are you admiring the moon here? Oh, the moonlight tonight is truly beautiful; I'm almost reluctant to leave. If you don't mind, how about I keep you company, Bai Ye? Admiring the moon alone is rather lonely. Ah, that's not what I meant. I know Gloria is here too, but although you two have different personalities, you still come from the same soul, so many of your thoughts are probably similar. Your conversation might not be so...fresh? So, how about I keep you company for a chat?"

As she spoke, she carefully observed the girl's reaction out of the corner of her eye. Fortunately, she didn't show her usual impatience, but she also didn't seem very interested; instead, she looked at Alice with a strange expression. Only when the genius player felt uneasy and began to wonder if she had said something wrong did she speak, her tone flat: "When did you pick up this bad habit of beating around the bush, Alice?"

As she spoke, a slight upward curve appeared at the corners of her lips—was that a smile? Alice had never seen Bai Ye smile before, so she wasn't sure. She rubbed her eyes, but when she looked again, the previous feeling was gone. The gray-haired girl's lips were slightly pursed, forming a thin, straight line, giving her an unapproachable appearance.

So, it really was just my imagination, right?
While the genius player was still in a daze, Bai Ye spoke, his indifferent tone bringing her back to reality: "I remember you've always been a straightforward person, which is one of your few virtues, Alice. You'd better keep it. So why don't you just tell me what you need me for?"

"That's it."

Alice scratched her head, surprised that she actually had some merits in Bai Ye's eyes. Should she be touched? Although the phrase "few and far between" made her feel a little complicated.

She honestly revealed her purpose: "Actually, I just came to ask you if you've been having any troubles lately? Or is it that I... oops, I mean, someone else did something wrong that upset you? Don't worry about it, just tell me, and I'll help you get justice!"

After saying that, Alice raised her arm and showed off her weak biceps, indicating that you know best what Alice is capable of and that she will definitely teach those ungrateful bastards a lesson!
Bai Ye was silent.

Was this the reason she came to see me? I never knew Alice was such a responsible person. Or had becoming the leader of the group finally given her a true understanding of responsibility and commitment? Unfortunately, it was all in vain. Ultimately, my problems couldn't be solved with just a sense of responsibility. On the contrary, the more proactive, responsible, and eager she was to accomplish something, the more difficult it became for me.

So Bai Ye directly refused her: "I don't have any worries, I just want to be alone."

"Really?" Alice looked at her suspiciously, feeling that something wasn't quite right.

"Yes." Bai Ye remained expressionless, her eyes showing no emotion whatsoever, behaving exactly as she always had. When it came to concealing one's emotions, perhaps no one on Cloud Whale Sky Island was more adept than her, as the ruler of the Mind.

“Then,” Alice suddenly asked, “what about Gloria?”

A brief look of surprise flashed across Bai Ye's face, but she quickly suppressed it and said coldly, "She has nothing on her mind and is resting now. If you don't believe me, go ask her yourself tomorrow."

Of course, you won't get any results from asking, because tomorrow she will still be the same Bai Ye in front of you.

“No.” Alice seemed to have a premonition of something and rejected Bai Ye’s suggestion without hesitation: “I have to hear her say those words herself, and I have to hear them now. Let her come out and talk to me, Bai Ye. Don’t worry, it won’t take long, just a little while.”

This guy... is always unusually perceptive when he shouldn't be.

Just like that guy.

Bai Ye neither agreed to her request nor refused immediately. Instead, he stared at Alice for a while until she felt uneasy, then suddenly asked, "Alice, do you still stand by what you said earlier?"

"Ah? What did you say?"

"It will definitely be able to resolve my worries."

"Of course! What, do you want to confess?"

Using "confess" isn't quite appropriate; it feels like interrogating a criminal. But given that genius players' cultural level has always been limited, Bai Ye was too lazy to correct him and simply said, "Then answer one question for me first; it's very important to me."

"Oh? A quiz? That's my specialty, go ahead and ask!"

Then tell me—

A smile, both complex and mocking, gradually bloomed on the gray-haired girl's face: "Do you know what love really is?"

Give me some cats