Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1464 Should we continue installing despite the risks?
Ovira rubbed her sore eyes, the tears stinging slightly. The drowsiness from controlling the Nibelungen for long-distance communication felt like a ton of cotton and a ton of iron being stuffed into her brain simultaneously, creating a dizzying sensation that reminded the princess of her childhood. Back then, unaware of her identity as a member of the Mysterious Kingdom, she had already displayed an astonishing talent and intense interest in reading. Sometimes, even with childish picture books or absurd rumors, she could read with great interest for an entire afternoon, until her maid cautiously came to remind her, only then realizing that twilight had fallen outside the window.

Time spent immersed in books is joyful; the wonderful stories and fantastical ideas that transcend reality often inspire longing. But the world outside of books seems exceptionally dull. Every time the little princess stood in the garden, watching the sunset gradually sink behind the Sosen Mountains, the endless darkness slowly swallowing the last glimmer of daylight, she felt a pang of emptiness. Of course, at that time she couldn't understand such complex emotions, but the feeling of loss was universal. She became listless, resistant, wanting to do nothing but close her eyes and sleep, hoping to wake up to the brilliant morning light and once again immerse herself in the magnificent, dreamlike world of books…

But this wish was never fulfilled, because she had not yet learned how to face the darkness.

Many years later, Princess Leslie, having lost everything, left the lonely cage that imprisoned her. She encountered new companions, embarked on a new journey, and witnessed many new landscapes, which were undoubtedly more exciting than the monotonous descriptions in the book. She also gradually came to understand the heavy meaning represented by the mysterious royal power and vaguely realized that she might never be able to find the joy she had found in books during her childhood. She tried to record her story with a pen, but always missed the most important part.

But no matter what, she will continue to write, because the long journey of life will eventually end with words.

Looking out the porthole, time seemed to have passed, and it appeared to be past noon. The Nibelungen had long since left the Dark Abyss far behind, like a train that never stops heading straight for the Fesse Mine. But the further they went in that direction, the dimmer the light became. The dark clouds swallowed the sun, like a black beast that swallowed the sunlight that should have illuminated the world as low rumbling thunder, heralding the prelude to a storm. If it weren't for the howling winds high above, whipping up clouds of yellow sand and dust, the traveler might have thought he was still three thousand meters underground, never having left.

The battle will begin when the rain starts.

No one had ever said it, but O'Vila knew it, like a playwright who knew the plot and how it should unfold. But how can such a thing be explained? Just as mortals can never understand the difference between prophecy and premonition, speculation and guess—a subtle difference in expression in words, yet in reality separated by an insurmountable chasm.

Princess Beman sighed silently, slowly putting down the Nibelungen Key. The short rest had already made her feel much better, because what was being depleted wasn't magic power, but her spirit. However, the latter varies from person to person and from time to time. If you are a particularly resolute person, or encounter a moment that forces you to be resolute, you will unleash boundless potential.

She turned and walked to the still-sleeping young man, carefully observing his features. Even in his sleep, his handsome brows were gently furrowed, as if worried about the injustices of the world. Looking at him, the girl suddenly reached out, trying to smooth the furrows between his brows, but couldn't, and was speechless for a moment. Whether in reality or in his dream, he must be in a difficult position. But it's alright, it won't be like this anymore, Lin Ge, from now on, you can rest assured…

The girl made a solemn promise, even though she wasn't really confident. But sometimes promises aren't meant to appease people, but to strengthen their resolve.

The temperature inside Nibelungen was also affected by the external environment, gradually decreasing, making it feel like winter had prematurely arrived on this land. As the master of the Ark, Ovira actually had many ways to change the temperature inside the ship, and could even make it as warm as spring with just a thought, just like the Cloud Whale Sky Island controlled by Ietta never experienced winter. But she didn't do that. Instead, she rummaged through her personal bag for a while, finally finding a woolen blanket, gently covering it on the young man, and nodding in satisfaction.

This gives me the feeling that I'm taking care of Ling Ge.

Ovira, who used to always be taken care of, has finally learned to take care of others... If it were Xia-jie, she would definitely say that.

Although she probably wouldn't be happy to see this, or to know what she was doing.

But this is something that can't be helped, or rather, someone always has to do things that can't be helped.

It's just that this time it's my turn.

Princess Beman glanced tenderly at the still-sleeping young man one last time, then turned and returned to the conqueror's long table. On the ancient books that the Library of Truth had materialized, the blank pages continued to roll and refresh unknown words in her eyes. All the secrets, stories, plots, and even wisdom of this world were contained within them. Its existence was actually far longer than that of the Mysterious Kingship, because knowledge was born when the universe was born; and even if the universe were destroyed, knowledge would not be destroyed.

Therefore, if we were to discuss the true master of all the mysteries of the mortal world, it should be her mother, whom she has never met. This is not surprising, as the essence of all female royal power is the same: the master of destiny is the mother, and Xia Xia is merely her agent; the master of the mysteries is also the mother, and she is merely a reader... But this essence does not diminish the power of the royal power; on the contrary, it makes it even purer.

After all, that's the power wielded by the goddess who created the world...

Ovira took a deep breath, took out her usual pen and draft paper from her sleeve, spread them out on the table, held the pen in one hand and placed the other on a blank page of the Library of Truth, preparing to take the most crucial step in the plan—to use the power of the Mystic King to discover all unknown information, record it, and find a clear direction for the journey ahead.

To date, countless mysteries have shrouded this planet. Each time one mystery is solved, more appear, but there is no longer enough time for travelers to unravel them all. The witch's advance is relentless, leaving them no room to breathe. If they continue to passively accept their fate, they will inevitably make a mistake. In this situation, Ovira's royal power becomes the key to breaking the deadlock.

Only she, only the Mysterious Royal Authority, could ignore the riddle and see the answer directly. "Only I... can do it..."

Ovira murmured to herself, trying to bolster her confidence, then stared silently at a blank page in the book, mentally contemplating the mystery she was trying to uncover and its answer. Of course, among all the secrets so far, the one that interested her most, was most crucial to the current situation, and most intimately connected to the young princesses' power, was…

"What is Lin Ge's true identity?"

The instant her thought landed, the words that had been constantly refreshing in the Library of Truth all simultaneously froze in an eerie stillness. In this book containing the myriad wisdom and countless mysteries of the universe, how many words would it take to represent all knowledge? Tens of millions? Billions? Even trillions? It was an immeasurable vastness. When they all stopped moving at the same moment, Ovira felt a chill run down her spine: if the constant refreshing and flowing of words represented the continuous updating of knowledge in the world, then didn't that mean that at the very moment she posed that question, all knowledge in the universe ceased to be updated?
It wasn't a simple pause; it was more like a sophisticated instrument suddenly malfunctioning. But the instrument itself was fine, and the operating method was correct, so why did it malfunction? Ovira couldn't help but recall an interesting anecdote Alice had once told her. Alice had described to her the technological products of her alternate world, which was Earth. It was said that electronic machines called computers could store extremely large amounts of data, and Alice even compared them to her own "Library of Truth."

However, even a system formed from the technological system and wondrous wisdom of beings from another world has its limits. If the amount of data recorded or read simultaneously exceeds these limits, the entire system will instantly crash. Ovira felt this was very similar to her current situation.

The pen paused on the fragile paper, Ovira's expression shifting between light and shadow. The Library of Truth was issuing a warning to its master: the answer to the question was not unknowable, but the price would be extremely heavy. Everything in this world has a price; gain comes with a cost, and knowledge is no exception. Admittedly, as the ruler of the Mysterious Kingdom, the administrator of world knowledge, Ovira's authority within this great library was naturally higher than others, allowing her to avoid many restrictions and costs. However, there were still those in this universe with higher authority than her, and if it concerned knowledge related to that person, no price seemed excessive.

So, is Lin Ge's true identity related to his mother?

Ovira's feelings were complicated. On one hand, she didn't want to believe it, but on the other hand, she felt it was the only possibility. Of course, other possibilities couldn't be ruled out. For example, Linger might have no relation to her mother at all, and he might even be "knowledge" that her mother couldn't comprehend. This wasn't without precedent. For instance, her mother always said a phrase that had profoundly influenced her beloved daughters countless times: "True feelings will never hurt anyone."

But what exactly is the definition of sincerity? What is the scope of harm? And, most importantly, what exactly is emotion? Even the gods who created all living things cannot answer this question. In fact, even in that alien world called Earth, which He regarded as a model, no one can answer this question, right? It's as if emotions are innate. Driven by emotions, it's not surprising that mortals make any choice, yet at the same time, it's astonishing. It's such a contradictory, complex, opposing yet unified thing.

Therefore, in the Library of Truth, if you ask "What are human emotions?", you will not get an answer. It will only list a large number of books, all of which are works by mortals studying, defining, and attempting to understand emotions. Sometimes they are arguments, sometimes expressions, and sometimes cold, hard proofs, but none of the conclusions are trustworthy, because no one can draw conclusions without the interference of emotions and achieve absolute objectivity.

Is this the case for Linger?
Ovira immediately ruled out this possibility. Of course, she had no evidence; she simply didn't want to connect the dots. If the young man was only related to her mother, that would be fine. But if it involved knowledge that even her mother couldn't comprehend… then Princess Beman would feel that he had suddenly become so distant, as if he had gone to a place that was within reach yet could never be reached.

Such a judgment seems very emotional, doesn't it? But this precisely confirms what I just said: no one can answer the questions of emotion, because everyone is affected by it.

Hopefully, things will turn out as we wish.

When this thought arose, Ovira had already made her decision. She revered knowledge and never presumed to possess all the world's secrets simply because of her status as a ruler of the Mysterious Kingdom. She knew that some wisdom would not bring benefit but would only drag you into a darker abyss—what mortals call the "curse of knowledge." Learning how to accept knowledge is a profound art. Knowing what books to read in what circumstances, and what knowledge to use to deal with what dangers—unlike fighting, survival, and competition, learning is not an instinct; it is a complete set of theories developed later in life.

Now, it's time to test this theory again.

and so--

“There is no need to be afraid,” she said to the Library of Truth, but her tone was more like she was speaking to herself. “All knowledge brings enlightenment, especially when you need it. So, tell me the answer.”

Regarding the question I most want to know.

As she said those words, Ovira suddenly seemed to remember something, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily curled upwards.

Alice's joking tone echoed in his mind again; in her words, his current choice was...

Ignore the risks and continue with the installation?
Give me some cats