Alice in the Land of Steam

The Black Death, plague, cholera, green grass disease, crystallization disease, petrification disease, pneumoconiosis, migratory bird disease, cold disasters, wind disease, berserk disease… Every race, every civilization, and every life in this world has only been able to survive this trial of life by overcoming countless evil and stubborn diseases. However, those enemies they have defeated have never truly left; they merely lie dormant in their bloodlines, sharpening their claws and waiting for an opportunity to make a comeback.

Today, they have all returned, as if summoned from the dust of myths and ancient legends, determined to create a death a thousand times more devastating than in history, making those pitiful and insignificant lives that once defeated them but also forgot themselves pay a price a thousand times more painful than in history.

No one can escape this trial, because it is an integral part of survival.

In the dark and silent forest, a solitary tree spirit trudged along. On its withered body, from branches to roots, lush green grass grew, a vibrant facade masking a life force being constantly devoured and absorbed. It was as if everything it had received from nature's bounty was being returned through this bizarre ailment. The wind sprite, most adept at listening to the wind and discerning direction, wandered aimlessly in the sky. Familiar sights filled the air, yet it could not discern its true way home. Like a migratory bird that had lost its home, it circled the same spot again and again until it was exhausted. In the shallow residential area of ​​the Feather Mine, coughs rose and fell, eventually merging into a boiling, shrill roar like the ocean waves. The dust and smog of the underground world constantly eroded the fragile lungs, bringing the most painful torment and the longest punishment.

The petrification of the sand giants, the crystallization of the stag-headed spirits, the unbearable cold plague for the Yanbona clan, the wind disease that was almost a death sentence for the harpies, the berserk disease that made the already irritable and easily angered dwarves bloodthirsty and brutal, and the Black Death, plague, and even cholera, which were terrifying disasters for all life... But death is not the end; what follows is fate.

……

On the continent of Sigria, in the Republic of White City, the capital city of Fontainebleau, the headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller, known as the "Holy Land on Earth," has never been so chaotic and noisy. It's as if everyone here, whether medical staff or patients, has unanimously forgotten the two sentences engraved at the entrance of the hospital lobby: "Do not fear physical illness, do not forget the peace of mind."

The stench of sweat, blood, and the bitter aroma of herbs mingled in a suffocating veil, with groans and coughs rising and falling like waves. The five hundred beds were already full; benches, floors, and even the corners of the corridors were crammed with ashen-faced patients. A child huddled in a corner, the black spots on his arm spreading visibly, like ink seeping into white paper. An old man next to him coughed violently, his phlegm mixed with scarlet blood. In the distance, a middle-aged man suddenly sprang to his feet, three monks desperately holding down his wildly flailing limbs, his eyes completely bloodshot, and foamy saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth.

Mother Teresa strode through the chaotic crowd, the register in her hand crumpled at the edges. Her voice was hoarse, but she tried her best to remain calm: "Prioritize the treatment of seriously ill patients, classify suspected cases, and send patients with the most infectious diseases to the isolation area on the east side! Pharmacy team, how much distilled water do you have? What about gauze and masks?"

"Sister! The east isolation area is full!" A novice monk stumbled in, his white robe stained with filth. "Where should we put the thirty newly arrived patients?"

Theresa forced herself to calm down. She was forty-two years old and had only been a member of the Witches' Society for nine years, but she had already served in the Knights Hospitaller for twenty years. She had risen from a trainee nurse to become the captain's right-hand woman and a capable assistant in charge of logistics and deployment. She had presided over thousands of charitable medical clinics, experienced three regional plagues, and even a refining contamination incident. Although none of them had ever come as suddenly, quickly, and without warning as today's disaster, she was still confident that she could get through it smoothly.

It wasn't for myself, but for the patient's life.

“Open the underground storage facility and clear out the space.” Her voice was surprisingly calm. “I remember there were originally reserve drugs and medical resources in the storage facility that were planned to be sent to the Eastern Continent. Put them all into use. Also, spread this message so that patients know we will not abandon anyone and give them confidence.”

Based on her experience dealing with illness, she knows that sometimes, faith is the most effective medicine.

The novice monks departed at the order, while Mother Teresa continued to perform her duties: patrolling the wards, directing operations, arranging logistics, and boosting morale. Under her direction and presence, the situation, though still tense, had been managed to maintain order. With the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller absent for some reason, only Mother Teresa, as the Grand Master's assistant and also a philosopher of the Order, could command the trust of her colleagues and reassure the patients.

But the nun wasn't as calm as she appeared. She kept secretly clutching the silver badge of the Hospitallers on her chest, pondering the same question countless times—a question shared by every monk, medical staff, and patient at headquarters: Where had Lady Perec gone? The one who had single-handedly established the Hospitallers and the Red Cross, reformed the outdated medical system, vigorously promoted charitable clinics and inexpensive herbal remedies, and was even regarded as a saint on earth, and who was also a saint of the gardens and shrubs?

The medical staff and patients had such doubts because they knew Lady Peregrine's character well; she would never desert her post in the face of disaster, much less sit idly by while patients suffered from illness. Mother Teresa had the same doubts, but she knew the answer.

Of the entire Knights Hospitaller, only Theresa, the Society's philosopher, knew where Lady Perec had gone.

Before she left, she only said one sentence to Mother Teresa: "I am going to the Eastern Continent to carry out a secret mission. During this time, I entrust the affairs of the Knights Hospitaller to you, Mother Teresa."

Mother Teresa had already sensed something amiss, not only because Lady Peregrine seemed rather downcast, but also because the Eastern Continent was hardly a desirable land for the Witch Society. While the Western Continent nations had indeed reaped enormous profits from their colonial wars, the Society's Eden Plan had met with fierce resistance and made little progress; the secular rulers' involvement in war was based on returns, while the Society's involvement seemed limitless, already mired in the quagmire of war; and of course, there was an even more important reason… not long ago, a witch had perished on the Eastern Continent.

Dark Witch, Lady Caraboss. This was the most devastating defeat the Society had ever suffered since its founding, even surpassing the Steam Holy War. Because, even in that Holy War that swept across the entire Western Continent, even when facing Alexander, the steam machine god who could manipulate time and space, the Society had never lost its witch-level power.

In the ten thousand years since the Society's founding, it has not been without losing important companions: General Napoleon, who turned the tide of the Hundred Years' War; the glorious and holy Joan of Arc; Mida and Dayan, who were willing to perish together with Alexander the Machine God to uphold human dignity; Solomon, who filled the gap in the magical system (although he defected rather than sacrificed himself)... Their departures are certainly saddening, but not so profound, because everyone firmly believes that the Witch Society will not stagnate because of the loss of any philosopher; it will forever remain vibrant, constantly evolving, until it reaches the future of humanity and the world...

The premise is that the witch is still alive.

For an organization bearing the name "Witch," what difference is there between losing a witch and losing one's faith? The members often consider those fanatical religious figures incomprehensible, entrusting their lives and ideals to something external. But haven't they themselves reached their current heights step by step under the guidance of the witches? They've long been accustomed to the witches steering the ship, adjusting the direction of this vast organization, and they simply need to follow. This has even become an instinct, to the point that when they lose her, they are at a loss, filled with unease.

Mother Teresa could hardly imagine what kind of enemy could defeat that powerful and mysterious Dark Witch. She was worried about Lady Perec's secret mission and tried to persuade her to stay, but she was defeated by the determination in Perec's eyes and could not say anything to stop her. In the end, she could only silently offer her blessings and pray that she would have a safe journey. But in fact, at that time, she already had a vague sense of unease in her heart, because she knew Perec too well. Their relationship was not only that of superior and subordinate, but also that of like-minded partners and supportive friends.

She knew all too well that the gentle and kind witch was, in essence, fragile. Her obsession with saving lives wasn't just driven by ideals; perhaps it was also a way of saving her past self. She also knew that someone as fragile as her, once she developed an obsession, would likely be even more stubborn and irrational than others. She would do everything in her power, at any cost, even at the cost of her own life, to fulfill her so-called long-cherished wish.

The gentle and kind-hearted Emerald Hermit is dedicated to saving lives tormented by illness, ensuring that all the lonely and helpless receive equal aid, just as she swore when she founded the Knights Hospitaller: "With the compassion of a healer and the love of plants, I wish to heal all the suffering in the world. Regardless of wealth, nationality, race, or faith, all who step through this door are my brothers and sisters."

But the fragile yet obsessive plague witch... might just become the source of disaster?
Thinking of this, Mother Teresa bit her lower lip and turned her gaze towards the commander's office on the second floor. The windows were tightly closed, and the curtains were drawn, creating a stark contrast with the chaotic scene below. She could hear the hurried footsteps of medical staff and the suppressed breathing of patients. Never before had she felt so uneasy. This plague had come so strangely, spreading from the most common fever and cold to infectious diseases like the Black Death, plague, and cholera that had once driven humanity to the brink of destruction. The scope and extent of its spread were unprecedented in the history of Mirror Star.

How exactly can these diseases with different symptoms, different pathologies, and different causes erupt at the same time? Mother Teresa felt a chill run down her spine, stubbornly refusing to let the answer enter her mind, but this resistance was meaningless; it was merely another way of tacitly acknowledging its existence.

Perhaps I am more fragile than Lady Pereke?
The nun chuckled to herself, and for some reason, suddenly remembered something unrelated to the present moment.

Shortly after the Dark Witch's funeral, the philosopher Freud, formerly Lord Carabosse's lieutenant, secretly visited the nun, claiming to represent Lord Feuerbach's will. He invited her to join a plan aimed at changing the Society's current state, stating that many philosophers within the Society had already agreed, including Heng, Yelena, Melchiordes, and Victoria. Mother Teresa had long anticipated that the Dark Witch's fall might cause some changes within the Society, but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly, and in the most despicable way: conspiracy, betrayal, and political infighting.

Can these behaviors, once despised and scorned by the elite of the organization, now be openly displayed and branded with the names of ideals and change? For an organization that prides itself on idealism, is this a long-brewing hidden danger, or the beginning of corruption and depravity?
Mother Teresa's sole purpose was to save lives. Her joining the Witches' Society and becoming a philosopher was merely a way to go further down that path. She had no interest in complex political struggles, nor could she see any ideal she could achieve at the cost of intrigue and betrayal. Therefore, she rejected Freud's offer. Before leaving, he left her with a meaningful remark: "You just haven't realized it yet, Mother Teresa."

The subtext is that one day you'll realize it.

At that time, the nun hadn't yet grasped the meaning of those words, but they seemed to have touched a hidden corner of her heart. Therefore, although she rejected Freud's suggestion, she never told Lady Perec or the other witches about it. And now, at this most special moment, it resurfaced in her mind and wouldn't leave.

In other words, did you eventually realize it?
Mother Teresa pondered, if, if the source of this disaster was indeed the captain she once admired and revered, the saint of the garden, the gentle and kind plague witch, then what had been the purpose of her perseverance and enlightenment all these years? The lives she had saved in the past were being returned to her today—was this what Lady Peregrine wanted to see?

That's not gentleness, but cruelty; not kindness, but hypocrisy; not atonement, but... betrayal.

Perhaps it's time for me to reconsider Freud's proposals and truly think about the future of humanity.

It's nothing more than giving up.

She gave up first… (End of Chapter)