Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 286 Is the maid asking for salary?
In the past, Avignon was a peaceful and tranquil village, which can be seen from the ruins left behind many years later. The small village has about a hundred households, scattered around a small circular square in the center of the village. The distance between each household is very wide, even to the point of being empty, perhaps so that the wind can freely gallop over the rolling hills and mountains when it comes, instead of constantly hitting the walls of the houses next to each other and losing its original freedom.

For this reason, the village is not large in size but occupies a very large area. It takes at least an hour to complete a complete tour from the entrance around the edge of the village.

In order to make better use of local wind resources, most of the houses here are built on higher ground, connected to each other by country roads paved with gravel and cobblestones. Each house is a windmill, with a cylindrical body built with slender square stones and painted white, but it can't cover the pits left by years of wind on the surface; the roof is a wooden cone with huge windmill blades installed, which looks like an open-air windmill tower from a distance.

And they are indeed called windmill tower houses by the locals. Unlike the small windmills in the urban area, windmills of this specification cannot be driven by ordinary winds. Only fierce and long-lasting raging winds can drive the wooden blades to rotate and rub, making a heavy and high-pitched sound.

Due to years of disrepair, most of the windmill tower houses in the Windmill Village ruins are closed for maintenance, and only a few intact houses are open to tourists. On normal days, one has to wait in line, but Lingge and others accidentally encountered a good opportunity. There were few tourists around, so they were able to tour around at will, as if they were enjoying the peace and tranquility here alone.

I gently pushed the old wooden door, and stepped onto the floor of one of the windmill tower rooms with the creaking sound of the door hinges. The old wooden floor had mottled cracks, and a wooden board in the corner was slightly tilted due to the loose structure. The dead grass in the deep winter poked its head out from the cracks, showing the decay. Perhaps in spring and summer it would be full of energy, reflecting the light in the room with its vibrant green, but now was not the time, so it just lowered its head silently, as if it had the same color as the wooden floor of this ancient era.

The reception area is at the entrance, which is furnished with local-style furniture and obviously shows signs of restoration. In the past, the people of Avignon would greet passing travelers with a cup of steaming primrose tea. Of course, it is still possible now, but you have to pay, and it must be during the primrose harvest season, but Linge and his group arrived late.

The corner area is the kitchen and dining area. At the base of the inconspicuous wall, there is a transparent spider web, but its owner is nowhere to be seen. Perhaps the staff of the scenic spot will discover its existence when they come to clean it next time, and then they will remove the dust and broken sand from the cracks in the rock bricks.

This looked like an ordinary house. Linger took a quick look and found no valuable clues, so he returned the same way. He closed the door again before leaving and heard the sour sound of the door hinges biting, which sounded like the wailing of elves in the wind. He looked up and saw Alice and a few friends gathered around another windmill tower on the opposite hillside, mumbling something to each other.

Through the open door, you can vaguely see the huge stone mill tool, which is connected to the windmill fixed on the top with wooden bearings and gears. The wind can drive the stone mill to grind grains, roll woolen cloth, make spices, etc. Obviously, this is a very common windmill mill in the local area.

Where is the angel bestowed by God who is suspected to be the girl's royal power that they are looking for hiding?

However, there is no trace of angels, and it is difficult to explain why the three parties chose this place as the venue when signing the Kresov Brass Book.

Not far away, Alice's voice could be heard faintly in the wind:

Windmills, tower houses, green spaces, squares, hills, ramps, ancient wells, railings, primrose fields, summer cherry trees everywhere, and the Saizeriya field that can be seen in the distance... This classic country-style scene is truly refreshing and a very livable place.

Windmill tower houses are traditional buildings in the Avignon area. They are extremely important to the locals. They are not only places to live, but also the main locations for agriculture and various production activities. Generally speaking, villagers in Avignon have at least one or two windmill tower houses as private property. Wealthy villagers can separate the tower houses for living and production, while poor villagers usually combine the two. For them, windmill mills are both places to work and places to live.

"This windmill looks pretty big, why don't we climb up and take a look?"

During the period when the windmill industry was most developed, some families lived in windmill towers for more than half a century. It was not until the construction of the new city of Avignon that the days when the people of Avignon lived with the wind came to an end.

"Ah? Why are you calling me a person of low quality? I have no quality to begin with!"

"Shamy has already flown up, why can't I go up? You are discriminating! Humph!"

"What a big mill, Metien, can you lift it up? Hmm? I'm not kidding, isn't the little girl Berserker a classic contrast?" "Unfortunately there is no wind now, the windmill doesn't move, and the millstones don't turn. I heard that traditional mills used to be pulled by donkeys. We don't have donkeys, so how about using lambs?"

"Wow! If you don't want to poop, then don't poop. Why are you biting me? Look, I'm going to cook you and make soup tonight... Uh, Xiaoxia, I was just kidding, hahaha."

"Hey, look what this is? There were some primroses in the field that I forgot to harvest, and now they belong to me! Come, Olvera, I'll help you put it on your head."

"Don't be so disgusted. Even though it has withered, it is still a flower after all. It is also a token of my love. Just accept it."

……

The group visited the Windmill Village ruins and left only when the scenic area closed. By then, the sky was gradually darkening and it was almost dusk. The blood-red twilight was smeared on the snow covering the streets and alleys, adding a bit of deep meaning to the chill of last night.

The girls were having a great time, especially Alice, who had an unsatisfied look on her face, as if she had forgotten the purpose of her visit. Lingge, who was alone and diligently searching for clues, found nothing, with a calm face and deep eyes, which formed a sharp contrast with the girls.

"It's a pity that I didn't bring a camera." Alice shouted, "Otherwise we could have taken a group photo as a souvenir!"

This guy... Lingge's eyebrows twitched when he heard it.

If Saint Xia Liya had not stepped forward in time and said to Alice in a gentle but admonishing tone, we are not here to play, but to find clues to the next young girl kingship... and so on, making the golden-haired maid lower her head guiltily and admit her mistake sincerely, he might have become even angrier.

However, although Alice is unreliable in most cases, she does have one advantage, that is, she is extroverted enough and good at dealing with people. She can chat with anyone she meets. Although she is sometimes easily regarded as a psychopath due to her low IQ, it is also because of this that she is not likely to arouse other people's suspicion, which makes up for some of her intellectual disadvantages.

Realizing that now was not the time to have fun, Alice returned to the hotel and began to use her strengths to actively seek information. Specifically, she used a not-so-subtle method to ask the hotel owner and employees about the rumors about the brass scroll, angels, and treasures. These locals must know something that outsiders don't know, right?

Then she sat at the counter and chatted with the boss over a glass of water for a full half hour. When she finally returned to the room, Lingge asked her what she had learned. The golden-haired maid crossed her arms and said confidently, "Yes!"

Really?
"What is it?"

"My boss advised me to be down-to-earth and not to indulge in these absurd fantasies. The stories in novels about finding treasure and becoming rich overnight are all kidding. He also told me that if I couldn't find a job, I could consider working as a receptionist in his hotel. He would pay me about 1 shilling in the Kingdom of Great Brittany per week, and a little more during the peak tourist season. It would also include food and lodging... By the way, when will you pay me, Lingge?"

Then Lingge sent her back to the room.

You shouldn't have any expectations of her.

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)