Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 288 Is this a premonition from the bottom of my heart?
The grace of the Shepherd's Path will provide users with untimed, uncontrollable, irregular, and unclear inspiration, which can sometimes help them find their place in the complicated torrent of the world. Therefore, when they feel confused and don't know where to go, they use this magic and pray that inspiration will come to their minds. This has become the first habit of many Shepherd's Path magicians.

Ling Ge had just become a magician and had not yet developed such a habit, so he shook his head and said, "There is no need for that."

Saint Shalia tilted her head in confusion, her long eyelashes trembling slightly: "Why?"

"Because I have tried it before." The young man said, "The guidance of the [Destiny Beacon] is only limited to the vicinity of Avion City. It cannot be more detailed, so I think this is a futile attempt."

In fact, as early as the first day of searching without any clues, Lingge asked Saint Xia Liya to use the power of [Destiny Beacon] to try to accurately locate the location of the legend. But the result was just as he said, the golden thread pulled by [Destiny Beacon] surrounded the entire city of Avion, with a wide range and vague, difficult to track.

This must be its principle: it can only guide people in the direction, but will not directly lead people to the answer. If it does so, people are not guided by fate, but at most puppets on the stage controlled by others.

but.

"I'm not talking about the [Destiny Beacon]." Saint Shallia blinked: "I mean, try using your grace magic."

Is there any difference?

Lingge thought, if even the [Fate Beacon], which is the embodiment of the royal power of fate, cannot break the dilemma, what role can a mere "Premonition", a grace magic of the Shepherd's Path Sequence 9, play?

Lingge pressed his forehead and found no special changes. He felt the same as usual.

This statement really sounded like a line that only appeared in fairy tales to coax children to sleep. At least at Ling's age, he shouldn't believe such childish things. But when he saw Saint Shallia's clear and clean pupils, he was silent for a moment. A strange thought suddenly emerged in his mind, as if he should not let these spotless and clear eyes be stained with some dark colors called gloom or disappointment, just like not being able to knock open the white pebbles at the bottom of the river and let the water wash and corrode them to form ugly holes.

He guided his spirit, extending it to the first fruit bred on the ancient sacred tree that stood tall in the vast sea of ​​ether, ignited it with some mysterious power, and "saw" it release a surging red beam of light, like a star shining brightly in the infinite universe. A strange feeling that could not be described in words gradually flowed through his body and merged with his spirit and flesh, but it was fleeting and could not be captured.

The grace magic of the Shepherd's Path is perhaps the most unpredictable, difficult to use and the most uncontrollable of all the paths. It will not bring you any substantial changes. Only the premonition that cannot be described in words is waiting for the arrival of an unpredictable opportunity.

It's worth a try.

She stared at the young man in front of her, her eyes quiet and serious.

"That's not the case." Saint Shallia seemed to be able to guess what the young man was thinking. She shook her head and said in a serious tone, "The two are different, Lingge. [Destiny Beacon] is interference from the outside world. No matter how profound the power that created it is, it is ultimately an influence and interference of the outside world on the rationality of life. But the magic of favor is different. It comes directly from your soul, from the power that has shaped your personality and spirit. In other words, it also comes from your heart."

The young man said to himself in his heart.

"When you don't know what to do, you should trust your heart, Ling."

He avoided her gaze and nodded slightly: "Yeah."

Trust your heart?

However, how can someone who desperately needs some kind of premonition to guide himself endure such boring and torturous waiting?
"Don't worry, Lingge." The shepherdess's gentle comfort came to my ears: "Things that cannot be described in words, cannot be seen by the naked eye, and cannot be touched with hands... will make people feel scared. However, the premonition you are waiting for must be within reach."

Linger whispered back, "I hope so."

...Afterwards, everyone toured the ruins of the windmill village as usual, visiting the scenes that they had become a little tired of seeing in the past few days. When they first saw them, they were still very fresh and would enthusiastically discuss whether the dilapidated and empty first floor of the windmill tower house had been a mill or a sawmill, and whether the windmill tower house that looked very old had a history of 700 years... But no matter how fresh the scene was, it could not withstand the monotonous and boring searching of a pair of eyes, so they soon got used to it.

Perhaps because she saw that Lingge was determined and would not change his mind easily, Alice no longer insisted on returning to Nimsher. She just thought that the World Expo was a dream, which would dissipate with the wind and be beside the paulownia window frame where she could see the sun at noon when she woke up in the morning. She made a concession and lowered her demands.

"How about we look for other places in the city?" The golden-haired maid actively offered a suggestion, but her real intention was obvious: "Whether it's the windmill in Sandam or the watchtowers... Since we can't find any clues here, why don't we go to other attractions? Maybe we can find something unexpected?"

Lingge did not agree. After all, the only clue at present, the Ancient Kresov Brass Book, did not mention that the covenant was signed at the Sandam Windmill or the watchtower group. Moreover, some attractions were actually built after the Avignon Village was converted into the City of Avignon, and had little to do with the windmill village of the Middle Ages.

Alice was extremely dissatisfied with being rejected, and ran back to play with Olvera. Ever since she tried to rebel against her employer last time but was betrayed and brutally suppressed, she vowed not to play with the two traitors (a pink-haired little girl and a traveler fairy) for at least a week. Unless they apologized, she would only play with Olvera.

Although the princess of Beman didn't seem very happy to play with her, but... Alice didn't care.

She can play with whoever she wants. This is the confidence and freedom of being a talented gamer!
probably.

Olvera, who was hiding behind the summer cherry tree reading a book but was still annoyed by the harassment of the golden-haired maid, Metien and Shemi, who were standing under the windmill tower and looking up at the huge wooden fan wings, Saint Charlia and her lamb, who were standing on the hillside and looking up at the primrose field covered with snow in the distance... and Lingge, who was silently waiting for the premonition to come.

Several tourists from other places formed a unique landscape in the windmill village ruins. Other tourists were rarely seen. Even if there were people flashing by occasionally, they were just staff members of the scenic area who came to perform routine maintenance on these windmill towers and other ancient buildings in the village.

Avignon is deserted in winter, not a good season for sightseeing. However, in the low temperature that is enough to freeze the roots of primroses, there is a sense of peace and tranquility. Ling thought that if he returned to the Avignon village 700 years ago, he might feel nostalgic for this atmosphere. After all, this is his ideal ordinary life.

As we walked around, we unknowingly came to the circular square in the center of the village. The tower houses in the windmill village are all built on higher slopes or hills, connected to each other by small roads made of gravel and cobblestones. These interesting country stone roads are the reason why the village has added a touch of classical flavor. They are connected and extended to each other, but they will eventually converge on this square.

In the Middle Ages, villages of the same size would always have similar square-shaped public buildings, which were usually used for gatherings, discussing village affairs, drying grains, or occasionally serving as performance venues for traveling circuses. There is also an ancient well in the square of Avignon Village, which has not dried up to this day, but has now been closed, allegedly because too many tourists threw primrose petals into the well for blessings.

This is not a custom, it is purely a psychological need for self-satisfaction among tourists.

At this time, an elderly man stood by the well, leaning on a cane with both hands, staring quietly at the closed wellhead. His hair was meticulously groomed, his clothes were simple but clean, and he wore an old-fashioned canopy hat commonly seen in Avion villagers. It looked quite old, and the traces of patching made it look a little vicissitudes.

When the young man saw the old man, he suddenly had a strange feeling, as if the answer he was looking for was hidden in the old man.

Is it the effect of the magic of grace "premonition"?
Lingge was a little surprised, but he took a step forward subconsciously. When he came to his senses, he found that he was standing next to the old man, staring at the closed ancient well like him.

Sensing the arrival of the uninvited guest, the old man slowly raised his head. His old face was full of ravines left by the years, and the deep eye sockets hid the light of wisdom and thought. He spoke, his voice was not as hoarse as expected, but it was also in line with the leisurely and slowness that an elderly man should have: "Are you here to chat with an old man like me, young man?"

Lingge hesitated for a moment, but finally chose to believe his hunch. He nodded and said, "Yes, old sir, I do have something to ask you."

"I can tell."

The old gentleman smiled and said, “You seem to be looking for something here, young man.”

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)