Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 103: Can humans not face their fate?
The proprietress, Shesta, sent the two men to the door of the hotel, and then removed the fairy's magic for them. Then, in this remote little park, under the ancient sycamore tree that no one appreciated, two figures appeared like magic.

The slightly thin young man was able to return to the world in his original form, but the sunlight above his head dazzled him, and his vision was a little blurry. He raised his hand to block a white-gold beam of light, raised his head slightly, and stared at the palm-shaped split leaves on the branches, looking for traces of the past among those transparent veins like blood vessels.

It is hard to imagine that the starry sky that was so far away yesterday is suddenly within reach today. On the rough brown tree trunks, one can vaguely find traces of the spread of ancient mountains. The grass underfoot was once a mysterious and deep primitive jungle, where monsters covered with heavy shells flew in groups. The buzzing sound of their wings was like the roar of old-fashioned propellers, giving people a sense of oppression like a fuel airship. Now it is only covered with withered yellow leaves, hiding the countless forest paths leading to the secret realm below.

Life is great and small at the same time.

Retracting his gaze, Ling Ge slightly shifted his gaze and asked the girl beside him: "Leave now?"

Saint Shalia nodded gently: "Yes."

So they left the park and walked towards Sherriel Street. There was no need to worry about getting lost, because between the young man's fingers, a golden line was slowly flowing, drifting towards an unknown world beyond intuition. It was a signpost guiding the way forward and a symbol of destiny, but no one except Lingge and Saint Shalia could see its existence.

If you follow this line, you will get the answer. This is what Saint Shallia said, but when Ling asked her how far the line would extend, the girl replied, "I don't know."

"People's destiny is infinite." She told Lingge in a soft and soothing voice: "Sometimes, even after death, their destiny will continue, entangled between the lips and teeth of people chanting their names, and in the fragments of memory that occasionally flash. Therefore, the motto of the Moruoya people often says: Don't look directly at destiny. They have seen through the laws of the world, but they still retain the primitive awe."

Her voice was mixed with the gurgling sound of the canal on the street. An insect that looked like a mantis or an orchid was standing on the leaf of a lotus and drinking water. A few drops of transparent water were on the end of its wing sheath. The lamb stood by the canal and looked at it. Suddenly, it bleated twice, and the cry woke up a silver chain fish under the lotus leaf.

Humans and other species are so closely connected that they are indistinguishable from each other?

The girl's words reminded Ling Ge of the first time they met. At that time, he mistook Saint Xia Liya, who was leading the lamb, for a Morya with a strange temperament. Later, when he quickly glanced at her silver pointed ears under her blue hair, he realized that it was not the case.

"If I remember correctly," Linger glanced at her, "you are a silver elf."

It sounds incredible. At least in the history that Lingge has learned, there is no description that mentions it, not even the slightest hint. Perhaps we can only find some traces by looking for folk anecdotes handed down from ancient times.

Although the Moriahs are a strange and mysterious nation, always on the road of wandering and are regarded by many as monsters that bring disaster, at their core, they are still part of the human race.

Saint Shallia paused for a moment, and then a trace of loss appeared in her eyes. She whispered softly, "Sorry, I forgot."

"This is not surprising, because a long time ago, the connection between humans and aliens was always close, sometimes even indistinguishable from each other. The Moryas simply inherited the memories of their ancestors - more memories than you do."

Ling Ge suddenly asked: "You said a long time ago, how long ago was it?"

I just didn’t expect: “You are so familiar with their traditions.”

The girl said, "I once had the honor of communicating with the oldest fortune-teller among them, and benefited a lot from it."

"so."

"I do not know."

……

Strolling through the streets and alleys of the city, looking for the freedom and vitality hidden in roadside gardens, community parks, window flower beds, roadside shrubs, etc., has always been the most traditional activity in Rustin. Although newspapers and magazines call it "leisure walk time in the afternoon", locals prefer to describe its nature as "a fresh adventure", which may indicate the influence of the nearby Sossen Mountains on urban residents, and a certain culture has been rooted in their bones and blood. The poet De Sesser, who wrote poems in Midhare Park, said: "... When I stand under these endless towering trees, I often feel like an adventurer in the pioneering era, about to go deep into the unknown areas of mankind and complete the great mission given by instinct..."

Why was the inn industry in Rustin so prosperous ten centuries ago? Because at that time, the wave of development was sweeping across the West. At the call of the Development Decree, everyone rushed to the dark forests, canyons, swamps and wastelands that had not yet been set foot by humans, chasing visible wealth or illusory honor.

The Sosen Mountains were not immune to this wave of development. The mountains are rich in resources: including herbs, minerals, trees, wild animals... For some people, they were born to be occupied by humans.

Therefore, during that period, the city boundary of Rostin City moved more than 300 miles toward the mountains, causing the original grazing area to be replaced by adventurers' tents, temporary hostels and towering buildings. The shepherd boys had to drive the sheep to more distant fields, just like driving a large gray and white cloud to the other side of the sky, thus causing the ancestors of the current sheep to lose their hometown passed down from generation to generation.

One point that needs special attention is that until the end of the pioneering era, humans had not yet completely conquered this huge mountain range, as if it were an iceberg exposed above the sea, with no bottom to be seen.

Today, the exploration of the unknown has been gradually replaced by the inspiration of art. I remember saying that the "prosperity" and "luxuriance" of Rustin City can actually refer to the "prosperity" and "luxuriance" of art, because the beautiful natural environment is a natural and suitable place for artists who are interested in exploring the classics of human aesthetics. Invited by inspiration, they gathered here spontaneously, giving Rustin City another transcendent appearance.

It can also be called: the city of theaters, orchestras, writers, bards, comedians and street artists.

"Sir, could you spare me five minutes to allow me to leave your image on this portrait? It's free and I won't charge you anything..."

"Sorry, I'm in a hurry."

Linge rejected the street painter's proposal outright, causing him to reveal an expression of undisguised disappointment.

Saint Xia Liya watched quietly from the side until the painter left, then she suddenly said to Ling Ge: "The fourth time."

This was the fourth time that Linger had been approached by wandering artists on the street. Two of them wanted to paint his portrait; one was to invite him to a free concert in a nearby cafe, which was actually a private performance by a folk orchestra; and another time was a poet from the White City Republic who confidently asked him to appreciate his most proud work. This familiar sentence pattern suddenly made Linger's mind emerge with the face of the bartender, so he politely declined.

"You are very popular." Saint Xia Liya made a judgment based on what she saw with her own eyes, because other pedestrians on the street were indeed approached much less frequently than Lingge.

Perhaps it is because the young people in front of me have a unique temperament, and most artists happen to be obsessed with unique styles, even those "half-way artists" who have not yet achieved success and can only seek recognition from passers-by on the street are no exception. Their dreams are still in progress, but they have seen the appearance of their dreams being given results, so their eyes are full of longing and hope.

So, what is the unique thing that people who pursue their dreams see in Lingge?

Before Saint Xia Liya could figure it out, she heard the young man reply calmly: "In fact, you are more suitable to appear in their portraits than me."

If we talk about who is different, it is obviously the girl holding the lamb who is more different.

However, no one spoke to her.

because.

"Ordinary people cannot see me." Saint Shallia said softly, "Just as they cannot look directly at their fate."

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)