Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 182 Does caring make people feel uncomfortable?

The incandescent flames were burning like starlight, diluting the frost-like mist, and shrouding the area in a cool and quiet atmosphere. Olvera sat in front of the burning fire with her hands on her knees, staring blankly at the crystal fragments that kept drifting in the fire, watching them fluttering like light butterflies, gradually flying away into the distance that was beyond her sight.

Linger stood on the pile of bricks and stones after the tower collapsed, with his back to Olvera, looking at the towering dome. If he moved his eyes downward, he could see broken tiles and ruins everywhere, as if they were completely surrounded by collapsed ruins inherited from ancient times.

The ruins were filled with a long-lasting mournful sound, like a cry or a song, floating and echoing, hitting the collapsed tower and echoing back and forth. They had witnessed the falling of the sea of ​​stars here, so they felt an incomparable shock of life, and even the most stubborn half of the wall would be moved by the low lamentation in the wailing.

On a slightly flat open space where neither the broken bricks nor the shadows of the ruins could reach, Alice was waving her weapon and laughing, having a lot of fun.

However, what she was wielding was not the holy sword Broken Steel, but a golden chain that was more than twenty meters long at first glance, with countless sophisticated and complex runes engraved on its surface. It looked mysterious, profound and sacred at first glance, and it did not look like it was meant to bind tangible entities, but rather to bind some intangible and intangible concepts.

The golden holy chain floated around Alice's body, with one end wrapped around her left forearm like a vine clinging to a tree; at the other end hung a huge diamond-shaped crystal pendant, which was also golden, but the gold had become somewhat dull, as if it had been covered in dust for many years and faded into an old brass color.

Every corner of the diamond is extremely sharp and can easily cut human skin and flesh. When there is no one controlling it, it, together with the chain at the end, will fall down on the head of the holder and sway slowly from side to side. Its appearance reminds people of the timekeeping instrument called a table clock. Perhaps this is the origin of its name.

Holy Lock-Pendulum of Fate.

Alice raised her hand slightly, and the sacred golden chain quickly entangled and tightly trapped the imaginary enemy; then she exerted force again, and the tightly entangled holy chain instantly gathered, turning into a straight line and stabbing forward at such a fast speed that circles of circular air currents exploded in the void.

"Bounce back?"

"Alas!?"

What followed was pure nonsense. If it were Ling Ge, he would not have listened, but the audience at the moment was Saint Xia Liya, so he still listened very carefully, nodding or shaking his head from time to time to express his agreement or disagreement.

"That's not the case." Avella recovered from her panic and gradually calmed down. She shook her head and said, "I was just surprised. I didn't expect Mr. Lingge to take the initiative to... care about me?"

It was Saint Charlia who had just been awakened. She was holding her lamb and standing by, quietly watching the performance of the golden-haired maid. Her elegant and dignified posture formed a sharp contrast with the latter.

Olvera was startled and turned around in panic, just in time to meet Lingge's gaze. The latter's eyes were calm but a little speechless, as if he didn't understand why her reaction was so intense.

"Not bad, not bad." Alice nodded with satisfaction: "I have completely mastered the operation of this weapon!"

It would be reasonable if it were Alice, but Alice has always been carefree. I'm afraid that even if I sigh in front of her, she won't notice anything unusual.

Then, a gentle and peaceful girl's voice sounded: "That's not how it's used, Alice."

Seeing how happy they were chatting, Avella's eyes showed a bit of envy. She also wanted to join in the conversation between the two, but she couldn't find a chance to get in. There was a Lingge behind her, but he didn't seem to like talking much, and even if she talked to him, what topics could she talk about?

"Isn't that how it's used?" Alice swung the chain casually. "But it's very easy for me to use."

"I just heard you sighing." Ling Ge took a step forward and walked to the princess' side, standing in the same line as her, but they still kept at least three steps away from each other. This was the most appropriate social distance for young people, just the right distance. "That's why I asked you this. If you feel offended, I apologize."

"Bah!"

Saint Shallia shook her head gently: "The Holy Chain is not a weapon used to hurt others. It can only help you find opportunities to fight back in adversity, just like... fate. Fate will never hurt anyone, but will help them find the only way to survive among all the impossible trajectories."

It must have felt very hard.

Alice scratched her cheek. "To put it bluntly, it means opposition, right?"

She sighed slightly, and at this moment, a voice suddenly came from behind her: "What's bothering you?"

Saint Shallia tilted her head, and her lamb tilted its head too. The former was very cute, while the latter was annoying. Alice gave the lamb a look of disdain, and then explained: "It's just about defending first and then counterattacking. For those more difficult bosses, mindless parrying is the best way to fight. It's stable and safe. You know, I started practicing parrying when I was a child, and now I can deflect the boss's attack with my eyes closed. Everyone calls me Little Wolf..."

A disdainful cry of sheep came from the side, questioning her self-boasting.

"so complicated."

"you misunderstood."

Lingge replied calmly: "I don't mean to care about you, but someone once told me that I can't sit idly by and do nothing when someone is in trouble. That would go against the teachings of the goddess."

Perhaps his answer was too straightforward, which made Avella stunned for a moment. After she reacted, she felt a burning sensation on her face: Did I misunderstand? Mr. Lingge was not only like this to himself, but also to everyone who had difficulties.

However, to say it so bluntly is too...unable to understand girls' hearts.

The princess blushed, lowered her head silently, buried her complaining and lamenting eyes in her knees, and said in a voice as thin as a mosquito: "I'm sorry, I misunderstood."

"This is not something that requires apology." Ling Ge said without further asking her why she sighed just now.

The two stopped talking, and the atmosphere fell into silence for a while. After a few minutes, in order to ease the strange atmosphere, Ovella spoke again and asked softly: "Mr. Lingge, you mentioned the goddess just now. Excuse me, is she the god you believe in?"

"It is."

Sort of? What a strange answer. Can faith be so ambiguous? Just like the light elves all believe in light and stay away from darkness, no light elf would ever claim that they "sort of" believe in light. That would be too disrespectful.

Olvera was a little confused and wanted to find out more. She was always interested in knowledge that she didn't understand. "If you don't mind, can you tell me about the deeds and teachings of this goddess? I don't know why, but I always feel familiar with her. Maybe I have seen her record in a book before?"

Seen it?
Linger looked at her deeply, and retracted his gaze before she noticed, and said calmly: "If I were still in Tianxin Church, I would be happy to tell you what is mentioned in the Canon, but not now."

"Oh."

In other words, you can’t tell yourself?
Avella responded with disappointment, and then she heard Lingge say, "If you really want to know, then after you leave this castle, you can ask Miss Saint Xia Liya. She knows more about this than I do, and I'm afraid she will be happy to tell you about it."

Miss Saint Charia?

Ovilla looked up at the quiet and peaceful shepherdess because of his words. Thinking of her strange behavior before, she couldn't help but pursed her lips. She originally just wanted to think about it, but somehow she said it out loud: "It may be a bit offensive to say this, but I feel that she is... very strange, Mr. Ling. The way she looks at me is very warm and caring, sometimes reminding me of my parents. But I have never known her, why does she look at me like this? Miss Alice also said that she is my sister. But I have never had a sister, and she is not a light elf..."

The princess subconsciously hugged her knees tightly, her eyes filled with confusion and uneasiness.

Lingge listened to her words, and his mind vaguely recalled the scene when they were camping in the forest before, when the shepherdess gently put her hand on his head and comforted him softly. At that time, she said that it was an instinctive action of the body, as if she had done similar actions countless times in the past; and he therefore concluded that she must have been a very good sister in the past.

Perhaps that's the conclusion, but after all memories have been washed away by water, some things need to be readjusted, whether it's the shepherdess who wants to be a good sister, or the princess who is worried about the future.

He said, “One day you’ll understand.”

"What day is it?"

Olvera rested her head on her knees and murmured, "I don't even know if I can leave this castle."

Although we have passed the first two corridors, the road ahead is longer and more difficult.

No one knows how many accidents will happen in the process.

Ling was speechless for a moment. If it was Alice, she would have told her with confidence that there would be no problem, she could definitely pass the level, and she could definitely leave this cage-like castle together... But the person standing here at this moment was not Alice, but Ling.

Perhaps due to his personality, he was unable to utter such confident, enthusiastic and encouraging words.

So, I could only utter one word gently:

"kindness."

The princess looked up at him as if she had heard something incredible. Lingge also lowered his head and looked at him calmly.

After a while.

"puff!"

Ovella suddenly curved her eyebrows and laughed out loud.

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)