Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 279 Will it snow tomorrow?

My ears were filled with sounds from all directions, the tinkling of various passing bells, the rumbling of carriages, the sad songs of the night watchmen, and the pedestrians walking on the streets through last night's snow, wetting their polished leather boots. The sound of their footsteps alone was comparable to the torrent of a great river, not to mention that everyone was trying hard to publicize and boast about the boundaries of their own thoughts.

The East and North Districts are brightly lit and are bustling even at night. During this expo, pavilions from various countries are open 24 hours a day, perhaps to welcome poets, pianists and midnight painters who are more inspired in the dark.

If you look up, you will see the outlines of the buildings casting huge shadows, the shining lights gathering into a river, and the dark crowds of people, like creatures in an unknown sea, vague and invisible.

The spire of the Lubeon Museum also rose and fell in the misty sea, and its raging waves rushed into the streets and alleys of Nimser, and an ancient lighthouse stood on this ancient land. The sounds of the market and the noise of tourists were more like the whispers of seashells and the murmurs of coral reefs.

In the past, when people still used primitive candles and torches, some people believed that they were lying at the bottom of the city's river. Even if there were lights beside them, they could not represent the power of civilization. They were just the glittering schools of fish swimming at the bottom of the river. The image of the city was thus reduced to a strange metaphor. In the era when the three rivers that washed the land of Nimsher dried up, a new river slowly flowed, drowning everyone in its silent tide.

So perhaps it can be assumed that the three mothers have not died yet, that they live in this new river, still whispering to the memory of their children. The followers of the Order of the Holy Spring also regard the shallowest river as the "Mother of Life", and the place with the most shrines and relics in the city is at the small pier where the gondolas dock, under the muddy riverbed wetted by the swirling current.

Rochelle walked out of a narrow, dim alley, raised her head, and her eyes swept across the brightly lit city buildings and fell on the silver moon hanging in the sky. Her expression was silent and serious.

In the process of contacting the Spring Spirit believers lurking in the city, he had sensed the traces of the Night Watchmen or the Balance of Order more than once. It seemed that the traces he left in the Salia Wilderness could not be concealed for too long. These guys with sensitive noses had already followed the smell and came to him, and were secretly watching, waiting for him to reveal a flaw.

Perhaps even his own plan had been seen through. At this moment, he had sent a message to the Chief Judge of the Balance of Order, who was far away on the Scarlet Night Gate, requesting the dispatch of the most magnificent, shocking, and unmatched force in the history of human civilization to crush all his ambitions or aspirations into residue and scatter them like snow-like powder.

Always make the most rational choice.

Most likely the former.

"It looks like it's going to snow tomorrow." A voice sounded softly beside his ear, asking in a clear and crisp voice, "What do you think, Lingge?"

If she could see him again, Rochelle thought, she should tell the young man: You are indeed a true believer.

He sighed silently, then put on his hood, turned and left the alley, heading towards his next destination.

……

This is called--

Rochelle whispered to herself, and at the same time, the face of the young man flashed through her mind. She wondered if he had listened to her advice and was planning to leave the city; or if he was dismissive of past history and regarded it as the delusion of a fool?

It is really desperate to fight against such an enemy.

Because faith itself is a kind of rationality.

Unfortunately now is not the time.

However, it doesn't matter.

After all, he is a rational man.

His original purpose was to confront that terrifying mecha head-on. Only by showing a power that was not inferior to it could he inject new courage into the believers of various religions who were fleeing and inspire them to fight. And, only in this way could the "Return of the Holy Spirit Day" that animism had always pursued finally come to this world.

The traveler walked all over the earth, pursuing his goal among the mountains and rivers, and his footsteps never stopped.

Faith also requires rationality, this is beyond doubt. The so-called fanatics are not the most fanatical people, but the most rational people. Because only rational people know what they believe in.

“When everyone is united, then we can achieve our goal.”

At the same time, Linger stood on the street outside the hotel, looking up at the night sky above his head. Through the dazzling lights, he saw a thick dark cloud carrying the cold breath of snow and moon, gradually eroding the edge of the city horizon. He couldn't help but think that it might snow tomorrow.

"I do not know."

The young man shook his head. “Maybe, maybe not—this is nonsense, but what I want to say is that I can’t predict what will happen tomorrow.”

"If that's the case, why are you still worried?" Saint Xia Liya asked, "You look like you're worried?" Linger looked at her strangely, thinking that the shepherdess's thinking was very strange: "Isn't it because tomorrow is full of unknowns that people are worried?"

The fear of the unknown is always rooted in the human heart and cannot be erased.

"Is that so?" Saint Shallia blinked her golden eyes. "It seems that I don't understand humans well enough. I thought that if tomorrow was unknown, people would be looking forward to it and have aspirations."

Isn't it because of this that people long to live?

At least, that's what the shepherdess thought.

"That's just the idea of ​​a small number of people." Linger said, "At least for the vast majority of people in this world, if tomorrow is unknown, then it must be bad. For those who are desperately pursuing a better life, this kind of badness is absolutely intolerable. That's why they want to predict the future so that they can make changes in advance."

"If you know what will happen tomorrow, can you change the future?"

"..."

Lingge fell silent for a moment.

The shepherdess didn't know that she had asked a question related to human philosophy and perhaps the greatest contradiction in existence, but she also vaguely sensed that the young man's silence contained some complex emotions, so she sympathetically changed the subject: "Maybe you are right, Lingge, but at least around us, there are more people who are full of hope for tomorrow, that's enough, isn't it?"

Whether it is the simple and innocent Metien, the carefree Shemi, the inexperienced Olvera, the extremely optimistic Alice... or even the lamb without human thinking, there is no doubt that they must be looking forward to and longing for the future tomorrow in their hearts.

As if to include tomorrow's share, they had a great time in every exhibition hall today, and now they are exhausted and lying on the bed, not wanting to do anything: Metien doesn't want to read, Ovilla doesn't want to copy books, and even Alice doesn't want to play games... These are the most typical manifestations.

From this perspective, Lingge felt that he was really out of place among this group of people.

"Lingge," the shepherdess suddenly said, "If you have anything on your mind, you can tell me. I really don't understand humans, and I don't understand the meaning of their lives, so sometimes I say the wrong things and make you unhappy. But at least, I will try my best to do it. I want to listen to your voice and start by understanding you."

If you understand Lingge, perhaps you can understand the human mood.

Because Ringo is the most special of all humans?

Saint Xia Liya didn't know, she just suddenly wanted to say this, so she said it.

Without giving Lingge time to answer, she smiled at him and walked back to the hotel. Only the soft voice came over like snowflakes: "I'll go back first and help you take care of Alice and the others. If you feel cold, Lingge, remember to go back to your room."

Lingge turned his back to her and nodded silently.

In the corner of my eye, I suddenly saw something gray falling from the sky, gradually blurring the night.

Human beings are very fragile beings, because whether certain or uncertain, they can easily destroy their inherent cognition and make them realize that they cannot blame their own fragility on changes in external matter, but rather on the fear and numbness rooted deep in their hearts.

In the past, the history of the inner world dominated the history of the outer world. All the mysteries engraved in the history books of the outer world can be found in the history of the inner world. Whether it is the Hundred Years' War, the War of Rectification, or the details of the city under your feet evolving from the "City of Fountains" in the Dolucian period to the "International City" in the Nimsher period... it is difficult to see in words, but left in a shadow corner.

But where can we find the answers to the mysteries engraved in the history of the other world?
Why did Merlin, the founder of magic who created the magic system, betray his ideals? When magicians were in danger, why did the great men who were the mainstay of the past disappear? Was the so-called magic technology really invented by the Kingdom of Great Brittany? If so, why was it generously shared with other countries? Did King Joseph, who was in power at the time, not want to use this technology to achieve hegemony on the continent? Or was it more important to completely eliminate magicians than to keep magic technology secret in his eyes? What role did the Steam Cult and the Cult Union play in this? Why are there so many historical figures from the Earth world active on the stage of the Mirror Star era?

The birth of man, human civilization, man's past and future... and even the world in which man lives, may itself be a huge mystery.

Lingge slowly reached his hand toward the sky and caught something cold and tiny.

Snowing.

He thought silently.

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)