Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 302: Can the ceremony begin?
If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, you would never have imagined that such a magnificent and elegant building could stand on the barren and desolate land of Doluthean in the past. The pale sunlight shines through the magnificent colonnades and the luxurious and dazzling stained glass windows, and shines on every corner paved with white marble, moonstone, calcite and silent limestone: the holy door, steps, arches, reliefs, flying walls, bell towers and domes... The grandeur that is about to be displayed is overwhelming, which is both shocking and regretful. Because such a magnificent and great building was originally built not as the Lion Square where Emperor Vespasian held a scepter to toast his warriors in ancient times, nor as the gate to the underworld in myths and legends to invite countless wandering souls to return home to reminisce, but just as a summer palace for the corrupt and incompetent Kreisov royal family.

Around the 5th century AD, the Hundred Years' War was in full swing and the Magic War was about to break out. Everyone was paying attention to the brutal fighting between the Great Brittany Kingdom and the Zoroastrian Kingdom, the revolution that had spread across the United Kingdom of the White City-States, and who would be the final unifier among the Minsuriya countries... No one would cast their eyes on this barren and desolate land.

The tension and chaos in the Western Continent gave some people an opportunity to cross the mountains and trek across the wilderness to come here and establish the first country in history, the Kreisov Dynasty. However, these people were not pioneers who were willing to forge the plow for civilization, but a collection of criminals, exiles, bandits, speculators and political prisoners. Therefore, the kingdom established by their hands did not bring prosperity and peace to this land, but only brought it into another darker abyss.

The best proof of this is the Eternal Summer Palace, which was built at the time when the country was at its weakest, using nearly one-tenth of the tax revenue. Every brick, every pillar and every corridor in this palace echoes the endless lament of the past, which is the pain of the people. However, the royal nobles who stay here never hear it, and still sleep peacefully every night, enjoying this gorgeous creation made of blood and flesh with peace of mind.

Their blood was filled with betrayal, deception, lies and conspiracy, so it was natural that they were overthrown. The Holy Spring Monastery, which replaced the Kreisov Dynasty and the Heavenly Order in the hearts of the people, began to fulfill its responsibilities, using gentle doctrines to guide them to the path of goodness, praying for every river flowing through the land, and offering devout prayers for the water of life that gave birth to all things... Later, this land and this city got another name: Nimsher.

The place where three rivers meet.

Although the Holy Spring Monks gradually lost their promised land over the past hundred years after the implementation of the Religious Decree, haven't you heard of the rivers flowing through underground rifts, dry wells, deep springs, house foundations, and even city pipes? They have never left, they just need time to return.

Standing on a somewhat desolate staircase, Rochelle, a traveler from the Fertile Soil Sect, silently watched the scene before him. He was in a circular building, which was closed on all sides and blocked by high walls made of rocks. Only the dome above his head was broken, revealing a large circular gap that allowed the bleak sunlight during the day. Some climbing plants grew and hung near the gap. The tiny green branches and leaves looked even more prosperous against the clear blue sky. Perhaps they had spent hundreds of years in obscurity. Their roots struggled to squeeze out of the cracks in the rocks, swaying in the wind like dark brown silk tassels.

The interior of the building is full of vitality. The cross-shaped corridor divides the entire marble floor into four areas. Each area is filled with clear water, and when it is still, it looks like a large piece of sapphire. There is also a small flower bed paved with square stones in the pool, planted with various precious flowers and plants. The walls are covered with wooden climbing frames, covered with ivy, rose vines and green ivy.

At the intersection of the central aisle is a magnificent and elegant fountain. The gear lever device hidden underground is still in operation today, pumping water from the underground river and pouring it into the copper kettle in the hands of the fountain statue, and then rushing to the four pools below. The water is still hot when it is pumped up, so the scorching heat evaporates, raising the temperature indoors, allowing flowers and plants to bloom even in the cold winter, and the green leaves and flowers surround each other, bringing a vibrant breath of life.

This is the famous Ladais Greenhouse Garden in the Palace of Eternal Summer. It was built by the 52nd King Kreisov to satisfy the queen's wish to see spring in winter, so it was named after the queen. At the same time, it is located at the central intersection of the cross lines of the entire Palace of Eternal Summer. To the south is the palace entrance, to the north is the royal bedroom, to the east is the Imperial Sky Temple (the Kreisov royal family is also a devout believer in the Heaven), and to the west is the Political Palace, where important international treaties such as the "Treaty of Eternal Summer Palace" and the "Treaty and Civilization Initiative Convention" were signed.

Due to its special location, the Letais Greenhouse Garden has become a must-see attraction for tourists when visiting the Eternal Summer Palace. However, there is no one here today. Not only is it because most of the tourists were attracted by the 6th World Expo held in the city, but also because Rochelle used the magic [Visual Shift] of the Night Pathway Sequence Lightless One, which distracted the tourists or guards passing by and made them pay no attention to any movement here.

As for why this is done, it is naturally because this place will become the venue for the upcoming ceremony of summoning gods, making an irreplaceable contribution to the coming of the great spirit god.

The night watchman of the Night's Roost and the arbitrator of the Inquisition both firmly believed that Rochelle would hold a ceremony to summon the gods at the former sanctuary of the Holy Spring - the Temple of Tiphis, today the Luberon Museum, because it was once the holy place of the Holy Spring Monastery, and buried underground was the source of one of the three rivers that gave birth to the land of Nimsher. When it comes to the abundance of spiritual water, no other place can compare.

Holding the ceremony to summon the gods in the museum would increase the chances of success by at least 30%. Rochelle had no reason to give up such a safe option.

But they were outsiders after all, and they didn't know the history of this land. Naturally, they didn't know that when the Holy Spring Monks were introduced to the Kingdom of Kreisov, the three rivers had not yet completely dried up. The then head of the church tried to purchase the land where the three rivers converged to build a church, but later found out that it had been occupied by the royal family.

At that time, the unstable foundation of the Holy Spring Monks did not want to conflict with the rulers, so they gave up and found another place to build a temple, which was the future Holy Spring Sanctuary - the Temple of Tifis. The place originally favored by the head of the church was built by the royal family at a huge expense as a luxurious and magnificent building for summer entertainment - the Palace of Eternal Summer. Today, the river has dried up, and there is no trace of its flow on the ground, but the mighty and surging torrents are still roaring under the ground of the Palace of Eternal Summer. In other words, this is the place with the most abundant water spirituality in the whole country of Leisenburg. Only the Holy Spring Monks, who have taken root here and have never been cut off in their inheritance, know this secret, and use it to help Rochelle gain the advantage of information gap in the confrontation with the united church.

Inside the greenhouse garden, the spring spirit believers summoned by Rochelle were busy arranging various instruments needed for the ceremony, and inlaying dark blue magic crystals on the floor, flower beds, pools, fountains and walls. Their distribution trajectories were connected into intricate lines, which in turn formed mysterious and profound patterns, triangles, concentric circles, hexagrams, and even more complex combinations. At first glance, it looked like infinite constellations in the vast universe, with thousands of twinkling celestial stars illuminating the hazy night sky together.

These creations from the magic system are the greatest inventions since the Middle Ages, because they successfully transferred the magic power that could only be accumulated in the ether sea to the inside of these artificially produced crystals, thus forming the basis for the operation of the magic system. At the same time, they also simplified many cumbersome and complicated rituals in the past. Those rituals and witch sacrifices that originally required precious materials such as dragon horns, Fenyx magic blood, and large astrological stones can now be driven by magic crystals as external energy, thus eliminating the process of collecting materials.

As for the more core energy drive inside, it varies according to the system, path, and sequence. For example, the evil god Heavenly Feaster of Blood Red Feast tried to use blood sacrifice to advance himself to the inner source of Sequence 2 [Descendant of Dragon Blood], which absorbed the fear of death and the demand for chaos of life.

Endogenous and exogenous sources, internal and external reactions, constitute the systematic structure of various mysterious rituals.

The source of Rochelle's upcoming ceremony to summon the gods is even simpler: the pure power of faith.

The saying "When everyone is united, then they can achieve success" is not just empty talk to confuse people, but is the only true essence of refining magic.

Rochelle slowly raised her head, and looked through the hole above her head to see the clear sky. The pale, gloomy sunlight was gradually covering every corner of the greenhouse garden as the sun rose, making the faces of the busy Quanling believers look slightly pale, and showing different expressions: nervousness, uneasiness, expectation, longing, confusion... all flashing in them, but there was no hesitation or retreat.

Because this was the common decision of everyone, and it was an outcome that was destined to happen since the Holy Spring Monastery was forced to evacuate the city. Faith will never disappear, it is just waiting to return.

The walker of the Fertile Soil Sect stared at the gleaming sun ring. When he saw the brightest ray of sunlight passing over the highest spire of the palace, he slowly spoke. His deep and heavy voice echoed in the greenhouse garden and in the ears of every Spring Spirit believer: "The time has come, everyone."

"We can start the ceremony of inviting the gods."

No matter whose beliefs.

All will return.

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)