Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 469: Can’t escape solve the problem?
The sudden outbreak of battle interrupted the conversation between Dickens and Fei'er. They turned around and saw a fierce battlefield filled with light rain. Giant bats made of blood crashed into the silver-white mechanical soldiers one after another and were smashed to pieces in the intensive and continuous artillery fire. The figure of the countess flickered in the dark night like a scarlet phantom. Every flash was accompanied by the fall of an enemy. The rumbling sound of the steel body collapsing was like the scrapped machinery in a factory furnace.

"The Silver-Eyed Countess lives up to her reputation," Dickens exclaimed.

His eyes always followed the figure as bright as the moonlight. The dark bat wings wrapped her gorgeous and dignified posture like a cloak at night, dancing in the frenzy of blood. Her movements were open and closed, either tearing open the steel breastplates with her palms, or kicking the heavy knight armor dozens of meters away... But no matter how rough and barbaric the movements were, they always brought an intoxicating beauty under her performance. She seemed not to be on the battlefield, but at a grand party, listening to the joyful and pleasant orchestral music, and with every elegant kick, turn and dodge, she sent her enemies a fatal invitation to heaven. Such a reserved and aristocratic fighting style may be unique among the many powerful enemies Dickens has seen in his life.

"After all, he is the ancestor of the Valenhild family, and he gave me some unexpected surprises in the past."

Fei Er said, her eyes also fell on Nevill, but only for a moment, and she was more concerned about Saint Shalia and Olvera. The latter did not participate in the battle, and she herself had no fighting power, so she just protected Metien and Shemi in her arms in the melee; while the former kept pulling the invisible thread of fate in the void, using her own royal power to distort and pull fate, and guided the enemy's offensive to other places, so it was common to see some magic knights firing blanks at dark corners with no one around, it was not because their shooting skills were not accurate enough, but because they were confused by fate.

However, her memory and authority have not yet fully recovered, so overusing this power is bound to put a heavy burden on her body. Fei'er noticed that the blue-haired girl's breath was becoming disordered, her heartbeat and breathing became more and more rapid, as if powerful notes were hitting the void, but this was not a good sign.

trouble.

She rubbed her eyebrows and felt a growing headache.

"If we are not fully prepared, I'm afraid the Countess alone would be enough to break through our blockade." Dickens had withdrawn his gaze from the chaotic battlefield and said to his superior, "This is exactly why I feel embarrassed about your request just now - the resistance of these guests is too intense, and I'm afraid they will not surrender easily. I can't guarantee that I can capture them, unless..."

He deliberately interrupted his words here, and Fei Er asked, "Unless what, Dickens? Don't play dumb with me. You know I hate this the most."

Of course not. After all, the only real strong enemy among this group of people is the Silver-Eyed Countess, and the others are not worth worrying about. But the real problem is not this, but——

"You know exactly why I want to leave here." Fei Er glanced at Dickens and rarely expressed dissatisfaction: "I'm not kidding, Dickens. You have worked with me for many years, so you should understand my character and know when I am joking and when I am serious. So now I tell you clearly that I don't want to be their enemy. This kind of thing once or twice is enough. If it happens a third time, I really can't stand it. Do you understand me, Dickens?"

"Unless you're willing to do it yourself."

Fei Er fell silent for a moment.

"I understand you, Your Majesty." Dickens bowed slightly to show that he had no intention of offending you. On the contrary, it was because they had worked together for many years and knew Your Majesty's character very well that he made such a suggestion. He summarized this understanding with a simple sentence: "But you should know that escaping will not solve any problem."

Dickens gave Fei'er an answer that surprised her but was expected: "Christian had suggested that you finish the battle with Gundalufu and Linsas within five minutes. If you exceed the time limit, there will be a risk of losing control. You only took four minutes and forty-five seconds, which is good news, because the remaining fifteen seconds can be put to greater use. I don't think this will be more difficult than defeating the combined forces of Gundalufu and Linsas, right?"

"If you say this is forced, it would be too harsh. However, as a colleague and perhaps a friend, I must tell you that you are not the only one who has suffered from fratricide and bloodshed in the past two thousand years. The other Your Majesties and the Leader have all lost something and endured something in the process of implementing the Eden Project." Dickens said softly, "But at this moment, if the Leader, if Lord Carabosse, if Lady Eve were in your position, would they have the slightest hesitation?"

Fei'er didn't answer, but she actually knew the answer in her heart, because she knew that the people mentioned by Dickens were stronger and more determined than herself.

"Are you accusing me of being immature, Dickens?" she suddenly said, with a self-deprecating tone: "Although I always feel that I have grown a lot, once I encounter such a situation, I will only choose the worst solution, hoping for the best and refusing to face the reality. I guess this is what I mean?" "I dare not say for sure about this." Dickens carefully reserved his opinion and suggested: "You should ask Mr. Melquiades."

After all, Melquiades was the person who had worked with Scarlett for the longest time, and he witnessed with his own eyes how the Grand Inquisitor had grown step by step from that casual and willful girl to a saint of the Inquisition, the operator of the Earth Witch Scarlett, and the respected Witch Lady.

The name of the Dread Witch Scarlet brings fear to the enemies, but brings trust, courage, and endless peace of mind to her companions.

"You've got me convinced, Dickens."

The terrified witch sighed softly: "As expected, you are a slippery guy, more suitable for the Special Assessment Bureau."

"So, do you mean to say that you regret letting me join the Investigation and Arbitration Bureau?"

"No, I mean--" Fei Er walked forward, leaving Dickens with a firm back and a casual thank you: "I'm glad to have you here, thank you."

Dickens smiled slightly and nodded to his superior's back.

The next moment, Fei'er's figure disappeared from sight and appeared in the highest sky.

Then, it got dark.

Endless darkness, like a demon beast hidden on the other side of the world, opened its terrifying mouth and completely swallowed up the sporadic light. Then, light no longer existed, and all that remained was emptiness, extinction, despair and chaos.

A low, sobbing, hoarse voice sounded in everyone's ears, or rather, in their hearts, as if it had come across countless times and countless spaces, overlapping in the tides of time and space, forming a solemn echo, vast and unstoppable:
"Terror, panic, fear."

"Everything is a choice made by the ignorant beings."

"Witness my power, this is——"

"【The Endless World's Noise】."

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)