Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 8: Do you want to take in someone whose origins are unknown?

"There are actually many reasonable explanations for this question." In the flickering candlelight, Alice put her index and middle fingers together and made a gesture of holding up the frame of a mirror, trying to make herself look mature and steady. "For example, although our two worlds have different development paths, their origins are the same. Therefore, the steam age that appeared in my world was also replicated in your world, but it was seven centuries earlier, and there was also a small episode like the two hundred years of steam holy war. In this case, it is not surprising that the two worlds have similar languages ​​and writings, right?"

"That's weird."

The pastor, who had received higher education, did not believe her words and calmly pointed out the loopholes in her words: "Language itself has strong regional and temporal characteristics. Therefore, even though they are the same language family, the residents of Lunwitin would regard the dialects outside the city as the crude accents of savages. Even if contemporary linguists go back in time, they would not be able to communicate fluently with the ancestors who spoke the ancient Aldean language. Not to mention that the difference you mentioned is the distance between two worlds."

"This..." Alice was speechless. Compared with her nonsense, Ling'er's statement was obviously more convincing.

But, is there something wrong?

Lingge was thinking silently, and it seemed that the topic had changed unconsciously. He originally wanted to ask Alice to leave the church, but it turned into a discussion about whether she "really came from another world".

The person who quietly led the conversation in another direction was...

"Well, well!" Metien suddenly tugged at Ling'er's sleeve. Her beautiful eyes sparkled even in the dim candlelight. "I know why, Ling'er."

Ling Ge raised his eyebrows slightly: "You know?"

"Well, even if you say so, I still..." Alice scratched the back of her head and finally understood why Metien was so friendly to a stranger like her. It turned out that it was not because she was cute.

Medien never thought that her high expectations would only bring such a result. She could not control her emotions and interrupted her brother loudly, clenching her fists in front of her chest, with a look of grievance and confusion in her eyes: "We didn't have much money before, but we only had this church. Didn't we live happily, Lingge? That is our father's church and our church. Why can't we keep it? It was impossible before, but now, with Alice's words and Sister Alice's words, it must be possible! Because she is the messenger of heaven and the revelation of the goddess!"

"You can't lie," she muttered, and was about to admit to Metien that she didn't have the ability, but Linger got there first and shook his head, "She can't do it."

From the girl's narration, she roughly understood the context of the matter. To put it simply, the church would be closed soon, and Metien did not want it to be closed, so she prayed for help from the gods. She happened to run into her time travel, so she regarded her as a messenger sent by the goddess. As a messenger of the goddess, isn't it normal for her to speak the language of this world?
The problem is that Alice is new here and has no idea about the other world, so it's hard to say how much I can help her.

Alice was also very curious: "Do you know?"

"I have already negotiated with Mr. Langning." He calmly announced the existing facts to his sister: "If the church is closed, there will be a subsidy of 2 pounds per week. At the same time, the City Parish Committee has introduced me to a job as a history teacher at St. Lowood National School, also with a weekly salary of 2 pounds. With this money, even if the church is closed, we don't have to worry about our future life..."

His tone became happy again because he saw hope: "Lingge, the goddess told us in the Canon that all encounters in the world are destined by fate. When I prayed for help, Sister Alice fell from the sky. Therefore, this must be the revelation of the goddess. She sent us a messenger from heaven who will help us fight against the Religious Decree and protect the church left to us by our father from the hands of the united religious orders!"

She was an elegant woman in a long dress and a veil, with her head slightly lowered, her face hidden under the hazy veil, and illuminated by the candlelight, so it was not very clear, but still embodied a kind and compassionate temperament. With her hands gently clasped in front of her chest, it seemed as if she was praying for the suffering people in the world, shedding silent tears.

Alice clenched her fists and tried to suppress her displeasure. But in fact, Lingge didn't mean to look down on her by saying this, he was just telling the truth.

The goddess's...revelation?
Ling Ge and Alice looked at each other in bewilderment. The former shook his head immediately, indicating that it was impossible, while the latter turned her head and looked at the statue of the goddess behind the altar.

angry!
I was really underestimated.

After that, she moved her eyes back and forth between her brother and Alice, seeking their approval: "Don't you think so?"

"That's what happened this afternoon." Metien enthusiastically recounted to his brother, "Didn't you go to the City Parish Committee to find Mr. Ronning to negotiate better conditions for closing the church? But I still don't want to give up, Lingge. I really don't want to give up, because this church is the last relic left to us by our father. If we can't protect it, won't our father's soul still be unable to rest in peace after returning to the sea of ​​heaven?"

She knew this was a church, but she knew nothing about the so-called goddess.

"Yes!" Metien nodded vigorously and said happily: "Because Sister Alice is the revelation of the goddess!"

As a person from another world, she doesn’t even know!

“This isn’t about the money at all!”

She pursed her lips slightly when she said this, and a dim light flashed in her eyes: "But, as you said, I really don't know how to fight against the Religious Decree and the religious alliance behind it. So, I can only pray to the goddess, hoping that the goddess will pity our hard work in spreading faith in the world and point out a way to tomorrow for us. Then, at this time, Sister Alice fell from the tree!"

When the girl who was named heard this, she couldn't help but take two steps back into the shadows where the candlelight couldn't reach, pinching her rabbit ears and not daring to speak: Although Medien has high expectations for her, she is really not the goddess's messenger!

Lingge did not say anything, but just looked at his sister quietly. His golden eyes were flickered by the candlelight, appearing a little deep.

Alice wondered what he was feeling at that moment. Was it guilt or helplessness? Was it self-blame or sadness? But after all, she couldn't see that person's eyes, and naturally couldn't see the nostalgia and recollection in his eyes. Looking back, it seemed that there was also a person who was as stubborn and naive as Metien now, who also had the same devout faith and hope for the world.

At this moment, in the candlelit chapel, the man's shadow wandered in the slender gap of light, going upstream against an invisible river and becoming the shadow of the present Metien, proving that time is something that is passed down from generation to generation.

But Lingge lost the person who loved him deeply after an accident. Because of this, he vowed to protect Medien, no matter what he lost, as long as he could protect her smile.

He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly Metien unclenched his fist.

She seemed to accept the reality, lowered her head, and lowered her voice, but it was still a little bitter: "I understand, Lingge, if this is your decision, then I won't object."

Huh? Are you giving up now?
Alice didn't quite believe her ears - no matter which ears they were, after all, Metien's attitude just now was so excited.

Lingge was also surprised, and then he had mixed feelings, and responded softly: "I'm glad you understand me, Metien..."

"But!" Metien suddenly raised his head and stared at his brother, without any sadness or grievance on his face. "Since you are going to be a history teacher at St. Lowood National School in the future, you can't stay at home to take care of me. In this case, we have to hire a domestic maid, right? Anyway, your salary must be enough!"

She pointed at a certain girl who was watching: "I think Sister Alice is a good match!"

Ling Ge: “…”

"Hey! Me? A maid?" The girl who was watching was confused and said, "But I'm not good at housework."

Metien encouraged her: "It's okay, you can learn it!"

Then she looked at Lingge again, and put on a pitiful expression like a magic trick: "Lingge, you should finally agree to me this time, right? Look at how pitiful Sister Alice is. She ran here from another world alone, and she is a girl. If you leave her alone, she will definitely be bullied! Doesn't the goddess's teachings also tell us to be willing to help people in distress?"

Lingge didn't respond to these heartfelt words, but Alice got upset first: "Who said I would be bullied? I'm a genius gamer! In this game world, it's too easy to clear it with one life!"

Oh, you are still trying to be brave!

Metien stamped her feet in anger, while Linger glanced at the brazen girl and said, "It seems that your world treats the people very friendly, which is why you can say such things. Not to mention that you don't have a reliable identity card and can't enter the official relief agency and the relief house of the Order, even those drunkards, unemployed workers, pickpockets, robbers, gangsters wandering on the street... who can you deal with? Linville City is also known as the City of Sadness. Do you know who is crying for this city in the 19th century?"

His tone was flat and without ups and downs, but it inexplicably made people feel a sense of oppression. Alice was a little frightened by his momentum and took another step back. After reacting, she realized that she was too timid. She could only grit her teeth and say, "What else? If you don't want to take me in, I will be self-reliant and do what I can. Is there a problem?"

Do what you can do... When Ling Ge heard this, the corners of his mouth curled up subconsciously, as if he was smiling. He was not sure if he was smiling, because he had long forgotten what it felt like to smile. But suddenly, the face of a certain girl and her light words flashed through his mind again -

"The one who eats the golden apple by mistake will be drawn into a destiny that does not belong to him."

This sentence appeared for the third time today.

Then, scenes flashed before the eyes, like the changing of curtains on a stage, gradually leading to the ending of the story: Police Officer Patton who delivered the notice, blessing good people with good luck; Mr. Ronning, who was serious but kind, made two different choices; the sister who wanted to guard the church, had a naive but stubborn idea; and finally, the girl who fell from the tree, under the gaze of the goddess, announced the existence of another world.

Is that world the world she lives in, or is it the place where your soul belongs, Mr. Yang Ke?

All the scenes, all the thoughts, when finally uttered out, were just a soft sigh.

but--

He thought, and at the same time said: "Then you can stay as a maid."

When they closed their eyes, the candle went out, and they could hear Metien's happy cheers and Alice's surprised cries. However, what they didn't know was -

In this world, no one's destiny belongs to himself.

(End of this chapter)