Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 923: Not Angry at All?

The next day, the Gustave family announced that the old master, Vandreux Jean Gustave, had passed away due to illness, and that the position of the master would be taken over by the young Shino Jean Gustave. They also announced that according to the old master's wishes, the next seven days would be his funeral ceremony. Those who were saddened by the news could go to the Chateau de Chadoly to offer him a bouquet of flowers to express their condolences. According to the customs of the province of Saint-Denis, the funeral period should last for a month. I think the old master did not want his relatives and friends to be immersed in sorrow.

The first people to learn the news were naturally the residents of the small town of Regrum at the foot of the mountain. For thousands of years, these people have always been proud of being the subjects of the Godafu family. They never thought that they would lose the respected old head of the family at this time. The shock and sadness brought by this news was perhaps second only to the unfortunate death of Miss Shino's father, Lord Leonard, three years ago.

Although the people in Grindelwald Field said that Reynard was a bigot who died charging at a windmill, the residents of the small town of Ragram would never say that, because in their eyes, the three generations of the Godave family were true knights, people symbolized by the white thorn flower, who were noble, brave, loyal, and fearless of strong enemies and protected the weak.

Unfortunately, in this day and age, chivalry is no longer as respected as it was in the past, which is why there are rumors that wantonly tarnish the posthumous glory of the deceased.

With a complex mixture of grief, heaviness, regret and helplessness, the residents of the small town of Regrum spontaneously put down their work on this day, walked into the Shadolly Manor, and became the first guests to pay tribute to the old owner.

The pillars of the lobby and the fence of the second-floor corridor were hung with black tulle, a symbol of mourning. Long black candles flickered slightly on the brass chandelier on the ceiling, stretching out slender human figures on the wall. In the center of the hall was a temporary flowerbed, with quiet tulips and tranquil white lilies blooming quietly. These two flowers represented the meaning of remembrance for the deceased at the funeral ceremony in Grindelwald's field.

On the dark coffin were placed the sword and shield used by the old master as a knight, which meant that the soul of the deceased had ascended to the lightless sea in the sky and rested in peace forever. What appeared at the funeral was only his spiritual symbol. In the distant kingdom era, when knights died heroically on the battlefield and even their bodies could not be found, their relatives in their hometown would bury them with the weapons they had used as symbols of themselves.

Today, the kingdom is gone, the knights have died out, and people have long forgotten the rules of the times. They have begun to accept the public cemeteries and various funeral ceremonies built at the initiative of the Prayer Society for the Dead. The old patriarch of the Godstave family will probably be the last person to be buried in this way.

When Lingge walked into the lobby of the mansion, the first thing that caught his eye was the portrait of a knight hanging on the walls of the main staircase and the small platform of the side staircase. The portrait depicted Vandru Jean Gustaf in his middle age. His majestic appearance and steady temperament made the person in the painting look like he was still alive, silently watching the people in the hall who were grieving for his own death.

After the seven-day funeral, the person in the frame will be replaced by the young new head of the family, Xi Nuo Qin Gustaf, to announce that the ancient family has once again completed the change of bloodline. However, how long will the portrait of the new head of the family hang here? The life of a knight is always like the blooming and withering of a white thorn flower, short but sad and beautiful.

There were many people in the hall, but no one was making a loud noise, and even the sound of conversation could not be heard, which made the funeral always in a heavy and solemn atmosphere. The residents of the town came to the coffin of the old master one by one to pay their respects, and they all brought gifts. The most common one was naturally a bouquet of white thorns. After mourning, the guests threw it into the flowerbed in front of the coffin, almost drowning it in a white ocean; then came the letters, which were full of thoughts and blessings for the deceased. In the Kingdom Era, letters from distant hometowns have always been the gifts that knights care about most, and they are still after death.

Linger saw the knight Worzel from yesterday kneeling on one knee in front of the old master's coffin, mourning with his eyes closed. Beside him were Mr. Greensheim, the owner of the carriage and horse shop in the town of Regrum, and Chloe, the knight commander of the Holy Maiden Guard. They looked like a family. Chloe's face was no longer childish and cheerful, but became very serious. Her mourning etiquette was not ordinary etiquette, but a knight's etiquette like her brother, clenching her fists and pressing them tightly against her heart. Under the beating of her heart and the witness of death, she once again offered her hard-earned loyalty to her master.

Xinuo stood in front of the portrait of the head of the family on the main staircase, watching the scene quietly. She was wearing a long white dress today, with black gauze wrapped around her arms. Her snow-white hair, which was usually tied into a high ponytail, was rarely loosened, cascading down to her ankles, highlighting her graceful and tall figure. She folded her hands in front of her, standing still straight, like a flagpole that didn't know how to bend, but she looked a little thin.

When she saw Ling'er, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she didn't say anything, just nodded to him gently. Ling'er also nodded in response. He saw the old butler Weber standing under a pillar in the lobby, guarding the old master's coffin like a dutiful knight's attendant, so he walked up to him and waited quietly together.

The old butler in a black suit looked straight ahead, quietly watching the guests mourning in front of the old master's coffin. But when Linger stood beside him, his lips moved slightly, and a voice that only young people could hear came into his ears: "The eldest lady has told me her decision. Thank you for helping her make up her mind, Mr. Linger."

Ling Ge shook his head slightly and replied: "I didn't do anything. This was her own choice. Maybe there were other people who gave her some help, but I was definitely not one of them."

In this matter, Lingge thought that he did not make any contribution, at least not as much as Miss Leila, who really made Xino determined, and her university classmates who had dreams. It was these ideals and aspirations in youth that made Xino regain the touch of the past, so that he could step onto the battlefield without hesitation and grow into a true knight.

"You are too modest."

Waver's beard moved, and a gentle look appeared in his slightly cloudy brown eyes: "No wonder the young lady is willing to follow your path. I guess she saw a familiar shadow in you."

As for who the so-called "familiar shadow" was, her father Reynard? Grandfather Van Indreu? One of her ancestors, the White Knight Hibden? Or even the Baron Vince who made the white thorn flower emblem the symbol of the Gostave family? Weber did not specify, and Linger did not intend to ask.

He was silent for a while, then asked, "Do you all agree with her decision?"

"At least I personally agree, as long as the young lady is willing to take that step." Waver replied: "As for the others, the young lady has not told them about this yet, but I think they will all agree, not only based on the loyalty of the knight, but also because everyone wants to see the young lady return to her former self."

The girl who looks humble but is full of vigor and vitality at heart is always everyone's first impression of her.

Lingge nodded slightly, somewhat understanding their thoughts.

At this time, the Wurzel family in front of the coffin had ended their moment of silence, stood up and left, giving their seats to other guests. When they left the hall, Wurzel saw Weber and Linger waiting under the pillars, and nodded silently to greet them. The old butler returned the greeting and whispered, "Wurzel is the youngest and most talented knight of Gustave's generation. The eldest lady has agreed that when she leaves Grindelwald, she will hand over part of the family's assets that cannot be transferred to him, including the Bolian Manor near the Trovenica ruins."

In the past, it was an outpost to monitor the seal of the beast. Although the beast has been destroyed, it is still unknown whether the polluted earth vein magic can return to the earth normally. Therefore, before the situation is completely stabilized, the Bolian Manor is still an indispensable base for the Gustaf family. Handing it over to Worzel shows the favor and trust in this young man. As for the most important Shadoli Manor and Loser Forest, they are naturally taken care of by the old butler who has served the Gustaf family for more than 30 years.

"With these outstanding young people here, no matter how many tests the Whitethorn Flower family encounters, they will eventually be reborn from the ashes."

Waver's eyes were deep, and Linger remained silent, just quietly watching the backs of Worzel and his family walking away, gradually leaving the hall. At this distance, he could still vaguely hear his voice talking to his sister: "Chloe, did you follow my instructions and wish Master Vaninderu's soul to rest in peace?"

"Of course! And I also told the master that I will become a very powerful knight in the future, protecting the young lady, everyone in the town of Ragram, and even the people of the entire Grindelwald Field, just like the great White Knight Hibbert!"

When Chloe said this, her eyes sparkled. That was the light of hope and dream, and it was also the long-cherished wish that the Gustaf family would devote their entire lives to protecting. Upon hearing this, Wozel fell silent. After a long while, he reached out and gently touched his sister's head, saying, "Then you have to work hard, but I believe you can do it one day."

"hey-hey!"

Their figures gradually moved away until they disappeared at the end of time.

Ling Ge retracted his gaze, but heard Weber say to him: "Mr. Ling Ge, please go to the living room for a chat. The eldest lady is waiting for you there."

The young man subconsciously raised his head and looked in the direction of the main staircase, only to find that the figure of the white-haired girl had disappeared at some point. She must have gone to the living room to wait in advance, just as Weber said. He did not refuse the proposal, and after saying goodbye to the old housekeeper, he quietly left through the side door alone, without disturbing the guests who were in silence, and walked through a long corridor and finally arrived at the living room.

When he arrived, Xino had been waiting on the sofa for a while. The evidence was the two cups of black tea on the coffee table, the heat of which had dissipated a little.

"Sorry." Ling Ge apologized for being late after sitting down, while Xinuo smiled slightly, with two shallow dimples on his thin cheeks: "Rather than being late, it's more that I was a little surprised by how quickly you came to see me. There should have been plenty of time."

This refers to the fact that she had given Lingge and his friends some time to think about whether or not to accept her. Xino thought that she would not get an answer until the end of the funeral ceremony, but she did not expect Lingge to come to her the next day.

"Do you really not need to reconsider this?" She confirmed again just in case. "After all, this is a matter of life and death. I think it is never too much to be cautious."

"No need."

Ling Ge said: "This is the decision we made after unanimous consultation. I guess even if we continue to discuss it, we can't think of a better solution."

"Method?"

Xino's eyes flickered. She was a smart girl and quickly realized that the method the young man mentioned was probably not a way to remove the curse, but a way to circumvent it. So an idea suddenly emerged in her mind: "Excuse me, the method you discussed is not to agree that I can join this journey, but not to let me intervene in the battle between you and the Witch Society?"

Ling Ge was silent. He didn't expect that she would guess it so quickly. However, this was also expected by the young man. He calmly explained: "That is indeed the idea, but we don't mean to perfunctorily deal with you. Considering the current situation, I think this is the most reasonable way."

He shared the information about the Temple of Heaven and the Goddess of Creation with Xino, letting her understand that the true significance of the Girls' Kingdom was not how powerful they were, enough to fight against the Witch Society, but that they could work together to open the door of the Temple of Heaven and seek help from the only god in the world who could solve problems.

"I see." Xino thought for a moment, picked up the cold tea on the table, took a sip, and a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.

To be honest, this reaction was actually somewhat beyond Ling Ge's expectations. He was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and asked, "Aren't you angry, Miss Xinuo?"

Who would have thought that after hearing this, Xinuo showed a puzzled expression, probably not understanding why she was angry. After a while, she seemed to finally realize what Lingge was referring to, and the puzzled expression on her face disappeared, replaced by a strange smile that she tried hard to suppress, which made the thin girl regain some of her previous vitality.

"I'm not angry."

She asked Ling Ge with a smile: "Why should I be angry?"

Give me some meow