Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 939: The end of a story?
On October 1856, 10, the two-month Yamit Cup Balloon Championship finally came to an end. The player who lifted the trophy amid thunderous applause was "Caesar" Gulide Date from the country of horses, Lessenwell. He was also the champion of the previous championship. This was also the first player in the history of the championship to successfully defend the title.

Because the tournament is held every four years, the players' condition, the rules of the game, and even the strength of the opponents have fluctuated greatly. It is undoubtedly difficult to maintain a high level of competition for eight years, which further proves the value of this defending champion. Because of this honor, Gulide Deite was able to be ranked alongside Master Marcotte, who pioneered the professional sport of wind flower ball, Mr. Simodo Dealles, the winner of the first Yamit Championship, and Ms. Mistian, the first amateur player to win the championship. From now on, his name will be passed down to the world along with these legends. It can be said that he has reached the peak that every professional player dreams of.

On the evening of the day the competition ended, the city government held a grand closing ceremony for the tournament. The fireworks in the sky almost turned the solemn and dignified Sumiya City into a cheerful and enthusiastic city that never sleeps. Having dealt with all family affairs and no longer having to worry about anything, Shino had dinner with his friends at the Blue Arc Restaurant for the last time, solemnly expressed his gratitude to them, and then said goodbye.

Because of her recent behavior, her friends who had expected it in their hearts were not sad, but gave her sincere blessings. In fact, this dinner was not only the last for Xinuo, but also for them. Because after the championship, each of them will embark on their own path, and there will probably be few opportunities to gather together again and talk about the sports they love, the vision of youth and the dreams for the future like now.

After graduation, President Craig will directly join the company where he is currently interning, and the position of president will fall to Leila. However, Leila has already signed a contract with the Golden Glory Club and officially became a professional player. Even her studies have to give way to training and competitions, so this president is likely just a title. But in any case, all members of the Sumiya National University Wind Flower Ball Club should be proud of the most brilliant president in the club's history.

Vincent is preparing for the physical education teacher qualification license exam. Although he used to be an impulsive young man, after a few years of settling down, he is now a calm and reliable senior in the eyes of the club members. Some even jokingly call him "instructor." He is still not sure which field he will go into. After all, even physical education teachers can be divided into different directions such as adult sports, youth sports and even sports for the disabled. However, judging from the popularity of wind flower ball in White City and even around the world, it is very likely that he will still work in this field.

George did not plan to enter the society so soon. Because of his excellent grades, his tutor gave him a place to study abroad. In two months, he would take the train to Zisaia, the capital of the Mindrias Empire, to study mechanics and dynamics at the famous Seville International University. But he did not forget his dream of becoming a pastry chef. He would still study cooking after school, but perhaps not as persistently as before, and just regarded it as a pastime.

As for Phyllis, she should be the most relaxed and well-planned among the group. She had already passed the pharmacist qualification certification exam, which was the one that Metien had always wanted to take but was unable to take due to some special reasons. Not long ago, she passed the Red Cross nursing exam and was assigned to garrison in Grom, the "Shining City", another city in the Saint-Denis Province. She was expected to leave next month. In fact, with her father, Mr. Pichel's position in the Order Union, she could have been assigned to work in Sumia City, but Phyllis herself was unwilling to do so, not for fairness, but because she wanted to be far away from home.

"I'm tired of my father's constant nagging." During the dinner, she secretly complained to Xinuo: "I don't want him to tell me about my work again when I get home. That's too annoying."

Shino smiled, and after thinking for a while, he decided not to tell her that Mr. Pichel had invited him to join the cult alliance and that they almost became colleagues. After all, even friends can go their separate ways.

In the bright lights of the Blue Arc Restaurant, the dreams of young people are shining. After tonight, they will go their separate ways. Some may become successful, some will end up in obscurity, and some are destined to shine only in the dark side of the world that ordinary people cannot see. But no matter what, this sincere friendship will not deteriorate, just as what Xinuo said to Lingge that night: "As long as I miss them, I still often feel that they are by my side."

At the climax of the banquet, Phyllis, who never drinks, snatched the wine glass from President Craig and raised it high to the sky.

"Everyone!"

She had a bright smile on her face, which made the fireworks outside the window pale in comparison: "Let's drink to our friendship, dreams and future life!"

Bang!

The crisp sound of clinking glasses, the sounds of hearty laughter, cheering, booing, the sound of fireworks exploding on the window glass, the sound of citizens on the streets crowding around the victory parade floats... The ancient city of Sumya fell silent after a commotion, and the laughter of friends drifted away after the party. The carriage bumped along the country roads of the Kingdom Era. After sipping a glass of age-old Eldon wine, Shino, who was not drunk at all, saw through the window the shadow of the town of Regrum crawling in the darkness, and the Shadoli Manor was as mysterious and dark as the remains of the elves. He couldn't help but feel lonely and reluctant.

Even though she thought she had been prepared for it, she still couldn't control the emotions that welled up in her heart when the separation really came. This manor left her with too many memories and was also a witness to the girl's growth. The emotions it held could not be simply summarized by the word "goodbye".

The laughter she shed on the court and the fields as a child, the jokes she made when she was a little older and imagined herself to be a knight doing justice everywhere while riding Brandy, the boat that gradually drifted away along the river of the Xialong Stone Bridge, and the girl who took a leisurely nap on the boat; the unwillingness to see her mother's death when she grew up, the resentment and hatred towards her father began to sprout and grow, but it was abruptly stopped by an unexpected bad news. The girl began to shoulder all the expectations, and put all the sweat she had shed for her dream into the training of martial arts and riding; the curse that entangled her in this life took the lives of her close people one after another. The girl who had grown up began to realize the cruelty of the world, so she chose to lie to escape, and thought that this was maturity, until she saw those familiar figures on the court... Every memory has a place to go, and will be drawn into the same dream, with a voice as gentle as the whispers of parents, guiding her to immerse herself in a long dream, and then gradually go away in the dream, and gradually be sealed.

That night, Xino slept the most comfortable sleep of her life without any disturbance. When she woke up again, the young girl was about to embark on her journey to save the world.

……

On October 1856, 10, the frosty moon in the Grindelwald Plain was not as cold as that in the Kingdom of Greater Brittany. The grass and trees along the road had not yet been covered with a light frost. Only a slightly cold wind blew through the woods, accompanied by the light footsteps of the travelers. Whether it was the autumn leaves on the branches or the dead leaves on the ground, they all seemed to rustle, playing the prelude to parting.

"Just send it here, everyone."

Xino stopped and turned around to say to the people who came to see him off.

Walking out of this forest path, you will reach Emerald Lake. The Whale Island is anchored on the lake. The new companions and friends on the island are looking forward to her arrival. When the eldest lady speaks, everyone naturally obeys. Whether it is the knights of the Whitethorn Flower family or the leaders of the three alien tribes, they all stop at the same time and do not move forward. However, their eyes still reveal reluctance and entanglement, as if they expect to hear words of change of heart from the eldest lady, but are worried that such thoughts will tarnish the eldest lady's will, so they dare not show it.

As the representative of all the retainers and the only relative left in the world for Shino, the old butler Waver stood up and spoke to ease the spread of this atmosphere. He did not want this separation to last too long, because it would only deepen everyone's sorrow, and he did not want the young lady to leave her companions with the impression of being indecisive.

"My lady, this journey is long and arduous, just like the expedition that Lord Hibberton followed Her Majesty Jeanne d'Arc on in the past. I hope you will be careful and take care of yourself. The honor of the family and the responsibility of a knight are certainly important, but for us, your safety is the most important. Although my words may be a little excessive, they are also our sincere words."

The old butler spoke earnestly, and these words did indeed cross the boundaries of a retainer. It should be said that he spoke from the perspective of a relative, but this was exactly what Xino wanted to hear. In this farewell occasion, there should have been more warmth, rather than those cold compliments.

"Don't worry, Weber." The girl chuckled and said, "I'm not the stubborn and obstinate little girl I used to be. After so many years, I should have grown to the point where you can rest assured, right?"

The old butler nodded in agreement.

It's more than just relief, it makes people worry that she might be too sensible and lack the childishness and impulsiveness that a girl of this age should have.

"Well, it's about time. I should go too."

Xino smiled at the old butler and others, and said, "Weber, please take care of the daily affairs of the Chardoly Manor and the Loser Forest. Shangquier, control your people and don't always damage the stone roads in the forest. Sita, it's always inconvenient to live on the cliff. If you encounter bad weather such as storms or heavy snow, you can lead your people to the manor to take shelter. Biberg XIII, haha, don't eat unfamiliar mushrooms in the future, be careful of accidents. Worzel, remember to tell Chloe for me, I am looking forward to seeing the day when she truly becomes a knight..."

After saying goodbye to her relatives and friends one by one, Xinuo turned around and waved her hand to say goodbye, then took her beloved horse Brandi and set off on a journey away from home. This time, she only took Brandi, as well as the holy armor Ice Heart and the holy spear Whitethorn, which had been passed down from generation to generation in the Gustaf family. With their company, the girl was confident that no matter where in the world she was, no matter how difficult the test was, the Knight of Whitethorn could open up a path of hope from despair.

Her back gradually went away and disappeared into the depths of the lush forest. Her figure was obscured by the scattered branches and bushes, but the people who came to see her off did not move. They still stood there, staring in the direction she left.

A few minutes later, a low sound came from the direction of Emerald Lake, followed by the sound of the earth shaking and the grass and trees trembling, as if the giant beast sleeping in the mountains finally woke up. A huge and majestic shadow rose into the air from the forest, flapping its wings against the rocks, and rolling up a violent airflow visible to the naked eye. It flew towards the distant sky with an unswerving attitude. The water from Emerald Lake poured down from its side and fell back into the lake, causing a thunderous roar, as if silver waterfalls were falling from the sky.

The long-silent forest of Loser was broken by the whale flying into the sky. The branches and crowns of every tree were falling in the direction of the air current, as if they were watching its departure with the most awe, and bidding farewell to the oldest guardian of this land. But in their long and somewhat vague memories, there was only one knight who left the place of protection from beginning to end, and that was not in the past, nor in the future, but at this moment.

The people on the ground stared at this scene blankly, and suddenly felt that they were witnessing the most glorious moment of the Gustave family since its establishment, even more so than the hope that Baron Vince opened up on this land, or the unparalleled feats that the White Knight Hibden established to protect his hometown. Was it just a girl who left her hometown and traveled far away, eager to establish her own achievements? Not so, it was also a brand new future, a naive vision, and an immortal glory.

"Miss..." A murmured voice came from the crowd: "She's really gone."

No one responded, but everyone felt the same melancholy.

A story about knights, whitethorn flowers, and an ancient family passed down from generation to generation, once widely circulated in the music of bards, has finally come to an end.

Presumably, when the girl returns to her hometown again, she will bring back a story that is more worthy of praise and remembrance for the people who are eagerly waiting for it?
But how long will it take?

neither knows.

Those who trust her are just waiting from now on.

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)