Chương 89: Chapter 89: Internet
Chapter 89: Internet
"I understand," Bernadette replied. Then, as if remembering something, she asked, "You can read his diary?"
"I can," Alice said softly. "Many of us—well, not necessarily all, but a significant portion—should be able to read it, assuming there are indeed many like us."
"Have you met others 'like you'? Is that symbol a form of communication among you?" Bernadette inquired further.
Alice nodded. "I have. But... it's not just a symbol."
"Not a symbol?" Bernadette repeated, frowning.
"It's a writing system," Alice explained gently, watching Bernadette's pupils constrict. "It's a systematic script that has evolved over thousands of years. It's... the native language for some of us."
"Native... language?" Bernadette's voice grew hoarse as she stared intently at Alice, enunciating each word.
"We... come from a civilization that no longer exists in this era," Alice said softly. "His inventions, his poetry and novels, most of his famous quotes... many things, all of these are remnants of that civilization."
Alice observed the complex emotions in Bernadette's constricted pupils, the most evident being shock.
Bernadette was indeed stunned. If everything the young girl said was true, she could almost imagine the brilliance of that civilization—only a land of abundance and peace could develop such advanced technology and art.
Moreover, it seemed that civilization had more than one language, implying multiple countries...
However, rather than considering whether to believe that her father in her memories was actually a shameful copyright thief, Bernadette was more concerned about another issue: "But he was clearly an Intis person!"
Emperor Roselle, born into the ancient Gustav family of Intis, had clear traces of growth throughout his life, all of which could be traced. There was no evidence of a vanished civilization in this.
"And I am clearly from Loen," Alice calmly replied.
Bernadette froze.
"I don't know why we appeared here, nor do I know how we came to be here," Alice said, looking at her. "If you want to ask about that, you can give up, because my companions and I are also seeking answers."
"Your companions... who are they?" Bernadette finally noticed this detail she had overlooked.
"...The Fool," Alice paused before deciding to reveal this more impressive identity—after all, exposing Klein, who had just become Sequence 7, would be too unethical!
"The Fool?" Bernadette repeated the term in confusion.
"If you're curious, you can pray to Him," Alice winked.
"Him?" Bernadette echoed the pronoun with a puzzled expression.
"Not just Him, but He's the only one I can tell you about," Alice shrugged.
Bernadette, who didn't have the habit of praying to unfamiliar great beings like Alice did, promptly changed the subject: "I want to know what's written in his diary."
Alice hesitated, glancing at Bernadette, feeling that Emperor Roselle might not want his daughter to know about this.
"Is there a problem?" Bernadette frowned, noticing Alice's expression.
"You know... personal diaries often contain content that people don't want others to see, right?" Alice explained.
Bernadette seemed to accept this explanation. She then asked, "Do you know if he... is he still alive? Why did he do those things in the end? He..."
"Wait," Alice had to interrupt her questions. "I think I need to remind you of something."
"What is it?" Bernadette paused her inquiries.
"My current body is only about 15 or 16 years old, definitely not an adult," Alice reminded her of her actual age, holding her forehead in exasperation.
Realizing she had been too eager, Bernadette calmed down a bit. After some thought, she decided to ask a question that Alice would surely know: "Then... can you tell me about the civilization you mentioned?"
"That civilization..." Alice's expression softened. "It was a civilization without any supernatural elements."
"No supernatural powers?" Bernadette repeated, looking at Alice skeptically. "Could it be that you just didn't know about the existence of supernatural powers?"
"Absolutely impossible," Alice said with certainty. "In that civilization, there could not have been any unknown supernatural existence."
"Why are you so sure?" Bernadette asked, puzzled by Alice's confident tone.
Alice wasn't surprised by Bernadette's doubt. After all, someone who had never seen the internet couldn't imagine such a society. She explained, "If something happened in Loen, and within minutes it spread throughout all of Loen, even reaching Intis, Lenburg, and other places... in such a civilization, do you think it would be possible for any supernatural elements to remain hidden?"
"That's impossible!" Bernadette immediately showed an expression of disbelief.
"That's why explaining 'the internet' to someone who has only seen telegraphs is such a troublesome thing..." Alice displayed a troubled expression.
'The internet'? What's that? From her tone, it seems to be some kind of communication tool... Bernadette keenly sensed the core of the whole matter and hurriedly asked, "What is 'the internet'?"
"...Alright, let's start from the beginning," Alice said with a very pained expression.
Bernadette began to listen attentively.
Alice pinched the bridge of her nose and stated her final condition: "Okay, first, I won't use word-formation methods to turn these terms into Loenese. I'll use my native language. Is that alright?"
Bernadette nodded.
Alice pondered for a moment before beginning to introduce the evolution of communication:
"Alright, let's start with the telegraph... The next stage after this not-so-convenient communication tool is the 'telephone'.
"'Telephones' were initially installed in every household, with each 'telephone' having a corresponding number... It's something like an identification number? Anyway, people could connect two different 'telephones' by inputting numbers and communicate.
"The next stage after the telephone is the 'mobile phone', which initially was just a portable 'telephone'.
"Later, 'mobile phones' gained many new functions, such as taking photos, and connecting to the 'internet'.
"The 'internet'... to explain in terms you can understand, it's like a large platform where everyone can share their photos, daily thoughts, and so on with others, even if—"
Alice's voice suddenly stopped, and even Bernadette tensed up. They held their breath and fell silent.
A pair of lashless, pitch-black eyes appeared before them, staring at them without emotion.
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