Chapter 406

Chapter 406: Farewell to Childhood Fairy Tales

This chapter is not written well; I hope everyone can skip over it (VIP chapters cannot be deleted or easily modified, sob sob).

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After setting sail, the cruise ship was once again bustling with activity.

In this era, cruises were considered a very novel form of travel, and the nobles who tried this new mode of transportation experienced many benefits.

In a time when roads were underdeveloped and infrastructure was inadequate, traveling to various places either meant riding in bumpy carriages or taking the infrequent airships.

Airships were undoubtedly convenient, but they had fixed routes and limited space and weight capacity, so they weren’t particularly comfortable. The emergence of cruise ships solved these previous issues.

Spacious and fully serviced cruise ships were like small cities, equipped with all sorts of facilities and luxurious cleanliness. There were about 1,500 service staff on board, and around 2,400 passengers.

“Wow, it seems the nobles from Cangcui really know how to enjoy themselves.” Alena ran a short distance, jumped up, and then fell onto a soft large bed. Beside her, Lily opened the door next to the floor-to-ceiling window, stepping out onto the balcony. This small balcony could fit two reclining chairs and a small round table, with the vast blue sea just outside. The moist sea breeze blew in, and one could see the distant white clouds and blue skies.

The room also had complete bathing facilities, a bathroom, and even a small hall that could be used to entertain friends, play chess, and chat. There were more than 800 such suites on the cruise ship. They were categorized into deluxe and standard versions based on their location and size. Additionally, there were 600 suites without balconies but with windows, considered the economy version.

“Let’s take a bath first, then meet up with Lolan and the others,” Alena said to Lily, then quickly stripped off her clothes and jumped into the marble bathtub in the bathroom.

Warm water flowed through the pipes and poured down from the showerhead, making Alena, who had been away from the academy for nearly two weeks, experience this comfort again.

On the other side, Lolan Hill brought Keti into a luxurious suite. Although the room wasn’t very high, the facilities were arranged perfectly and didn’t feel cramped.

After bathing, the two came out to the balcony, lay on the lounge chairs, felt the wind, and the droplets on their skin dried, bringing a refreshing and comfortable feeling.

Thus, the two took a brief rest.

After opening their eyes, there was still some time before dinner. Lolan Hill looked at the sunset gradually sinking in the west, with the crimson clouds reflecting golden sunlight, quite beautiful.

She always felt she couldn’t relax, looking at the distant scenery, Lolan Hill thought to herself.

Suddenly, she remembered that hysterical young man, and some fragments of memories slowly surged in her mind.

The time spent in this world wasn’t short, but excluding the years she slept, the actual time added together was probably only 3-4 years.

Actually, everyone wants a good life, but in fact, it’s very difficult because people always like to compare.

If everyone around you is better than you, even if you’re not bad, you will feel unhappy.

Most of the time, people gain pleasure from the victories of comparison and competition. If they fail, they will have great feelings of frustration.

This is something deeply rooted in our instinctive lives.

People are naturally greedy, wanting to see more scenery, chase more prey, run faster than others, become stronger, and win more affection from the opposite sex.

This is an instinct ingrained in life, which makes us excited and happy, giving us boundless energy, making every day meaningful and full of vitality.

For a long time, this pursuit has been positive, bringing us good feedback. But entering the information age changed things.

The internet connected everyone, showing us the most outstanding people, the most diligent, and the most talented individuals.

Whenever you think about moving in a certain direction, you find that someone has already done it, they did it earlier, worked harder, and might even be more talented than you.

Thus, a huge sense of frustration arises.

That young man was also like this. If he was only in the countryside, his comparison would be limited to a few peers in the same village. As long as he made a little effort, he could do quite well and win the heart of the prettiest girl in the village.

At least in his perception and among the people he knew, that girl was the most beautiful.

Afterwards, he happily started a new family, working in the fields and mountains like his ancestors, living a peaceful life from sunrise to sunset.

But when he entered the large city of Uiber and saw too many new things, it was different.

His comparison now included all the young men in the city, so there were far too many people better than him. Thus, he inevitably felt discouraged, his mindset became somewhat unbalanced, thinking about how to catch up by taking shortcuts.

If he continued to live according to the old rules, the huge gap between them would make it impossible for him to see any hope of surpassing or catching up, even if he tried his hardest. A suffocating despair would overwhelm him.

This was undoubtedly painful. People want to avoid this kind of pain. Some might suppress their ambitions to balance their mindset, while others might take risks, chasing high-risk, high-reward opportunities.

Afterwards, it’s easy for tragedies to occur.

So, is there a solution?

To let him return to the small mountain village and forget the prosperity of the big city? This is undoubtedly a regression and self-deception.

To accept reality, accept that he is just an ordinary person, past and future, destined to remain ordinary? While this might work, not everyone can accept it.

The most beautiful and shining part of people lies in their pursuit of dreams. These pursuers are like stars, dotting the night sky and bringing new ideas and things to the world, constantly changing it.

If everyone were content with stability, conservatism, and repetition, the world would surely be dead and lifeless.

The conflict arises when the desire in one’s heart collides with the despair of reality.

Triton’s actions cannot be said to be right or good, but they are the product of this era’s background.

Recalling and comparing her experiences from both past and present, Lolan Hill slowly analyzed.

She was not a sociologist with rich governance experience. She merely stood on the shoulders of giants with her experiences from crossing two eras.

Although the Frost Rose had made significant progress due to technological innovation, with industrialization and population concentration, various contradictions would gradually become apparent.

Triton’s thoughts and actions were not just a single instance.

If one acquired wealth and status through unfair means, stealing their possessions and usurping their positions would gain a simple ‘legitimacy’ in the public eye, or what some call justice.

But such behavior undoubtedly disrupts justice and rules. Either strict laws and regulations must be enforced to suppress it, or if suppression fails, the overall framework and rules would gradually collapse.

The former delays death, the latter executes it immediately; the difference isn’t significant.

Only by addressing the root cause can the distortion be gradually resolved.

From an individual perspective, childhood dreams of glory and splendor encounter the coldness and cruelty of reality, making them gradually wake up and realize how naive and simple those dreams were.

One day, that child will bid farewell to childhood fairy tales.

But hopefully, one day, he will meet his own dreams.

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Full group, second group open, welcome to join, 706289295

(End of Chapter)