Chapter 50: The Tea Party’s Ideals

A dream.

When Alice regained her senses, she found herself participating in a tea party.

Before a house with a red roof stood a large tree, beneath which a grand round table was set.

She couldn’t recall when she had taken her seat at this round table, but the tea party appeared to have been underway for quite some time.

The tea table was cluttered with an assortment of teaware, spanning various styles and covering the entire surface. It all looked remarkably familiar.

Indeed, this was the very tea table Alice had seen during her precognition when she was promoted—the one where the Mad Hatter sat, sipping tea.

She lifted her gaze, looking at the three figures across the table.

The March Hare and the Dormouse, who had entered the dream with her, sat side by side. The Dormouse, propping his face with a hand, still appeared drowsy and half-asleep.

On the Dormouse’s other side, the Mad Hatter, resplendent in a top hat and tailcoat, raised a teacup and returned her gaze.

“Welcome, friend. After hearing about the trouble in the Rabbit Hole Dungeon, I had a premonition that I would meet you one day,” the Mad Hatter said, smiling as he doffed his hat in greeting.

“Mad Hatter,” Alice replied, smiling back.

As soon as he spoke, he was surprised to find that his voice had returned to a male register.

He glanced at the teacup, where his own face, that of Levi, was reflected in the tea.

“This tea party is a dream realm created by the Dormouse’s ability. Only your spirit has been drawn in, and the form you take here depends on your self-perception,” the Mad Hatter explained to him.

“So, he could see through me because of this ability as well?” Levi asked.

“Yes, the Dormouse can directly perceive the spirits of those whose rank is lower than his own, seeing their true soul form.”

“Why does he still look half-asleep?” Levi observed the Dormouse.

“He cannot truly fall asleep, so his spirit cannot fully enter the dream. He can only maintain this state, whether in the dream or in reality,” the Mad Hatter said dismissively, taking a sip of tea.

“Enough with the pleasantries. State your purpose,” the March Hare interjected suddenly.

“Mad Hatter, I’ve come to thank you…”

Halfway through Levi’s sentence, the Mad Hatter suddenly raised a hand to cut him off.

“There’s no need for formalities. You should have already offered your thanks then. My help was merely an impulse. Now that you’ve become a Witch, may I assume you represent the Witch Cult’s faction?” His smile remained, but his tone abruptly grew serious. “Or, to be more precise, are you now serving the former Queen of the Starry Night Kingdom?”

“You’ve already figured it out?” Levi’s expression also became solemn.

“You used the Brand of Sacrifice yet survived, which required assistance from someone of a very high rank. You transformed into a Witch, and aside from the Wilderness Witches, only the Starry Night Kingdom’s Witch Cult possesses the Witch class. Then, on the day we met, the Church’s expeditionary army to the Starry Night Kingdom returned victoriously, escorting the legendary Blood Red Queen. Furthermore, the information I later received indicates that the Church is now secretly pursuing the Red Queen, who escaped their grasp.” The Mad Hatter ticked off these crucial clues on his fingers. “Combining these pieces of intelligence, it’s not difficult to deduce what you’ve been through.”

“Impressive,” Levi genuinely remarked.

He had not intended to easily reveal matters concerning Isola and the Duchess, as the Mad Hatter’s kindness to him was merely a personal favor. When it came to their respective stances, some things needed to be clearly delineated.

However, since the Mad Hatter had largely deduced his relationship with Isola based on his own intelligence, there was no longer any need for Levi to specifically conceal it.

“The Red Queen must be searching everywhere for allies to reclaim her country, correct? Is she interested in the ‘Tea Party’?” the Mad Hatter asked.

“Regarding that, we probably need to get to know each other first,” Levi said, looking into the Mad Hatter’s eyes. “Mr. Mad Hatter, what exactly is this organization you call the ‘Tea Party’?”

“What kind of organization does it seem to you?” the Mad Hatter counter-questioned with a smile.

Levi shook his head. “I can’t tell. I initially thought you might have formed an organization to liberate the Scarletlanders, but…”

“You discovered that the March Hare and the Dormouse are not Scarletlanders?” the Mad Hatter finished his thought.

“Yes.”

The Mad Hatter seemed to worship the Scarletlanders’ Abyss Cult and was suspected to be a powerful individual connected to the Abyss Cult’s path. Levi had initially assumed his activities within the Empire were dedicated to the revival of the Abyss Cult or the national liberation of the Scarletlanders.

However, after meeting the March Hare and the Dormouse today, he realized that things were not as he had imagined.

The March Hare was a mid-rank ‘Assassin.’ The Dormouse’s path was unknown, but his rank was likely not low. They appeared to be cadres of this organization, yet neither the March Hare nor the Dormouse, judging by their racial features, were Scarletlanders; they were clearly native Imperial citizens.

If this were a Scarletlander national front organization, it would be utterly inconceivable to have multiple Imperial citizens as high-ranking members.

“Then I shall tell you. In a way, you weren’t entirely wrong. This organization—the ‘Tea Party’—is, strictly speaking, a mutual aid society dedicated to national and religious liberation. It’s just that… this mutual aid isn’t solely for the Scarletlanders and their Abyss Cult. It’s for all who need salvation.”

“All?”

“Exactly!” The Mad Hatter suddenly spread his hands dramatically. “All oppressed people! Scarletlanders, barbarians, the people of the southern kingdoms, even the suffering people of the Empire! No matter your ethnicity, no matter your faith, as long as you believe in equality and freedom among us, we can sit together at the tea table, converse as equals, and extend a helping hand to one another. This is an organization where the weak unite to resist hegemonic oppression!”

Levi was momentarily speechless; he had never imagined the Mad Hatter’s organization would pursue such idealistic goals.

“That might sound a bit broad, so let me be more specific,” the Mad Hatter continued to explain to Levi. “The Tea Party’s goals are primarily threefold: first, to instigate the return and independence of imperial colonies; second, to achieve the complete liberation of several minority ethnic groups; and third, to find a way for religions other than the World-Saving Sacred Church, which have been branded as heresies, to attain equal status.”

“Those are truly grand ambitions. So, am I to understand that…” Levi pondered, trying to grasp the core point. “Your adversaries are the Empire and the World-Saving Sacred Church?”

“You can certainly interpret it that way. The Empire, having grown into a colossal entity, has become synonymous with oppression and hegemony. Without resisting it, liberation cannot even begin to be discussed,” the Mad Hatter affirmed.

“Then, it seems we share common enemies,” Levi said, feeling a touch of joy.

However, the Mad Hatter shook his head with unusual composure. “Having common enemies does not necessarily mean we must cooperate. Our goal is to liberate all people from racial and religious oppression, whereas Her Majesty the Red Queen’s goal is simply to reclaim her country. The people of the Starry Night Kingdom can be our target for liberation, but whether that liberation is achieved in the Red Queen’s name is another matter. If she is willing, as the leader of Starry Night, to fight alongside us for the liberation of all oppressed people, then we can indeed cooperate. If she merely intends to use our strength to achieve her own ends, then with all due respect, we are a ‘mutual aid society,’ not a tool for rulers to seize power.”

“This…” Levi hesitated, unable to speak for Isola on this matter.

“I know you can’t make the decision. Just convey my message,” a smile reappeared on the Mad Hatter’s face. “To be honest, I truly look forward to receiving assistance from the legendary Queen of Witches.”