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Chapter 85: They Were Never Characters, Never Meant to Be Here
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The time in Wonderland was now 11:30 AM
Ryo and White Rabbit were still pedaling their bikes side by side toward the Mydrovith realm.
Mist curled around towering pines and birches as a narrow path wound through the forest. Runestones and wooden Viking structures peeked between the trees, while shields and helmets leaned against tents, half-hidden in shadow. A faint fire flickered, casting golden light across moss-covered rocks and the whispering stream.
Ryo looked around the forest, and everything looked exactly like something out of a Viking-themed story.
White Rabbit noticed Ryo’s intrigued expression. “Few people from the Mydrovith realm like to camp out here near the realm during their days off. They leave their stuff here, not too far from the bridge, since they come back from time to time just to relax.”
“Yeah, thanks for the information… Alice’s wonderland tour guide,” Ryo replied flatly.
As they neared the realm, Ryo shivered violently.
“Brrrrrr!!” He slowed his bike to a stop.
White Rabbit stopped ahead and turned his head to him. “Is everything alright, sir detective?”
Ryo hugged himself, rubbing his arms, sarcasm dripping through his trembling voice.
“Oh… I’m feeling perfectly normal, totally… doesn’t feel like I’m in the Arctic all of a sudden…”
He glanced at White Rabbit. “Instead of worrying about me, why… do you look like this freezing cold doesn’t affect you?”
Exactly—White Rabbit looked perfectly fine, not shivering at all.
White Rabbit tilted his head, confused. For a rabbit like him, this temperature was nothing.
Ryo, still shivering, took out his phone and opened a temperature-recording app.
The display read 0°C, the kind of cold you’d expect from a Scandinavian winter.
“Don’t tell me the realm we’re about to enter has Arctic-level temperatures,” Ryo muttered.
“This is standard,” White Rabbit said.
Ryo deadpanned. “Maybe it’s because species like you are just resistant to the cold. Seriously, not only are you always late, but you also have high stamina and don’t feel a thing in this weather…”
He worried that approaching Mydrovith would freeze him solid.
White Rabbit reassured him. “No need to worry. On the bridge to the realm, visitors will be given insulated coats that help withstand colder weather.”
Ryo grumbled. “You should’ve told me that earlier instead of acting like you’re invincible to everything.”
Then he paused. “Now that I think about it… how were you able to not black out when we fell from the rabbit hole at Son Doong? When I woke up, you were right next to me after Sun Wukong was shouting.”
White Rabbit explained. “I did pass out from the G-force of the fall, Sir Detective, but only for a few seconds. You, however, stayed out cold for an entire day, and it was Sun Wukong who brought you inside my house after we reached my garden.”
Ryo shrugged, convinced his client was no ordinary white rabbit. “You know what… let’s get moving.”
They continued pedaling until they exited the forest and hit the brakes.
Before them lay a wide wooden beam bridge. Hundreds of people from all realms were gathered—on bicycles, carriages, and even horses. Friends, family, and children. Everyone had been given fur-hooded parka coats by two attendants dressed in Viking clothing.
“Is there some kind of event in the realm?” Ryo asked.
“Of course, sir,” White Rabbit nodded. “Remember, yesterday Chieftain Dodo said there would be a Caucus Race today?”
Ryo scratched his head. “Oh yeah… he did mention it yesterday at your old house. Are you telling me this Caucus Race is actually bigger than the nonsense mentioned in the original books?”
“You shall find out once we cross the bridge, sir,” White Rabbit said, smiling.
Ryo rubbed his arms, shivering. “Brrrrrrr! Great… now that we’re closer to this realm, it’s a lot colder than earlier!”
He buttoned up his trench coat and shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to keep warm until it was their turn to receive the coats.
After ten minutes, the rest of the crowd received their coats and crossed the bridge.
The two attendants cried out. “NEXT!”
Ryo, still shivering, pedaled forward with White Rabbit. They stopped before the two attendants—and froze.
The attendants had the heads of a fish and a frog.
Ryo pointed at them in recognition. “Are you two… Fish-Footman and Frog-Footman?”
Viking Fish scoffed. “Figures... Look at you, Surface Man. You must’ve read the fictional version of us. How predictable. The name’s Viking Fish.”
Viking Frog added, “You look like you’re about to freeze to death. Here!”
He shoved a fur-hooded parka and leather gloves toward Ryo. “My name is Viking Frog. You really need to stop reading the wrong books and watching the wrong musicals.”
Too cold to answer, Ryo quickly got off his bike. He took off his bag and handed it to Viking Fish, then removed his trench coat and gave it to White Rabbit to hold. He wore the fur-hooded parka as an inner layer, put the trench coat back on over it, and finally slipped on his leather gloves.
He rubbed his palms together, exhaling a cloud of mist in relief. “Aaaaaaahhh… that feels much better…”
Viking Fish returned his bag. “Here you go, Surface Man.”
Ryo put his backpack back on and thanked both of them.
With that settled, Ryo and White Rabbit got back on their bikes, ready to cross the bridge and finally enter the Mydrovith realm.
Before they could start pedaling, Viking Fish and Viking Frog explained that since they were done handing out coats to everyone, they would accompany Ryo and White Rabbit on their way back into the realm.
Ryo agreed and asked if they would be walking or using some form of transport. They replied that they had bikes of their own. Moments later, the two mounted their bicycles, and all four of them began pedaling across the bridge.
On the other side, the path narrowed into a frozen stretch of land—a strip of hardened earth glazed with ice. Bicycle tires crunched softly as they rolled over snow-packed ruts, slipping slightly where frost clung stubbornly to the ground. The cold wind swept across the open land.
Frost-coated grass and bare trees lined the road, their branches white and brittle. Shallow streams ran beside the path, half-frozen and dark beneath cracked sheets of ice. A leaning wooden fence traced the roadside, its posts rimmed with snow.
Ryo noticed there were no guards on the other side of the bridge after they crossed. He asked why there weren’t any guards there—there wasn’t even a gate to pass through, unlike the previous two realms he and White Rabbit had been to.
Viking Fish explained that Mydrovith was a realm filled with powerful people and deities, and therefore its bridge did not require heavy defenses. Before Alice stopped the execution, only blighted deities could casually enter the realm without resistance, thanks to their overwhelming power.
However, there is a gate deeper inside, at the town they were currently heading toward.
Ryo figured that the Blighted Deities could walk into any realm freely, without being stopped—people were simply too afraid of their power.
“What brings you here to this realm, Surface Man?” Viking Fish asked. “Here to enjoy the Caucus Race like everyone else in Wonderland?”
“Nope,” Ryo replied. “I’m here to investigate the murdered victim of this realm… and Thor’s disappearance.”
Viking Fish gasped dramatically, turning his fish head toward Ryo. “GOOD HEAVENS—!”
Because his eyes were no longer on the road, his front wheel struck a small rock. The impact launched him forward, sending him spinning through the air in an exaggerated, cartoonish tumble. He cartwheeled across the frozen ground, spinning and spinning until he finally landed flat on his back.
Instead of stars, tiny teacups spun above his head, clinking softly as they circled his face.
“Holy sh*t!” Ryo muttered in panic.
“MY PARTNEEEEEER!” Viking Frog cried out.
“OH DEAR! OH DEAR!” White Rabbit shouted.
All three slammed on their brakes, jumped off their bikes, and rushed over, kneeling around the fallen Viking Fish.
Ryo grabbed his shoulders and shook him gently. “Hey—wake up!”
“I’m awake…” Viking Fish mumbled weakly. “Teacups are flying…”
Viking Frog shoved Ryo aside.
“MOVE ASIDE.” His gaze sharpened. “I know exactly how to wake my partner up.”
He raised his hand.
White Rabbit’s eyes widened. “Wait! He’s awake—just dizzy and in pain!”
Too late.
Viking Frog swung his arm—
SLAP!
The blow struck Viking Fish’s face with brutal force.
“OOOOPPPFFFHHH!” he grunted as his eyes rolled white. His mouth falling open as his soul visibly slipped out.
Silence.
Viking Frog blinked, confused. “That didn’t work? Why?”
Ryo snapped at him. “YOU MADE IT EVEN WORSE, YOU FOOL!”
Then he had an idea.
Something that might help “revive” him.
He quickly removed his bag, unzipped it, and pulled out a sheet of seaweed—nori.
He remembered that fish loved eating seaweed.
Would this actually wake up Viking Fish?
Ryo wasn’t sure… but it was worth a try.
He placed the nori into Viking Fish’s open mouth, gently closing it… then opening it… then closing it again, helping him chew.
Silence.
White Rabbit whispered, “It’s not working, sir…”
Suddenly, color rushed back into Viking Fish’s eyes.
He snapped upright in a spring-loaded sit-up like a cartoon character. “MAMA MIAAAAAAAA!!!!!”
He kissed his fingers dramatically. “Muah! That was exquisite!”
Viking Fish leapt to his feet, bowed deeply to Ryo, and began speaking in an exaggerated Italian accent.
“That flavor—so rich, so refined! Crisp yet tender, salty but balanced! I don’t know what this divine sheet of wonder is, Signore, but it sings to the soul! A masterpiece! A triumph! Truly a dish worthy of legends!”
Ryo stared at him, utterly deadpan. “Oi, oi… you can stop with the food review now. I fed you Japanese food. I thought you’d speak with a Japanese accent—or no accent at all. Instead, you went full Italian, like that plumber character, Magnifico Jumpmanio from Italiano Kart… despite being a Viking spin-off.”
“HUAAAAAAA!!!” Viking Frog cried, throwing himself into a dramatic hug around his partner.
Viking Fish, however, stood calm and proud—hands clasped behind his back, eyes closed, chin raised.
Ryo sighed, exhausted already. “Shall we continue riding to wherever we’re going now?”
Everyone agreed.
They returned to their bikes and mounted them once more. Viking Fish picked up his fallen bicycle and checked it quickly for any damage. Fortunately, nothing was broken, so he hopped on. Then all four of them began pedaling forward again.
As they rode, Ryo asked whether he had said something that shocked Viking Fish so badly earlier. Viking Fish explained that he never expected Ryo to be investigating the murdered victim of this realm—nor the disappearance of Lord Thor.
Ryo wondered if that alone was really so shocking. Viking Frog answered instead, explaining that the people of Mydrovith had chosen to move on after the death in their realm and the disappearance of their ruler.
As for Thor, a new ruler had already been appointed: the White Queen.
Ryo’s brows rose in surprise. He asked if this “White Queen” was the same one from Through the Looking-Glass. Viking Fish clarified that she was not—she was the Goddess Frigg.
That reveal startled Ryo even more. In Norse mythology, Frigg was the Goddess of Sacred Order—someone who perfectly fit the role of a ruler. He asked when she had been appointed, and why.
Viking Fish explained that Frigg was appointed a week after the murder occurred. Thor, on the other hand, had disappeared two weeks earlier—vanishing when he attempted to assassinate the Queen of Hearts at the Central Hub’s palace. Ryo asked if they had any idea how Thor vanished during the assassination attempt.
Viking Fish said no. However, Thor had left a message carved into the wall of his citadel room, etched deep as if with a knife.
It read: ‘Should I fall—or be cast back to my era of extinction while saving Alice—appoint a new ruler of Mydrovith without delay.’
Thor’s court had wanted to wait for his return. They searched throughout Wonderland, but after a week passed with no trace of him, it was concluded that Thor had either died or been expelled from Wonderland. Frigg—his close friend and right-hand woman—then took his place as ruler.
The people soon began calling her the White Queen.
Ryo asked why she was known by that title. Viking Frog explained that it was purely coincidence. Frigg never adopted the name herself—she simply favored white clothing. The people began calling her the White Queen because her outfits were always as white as snow. And here, in the Mydrovith realm, cold weather and frozen landscapes were common—so the name naturally stuck.
Ryo then mentioned that he had noticed people from the Olyndora realm arriving earlier as guests at the bridge, while Viking Frog and Viking Fish handed out coats.
He told them that the bridge to that realm had been destroyed yesterday.
Viking Fish said he had heard—the news had spread throughout Wonderland by envoys. It was unfortunate, but the good news was that the bridge had been rebuilt overnight.
Ryo was confused by this and asked how a bridge could be restored so fast. Viking Frog explained that it was thanks to Hercules—Zeus’s student in architecture. Not only did Hercules possess immense strength, but he also wielded magic passed down by Zeus, amplifying his construction skills and allowing him to build at incredible speed.
To Ryo, Hercules’s presence in Wonderland was unexpected. Still, he chose not to dwell on it, knowing that iconic figures from five different mythologies lived across the five realms of Wonderland.
After their conversation, White Rabbit pointed ahead. “That’s the town, sir. We’re getting closer.”
Ahead, a town rose from the frost—an earthen rampart crowned with a tall wooden palisade. A single gate stood open beneath a watchtower, smoke drifting lazily beyond the walls, marking the boundary between the frozen wilds and civilization.
Ryo stared at it. “That town looks familiar…”
They soon reached the gates. Two guards stood on either side—relaxed due to the Caucus Race, yet watchful for anything suspicious. The moment they spotted Ryo, an unfamiliar foreigner, they stopped all four.
White Rabbit explained that Ryo was Alice’s defense attorney, hired for the upcoming final trial, and that he needed to conduct an investigation within Mydrovith. Viking Fish and Viking Frog vouched for him as well.
The guards were visibly shocked after hearing the reasoning, but after a brief exchange—when White Rabbit went into more detail—they allowed them to pass. The four thanked the guards and pedaled through the gates.
The moment they entered, Ryo’s breath caught.
All four stopped their bikes.
Inside the walls, the town unfolded like a living relic of the Viking age.
Longhouses lined the packed-earth streets, their steep wooden roofs layered with frost and snow. Smoke curled from chimneys, carrying the scent of burning pine and hearth fires.
Merchants’ stalls stood beneath heavy timber awnings, displaying furs, iron tools, axes, shields, and braided rope. Wooden walkways crisscrossed above shallow canals where water flowed dark and slow beneath thin ice.
Farther in, a harbor basin stretched inward, its waters partially frozen, with longships tied along wooden docks. Their carved prows loomed like silent guardians, sails furled, runes etched along their hulls. Banners snapped in the wind—symbols of beasts—fluttering against the pale sky. Across the waters, a tall snowy mountain rose on the far horizon.
The town was alive. Children ran through the snow. Blacksmiths hammered glowing steel. Voices carried laughter, conversation, and song—warmth thriving against the cold.
Ryo whispered, awestruck. “Are you serious… I’m actually in Hedeby…”
Viking Fish shook his head lightly. “Not exactly Hedeby—but designed to look like one.”
The time in Wonderland was now 12:15 PM
Ryo looked ahead. “The harbor already looks packed.”
“This is the long-awaited Caucus Race. Of course it would be crowded,” Viking Fish said. “The event will take place there—and make no mistake, this version is far grander than the one told in the original story.”
“The race will begin at 4pm in the afternoon,” Viking Frog added. “But since you two aren’t here to watch the event, how about we have lunch at the Duchess’s house before you begin your investigation?”
Ryo raised a brow. “You’re sure about the Duchess? Isn’t she part of the Queen of Hearts’ staff?”
He remembered how she was full of trouble in the story.
“Ahhh, do not worry about her,” Viking Fish said. “She was deemed useless by the Queen of Hearts and kicked out of the Central Hub’s palace.”
He leaned in, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. “Fortunately, she wasn’t killed—her face makes the Queen of Hearts puke whenever she looks at her. Yes, the Duchess was bitter about it, but she escaped the playful executions and was cast away here, to the Mydrovith realm.”
Ryo was internally baffled. “Woooow… imagine the Duchess hearing that from you. And to think someone could escape death just by being ugly.”
At the very edge of the harbor, a massive stone citadel came into view.
“Is that the place Thor once settled?” Ryo asked.
“Yes,” White Rabbit replied. “The White Queen now resides there, having taken his place.”
Viking Frog pointed off to the side. “Let us go now, shall we?”
They continued pedaling their bicycles toward their destination.
As they rode, Viking Fish spoke again, revealing a surprising piece of information.
“It is worth mentioning that, next to the Duchess’s house, there is a rabbit hole. It is one of the entrances used by those from the Upper Worlds to reach Mydrovith.”
Ryo’s breath caught.
He had never seen another rabbit hole besides the one at White Rabbit’s lavish house in Olyndora, so he found himself looking forward to seeing what this one in Mydrovith looked like, curiosity stirring within him.
After five minutes of cycling, they arrived.
The Duchess’s house looked familiar—its crooked rooflines, uneven chimneys, and aggressively impractical architecture were straight out of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
But everything had been reforged with a Viking twist.
Thick timber beams reinforced the warped walls. Dragon-head carvings stuck out from the roof edges. Rusted shields were nailed decoratively beside doors and windows, and frost clung to iron hooks meant for hanging meat—or weapons. The chimney poured out smoke like a war drum announcing lunch.
Perfectly fitting for the Duchess.
Ryo scanned the area, still curious about the rabbit hole. He shifted his gaze to the side of the house—but there was no rabbit hole.
Then he asked, “Where is it?”
“You can’t see it?” Viking Frog pointed downward. “It’s there. Below. At the stone wall behind the house.”
Ryo followed his finger.
There was a large stone wall behind the house—but beneath it was something absurd.
A hole.
Not a rabbit hole.
A mouse hole.
All four stepped closer and stopped in front of it.
Ryo crouched and squinted. “You’re not lying to me, right?”
He straightened. “What’s next? Are we about to get a ‘Tony the Easily-Offended Feline and Jeremy, His Squeaky Rival’ moment?”
“I assure you, I am not lying,” Viking Frog said calmly. “This is indeed the rabbit hole through which those from the Upper Worlds enter Mydrovith.”
“I mean… the only way anyone could enter or leave this realm through that hole is if they were as small as the hole itself—or if they smashed through the stone wall at full size and rebuilt it afterward,” Ryo said, stating the obvious.
What Ryo said made sense. It really did seem impossible for anyone to enter or exit through it.
However, he hadn’t realized that he had forgotten one crucial piece of information from the original story related to this matter.
Suddenly—
“AAAAAAHHHHH!!!”
Screams echoed from deep within the hole.
Ryo blinked. “…Did that just come from inside there?”
“Ah,” White Rabbit said mildly. “It appears someone else has just entered Wonderland—specifically, the Mydrovith Realm.”
Ryo slowly turned to him. “Sir Hops-a-Lot… what are you talking about?”
Then—
Three figures shot out of the hole.
“WAAAAAAHHH!”
“MEEEOOOWWWW!”
Two girls and a cat flew through the air and landed face-first on the frozen grass.
They were the size of mice.
Ryo was stunned, staring down at them, his brain short-circuiting. “Ehhhhhh…”
One of the girls—older, around seventeen—groaned and pushed herself up.
She wore a Victorian-style dress, “Ugh… that was a long fall…” She turned to the smaller girl beside her. “Are you alright, Edith?”
“Mmmm… I’m hungry again, big sister Lorina,” Edith, who looked nine years old, mumbled. She looked at the cat. “You’re not hurt, are you, Dinah?”
“Meooow…” Dinah groaned.
Those names…
Ryo had heard them before.
The three stood up, rubbing their heads—then noticed the massive shadows looming over them.
Slowly, they looked up.
The four figures before them looked like towering giants.
Viking Frog removed his helmet, placed it against his chest, and bowed. “Welcome… to the Mydrovith Realm of Wonderland.”
The sisters’ eyes widened.
Then—
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! GROTESQUE COLOSSAL GIANTS!!!”
“MEEEOWWWW!!!”
Ryo crossed his arms, unimpressed. “Hey. Don’t lump me in with the talking animals.”
Instead of running, the girls collapsed into sobs.
“HUUUUHUUUU!!! It’s over! I haven’t even married yet, and now I’m going to be eaten by giants!” Lorina cried.
“WAAAAAAHHH!” Edith wailed.
Dinah cried too, in meows.
Ryo rubbed his face. “Great. Too scared to run. Just like every sacrifice victim in movies.”
He knelt down and gently lowered his hand, smiling reassuringly. “Don’t worry. I’m a normal human. And I won’t let these scary talking animals hurt you.”
Viking Fish, Viking Frog, and White Rabbit stared at him flatly.
“Hey,” they muttered in unison. “Don’t group us with monsters.”
Lorina stopped crying. “You… promise you won’t?” she sniffed.
“Will you…” Edith sniffled, “really protect us?”
“I promise,” Ryo said, still wearing that reassuring smile. “Come on. Step onto my palm.”
They hesitated for a moment. But in the end, they decided to trust him—he looked the most normal out of the four. Slowly, the three stepped onto Ryo’s palm.
Then he stood up.
He turned to the others. “Alright. You’ve got some explaining to do.”
Viking Fish cleared his throat. “All who enter Wonderland through the Mydrovith Realm exit from this hole—and they always emerge at mouse size.”
“To return to their proper size,” Viking Frog continued, “they must consume an ‘Eat Me’ cake.”
“That sounds just like the stories…” Ryo thought. “Wait a minute—Dureifa did mention an ‘Eat Me’ cake existing in this version of Wonderland. well… this version still kind of follows the original plot.”
“So where do we get one?” Ryo asked.
Viking Fish raised a finger. “We have several stored at the Duchess’s house.” He turned to the tiny trio. “Once you eat them, you will return to your proper size.”
Unfortunately, his giant fish face did not help calm them.
They clung together, holding onto each other protectively on Ryo’s palm.
“You’re scaring them, tuna face,” Ryo thought, eyes narrowing.
Then he felt them shiver.
Of course—the Mydrovith realm was as cold as the Arctic.
The chill was brutal.
“Oh crap!” Ryo realized. “Is it warm inside the Duchess’s house?!” he asked quickly.
Viking Frog perked up in realization. “OH! OH! YES!” he panicked. “Let us head inside now! There are coats available for them after they grow, once they eat the cakes.”
They rushed to the door.
Ryo cupped his hands protectively over the tiny three, keeping them warm.
Viking Fish grabbed the handle and swung the door open. “We’re hoooom—”
“RAAAAAAAAAA!!!” Someone shouted.
A frying pan flew out.
“CLONK!”
It smacked Viking Fish square in the face.
He dropped like a sack of potatoes, pupils spinning.
Ryo stared. “…What the hell!”
From inside, a furious voice echoed.
“WHO DARES ENTER THIS HOUSE WITHOUT ANNOUNCING!!!”
The one who had been shouting stood at the far edge of the room—right inside the kitchen.
She was the cook.
She wore a plain dress, a grimy apron, and a simple bonnet pulled low over her head, just like in the story. But when Ryo laid eyes on her face, something was immediately different.
She was human.
At the center of the room sat a small, round wooden table. On a chair beside it lounged the Duchess herself—her head grotesquely large, her features just as unpleasant as the books described. In her arms, a baby wailed loudly.
The Duchess let out a long sigh and rolled her eyes. “Rán… they did come announced…”
Rán?
Ryo knew that name—she was the ’Goddess of the Dangerous Sea.’ He hadn’t expected her to take the place of the cook in this version of Wonderland. He had read legends about her terrible temper, and it seemed she still had one… despite her pretty face.
Rán ground her teeth. “RAAAAAH!”
She clearly hadn’t heard the Duchess.
She grabbed a saucepan and hurled it straight at Ryo.
Ryo gasped and dodged to the left. “WOAH!” The saucepan flew out the door. “HEY WAI—”
But before he could finish, Rán threw a ladle at Viking Frog.
It hit his face with a CLONG!
He toppled backward, arms stiff, collapsing instantly—unconscious.
The mini sisters and Dinah screamed from Ryo’s palm as he shielded them.
Every time he tried to speak—
CLANG!
BANG!
THWACK!
Rán kept hurling kitchenware nonstop.
Forks. Plates. Cups. A rolling pin.
Ryo zigzagged desperately—left, right, crouch, lean back—one pan barely missing his face.
“THIS ISN’T A KITCHEN—IT’S A WAR ZONE!” He shouted.
White Rabbit hopped frantically, dodging a teapot midair. “PLEASE, MY DEAR RÁN! LISTEN TO US!”
Ryo snapped, ducking under a flying bowl. “UNBELIEVABLE! You’re exactly as violent as your original version—but with a bigger cookware budget and a spin-off appearance!”
He turned sharply to the Duchess. “Hey! Old lady! Can you tell your chef to STOP THROWING KITCHEN ITEMS AT US?!”
The Duchess’s brow twitched.
Slowly… she stood up.
She lifted the baby and leaned forward, eyes dark. “Don’t you dare…”
Then—
She threw the baby. “CALL ME OOOOLD!”
Everything felt like slow motion. If he dodged the baby, it would land outside the door, hitting the ground and getting hurt. But if he caught the baby, he might drop the sisters and the cat in his palm.
So he devised a plan. Thinking lightning-fast, he shoved the sisters and the cat into his coat pocket, slammed the door shut with his foot, and caught the baby in his arms.
“GOTCHA!”
But Rán did not stop.
More kitchenware flew.
Ryo clenched his teeth—he’d had enough of the chaos. He ran toward the table, dodging more incoming kitchenware missiles.
The Duchess’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?!”
But Ryo didn’t hear her—or more likely, he didn’t care anymore.
The Duchess sensed the dangerous glint in his eyes and realized he was about to do something violent. She jumped to the side to dodge.
He planted his left foot.
Pulled his right leg back—
Like a striker lining up the perfect shot. “Have a taste of my flying freekick, CHEF!!!”
BOOM!
He kicked the table.
The table spun through the air dramatically, teacups and plates flying off in slow motion.
Rán’s eyes widened.
PONG!
The table slammed into her face.
Her head snapped back, nose bleeding as she collapsed flat onto the floor.
Teacups circled her head cartoonishly.
Unconscious.
Ryo exhaled slowly. “I… just wish this kind of nonsense would stop happening in my life…”
He turned sharply to the Duchess, eyes cold.
“Do you want to stop now… or continue your little chaos festival?” he whispered, voice low and dangerous.
The Duchess shook her head rapidly. “N-No! Not at all!” She laughed nervously. “Is there… something you need?”
Then—POOF!
The baby in Ryo’s arms turned into a pig.
He deadpanned at it.
Yeah… totally didn’t see that coming,” he said sarcastically, though he clearly remembered this chaotic chapter from the books.
And set the pig down. It immediately circled him happily.
Ryo pulled the sisters and Dinah from his pocket and showed them on his palm.
The Duchess figured it out. “Oh! Ah—yes, yes! My apologies!”
She hurried to the kitchen, stepping over Rán without a glance, grabbed an ‘Eat me’ cake, and placed it on the floor in front of Ryo.
Ryo lowered his hand to the floor. “Go on. Eat it. You’ll grow to your normal size.”
They stepped down.
The cake towered over them.
Lorina frowned. “We can’t possibly finish this.”
“My tummy will go boom if I eat all that,” Edith said adorably.
Dinah just stared at it.
The Duchess waved a hand. “One bite is enough. Just take a scoop.”
White Rabbit leaned down, whispering eagerly. “Go on!”
They each took a scoop of the cake with their fingers and put it in their mouths.
And then—
They grew.
And Grew.
And GREW.
Until the sisters stood at their proper height, and Dinah stretched, fully restored.
They stared at themselves in awe.
Then they turned to Ryo and bowed. “Thank you for your help!”
Ryo smiled softly. “You’re welcome.”
The time in Wonderland was now 1 PM
After the chaos finally subsided, Viking Fish and Viking Frog had woken up.
Everyone sat around the table—the same wooden table Ryo had kicked earlier, now placed back in its original position. The room itself was still a mess: bent cookware, scattered utensils, and dents in the walls.
Yet despite all that, the atmosphere had finally calmed enough for everyone to sit and breathe.
Viking Fish and Viking Frog slumped in their chairs, each pressing a bag of ice cubes against their heads. Both looked miserable, clearly still feeling the aftereffects of being struck by flying kitchenware courtesy of Rán.
Rán herself had also woken up.
She was now cooking properly.
Two tissues were stuffed into her nostrils to stop the bleeding, yet for some strange reason, she hummed cheerfully as she worked. Ryo found that odd.
When she finished, she placed the food on the table:
Peppery Soup
Beef
Eggs
Flatbread
Hot Chocolate
And Fried Chicken
Filling the room with hearty smells.
White Rabbit struck up a casual conversation with the sisters, speaking gently and reassuringly, telling them that everything would be fine now. Lorina and Edith listened politely, though they still found it strange—deeply strange—that a rabbit could talk.
The sisters were then given coats.
Their British Shorthair cat, Dinah, now wearing a quilted wool coat, sat on the floor eating fish alongside the pig, who was munching on some meat; the two animals seemed to get along without issue.
The Duchess and Rán apologized to the sisters, and they replied that it was alright.
Ryo finally turned to Rán.
“Why are you being so cheerful all of a sudden?” he asked. “After I kicked that table at your face.”
Rán replied that she usually had a terrible temper, and people in the Upper Worlds often feared her because of it. Ever since before she came to Wonderland, no one had ever dared to oppose her—especially in the Norwegian Sea. But the moment Ryo had gotten violent with her, kicking the table into her face, she felt an unexpected sense of bliss. No one had ever overwhelmed her like that before.
She even encouraged Ryo to get rough with her again—especially in the bedroom, if he wanted to.
At that point, Ryo internally realized something.
The few troublesome women he had encountered who took a liking to him never seemed interested until he stopped acting polite—until he shouted, got rough, or treated them differently from the usual lovestruck fools.
Though it was never his intention to act like a “bad boy”—he never even tried to flirt, too focused on his case—he simply shrugged it off, letting Rán enjoy whatever strange fantasy she had developed, which, unfortunately, he knew was similar to Cleopatra’s.
And so, they began their lunch.
While eating, Ryo shifted his gaze toward the sisters.
Then to the cat.
Lorina. Edith. Dinah.
The names felt familiar, tugging at something in his memory, yet he couldn’t fully recall who they were.
They were vague figures in his mind—important, but blurred.
He needed details.
“Can you both tell me your full names?” Ryo asked.
Then came the bombshell.
“My name is Lorina Charlotte Liddell,” Lorina answered. “I am the older sibling to my little sister here.”
“My name is Edith Mary Liddell,” Edith added innocently.
Ryo’s breath caught.
The moment he heard their full names, his memories snapped into place. He had researched them before. These two were Alice’s sisters—not the fictional Alice from the book, but the real Alice, the one beyond the story.
Ryo had believed the Alice imprisoned at the Central Hub was the fictional protagonist who somehow became real.
But after hearing these names, doubts formed immediately.
“Can you tell me why you’re here in Wonderland?” Ryo asked calmly.
“We’re looking for our sister, Alice,” Lorina replied.
“Her full name?” Ryo asked.
Then came the second bombshell.
“Alice Pleasance Liddell,” Lorina answered.
Ryo didn’t show his shock outwardly, but inside, everything reeled.
In the original fictional story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the protagonist never had a full name. But Alice Pleasance Liddell was a real person—the girl the story was based on.
And that Alice had two sisters: Lorina and Edith.
Yet Dinah—the cat—was fictional.
It was another crossover.
Just like how Cinderella’s mother turned out to be the Snow Queen.
But here in Wonderland, it was real-life individuals mixed with fictional elements.
In the documentaries Ryo had seen, Alice, Lorina, and Edith had actually met Lewis Carroll, the original author of the story.
The author himself was close to the three sisters, and the real Alice had even encouraged him to write a story based on her—though the fictional Alice turned out to be a different character.
Before assuming that the Alice imprisoned at the Central Hub was truly the real Alice Pleasance Liddell, he needed details.
“Can you tell me how you got here into Wonderland?” Ryo asked.
“I shall tell you instead,” Lorina replied.
Which makes sense, since she’s the oldest and most mature one, while Edith is still a child.
And so, Lorina began her story…
It was 5 hours ago.
Lorina, Edith, Alice, and Dinah were on a boat ride along the River Thames in Oxford. They were accompanied by a man named Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who rowed the boat while the three sisters and the cat enjoyed the gentle sway of the river.
Charles spoke about the river and the beautiful scenery they were passing. Then, at some point, the conversation shifted. He began talking about wanting to write a story. Charles had always dreamed of becoming an author. His mind was filled with fantastical ideas, yet he struggled to narrow them down into something truly remarkable. He wanted to write something adventurous—something filled with fantasy and whimsy.
Alice perked up immediately and told him he should write a story about her.
Lorina chuckled, thinking her innocent little sister was being silly and demanding. Charles rubbed his chin, considering it seriously, and admitted that it was actually a good idea. From there, he began brainstorming with the sisters about the plot.
Eventually, together, they came up with a title:
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
The sisters found the name fascinating—especially Alice herself. Charles promised that he would write the full story one day, that it would make a huge impact on the world and gain fans from everywhere. The sisters excitedly wished him luck.
After some time on the river, Charles docked the boat at a grassy bank. They all stepped out and walked toward a hawthorn tree, settling beneath it for a picnic.
After they finished eating, Edith fell asleep on Lorina’s lap. Alice stood up and told Charles and her sister that she wanted to explore the area for a bit. Lorina and Charles warned her not to wander too far. Alice casually agreed and ran off.
An hour passed.
Alice didn’t return.
Charles and the sisters began to worry. They searched nearby but couldn’t find her. Another hour passed, and still—nothing.
Now deeply concerned, Charles suggested they split up and search further. Edith, too afraid to leave Lorina’s side, insisted on staying with her. Lorina agreed, and Charles respected the decision. They separated and continued searching. Dinah followed the sisters closely.
Eventually, Lorina, Edith, and Dinah found a hole beneath an oak tree. Lying on the grass in front of it was a pink ribbon—they recognized it immediately as Alice’s.
They assumed Alice might be hiding inside, perhaps trying to play hide-and-seek. Lorina teased, saying there was no way Alice could hide from her forever, especially since Lorina had always been good at finding her whenever they played.
Then Lorina, Edith, and Dinah entered the hole.
To their shock, they began falling.
They fell for five whole minutes.
And then, suddenly, they landed here—in Wonderland—reduced to a tiny, miniature size.
And that… was Lorina’s story.
After hearing it, Ryo froze where he sat, staring at them in disbelief.
Lorina and Edith tilted their heads, confused by the way Ryo was looking at them.
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson.
Ryo knew that name very well.
That was the author’s real name—better known by his pen name, Lewis Carroll.
From Lorina’s story, Charles had discussed wanting to write a story, even brainstorming its plot with the sisters and arriving at the title Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. That event existed in real history—except for one crucial difference.
In reality, Charles had come up with the story alone.
“Can you tell me what year you came from?” Ryo asked.
“What is with that strange question?” Lorina replied. “Obviously, 1862.”
Ryo facepalmed so hard the sound echoed through the Duchess’s house.
Everyone stared at him.
1862… that was the year Lewis Carroll began writing the story.
Everything the sisters were experiencing now was based on a story that hadn’t even been written yet.
No wonder White Rabbit and the people of Wonderland believed the Upper Worlds’ version of the story felt fictional to them. Yet to Ryo, Wonderland itself was still deeply strange—a hidden world filled with figures from ancient legends, fairytales, and forgotten folklore, eerily similar to the fairytale world he had been to in a previous case.
But what shocked him most was this:
Before the story was ever written, the real people—never meant to be characters—were now here, experiencing the world within it.
It’s not surprising that the sisters think they’re still in 1862.
In reality, time in Wonderland functioned differently. People from different eras could meet freely here—a time-warped kingdom. To them, Alice had only been gone for a few hours. But In Wonderland, around two months had passed.
Ryo noticed the sisters staring curiously at his trench coat. He realized they found it strange—far too modern compared to their Victorian clothing.
Now Ryo felt conflicted.
After hearing Lorina’s story, he was certain: the imprisoned Alice was not fictional. She was the real Alice Pleasance Liddell, and these sisters were simply now experiencing the story world in a far from ideal way.
But Ryo couldn’t tell them the truth.
He couldn’t tell them that Alice was imprisoned—and scheduled for execution in four days if he failed the final trial.
So he decided to hide it for now, hoping to distract them from the subject while he searched for a solution.
However… the Viking frog chimed in.
“Oh, since you’re looking for your sister Alice, unfortunately she’s about to get executed in four days by the Queen of Hearts.”
Silence.
Utter, deafening silence.
The sisters and the cat blinked once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then their faces went pale.
“HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHH?!”
“MEEEEEEEEOOOOOWWWW!!!!”
Ryo facepalmed again, screaming internally. “WHYYYYYY?! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SAY IT OUT LOUD, YOU DAMN TOAD?!”
Lorina lunged forward, grabbing Viking Frog by the shoulders and shaking him violently.
“WHAT DID YOU SAY?! MY PRECIOUS LITTLE SISTER ALICE IS ABOUT TO BE EXECUTED?! EXPLAIN YOURSELF—NOW!”
“BIG SISTER ALICE—UWAAAAAAA!” Edith cried.
Viking Frog, already dizzy, raised both hands frantically.
“W-w-wait! P-please calm down, Ms. Lorina! At least—at least stop shaking me before my soul leaves my body!”
The Duchess scoffed, resting her chin on her fist. “Hmph! That’s what you get for letting your mouth run wild—utterly incapable of keeping secrets.”
White Rabbit gesturing toward Ryo in panic. “Sir Detective here is Alice’s attorney! He will be the one to defend her in the final trial!”
White Rabbit did not realize he had just made everything worse.
Lorina immediately grabbed Ryo by the collar, shaking him just as violently.
“ARE YOU REALLY HERE TO SAVE ALICE?! WHERE IS SHE?! TAKE ME TO HER! I NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING!”
“H-hold on a second!” Ryo panicked. “At least—let me explain—!”
Knock! Knock!
The sound cut through the chaos.
Everyone froze.
Ryo exhaled in relief.
“Come in,” the Duchess said.
The door slowly opened.
And what—no, who—Ryo saw made his jaw drop.
A figure stood silhouetted by sunlight.
It had two overgrown ears and was holding a bat.
“No… way…” Ryo whispered, disbelief written all over his face. “Could it be… Aren’t you that rat… from the story world-hopping fantasy game?”
The figure pulled an unexpected microphone from his pocket with his other hand, raised it to his mouth, and took a deep breath before—
Ryo and White Rabbit were still pedaling their bikes side by side toward the Mydrovith realm.
Mist curled around towering pines and birches as a narrow path wound through the forest. Runestones and wooden Viking structures peeked between the trees, while shields and helmets leaned against tents, half-hidden in shadow. A faint fire flickered, casting golden light across moss-covered rocks and the whispering stream.
Ryo looked around the forest, and everything looked exactly like something out of a Viking-themed story.
White Rabbit noticed Ryo’s intrigued expression. “Few people from the Mydrovith realm like to camp out here near the realm during their days off. They leave their stuff here, not too far from the bridge, since they come back from time to time just to relax.”
“Yeah, thanks for the information… Alice’s wonderland tour guide,” Ryo replied flatly.
As they neared the realm, Ryo shivered violently.
“Brrrrrr!!” He slowed his bike to a stop.
White Rabbit stopped ahead and turned his head to him. “Is everything alright, sir detective?”
Ryo hugged himself, rubbing his arms, sarcasm dripping through his trembling voice.
“Oh… I’m feeling perfectly normal, totally… doesn’t feel like I’m in the Arctic all of a sudden…”
He glanced at White Rabbit. “Instead of worrying about me, why… do you look like this freezing cold doesn’t affect you?”
Exactly—White Rabbit looked perfectly fine, not shivering at all.
White Rabbit tilted his head, confused. For a rabbit like him, this temperature was nothing.
Ryo, still shivering, took out his phone and opened a temperature-recording app.
The display read 0°C, the kind of cold you’d expect from a Scandinavian winter.
“Don’t tell me the realm we’re about to enter has Arctic-level temperatures,” Ryo muttered.
“This is standard,” White Rabbit said.
Ryo deadpanned. “Maybe it’s because species like you are just resistant to the cold. Seriously, not only are you always late, but you also have high stamina and don’t feel a thing in this weather…”
He worried that approaching Mydrovith would freeze him solid.
White Rabbit reassured him. “No need to worry. On the bridge to the realm, visitors will be given insulated coats that help withstand colder weather.”
Ryo grumbled. “You should’ve told me that earlier instead of acting like you’re invincible to everything.”
Then he paused. “Now that I think about it… how were you able to not black out when we fell from the rabbit hole at Son Doong? When I woke up, you were right next to me after Sun Wukong was shouting.”
White Rabbit explained. “I did pass out from the G-force of the fall, Sir Detective, but only for a few seconds. You, however, stayed out cold for an entire day, and it was Sun Wukong who brought you inside my house after we reached my garden.”
Ryo shrugged, convinced his client was no ordinary white rabbit. “You know what… let’s get moving.”
They continued pedaling until they exited the forest and hit the brakes.
Before them lay a wide wooden beam bridge. Hundreds of people from all realms were gathered—on bicycles, carriages, and even horses. Friends, family, and children. Everyone had been given fur-hooded parka coats by two attendants dressed in Viking clothing.
“Is there some kind of event in the realm?” Ryo asked.
“Of course, sir,” White Rabbit nodded. “Remember, yesterday Chieftain Dodo said there would be a Caucus Race today?”
Ryo scratched his head. “Oh yeah… he did mention it yesterday at your old house. Are you telling me this Caucus Race is actually bigger than the nonsense mentioned in the original books?”
“You shall find out once we cross the bridge, sir,” White Rabbit said, smiling.
Ryo rubbed his arms, shivering. “Brrrrrrr! Great… now that we’re closer to this realm, it’s a lot colder than earlier!”
He buttoned up his trench coat and shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to keep warm until it was their turn to receive the coats.
After ten minutes, the rest of the crowd received their coats and crossed the bridge.
The two attendants cried out. “NEXT!”
Ryo, still shivering, pedaled forward with White Rabbit. They stopped before the two attendants—and froze.
The attendants had the heads of a fish and a frog.
Ryo pointed at them in recognition. “Are you two… Fish-Footman and Frog-Footman?”
Viking Fish scoffed. “Figures... Look at you, Surface Man. You must’ve read the fictional version of us. How predictable. The name’s Viking Fish.”
Viking Frog added, “You look like you’re about to freeze to death. Here!”
He shoved a fur-hooded parka and leather gloves toward Ryo. “My name is Viking Frog. You really need to stop reading the wrong books and watching the wrong musicals.”
Too cold to answer, Ryo quickly got off his bike. He took off his bag and handed it to Viking Fish, then removed his trench coat and gave it to White Rabbit to hold. He wore the fur-hooded parka as an inner layer, put the trench coat back on over it, and finally slipped on his leather gloves.
He rubbed his palms together, exhaling a cloud of mist in relief. “Aaaaaaahhh… that feels much better…”
Viking Fish returned his bag. “Here you go, Surface Man.”
Ryo put his backpack back on and thanked both of them.
With that settled, Ryo and White Rabbit got back on their bikes, ready to cross the bridge and finally enter the Mydrovith realm.
Before they could start pedaling, Viking Fish and Viking Frog explained that since they were done handing out coats to everyone, they would accompany Ryo and White Rabbit on their way back into the realm.
Ryo agreed and asked if they would be walking or using some form of transport. They replied that they had bikes of their own. Moments later, the two mounted their bicycles, and all four of them began pedaling across the bridge.
On the other side, the path narrowed into a frozen stretch of land—a strip of hardened earth glazed with ice. Bicycle tires crunched softly as they rolled over snow-packed ruts, slipping slightly where frost clung stubbornly to the ground. The cold wind swept across the open land.
Frost-coated grass and bare trees lined the road, their branches white and brittle. Shallow streams ran beside the path, half-frozen and dark beneath cracked sheets of ice. A leaning wooden fence traced the roadside, its posts rimmed with snow.
Ryo noticed there were no guards on the other side of the bridge after they crossed. He asked why there weren’t any guards there—there wasn’t even a gate to pass through, unlike the previous two realms he and White Rabbit had been to.
Viking Fish explained that Mydrovith was a realm filled with powerful people and deities, and therefore its bridge did not require heavy defenses. Before Alice stopped the execution, only blighted deities could casually enter the realm without resistance, thanks to their overwhelming power.
However, there is a gate deeper inside, at the town they were currently heading toward.
Ryo figured that the Blighted Deities could walk into any realm freely, without being stopped—people were simply too afraid of their power.
“What brings you here to this realm, Surface Man?” Viking Fish asked. “Here to enjoy the Caucus Race like everyone else in Wonderland?”
“Nope,” Ryo replied. “I’m here to investigate the murdered victim of this realm… and Thor’s disappearance.”
Viking Fish gasped dramatically, turning his fish head toward Ryo. “GOOD HEAVENS—!”
Because his eyes were no longer on the road, his front wheel struck a small rock. The impact launched him forward, sending him spinning through the air in an exaggerated, cartoonish tumble. He cartwheeled across the frozen ground, spinning and spinning until he finally landed flat on his back.
Instead of stars, tiny teacups spun above his head, clinking softly as they circled his face.
“Holy sh*t!” Ryo muttered in panic.
“MY PARTNEEEEEER!” Viking Frog cried out.
“OH DEAR! OH DEAR!” White Rabbit shouted.
All three slammed on their brakes, jumped off their bikes, and rushed over, kneeling around the fallen Viking Fish.
Ryo grabbed his shoulders and shook him gently. “Hey—wake up!”
“I’m awake…” Viking Fish mumbled weakly. “Teacups are flying…”
Viking Frog shoved Ryo aside.
“MOVE ASIDE.” His gaze sharpened. “I know exactly how to wake my partner up.”
He raised his hand.
White Rabbit’s eyes widened. “Wait! He’s awake—just dizzy and in pain!”
Too late.
Viking Frog swung his arm—
SLAP!
The blow struck Viking Fish’s face with brutal force.
“OOOOPPPFFFHHH!” he grunted as his eyes rolled white. His mouth falling open as his soul visibly slipped out.
Silence.
Viking Frog blinked, confused. “That didn’t work? Why?”
Ryo snapped at him. “YOU MADE IT EVEN WORSE, YOU FOOL!”
Then he had an idea.
Something that might help “revive” him.
He quickly removed his bag, unzipped it, and pulled out a sheet of seaweed—nori.
He remembered that fish loved eating seaweed.
Would this actually wake up Viking Fish?
Ryo wasn’t sure… but it was worth a try.
He placed the nori into Viking Fish’s open mouth, gently closing it… then opening it… then closing it again, helping him chew.
Silence.
White Rabbit whispered, “It’s not working, sir…”
Suddenly, color rushed back into Viking Fish’s eyes.
He snapped upright in a spring-loaded sit-up like a cartoon character. “MAMA MIAAAAAAAA!!!!!”
He kissed his fingers dramatically. “Muah! That was exquisite!”
Viking Fish leapt to his feet, bowed deeply to Ryo, and began speaking in an exaggerated Italian accent.
“That flavor—so rich, so refined! Crisp yet tender, salty but balanced! I don’t know what this divine sheet of wonder is, Signore, but it sings to the soul! A masterpiece! A triumph! Truly a dish worthy of legends!”
Ryo stared at him, utterly deadpan. “Oi, oi… you can stop with the food review now. I fed you Japanese food. I thought you’d speak with a Japanese accent—or no accent at all. Instead, you went full Italian, like that plumber character, Magnifico Jumpmanio from Italiano Kart… despite being a Viking spin-off.”
“HUAAAAAAA!!!” Viking Frog cried, throwing himself into a dramatic hug around his partner.
Viking Fish, however, stood calm and proud—hands clasped behind his back, eyes closed, chin raised.
Ryo sighed, exhausted already. “Shall we continue riding to wherever we’re going now?”
Everyone agreed.
They returned to their bikes and mounted them once more. Viking Fish picked up his fallen bicycle and checked it quickly for any damage. Fortunately, nothing was broken, so he hopped on. Then all four of them began pedaling forward again.
As they rode, Ryo asked whether he had said something that shocked Viking Fish so badly earlier. Viking Fish explained that he never expected Ryo to be investigating the murdered victim of this realm—nor the disappearance of Lord Thor.
Ryo wondered if that alone was really so shocking. Viking Frog answered instead, explaining that the people of Mydrovith had chosen to move on after the death in their realm and the disappearance of their ruler.
As for Thor, a new ruler had already been appointed: the White Queen.
Ryo’s brows rose in surprise. He asked if this “White Queen” was the same one from Through the Looking-Glass. Viking Fish clarified that she was not—she was the Goddess Frigg.
That reveal startled Ryo even more. In Norse mythology, Frigg was the Goddess of Sacred Order—someone who perfectly fit the role of a ruler. He asked when she had been appointed, and why.
Viking Fish explained that Frigg was appointed a week after the murder occurred. Thor, on the other hand, had disappeared two weeks earlier—vanishing when he attempted to assassinate the Queen of Hearts at the Central Hub’s palace. Ryo asked if they had any idea how Thor vanished during the assassination attempt.
Viking Fish said no. However, Thor had left a message carved into the wall of his citadel room, etched deep as if with a knife.
It read: ‘Should I fall—or be cast back to my era of extinction while saving Alice—appoint a new ruler of Mydrovith without delay.’
Thor’s court had wanted to wait for his return. They searched throughout Wonderland, but after a week passed with no trace of him, it was concluded that Thor had either died or been expelled from Wonderland. Frigg—his close friend and right-hand woman—then took his place as ruler.
The people soon began calling her the White Queen.
Ryo asked why she was known by that title. Viking Frog explained that it was purely coincidence. Frigg never adopted the name herself—she simply favored white clothing. The people began calling her the White Queen because her outfits were always as white as snow. And here, in the Mydrovith realm, cold weather and frozen landscapes were common—so the name naturally stuck.
Ryo then mentioned that he had noticed people from the Olyndora realm arriving earlier as guests at the bridge, while Viking Frog and Viking Fish handed out coats.
He told them that the bridge to that realm had been destroyed yesterday.
Viking Fish said he had heard—the news had spread throughout Wonderland by envoys. It was unfortunate, but the good news was that the bridge had been rebuilt overnight.
Ryo was confused by this and asked how a bridge could be restored so fast. Viking Frog explained that it was thanks to Hercules—Zeus’s student in architecture. Not only did Hercules possess immense strength, but he also wielded magic passed down by Zeus, amplifying his construction skills and allowing him to build at incredible speed.
To Ryo, Hercules’s presence in Wonderland was unexpected. Still, he chose not to dwell on it, knowing that iconic figures from five different mythologies lived across the five realms of Wonderland.
After their conversation, White Rabbit pointed ahead. “That’s the town, sir. We’re getting closer.”
Ahead, a town rose from the frost—an earthen rampart crowned with a tall wooden palisade. A single gate stood open beneath a watchtower, smoke drifting lazily beyond the walls, marking the boundary between the frozen wilds and civilization.
Ryo stared at it. “That town looks familiar…”
They soon reached the gates. Two guards stood on either side—relaxed due to the Caucus Race, yet watchful for anything suspicious. The moment they spotted Ryo, an unfamiliar foreigner, they stopped all four.
White Rabbit explained that Ryo was Alice’s defense attorney, hired for the upcoming final trial, and that he needed to conduct an investigation within Mydrovith. Viking Fish and Viking Frog vouched for him as well.
The guards were visibly shocked after hearing the reasoning, but after a brief exchange—when White Rabbit went into more detail—they allowed them to pass. The four thanked the guards and pedaled through the gates.
The moment they entered, Ryo’s breath caught.
All four stopped their bikes.
Inside the walls, the town unfolded like a living relic of the Viking age.
Longhouses lined the packed-earth streets, their steep wooden roofs layered with frost and snow. Smoke curled from chimneys, carrying the scent of burning pine and hearth fires.
Merchants’ stalls stood beneath heavy timber awnings, displaying furs, iron tools, axes, shields, and braided rope. Wooden walkways crisscrossed above shallow canals where water flowed dark and slow beneath thin ice.
Farther in, a harbor basin stretched inward, its waters partially frozen, with longships tied along wooden docks. Their carved prows loomed like silent guardians, sails furled, runes etched along their hulls. Banners snapped in the wind—symbols of beasts—fluttering against the pale sky. Across the waters, a tall snowy mountain rose on the far horizon.
The town was alive. Children ran through the snow. Blacksmiths hammered glowing steel. Voices carried laughter, conversation, and song—warmth thriving against the cold.
Ryo whispered, awestruck. “Are you serious… I’m actually in Hedeby…”
Viking Fish shook his head lightly. “Not exactly Hedeby—but designed to look like one.”
The time in Wonderland was now 12:15 PM
Ryo looked ahead. “The harbor already looks packed.”
“This is the long-awaited Caucus Race. Of course it would be crowded,” Viking Fish said. “The event will take place there—and make no mistake, this version is far grander than the one told in the original story.”
“The race will begin at 4pm in the afternoon,” Viking Frog added. “But since you two aren’t here to watch the event, how about we have lunch at the Duchess’s house before you begin your investigation?”
Ryo raised a brow. “You’re sure about the Duchess? Isn’t she part of the Queen of Hearts’ staff?”
He remembered how she was full of trouble in the story.
“Ahhh, do not worry about her,” Viking Fish said. “She was deemed useless by the Queen of Hearts and kicked out of the Central Hub’s palace.”
He leaned in, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. “Fortunately, she wasn’t killed—her face makes the Queen of Hearts puke whenever she looks at her. Yes, the Duchess was bitter about it, but she escaped the playful executions and was cast away here, to the Mydrovith realm.”
Ryo was internally baffled. “Woooow… imagine the Duchess hearing that from you. And to think someone could escape death just by being ugly.”
At the very edge of the harbor, a massive stone citadel came into view.
“Is that the place Thor once settled?” Ryo asked.
“Yes,” White Rabbit replied. “The White Queen now resides there, having taken his place.”
Viking Frog pointed off to the side. “Let us go now, shall we?”
They continued pedaling their bicycles toward their destination.
As they rode, Viking Fish spoke again, revealing a surprising piece of information.
“It is worth mentioning that, next to the Duchess’s house, there is a rabbit hole. It is one of the entrances used by those from the Upper Worlds to reach Mydrovith.”
Ryo’s breath caught.
He had never seen another rabbit hole besides the one at White Rabbit’s lavish house in Olyndora, so he found himself looking forward to seeing what this one in Mydrovith looked like, curiosity stirring within him.
After five minutes of cycling, they arrived.
The Duchess’s house looked familiar—its crooked rooflines, uneven chimneys, and aggressively impractical architecture were straight out of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
But everything had been reforged with a Viking twist.
Thick timber beams reinforced the warped walls. Dragon-head carvings stuck out from the roof edges. Rusted shields were nailed decoratively beside doors and windows, and frost clung to iron hooks meant for hanging meat—or weapons. The chimney poured out smoke like a war drum announcing lunch.
Perfectly fitting for the Duchess.
Ryo scanned the area, still curious about the rabbit hole. He shifted his gaze to the side of the house—but there was no rabbit hole.
Then he asked, “Where is it?”
“You can’t see it?” Viking Frog pointed downward. “It’s there. Below. At the stone wall behind the house.”
Ryo followed his finger.
There was a large stone wall behind the house—but beneath it was something absurd.
A hole.
Not a rabbit hole.
A mouse hole.
All four stepped closer and stopped in front of it.
Ryo crouched and squinted. “You’re not lying to me, right?”
He straightened. “What’s next? Are we about to get a ‘Tony the Easily-Offended Feline and Jeremy, His Squeaky Rival’ moment?”
“I assure you, I am not lying,” Viking Frog said calmly. “This is indeed the rabbit hole through which those from the Upper Worlds enter Mydrovith.”
“I mean… the only way anyone could enter or leave this realm through that hole is if they were as small as the hole itself—or if they smashed through the stone wall at full size and rebuilt it afterward,” Ryo said, stating the obvious.
What Ryo said made sense. It really did seem impossible for anyone to enter or exit through it.
However, he hadn’t realized that he had forgotten one crucial piece of information from the original story related to this matter.
Suddenly—
“AAAAAAHHHHH!!!”
Screams echoed from deep within the hole.
Ryo blinked. “…Did that just come from inside there?”
“Ah,” White Rabbit said mildly. “It appears someone else has just entered Wonderland—specifically, the Mydrovith Realm.”
Ryo slowly turned to him. “Sir Hops-a-Lot… what are you talking about?”
Then—
Three figures shot out of the hole.
“WAAAAAAHHH!”
“MEEEOOOWWWW!”
Two girls and a cat flew through the air and landed face-first on the frozen grass.
They were the size of mice.
Ryo was stunned, staring down at them, his brain short-circuiting. “Ehhhhhh…”
One of the girls—older, around seventeen—groaned and pushed herself up.
She wore a Victorian-style dress, “Ugh… that was a long fall…” She turned to the smaller girl beside her. “Are you alright, Edith?”
“Mmmm… I’m hungry again, big sister Lorina,” Edith, who looked nine years old, mumbled. She looked at the cat. “You’re not hurt, are you, Dinah?”
“Meooow…” Dinah groaned.
Those names…
Ryo had heard them before.
The three stood up, rubbing their heads—then noticed the massive shadows looming over them.
Slowly, they looked up.
The four figures before them looked like towering giants.
Viking Frog removed his helmet, placed it against his chest, and bowed. “Welcome… to the Mydrovith Realm of Wonderland.”
The sisters’ eyes widened.
Then—
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! GROTESQUE COLOSSAL GIANTS!!!”
“MEEEOWWWW!!!”
Ryo crossed his arms, unimpressed. “Hey. Don’t lump me in with the talking animals.”
Instead of running, the girls collapsed into sobs.
“HUUUUHUUUU!!! It’s over! I haven’t even married yet, and now I’m going to be eaten by giants!” Lorina cried.
“WAAAAAAHHH!” Edith wailed.
Dinah cried too, in meows.
Ryo rubbed his face. “Great. Too scared to run. Just like every sacrifice victim in movies.”
He knelt down and gently lowered his hand, smiling reassuringly. “Don’t worry. I’m a normal human. And I won’t let these scary talking animals hurt you.”
Viking Fish, Viking Frog, and White Rabbit stared at him flatly.
“Hey,” they muttered in unison. “Don’t group us with monsters.”
Lorina stopped crying. “You… promise you won’t?” she sniffed.
“Will you…” Edith sniffled, “really protect us?”
“I promise,” Ryo said, still wearing that reassuring smile. “Come on. Step onto my palm.”
They hesitated for a moment. But in the end, they decided to trust him—he looked the most normal out of the four. Slowly, the three stepped onto Ryo’s palm.
Then he stood up.
He turned to the others. “Alright. You’ve got some explaining to do.”
Viking Fish cleared his throat. “All who enter Wonderland through the Mydrovith Realm exit from this hole—and they always emerge at mouse size.”
“To return to their proper size,” Viking Frog continued, “they must consume an ‘Eat Me’ cake.”
“That sounds just like the stories…” Ryo thought. “Wait a minute—Dureifa did mention an ‘Eat Me’ cake existing in this version of Wonderland. well… this version still kind of follows the original plot.”
“So where do we get one?” Ryo asked.
Viking Fish raised a finger. “We have several stored at the Duchess’s house.” He turned to the tiny trio. “Once you eat them, you will return to your proper size.”
Unfortunately, his giant fish face did not help calm them.
They clung together, holding onto each other protectively on Ryo’s palm.
“You’re scaring them, tuna face,” Ryo thought, eyes narrowing.
Then he felt them shiver.
Of course—the Mydrovith realm was as cold as the Arctic.
The chill was brutal.
“Oh crap!” Ryo realized. “Is it warm inside the Duchess’s house?!” he asked quickly.
Viking Frog perked up in realization. “OH! OH! YES!” he panicked. “Let us head inside now! There are coats available for them after they grow, once they eat the cakes.”
They rushed to the door.
Ryo cupped his hands protectively over the tiny three, keeping them warm.
Viking Fish grabbed the handle and swung the door open. “We’re hoooom—”
“RAAAAAAAAAA!!!” Someone shouted.
A frying pan flew out.
“CLONK!”
It smacked Viking Fish square in the face.
He dropped like a sack of potatoes, pupils spinning.
Ryo stared. “…What the hell!”
From inside, a furious voice echoed.
“WHO DARES ENTER THIS HOUSE WITHOUT ANNOUNCING!!!”
The one who had been shouting stood at the far edge of the room—right inside the kitchen.
She was the cook.
She wore a plain dress, a grimy apron, and a simple bonnet pulled low over her head, just like in the story. But when Ryo laid eyes on her face, something was immediately different.
She was human.
At the center of the room sat a small, round wooden table. On a chair beside it lounged the Duchess herself—her head grotesquely large, her features just as unpleasant as the books described. In her arms, a baby wailed loudly.
The Duchess let out a long sigh and rolled her eyes. “Rán… they did come announced…”
Rán?
Ryo knew that name—she was the ’Goddess of the Dangerous Sea.’ He hadn’t expected her to take the place of the cook in this version of Wonderland. He had read legends about her terrible temper, and it seemed she still had one… despite her pretty face.
Rán ground her teeth. “RAAAAAH!”
She clearly hadn’t heard the Duchess.
She grabbed a saucepan and hurled it straight at Ryo.
Ryo gasped and dodged to the left. “WOAH!” The saucepan flew out the door. “HEY WAI—”
But before he could finish, Rán threw a ladle at Viking Frog.
It hit his face with a CLONG!
He toppled backward, arms stiff, collapsing instantly—unconscious.
The mini sisters and Dinah screamed from Ryo’s palm as he shielded them.
Every time he tried to speak—
CLANG!
BANG!
THWACK!
Rán kept hurling kitchenware nonstop.
Forks. Plates. Cups. A rolling pin.
Ryo zigzagged desperately—left, right, crouch, lean back—one pan barely missing his face.
“THIS ISN’T A KITCHEN—IT’S A WAR ZONE!” He shouted.
White Rabbit hopped frantically, dodging a teapot midair. “PLEASE, MY DEAR RÁN! LISTEN TO US!”
Ryo snapped, ducking under a flying bowl. “UNBELIEVABLE! You’re exactly as violent as your original version—but with a bigger cookware budget and a spin-off appearance!”
He turned sharply to the Duchess. “Hey! Old lady! Can you tell your chef to STOP THROWING KITCHEN ITEMS AT US?!”
The Duchess’s brow twitched.
Slowly… she stood up.
She lifted the baby and leaned forward, eyes dark. “Don’t you dare…”
Then—
She threw the baby. “CALL ME OOOOLD!”
Everything felt like slow motion. If he dodged the baby, it would land outside the door, hitting the ground and getting hurt. But if he caught the baby, he might drop the sisters and the cat in his palm.
So he devised a plan. Thinking lightning-fast, he shoved the sisters and the cat into his coat pocket, slammed the door shut with his foot, and caught the baby in his arms.
“GOTCHA!”
But Rán did not stop.
More kitchenware flew.
Ryo clenched his teeth—he’d had enough of the chaos. He ran toward the table, dodging more incoming kitchenware missiles.
The Duchess’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?!”
But Ryo didn’t hear her—or more likely, he didn’t care anymore.
The Duchess sensed the dangerous glint in his eyes and realized he was about to do something violent. She jumped to the side to dodge.
He planted his left foot.
Pulled his right leg back—
Like a striker lining up the perfect shot. “Have a taste of my flying freekick, CHEF!!!”
BOOM!
He kicked the table.
The table spun through the air dramatically, teacups and plates flying off in slow motion.
Rán’s eyes widened.
PONG!
The table slammed into her face.
Her head snapped back, nose bleeding as she collapsed flat onto the floor.
Teacups circled her head cartoonishly.
Unconscious.
Ryo exhaled slowly. “I… just wish this kind of nonsense would stop happening in my life…”
He turned sharply to the Duchess, eyes cold.
“Do you want to stop now… or continue your little chaos festival?” he whispered, voice low and dangerous.
The Duchess shook her head rapidly. “N-No! Not at all!” She laughed nervously. “Is there… something you need?”
Then—POOF!
The baby in Ryo’s arms turned into a pig.
He deadpanned at it.
Yeah… totally didn’t see that coming,” he said sarcastically, though he clearly remembered this chaotic chapter from the books.
And set the pig down. It immediately circled him happily.
Ryo pulled the sisters and Dinah from his pocket and showed them on his palm.
The Duchess figured it out. “Oh! Ah—yes, yes! My apologies!”
She hurried to the kitchen, stepping over Rán without a glance, grabbed an ‘Eat me’ cake, and placed it on the floor in front of Ryo.
Ryo lowered his hand to the floor. “Go on. Eat it. You’ll grow to your normal size.”
They stepped down.
The cake towered over them.
Lorina frowned. “We can’t possibly finish this.”
“My tummy will go boom if I eat all that,” Edith said adorably.
Dinah just stared at it.
The Duchess waved a hand. “One bite is enough. Just take a scoop.”
White Rabbit leaned down, whispering eagerly. “Go on!”
They each took a scoop of the cake with their fingers and put it in their mouths.
And then—
They grew.
And Grew.
And GREW.
Until the sisters stood at their proper height, and Dinah stretched, fully restored.
They stared at themselves in awe.
Then they turned to Ryo and bowed. “Thank you for your help!”
Ryo smiled softly. “You’re welcome.”
The time in Wonderland was now 1 PM
After the chaos finally subsided, Viking Fish and Viking Frog had woken up.
Everyone sat around the table—the same wooden table Ryo had kicked earlier, now placed back in its original position. The room itself was still a mess: bent cookware, scattered utensils, and dents in the walls.
Yet despite all that, the atmosphere had finally calmed enough for everyone to sit and breathe.
Viking Fish and Viking Frog slumped in their chairs, each pressing a bag of ice cubes against their heads. Both looked miserable, clearly still feeling the aftereffects of being struck by flying kitchenware courtesy of Rán.
Rán herself had also woken up.
She was now cooking properly.
Two tissues were stuffed into her nostrils to stop the bleeding, yet for some strange reason, she hummed cheerfully as she worked. Ryo found that odd.
When she finished, she placed the food on the table:
Peppery Soup
Beef
Eggs
Flatbread
Hot Chocolate
And Fried Chicken
Filling the room with hearty smells.
White Rabbit struck up a casual conversation with the sisters, speaking gently and reassuringly, telling them that everything would be fine now. Lorina and Edith listened politely, though they still found it strange—deeply strange—that a rabbit could talk.
The sisters were then given coats.
Their British Shorthair cat, Dinah, now wearing a quilted wool coat, sat on the floor eating fish alongside the pig, who was munching on some meat; the two animals seemed to get along without issue.
The Duchess and Rán apologized to the sisters, and they replied that it was alright.
Ryo finally turned to Rán.
“Why are you being so cheerful all of a sudden?” he asked. “After I kicked that table at your face.”
Rán replied that she usually had a terrible temper, and people in the Upper Worlds often feared her because of it. Ever since before she came to Wonderland, no one had ever dared to oppose her—especially in the Norwegian Sea. But the moment Ryo had gotten violent with her, kicking the table into her face, she felt an unexpected sense of bliss. No one had ever overwhelmed her like that before.
She even encouraged Ryo to get rough with her again—especially in the bedroom, if he wanted to.
At that point, Ryo internally realized something.
The few troublesome women he had encountered who took a liking to him never seemed interested until he stopped acting polite—until he shouted, got rough, or treated them differently from the usual lovestruck fools.
Though it was never his intention to act like a “bad boy”—he never even tried to flirt, too focused on his case—he simply shrugged it off, letting Rán enjoy whatever strange fantasy she had developed, which, unfortunately, he knew was similar to Cleopatra’s.
And so, they began their lunch.
While eating, Ryo shifted his gaze toward the sisters.
Then to the cat.
Lorina. Edith. Dinah.
The names felt familiar, tugging at something in his memory, yet he couldn’t fully recall who they were.
They were vague figures in his mind—important, but blurred.
He needed details.
“Can you both tell me your full names?” Ryo asked.
Then came the bombshell.
“My name is Lorina Charlotte Liddell,” Lorina answered. “I am the older sibling to my little sister here.”
“My name is Edith Mary Liddell,” Edith added innocently.
Ryo’s breath caught.
The moment he heard their full names, his memories snapped into place. He had researched them before. These two were Alice’s sisters—not the fictional Alice from the book, but the real Alice, the one beyond the story.
Ryo had believed the Alice imprisoned at the Central Hub was the fictional protagonist who somehow became real.
But after hearing these names, doubts formed immediately.
“Can you tell me why you’re here in Wonderland?” Ryo asked calmly.
“We’re looking for our sister, Alice,” Lorina replied.
“Her full name?” Ryo asked.
Then came the second bombshell.
“Alice Pleasance Liddell,” Lorina answered.
Ryo didn’t show his shock outwardly, but inside, everything reeled.
In the original fictional story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the protagonist never had a full name. But Alice Pleasance Liddell was a real person—the girl the story was based on.
And that Alice had two sisters: Lorina and Edith.
Yet Dinah—the cat—was fictional.
It was another crossover.
Just like how Cinderella’s mother turned out to be the Snow Queen.
But here in Wonderland, it was real-life individuals mixed with fictional elements.
In the documentaries Ryo had seen, Alice, Lorina, and Edith had actually met Lewis Carroll, the original author of the story.
The author himself was close to the three sisters, and the real Alice had even encouraged him to write a story based on her—though the fictional Alice turned out to be a different character.
Before assuming that the Alice imprisoned at the Central Hub was truly the real Alice Pleasance Liddell, he needed details.
“Can you tell me how you got here into Wonderland?” Ryo asked.
“I shall tell you instead,” Lorina replied.
Which makes sense, since she’s the oldest and most mature one, while Edith is still a child.
And so, Lorina began her story…
It was 5 hours ago.
Lorina, Edith, Alice, and Dinah were on a boat ride along the River Thames in Oxford. They were accompanied by a man named Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who rowed the boat while the three sisters and the cat enjoyed the gentle sway of the river.
Charles spoke about the river and the beautiful scenery they were passing. Then, at some point, the conversation shifted. He began talking about wanting to write a story. Charles had always dreamed of becoming an author. His mind was filled with fantastical ideas, yet he struggled to narrow them down into something truly remarkable. He wanted to write something adventurous—something filled with fantasy and whimsy.
Alice perked up immediately and told him he should write a story about her.
Lorina chuckled, thinking her innocent little sister was being silly and demanding. Charles rubbed his chin, considering it seriously, and admitted that it was actually a good idea. From there, he began brainstorming with the sisters about the plot.
Eventually, together, they came up with a title:
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
The sisters found the name fascinating—especially Alice herself. Charles promised that he would write the full story one day, that it would make a huge impact on the world and gain fans from everywhere. The sisters excitedly wished him luck.
After some time on the river, Charles docked the boat at a grassy bank. They all stepped out and walked toward a hawthorn tree, settling beneath it for a picnic.
After they finished eating, Edith fell asleep on Lorina’s lap. Alice stood up and told Charles and her sister that she wanted to explore the area for a bit. Lorina and Charles warned her not to wander too far. Alice casually agreed and ran off.
An hour passed.
Alice didn’t return.
Charles and the sisters began to worry. They searched nearby but couldn’t find her. Another hour passed, and still—nothing.
Now deeply concerned, Charles suggested they split up and search further. Edith, too afraid to leave Lorina’s side, insisted on staying with her. Lorina agreed, and Charles respected the decision. They separated and continued searching. Dinah followed the sisters closely.
Eventually, Lorina, Edith, and Dinah found a hole beneath an oak tree. Lying on the grass in front of it was a pink ribbon—they recognized it immediately as Alice’s.
They assumed Alice might be hiding inside, perhaps trying to play hide-and-seek. Lorina teased, saying there was no way Alice could hide from her forever, especially since Lorina had always been good at finding her whenever they played.
Then Lorina, Edith, and Dinah entered the hole.
To their shock, they began falling.
They fell for five whole minutes.
And then, suddenly, they landed here—in Wonderland—reduced to a tiny, miniature size.
And that… was Lorina’s story.
After hearing it, Ryo froze where he sat, staring at them in disbelief.
Lorina and Edith tilted their heads, confused by the way Ryo was looking at them.
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson.
Ryo knew that name very well.
That was the author’s real name—better known by his pen name, Lewis Carroll.
From Lorina’s story, Charles had discussed wanting to write a story, even brainstorming its plot with the sisters and arriving at the title Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. That event existed in real history—except for one crucial difference.
In reality, Charles had come up with the story alone.
“Can you tell me what year you came from?” Ryo asked.
“What is with that strange question?” Lorina replied. “Obviously, 1862.”
Ryo facepalmed so hard the sound echoed through the Duchess’s house.
Everyone stared at him.
1862… that was the year Lewis Carroll began writing the story.
Everything the sisters were experiencing now was based on a story that hadn’t even been written yet.
No wonder White Rabbit and the people of Wonderland believed the Upper Worlds’ version of the story felt fictional to them. Yet to Ryo, Wonderland itself was still deeply strange—a hidden world filled with figures from ancient legends, fairytales, and forgotten folklore, eerily similar to the fairytale world he had been to in a previous case.
But what shocked him most was this:
Before the story was ever written, the real people—never meant to be characters—were now here, experiencing the world within it.
It’s not surprising that the sisters think they’re still in 1862.
In reality, time in Wonderland functioned differently. People from different eras could meet freely here—a time-warped kingdom. To them, Alice had only been gone for a few hours. But In Wonderland, around two months had passed.
Ryo noticed the sisters staring curiously at his trench coat. He realized they found it strange—far too modern compared to their Victorian clothing.
Now Ryo felt conflicted.
After hearing Lorina’s story, he was certain: the imprisoned Alice was not fictional. She was the real Alice Pleasance Liddell, and these sisters were simply now experiencing the story world in a far from ideal way.
But Ryo couldn’t tell them the truth.
He couldn’t tell them that Alice was imprisoned—and scheduled for execution in four days if he failed the final trial.
So he decided to hide it for now, hoping to distract them from the subject while he searched for a solution.
However… the Viking frog chimed in.
“Oh, since you’re looking for your sister Alice, unfortunately she’s about to get executed in four days by the Queen of Hearts.”
Silence.
Utter, deafening silence.
The sisters and the cat blinked once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then their faces went pale.
“HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHH?!”
“MEEEEEEEEOOOOOWWWW!!!!”
Ryo facepalmed again, screaming internally. “WHYYYYYY?! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SAY IT OUT LOUD, YOU DAMN TOAD?!”
Lorina lunged forward, grabbing Viking Frog by the shoulders and shaking him violently.
“WHAT DID YOU SAY?! MY PRECIOUS LITTLE SISTER ALICE IS ABOUT TO BE EXECUTED?! EXPLAIN YOURSELF—NOW!”
“BIG SISTER ALICE—UWAAAAAAA!” Edith cried.
Viking Frog, already dizzy, raised both hands frantically.
“W-w-wait! P-please calm down, Ms. Lorina! At least—at least stop shaking me before my soul leaves my body!”
The Duchess scoffed, resting her chin on her fist. “Hmph! That’s what you get for letting your mouth run wild—utterly incapable of keeping secrets.”
White Rabbit gesturing toward Ryo in panic. “Sir Detective here is Alice’s attorney! He will be the one to defend her in the final trial!”
White Rabbit did not realize he had just made everything worse.
Lorina immediately grabbed Ryo by the collar, shaking him just as violently.
“ARE YOU REALLY HERE TO SAVE ALICE?! WHERE IS SHE?! TAKE ME TO HER! I NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING!”
“H-hold on a second!” Ryo panicked. “At least—let me explain—!”
Knock! Knock!
The sound cut through the chaos.
Everyone froze.
Ryo exhaled in relief.
“Come in,” the Duchess said.
The door slowly opened.
And what—no, who—Ryo saw made his jaw drop.
A figure stood silhouetted by sunlight.
It had two overgrown ears and was holding a bat.
“No… way…” Ryo whispered, disbelief written all over his face. “Could it be… Aren’t you that rat… from the story world-hopping fantasy game?”
The figure pulled an unexpected microphone from his pocket with his other hand, raised it to his mouth, and took a deep breath before—
0
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わたしの下着 母の私をＢＢＡ～と呼ぶことのある息子がまさか．．．
MisakiNonagase
青春
39才の母・真知子は息子が私の下着を持ち出していることに気づいた。
ネットで同様の事象がないか調べると、案外多いようだ。
さて、真知子は息子を問い詰める？ それとも気づかないふりを続けてあげるか？
そのほかに外伝も綴りました。
どうしよう私、弟にお腹を大きくさせられちゃった！～弟大好きお姉ちゃんの秘密の悩み～
さいとう みさき
恋愛
「ま、まさか!?」
あたし三鷹優美（みたかゆうみ）高校一年生。
弟の晴仁（はると）が大好きな普通のお姉ちゃん。
弟とは凄く仲が良いの！
それはそれはものすごく‥‥‥
「あん、晴仁いきなりそんなのお口に入らないよぉ～♡」
そんな関係のあたしたち。
でもある日トイレであたしはアレが来そうなのになかなか来ないのも気にもせずスカートのファスナーを上げると‥‥‥
「うそっ！ お腹が出て来てる!?」
お姉ちゃんの秘密の悩みです。
ママと中学生の僕
キムラエス
大衆娯楽
「ママと僕」は、中学生編、高校生編、大学生編の3部作で、本編は中学生編になります。ママは子供の時に両親を事故で亡くしており、結婚後に夫を病気で失い、身内として残された僕に精神的に依存をするようになる。幼少期の「僕」はそのママの依存が嬉しく、素敵なママに甘える閉鎖的な生活を当たり前のことと考える。成長し、性に目覚め始めた中学生の「僕」は自分の性もママとの日常の中で処理すべきものと疑わず、ママも戸惑いながらもママに甘える「僕」に満足する。ママも僕もそうした行為が少なからず社会規範に反していることは理解しているが、ママとの甘美な繋がりは解消できずに戸惑いながらも続く「ママと中学生の僕」の営みを描いてみました。
愛しているなら拘束してほしい
守 秀斗
恋愛
会社員の美夜本理奈子（２４才）。ある日、仕事が終わって会社の玄関まで行くと大雨が降っている。びしょ濡れになるのが嫌なので、地下の狭い通路を使って、隣の駅ビルまで行くことにした。すると、途中の部屋でいかがわしい行為をしている二人の男女を見てしまうのだが……。
17歳男子高生と32歳主婦の境界線
MisakiNonagase
恋愛
32歳の主婦・加恋。冷え切った家庭で孤独に苛まれる彼女を救い出したのは、ネットの向こう側にいた二十歳（はたち）と偽っていた17歳の少年・晴人だった。
「未成年との不倫」という、社会から断罪されるべき背徳。それでも二人は、震える手で未来への約束を交わす。少年が大学生になり、社会人となり、守られる存在から「守る男」へと成長していく中で、加恋は自らの手で「妻」という仮面を脱ぎ捨てていく…
還暦の性 若い彼との恋愛模様
MisakiNonagase
恋愛
還暦を迎えた和子。保持する資格の更新講習で二十代後半の青年、健太に出会った。何気なくてLINE交換してメッセージをやりとりするうちに、胸が高鳴りはじめ、長年忘れていた恋心に花が咲く。
そんな還暦女性と二十代の青年の恋模様。
その後、結婚、そして永遠の別れまでを描いたストーリーです。
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