Chapter 538: Chapter 539: How the Ruler Spends Time_1
Half an hour later, the conference room.
Aiden sat at one end of the table, opposite was the revenge goddess who had returned to Halo’s body.
"Finally back in a body I can freely control," the revenge goddess stretched lazily.
"You were saying earlier that you wanted to continue sharing a body with me," Aiden said.
"Consider it a case of each having its advantages. While sharing a body with you, it’s like traveling in a carriage driven by someone else, or watching someone else’s life. I don’t need to bother controlling the body; I can share the senses when I want to see, and rest when I don’t," the revenge goddess spoke calmly, "You play detective one moment and fight witches the next, always keeping me entertained. Come to think of it, I’ve done similar things before."
"You’ve shared bodies with others as well?" asked Aiden.
"Why would I need to share a body with someone when I was the supreme ruler?" The revenge goddess shook her head. "Of course, I would just devour their memories. When using ’sacrifice’ to occupy the bodies of my followers and resurrect, their memories and abilities would also be consumed by me."
"Sounds very similar to the power of the ’Wisdom’ authority..." Aiden remarked.
He had more or less inherited the memories, abilities, and identity of the previous Aiden in the same way.
"Reviewing these devoured memories, one can experience the lives of others. And the inherited memories can serve as material to create new dream memories for oneself; the power of the Throne of Spirit is good in that respect—very suitable for passing the time," said the revenge goddess.
"Is it that all you rulers care about, aside from pursuing power, is entertainment?" Aiden asked.
Upon hearing the phrase ’passing the time,’ he immediately thought of Melifilia confined below. Aside from playing chess with people, that goddess was mostly hibernating.
With the power to inherit the memories of others, she must have consumed quite a few herself. He remembered her mentioning that in pursuit of Melindale’s memories, she had even ventured personally into the underworld of the reaper.
While asleep, would she also browse through the lives of those people or use those memories to create a special dream for herself?
"What else?" the revenge goddess replied, "After obtaining an authority, mundane ideals become insignificant. Over time, what remains besides the drive to pursue the power of the authority and the desire for entertainment?"
"Then what does revenge mean to you?"
"Consider it a form of entertainment, nothing is more pleasurable than the sensation of vengeance fulfilled," the revenge goddess said with a grin.
"I see," Aiden nodded.
Although on opposing sides and with contrasting temperaments, the revenge goddess and the conspiracy goddess were essentially alike.
"Speaking of which, how do you feel about that woman who approached you and clearly has something to do with the authority?" the revenge goddess suddenly brought up the topic.
"The ’Lady of the Flowers’ they mentioned? I think she’s probably connected to the conspiracy goddess’s schemes," Aiden answered nonchalantly.
"The last piece of the ’Order’ authority’s puzzle?"
"Most likely," Aiden was very certain, "The conspiracy goddess even came over to give a heads-up."
"What exactly is your special relationship with that bitch?" the revenge goddess asked with interest, leaning her finger against her cheek, "If she’s simply interested in the ’Order’ authority and has the capability to arrange things in your favor, wouldn’t it be more efficient for her to just take it herself? Giving you a chance to become the ruler of ’Order’ only increases the risk of you slipping out of control."
"Hmm, I’ve been skeptical about her intentions too, but I can’t figure it out," said Aiden.
"I think it’s related to that block of memory you have sealed away, beyond a doubt, those memories were tampered with by the conspiracy goddess," the revenge goddess said with a smile, raising a finger, "So kid, why don’t we open up to each other a bit more, let me thoroughly explore your Spirit, and see what that bitch has tampered with."
"You’ve already got ’no good intentions’ written all over your face, how could I possibly trust you? And with your current power, you probably can’t do anything about what the conspiracy goddess has done, right?" Aiden waved his hand, "Besides, it’s not yet certain whether this is a trap deliberately laid by the conspiracy goddess."
"A clue hidden so deep could be a trap?"
"You never know, that kind of thing is in her wheelhouse," Aiden replied earnestly.
"So what’s your plan to find out?"
"Ask her face to face and see," Aiden replied, "Whether she tells the truth, lies, or refuses to answer, I’ll be able to gauge her attitude towards this matter."
"Face to face?" The revenge goddess seemed a little surprised, "You really don’t hold any awe for the rulers, do you?"
"Awe is useless anyway," Aiden said.
"So that’s why you put me back in this body," the revenge goddess narrowed her eyes.
"You wouldn’t want to be found and obliterated on the spot by the conspiracy goddess, would you?" Aiden shrugged.
Here he told a lie; Melissa might have the power to destroy the current revenge goddess, but the person he really wanted to see was Melifilia. He couldn’t let the revenge goddess realize that the real conspiracy goddess was actually right below their feet.
"You’re really thoughtful, almost makes me want to pledge myself to you," the revenge goddess said with a twisted smile.
"Spare me the thought, I’m nauseated already," Aiden replied with an expressionless face.
After these days of sharing a body, Aiden truly felt that they had reached a tacit understanding, finding a balance where they could coexist peacefully.
"You deal with your own issues, I don’t want to be involved. Don’t worry, I’ll stay put in the prison these days. Just get me some books I can read, serve me three meals a day, take good care of me, don’t irritate me, and I won’t cause you trouble," the revenge goddess leaned back in her chair.
"If you cause trouble, I’ll find a way to teach you a lesson," Aiden replied seriously, "Has Mr. Bloodcoat made any moves yet?"
"None, it seems he’s not ready to act rashly before preparing his new plan, to prevent you from noticing," the revenge goddess answered.
"I’ll leave the surveillance to you," said Aiden as he stood up, preparing to take the revenge goddess back to her cell.
At this moment, he suddenly thought of a question, "You said you enjoy reading the memories you’ve acquired, so why would you ’sacrifice’ your own memories?"
"Who knows? I’ve forgotten even the reason for ’sacrificing’ the memories," the revenge goddess tapped her head nonchalantly, "But judging from the outcome, I must have had a reason to completely let go of that segment of memory, so I have no intention of seeking out the past memories; it would surely be a futile effort."
