CHAPTER 162: CHAPTER 149: GOOD FRIENDS, FOR A LIFETIME

Ave walked towards the nearest metal hound, bent down, and gently tapped its head a few times with her index finger. The hound tilted its head and fell to the ground as if it were a power-off robot, and then it was the cat, the bird. Everything born of ancient technology was "powered off" under her command.

In Ethan’s view, Ave’s action was like using administrator privileges to forcibly shut down these operational killing machines.

Finally, there was the porcelain doll. She knelt on one knee, baring her teeth at Ave like an enraged beast.

Ave placed her palm on the porcelain doll’s head, gently stroking it a few times.

"Have a good sleep."

She soothed the porcelain doll softly. As she stroked, the fierce focus in the doll’s eyes gradually faded until it lowered its head and fell asleep in a kneeling position.

Ave looked unwell, the sensation of a splitting headache rushed back stronger than ever before, too intense for her to bear. The golden hair on her head painfully curled up into a ball. She couldn’t help but close her eyes as some strange yet familiar fragments flooded her mind, only to be immediately purged away.

She held onto the porcelain doll’s shoulders, bent down, and embraced her.

Ave didn’t know why she did it; it seemed like a reflex action.

In fact, when the porcelain doll arrived in Ximu Town, she was already in a bad state. The truth was within reach, yet separated by an impassable chasm.

Ave became dazed and confused, the intense pain engulfed her, and at the breaking point of her consciousness, she felt relieved.

"This magic, besides removing emotions, has another function."

Lindong quietly watched Ave, who was holding the porcelain doll and had fallen asleep, and said, "The high-tier priests of the church often use it to erase some memories, which is why the nobles always go to the Imperial Capital Cathedral to pray."

Everyone has memories they cannot bear, and nobles are no exception.

Moreover, the higher one’s status, the more things they want to erase from their minds.

When Lindong was still in the Council of Seven, he had seen many such people, "It’s said that this feeling can become addictive."

"Let’s find a place to settle down first."

In the Second Age city, the inns were made of wooden houses, and the largest ones they could find had only two floors. He and Lindong placed Ave and the porcelain doll separately on the two beds in the room.

Ave still frowned, with sweat seeping from her face.

It was Ethan’s first time seeing her sleeping appearance, the golden hair merged with her golden locks, appearing to enter a dormant state.

The secret of the Margaret Clan seemed to be related to lost ancient technology. Another puzzling aspect was Mary’s appearance; before Old Ba tortured her into a bloody priestess, her looks were highly similar to Ave’s, like an Ave from over ten years later.

This is a world that emphasizes bloodline theory, not just because of power succession but because bloodlines can truly pass down extraordinary powers. The Henry Clan, rulers of the Empire, is a case in point, as almost every era produces an excellent knight in the royal family.

Perhaps the bloodline of Margaret is much older than he imagined.

Ave slept until evening, waking up bleary-eyed to see Lindong sitting by the bed.

Seeing her awake, Lindong said, "Ethan has gone to handle matters with the followers of Bazatous."

Ave remained silent for a long time and suddenly asked, "Do you know about the Holy Word Art?"

"I know a bit."

"Is it possible for erased memories to be recalled?"

She wanted to find out where that familiar feeling came from and why seeing the porcelain doll at first glance in Ximu Town brought such pain, even though she didn’t even know her name. It should have been their first meeting.

"Porcelain Doll" was the nickname Ethan gave; when meeting at Baron Gledin’s House, he did not inquire about her name.

"Even if it is possible, I wouldn’t recommend it."

Lindong said, "The Holy Word Art acts as a suppressant. Erased emotions don’t completely disappear but are repressed without your awareness. Those I know who are addicted to erasing memories spend their lives reinforcing seals until they die."

These people wouldn’t write diaries or leave behind any traces of the parts they wished to erase.

To them, it was like strands of fallen hair, unnecessary to retrieve.

"...I want to know."

Ave decided firmly.

"When I was still in the academy, I read about a kind of ’meditation’ training from a forbidden book. It allows one’s mind to focus highly, thereby entering deep consciousness. In this state, training becomes much more effective, and from the outside, it looks like the person using this method is asleep."

Ave calmed herself down; at such times, erasing emotions is beneficial, ensuring she won’t be swayed by negative feelings, "But it’s recorded in a forbidden book."

"The downside of ’meditation’ training is that many high-tier elemental trainers remain in deep consciousness for too long and are forever trapped there, with their bodies alive and thoughts having gone elsewhere."

"Have you... tried it?"

"The environment of deep consciousness is constructed by your subconscious, which may contain things you long for or truths you want to know."

Lindong spoke lightly. For someone like her, getting lost in the subconscious was impossible. She neither had longings nor desired to know any truth; she tried it then merely for fun, as academy life was too dull and monotonous. It was always necessary to find something thrilling, wasn’t it?