Chapter 889: Chapter 866: The Motive of the Crow Queen

“Xirei’s memory?” Cranvo reached out for the crystal in surprise, “Perfect, with this, we can unravel what exactly He is scheming…”

“Wait, sir.” Lancelot twisted his wrist holding the Trident, nudging the crystal a bit farther, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“What do you mean?” The Lord of the Dead turned to look at the Human Knight, his tone clearly displeased.

“No offense, sir, but consider it; before we confirmed Peyton was actually controlled by Xirei, he was already preaching in your name.” Lancelot faced the god fearlessly, “Isn’t there a possibility that the Prince of Lies foresaw potential failure and altered His own memory beforehand to mislead your future actions? After all, this is just a Demon’s Domain and He loses only a doppelganger here. But if He can make you believe incorrect information, then He would be the biggest winner of this whole ordeal…”

The Grim Reaper stood there, maintaining silence for a long while before retracting his extended arm, meanwhile removing the metallic mask from his face.

“Thank you, Sir Lancelot.” Cranvo sighed deeply, his expression seeming somewhat bitter, “You’re absolutely right, that’s exactly what Xirei would do. I myself didn’t see it at all, no wonder Midnight says I’m a… sigh…”

“I once heard a saying: the player is often not as perceptive as the spectator. Perhaps you were too engrossed in the direct confrontation with the Prince of Lies, so you didn’t notice the traps He laid in the dark.” Lancelot said earnestly, “So, how should we deal with this Memory Crystal? Would it be better to just destroy it?”

“Hmm, with Xirei’s power, even if you are aware He is lying, hearing His words would still influence you.” Cranvo nodded in agreement, “The best way to deal with Xirei is to avoid any exchange of information with Him, that way He can do nothing…”

“Wait a moment!”

Cranvo raised his great sword, about to slash at the crystal, when the Raven Queen, who was watching from the side all along, suddenly spoke up. With just a gentle wave of her hand, the crystal with its black core floated up to her, refracting the eerie rainbow light under the gaze of the Elven Goddess Queen.

“I want this crystal.” The Raven Queen declared ownership with just a glance, “Of course, I will compensate you, sir.”

“But, do you not realize the danger within?” Lancelot asked incredulously.

“I do, but that is aimed at the Lord of the Dead; He knows nothing about my existence.”

“The harm from the Lord of Lies is not just that, madam.” Cranvo issued a solemn warning, “He once created a Divine Artifact called the “Xirei Scroll,” and everyone who read it went insane, even the gods were no exception…”

“I’m aware of all you mention.” The Raven Queen revealed a profound and inscrutable smile, “My followers have always been gathering memories with intense emotions from various corners of the Multiverse, including some cultists who have read the Xirei Scroll. I must admit, that object indeed causes strong emotional reactions… but to me, these memories are merely stories, whether true or false doesn’t actually matter.”

“Sir, may I boldly inquire…” Kalalin carefully spoke, “The world’s understanding of you is very limited, only aware that your followers consistently collect memories with intense emotions, resulting in some prejudice against them. They are seen as ominous symbols due to their appearance alongside war, plague, and natural disasters…”

“What you wish to ask is why I collect these memories, correct?” The Raven Queen nodded gently, “You scholars have actually deduced the correct conclusion. To me, these memories are like fuel, one use of which is to maintain my presence in the mortal realm. If I were to make an analogy, your understanding of the mortal realm is similar to the surface of an ocean, except everyone naturally floats like ducks on the water surface, thus never thinking there’s anything wrong with it.”

“Underwater… Inner Layer Plane?” Kalalin asked cautiously, “Is that what you mean?”

“The so-called Inner and Outer Layers are merely relative to the Material Plane; within the inner layers are more inner layers, a place completely indescribable to you. It barely interacts with your existence. Returning to the previous example, the irregular godhood ceremony years ago damaged my feathers, preventing me from floating like ordinary beings but also not causing me to drown and die. To me, people’s memories allow me to float back to the surface, the more emotionally intense the memories, the longer I can stay afloat. Usually, I only allow a small part of my consciousness to approach the surface, which is sufficient to respond to the prayers of my followers, grant Divine Arts to Priests, and guide not-so-intelligent apprentices like that certain white-haired Half-Elf.”

“And Xirei is a True God; His memory…”

“To me, a priceless treasure.” The Raven Queen gazed at the crystal before her with passionate eyes, reminiscent of a Dwarf entering a Dragon’s Lair for the first time, “Even if this is just a doppelganger, it possesses the complete memory of the original entity. You cannot imagine the density of information within–hinting that gods forget nothing, I mean absolutely nothing, even if a fly buzzed by your ear on a day three centuries ago; you’d remember its flight path, whether its eyes were green or red, and the hum emitted by each wing flap.”

“Now I understand.” Lancelot nodded, “Surely no True God would share their memory, as it contains vast amounts of information, possibly with details capable of causing their demise…”

“Indeed, this means the memory you obtained must have been tampered with, given the opponent’s divine office, it’s the most obvious thing.”

“But you can still use it… perhaps you’re the only one who can do so.”

“I’m glad you understand.” The Raven Queen’s lips curved slightly upwards, “Of course, I won’t take your possession for free, especially when the Lord of the Dead has granted you such generous payment. I mustn’t let Him outdo me.”

“Oh?” Lancelot’s eyes widened autonomously, “Could it be you will offer me three options too, but allow me to select two from them?”