Chapter 528
The Joy Society was never short of these whimsical methods; they had long since perfected a set of potions and rituals for recreation.
Xia Er donned her hat, tucking her long hair beneath it, and slipped into a trench coat. After instructing Aivina and Tara to wait at home, she stepped out of the Prime Minister's residence with Imogen.
The Vitalis Palace was not far from the Prime Minister's office, and soon their carriage came to a halt before its grand entrance.
The powerful strains of the royal orchestra echoed from both the Vitalis Palace and the Cecil Palace, with the main force concentrated around the former.
At that moment, it was Princess Vitalis, not Queen Vitalis, who was temporarily conducting the royal orchestra.
Upon seeing the carriage, the royal guards did not ask many questions; they simply guided it directly into the royal garden. Before long, a middle-aged man in a court gown stood before the carriage.
He was the royal steward, a marquis.
As the carriage door swung open, the middle-aged nobleman, dressed in an absurdly long gown, bowed slightly to Xia Er and, in a high-pitched voice, asked, "First Minister of Finance, may I inquire if you have urgent business with Her Majesty the Queen?"
Xia Er bit her lip, taking a deep breath to keep her expression in check.
Across from her, Imogen had already turned her face away, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
"I'm here to see Princess Vitalis," Xia Er replied.
"Princess Vitalis? She's currently in the Royal Concert Hall. Please, follow me," the steward said, lifting his gown slightly in a bow before extending his right hand, seemingly offering to assist her down.
However, Xia Er raised her hand to politely decline his offer and stepped down from the carriage on her own, with Imogen following closely behind.
As they made their way to find Princess Vitalis, Xia Er couldn't help but glance at Imogen beside her and asked, "Have you done this sort of thing often?"
Xia Er gestured toward the steward leading the way.
"No, this is my first time trying something like this," Imogen replied, her chin lifting slightly as she spoke, clearly intrigued by the topic. "Of course, I've attempted even more interesting things."
It seemed Imogen had some fascinating stories to share with Xia Er.
"Do tell," Xia Er encouraged, intrigued.
"That was the longest experiment I ever conducted," Imogen whispered directly into Xia Er's ear. "While I was recuperating from an injury in a remote town, I altered the memories of the townsfolk, making them believe they were some kind of animals... it lasted about seven years."
"I deliberately left a small portion of the population with their original knowledge, so they could live among those whose memories I had modified."
"At first, those who were aware tried to awaken the others... but as time passed, the situation quickly changed."
"Some of the awakened couldn't handle it and went mad; others were drawn out by their inner darkness, using weapons to enslave those who thought they were animals; and some, after spending so long with the faux beings, began to believe they were the ones with the problem, hypnotizing themselves to mimic the actions of the animal townsfolk... of course, there were also resistors."
At this point, Imogen sighed, "Those were definitely the most thrilling seven years of my life. Experiencing all of that firsthand always brings a certain joy..."
Xia Er fell silent, contemplating.
Yet, at her core, Imogen remained a member of the Joy Society, a chaotic and malevolent entity.
Xia Er could easily imagine the events that unfolded in that town. During those years, the purest forms of good and evil would have clashed violently, like a gripping film playing out before her.
And Imogen sat in the best seat, quietly enjoying the conflicts and oppositions sparked by the calamity she had unleashed.
Finding pleasure in destruction and cruelty, pursuing absolute chaos, reveling in disorder... that was the essence of the Joy Society.
Though Imogen had appeared quite normal just now, it was merely a facade, a submission to the "intimidation" she had created, and she still sought something from Xia Er.
Imogen was not lying; the destruction in Ansu City was relatively mild for her—there had hardly been any casualties.
"Please wait a moment; I will inform Princess Vitalis," the marquis said with a slight smile, then gestured for Xia Er and Imogen to stand in the garden while he walked directly toward the concert hall.
"Don't you want to know how the story ends, Your Excellency?" Imogen asked, unable to resist breaking the silence after Xia Er had ignored her for a while.
Now, Imogen was more interested in chatting with Xia Er, who carried the aura of a "subverter" through her potions.
"Not really," Xia Er shook her head. "Generally, I prioritize efficiency and rarely engage in meaningless conversations."
"Fair enough... efficiency is indeed important..." Imogen thought of the apocalyptic scenes from Xia Er's memories, swallowing hard, and decided not to pursue the topic further.
In front of this noblewoman, discussing murder felt a bit juvenile.
Of course, the story's conclusion was rather mundane; it simply involved her lifting the memory modifications from everyone as she was about to leave, restoring them to normal and allowing them to recall the events of that time.
The self-hypnotized individuals remained unchanged, the tyrants were torn to pieces, and the resistors emerged victorious in the end...
Most importantly, the vast majority of those who went mad or collapsed upon learning the truth had no sense of morality; animals had no sense of shame, only instincts for eating, sleeping, and training.
When they awoke, they would only see countless memories they despised, along with many children they had unwittingly tamed into animals themselves...
The thought of those desperate cries when the truth was revealed brought a smile back to Imogen's face.
They did not have to wait long. Soon, a white-haired girl in a black tailcoat strode out of the concert hall, heading straight for Xia Er.
"Welcome, Your Excellency Xia Er," Vita said with a smile, nodding in Xia Er's direction, seemingly forgetting about Imogen standing nearby.
"Mm." Xia Er had no intention of engaging in small talk. She looked directly at Vita and said, "Bring me the perfect potions and rituals for recreating from level 1 'Performer' to level 4 'Illusionist.'"
Xia Er's words were straightforward; anyone would be taken aback by such a bold request.
But Vita simply smiled, listened to Xia Er's request, and then extended her right hand, saying, "Of course, no problem, Your Excellency Xia Er... please follow me to the Royal Collection."
No matter how many times Xia Er witnessed this scene, she always felt a twinge of pressure from the "Nightmare" ability.
It was just too useful... and the range of its application was vast, with so much room for manipulation.
If she possessed such a power, many of her challenges would have been trivial.
Had it not been for her system and the presence of [Calm Reflection], she might have unknowingly fallen victim to Imogen's memory alterations, perhaps even forgetting how she had met her end.
Before long, Xia Er was led directly to the Royal Collection Room, descending a hidden staircase that led down to the vault.
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PS:
Thanks to @{"reader_id":"967964","reader_name":"Chong Ge Er"} for the tip, and gratitude to all the previous supporters and readers who have been following along!
I really want to add more, but my schedule has been a bit tight lately. Let's see if I can manage to add a bit more tomorrow.
Good night, everyone (except me)!
Chapter 275: "Blood Painter" Xia Er (4283 words)
【Performer: Complete a perfect performance at a concert with at least 1,000 listeners, receiving recognition from over 90% of them, and have at least 10 people become loyal followers due to your performance; the ritual is complete...】
【Master of Melody: In a performance at a theater accommodating at least 3,000 people, use an original melody until the last human listener is moved by your emotional expression; the ritual is complete...】
Xia Er gazed at the several transcriptions of the recreation rituals in her notebook, lost in thought.
Why were they all related to large performances? And the steps were so rigidly defined.
Beyond the necessary conditions, even the specific actions required at each step were clearly outlined, as if a path had been laid out for everyone to follow.
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