Read Novel Full Chapter 368: Memories Are What You Are
Chapter 368: Chapter 368: Memories Are What You Are
Chapter 368 – Memories Are What You Are
Cassius didn’t know what to say in that moment. And whatever he might have said probably wouldn’t have truly helped his master anyway.
He couldn’t know for certain, but he could imagine how painful it must have been to leave someone you love for the sake of revenge, only to come back for them and find them gone.
Whatever future the two of them might have shared had been destroyed forever. All because living in the past had mattered more to her than looking ahead.
Cassius couldn’t judge his master. He had no right to.
He didn’t know what she’d been through to want that revenge so badly, nor what that revenge had ultimately meant to her.
There was only one thing he did know: his own ancestor had killed the man his master had loved, and possibly still loved.
His master didn’t know that yet. Or maybe she did, and had simply chosen not to bring it up. Either way, Cassius found himself carrying guilt over something he hadn’t done.
He sighed quietly and hugged his master tighter, as if that alone could make her forget the loss.
Mallory smiled at the gesture, understanding it for what it was. She wanted to say more about this part of her past, but she wasn’t ready yet.
Not ready to tell Cassius why she’d wanted revenge, or what she’d done to get it and what had ultimately made her the dean of this Academy.
Not ready.
So, for now,
"That’s all I can say, Cassius," she whispered.
"That’s more than enough," he replied. "I know it’s kind of useless to say now, but... I’m sorry for your loss."
"It’s alright."
"Does it still hurt as much as it did?"
"Oh," she chuckled, "very much so, disciple. Very much so."
"Well, I thought time healed every kind of wound."
"Not quite true," Mallory replied, shaking her head slowly. "Time doesn’t heal wounds. Memories do. People mistake one for the other because memories need time to form. But you know, no amount of time will heal you if you refuse to make new healing, joyful memories and choose instead to stay with the ones that wounded you.
"After all, some people live in the past despite existing in the present. I know because I was once like that." She sighed, "These people don’t make new memories. They just relive the old ones, reopening the same wounds over and over. For people like that, it doesn’t matter how much time passes. Because while the world moved on..."
"...they never did." Cassius finished her thought, and it felt like he’d just caught a glimpse of something important about memory. "So memories... are really that powerful."
"We’re mostly a mix of memories, dear disciple," Mallory said, slowly breaking the hug, looking Cassius in the eye with a small smile. "That’s what makes us living, evolving beings. Look at me now, Cassius. The person standing in front of you right now isn’t quite the same person you knew just a few minutes ago."
She stroked his hair.
"After all, I now have this new memory of the two of us, together, hugging. And that memory changed something in me, in a way few people could ever understand."
Cassius said nothing, only listening closely, and found himself agreeing.
He was essentially the same being. But something in him — in how he looked at his master, or at the world — had shifted after everything that had just happened.
But what would happen, say, if one day he lost all of these memories? Then the Cassius standing here now would effectively cease to exist.
That thought made him newly aware of just how terrifying Sarah’s potential really was. That girl could store every memory and never forget a single one, then later reshape and plant them inside other people’s minds.
But it wasn’t just Sarah, he himself carried his own Seed of Memories, still waiting to fully develop in the Wastelands.
’Sun, Blood, Memory.’ Cassius could already picture his future taking shape. And yet something in him warned that Blood might not stay with him for much longer.
But then what?
He didn’t know. One thing, though, was certain: after all of this, no one would dare tell him again that he had nothing of his own.
He had something. Even if it had come from everything given to him, and that was simply how life worked.
"Are you two done yet?" Scarlet growled, annoyed. "I’m losing my patience."
Both Cassius and Mallory snapped back to the present. They were still in the Spirit World.
They looked at each other, nodded, and stood up, turning to face the Primal Queen, lounging on her throne, looking down at them.
"If you’re done with your cringe-worthy master-disciple moment, would you get out of my state already?" She shooed them away.
"Will you truly refuse to be Cassius’s Spirit?" Mallory asked. "You accepted the bet, and you objectively lost."
"I just don’t like the idea of being this kid’s spirit," Scarlet shook her head.
"What did I even do?" Cassius complained, at a loss for what he could have possibly done to deserve this. "I’ve been on my best behavior since the moment we met!"
"Best behavior?!" Scarlet shot him a look that screamed ’are you kidding me?’
"I mean, until you provoked me," he shrugged. "Which felt fair enough. I can’t just let myself be bullied. Who do you think—!"
"Cassius, shut up."
"Yes ma’am," he fell silent at his master’s sharp words.
"See?" Scarlet said. "I can’t stand him. I might actually kill him if I’m stuck with him all the time."
"But you won’t be," Mallory said. "You’d only need to be with him when he needs you, and even then, you’re strong enough to refuse his commands if you choose to."
Cassius glanced at his master, wanting to ask ’what do you mean by refuse?!’, but wisely chose to stay quiet.
"Why are you pushing this so hard?"
"You know why, Scarlet," Mallory replied, giving her a knowing look. "You’re at the top of the Spirit World, and you carry some influence in the Underworld too, thanks to your... peculiar past."
Scarlet’s lips twitched.
"But you also know that, because of the overwhelming power Primal Queens are born with — or spirits in general — you can only rank up by taking a contractor," Mallory said. "You know that’s exactly why Emerald chose that boy."
"Not only that," Scarlet shook her head. "Emerald is a special case. Her relationship with that boy runs deeper than you think. And even if what you say is true, why should I settle for this arrogant boy?"
Cassius decided this was a moment for his best behavior, and refused to rise to the bait.
"His potential is high enough that you could rise further with him," the Last Dragon replied. "And don’t you dare deny it. When’s the last time you found a Second Rank being creating their own concept?"
Scarlet groaned, unable to argue against any of it. Every word was true. Every spirit was born locked into a specific level of power.
They could never advance beyond it in their lifetime... unless they had a contract. Yet not every being could form contracts with them.
Dragons could. Humans with rare bloodlines or unusual circumstances, like Cassius, could too. All in all, the options were painfully few.
And Primal Queens weren’t exempt from that rule. They wielded unbelievable power, but ultimately, they still fell short of the true peak of existence — never mind the World’s minor Expressions, like the Spirit World, the Underworld, the Mirror Domain, and so on.
So even they would need a contractor if they ever hoped to climb higher.
And truth be told, Scarlet knew someone like Cassius would be nearly impossible to find again.
She knew it well. But her pride simply wouldn’t let her become this boy’s spirit.
"You seem to have known the 333rd," Cassius said suddenly, noticing the queen’s genuine uncertainty. "You called her by name earlier ’Amate’ like it came naturally."
"So what?" Scarlet said sharply.
"I know nothing at all about any of my ancestors, you know," he smiled faintly. "Yet they’ve given me so much. My Sun Core, for instance, would’ve been completely impossible without the skill the 333rd left me, or even my left eye."
Mallory and Scarlet both looked at him, listening closely.
"So I’d love to hear more about her," he continued. "What was she like? What did she enjoy doing? What were her hobbies? Who was Amate Desdemona, really, not the 333rd Worldburner Ancestor who slaughtered an entire race?"
He smiled a little awkwardly, suddenly aware of how quiet things had gone, with two powerful women staring him down.
But he pushed through anyway,
"I want to know Amate, the person. Not Amate, the myth, the Worldburner. And I believe only you can help me with that."
Scarlet studied Cassius closely, and another memory surfaced in her mind, unbidden.
Just before Amate had left to face the red dragons, Scarlet had finally asked her the one question she’d always wanted to.
’Is he worth all this?’ Scarlet had asked. ’Is he worth sacrificing yourself for? Why don’t you just live your own life? You could be so much more, Amate. So much more! You could become a true god!’
Amate had chuckled. ’The only thing I know is that he’ll try his best, Scarlet.’ Then she’d looked at her, grinning. ’And that’s all that matters to us. We’ve done our best, and he’ll do his. Whatever comes of it, it’ll simply be what it is. We’ve fought for countless years, countless reincarnations. We’ve done our absolute best. So if you ever meet the Last Born — if one day, Scarlet, that boy stands in front of you — don’t go easy on him. But also,’ she’d smiled knowingly, ’don’t hate him because of me. I know you, Scarlet. You love to hate. But don’t hate him. He carries a part of me in him. So look at that part, and bear with him because of it.’
Scarlet had been speechless. But Amate had been right. There was a part of her in Cassius. Mostly in how much they both loved to talk, and how easily they could be provoked, if you knew where to press.
She sighed, closing her eyes, thinking it over for a moment, rubbing her temple, already sensing how much trouble this would cause her.
"Fine," Scarlet cursed. "First rule: you don’t talk to me unless I talk to you first, understood?"
Mallory smiled, and Cassius grinned.
"Easy. I’m a quiet person anyway."
"Bullshit."
"I never taught you to lie, disciple."
—End of Chapter 368—