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Translator: adomman
Editor: Snorri
Hearing the name that has not been mentioned for a long time, Maria’s eyebrows slightly trembled. Withdrawing her gaze from Amon to look at the table in front of her, she asked softly: “How did you understand it?”
Amon replied: “It’s simple. When I lost the authority to command thousands of troops, I did not feel that I had lost anything. I didn’t even think about it at all! However, in this period of time when I lost my power, I kept thinking about the power that I lost, because the path I pursued had been so difficult. But similarly, the power was not mine at the beginning. It is not the power that I wish to retrieve, neither am I giving up the power. Whether I possess the power or not, nothing will change. The person sitting in front of you is still me, Amon, regardless of whether I am the Supreme General of the Empire!”
Maria smiled. “You finally truly understand. This is not a test of your strength. The great strength and power that you once had is the reason why you have been so troubled by its loss. For instance, a piece of bread, after one has tasted countless delicacies, can one still enjoy its taste? However, delicacies remain as delicacies, it does not mean that one should give up on them either!”
Amon smiled as well. “Listening to what you just said, you must have advanced to the eighth level as well, congratulations! Can I ask you something? I was unable to find any records in the Shrine of Isis regarding this test, do other seventh level warriors or mages face the same test when they are about to advance as well?”
Maria paused for a moment and replied: “There are indeed no detailed records regarding this test, but such a situation is likely to happen. When a seventh level supreme warrior reaches the peak of his strength, sometimes the warrior would feel as weak as a newborn baby. It is as if he needs to develop his strength from scratch in order to receive a greater power, and some of them will succeed in advancing to the eighth level when this happens. When some seventh level supreme mages reach the peak of their realm, they would feel that they are unable to sustain the increase in magical power. As a result, they are unable to adapt to this feeling and are unable to use magic arts temporarily. It doesn’t happen to all of them, and the way the test manifests as well as the duration of the test differs from person to person. I have never heard of a situation like yours.”
Indeed, similar situations have happened to others, no wonder Crazy’Ole would leave a message like that. Amon asked again with curiosity: “What causes this to happen, and why is it not mentioned in the records?”
Maria slightly frowned and replied: “The number of supreme warriors and supreme mages are very limited in the first place, and this situation is not a certainty. The records do mention a little about this test, but only vaguely. More information regarding this can be found in the files at the Academy. When a supreme warrior or mage encounters a disruption in their power, they don’t usually let others know about it. Most of them would only pray to their gods or ask for help from a high priest that they can trust.
Some people think that this is a test given by the gods, while some think that this is a punishment from the gods when one achieves great power and starts belittling the gods. So far, the most authoritative view on this is that a mistake or deviance has occurred in one’s training. After all, there isn’t much to take reference from for further training once one has reached this stage.”
Amon asked with great interest: “When such a situation happens, how should others help them?”
“There are no fixed rules as everyone’s situation differs. If a warrior feels weak but persists with the most basic training like a beginner, according to some observers, it is as if a seed starts to grow in his body, and he would acquire a renewed power, ultimately advancing to the eighth level. However, a majority of them merely regain their power and do not advance to the next level.
On the other hand, a mage would usually pray to a god for help while reflecting on his faith. Usually they would meditate in isolation during this period of time, and the results would be similar. The Academy occasionally conducts private rituals to help these mages regain their power as well.
The purpose of such rituals is to allow the mages to experience the attention of the gods and to purify and strengthen their faith. There is no fixed way of carrying out such rituals and it does not resemble the initial awakening of power or the second awakening of power for supreme warriors. Only supreme mages with experience in this area are qualified to conduct these rituals.”
Amon nodded and answered while in thought: “The reawakening of power.”
Maria also nodded her head. “You gave a name to these rituals? Do you need me to conduct such a ritual for you?”
Amon stood up and bowed. “I do not know how to express my gratitude. If such rituals do exist, you would have just held one for me.”
Blinking her eyes, Maria asked with a mischievous expression: “Amon, what can you do to thank me?”
This question stumped Amon, as if it was the most difficult question to answer in the world. Maria had done too much for Amon. Not only did she save his life at the Nile River, she also provided shelter for him at the Shrine of Isis, guided him to the Ducians, taught him military tactics and recommended him to be a Head of legion. Although Amon made great achievements with his own efforts, all these were only possible because of Maria’s help and guidance.
After standing in a daze for a long time, he finally replied: “I do not know how to thank you. Without you, I would not have everything that I have today. However, other than sitting here and staring at you, I do not know what else I can do for you.”
As the Adoratrice, Maria did not lack in wealth and power. In the entire Empire of Ejypt, she only needed to bow to the Pharaoh and the gods, and her status was similar to the viceroy and the chief priest of the Empire. Whatever Amon could give her, Maria already had it. Whatever Maria did not have, Amon was not capable of giving her, so it was impossible for Amon to repay her.
It was rare for Maria to joke with Amon, but he had given such a serious and solemn answer. The two of them became silent as they continued looking into each other’s eyes. After a while, Maria said softly: “I am well aware of your strength and your near flawless will, but in your eyes, I see your weakness. Without this weakness, perhaps you can become truly perfect.”
Weakness? In his eyes right now, only the reflection of Maria existed! He lowered his gaze and said: “Perhaps only when one has regrets will one’s experience of the world be complete.”
Maria wanted to say something but stopped short of saying it. Finally, she smiled and said: “You still haven’t answered my question. How are you going to thank me?”
Amon smiled as well. “I truly do not know how to thank you. If Your Highness has any orders for me, I will never refuse them!”
Maria blinked. “Oh? In that case, I would like to ask the Supreme General for one thing.”
Amon was surprised. “What is it that you wish to have? As long as I have it, I can give it to you.”
Maria raised her head and looked at the murals on the ceiling before answering slowly: “When you just came to Ejypt, it was for the sake of returning Nero’s relics. However, Nero’s will has not been executed strictly. In his will, he mentioned that the one who returned his relics would be allowed access to a particular personal record belonging to Nero.
After you came to the Shrine of Isis, I investigated the matter and found that you did not read the personal record. Later, I ordered someone to bring the record to Memphis. The contents of the record was the introduction of a scroll named Tiamat’s Wrath, a legendary scroll once made by Nero. Amon, please tell me, do you have the scroll with you?
Amon nodded helplessly. “Yes, this scroll is in my hands, and it has experienced countless dangers with me.”
Holding out one hand, Maria said: “That is what I want, please give it to me now!”
Amon asked in puzzlement: “What do you want it for?”
Maria’s smile turned mischievous. “Supreme General, after making such a resolute promise just now, why are you hesitating when I really asked for something? Give it to me first, then I will tell you the reason. It should be with you right now.”
Amon took out a small grey scroll from his clothes before carefully placing it onto the table with both hands. Without stepping back, he looked at Maria and asked: “Now, can Your Highness please tell me why you want this scroll, and how you knew I would definitely have it with me?”
Maria reached out with her hand and picked up the most precious as well as the most dangerous scroll in the world. Rubbing the scroll gently, she replied: “It is not that I need it, it is that you no longer need it anymore! I checked the information regarding the scroll, and I found that this scroll is not activated with magical power. Instead, it requires the sacrifice of one’s life to activate it. The user only needs to be able to use advanced magic arts in order to be able to activate it, and this is the only scroll that you can use right now, so how is it possible that you won’t bring it with you? When you came to see me today, I could sense the anxiety in your heart. It is only by handing over the scroll to me that you can truly be free from your troubles.”
Amon sighed. “Please take the scroll away and store it in the Shrine of Isis.”
Maria laughed. Suddenly she waved her hand and took out an identical gray scroll from thin air before throwing it to Amon. “Thanks for giving me such a precious item, I will give you something back in return.”
Amon caught the scroll with his hands and exclaimed in shock: “Tiamat’s Wrath! You also have one? …wait, something’s not right!”
Maria smiled. “As you’ve noticed, this scroll is indeed Tiamat’s Wrath made with exactly the same materials and the same method. The only problem is that the maker failed to fill it with any destructive magical power, so the scroll is blank. The moment that the explosion is supposed to occur, all those within the area of effect would feel the fluctuation of life energy, but they would not be harmed.”
Amon remarked: “A fake! Who would create such a scroll?”
Maria shook her head. “Creating just the scroll itself is difficult enough. A long time ago, the Shrine of Isis once gathered a large group of mages and attempted to create a scroll of Tiamat’s Wrath. After numerous failures, they did not succeed, and this kind of blank scrolls was all that was left. They managed to create several of these blank scrolls, which served as the foundation for making a Tiamat’s Wrath, but they were unable to confine the magical power required to complete the scroll. Every time, the scrolls got destroyed in the middle of the process, and sometimes it even triggered powerful explosions, causing important casualties, so they had to give up eventually.
This last blank scroll is still an extremely precious item as it can still be made into a real Tiamat’s Wrath in theory. However, in my opinion, there is no longer a need to do so. You are the last person in this world who possesses a real Tiamat’s Wrath, so you can detect the problem with this fake scroll, but can anyone else do so? Even if they can do so, would they dare to gamble with their life that it is truly a fake?
I know that the real Tiamat’s Wrath is with you, so there must be others who know as well. The power of this scroll does not lie in using it, rather it lies in the fact that others know you have it. If one day you decide to use it, it would definitely be a situation where giving up your life is the last resort you have. I do not ever wish to see such a day come. Now, do you understand why I’m doing this?
Amon finally understood Maria’s intentions and had an urge to grab hold of her hands, but he did not do so. Instead, he simply stood there and gazed at her. The two of them were about three feet apart, and they were about to feel each other’s breathing. Maria was looking at Amon’s face, but she suddenly lowered her head and said: “Why do you have to live like this? Perhaps it is time for you to settle down, actually…”
Amon interrupted her: “I am still young, I don’t wanth to talk about this!”
At this moment, Gabriel reported from outside in a loud voice: “Your Highness, the vicier wishes to see you.”
Maria sighed softly and put away the scroll of Tiamat’s Wrath before raising her voice and answering with an authoritative tone: “Let him enter, Supreme General Amon is here as well.”
……
After Amon bid farewell to Maria and left the Shrine of Isis with the governor, he returned to his residence in Memphis and sent Metatro on an errand. He decided that it was time for Moses and the rest to leave. In name, they were his slaves going to another part of his territory to reclaim the wilderness and cultivate the land.
This group of people had to pass through various border checkpoints in Ejypt, but Amon did not send anyone to protect them. Instead, he merely gave Moses an official warrant and let him lead his people back home by himself. Amon then ordered Metatro and Lynk to follow them in secret and to take care of any unexpected dangers that arose without showing themselves. When they encountered trouble, the two of them could appear as Allaha’s messengers to give them confidence and guidance.
This trip was a long and arduous one. First, they had to travel through the Ejyptian territory before journeying through the deserts, swamps and wastelands filled with monsters. It would be a test of their will and faith. Under normal circumstances, the major source of danger would be the deserts and swamps outside Ejypt’s territory. While they were still within Ejypt, they could simply travel on the roads which connected the cities. For convenience’s sake, Amon gave several precious magical artifacts to Metatro and Lynk including the crystal shuttle, the Shadow-soul Chasing Lamp and the Spying Mirror.
Metatro left Memphis that day while Moses and the rest gathered their stuff as they prepared to leave. There were dozens of carts carrying daily necessities and supplies as they would not be able to travel that quickly and it would take at least several months to reach the Duc Plains.
After Metatro left, Hardedef felt very bored as Amon usually only stayed indoors to read various books and seldom went out, so that he could not go out either. Amon could tell that he was bored, so that day while they were eating dinner, he asked Hardedef with a smile: “Before going to Mount Horeb, you stayed in Memphis all the while. During the night, where do you usually go to have fun? Since there is nothing much to do, why don’t you show me around the place?”
Hardedef was elated and replied with a laugh: “Supreme General, I have been waiting for you to say that for so long! Just follow me, it’s my treat tonight!”
Amon changed into a comfortable outfit and went out with Hardedef without any guards. With Hardedef driving the carriage, they went to a busy neighbourhood located at the western part of the city. This place was further from the Shrine of Isis, but much nearer to the marketplace. Hardedef stopped the carriage in front of the entrance of a brightly lit courtyard. Amon’s expression was a little strange as he did not expect this place to be one of the most exquisite brothels in Memphis.
Amon recognised this place. Back when Aesop had accompanied him to go shopping around the area, they had passed by this place. Aesop even mentioned that this brothel only served the nobles, so even though Theo was extremely rich, he could not enter the place.
Seeing Amon’s expression, Hardedef was overjoyed. Grabbing his arm, Hardedef whispered: “God Amon, you really should experience the wonderful things that life offers instead of training or fighting all the time. As the Supreme General, while you are still so young and handsome, you should visit such places more often!”
Without any further words, Hardedef pulled Amon along inside. Apparently, Hardedef was a regular here and even the servants here knew him. Once he entered the place, he ordered the servants to take away the carriage. Next, he demanded the best room and the best service, saying that money was not an issue.
The two of them were led into a spacious room with large leaning chairs and a table full of wine and delicacies. In front of the table, there was a small pool of water. In fact, the water was warm and there were flower petals on the surface of the water. After sitting down, a band started playing music behind a screen, where they would be unable to see what was happening in the room.
As Hardedef sat down, he ordered the servants to bring the best girls into the room and perform a dance in front of the pool for Amon. If Amon took a liking to one or more of them, they would stay behind and drink with them.
After a short while, a dozen beautiful girls arrived and started dancing in front of the pool. All their outfits were “interesting”, as their bellies were exposed and their well endowed bosoms were barely covered. Each of them also wore a metallic necklace which produced a tinkling sound as they danced. Their short skirts were fashioned into strips, and as they moved their hips, their fair thighs and long legs were exposed. By covering just enough and exposing most of the skin, it made their appearance even more tempting.
Although they were scantily clad, all of them wore a veil. The veil did not cover much since it was nearly transparent, but it was decorated with shiny ornaments, emphasizing the beauty of the girls. As they twisted their bodies into various provocative poses, they sang elegant poems softly, making it difficult for those who saw them to hold back their desires.
It was the first time Amon had been to such a scene, but he always acted in more or less the same way no matter where he was. Amon never wasted food, so when he saw the delicacies on the table, he started eating and drinking earnestly, drinking a mouthful of wine as he chewed his food properly. Occasionally, he would hear a good line of poetry from the girls, and he would raise his head to take a look before continuing to eat with his head lowered.
On the other hand, Hardedef was enjoying the performance very much, even tapping his wine cup with his fingers along with the beat. Once the song ended, Hardedef turned towards Amon and asked: “Supreme General, which of these girls do you fancy? Just tell them to walk through the pool.”
The rules here were very specific. If any customer wanted any girls to stay, the selected girls had to enter the pool to reach the customer. By the time they were in front of the customer, they would be completely wet. Such an arrangement was probably for the sake of entertainment, and there were also impatient customers who simply jumped into the pool to play with the girls when they were still in the pool.
Amon was dazed for a moment before he raised his head and said: “You can carry on by yourself, there isn’t anyone I want to stay with.”
Hardedef scratched the back of his head and joked: “Your standard must be incredible, I’m truly impressed!” Next, he waved towards all the girls and said: “All of you stay with me!”
The girls were initially disappointed, but when they heard Hardedef’s words, they started giggling and jumped into the pool, splashing water all over the place.
Amon and Hardedef sat on either side of the room and a screen could also be placed in between them to separate the area. The large leaning chairs were long and spacious, such that they could also be used as beds if one desired. However, it was not enough for all the girls to sit down, and two of them sat on Hardedef’s lap instead. All the girls secretly looked at Amon with curious eyes as they sat.
This young chap was muscular and handsome, and in fact, the girls were more willing to stay with him. However, Amon did not take a liking to any of them. Without changing his expression, Amon continued eating and drinking. He ate meticulously, using a small knife to pick the meat from the bones cleanly. This puzzled the girls as he should have gone to a restaurant instead of a brothel if he was more interested in eating.
Watching this scene, Hardedef immediately shouted, “Call your boss Dylan to come here!”
Within moments, the boss of the brothel arrived. At the sight of a dozen girls surrounding Hardedef who was drinking, he secretly cursed in his heart. Dylan knew Hardedef very well, and a few years ago, Hardedef frequently got into fights in the brothel. He often drank too much and injured several members of well known noble families in the fights. Once, he nearly completely wrecked one of the rooms.
Why was this man here again? What a pain! The boss asked cautiously: “It turns out that Lord Hardedef is here, welcome to my place! Is there any dissatisfaction with the service, or any orders you need to be carried out?”
Hardedef put down the two girls sitting on his lap and slapped the table. “Of course I’m dissatisfied, take a look over that side. That man sitting over there is my most esteemed friend and he has the highest standards, so get the best girls you have over here right now!”
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Literally no girl could meet his standards as only Maria is in his eyes.
He dare not go with any of the girls. Icho or for that matter Inanna will skin him alive. That is unless Inanna is the best girl they have.
Ty