PSW Chapter 64: The Eye of Ashur
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The royal bedchamber was surrounded by the king’s personal guards.
Inside, Yano stood on the carpet, speaking for half an hour straight, explaining her purpose in Egypt. She did not carry herself like a princess—rather, she held the presence of a king, speaking to Yofar with confidence and pride, laying out her terms and conditions.
"I will not take the treasures back with me. I only need to stay in your bedchamber for two hours. We don’t have to do anything. After that, I will immediately return to Assyria and declare that I am carrying the bloodline of the Egyptian royal family. I ask that you refrain from clarifying the truth for now. Once I have secured the throne, I will gradually dispel the rumors. This will not affect your relationship with your queen, nor will I use this child to threaten Egypt, since he would not truly be of your bloodline."
Bastet listened from the side, its furred face showing an odd expression.
Why does this feel like a third-rate actress striking a deal with a top-tier movie star to create a scandal and climb the ranks?
And yet, it had no right to interrupt. The little black cat could only hold back its frustration, gazing at its master with jealousy overflowing in its chest, silently praying that its movie star wouldn’t agree.
Nephthys and Hesse, the two high priests, exchanged surprised looks at the Assyrian princess. They hadn’t expected this—Yano was actually attempting to imitate the legendary Empress Senilanis, who had used the backing of a foreign king’s bloodline to ascend the imperial throne.
Yofar, however, remained skeptical. "You think you can convince the nobility and the priesthood to accept a child whose blood is half foreign?"
Yano continued, "Of course not. I don’t mind telling you—I already have several high priests and grand clerics under my control. The common people are ignorant. If the high priests and clerics fabricate a divine prophecy, and with my popularity among the populace, I am at least eighty percent confident in my success."
Yofar raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Yano smirked. "Once I succeed, as a token of gratitude, I will cede the cities of Assinini and Slosebor to you."
She arched an eyebrow, smiling. "What do you think? Tempted yet?"
Two… two cities?!
Nephthys: "…"
Hesse: "…"
Bastet: Who the hell is this ruthless woman?!
Those were fortified strongholds! Not mere pieces of cake!
Even Bastet, despite being clueless about geography, understood how dangerous yet tempting such an offer was. It turned its head to check, and sure enough—
Hesse and Nephthys both had sparkling eyes, clearly tempted. They were just one step away from clinging to Yofar’s robes and shouting, Your Majesty, just agree already!
She was offering a fortune just to conceive an heir—and they didn’t even have to consummate the act for real!
Bastet: If I were him, I’d take the deal too. Seriously, this is a guaranteed win.
Swallowing down its jealousy, the little black furball reminded itself: Compared to Yofar’s kingdom, my petty emotions are insignificant. If he agrees, it would be completely reasonable—I have to support him…
The handsome Pharaoh finally spoke.
"Your proposal," he said, his voice deep and measured, "is indeed tempting."
It is Yofar!
At the same time, Yofar furrowed his brows deeply, watching as Yano reached up and dug her fingers into her left eye socket. Her fingertips burrowed inside, stirring and pulling with force!
Yet she smiled, as if she felt no pain, until she finally tore out her entire eyeball. Due to the pressure of her grip, the eyeball was squeezed and deformed, with strands of flesh, nerves, and blood vessels still attached, stretching back into the bleeding socket as blood gushed down her face and onto her clothes!
Yofar held Bastet tightly, his lips pressed into a hard line.
“Look, this is my final bargaining chip…”
Yano’s voice trembled. Half of her face was drenched in blood, and it trickled down her neck, soaking into her garments. Yet, the corners of her lips remained lifted.
The eyeball she had torn out slowly began to change—its surface turned yellow and hardened, eventually transforming into a golden sphere engraved with the symbol of a winged solar disk!
“I… heh, I don’t find divine miracles surprising… Because when I lost an eye in the gladiator arena, my father gave me this Eye of Ashur. Hard to believe, isn’t it…”
“Oh, mighty Pharaoh of Egypt, fall into the illusions of the divine eye, and sleep forever—until death claims you!”
*
The Eye of Ashur hovered silently above her palm. In the blink of an eye, something radiated from it, draining all the color from the room. The entire chamber turned into a black-and-white void, but then, just as quickly, the colors were sucked back into the divine eye.
The grand and opulent palace remained as beautiful as ever.
But in this room, only the blood-soaked Yano was still truly awake.
She grinned silently.
Bargaining chips.
Terms.
For the expectations of her father and people?
Ha! Those things had never mattered!
She had harbored the ambition to be king since she was five years old—when her father was still in his prime. What nonsense about Assyria’s decline? Everything she said today had been nothing more than a strategic gamble, using the last heirloom of the Assyrian royal family to achieve her goal.
Yano had never concealed her desires and ambitions. She was straightforward, unashamed of her means.
Watching the King of Conquest frown, his ice-blue eyes gradually losing their clarity, Yano swayed unsteadily, her body weak from blood loss. Still, she brought the bloodstained divine artifact to her lips and kissed it.
Then, she commanded Yofar:
“I will remain here for two hours. You will order the high priests to leave, and then you will let me go. The moment I step out of Egypt… will be the moment you slumber until death.”
Yofar’s eyes slowly shut, his lips tightly pressed together. Even Bastet, held in his arms, seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, unmoving.
Yano knew—she had won!
[Author’s Note:]
This novel contains many fictional elements, so please don’t scrutinize it too closely!
The presence of divine artifacts shouldn’t be too surprising, right? I did establish early on that gods exist, along with the Book of the Dead… Cough cough.
T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you🍊🍊🍊
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