PSW Chapter 65: How Infuriating!
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The wooden-wheeled carriage sped swiftly along the stone-paved road, its surface riddled with ‘wormholes’ from years of erosion. The uneven stones provided no shock absorption, causing the wooden wheels to jolt up and down whenever they struck small pebbles.
Once out of the city, the stone-paved road disappeared, and the carriage no longer moved as smoothly. A cloud of yellow dust billowed into the air, making one’s teeth ache just from looking at it.
The servant, frowning, wrapped his head and face in a cloth, leaving only his eyes exposed as he held the reins and drove the carriage.
Inside, Yano sat still, dressed in a long robe and a shawl that covered her entirely except for her eyes and hands. Her body swayed with the carriage’s movement, and her gaze rested on a rough pattern within the carriage’s interior. Her gray-brown pupils dilated slightly.
When the fast-moving carriage suddenly jolted, and another person appeared inside, her pupils contracted, flashing with a trace of light.
Yano looked at the masked man.
The man looked back at her.
“Well done, dear princess. I thought you were going to fail, but you had a hidden trick up your sleeve after all. Haha, the Ashur Divine Eye? That’s quite the treasure.”
“You didn’t have to come here just to mock me, Saya,” Yano’s gaze was icy. “You’ve hidden plenty from me too, haven’t you?”
Saya’s laughter was muffled beneath his cloth mask, his voice carrying a noble prince’s charm and allure. With a cheerful smile, he said:
“Of course, a wise person always keeps a backup plan. But are you certain the Ashur Divine Eye can kill that king? I told you before, he’s not easy to deal with. The last person who ignored my advice—the greatest warrior of Lower Egypt—still has his head hanging from the execution pole.”
“May I have the honor of seeing this legendary divine eye, dear princess?”
Saya was always like this. When you had no leverage, he wouldn’t even bother acknowledging you. But the moment you possessed something of value, he could smile at you without the slightest awkwardness.
And with his bright and open demeanor, few could refuse him.
After all, compared to a hypocrite, at least he was an honest scoundrel—his wickedness displayed in plain sight.
Yano pulled back her left eyelid, revealing an eye that looked no different from a normal one. Saya leaned in and stared at it.
It didn’t seem any different… He was about to voice his thought when Yano tapped on her eyeball with her finger.
Ding! Ding!
The sound of fingernail tapping against it was metallic.
Yano explained, “I lost an eye in the fighting arena. My father retrieved this from the Temple of Ashur. When fused into my socket, it takes the form of an ordinary eye, allowing me to see the world. But when removed, it turns into a golden orb with a winged disk.”
Saya murmured, “This really is a treasure… Does it have any other powers?! How did you use it to escape Egypt unscathed and even succeed in assassinating Yofar Memphis?”
His eyes were locked onto Yano’s left eye, filled with a burning curiosity and desire. His face was so close to hers that they were nearly touching, his thoughts laid bare without the slightest attempt to conceal them.
Yano said flatly, “It’s far from as invincible as you imagine. The Ashur Divine Eye, apart from serving as a replacement eye, has abilities that are almost unimpressive. It only affects those with heavy hearts and extremely dark minds. It forces them to see their deepest fears and most unbearable truths, repeating endlessly. The more they struggle and dwell on it, the deeper they sink. However, it has no effect on children or ascetics… For those with pure minds, it’s nothing more than a bad dream.”
"Most importantly, it only obeys the bloodline of the Assyrian royal family and priests, as it is a treasure granted to the Assyrian royalty by Ashur—just like the Book of the Dead, which no one outside the Egyptian royal family and divine envoys can use."
"Oh."
Upon hearing this, Saya completely lost interest. His expression dulled with boredom as he leaned back into his seat.
Yano said, "If it weren't for you telling me that Yofar Memphis was imprisoned like a beast in an abandoned palace for twenty years from infancy—just because a prophecy said he would kill his mother and patricide—I wouldn’t have risked using the Divine Eye... A single prophecy, haha, the former king of Egypt was even more foolish than my brothers."
"The prophecy was real." Saya glanced at Yano, who scoffed at the notion. "Yofar Memphis did, in fact, crush his parents’ heads with his own hands."
Yano replied, "If the old king hadn’t believed the prophecy and had raised Yofar Memphis normally, he might have become the Conqueror King at the age of fifteen or sixteen!"
Saya shrugged. "Well, that makes sense."
Yano sneered, "Which is why the former king of Egypt was an idiot!"
Trying to prevent the future only to cause it to happen—such a darkly ironic joke.
She thought of that man who had walked the same path of kingship as her own father, yet who held even greater majesty—the Pharaoh. She envied Yofar. She could not tolerate the fact that someone with his rightful power had wasted twenty years of his life due to mere words!
"I have to ask," Saya said, looking at Yano with amusement. "Are you actually sympathizing with the man who is about to die at your hands?"
"…" Yano frowned at his words. After a moment of silence, she suddenly spoke. "We are the parasites of monarchy."
Saya blinked. "What?"
Yano repeated, "I said, we are the parasites of monarchy."
Saya was briefly stunned—then burst into laughter.
"Pfft—hahahaha!"
He clapped his hands, unable to suppress his amusement. "You're absolutely right! I’m not surprised that meeting Yofar Memphis made you think this way."
"You know," Saya continued, "before I met him, I thought of myself as a vengeful ghost from hell, full of darkness. But after I saw him—ha! I realized I was nothing more than a self-pitying sand worm! That man, Yofar Memphis, when he looked at me… I found my knees trembling.
"Yofar never conceals his terror. He is fearless, unpredictable, and when cornered, he rises above everyone else. He makes people like us look like dust in comparison. To be honest, I once admired him, too."
Saya inhaled deeply, his gaze open and unreserved. "But in the game of kingship, we are opponents. To surpass and to win—that is the highest form of respect for one's rival."
Yano glanced at him. "Even if it means getting yourself killed?"
"Yes!"
Saya grinned. "In this era, there is no good or evil. Each of us fights for our own ambitions. Success comes at a price, and failure leads to the depths of hell!"
"…"
"Hey, that’s the foundation of power struggles. Didn’t the Assyrian king ever teach you that?"
"…"
“Forget it, I’m leaving. Taking advantage of Egypt’s turmoil, I should return to my homeland and start over.”
Saya's voice echoed in the small carriage.
Yano did not respond. She lifted the small curtain and looked at the vast expanse of yellow sand outside. The carriage swayed again. She put the curtain down and turned her head, only to find that Saya had already left.
Her father, of course, had told her.
Yano said in her heart: The cruel path is the path of kings.
Therefore, she should not feel any ridiculous regret for eliminating an excellent king. She could only be proud—proud until the day she became the next one to enter the grave.
As for right or wrong?
That was merely the judgment of history and future generations…
Egyptian Palace.
After the Assyrian princess left the royal city, the doors of the bedchamber were opened by two high priests, who hurried inside, stepping past the pool of blood and the bloodstained female garments on the floor. They approached Yofar and Bastet.
Seeing the man sitting leisurely with a cat in his arms, as if taking a nap, the two priests, Nephthys and Hesse, gasped, their expressions turning complicated.
Earlier, when the Assyrian princess was in a private discussion with their king, Nephthys and Hesse had been standing outside the door, keeping watch. Then, suddenly, the king issued an order, instructing them to retrieve the war map.
They assumed that the Assyrian princess had ceded another city, hence the need for the map. But why send them both away at the same time?
Nephthys and Hesse exchanged glances, recognizing the doubt in each other’s eyes. However, recalling something, they frowned and withdrew.
While they were retrieving the war map from the royal treasury, a servant hurriedly arrived, informing them that the king had suddenly ordered the royal guards to escort the Assyrian princess away.
Nephthys and Hesse were shocked. Forgetting about the map, they turned and ran toward the bedchamber—only to arrive too late…
“The king was right after all.”
After a long silence, Hesse sighed at Nephthys.
Nephthys nodded. “I’ll stay here and watch over the king and Bastet. Hesse, go to the Temple of the Sun God and summon the high priest.”
Hesse nodded and left calmly.
Earlier, when Nephthys’ servant had reported that Yano requested an audience with the queen, the king, who was rushing back to the bedchamber with them, had already said:
‘The Assyrian princess could not have gone to the gladiatorial arena without the Assyrian king’s knowledge. He must have permitted it.’
‘Why did he agree? Why send his beloved daughter to endure such brutal training?’
‘Those five sons of the Assyrian king are merely pawns displayed for others to see. His true chosen heir is Yano.’
‘A woman like her wouldn’t come to Egypt seeking my protection, content to be a mere flower in the harem… She wants to follow in the footsteps of Empress Senilanis and become the ruler of Assyria.’
With an indifferent tone, he revealed a shocking secret. His platinum hair shimmered as he strode forward swiftly. The two high priests, stunned, nearly stopped in their tracks—only to be nearly knocked over by the royal guards behind them.
"Your Majesty! Then what are we waiting for? Capture her, and then—"
Hesse shouted excitedly, and even Nephthys couldn't hide the joy on his face. A royal heir was far more valuable than just a princess!
However, the handsome king ahead did not stop his steps. Instead, he coldly raised his hand, making a gesture of refusal.
"No need. There is a large tribe between Assyria and Egypt. Assyria’s downfall will not benefit Egypt. Besides, this time, I need to teach Bastet a lesson."
Getting close to outsiders so casually, spending the night in an unfamiliar woman’s chamber—how could the king’s companion trust anyone other than him so easily? Yofar’s eyes darkened. He was deeply displeased by the way Bastet spoke of Yano, his tone light and slightly inclined in her favor.
The two high priests behind him: "……"
Never mind that he was using such a great opportunity—at the risk of his own safety—just to teach a lesson.
Was he out of his damn mind?!?!
And considering that when Bastet—who had "no idea" of the truth—found out that he had been hurt by Yano, with his personality, wouldn’t he be guilt-ridden to the point of wailing in regret? Then, out of remorse, wouldn’t he just let their king do whatever he wanted in the future?
Once he was bullied enough, he wouldn’t even dare to resist anymore. With teary eyes, he’d simply trail behind their king, never daring to extend his claws toward anyone else again.
Whatever their king wanted to do, that little black ball of fluff would obediently roll over and expose his belly.
Hell, he might even lift his tail on his own…
The two high priests imagined the scene at the same time, and then—
Hesse: "………I have no words."
Nephthys: "…You absolute beast!"
Seriously,
This was too damn beastly!
[Author’s Note – Mini Theater]
Yofar lowered his eyes: "Take off everything. Only wear socks. Go, lie down beside the flowerbed."
Bastet: "No way!"
Yofar: "If it weren’t for you…"
Bastet (teary-eyed): "Fine, fine! I’ll go, okay?!?!"
T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you🍊🍊🍊
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