The Witch and the Doll Swear

A picnic is an elegant and leisurely social activity that originated in the royal family and is held in a beautiful courtyard or in the wild. The common features of this behavior usually include suitable weather, beautiful environment, delicious food, and leisure time——

——All of the above were absent in this picnic in the Valley of the Kings.

No, it can’t be said that, at least the fresh fish that was hoisted from the river sand covered with aquatic plants in Nile Klein was grilled until fragrant, and the particles of coarse salt penetrated into the tender fish meat, which is equally delicious but more chewy. The mussels and a wild duck that took off a bit late and unfortunately became a barbecue, under the careful cooking of the witch, are not inferior to a picnic with delicious food prepared in advance.

The problem is the sinister sun of Sinai.

The problem is, the valley where dozens of pharaohs are buried.

"Compared with us who have a picnic here to pass the time, and those who rob graves because of hunger, whose behavior is more blasphemy..."

"If we are seen, let alone that godwife, even Kamula will order us to be arrested..."

Tina and Ai discussed in a low voice whether they would be cursed by the pharaohs of the Valley of the Kings. To which Alice responded:

"If those mummies who don't even have soul fragments left collectively cheat their corpses because of such a thing, then this is definitely the most important discovery of necromancerism in the third era."

In any case, for what may be the first time in the history of Sinai, the picnic of foreigners in the Valley of the Kings lasted until dusk.

When the wings of rainbow light swept across the sky over Nero Klei and brought Tina and Ai back to Dibis, it not only connected the two temples of Karnak and Luxor with snow-white stone bricks. There are no crowds of people on the avenue above the bungalows, and soldiers and temple guards have replaced traders and pedestrians.

The festival of joy turned into a place of martial law in one day. After landing on the roof of the hotel, Liliana looked at the city that was almost completely different from yesterday, shook her head, and said nothing.

"Well, don't we go directly to the temple...?"

"...It seems that the riots have been suppressed, and it is meaningless to go there at this time. If no one from the temple comes to us after that, we will visit tomorrow morning. If they come to look for them, it means that they still have something to tell Possessed I need it, or ask me to help."

When walking down the stairs, the witch explained to Tingna and Ai very quickly. Although this invisible contest made the young Ai and Tingna, who knew nothing about nobles, both showed blank expressions, Lilia Na also didn't take these words simply.

The bar on the first floor of the hotel is still open, appeasing the guests who are temporarily unable to leave with free drinks.

After ordering a glass of soft Niederjem, and ordering sweet Hidai with honey for Tina and Egg. The wine, which needs gold coins to pay for, has not yet disappeared into the crystal glass. From the door of the hotel, the witch saw the temple guards walking towards her.

"Lord Flanadi and Her Majesty the Princess invite Your Excellency the Witch to come over."

"……I see."

The witch raised her eyebrows.

So, ten minutes later, by the reed-covered pool of the Luxor Temple, Tina saw the smiling Floranati and Kamula again, and the guards standing behind them tremblingly.

A carpet decorated with gold and purple is spread on the platform by the pool. There is a small silver incense burner filled with aroma, a golden tray covered with petals and hollowed out, holding honey and date palm snacks, and a sky blue ceramic kettle as clean as a mirror, but even these expensive and exquisite handicrafts are placed in the middle , didn't seem to make the mood of two of Sinai's most noble women, surrounded by bright green reeds, much better.

Even though they're both sitting gracefully on the rug, it's like they're always ready to get up and slam something between them into each other's faces.

"...It seems that you still have some problems to solve."

When Liliana came to them along the stairs, Amon's divine wife and Pharaoh's daughter looked over almost in unison.

After accepting the two people's polite greetings and returning gifts, the witch holding the doll came to the carpet, took off the sandals embellished with gold thread and lapis lazuli, and sat in the middle of the two lines of sight with a blank expression.

"Good afternoon, Your Highness Camura, Ms. Flanadi..."

Tingna, who followed Liliana a step, was held by Ella's skirt before she made more moves. When she turned her head, the black-haired girl spoke in an unbelievable tone in the girl's mind:

"What are you thinking about? A divine wife of God Amon, daughter of a Pharaoh, Liliana, master craftsman, is higher than them as a treasure-level powerhouse. Why do you want to sit with them?"

"……ah……"

Ai quietly sighed, and decided to teach this honorary noble lady what noble etiquette is when she is free.

A little embarrassed, Tingna almost stretched out her foot, stopped in place, and took a step back after being pulled by Ai again, and stood behind the witch together with Ai and the guards who were quietly relieved .

However, neither Flanadi nor Camura paid attention to this little episode.

After the witch sat down, the expression of the young princess relaxed a little. Opposite her, the woman with the gorgeous crown snorted softly.

"If we can unify our opinions, those problems can be solved immediately. Unfortunately, the unification of opinions has always been the most troublesome."

"...Hope I'm not here to make decisions for you."

"Even if the opinions are not unified, the problem can actually be resolved, as long as we each take a step back. The main reason for inviting Ms. Liliana is to thank you for helping us retrieve the sacred coffin of the Pharaoh. In addition, I would also like to ask you to make a witness."

"Dibis' riot last night was obviously premeditated. We caught the mastermind behind the scenes, a young priest from the Karnak Temple. And..."

"...?"

Her first sentence made Tina's expression subtle.

The girl wanted to say something, but Ai calmly pinched her in the back.

Just when she tried to look at the girl who was not even close to her chest with a sullen expression and dissatisfaction, from the mouth of the highest authority of the female clergy in Sinai, she had already said the name that seemed to be everywhere in Sinai .

"'Dawn God Sect', he is still a follower of this cult sect. "

When the high-ranking godwife of Amon said that name, she couldn't help gnashing her teeth.

When the desert storm that swept across the entire Sinai just passed, they were behind the grain merchants who drove up the price of grain, behind the mob who incited the famine and panic, and they were the ones who instigated people to steal the Valley of the Kings. They were also the ones who tied the knot with the tomb robbers!

When they said this, both Flanatti and Kamula had such cold expressions. The execution of the priest seemed to them to be crushing an insignificant ant.

Thanks to the fact that the priest's fox tail was not well hidden, and the goddess of the dawn he worshiped did not give him the perseverance to keep the secret.

In the ancient dusty torture chamber, the orders of Camura and Flanatti made his "ba" and "ka" turn into worthless dust along with all the information that came out of his mouth.

However, although the culprit was sentenced, there are still a large number of accomplices who need to be tried.

No doubt the instigators were part of it, many were just held hostage, waving sticks and uttering vulgar and vicious expletives, but there were also many who beat up foreign travelers, treated them like enemies, and many Destroyed houses and shops, and threw torches on the houses of merchants.

No more, no less, especially the passengers who had recovered from the panic. They accused the atrocities of the whole city, embraced the bones of their companions and family members, and the flames of anger were no milder than those of the Sinai people.

Now, the girls know what happened in the city while they lay idly in the Valley of the Kings, munching on delicious fish.

Anger is like a torrent, and wherever the streets can be reached, wherever there are no soldiers and guards to guard against layers of vigilance, everyone is involved in this irrational and turbid current of rage.

Young people, old people, children, civilians, nobles, merchants, Dibis, who is an inherent area of ​​Amun belief, and Tutankhamun, who restored Amun belief, is both a holy pharaoh and a great saint.

When word got out of nowhere that the bewitched and elegant businessman had set his abacus on his sacred mummy, all the resentment since the dust storm was completely ignited, and the explosive violence was vented on all the "doesn't look like Sinai people" on people.

"There are hundreds of people in total, including old people and children, commoners and young heirs of nobles. In terms of dealing with them, the Temple of Amon Ra only wanted to give them some compensation, and hang the few people who had proven guilty. Just die..."

With that said, Camura waved away the attendants behind her, and Flanatti also signaled for the old people in sacrificial robes to retreat.

Without hesitation, Tina took two steps back while Ella was swinging her skirt, turned around, and followed the attendants and priests back to the towering terrace of the Karnak Temple along the stairs.

When she turned around, the girl saw the bright aurora color from the corner of her vision. Immediately afterwards, even with Sylph's blessing, there was not even the slightest sound coming from there.

——"But I don't allow that." Oh, our princess seems to be very dissatisfied with this practice of the temple. "This is the land of Sinai. As a citizen of Sinai, you must abide by the laws of Sinai." She bit down heavily on the word must.

However, in the girl's mind, the voice of the little puppet carried her frivolous comments and relayed the ongoing conversation verbatim through the black pearl earrings on Tingna's ears.

Walking up the steps, the attendants brought Tinna and Ai to the low table beside the flower garden.

I don't know whether it was Camula's order or Flanatti's instruction. The priests treated them as guests. After Tina and Ai sat down, someone poured sweet mead for them, and added ice cubes to the glass. .

——That requires a lot of manpower, material resources, and time. More importantly, although some people contributed to this riot, it was only the fuse. What caused the riots was the long-standing conflict between the Sinai people and the foreign immigrants headed by the elegant people. It was the bitter fruit of the immigration law. Although some citizens of Dibes felt that some people's behavior was too cruel, they did not agree with the deportation of foreigners. agree. As a priest, I can only remind Your Highness that in addition to the justice of the law, the mood of the people also needs to be considered.

——And as the pharaoh's daughter, the future pharaoh, I have to consider the impact of this incident on Sinai's reputation on the mainland. The wealth and power of this country is already a history. On the contrary, the city-states in the elegant Inland Sea have a general association of mainland merchants, but they are prosperous and powerful. Trade with them is the pillar of trade that Sinai relies on for prosperity. If this matter cannot be properly handled, Returning to their respective homelands, these travelers will spread the kingdom's reputation for injustice throughout the elegant Inner Sea cities. Now only justice is the best balance between the people and the country.

——Greedy businessmen are just flies on cow dung. If one group is driven away, new ones will come up soon.

——Short-sighted and ignorant people are just forgetful ants, a batch will die, and new ones will be born soon.

Tina almost lost the glass in her hand. If Ai hadn't grabbed her glass in time, she would have asked the attendants where she could take a bath.

"Such a statement is too much..."

Ai's expression was also very ugly. She was born in a former royal family and muttered, "Speaking like this means that they are not qualified as royals or nobles." She put the wine glass back into Tingna's hand.

——No, it is enough to think about such words in your heart, and even a person with a little bit of wisdom will not say it. Alice just felt that the expressions of these two people seemed to be saying something like this... Hey, it’s not surprising that this godwife said something like this. Until Alexandria was established, Sinai was a typical agricultural The country doesn't pay much attention to business and trade, and the temple is also the leader of conservative forces. But Kamula...hehe, although she said that she often hangs out with ordinary people to experience their life, but this little princess doesn't like the people at the bottom that much, well, it can't be ruled out that she just doesn't like Dibbs people, after all here Like Memphis, it is the place where the kingship is weakest in Sinai.

The little puppet commented unceremoniously.

Compared with Ai and Tina who could only listen to her narration, Alice could see more things from the tone and expression of these two people.

Kamula's proposition paid more attention to the overall situation, but Flanatti was not at all interested. She coldly emphasized that what the residents of Dibes want now is not justice, but the support of the kingdom and the temple.

The two couldn't stop arguing, but Alice sneered as if watching a farce.

——But this divine wife will definitely back down in the end.

"Eh?"

This time, it was Ai's turn to speak out in astonishment, and Alice snorted softly, explaining.

——As she said, what the citizens of Dibes want now is not a fair trial. As long as this matter is pushed to Kamula and the royal family, the position of the temple in Dibes will be more stable. I don't know if the princess is not aware of this or has other plans... Hehe.

Just after the little puppet finished speaking, there was a sudden silence between Kamula and Flanatti. A few minutes later.

"...the royal family will provide the human and material resources required for a fair trial and ruling. You only need to nod."

"After a while, I will ask the city guard captain to see you."

As Alice said, Flanadi backed down.

But before Tingna came to her senses, the two had a more intense disagreement on the cultural relics and the pharaoh's coffin.

Kamula wants to transfer the cultural relics and the pharaoh's coffin - not just the recovered cultural relics and Tutankhamun's coffin, but also several other pharaoh's tombs that were cared for by tomb robbers but did not have their mummies stolen. Cultural relics and coffins.

"These precious remains of Sinai's history should be preserved in the most appropriate and complete way."

"Bringing these to the city built by the elegant people is the greatest disrespect to the pharaoh and the blasphemy of tradition!"

"Letting them lie in the mausoleum is also waiting for the patronage of tomb robbers."

"Believe me, Pharaoh's daughter, even if the people of Dibes stole the pharaoh's coffin in exchange for food some time ago, if you want to take it away, they will also block the streets and alleys of the city. You can't go anywhere."

Flanadi looked at her coldly.

"What's more, sending it to Alexandria is just a convenience for other brightly dressed tomb robbers."

When Alice relayed these words, Ai also told Tina Cop about the "glorious history" of the Sinai royal family's robbing their ancestors' tombs to enrich the treasury.

Many tomb robberies already have the support of the royal family behind them.

But at this moment, Kamula suddenly narrowed her eyes.

"In exchange, I can not report to my father the appearance of followers of the Dawn God Cult in the Temple of Amon Ra and promote this incident."

Flanadi's expression froze.

When Kamula said this with the "devil-like expression" in Alice's mouth, the godwife showed "the expression of a hundred scarabs gnawing bones under the skin" in Alice's mouth. It can kill people. At this time, Kamula must have turned into a pile of dirty ash floating in the wind.

No matter how irreconcilable the conflict between the royal family and the temple is, on the surface, the Pharaoh is still the leader of all the temples, and the Karnak Temple is one of the largest temples in Sinai. The king who is committed to weakening the power of the gods will definitely not let it go Such a high-sounding one could cripple their chances.

This is a far greater blow than the theft of a pharaoh's mummy!

Since that priest was revealed to be a cultist, the debate was unequal from the start.

But soon, Flanadi seemed to realize something, and looked at the opposite girl suspiciously.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Sarah, why..."

Camura smiled slightly.

"Probably just because I miss the glorious history of the past."

"……I see."

Flanadi looked deeply at Kamura, and after a long time, she nodded with difficulty.

The witch and the puppet sat aside without saying anything.

The biggest disagreement was settled, and the rest seemed to be just some details about the handover of cultural relics and the human and financial resources provided by Alexandria.

After Liliana had done justice for them in the name of magic and Amon Ra, Kamula got up and left.

When the pharaoh's daughter walked up the stairs to the flower garden where Tinna and Ai were, which was also the entrance to the temple, the girl had just finished her second glass of mead, and greeted her bravely because of the casual glances.

"Miss Tina, Miss Ai."

The young Princess Her Royal Highness came over. Although her slender eyebrows, round eyes and chalked lips formed a smile that was not surprising, it had an indescribable intimacy.

...How can such a face show the expression that regards people as ants that kill a batch and will soon add another batch?

Tina believed that Alice would not comment like that for no reason, and it was really unnecessary for witches and dolls to discredit this pharaoh's daughter.

But...it's really unimaginable, so cruel, indifferent, and...so high.

"Miss Tina, what's the matter, looking at me like this?"

"Ah, no, it's just..."

"It's amazing, Your Highness Kamula, Miss Tina and I were still discussing just now, Her Highness Kamula is obviously a few years older than me, and younger than Miss Tina, but she has done something amazing. .I heard that at noon today, Her Highness Kamula decisively commanded the city guards to rush into the meeting point of the agitators, and the disturbance was quelled in one fell swoop."

Before the girl could speak, Ai interrupted her from the side.

Tina looked at the wide-eyed girl with longing looks, and was almost stunned. Fortunately, Kamula turned to Ai in time. Being praised seemed to make the princess very happy. She leaned against the long and narrow nursery full of pure white flowers , some proudly puffed up his chest.

"This is the achievement I have been studying day after day and year after year since I learned to speak. Economics, military affairs, court etiquette, speech skills, law, martial arts, equestrian skills, art appreciation, court dance... okay? It’s easy to have a rest time, and you have to go to the city to experience life, and you have to get your face dirty in order not to be recognized, and your upper body is naked like a slave..."

A series of troublesome lessons came out of her mouth, and gradually, even she smiled wryly.

"However, it's not worth complaining about. I love this land. It is because of my hard work in the past that I was able to participate in the affairs of the kingdom two years after I became an adult. If I really have any regrets... Probably the only thing that failed to get into Guanghui Academy."

"Eh? Did Her Highness Kamula fail to be admitted to Guanghui Academy?"

"Well, it's a pity... Let's not talk about this, Miss Tingna and Miss Ai, how long do you plan to stay in Dibis? Although this year's flood festival may be very disappointing, this city is still very beautiful."

When talking about the name of the best college in the mainland, Kamula's expression was a little sad.

She changed the content of the conversation without a trace, obviously not intending to bring up the topic.

"Well...it depends on Master Liliana. The master's plan is always arbitrary, so we can't say for sure."

"It's really enviable to be able to travel freely..."

Ai replied, and when Ai said that, Kamula nodded slightly and looked towards the direction of the pool.

At this time, Liliana was walking up with Alice in her arms, and when she saw the witch's figure, Kamula suddenly clapped her hands, "So to speak"——she said so, and waved for a guard.

The armor worn by this guard is not the standard of the temple guards, and it is far more gorgeous than the city guards. He held up a piece of brocade in both hands, and a locket of gilded sandalwood.

Among them, a round gemstone was dark and crystal clear, placed on the brocade dyed gorgeous purple, the molten gold seeped into the crystal, pouring round after round of holy scriptures like a dial , Exudes an ancient and mysterious atmosphere.

"This is a thank you to Her Majesty the Witch for helping us retrieve these cultural relics. This is one of the recovered cultural relics. It may come from Queen Nefertiti's tomb. Our appraiser has been busy all night and didn't figure it out. What is this, maybe it was a ritual item, I know that ordinary property will not be of interest to Miss Witch, so I chose this, I hope you can accept it."

"..."

Liliana stared at the round gem and fell silent for a while.

She looked at Tina, who was awkwardly touching the space storage ring on her finger, and then looked down at Alice, who was pretending to be an immovable doll. After a moment of silence, she shook her head in a subtle tone. shook his head.

"...although I'm curious as to what it is, perhaps it's more satisfying to see it in a museum in Sinai than to have it."

Immediately afterwards, the witch added another sentence.

"...What are you going to do with these cultural relics brought back to Alexandria?"

"These are the treasures of the kingdom, solidified and precious history. It would be too wasteful to store them in a treasure house that never sees the light of day. Yes, just like the witch said, I will store them in the Alexandria Great Library. Opening an exhibition hall in the museum district and displaying it for free to the public can also make people more familiar with our own history."

Camura seemed a little surprised by Liliana's polite refusal, but she immediately waved her hand to ask the guards to retreat without forcing them.

"Until then, Your Excellency Liliana, Miss Tina and Miss Ai are welcome to come and watch. Then, I still have reports to write, so I will take my leave now."

After saying that, she nodded slightly to Tina and Ai, and then left without looking back.

After she and the guards disappeared among the priests, Liliana also sat between Tina and Ai. Through the black pearl earrings, her voice sounded in the minds of both of them at the same time.

...How did it feel, that conversation between Camura and Flannati.

--Eh? How do you mean...

Alice's narration was indeed not the whim of Miss Doll.

It's just that Tina doesn't understand why she and Ai are allowed to hear this?

The affairs of this kingdom have nothing to do with them.

The girl glanced at Ai secretly, but the child, who was too smart for his age, just pressed his eyes, as if he was thinking hard.

——The Pharaoh’s daughter is indeed a very powerful person. As Franati said, such a move will definitely cause dissatisfaction among the residents of Dibis. However, since the interrogation and conviction are done by the local city guards and priests, people Her dissatisfaction was more local and would not affect her far away in Alexandria. On the other hand, such a just move would help win the favor of the people of Elegant, and Alexandria was the largest commercial hub in Sinai, close to the inland sea of ​​Elegant. It is a very insidious move to benefit oneself while damaging the influence of the Temple of Dibis at the core of the faith.

...However, Flanati is not simple. She used the influence of the temple on the locals to force Gamu La to conceal the news that "there are members of the Dawn Cult in the Temple of Amon Ra" as a condition.

——Although this is mainly because I don’t know why the royal family insisted on taking away these cultural relics and mummies, but in the end, the matter was concealed inside the temple, leaving no excuse for the pharaoh to cleanse the temple personnel. Oh, despite her unyielding attitude, it makes people think that these mummies and cultural relics must be kept where they are, but it is also a Sinai tradition to dig out the mummies of the previous pharaohs from their tombs and store them elsewhere...

Tina grimaced and looked confused.

"...Miss Liliana also thinks it would be better for me to know more about these things?"

Of course, so does Ai.

The two of them looked at each other with the same blank gaze, which was rare. Tina didn't mention it. Even for Ai, who was born in the former royal family, the intrigue explained by the witch and the doll was too far away.

The witch shook her head and spoke in an unchanging tone.

"...I just want Miss Tina and Ai to know that travel is not just about pedestrians on the streets, hawking vendors, dirty slums and luxurious hotels. It is not just about the things you are accustomed to and within reach in your life, those Things that are far away, unreachable, and even feel that 'this has nothing to do with us' actually exist, that's all."

After speaking, Liliana took the crystal wine glass from the waiter on the side and watched the ice cubes sink into the honey-colored wine, making a clanking sound when it collided with the wall of the glass.

The long skirt embellished with gold threads was reflected on the ice and glass.

Flanati stood aside, with a tired look on her face. The dark circles under her eyes covered by thick eye shadow seemed to tell the fact that the de facto local authority in Dibis City had hardly rested since last night. .

Looking at Kamula's retreating back, she even cursed angrily in a low voice: "May the Pharaoh's curse fall on that woman's 'ba' and 'ka'."

However, probably no one heard it except Tina. After finishing cursing like she was venting her anger, Flanati stopped beside Liliana, took a deep breath, and greeted Liliana again.

"Help us find cultural relics and fair witnesses, thank you for your hard work. If there is anything I can help with, please don't worry."

At this moment, Tina suddenly understood.

Liliana insisted on spending a day in the Valley of the Kings, determined not to come back early, and did not take the initiative to ask them the reason.

She was waiting for the divine wife of Amon-Ra, the highest-ranking person in the priesthood of Dibis, to say such words to her, and then——

The witch calmly combed the hair of the doll in her arms with her fingers and looked casually into Flanati's eyes.

"...I have indeed heard something. Ms. Flannati, do you know that during the time of the Ancient Magic Empire, there was a secret realm established by the Magic Emperor that was hidden in the Valley of the Kings?"

Without beating around the bush, she asked the all-important question.

Flanati's pupils suddenly dilated. Although she quickly maintained a stable expression, the disbelief at that moment still did not escape those pupils that seemed to contain the stars. And this, this lady He is obviously very rough too.

So, after several minutes of silence.

She nodded wordlessly.

……………………………………………………………………………………

The aftermath of a certain day:

"That... Ai, what are you looking at?"

"..."The Emblem and the Scepter", a book on the political history of the mainland kingdom, probably contains what Master Liliana said today."

"Uh...is it good? I mean, after watching it, what does Ai think?"

"...politics is dark, twisted, and scary. I'd never want to have anything to do with it in my life if I could."

"What a coincidence, me too."

"Besides, I have a question that I can't figure out. Why would Kamula give up the perfect opportunity to suppress the temple forces and bring those cultural relics back to Alexandria? Or is this some kind of royal family's plan?" ..."

"Even if you ask me, I don't know..."

"So I'm asking myself an answer."

"..."