What first appeared from the other side of the sand dune was a giant human face with brown sideburns.
Then came the giant lion body behind that face, and the giant wings on its back.
The Sphinx.
A terrifying existence that made the locals too afraid to take another step, some even collapsing to the ground in fear.
Finally, someone couldn't help but let out a scream.
Saria tightly held Luzelde, who was clinging to her chest in terror, as she watched the Sphinx with a frightened expression as its entire body was revealed to everyone.
Sanzang and Mash took the initiative to move to the very front of the vehicle, acting as the vanguard and shield.
Bedivere also placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Only Daniel remained calm and unhurried, merely raising his hands to shield his face from the sand and dust kicked up when the Sphinx's claws hit the ground.
"I advise you all to give up any thoughts of resistance," a slightly majestic female voice came from behind the Sphinx.
At the same time, the sound of many orderly footsteps could be heard.
Leading them was a young woman dressed in light clothing that revealed much of her brown skin, wearing a headpiece with ear-like ornaments.
Holding a scepter with one hand on her hip, she walked to the edge of the sand dune with a graceful posture, her eyes fixed on the strangers at the feet of the Sphinx.
Behind her followed dozens of guards armed with spears and shields.
"My name is Nitocris, a Servant summoned to this land alongside the Sun King."
"Have you intentionally trespassed upon the Sun King's lands?"
"The Sun King..." Fujimaru Ritsuka was a bit excited to finally find the person they were looking for, but he still managed to control his emotions properly. "Please do not misunderstand."
"We have come with those stationed around the Holy City to seek aid from the Sun King."
"Clean fresh water and food to satisfy our hunger."
Nitocris didn't immediately jump to conclusions. After her gaze swept over Sanzang and Mash at the front, she focused particularly on Da Vinci and Daniel, who was slowly walking up to Fujimaru Ritsuka's side.
Then she spoke again.
"Follow me," Nitocris said expressionlessly. "The specific details will be discussed in town."
"As for whether to accept your request for aid, that is a matter only the Sun King has the authority to decide."
After saying this, she turned and left.
The way her long purple hair swayed and dragged on the ground, combined with her ear-like hair accessories, instantly created a sharp contrast with her previous cold and aloof demeanor.
In any case, Daniel couldn't hold it in and almost burst out laughing with a 'pfft'.
The Sphinx led the way, followed by Nitocris and her guards.
It was unclear if they were on a patrol of the surrounding territory, but there was still some distance from where they found Daniel and the others to the town in the Sun King's territory.
Once they reached the town, the Sphinx proactively moved to the side, lay down on the ground, and rested its head on its front claws.
Under its watchful gaze, Nitocris led the group into the town.
Inside the town, there were rare patches of cultivated land, as well as... crops that weren't growing very well.
In the fields, town residents were busily working with troubled expressions.
However, as Nitocris passed by the road next to the fields, every one of them stood up straight and watched her with gazes of reverence.
"It's hard to imagine that such a place still exists," Saria murmured with a hint of envy in her tone.
"Will we be accepted and allowed to stay?"
This kind of unease gradually spread among the locals.
"We were wanderers of the desert, accepted by our King and allowed to stay," a man in the guard whose clothing was noticeably different from the others, presumably the captain, suddenly stopped and turned to face the crowd. "This place is the last remaining utopia in this world."
"He sounds like a very great King," Bedivere murmured.
"Of course he is!" Nitocris, who had slowed her pace at the front, immediately stopped upon hearing this. She turned around abruptly and responded with pride, "Be grateful for the Pharaoh King's great power. Every glory of the Nile, from the First Dynasty to the end of time, is manifested upon this land."
"In other words, the Pharaoh King has also summoned the Promised Land of Canaan here?"
"Exactly!" Nitocris suddenly swung the scepter in her hand, pointing the head of the staff toward the pyramid at the end of the road. "Furthermore, that is the residence of us pharaohs, the Ramesseum Tentyris!"
Daniel's expression suddenly became strange.
"If I remember correctly, I think pyramids are supposed to be the tombs of Pharaoh Kings, right?"
"Eh?" Da Vinci looked at Daniel in shock. By the time she realized she wanted to rush over and stop Daniel's next offensive words, it was already too late.
"Does this count as being summoned along with your own coffin lid?"
Sanzang and Fujimaru Ritsuka's expressions also became weird.
"Um, what does 'coffin lid' mean?" Nitocris, who didn't have this kind of future knowledge among the information she was granted, looked at Daniel with a confused face and asked.
"It's... it's a folk term for 'mausoleum' in the country Daniel is from." This time, Da Vinci finally managed to cover Daniel's mouth in time.
Oh ho?
Feeling the physical sensation and the lingering fragrance as Da Vinci pressed against him, Daniel gave up the idea of explaining what a coffin lid was to Nitocris.
"You idiot, don't you know how much the Pharaoh King values 'mausoleums'! To say such a thing in such a frivolous tone!" After dragging Daniel to the back of the convoy, Da Vinci glared at him in exasperation and hissed in a low voice.
"Of course I know," Daniel shrugged and explained. "I just saw that Nitocris was easy to talk to and wanted to get friendly with her. If it were Ozy standing in front of me right now, I definitely wouldn't say a single joke."
Kindness is often taken for weakness; Da Vinci witnessed it firsthand today.
But, was Nitocris really considered 'easy to talk to'?
Thinking back briefly on the records concerning Nitocris, Da Vinci couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine.
She had meticulously built a luxurious underground palace, but her purpose was to find a suitable excuse to hold a grand banquet, gathering the murderers of her husband all in one place so she could shut the doors and open the sluice gates to drown the entire underground palace.
Afterward, she didn't hesitate to throw herself into a dusty room and never came out again.
With that kind of decisiveness and courage, you call her easy to talk to?
Looking up again at Nitocris, whose face could hardly hide her proud expression, Da Vinci fell into confusion once more.
No matter how she looked at it, she couldn't connect this young girl, who couldn't even hide her thoughts, with the Nitocris in the records.
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