Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

Ding-a-ling——

The sound of the wind passed by, causing the silver bells to jingle.

In the Memphis royal palace, when Messe stood before the palace steps and was stopped by the guards wielding weapons, the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt, the son of Seti I, Pharaoh Ramses II who was over a hundred years old, was appreciating the scroll spread out before him.

His aged body was still agile. In fact, contrary to conclusions drawn from some scriptures by later generations, as the third Pharaoh of the nineteenth dynasty and one of the great rulers in Egyptian history, Ramses was a quite capable monarch. Theoretically, he wasn't the 'villain' recorded in the scriptures.

He had waged wars and won repeatedly, had many children, and excelled in poetry and architecture. He contributed significantly to culture, military, and politics, so much so that later generations even referred to him as 'Emperor Ramses' in honor of his accomplishments.

Of course, compared to these, the greatest inconsistency between this nearest-to-god Pharaoh and historical records was his significantly extended lifespan.

After all, according to later records, by the time Messe faced the king with his serpent staff, this renowned Pharaoh should have long since passed away, with his offspring succeeding his position.

Clearly, though now over a hundred years old, Ramses II's spirit was still very good. He remained the master of the dynasty, and his successors were still unknown.

"Hoo——"

"The Abu Simbel Temple, truly a miracle created by mortals, was once one of my proudest achievements."

"And now, with the Hebrew's help, I will create a second one."

Tapping the table lightly with his fingers, the Pharaoh admired the masterpiece on the scroll.

It was a drawing of a temple, a masterpiece crafted in his youth to showcase his exploits.

According to that blueprint, back then, he ordered people to carve out four colossal statues from the mountain rock, each depicting himself and three deities.

The one representing Ramses himself needs no mention, but the other three, in reality, represented one god.

Amon, Ra, and Atum, the trinity of the sun, the lord of Heliopolis.

As the Pharaoh, by placing his statue among them, the implication couldn't have been more clear.

Ra is the sun in the sky; I am the sun on earth. All gods obey Ra, just as all mortals obey me, and I am the sole representative of God in the mortal realm.

Tap tap tap——

"Your Majesty."

Footsteps were heard, and Ramses II slightly looked up.

"What is it?"

His voice calm, the Pharaoh asked.

Generally, no one would disturb him at noon, as everyone knew not to interrupt an old man's rest. So, this was likely some unexpected event that required his attention.

"Your Majesty, outside the palace, there is a man from Midian who claims to be here on God's command to see you …"

Kneeling on one knee, the guard spoke solemnly, "He wishes to discuss the rise and fall of races with you. I cannot judge the truth of his words, so I leave it to you to decide."

"You say, God's command?"

His expression unchanged, a century of experience allowed the Pharaoh to remain unshaken.

He easily suppressed the shock in his heart, instinctively straightening his back, his sharp gaze fixed on the guard before him.

"Heh heh… Another Divine Envoy?"

This was not the first one. The command of God… Even though in this mythic world, Ramses II had lived far longer than recorded in later generations, in Hemenu's world the ways for a mortal to gain strength were pitifully scarce, such that his life was not as prolonged as it seemed.

The end of his time would eventually come, and the world of the dead awaited his arrival.

Fortunately, he had dwelled long enough among mortals that he did not fear embracing death. What truly prevented Ramses II from letting go today was that during his reign, the connection between the gods and mortals had suddenly broken.

Was this the wrath of the deities, a punishment for his crafting of bronze statues and construction of temples?

He did not know but thought it unlikely. Because the glory and achievements he brought to the gods far outweighed these, until a few years ago, the gods were still extolling his accomplishments.

Perhaps this was due to some other matter, so he was determined to restore that connection before death, and the last oracle issued by the gods was to gather those foreigners marked with sin blood.

So the Pharaoh commanded them to build temples, hoping to please the deities.

"You did well. Let him come see me."

"I also want to hear, by which deity's command has he come, and what does he wish for me to do?"

Rolling up the scroll, Ramses spoke indifferently.

If it was true, all was well.

If it was another falsehood, another pawn pushed forward by an aristocrat who questioned his abandonment by gods…

He would show him just what had allowed him to reign over this dynasty for so many years.

...

"Your Excellency, please come in; the Son of the Sun awaits you inside."

In the grand palace, Messe walked inward under the guidance of the guard.

With every step, his scepter made a soft sound, and as he observed the surroundings, he recognized a place where he had once lived.

Half familiar and half strange, when Messe stepped through the great doors of the inner sanctum, he finally saw the master of the place.

"Your Majesty, the person has been brought."

With a slight bow, the guard then stepped back as the Pharaoh gestured for him to leave.

At the desk, from the moment Messe appeared at the doorway, Ramses had been scrutinizing this 'Divine Envoy' who evoked in him an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

"I hear you've come on a mission from the deities to negotiate with me?"

Going straight to the point, the elderly Pharaoh did not intend to waste time on pleasantries.

He wanted to expose the other's lies or prove his truth, and Messe nodded in response.

"Indeed, Your Majesty, I have come for this very reason. You are the master of Upper and Lower Egypt, but the gods are the masters of this world. I am here to spread His glory in the mortal realm on God's command."

"Very well."

With a smile, the Pharaoh seemed very welcoming.

"So, 'Divine Envoy', may I inquire under which deity's command you act? Which of the Nine Pillar Gods is it, and what might is he in charge of?"

Just as Chaos had twelve Principal Gods, Egypt had the concept of Nine Pillar Gods. And just as in the original myths, the twelve Principal Gods included God-King Zeus, the Nine Pillar Gods of Egypt also encompassed the God of Sun, Ra.

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Beyond the Nine Pillar Gods, Egypt was home to many deities, even guardian gods of various city-states, just like the territorial god of Chaos. But

clearly, the one qualified to deliver divine oracles to the Pharaoh must be one of the highest among the Nine.

"Your Majesty, I am not a follower of the gods you know." Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire

With a slight bow, facing the Pharaoh's enthusiasm, Messe, instead, had a bad premonition.

"I worship the Creator of All Spirits, offering all I have to the eternal and holy one. Everything spiritual in this world belongs to Him."

All Spirits...

His smile grew warmer, Ramses II seemed to readily accept this explanation.

The aged monarch asked once more:

"Is that so... The gods of this world are not for mortals to fully know; it's not surprising there are some I haven't heard of."

"So, distant 'Divine Envoy', what kind of oracle do the gods bring?"

"...Your Majesty, on my journey, I saw the populace suffering on the earth like the countless stars in the sky. They are bound to servitude nearby, without the freedom to leave."

Messe spoke solemnly, his words heartfelt.

"In the eyes of my Lord, every wise living being on earth is equal, with no distinction of high or low, noble or humble. The precious and the humble, the naturally evil and the naturally good are the same."

"Thus I come to you with a request, please release the Hebrews who are trapped near Memphis. Since their presence is not accepted by the Egyptians, then let my people go, to celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness."

Hebrews...

The smile faded; Ramses II noticed that the guards around him were already becoming angry, but he himself was not yet angry.

Looking at the 'Divine Envoy' who had made his request, he finally asked:

"Distant envoy, I understand your plea, but all you have said comes with no proof."

"Do you have any abilities beyond those of mortals that could prove to me you truly bear the glory of God, that you have come to convey divine oracles?"

"...Of course."

After a moment of silence, feeling the malevolent glances around him, Messe steadied his scepter.

This was the sacred artifact bestowed upon him by God; only when he returned to his own people and began his mission did it gradually reveal its might.

And the greater the trials they endured, the stronger the artifact's power became.

Compared to before, from the moment he set foot in Memphis, even from when he had just saved those two mixed-blood children, Messe could feel the extraordinary power beginning to emerge within the scepter.

So, under the gaze of all, the scepter transformed into a black snake upon touching the ground. A wild aura emanated from it, and its bloodthirsty eyes scanned everyone in the hall.

"This is one of the insignificant powers bestowed upon me by God, Your Majesty."

Although he had anticipated it, Messe still tried to persuade, "Please, let my people go to celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness."

"…"

"Hiss..."

A moment of quiet settled in the hall, punctuated only by the hissing of the snake.

The guards were shocked by the scene, but Ramses II simply nodded.

At this moment, the last piece of his conjecture fell into place.

"Messe, is it?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Hmm, I remember you now."

Nodding with a smile, the Pharaoh said lightly, "My daughter's adopted son, the sinner who fled more than forty years ago for murder."

"I even remember the reason you killed; because you discovered you were a Hebrew and then saw your own people being mistreated?"

"..."

"As the Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt, I've received divine oracles more than once and observed secret histories not unveiled to outsiders."

"I've heard that while the ancestors of the Egyptians were gods, the progenitors of the Hebrew bloodline were also gods. It's just that your ancestors were sentenced in the presence of God La, so the once-pillar goddess Isis lost her eternity and from then on fell to mortality."

"...Your Majesty, you may have misunderstood..."

"The Creator of All Spirits," Ramses II spoke indifferently, ignoring Messe's attempt at explanation, "as well as these magician's tricks—indeed, ever since the passing of Princess Isis, magicians have vanished from the mortal realm, thus people mistake such extraordinary powers for divine power, but I do not."

"That was the Pillar Goddess of Life and Magic... It seems everything originated from her, didn't it? Indeed, I was not forsaken by God La; all this is just a conspiracy created by another dead god."

"...No, Your Majesty—"

Messe wanted to explain further; he had anticipated that the Pharaoh might not believe in the existence of his God, but he had not expected such a misunderstanding.

However, before him, Ramses II no longer intended to give him a chance to explain.

"Seize him!"

At his command, the guards who had been waiting around instantly sprang into action, rushing to kill Messe.

Hiss—

Bang—!

The Great Serpent, seeing this, swung its body, and with a lash of its tail, sent a guard flying.

Yet as the Pharaoh's personal guard, all were willing to die for their duty, retreating not at all.

"Your Majesty, this is just a misunderstanding, and I very much hope you can see that. But now, it seems I must leave."

Though there was much he wanted to say, Messe had no choice, with the scene unfolding before him.

Taking advantage of the moment when the Great Serpent repelled the guards, he summoned it back into a serpent staff with a wave of his hand, then with another gesture, he made his exit from the Royal Palace.

"After him—!"

The guards immediately gave chase upon seeing this, but the Pharaoh raised his hand and ultimately did not stop them.

They were probably not going to catch up, but it was worth a try.

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