Chapter 310
310 – [Theatrical Version] Luxor
After unpacking our bags at the hotel where we would stay for the night, we headed out to downtown Cairo to have a late lunch.
“This is Kusha, this is Besara, this is Full Medams, this is Pata.”
Sumire, Ryuji’s mother, gave me a step-by-step explanation of the traditional Egyptian dishes she ordered at her favorite restaurant while she placed some on my plate.
From what I heard, it seems like this is a restaurant that is indebted to me every time I come to Egypt.
While the store owner, who seemed friendly to each other, and Ryuji’s father were conversing in Arabic, we sat around the table and chatted.
“So, how do you feel? Kim said this is his first time traveling to Egypt?”
I nodded, scooping up the food Sumire explained as Kushari, a kind of bibimbap with chickpeas, rice, and tomato sauce.
“Yes. To be exact, this is my first time traveling abroad.”
The only times I’ve been to a previous life were Taiwan and Japan, so I’ve never been on a plane for this long.
It was my first time experiencing jet lag, so it honestly felt unfamiliar.
Even though it is clearly daytime, I feel sleepy as if I am forced to stay awake at night.
While I was eating, I blinked as if I was tired, and Ryuji said, “Puh-ha-ha!” He said with a smile.
“It’s always like that at first. We’ve been to Egypt so many times that we get used to it quickly, but not you. You’ll probably be fine in about a week.”
I couldn’t laugh at Ryuji’s words.
Because I have to go back to Japan in a week.
Then you will have trouble adjusting to jet lag again.
“… Thank you.”
As I said that and forced a smile, I continued to eat the food in front of me, feeling like I was eating to survive rather than because I was hungry.
It’s been a long time since I traveled abroad, but I never thought I would face difficulties due to my physical condition.
It was truly an unexpected ambush.
***
“Then take a good rest and see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, please come in.”
They said the full-scale activities would start tomorrow, so we returned to the accommodation a little early after lunch.
“Yuseong, go in and rest.”
“Oppa! See you tomorrow!”
There were a total of three rooms rented by Ryuji’s parents, and Ryuji’s parents, Yuika and Ryuji, and I decided to occupy a single room.
When I closed the door and went inside, a slightly shabby hotel room appeared, just like when I stopped by earlier.
Still, I had everything I needed, so I didn’t think there would be any inconvenience in living there for a week.
“… Let’s take a shower and sleep.”
Maybe it was because I was tired, but I was excited about traveling abroad, and I had no intention of doing anything, so I took off the clothes I was wearing…
[Kim Yu-seong.]
“Wow!”
I was started when I suddenly saw Mahes jumping out of the wall and took a step back.
[Oh, I’m sorry. I would have guessed that he was changing his clothes.]
I asked while hastily pulling up my pants.
“What happened all of a sudden?”
[Nothing different, I just wanted to warn you in advance before going to the Valley of the Kings tomorrow.]
“Warning?”
[There are probably all kinds of traps set up inside my tomb. Even you won’t be able to pass it easily.]
“… Why did you set up such a trap in the tomb?”
[It was partly to prevent grave robberies, but it was also probably because I did not think that the followers of Set, who could be considered my archenemy in life, would leave my corpse alone.]
Come to think of it, I had seen it in a documentary before.
The Egyptians believed that in order for the deceased to go to the world of the dead after death, their physical body must be preserved as is.
I don’t know when that custom began, but it seems to have existed even when Mahes was alive.
[I told Ryuji and his parents in advance, but wouldn’t it be a bad idea to prepare in advance?]
“Well, you’re not wrong. Thank you for letting me know.”
[Rather, I should say thank you. He said he would willingly help me excavate my tomb that had been sealed for thousands of years.]
While I was quietly looking at Mahes, who was smiling while saying that, something suddenly occurred to me and I asked.
“Now that I think about it, Mahes, you said your name is an alias right now, right?”
[But?]
“Then what is your original name?”
Then Mahes, who was asked a question, shrugged his shoulders.
[It’s not a name you can proudly say in front of others. Personally, I think it’s a bit embarrassing.]
“… Is the name really old-fashioned?”
[Not really. And anyway, I’ll naturally find out when I go to the grave tomorrow, but wouldn’t it be half the fun if I already found out?]
Seeing Mahes insisting on mysticism until the end, I scratched my head and said I understood.
Well, the name isn’t that important, so let’s just move on.
“Then I’ll take a break and see you tomorrow.”
[Okay. Take a good rest. There will be a lot of work to use your stamina tomorrow, so it would be a good idea to recover your condition as much as possible.]
“I’ll try.”
So Mahes went back to Ryuji and Yuika’s room, and I, who was left alone in the room again, headed to the bathroom with a change of underwear to wash.
***
The next morning.
Although I woke up a little later than usual, I still recovered somewhat and went down to the lounge on the second floor of the hotel to have breakfast.
“… Hello.”
“… Hello.”
Ryuji and Yuika had also come out for breakfast, sitting at the table with sleepy eyes.
I took the cereal and toast from the breakfast corner and sat down across from my siblings.
“They both look in bad condition.”
Then Ryuji, who was eating cereal soaked in orange juice, and Yuika, who was eating butter on toast, both answered in dying voices.
“… I’m a bit weak in the morning.”
“So, I usually wake him up, but today I’m not feeling well either…”
Perhaps because they are brother and sister, their struggles are similar.
Is this the power of genes?
While chatting with the two people, I used two styles of cereal with milk and toast with strawberry jam.
By the time Ryuji’s stomach was somewhat full, Ryuji’s parents also came down from the room.
“Have you eaten everything?”
“Oh, yes.”
When I stood up and said hello, Ryuji’s parents said it was okay to sit down and told me about today’s schedule.
“If you leave early in the morning, you will probably arrive in Luxor by afternoon.”
“Luxor?”
“It’s the name of a city in southern Egypt. It was a city built on the east side of the Nile River and was also the capital of the late ancient Egypt. It’s a city with a history of 3,000 years?”
I nodded at Mr. Ryusuke’s kind explanation and entered the new knowledge into my head.
In fact, when you think of Egypt, you only vaguely think of pyramids and mummies, and you usually don’t know much about these things.
“Then let’s leave quickly. If we delay any further, we won’t be able to see the Valley of the Kings by the end of the day.”
“Yes.”
I hurriedly stuffed the last piece of toast into my mouth and hurried up to my room to pack my bags.
***
To be honest, the road from Cairo to Luxor was quite boring.
The highway was well-maintained in its own way, but most of what I saw was wilderness, and most of the scenery was the same, so I quickly got tired of it.
In the end, I sank deep into the car seat, took out the portable game console I had brought along just in case, and asked Ryuji, who also took out the portable game console.
“Ryuji, roughly how many hours does it take to get to Luxor?”
Then Ryuji answered half-heartedly while concentrating on the game console screen.
“How far have we come now?”
“About 3 hours?”
“Then we’re only halfway there.”
“…”
Is this true?
I had no energy left to ask questions, so I lowered my head helplessly.
It was right then.
“Guys! Look over there! It’s a sand storm!”
“Yes?”
I suddenly looked up, wondering what the noise was, and saw an amazing sight.
This is because a whirlwind of sand was swirling far away in the middle of the empty plain.
Ryuji’s father said that sand storms are not a phenomenon that can be easily seen even in the desert, which boasts changeable weather, and that I was lucky.
But for some reason, I got a strange feeling when I saw that.
Should I say something is unpleasant?
I felt an instinctive sense of rejection.
As if I wasn’t the only one who felt this way, Mahes, who was quietly sitting next to Ryuji, also looked at the sandstorm with a stern expression.
[That… ]
“What’s wrong, Mahes?”
When I asked Yuika carefully while observing Yuika’s feelings her, Mahes nodded and explained.
[This is a spell used by the clan of darkness. There is no doubt about it.]
“Clan of darkness?”
[These are people who believe in full-body sets. They are crazy people who believe that endless struggle will bring humans to a higher level.]
In other words, he is a fanatic.
[… ] ] I guess it doesn’t feel good. I’ll have to look into it separately after I’m done with my business.]
Mahes said that and looked for a long time at the sandstorm moving away toward Cairo.
***
It was almost 3 o’clock in the afternoon when the jeep truck, which drove endlessly through the wilderness, arrived at its destination, Luxor.
Originally, it should have taken about an hour longer, but this was also the result of Ryuji’s father stepping on the accelerator so hard that he wanted to go as quickly as possible.
Anyway, when we arrived in Luxor, without even having time to relax, we unpacked our bags at the accommodation we had booked in advance and gathered back on the first floor.
“Dad? “What about food?”
“Is food important now? Daughter! The Valley of the Kings is just around the corner!”
As Ryuji said yesterday, Mr. Ryusuke shows signs of going crazy when it comes to things related to archeology.
Fortunately, it was the most powerful person in the Sakamoto family who calmed Ryusuke down, who looked like he was about to drive to the Valley of the Kings.
“Honey? Are you and the kids the same?”
“… “Everything is different.”
“Then act like an adult.”
“Yes.”
SeeingMr. Ryusuke become so calm as if he had never been like that reminded me of his father’s miserable appearance his at home.
‘Of course, in any house, the mother is the scariest.’
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