novelraw Chapter 206: The Court of Horus
Chapter 206: The Court of Horus
Sergeant William was intently polishing his new [Church Holy Cannon], while Lin Jie was trying to understand the new device on his arm, which displayed the precise mechanical beauty of the Victorian era.
A polite yet urgent knocking suddenly sounded from outside the door of their suite.
William opened the door with a puzzled look.
Standing outside was a local guard from the Cairo Branch, his expression solemn and his back ramrod straight.
With a complex gaze mixing awe and curiosity, he glanced at the Investigator inside the room—a man who had become a hot topic within the Cairo Branch in just a few days—before respectfully presenting an invitation with both hands to William.
It was an exquisitely crafted invitation, brimming with rich local Egyptian flavor and a sense of ceremony.
Unlike the thick cardstock commonly used by European high society, the body of the invitation was a piece of top-quality papyrus, specially treated to present a soft, moon-white hue.
The edges of the papyrus were meticulously embroidered with a circle of Holy Sand Scarab totems representing eternity and protection, using delicate golden thread.
And in the very center of the invitation, a massive and majestic mystical symbol was imprinted in the powerful and sacredly beautiful ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
An eye.A sacred eye, painted with elegant eyeliner reminiscent of a falcon, representing judgment, order, and royal authority.
Anyone with knowledge of ancient Egyptian mysticism would instantly recognize the supreme name this symbol represented—the Eye of Horus.
"What is this?"
Ethan took the weighty invitation from William's hand. Upon seeing the scarab and eye symbols, a look of mingled vigilance and disgust appeared on his face.
From his unusual reaction, Lin Jie keenly sensed an ominous aura.
He unfolded the ancient-looking invitation.
On the papyrus, written in classical Arabic calligraphy, was a passage of extremely respectful and praise-filled wording. Yet, between the lines, it conveyed an absolute invitation that ordinary people could not refuse.
"To the 'Chosen One' who walks above the mortal dust, personally crowned by the great Upper Egyptian Guardian Deity, the Vulture Goddess Nekhbet: Your humble servant, in the dual name of the Sky God Horus and the Sacred Royal Authority, offers you the highest reverence."
"The sacred radiance of the Old Kingdom period emanating from you is like the morning star that disperses a millennium of darkness, illuminating this ancient land long defiled by chaos and blasphemers."
"Your final judgment upon that 'Great Serpent of Evil' that dared to devour the sun—its merit deserves to be engraved upon the grandest pillars of the Karnak Temple, revered for all ages."
"To celebrate this glorious victory of Order over Chaos, and to allow this 'Sacred Star' veiled in dust to return to the true starry sky where it ought to shine."
"The Horus Court, here and now, in the most devout and humble posture, sincerely invites you and your companions to our Hall of Light in the holy city of Luxor, upstream on the Nile River, three days hence, for a friendly meeting aimed at deepening mutual understanding and jointly discussing how to protect this land."
The invitation bore no signature at the end.
Only a more complex combined symbol imprinted in gold powder.
That majestic "Eye of Horus" was jointly enshrined at the very center by an Ankh cross representing life and a crook scepter symbolizing royal authority.
Every detail of the entire invitation conveyed a clear message to the recipient:
This was not an equal invitation;
this was a summons originating from royal authority.
And the issuer of this summons was a local mystical organization on this ancient land of Egypt, possessing immense influence that could rival the Descendants of Apophis, and with deeper infiltration into certain areas of the military and government.
"The Horus Court"!
Lin Jie put down the invitation in his hand and looked towards Ethan beside him, whose face had turned grim.
"Our victory has already attracted new 'friends' for us in this land?" Lin Jie said with a slightly sarcastic tone.
"Friends?"
Hearing this word, Ethan let out a wary, cold laugh as if he had heard the world's most ridiculous joke.
"Believe me, Lin. These old fossils hiding in the shadows of the Luxor Temple are absolutely the last kind of people in this world you'd want to be friends with!"
His tone carried the complex emotions of a personal grudge. Clearly, this heir of a British noble family had some unpleasant exchanges with this mysterious Egyptian local organization in the past.
Ethan paused, as if organizing his words, then began explaining their true nature to Lin Jie and William, who knew nothing about this organization, in a serious tone.
"The Horus Court, they are different from those lunatics of the Descendants of Apophis. In a certain sense, their ideology is relatively closer to our I.A.R.C.'s."
"They also believe in Order, are also committed to maintaining the stability of this world, and also regard Apophis and all entities representing Chaos and Destruction as mortal enemies that must be eradicated."
"In the past few centuries, the Association's operations in Egypt, and even in some joint actions against the Descendants of Apophis, have involved limited cooperation with them."
"But!"
Ethan's tone shifted, taking on an unmistakable note of disgust.
"They are hopeless, extremely conservative, and xenophobic fundamentalists!!"
"In their rigid worldview, fossilized for millennia and stubbornly clinging to theocratic and royalist ideologies, the entirety of Egypt is the private domain of their long-dead Pharaoh."
"Every grain of sand, every drop of river water on this land, every single thing dug out from those dusty ancient tombs—all of it is their so-called sacred, inviolable 'Pharaonic Heritage'!"
"They view all 'holy relics' from the Pharaohs' era as sacred property belonging to Egypt. Their purpose for existing is to guard these properties and prevent them from being lost overseas."
"They are hostile to all archaeological teams, explorers, collectors from Europe, and to us in I.A.R.C., who in their eyes have come to 'steal things' from their backyard!"
"My father back then had a fierce conflict with them over the ownership of a 'holy relic' during an archaeological discovery."
"Those hypocrites, while preaching Order and cooperation with their mouths, used every despicable and shameless trick behind the scenes, trying to make my father's archaeological team stay forever in that desert!"
Ethan's emotions grew agitated as he spoke, the veins on his clenched fists bulging.
He took a deep breath, forcibly calming his emotions, then cast a gaze full of worry and unease onto the back of Lin Jie's right hand.
"So, do you understand now?"
"This invitation is for *you*, a living, breathing sacred imprint carrier from the Old Kingdom period!"
"And in the eyes of those fundamentalists brainwashed by Pharaonic royalist ideology..."
"You, a mobile holy relic bearing the personal mark of the Upper Egyptian Guardian Goddess... are you a friend with whom they can hold a friendly meeting?"
"Or are you a 'relic' that needs to be 'reclaimed' by them, then forever enshrined in their temple in Luxor, becoming an exhibit for them to demonstrate their loyalty to the long-dead Pharaoh???"