It was another dark night.
The Solar Barque, Mesektet, had already begun its voyage through the Duat, and within the royal palace of Memphis, Nitocris had abandoned her usual routine of retiring to the study after dinner to "learn musical instruments" together with the "bard" she favored.
At this moment, she was no longer dressed in the magnificent Pharaoh's attire adorned with countless golden ornaments.
Instead, she wore a black, form-fitting outfit.
Not a single piece of gold or jewelry that could produce even the slightest sound remained on her body to reveal her presence.
She stood at the center of the royal garden.
Before her stood her two behind-the-scenes supporters: the foreign mage Thoth, and the strange god who had always protected her, Medjed.
At this very moment, she tightly gripped a dagger that shone with dazzling golden light.
Though its appearance was extremely ornate, this dagger was far from merely decorative.
While soft gold had long been proven unsuitable as a material for weapons, there existed a similar yet far more precious substance that was the exact opposite.
Adamantine.
Adamantine was far harder than steel, even surpassing mithril, and possessed excellent affinity with magic. However, in exchange, it was also far heavier than steel.
As a rare material used in armor and weapons, adamantine was extremely scarce. It basically only existed in the outer world or in foreign realms.
Mortals had no way to obtain it; generally, only gods could wield such a material.
The dagger in her hand was forged entirely from adamantine.
This weapon had been gifted to her by her elder brother, Merenra II, during her coming-of-age ceremony.
And now, she would hold this dagger to avenge the brother who had been both father and kin to her, Merenra II.
Because of its material, Nitocris felt the weapon in her hand was somewhat heavy. She gripped it tightly, feeling a trace of nervousness.
She could not help but be nervous.
Though Nitocris was a powerful spellcaster, as a former princess and queen, and now Pharaoh, she had never used her magic to take a life.
Let alone personally killing someone with a dagger.
As an assassin, she was nothing more than a complete novice.
But now she had no choice. She had sworn to avenge her brother, and tonight was the moment she would act upon that resolve.
"How is it? A little nervous, right?"
Sensing the girl's trembling with keen perception, Alaric stepped forward to comfort her and gently embraced her.
"I know you've never killed before. Taking revenge with your own hands is a very difficult step. But there will always be such a day."
Feeling the trembling body in his arms, Alaric did not offer empty reassurance. Instead, he whispered the naked reality into her ear.
"There will always be such a day, girl. You are the Pharaoh of Egypt, the leader of millions in Upper and Lower Egypt.
Even without revenge, one day in the future, you must take this step."
"Politics is not a harmonious conversation, nor merely a game of victory and defeat. Politics is something deeper than your hatred, more cruel than your revenge.
As Pharaoh, your every move, your every word and action, every decision you make will profoundly affect the future of this nation.
Some will survive because of your benevolent policies, while others will enter the underworld because of your mistakes. Death, in the face of millions, is nothing unusual."
"In the future, you will personally send people to their deaths, whether intentionally or not. Because you cannot satisfy everyone.
When you protect the interests of some, you will inevitably offend others. You must make decisions, sacrifice certain people, and let some walk toward death."
"You are Pharaoh, the ruler of this land.
The lives of every citizen here will be entrusted to your hands.
But if you fear granting death to others now, how can you one day rule a nation and become a truly qualified Pharaoh?"
"Though your enemies are cruel and despicable, there is one thing they surpass your father, Pharaoh Pepi, in, they are ruthless."
"Kindness alone cannot rule a country. Necessary killing is always indispensable. This is something you must learn from those you have sworn to take revenge upon."
"So, my dear Pharaoh… although you have never killed, such a day will come. Then why not today?"
As Alaric spoke, he felt the girl's trembling gradually subside.
She was thinking. She was digesting the deeper meaning of his words.
Many of the things Alaric said were matters she had never considered before.
As a female Pharaoh, though Nitocris longed for revenge, she also wanted to lead Egypt toward prosperity.
Though she had been nothing more than a puppet for several years, even within the limited authority she possessed, she had performed well.
She paid great attention to the livelihood of the people and worked hard to develop the nation's economy.
After the annual flooding of the Nile, she personally went to the fields to sow grain, leading the people in production.
This made her an approachable queen, earning her high prestige among the populace.
Such a ruler, though competent in governance, had always lacked one thing, she could not harden her heart.
Perhaps this was also related to the fact that she had never truly controlled the army or internal security, the real instruments of violence.
But it was undeniable that today, Alaric had truly taught her a lesson.
These matters she had never considered now plunged her into deep thought. She had to admit that this mage called Thoth possessed profound wisdom beyond magic.
She even thought that after taking revenge and restoring order with his help, she would make Thoth the new Vizier of Egypt, at the very least, give him a position where his wisdom could assist her rule.
It was definitely not an excuse to keep him by her side.
In any case, Nitocris' heart finally became resolute. Alaric's words had persuaded her.
Even as preparation for wielding the Pharaoh's true authority in the future, she needed to truly take revenge tonight, she needed to shed blood.
Seeing that the girl had finally made up her mind, Alaric smiled with satisfaction. He gently pushed her away and draped a white cloak over her shoulders.
The cloak was pure white, embroidered with patterns resembling Medjed's eyes. If Nitocris completely covered herself, she would look no different from the god.
"Don't worry, Nito. When you act, Medjed and I will be by your side.
This cloak is a gift from us. With it, your concealment magic will be greatly enhanced. No one will notice your existence."
"Thank you."
Nitocris was deeply moved. She suddenly stepped forward and kissed Alaric on the cheek, then patted Medjed's head.
The impulsive act made her blush. She quickly covered herself with the cloak, waved to them, and walked toward the palace gate.
"Oh, right," before leaving, she suddenly turned back and said.
"Although your view of politics and rule makes sense, I still want to say this.
In the future, I will achieve a world where no cruelty or sacrifice is needed, where all Egyptians can live well."
"Alright, Pharaoh Nitocris. I'll look forward to it." Though her ideal was naïve, Alaric encouraged her. "But before that, use tonight's killing to learn how to become ruthless."