A bartender somewhere in Thebos

“Another one, ol’ chshap!” said the tourist from the Republic.

“No. You’ve had too much to drink.” I said, ignoring her to focus on cleaning my tankards.

“Ehhhhh…?!” she whined.

“I can han- *hick* handle more, comeonnn.”

“You can barely stand on your feet, girl. Go to your inn and rest, you need it.”

Before the swaying young woman could pester me further, the door to the in swung open, and another young woman who looked like the spitting image of the first entered.

“I’ve finally found you, Atria. Do you have any idea how much time I spent looking for you?” The young woman said.

The drunk customer, presumably Atria, gave her a slurred response.

“Shilia, sinsch when did you become *hic* my mom?”

‘Shilia’ sighed.

“Since ours died, you hopeless drunk. Come on, put your arm around my shoulder and stop bothering the barkeep.”

The drunk woman could barely see where she was walking, only managing to not trip over her feet thanks to her sister holding her up. Moments before they made it to the door, however, the drunk woman hurled her stomach’s content on my floors.

“That shucked.” She said, burping loudly just after she faced away from her sister’s face.

The sober sister sighed before looking back towards me.

“I apologise for my sister’s behaviour. I am also willing to compensate you for the cleaning fees if you require it.” She said apologetically.

I waved her off.

“Show me a bartender who didn’t mop up bile, and I’ll show you a charlatan.” I snorted, heading for the back where the bucket and mop were.

The woman bowed her head then made for the exit to my otherwise empty bar. But just before they closed the door behind them, a blinding yellow light emerged from the sky, seeping through the door and the windows alike.

Everyone on the street, including the twin sisters, stared into the sky, where a voice boomed throughout the entire city. Putting down my bucket, I quickly sidestepped the mess the customer had left before stepping out of the bar to see what was going on.

When I set my eyes to the source of the light, my eyes widened.

“…Pharaoh Hatshepsut?”

To be more specific, a giant projection of the Pharaoh stood in the heavens, towering above the clouds themselves. Even those outside of the city’s walls will be able to lay eyes on the Pharaoh’s majesty.

“Pious citizens of the Theocracy, I am your Pharaoh, Hatshepsut, the Petty God of Prosperity.” She said.

“For the last fifty years, I have had the honor of leading this nation to greater stability and prosperity than it has ever known. With your aid, my loyal subjects, and the aid of our beloved gods, we have enjoyed a peace and tranquility seldom witnessed in our long history.”

Her brow furrowed, and an expression regret showed through her face.

“Unfortunately, however, all things must come to an end. Sooner or later, the tides of change were going to arrive on our shores, and we would be foolish not to adapt. The direction I stirred our nation towards in the past decades may not continue functioning in the future, and for that reason, I have decided to abdicate the throne and relinquish my position as your Pharaoh.”

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The streets erupted with pleas for the Pharaoh to reconsider.

“Pharaoh Hatshepsut, please don’t go!” a young woman screamed.

“We want no other Pharaoh than you, Lady Hatshepsut!” An old man said at the top of his voice.

“The Pharaoh has spoken, you fools! Do not disrespect her by challenging her will!” A man yelled at those near him.

While the streets were filled with utter pandemonium, one thing was clear: the Tameryians loved their Pharaoh.

“I have conferred with the gods and the souls of the pharaohs of old and have come to a decision on my successor. When the end of the week comes, your new Pharaoh, Lady Kleopatra Ptoh-Lemy, will be crowned Pharaoh at the heart of the Thebos throne. I am confident that in the years to come, her capable hands at the helm of this nation will guide it to greatness. Tameryians, my dear subjects, I offer you my sincerest thanks for serving your nation under my authority with the utmost loyalty and zeal, and I hope you continue to extend this fealty to your new Pharaoh. For now, that is all.”

The projection vanished into thin air, leaving the people in a flurry of wild emotions.

“Looks like weekend night has come early today.” I shook my head as I turned back to clean up my tavern.

If I am lucky enough, I just might get through the unending stream of weeping and grief-stricken celebrations without a destroyed establishment and a heavy weight in my pockets.

“Change of plans, Atria. We’re going to the palace.” The sober sister said quietly, though I barely managed to catch it.

I raised an eyebrow as I re-entered my tavern but did nothing more. Whatever those girls were, diplomats, exiles, or nobility, what they had to do with the Pharaoh’s court had nothing to do with me.

***

“…Her Grace, the Pharaoh is stepping down?” Asten said.

The normally reserved Captain of the Suns showed surprise and the vaguest hint of emotion at the latest piece of news we got. Major Amset nodded.

“That is correct. Pharaoh Hatshepsut has come to that decision, and she has also assured us that the new Pharaoh is aware of our current situation and has no intention of abandoning us.”

“I need some time to think on this.” He said, quickly turning around and heading for his room.

“Is something wrong? Why’s this piece of news shaking him up like that?” I asked.

Instead of the Major, it was Nico who answered me.

“The abdicating Pharaoh is Lady Hatshepsut. Remember what Lord Asten’s last name was?” she said.

“So, he’s upset the Pharaoh – his mother – is stepping down from her post? But why? He didn’t strike me as the sort to use the position’s authority for personal gain. If anything, it should be relief, no?” Durreg asked.

A slightly awkward silence filled the room, presumably because questioning the Pharaoh isn’t usually a thing in Tamery – at least if public opinion of Tamery held any truth to it.

“It’s not that the Pharaoh is stepping out in and of itself,” Asty said, “but what happens after that. The Theocracy of Tamery considers the experiences of its rulers to be a valuable resource, so each Pharaoh is required to abdicate some time before their deaths. They are to be sealed in the underworld within a dimension of nearly stopped time, so as to preserve their ability to offer council to the nation until the dusk of our nation.”

‘Ah.’

Asten is in a different country, where we are currently confined, yet what little time he has to spend with his mother is being squandered. What would I do in his place, were something similar to happen to Mother?

“That’s rough. No two ways about it.” Durreg said, wincing a little.

At that moment, a knock on our door grabbed everyone’s attention.

“Honored guests from Tamery! I bring you your tournament rewards!” a feminine voice beyond the door said.

“Already? How fast does that Smith work?!” Asty gaped.

“Fast enough, apparently. More importantly,” I said with a wide grin, “10,000 platinum shekels! I can only imagine Jezibel’s jealousy right now.” I snickered.

The Major clapped her hands twice to grab our attention.

“Alright, contestants, to your rooms. I will have your rewards delivered to you, so I need you to go and rest. I want you fully energized for what’s to come.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” we saluted and went for the stairs.

***

“Hmm…” I said, holding out the necklace I got from Vulcan.

It was a beautiful thing made of a silver-colored, beautiful metal, with a large, gorgeous sapphire right in the heart of it. A variety of other gemstones, such as diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, covered the body of the necklace.

When I gently pressed the sapphire in the center, the necklace turned into a locket, with a dark, empty ‘canvas’ waiting to be filled. In my free hand was the rank C enchanted arcane mana stone. One squeeze, and the core will shatter, allowing its enchantments to engrave my thoughts and feelings into the canvas. The smith also provided a gorgeous, custom-made box made from treated wood and silky fabric to present the necklace with.

All in all, the smith did not disappoint.

While I checked out the necklace, Nico was fiddling with the armor she ordered for her brother. Despite looking like it was made up entirely of copper, the exceedingly simple and unornamented armor was incredibly lightweight, which explained how a piece of metal gear fell to the ground even slower than a dropped feather. The armor was strong, yet flexible, light, yet, durable. And best of all, the piece was unenchanted, so Ozier could add on whatever he liked.

“You know, maybe we should offer this person a job opportunity in Tamery…” Nico chuckled.