Chapter 10 => Did I Seriously Just Go on a Quest to Snag the Eye of Horus?!

I was prepared, calmly waiting to see if the guardian was going to pull a “This isn’t even my final form!” on me.

A minute passed.

The guardian didn’t move even a single millimeter.

It just stayed frozen, looking up as if gazing to the heavens…like it was fulfilled.

More ash and sooth-like dust poured out rapidly from the deep gash I’d made across it. Parts of its body started to fracture and crumble to sand.

The whole scene was starting to feel too melodramatic. I almost felt sorry for it…

I mean, I was the one who intruded to take something away. The guardian was just doing its job.

But then I remembered what it did to my back. You know what? I take back what I said. R.I.P. bozo!

Good fight, though…

I smiled in its direction—

RUMBLE… SHAKE…

The entire space began to tremor like it was about to collapse. Was the Eye serving as the power source for this weird tomb?

It was clearly time to skedaddle.

But first, there are a few things I need to grab, I thought as I looked back at the treasury.

I had now stuffed the many pockets of the trench coat dad gave me with some “souvenirs”.

With the two blades tucked under my arm—I was definitely not abandoning swords as cool as these—I retraced my steps through the tomb.

⟪ See the Path⟫

The Eye of Horus projected a green glow, highlighting a crumbling wall I had passed earlier. I gave it a kick.

As it broke apart, it revealed a sturdy looking passage.

Really…?

⨷⨷⨷⨷⨷

I ran through the somewhat narrow halls as occasional tremors reminded me this tomb was prone to collapse at any given moment.

I sped up, climbing higher and higher along the slopes—

HISSSSSSS!

Hearing what sounded like a snake’s hiss, I slowed down and looked around. It was the cobra from before!

“How’d you end up like that?”

Its tail was pinned beneath a fairly heavy rock. I quickly hurried over to free it, before scooping it up and continuing to the exit.

Ahead, I could see a ridiculous number of stairs lined up…

“You owe me!” I told the now docile reptile as I began my ascent.

⨷⨷⨷⨷⨷

Scritch… Scritch… Scritch…

“Hey… Karim? Do you feel those tremors?” Hassan asked his partner, who paused attacking the itch on his rear to respond.

“Hmm…? Now that you mention it—!”

“OUTTA THE WAAAAAAAAAY!!!”

A boy with strange hair sprinted past the two guards at the entrance.

“H-Hassan?! What should we do? Shoot him?”

“Forget him! Look!”

The entrance began to sink into the sand rapidly, and the ground shook. The two guards dove away from the collapsing entrance.

When they turned around, something akin to a sinkhole had appeared where the entrance had been a few moments prior.

“If the higher-ups find out…” Karim wailed. “W-what do we do, Hassan?!!”

“H-How should I know?!” Hassan grit his teeth. “I’m sure of at least one thing. I’m going as far away from this country as possible!!!”

The two guards knew that if they were caught, they could kiss both their heads goodbye!

⨷⨷⨷⨷⨷

I slipped through the illusionary barrier, making a run for it across the hot sand beneath my feet. Judging from the position of the sun, I think the time was a little over 11:20AM.

Gotta hurry!

Oh no…

“Hey! You! Stop!!!”

A far away guard had spotted me. Now more guards are reacting to his commotion! I guess the collapse of the tomb put everyone on edge.

And I must be oozing suspiciousness…

I could see the driver in the car. The windows were down. His head was lowered. Was he sleeping?!

“Start the car!!!” I yelled at the top of my lungs as I ran.

He jerked upright in his seat and started swiveling his head. Start the car already!

“It’s me! I’m back!!!”

Catching on, he finally got the car started, albeit looking confused as to why I was running so frantically at him.

I flung the door open, rushing inside.

The color drained from his face as he stared at me.

Sure I was battered, bruised, and had weird hair. But there is no time to be freaking out, man!

HISSS…

“S-SNAKE…!” the driver yelped.

Looking down at my lap, I remembered the six foot long snake I’d picked up during my escape.

Oh…

“This is where we say goodbye!” I shouted, tossing it out the window, and startling the guards and the guy who’d sold me the ticket earlier.

“Now, drive!!!”

Flooring it, the tires skidded across the sand, raising a cloud of dust as the car shot straight out of Saqqara, leaving behind a confused group of pursuers…

⨷⨷⨷⨷⨷

Kazuki’s father, Haruma Amagiri, was reclined in his favorite sofa with a tense expression.

He was supposed to return a week ago…

His son, Kazuki, had gone to Egypt on a “trip”. It was intended to last only two weeks. Now, a third week had gone by.

“Maybe Kazuki eventually realized what was fundamentally wrong with his plan?” Haruma sat up with a smile. “Should I at least check up on him with the Magic Mirror…?”

He was contemplating using a relic he’d collected a long time ago to watch his son’s progress. Sinking deeper into thought, he was lightly startled when he heard the doorbell ring.

“I’m home…”

“Kazuki?! Welcome back, son!” his father rejoiced, walking up to him. “I guess you figured out your oversight partway, huh?”

Kazuki tsked, glancing to the side.

During his escape from Saqqara, he stopped to get a change of clothes, and a large sack to hold a variety of other items.

He’d told the driver to wait for him outside the hotel while he packed the rest of his things. Now that he had the Eye, there was no need to stay any longer.

And so, he came out with his sparse belongings. He double-checked to see if he’d remembered his camera—his mother’s request for pictures depended on it.

As he returned to the car, reaching for the door handle, Kazuki shouted—

“Hold up! I can’t walk into an airport with all of this!!!”

And that’s where his peril began.

But, after a tiresome search, he’d found a cargo vessel that would be heading in his direction. And that’s how he became a stowaway…

With no steady supply of electricity, his phone had died, cutting of contact with his family for the duration of his long and treacherous journey back to Japan.

“Kazuki…?” asked a girl with bubble gum pink hair, peeking curiously from a corridor. “You’re back!!!”

“Yes, Shizuka!” her brother responded theatrically. “How I’ve missed you!”

“What’s in the sack…?” She pointed hesitantly at the oddly stuffed sack.

“Oh, this? It’s the souvenir I promised!” He rummaged through its contents, pulling out a piece of jewelry.

A wesekh collar.

Shizuka’s amber eyes sparkled. “Wow! I love it!”

As the words left her mouth, the colar vanished from Kazuki’s hand, and she dashed to her room to try it on. She really loved jewelry.

“Souvenirs? Right.” His father quipped sarcastically. Inside the sack, he caught glimpses of gold ingots, precious stones and a ton of other valuables of Egyptian origin.

No wonder he couldn’t take a plane.

Hamura now took a good look at his son, wearing the trench coat he’d gifted him, with his amber eyes sharp and messy turquoise hair. A genuinely warm smile spread across his face.

“Finally given in to your heritage, eh son?!”

“I wouldn’t say that…”

“Tch. You tsundere.”

“……”

“Alrighty! Show me the Eye! I want to see it!” his father demanded like a spoilt child, reaching into his son’s collar. “Amazing…”

In his hand, he held the relic that Kazuki had gone all the way to a different continent to retrieve. Then unsurprisingly, he asked, “Can I have it?”

“I think I’ll keep it.”

“Aww…” His father’s cowlick drooped. Seriously, was he a puppy or something? “Fine, then. Silly me. I almost forgot to tell you. Your mother’s returning in a few days as well. I bet she’d want to hear all about your travels.”

Kazuki chuckled, “Yeah, no doubt about it…”

Hamura didn’t ask for further details, only watching as his son strolled to the balcony, sliding the glass door open…

⨷⨷⨷⨷⨷

There’s no denying that it was a lot more fun than expected… I thought, twiddling the Eye of Horus in my fingers as it dangled from my neck.

The evening breeze softly rustled my hair while I looked out over the landscape below. The events from the past weeks replayed over and over in my mind.

The more I reminisced, the more I could see just how strange everything was, until I couldn’t help but scream, “Did I Seriously Just Go on a Quest to Snag the Eye of Horus?!”

Yes. Yes I did.

I chuckled beside myself.

This family I was born into, and the life it entails…

It’s definitely full of surprises—

“Kazuki, your phone’s ringing!”

Shizuka called out to me from inside.

“Coming!” I responded, heading indoors.

I’d put my phone to get a good charge a while ago. Just who’s…calling…?

I spotted the caller ID, rubbing the back of my head before picking it up. “She” was calling…

“Umm… Hey, Kazuki, long time no see…”

“Y-yeah…it’s been a year, hasn’t it, Yorumi…?”