Chapter 48: From South to North
In ancient times, Egypt was divided into Upper and Lower Egypt, with Memphis—an ancient city near modern Cairo—serving as the boundary. North of Memphis was considered Lower Egypt, while the narrow valley stretching south to Aswan and the First Cataract along the Nile's banks made up Upper Egypt.
Before the New Kingdom period, Upper Egypt was the heart of ancient Egypt.
Therefore, Hikigaya decided to begin his exploration in this region.
However, on the first day, Hikigaya and the Yukinoshita sisters toured Cairo.
This ancient city straddling both sides of the Nile is now the political, economic, and commercial center of the Middle East.
Though it's now part of the Arab world, it still exudes grandeur and splendor.
After a full day of sightseeing, even Yukinoshita Yukino had a smile on her face.
After resting for a night, Hikigaya woke up early the next morning and decided to begin his exploration heading south.
He declined Hazazi's suggestion to use modern transportation and instead chose to travel as the ancient Egyptians did—by boat, using the power of the Nile's current and the wind.
As a local guide, Hazazi was highly competent.
He quickly found a traditional sail-powered boat that relied solely on manpower, wind, and the river's current, without any modern engine.
The boatman, in fact, was one of the Egyptian sorcerers Hikigaya had previously met in Chiba.
The boat looked aged but had clearly been arranged for this purpose.
Hikigaya was satisfied—this was exactly what he wanted. He intended to travel from Lower to Upper Egypt just as the ancient Egyptians had done.
With the two girls aboard, Hazazi followed closely.
If any ordinary person nearby could see clearly, they would have noticed a fox perched on Hazazi's shoulder…
The wind on the river came from the north and was quite strong.
The sorcerer-boatman raised the sail like his ancestors once did, allowing the boat to glide smoothly across the water without needing to use oars.
Historically, the wind and the current on the Nile flow in opposite directions. In ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the word for "travel" was derived from this reality: a sailboat symbol represented traveling south, while an oar-boat symbol indicated travel north.
As Hikigaya gazed out, he saw farmland on both banks of the great river.
In ancient times, however, the Nile would be in flood during this season.
The Nile has always flooded regularly, even with consistent water levels. Flood season began in July and receded around September or October.
Ancient Egyptians divided their year into three seasons based on the flood cycle, rather than the modern four.
Ancient Egyptian farmers neither prayed for rain nor worshiped land gods.
They only hoped for the annual Nile flood, which dictated all agricultural activity.
At the flood's peak, the entire country, except for major cities and villages built on natural or artificial high ground, would be submerged.
In the Delta region, the flood could even push back the sea.
This immense power is what formed the Nile Delta, which was originally part of the Mediterranean Sea.
After the waters receded, a thick layer of nutrient-rich soil was left behind in the valleys and delta. Ancient Egyptians would simply re-survey the land, scatter seeds, and stamp the soil to begin farming again.
Even someone like Hikigaya, who didn't know much about Egypt, could immediately sense the Nile's vital role.
Without it, Egypt would be nothing but a barren desert.
Feeling this deeply, Hikigaya stood at the bow of the boat in silence—or, to be more accurate, dramatically striking a cool pose. Because, really… he was just showing off.
Hikigaya's destination was Aswan. Since he was heading south, he figured he might as well start from the southernmost point.
There were good reasons to choose this location.
First, Aswan is an ancient city with many historical sites nearby.
Although some were damaged by the construction of the dam, many were either preserved or relocated.
Second, it was believed to be the Nile's source in ancient Egyptian mythology.
It was said that the gods who controlled the floodwaters began their divine work from here.
These included Hapi, the Nile god, as well as Osiris and his wife Isis—after all, the gods of Egypt often changed names and roles due to the lack of entertainment in those times.
By the time Hikigaya arrived in Aswan, it was already nighttime.
Arguably, the trip was rather quick, considering it takes over ten hours to reach Aswan from Cairo by train.
Whether this was due to Egypt's outdated railway system was unclear.
Egypt as a country isn't particularly fond of rapid change.
Since the time of ancient Egypt, the society has remained largely unaltered.
The Nile is a double-edged sword: while it provides natural irrigation and enables effortless harvests greater than any other country, it also fostered a complacent and unambitious national character.
This was a major factor behind Egypt's decline and eventual conquest by successive foreign powers.
Whether modern Egyptians share this trait is hard to say.
However, throughout his journey, Hikigaya noticed that compared to the construction-heavy chaos of his homeland prior to his time-travel, Egypt possessed a rare tranquility.
Compared to Cairo, Aswan felt like a completely different world—especially while sailing along river sections without any towns onshore, it gave the illusion of having returned to ancient times.
That illusion ended upon arrival at the Aswan port.
To be honest, Aswan left a better impression on Hikigaya than Cairo.
As a key southern city, Aswan is both a famous tourist destination and a major trade hub in southern Egypt.
From the port, the city appeared clean and orderly. Various types of boats were docked, including large tourist cruise ships.
Compared to Cairo, Aswan felt more like a capital city. At least, Hikigaya didn't immediately spot a mosque every time he looked around.
Historically, Aswan was one of the cradles of ancient Egyptian civilization, a crucial southern stronghold, and the gateway into sub-Saharan Africa.
After disembarking, Hikigaya found that the Nine Gods Society members were already waiting. He declined their services and walked into the city with the two girls by his side.
Chapter 49: Reunion with Seth
Aswan was very clean and far less noisy than Cairo.
Horse-drawn carriages waiting for tourists could be seen by the roadside, and in the streets, there were modern-style statues of the falcon god.
From the design, it was clear they depicted Horus, though they no longer held any religious meaning—merely decorative now.
Hikigaya first visited the ancient quarry by the Nile.
Perhaps because it was night, there weren't many people there.
This quarry specialized in producing a pink granite, which was said to have been quarried here in ancient Egypt and transported by water to other regions. This type of granite has been found at nearly all ancient Egyptian archaeological sites.
There were no buildings in the quarry, only barren rocks and grassy patches.
The paths once trodden by slaves who toiled to death were still preserved, now fenced with chains to prevent tourists from slipping.
There stood an obelisk from the New Kingdom period, though it was an abandoned defective piece—its top had apparently been damaged.
The obelisk was directly carved out from the rock and still lay horizontally where it was originally cut.
It remains the largest obelisk ever discovered in Egypt, measuring 41 meters long and weighing over 1,000 tons.
If erected, it would be taller than a ten-story building—an awe-inspiring feat for its time, like a miracle.
However, such ancient relics held no particular significance for Hikigaya, so he only glanced at it briefly before moving on without nostalgia.
After wandering a bit more, the Yukinoshita sisters began to tire, so Hikigaya took them to a car prepared by the Nine Gods Society and headed toward the Aswan Dam.
This dam, which drastically altered the hydrological environment of the Nile, received much praise but also bore considerable criticism.
It is divided into the Old Dam and the High Dam.
The original builders of the Old Dam had clearly underestimated the volume of the Nile, so a second, taller dam was built to protect the riverside population and farmland. The original river channel here had become a large lake.
Many ancient ruins now lay submerged beneath the lake. While some important relics—like the temple of Ramses II carved into a cliff—had been cut apart and relocated by preservation teams, many more were now lost to the waters.
Hikigaya wondered: If Osiris had descended here back then, would he have blown up this dam? Building a dam on the Nile is like putting underwear on his head...
The Egyptians sure were lucky...
After sighing dramatically to himself, Hikigaya admitted he was tired from the day's exploration.
Then he remembered something else and signaled to one of the nearby Nine Gods Society members.
The closest Egyptian magician hurried over and respectfully gave a deep bow. "What are your orders?"
"I haven't seen Seth in a long time. Help me get in touch with him. I'd like to have a meal with him."
"Huh? Lord Seth?" The magician was stunned, but Hazazi beside him quickly shot him a look, and the magician immediately responded, "Understood. We'll contact him right away."
With that, he hurried off.
Hikigaya watched him disappear into the distance, a sly smile creeping across his face. He turned to the Yukinoshita sisters, who were chatting and laughing softly nearby, and asked, "So? Not bad scenery, right?"
In his mind, though, he added: If this place exploded, the scenery would be even better!
Tch! I really want to blow it up!
Maybe I should negotiate with the Nine Gods Society—just one blast, that should be fine, right? A magician can't be stingy, after all!
"It's great. I haven't been out in a long time," Haruno said with a smile. "The air here is really fresh."
"Mm. It's very clean," Yukino also nodded with a gentle smile. She looked in good spirits.
"Now this feels like Egypt," Hikigaya chuckled.
If he remembered correctly, ancient Egyptians were known for their obsessive cleanliness even before the time of the Bible.
These guys would shave off all their body hair for the sake of hygiene... and even rub oil all over themselves.
They continued sightseeing at the dam until late, and only then began to head back.
Hikigaya walked the sisters to the car park and helped them into the vehicle.
He instructed the Nine Gods Society to escort them back.
"Huh? You're not coming back, Hachiman?" Haruno asked in surprise. Yukino also looked at him questioningly.
"You two go ahead. I've got something to take care of—Hazazi will stay with me," Hikigaya smiled, then said to the magician at the wheel, "Let me know when you arrive."
"Yes, Lord Hachiman," the magician replied.
Hikigaya nodded, exchanged a few more words with Haruno, and assured them before seeing the car off.
Once the vehicle disappeared from sight, Hikigaya signaled to Hazazi, and the two of them walked off in the opposite direction.
Soon, they left the urban area of Aswan and arrived at the open banks of the Nile.
At night, the banks of the Nile were brightly lit, even the dunes across the river shone in various hues thanks to deliberately arranged lighting.
Behind them, Aswan remained bustling, and near the docks was the Aswan market.
There, all kinds of Egyptian souvenirs dazzled the eyes.
But none of that was why Hikigaya had stayed behind, skipping dinner to stand there.
The Nine Gods Society was indeed efficient—Hikigaya didn't have to wait long for the person he was waiting for.
When he saw that familiar face, he smiled brightly.
Though the other person looked extremely reluctant.
"Long time no see, Uncle Seth."
The visitor was none other than Seth.
"It has been a long time…" Seth stood not far from Hikigaya, wearing a bitter smile.
He actually didn't want to come, but had no choice—he'd been summoned.
Seriously, how had this kid ended up slaying a god?
Back then, he had joked about it casually, but never in his heart had he actually expected this kid to pull it off.
A godslayer would command fear and respect from every magician on Earth—not because of personality or morals, but because slaying a god was the ultimate human feat.
It was something no one dared dream of or try—because trying usually meant death. But this guy had done it like it was nothing.
Freakin' terrifying.
If he'd known things would turn out like this, he would've just beaten his own brat up and dragged him home by force.
Now, not one of their side's hopefuls had survived, and the one they all thought would die... had become the most fearsome being in the world.
Worst of all, they had completely burned the bridge with this monster back then—no chance to walk it back.
Looking at the smiling boy before him, who seemed unchanged yet was no longer human, Seth felt deeply unsettled...
In the end... he really came knocking at the door.