Chapter 250: Entering the Pyramid
Noon. The scorching sun shone upon the surging river water, illuminating it. That light, combined with the golden pyramid not far away, cast a golden hue over everything around it.
A group stood before the pyramid, most wearing nervous expressions. The accompanying Aurors in particular were practically trembling with tension, their legs even quivering slightly.
After all, standing beside them was the terrifying figure currently lost in thought. Now they had to enter this pyramid, rumored to contain countless monsters. No one could remain relaxed.
However, Evans, standing at the front, showed no nervousness on his face. He only lowered his head, his mind constantly reflecting on the parchment he'd seen in the Gringotts archives.
Yesterday, they'd searched through the archives' materials until late at night, but even when the goblins came to chase them out, they'd found no clues besides that parchment. However, through Bill's tireless efforts, they'd managed to restore some of the text preceding those blood-red words.
Although the restored text wasn't extensive, the general understanding suggested it spoke of the Dark Wizard King's remaining believers entering his kingdom and becoming his eternal subjects. According to the materials left in Gringotts, this fragmented parchment had been excavated near some ancient ruins downstream on the Nile River. Although the ruin was somewhat distant from the pyramid, one couldn't rule out the possibility that the river had carried it from its original location.
After all, when the Nile flooded, it covered far greater areas than in normal circumstances. If the person who wrote this parchment hadn't preserved it well, the river carrying it away was quite probable.
Bill had previously described monsters existing inside the pyramid—creatures composed of desiccated flesh and bone, appearing bizarrely grotesque. Combined with the term "eternal subjects," Evans had begun forming hypotheses about those monsters' identities. Perhaps they were originally human, transformed into those deathless monsters by some magical effect.
Moreover, the phrase "His kingdom was established in the void" could correspond with this pyramid's sudden appearance. Perhaps the pyramid had truly been stored within some spatial magic previously, only manifesting when certain conditions were met.
But why hadn't this pyramid appeared in so many years, only to suddenly manifest not long after those Hunting Association remnants arrived here? Did they know something? Yet when he'd eliminated their organization years ago, he'd found no corresponding intelligence, nor any items related to any Dark Wizard King.
Two months ago, when he'd interrogated a young member of the Hunting Association, he'd found no relevant clues in their memories either. Was it a single member's hidden secret, or did they simply not know what was here—merely stumbling upon this place by chance?
Evans shook his head and stopped contemplating matters that wouldn't yield immediate answers. Instead, he refocused his thoughts on the pyramid before him.
This morning, they'd explored the village where they'd learned the name "Dark Wizard King." The village population was small, with most able-bodied adults working elsewhere, leaving the elderly, women, and children as the primary residents. They'd questioned several elderly villagers with seemingly extensive knowledge about the Dark Wizard King, but learned only that this was an ancestral custom.
According to them, their ancestors had been sinners who betrayed the Dark Wizard King. After repenting, they established a settlement here, guarding it from generation to generation. However, by their current generation, they'd lost all concept of who this supposed Dark Wizard King actually was. Yet the custom persisted. Once monthly, they'd gather at the plaza for prayer. Bill had simply happened upon their prayer day the previous day.
Though calling it a prayer was somewhat misleading. It essentially involved chanting the Dark Wizard King's name for several minutes, then chatting about how their month had been.
This intelligence further confirmed the connection between that parchment and the pyramid. The so-called "eternal subjects" likely referred to those monsters inside the pyramid. However, the information available outside was probably all they could obtain. Learning more required venturing back into the pyramid to search for additional clues.
This was their reason for returning.
Evans took a deep breath. Bill recalled the terrifying experience from their previous attempt to enter the pyramid. After carefully reviewing every detail, he spoke in a serious tone.
"Let's check our supplies once more. This time, we might need to venture deeper than before."
"Yes."
"Understood."
"Yes!"
Those nearby responded accordingly, the Aurors in particular being loud. However, Evans didn't join in the checking. His pockets contained far more supplies than anyone else present.
His mind remained occupied with something else. Beyond those intelligence reports, there was another matter troubling him.
Bill's investigation into the blood-red text hadn't been particularly thorough. For instance, regarding the final line, to their eyes it was simply a desperate believer's ordinary prayer or wish—what faithful follower wouldn't believe their master would return?
But to Evans, having seen that pale silver mark above the pyramid's entrance, he felt there might be deeper meaning to those words.
After all, certain information was known only to him. Information he couldn't easily discuss with Bill and the others.
"He shall return..." Evans quietly repeated these words. His thoughts drifted to months earlier, when Hogwarts had just begun that school year. Hermione had accidentally discovered the Hufflepuff legacy during his Magical Creatures Club examination.
He retained vivid memories of that place, particularly because Hufflepuff's riddle had likely been specifically left for him. And that riddle's ending contained similarly phrased words.
"Beware, beware, she may return at any moment."
Originally, these were merely two seemingly similar statements. However, the appearance of that mark compelled him to consider whether these two phrases shared a special connection.
Perhaps the so-called Dark Wizard King and the "she" Hufflepuff mentioned were actually the same entity?
As his thoughts wandered, those around him finished their preparations. One by one, they drew their wands and looked at Evans, who stood nearest the pyramid.
The magical creatures stationed at the entrance also turned their attention toward him.
They'd agreed earlier. Three Sphinxes would continue guarding the entrance, while the remaining magical creatures who'd entered the pyramid before would accompany him for another exploration.
Evans raised his head and buried all thoughts deep within. He adjusted his state of mind and spoke in a soft voice.
"Let's go."
Hopefully, all these questions will find answers within this pyramid.