Chapter 33: The Pharaoh and Queen's Decision
The first night of Pi-Ramesses as the new capital of Egypt was far livelier than during its initial construction.
That night, Osiris, Hathor, and even Set were praised repeatedly. To put it plainly—every deity with jurisdiction over fertility was showered with red flowers of worship by their followers. Even Hachiman Hikigaya offered rare praise to His Majesty Di Jun.
Indeed, he felt his mind was particularly sharp that evening and had spontaneously unlocked a new position. Ever since he started "planting trees," Haruno's health had improved drastically, and her "driver's experience" had grown too.
So really, going to the gym was a complete waste of youth. People often failed to realize the global importance of reforestation—tree planting was simple and effective!
However, the night didn't go smoothly for everyone.
One man—despite not being single—locked himself away in frustration, leaving behind a wife clearly in need of "planting," so much so that he failed to notice her returning home from a walk with a suspiciously different posture.
This bald man's heart was no longer filled with mere anger.
"The Hebrews…"
Pharaoh Ramesses stood on the balcony, gazing out at the newly lit city. During the day, he had seen only hope—the foundation of his grand legacy. Now, he saw only threat.
"I can't allow this to continue. Moses may not betray me, but the Hebrews certainly might." Thus Ramesses, in his own mind, decided to categorize Moses as a distinct species entirely.
As Pharaoh, he well understood that the Hebrews were fundamentally different from any other foreign group living in Egypt—even from their close cousins, the Hyksos, who had once ruled Egypt.
The key difference was religion.
Ramesses was no stranger to religion. In Egypt, divine knowledge was treated as a state secret. Gods were the source of the world's creation, and knowledge about them was the truth that sustained existence.
Even the least devout Egyptian wouldn't deny the existence of multiple gods. Ambitious men might wish to become gods—but they never questioned their existence.
Akhenaten had once tried to abolish the old gods, ruling with his so-called "One God." His failure had been inevitable.
But even Akhenaten had only been one man. He could command people's bodies, not their minds.
The Hebrews were different. As a people, they held a powerful belief that they were the chosen children of their god.
In the past, they had migrated en masse to Canaan to escape the dominion of other deities—calling it the Promised Land, gifted to them by divine covenant.
Even after years of living in Egypt, they remained fundamentally incompatible with Egyptians. They did not, and would never, worship Pharaoh as a living god.
The royal court's attempts to pacify them might bring temporary peace, but they would never truly be Pharaoh's people.
The clearest evidence: they were willing to build Pi-Ramesses for wages, but refused to fight in Pharaoh's army. To this day, no Hebrews had enlisted among Egypt's foreign troops.
Moses's recent words had made Ramesses realize: The Hebrews had become a threat to the kingdom—just like the Hittites.
Still, the Hittites were the more urgent problem.
These fierce highlanders had expanded their power toward Aleppo after destroying Mitanni. They'd even formed alliances with Ugarit and Amurru, directly threatening Egypt's control over the region.
King Muwatalli of the Hittites had moved his capital from Hattusa to Tarhuntassa, south of the Halys River. Their spears and swords were now pointed directly at Egypt's heart.
Though Pharaoh Seti I had once led successful campaigns against them, he had been forced to abandon the conquest of Kadesh. And ever since, vassal states—though officially still paying tribute to Egypt—had repeatedly revolted under Hittite instigation.
When Ramesses ascended the throne, he immediately named the Hittites his greatest enemy. He dreamt of rebuilding an empire with Egypt at its center.
Despite his short reign thus far, he had already expanded Luxor Temple, completed the Hypostyle Hall at Karnak, built his own mortuary temple and new capital, pacified the Nubians, and enlisted them into his army.
Although he maintained a surface-level non-aggression pact with the Hittites, military dispatches from fortresses along the Horus Road had steadily increased.
Northern rebellions continued to flare. He was well aware of the brewing storm.
If only Moses was Egyptian… Ramesses lamented.
For his grand ambitions, Moses's talents were far more valuable than even Moses himself understood. But now the man was shackled by the dangerous religion of his people—becoming foolish because of it.
Thankfully, Ramesses was no Zhu Yuanzhang—he wouldn't purge those who refused to serve him with bloody executions.
He still cherished the bond he shared with Moses. But from this moment onward, his tolerance for the Hebrews had vanished—only hostility remained.
Ramesses decided he needed to speak with Moses again. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to focus on confronting the Hittites.
Turning around, he found his queen had already entered the room and had been silently watching him from behind for some time.
"Nefertari…" Ramesses called her name gently, pulling her into his arms.
The details of what followed—well, Uncle Osiris up in the sky only smiled and kept silent.
In short: After a pleasant, physically and emotionally fulfilling night, the two lay panting in bed, faces still glowing with joy. Ramesses felt completely refreshed, gazing at his beautiful queen and her soft, radiant skin.
Damn, this Pharaoh feels amazing! Having a woman is the best!
"What troubles you, Ramesses? Why is your heart so uneasy?" Nefertari's gentle voice lingered in his ear, soft and sweet. Ramesses made a mental note to go for another round later.
But first, he answered her question.
"Moses argued with me today. His people have influenced him badly. Do you know, I once wanted to make him a general, to fight by my side. I knew he could do it. The others respect him. That way, the Hebrews would fight for me too."
"So, now you plan to lead your army alone?"
"Yes. Who else but me can make them bow their heads?" Ramesses sighed.
What he valued most in Moses was that he was the only one capable of commanding those foreign troops on Pharaoh's behalf.
But now? Moses had quit the game.
Nefertari's heart tightened. She pushed her soft, aching body up and rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat—it mesmerized her.
"War separates us, Ramesses. How can I find the courage to overcome that barrier?"
"Don't be afraid, Nefertari. Whatever happens in the future, our bond will remain unbreakable. But while I'm away, I need you to govern this kingdom for me."
"Maybe you'll need even stronger power to help you." Nefertari looked at him deeply, her eyes full of meaning.
"I know… But I'm not confident I can convince Him. You know it—He cannot be bound by Pharaoh's authority. At least not yet."
"Your thinking is right," Nefertari sighed. "But you mustn't give up."
I won't let you give up, she vowed silently. And I definitely won't let you walk onto that battlefield alone.