Miss Hebe is Slaughtering Her Way Out of the Lostbelt!

"Reward: None."

Hebe smiled.

No reward was not a problem for Hebe. What mattered was that she had learned certain information from it.

"Calamity of the Nine Pillars..."

The girl savored the term, the corners of her lips curving faintly upward. Her dark green eyes grew brighter, and a dangerous yet captivating charm radiated from her.

If Osiris has already become synonymous with natural disasters, then considering the name of this achievement, can I make a bold guess—

That the Ennead of Heliopolis has been completely vilified?

Heliopolis was second only to Memphis and Thebes in importance in ancient Egypt. It was the center of sun worship in ancient Egypt and the origin of the Ennead creation myth.

"The Lostbelt's description stated that Ramesses II committed forbidden acts in order to resist the natural disasters and preserve his royal authority."

"Whether the Ennead became natural disasters and slaughtered the people of Egypt, or Ramesses II deliberately labeled the Ennead as natural disasters... either way, that should count as forbidden, right?"

"Then I have a goal for my next exploration."

The Lostbelt offered no designated targets, much less any so-called main quest. Hebe had to discover everything herself.

Of course, she did not dislike that feeling.

Reinvigorated, the girl reopened the dark green desktop.

Projection entered the Lostbelt.

The azure sky met the boundless dunes, as well as the scattered fertile oases. The surging Nile River rushed northward, while the pyramids silently watched over everything in Memphis.

Following the gradually rising terrain, magnificent white walls divided the inner and outer cities. Yet a broad, milky-white stairway extended from Memphis's inner city like a tongue it had thrust out.

Hebe followed the Eagle-feathered Warrior, silently passing through the city gate several men tall.

"Bang!"

The gate guards worked together to shut the heavy doors, and the sound "awakened" Hebe.

Hebe studied the surrounding buildings, her gaze eventually settling on the magnificent palace in the distance, where obelisks stood tall.

The Eagle-feathered Warrior turned back. "What are you standing around for? Hurry up and follow me!"

Hebe stopped lingering and quickly caught up with him, remaining half a step behind.

As he walked, the Eagle-feathered Warrior spoke.

"That is the Temple of Thoth, the school where you will learn all kinds of knowledge in the future. Originally, you would not have been qualified to enter it, but the Red King is merciful. He established all the rules and laws, so those with merit may rise, while those with crimes must be punished."

"You brought valuable intelligence to the royal army and saved seventeen villages south of Memphis. That merit is enough to allow you to learn the knowledge necessary to become a scribe or a priest."

"If you have descendants in the future, they will benefit from it as well. Perhaps after two or three generations, they may become Temu-tiger Nobles and fight across the land for the Red King..."

Almost everything the Eagle-feathered Warrior revealed was common knowledge at present.

Hebe listened carefully and firmly committed it all to memory.

The Eagle-feathered Warrior was quite pleased with Hebe.

A child so young should have been at an age full of curiosity about everything, yet she maintained a precious silence. She merely listened, keeping her questions buried in her heart.

"Child, remember how you are behaving right now." The Eagle-feathered Warrior suddenly lowered his voice. "Silence is the wisdom that allows us to survive; remembrance is the virtue that allows us to endure. Make good use of these two methods, and you will go farther and last longer."

"Thank you for your guidance." Hebe lowered her voice as well.

The Eagle-feathered Warrior waved a hand and said nothing more, until he led Hebe to the grand gates of the Temple of Thoth.

The Temple of Thoth lay in the depths of the inner city. On either side stood scripture halls where papyrus scrolls and clay tablets were stored, while the classrooms used for teaching occupied the center. The great hall housing the statues of the gods lay farther behind.

The classrooms had three main gates and two side entrances.

The main gates were tightly shut, while both side entrances stood open. The scent of incense drifted out from within, thick and sweet.

Hebe did not particularly like the smell, but she showed nothing.

The Eagle-feathered Warrior, however, immediately frowned and halted before the entrance.

A middle-aged priest in a cylindrical cap emerged from one of the side entrances. His gaze was sharp and burning, like blades.

The priest first nodded to the Eagle-feathered Warrior. "Sekhenkhet, you came at just the right time. I was looking for you."

Sekhenkhet raised a hand and waved it. "Never mind that for now—this child brought us valuable intelligence. By His Majesty's decree, she should enter the Temple of Thoth to study."

At that, the priest swept Hebe's face with a piercing gaze.

"Reasonable," the priest said sparingly.

Sekhenkhet turned to Hebe. "Child, go to the classrooms ahead on your own."

Hebe wanted to learn more, but there was no opportunity to do so. She simply nodded in acknowledgment and walked through the side entrance into the temple, where the incense was thickest.

Yet once she crossed the doorway, the fragrance abruptly became light and tranquil.

Several junior priests dressed in pristine white tubular robes were sorting papyrus scrolls and clay tablet books on the shelves.

Just as she was about to find a priest at random and ask about studying, a girl draped in a teal-blue outer robe approached from behind.

Her eyes were remarkably unusual—one blue, the other gold. Anyone who saw them would never forget them.

"Please, follow me." The heterochromatic girl smiled at Hebe and gestured for her to follow.

As the girl turned around, the gold ornament on her forehead swayed slightly.

Without a word, Hebe followed her through a passage behind the bookshelf on the left and entered a fairly small room.

An old man wearing a vermilion feathered crown sat in the middle of the room. His face was deeply lined, and he was quite short, yet his gaze was as sharp as that of the middle-aged priest from before.

The heterochromatic girl bowed slightly to the old man. "Master, I've brought her."

"Excellent, Curtis." The old man nodded slowly. "Wait outside for now."

Curtis smiled at Hebe before leaving the room.

"Sit." There was an unquestionable authority in the old man's voice.

Ah, that familiar feeling of the Authority Path.

Hebe sat cross-legged before him.

"Do you have a name?" The old man lifted his eyelids. "It seems you do not."

Hebe hesitated, as if she wanted to speak but held herself back.

The old man rose and took a stone disk the size of a washbasin from the cabinet behind him.

With some effort, he set the disk down on the carpet, then placed a smooth stone in Hebe's hand.

Hebe looked over it. The disk was divided into nine different positions, each painted with the image of an animal—a giant crocodile, a ram, a lion, and more.

"Place the stone sphere in your hand into the groove at the center of this astrolabe. Remember: do not think of anything. Do not entertain any stray thoughts," the old man said.

Hebe immediately placed the stone ball into the groove.

The ball rolled with a rumble and began spinning along the astrolabe's tracks, moving from the inner ring to the outer ring faster and faster.

Thud.

The stone ball dropped into the slot painted with a jackal's head.

"Ah, just as expected." The old man picked up a stylus and swiftly wrote several words on a clay tablet. "Then you shall be called 'Hermanmhat.'"

In ancient Egyptian culture, "mhat" meant "a certain god is before you."

Thus, the name Hermanmhat meant "the god Herman is before you," or "one guided by the god Herman."

"You are one who walks the road of silence. No wonder the astrolabe showed the aspect of Hermanubis." The old man spoke calmly. "Hermanubis governs the paths of reticence, silence, stillness, and remembrance. Among the Nine Sages, his title is Wisest of the Wise."

"For the next three years, every dusk, face northwest and silently praise the name of Hermanubis in your heart."

"For the next five years, you must bathe and change your clothes every day without fail. Every seven days, bury yourself in the sand for one night."

"For the next seven years, during every season, you must remain silent for twelve days. On at least one of those twelve days, you must not eat, though you may drink water."

"By doing so, after seven years, you will be able to master at least one secret rite of the Hermanubis School."

The old man placed the clay tablet on the nearest shelf. "You are neither a descendant of the temple nor the child of a noble. The glory in one's bloodline is naturally beyond your reach, and no priest would be willing to become your mentor."

"But precisely because of that, you may attend any public lesson offered by the Temple of Thoth, without being restricted to any single school. This is an ancient precept of the King of Ibis, and a right promised by His Majesty the Red King."

After saying this, the old man raised his eyes and stared at Hebe. "After hearing all that, do you have no questions?"

"I do," Hebe said. "But you did not permit me to ask."

Regarding the Schools

The old man's deeply wrinkled face broke into a smile, and he burst into laughter.

"It seems you truly are a born Hermanmhat—you can even restrain your curiosity!" The old man's smile faded. "However, the King of Ibis permits neither unanswered doubts nor the void of ignorance. This is his ancient teaching to us."

"Choose the question you most wish to know the answer to, and ask it now."

"Then I shall ask."

Hebe dipped her head slightly and voiced her doubt.

"I already know that I will be a student of the Hermanubis School, and you mentioned the Nine Sages just now. Does that mean there are nine schools here?"

The old man shook his head. "This is a question every new student asks. Unfortunately, there are still vacant seats among the Nine Sages, and there are nowhere near as many as nine schools."

"Other than His Majesty the Red King Ozymandias, who has long occupied the foremost seat among the Nine Sages—the seat of Amun-Ra—two of the Three Kings' seats are currently vacant.

"The Form of All Forms, Krum, King of Rams, often issues decrees on behalf of His Majesty the Red King. He is also the Red King's hand in the secular world.

"The Ram School teaches arts concerning destruction, shaping, and recreation. By His Majesty the Red King's designation, these arts are collectively called the methods of 'Forging.'

"The Commander of Commanders, Sobek, King of Crocodiles, and the Scribe of Scribes, Thoth, King of Ibis—both of their seats have remained vacant for a hundred years.

"The Crocodile School teaches arts concerning war, strife, and battle—the arts of the 'Blade.'

"The Ibis School, which is us, teaches knowledge concerning illumination, purification, and ascent. It is also called the knowledge of the 'Lamp.'

"After the Three Kings comes Saint Bennu. She is the King's heart and soul, the embodiment that guides us ever closer to the King's domain.

"Saint Bennu's seat has been vacant for twenty years. The Curtis you saw just now is the person most likely to become the Bennu of this age. I am proud of her.

"The Phoenix School teaches the essential principles of the sky, flight, and protection—the secret teachings of the 'Wing.'

Next was Saint Hermanubis. They studied the secret rites of silence, withering death, and guiding souls across, sages who brought people a peaceful end. Naturally, these arts were collectively known as the learning of "Winter."

However, the seat of Hermanubis changed hands with extreme rapidity, passing through no fewer than three terms in ten years. That did not align with the principles of what they studied at all.

Then came Saint Shesefenhet. She was a sphinx, the will of the king.

The Lion School taught the arts of desire, seduction, sacrifice, and power. It seemed somewhat similar to the Crocodile School, but was in fact entirely different. These arts were called the "Cup."

The old man spoke at length, then drew a harsh breath.

"There is one final seat: Saint Apep, or rather, Apep—the Serpent School. They specialize in the arts of poisons, openings, closing gates, and countless passages. These arts are known as the secret teachings of 'Opening.'

"People of the Apophis School have always been so unconventional, and rather arrogant. They even tend to think their arts surpass those of the other schools... But it must be admitted that their knowledge is indeed exceptional. The roads connecting all places were designed by members of the Apophis School."

The old man watched with satisfaction as Hebe sank into stunned contemplation.

Only after a long while did Hebe manage to raise her head.

"Then what is the name of the final one among the Nine Sages?"

"I already told you the answer to that question just now." The old man waved a hand, seemingly having lost interest. "His Majesty the Red King has not yet announced the name of the final Sage of the Nine, so we neither know it nor can establish a new school... All right, there is still some time. Go with Curtis and have a look around the academy."

Hebe silently rose to her feet, bowed to the old man, and then left the not-so-large room.

Curtis, with a lapis lazuli pendant hanging from her chest, walked over and gestured for Hebe to follow her.

After leaving the room, they toured the public areas of the Temple of Thoth. Curtis thoughtfully pointed out the teaching areas to Hebe, as well as the places that were truly forbidden and off-limits to students.

As night gradually deepened, Hebe was brought to a single side room. This would be her residence for the next seven years.

Only once there was truly no one around did Hebe let out a long sigh.

Anyone with no knowledge of ancient Egyptian culture would naturally have no idea just how severe the deviation in this Lostbelt was.

But Hebe happened to know a little about ancient Egypt, and that left her under immense pressure.