Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 356, Section 355: Fragments of Ra's Eye
The Nile River, like a green ribbon, meanders through the golden desert, nourishing the fertile black soil on its banks. On this divinely bestowed land stands Memphis, the most magnificent jewel of ancient Egypt.

Memphis was the capital of ancient Egypt, located in the southern Nile Delta, at the border of Upper and Lower Egypt, near the village of Mit-Rahina. Its name originates from the pyramid named Mennefer built by Pepi I of the Sixth Dynasty; the Greeks mistakenly called it Memphis, and this name was subsequently adopted.

This is a city with a history spanning over 4700 years. Memphis boasts the famous Step Pyramid, the first pyramid built in ancient Egypt, as well as a massive granite statue of Ramses II and other ancient ruins. This demonstrates just how prosperous this city was in ancient times.

"Indeed, the chief god Ra chose a temple that occupies the most prosperous city."

Ian, transformed into a raven, surveyed the magnificent city from high above. He had traversed countless timelines, yet Memphis's prosperity still awed him. As the first capital of unified Upper and Lower Egypt, Memphis, with its unparalleled prosperity and grandeur, showcased the pinnacle of this ancient civilization to the world.

As the first rays of sunlight pierced the mist over the Nile, Ian, transformed into a raven, was already circling above Memphis. This oldest capital of ancient Egypt, bathed in the morning sun, resembled a piece of gold inlaid on the verdant riverbank. From above, the entire city displayed a perfect geometric layout.

"Fresh camel milk~"

"Oh, soldier, I'm going into town to sell some crops."

"I also went into town to buy some seeds to take back with me."

“I’m different. I’m coming to the city for medical treatment because there are the best doctors here.”

The city was surrounded by tall mud-brick walls, and people came and went at the city gates. Soldiers, clad in linen armor and carrying spears, watched the merchants coming and going with eagle-like eyes. Neat rows of houses lined both sides of the streets, their roofs covered with palm leaves and their walls painted with hieroglyphs and images of deities.

The air was filled with the aromas of spices, roasted meat, and Nile fish, mingled with the sounds of incense burning and prayers from distant temples. This was the heart of the Pharaoh's rule, a place where gods and mortals met, and a bustling metropolis where countless caravans, artisans, priests, and scholars gathered. It was one of the oldest cities on Earth.

On the docks, merchant ships from all over the Mediterranean were unloading their cargo. Cretan pottery, Lebanese cedar, Nubian gold—various rare goods were being skillfully unloaded by the dockworkers. Merchants haggled over prices in broken Egyptian, a mix of several languages, while copper coins and silver rings gleamed in the sunlight.

In the aristocratic district of the northern part of the city, magnificent villas are nestled among palm and pomegranate trees. Painted walls depict scenes of the masters hunting and feasting, displaying their wealth and status. Slaves are busy lighting oil lamps in the courtyard, making the most thorough preparations for the day to come.

In the city's working-class districts, wisps of smoke rose from the rooftops of simple mud-brick houses. Women sat around communal ovens, baking bread for dinner and chatting about the day's events. Children chased and played in the narrow alleyways, oblivious to the dust that stained their simple linen skirts.

This is Memphis in the 14th century BC—an ancient city brimming with life, faith, and desire. Here, gods and men coexisted, and luxury and poverty were neighbors.

Of course, these are not the most eye-catching things in the temple.

It was not Ian's destination either.

Gods are always the main theme of ancient fantasy worlds. In a world with gods, their status is always more transcendent than that of royalty, so temples are naturally more extravagant than palaces.

"The temple of the chief god Ra is over there."

Ian's gaze fell upon the most striking building in the city.

Towering obelisks pierce the sky. In the heart of the city, the Temple of Ra stands majestically. Intricate hieroglyphs and images of deities are carved into the massive stone pillars, recounting the myth of creation. In the plaza before the temple, priests, clad in white linen robes and holding incense burners, conduct their evening rituals.

Wisps of smoke rose and intertwined with the rising sun over Yang Guang, adding a touch of mystery to the scene. Many pyramids can also be seen near this city.

The origins of the pyramids can indeed be traced back to the present day, and even further back—before the Third Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, whether it was royalty, ministers, or ordinary people, they would be buried in a rectangular tomb made of mud bricks, which the ancient Egyptians called a "mastaba".

Later, a wise young man named Imhotep invented a new method of construction when designing a tomb for Pharaoh Djoser.

He transported square stones from the mountains to replace mud bricks and continuously revised the design of the tomb, eventually building a six-tiered trapezoidal square pyramid—the prototype of the pyramids we see today. Not all pyramids are very large; some are much smaller.

“I need to find out a bit about the situation here.” Ian landed silently in a narrow alley, a backstreet forgotten by the sun, the cobblestones covered in dust, and pottery jars and firewood piled up in the corners. He quickly reverted to human form, straightened his robes, and pulled his cloak up to conceal his modern wizarding aura.

Accompanied by the use of transfiguration.

At this moment, Ian was dressed in a modified Egyptian-style linen robe, indistinguishable from the locals. Only his green eyes, gleaming with intelligence, revealed his extraordinary identity.

"Ancient clothes were not breathable, but they had a unique charm."

Ian took a deep breath and smiled slightly.

"Speaking of flavor, you need to be well-fed and watered to have the energy to work..."

He murmured quietly.

“It’s time to try some ancient Egyptian cuisine.” In ancient times, he would always choose to go into a tavern whenever there was one. That’s why Ian, who hadn’t eaten in a long time, was going to treat himself.

He straightened his clothes, making sure his wand was safely concealed in a special pocket in his sleeve, and then calmly walked toward the tavern's main entrance.

This tavern is located on the corner of a main street, with a string of bronze wind chimes hanging at the entrance that make a crisp sound when the wind blows through them.

Several simply dressed artisans and merchants stood at the entrance, chatting and laughing, holding ceramic wine cups. Ian pushed open the door and entered; the tavern was much more spacious inside than it appeared from the outside. Low wooden tables and chairs were arranged around the central open kitchen, and various hunting tools and river fish specimens hung on the walls.

This was definitely much cleaner than many takeout shops in later generations.

Compared to the outside, the interior of the tavern was slightly dimly lit, with a few oil lamps hanging from the beams, casting swaying shadows, and the air was filled with the aroma of beer and barbecue.

Most of the tables were already full of people—merchants, artisans, a few fellows who looked like low-ranking officials, and a few heavily made-up dancers joking with guests in some seats.

This profession truly deserves to be called one of the oldest in human history—ironically, the walls are painted with murals of the sun god Ra, and a small statue of Thoth is enshrined on the altar.

"As long as you pay, you can do whatever you want right under God's nose, right? That's true, and reasonable." Ian ignored the women who were trying to seduce him and make money off him.

His nose twitched.

In the incense burner, some cheap spices were burning. Walking towards the bar, Ian saw a scribe in robes, weathered caravan travelers, and several priests conversing in hushed tones. In a corner, a bard was strumming a harp, singing ancient songs about pharaohs and war.

"Although there's no MSG or chicken essence in this era, hunger is the best seasoning," Ian muttered to himself, rubbing his empty stomach.

Since arriving in this era via the time-tamper, he hasn't had a proper meal. Ancient Egyptian cuisine is described in the history of magic textbooks in a way that makes one's mouth water.

Now I finally have the chance to experience it firsthand.

"Hello, I'd like to get something to eat."

Ian chose a corner seat near the kitchen but where he could hear the conversation in the hall. A voluptuous waitress immediately came over and gave the unfamiliar guest an appraising look.

“Welcome to the Eye of the Nile, sir. What would you like?” Her voice was husky yet melodious, her fingers casually fiddling with the amulet around her neck.

In a city like this, working in the service industry always requires a certain level of observation skills. If you lack those skills, you'll need external tools to help you identify customers. Like this woman's lucky charm, which is now burning hot.

This means that the guest is someone you can't afford to offend.

Ian answered in fluent ancient Egyptian.

“Please give me your best stew, some fresh bread, and a jug of palm wine. If you have any special roast meat, please have some as well.” He deliberately added a Theban accent to explain the subtle differences in his appearance from the locals. However, it didn’t really make much sense.

"Do you need anything else?"

The waitress knew she only needed to focus on his needs and wasn't overly curious about anything else. Ian glanced at the menu and ordered a "kushkush," an ancient Egyptian dessert made from wheat, honey, and nuts. Finally, he also ordered a plate of grilled fish and some other items that appeared to be nuts.

The people next door are eating, and they seem to be enjoying their meal.

This is what happens when a hungry little wizard wants to eat everything he sees. Anyway, they're all ancient delicacies that he'll never be able to eat again once he returns to the future.

It's not a waste, because Ian was able to finish it all.

"Okay, please wait a moment." The waitress nodded and turned to leave. Ian's gaze swept across the tavern's patrons, his ears catching snippets of conversation.

Two men who looked like merchants were arguing heatedly about taxes on the Nubian gold mines. A group of craftsmen were complaining about the excessive overtime work on the temple project, but after being glared at by the priests, they dared not discuss such a sensitive topic. In a corner, a one-eyed veteran was recounting his harrowing experiences fighting the Hittites to a few young men.

The food arrived quickly. The main course was a fragrant stew of lamb, with lentils, onions, and a generous amount of spices Ian couldn't name—the bread was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, still warm from the oven. There was also palm wine, sweeter than I expected, but with a strong aftertaste.

Who says there was no delicious food in ancient times?

All.

Therefore, the claim that one could dominate ancient times simply by using chicken essence and MSG is unfounded.

"Coo coo coo~"

Ian continued gathering intelligence while enjoying his meal. Just then, the conversation of three young men dressed as priests at the next table caught his attention.

“I heard the High Priest was angry again last night,” a tall, thin young man said in a low voice. “All the scarab statues in the temple are facing west, and nobody dares to touch them.”

"Shh!" His companion nervously glanced around. "Don't discuss this in public. Do you know how many people have been thrown into the dungeon lately for being too talkative?"

The third priest took a large gulp of beer and slurred, "Who cares! Ra hasn't appeared in a long time anyway. I heard even the Pharaoh is wondering if we've offended the sun god."

Ian's eyebrows twitched slightly. The scarab statue had spontaneously turned west? This was hardly a good omen. In the ancient Egyptian symbolic system, the west represented death. And the silence of Ra was even more intriguing—according to historical records, Egypt at this time should have been in a period of religious revival.

Just as he was pondering the meaning of this information, a commotion suddenly broke out at the tavern entrance. A ragged, mad old man burst in, waving a strangely decorated cane.

"Disaster is coming!" the old man cried hoarsely. "When Ra closes his eyes, darkness will engulf the Nile! I see flames rising from the top of the pyramids, and crocodiles roaming the streets!"

The tavern owner immediately led two burly men forward and roughly dragged the old man away. But in the chaos, Ian keenly noticed a peculiar amulet hanging around the old man's neck.

A blue gemstone fragment shaped like an eye gleamed eerily under the oil lamp.

Fragments of Ra's Eye?
No.

In the eyes of the alchemist Ian, he could clearly tell that the other party's amulet was a counterfeit, with rather crude craftsmanship, but it was clearly also a clue about a fragment of the Eye of Ra.

after all.

The existence of such counterfeits proves that at least the person who made the amulet must have come into contact with fragments of the Eye of Ra, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to replicate that divine aura.

Thinking of this.

Ian quickly paid the bill, leaving a few brass rings as a tip, and then quietly followed the old man out. The old man, left in a back alley, was lying on the ground muttering to himself. Ian crouched down and asked in a gentle voice, "Sir, the amulet around your neck is quite unusual. Could you tell me where it came from?"

Hear the words.

The old man suddenly looked up, a glimmer of clarity flashing in his cloudy eyes.

"Can you see it?"

He asked in surprise, then became wary, “No, no, this is a gift from Ra. It allows me to see the truth, to see the impending disaster.”

This is not something from Ra.

The old man may have been scammed by some sorcerer.

of course.

Ian wouldn't do something as thankless as exposing a fraudster, and the other party's amulet wasn't entirely useless; it was more or less an alchemical imitation.

Because it imitates divine fluctuations, it does indeed show some visions of the future—of course, whether these visions are accurate depends on the maker's skill in imitation.

If the craftsmanship is poor.

It's possible that what he sees are chaotic illusions, or even the fate of those who have been abandoned. Ian will have to investigate further to find out the specifics.

"Don't worry, I'm a good person, I'm just a little curious."

Seeing that the old man was not in good spirits, Ian cast a spell to cleanse his soul, revealing his identity as a wizard.

and so.

Under the other party's bewildered gaze.

He also uttered some rather aggressive and threatening words.

"Can I touch your baby?"

(End of this chapter)