Chapter 13: The Chessmaster

Page (1/3)

“This is our first meeting.”

The old man before him had a kindly face and wore a loose robe. Only the wrist holding the golden scepter revealed how thin he truly was.

Boyi sat opposite him, returning his gaze without the slightest change in expression. Though he already knew the answer, he asked, “Why have you summoned me, High Priest?”

Nofis smiled and beckoned him closer. “Come nearer. Let me have a look at you.”

Boyi raised his eyes slightly and, as requested, stepped forward twice.

As the distance between them narrowed, the old man’s features became clearer. Had his identity not been so imposing, anyone who saw him would probably have taken him for nothing more than a kindly old neighbor.

In ancient Egypt, where the average life expectancy was only forty, Merite was already considered exceptionally long-lived. Yet the High Priest before him appeared to be at least seventy or eighty.

That was exceedingly rare even in the history of ancient Egypt.

“No wonder Bat has praised you repeatedly,” Nofis said with a smile. “You are indeed an exceptionally bright child with striking looks.”

Seeing that he continued to skirt around the subject, Boyi took advantage of his present guise as a sixteen-year-old boy and simply pretended not to understand. He gave an embarrassed smile at the compliment.

Nofis’s gaze settled on him. It should have been gentle, yet it sent a chill down Boyi’s back.

It was an almost instinctive reaction, as though he had been fixed in the sights of a venomous snake. It made his flesh creep.

Boyi pinched the corner of his robe, then released it at once. His eyes remained fixed on the lower half of the old man’s face.

“I summoned you merely because I wished to learn more about you.” Nofis seemed to notice his tension and spoke in a slow, soothing voice. “You should understand that the temple has served the pharaoh for generations. Anything concerning His Majesty naturally warrants a little extra thought.”

Boyi nodded. “What would you like to know?”

His voice was slightly strained. The hand resting on his knee rubbed almost imperceptibly against his robe.

Nofis waved his hand gently. “There is no need to be so nervous. Think of this as meeting a member of your family. Having seen that you are a good child, I can put my mind at ease.”

“Are you accustomed to your work at the temple?” he asked.

Boyi nodded hurriedly and sat even straighter. “The work in the inner sanctum is easy, and I am able to remain so close to Lord Amun. It is something I never would have dared imagine before. I must thank His Majesty.”

At this, Nofis’s expression relaxed. “I hear that you have done very well in the inner sanctum. You are clearly conscientious and responsible. I feel reassured knowing that His Majesty has entrusted you with the work.”

Though it was supposedly a casual conversation, Nofis was the one asking questions while Boyi answered.

Their topics were mostly trivial matters. Anyone unaware of the truth might have thought they were simply an old grandfather and his grandson chatting about household affairs.

“It is getting late.” Nofis seemed to realize that noon was approaching and smiled. “Why not stay and dine with me, Ayi?”

Boyi rose in alarm and bowed. “My table manners are uncouth, and I would not dare offend the High Priest’s eyes. I beg the High Priest to spare me a little dignity.”

Nofis burst into laughter and allowed Boyi to leave.

As he was departing, Boyi glanced back and happened to meet Nofis’s eyes.

Nofis smiled. “Is there something else?”

Boyi hesitated for a moment, then said somewhat sheepishly, “It is just that, although I now call myself a man of the temple, I have never been able to do anything for it. And the Queen has not summoned me these past few days…”

Nofis understood at once. “The Queen’s interests come quickly and fade just as quickly. That is nothing unusual.”

After a brief pause, he continued, “In that case, go and show your face before the Queen. Tell her that the temple intends to establish a priestly order soon, and sound out her opinion.”

Boyi agreed at once.

Nofis smiled and offered the young man a final instruction. “From now on, if anything arises, you may have Bat or Bal handle it. They are both capable children. Communications with the temple may also be conducted through them.”

Boyi thanked him repeatedly before finally leaving the palace.

Once he had gone some distance and the palace doors closed again, Priest Tayi emerged from the hidden chamber.

“What do you think?” Nofis lowered his eyes. His fingers pressed along the patterns carved into the scepter, feeling every rise and dip beneath them.

Tayi had remained in the hidden chamber throughout. Though it occupied another space, an Eye of the Falcon had been installed there for observation, allowing him to witness everything that had happened.

“He is quite an intelligent child.” Tayi recalled the scene he had just observed, including every movement the boy had made. “He is still somewhat unpolished, but with proper cultivation, he will certainly become a useful talent.”

He was only sixteen, yet his answers had been flawless, leaving no room for resentment.

“You think he is unpolished?” Nofis lifted his eyelids and looked at him.

Tayi had always trusted what he saw, but the High Priest’s question made him uncertain. “Is he not?”

The boy’s unconscious little movements had all revealed the tension and unease in his heart—the perfectly ordinary response of a common person standing before someone powerful.

“He did not seem to be pretending,” Tayi said. “I observed him carefully. Every reaction was entirely reasonable.”

Nofis smiled faintly. “That is precisely the problem. Everything was reasonable to the point of perfection. He reminds me of the first time I met Bat and Bal. The circumstances were exactly the same.”

The boy seemed to know precisely what reaction was expected of him at every moment.

“You mean he was pretending?” Tayi asked in disbelief.

Nofis did not answer. Beneath his drooping eyelids, his gaze was deep and unreadable as it settled on the chair where the boy had sat.

After a long while, he finally said slowly, “Not necessarily. But if Ayi truly is such a person, then he will become a second Merite.”

“That is impossible.” Tayi was deeply astonished. He admitted that the boy had performed well, especially considering that he had been born a slave. But to call him a second Merite was an exaggeration. “He is only sixteen.”

Sixteen meant what, after all? He was merely a child who had barely begun to grow, with little experience of the world.

And he was a slave at that.

“That he has reached his present position proves that he possesses a certain amount of cleverness.” Tayi understood that a slave needed some intelligence to rise so far. “But that alone is nowhere near enough. As for His Majesty’s decision to place him in the inner sanctum, I still believe that the pharaoh has simply never spent much time with anyone his own age and was indulging in a momentary novelty.”

He had heard from Dorkhe how the boy had been recommended by Merite for the position of prophet.

He possessed courage, and a measure of intelligence.

Over the years, many had taken advantage of Merite’s influence to rise swiftly, but most had ultimately met with failure.

This slave-born boy was merely one of them, and not even a particularly conspicuous one.

“Some time ago, His Majesty left the palace, and Ayi helped him. It is only natural that His Majesty should reward him with a few favors.”

That disturbance had left them drenched in cold sweat when they learned of it afterward.

Nofis fell silent once more.

—

Menew Palace

In the modest palace, several people went about their respective tasks, giving the place the languid ease of an afternoon.

“My lord, are you preparing to go out?” Bat was arranging the bookshelves and noticed Boyi rising from the corner of his eye.

Boyi gave a quiet acknowledgment. “I am going to pay my respects to Queen Merite.”

Page (1/3)

Page (2/3)

Bat and Bal exchanged a glance. Bal took two steps forward. “Why not let Bal accompany you?”

Boyi looked around. At his words, all four attendants in the palace stopped what they were doing.

Tanaro placed a vase back on the shelf. Amante had been cleaning the floor and nearly knocked over the bucket when he heard this. He looked at Boyi with barely suppressed excitement.

His eyes shone brightly. It was obvious that the boy desperately wanted to go along.

Boyi smiled and gave a slight nod. “Tanaro and Bal will come with me. Bat and Amante will remain here to look after the palace.”

Tanaro set down his rag, and he and Bal answered in unison. Amante froze for a moment, then lowered his head and continued scrubbing the floor. His mood visibly sank.

The sun was merciless at that hour.

Boyi traveled by litter to Bastet. When he arrived, he was told that the Queen was taking her afternoon rest.

He therefore waited in a side hall, while Bal and Tanaro were shown to a small room where attendants could rest.

Maids brought in fruit, wine, and water. Boyi’s status was different now, and naturally so was the treatment he received.

Among the maids was someone he knew.

The girl wore a white linen dress, her hair braided into two plaits. Because of her young age, she possessed an utterly guileless charm.

“Lord Ayi.” Anaka was delighted to see Boyi again. Her wheat-colored cheeks puffed up into round apple cheeks as she smiled.

Boyi nodded to her. “How have you been lately, Anaka?”

Anaka had been the first person Boyi met after arriving in ancient Egypt. She was a simple-hearted girl who wore every emotion plainly on her face.

The fact that he remembered her name made Anaka even happier. “I have been all right.”

“All right?” Boyi raised an eyebrow. “Have you run into some difficulty?”

Anaka’s eyes widened in astonishment. “How did you know, Lord Ayi?”

Seeing the undisguised emotion on her face, Boyi smiled. “Have I guessed correctly?”

Anaka gave him a thumbs-up. “Lord Ayi, you are amazing.”

Then she glanced left and right before letting out a quiet sigh. “Actually, I have run into some trouble.”

Perhaps because she had no one to confide in, and perhaps because Boyi’s sincerity encouraged her, Anaka hesitated only briefly before telling him what had happened.

“Last time, I accidentally dropped a fruit tray, and Queen Merite punished me.” Lady Fufu had reprimanded her about it as well, warning her never to be so careless again.

Anaka secretly counted herself lucky that the Queen had not punished her more severely.

“But the problem is that the Queen has recently taken a dislike to having me serve before her.” The young girl’s face clouded with worry. “I have been assigned to the side hall for several days in a row.”

Serving in Bastet was a coveted position. It might have seemed that she had merely been sent to the side hall for a few days, but someone else had already filled the vacancy before the Queen. It would not be easy for her to return.

Boyi fell into thought. After a moment, he asked, “The maid who was with you earlier looked familiar as well.”

Another maid had been carrying the fruit tray with her. If he remembered correctly, she seemed to be the same girl whose sash he had once tightened—a girl of fifteen or sixteen.

Anaka pouted. “Yes. Her name is Biga. Like me, she was sent to the side hall. The Queen said her hands were too weak and that her massages were uncomfortable.”

The girl was straightforward and said whatever came to mind.

Boyi understood. With a trace of sympathy, he said, “The Queen has always liked novelty. I am afraid it will be difficult for either of you to return.”

Anaka and Biga had reached the same conclusion themselves, but hearing someone say it aloud made it more painful. The girl’s eyes reddened, and she nearly burst into tears.

“Why am I always so careless?” Anaka said, striking her head forcefully.

“It is not entirely your fault.” Boyi tried to comfort her, lowering his voice. “I suspect that the Queen has developed a dislike of having young girls serve before her.”

Anaka stared blankly for a moment, then followed his words and thought back.

Indeed, besides herself and Biga, several other maids from the same intake had been sent to other palaces.

“But the Queen used to say…” Anaka murmured.

The Queen had clearly once said that she liked seeing young, lively girls because they reminded her of her own youth.

“That was several years ago.” Boyi let the implication speak for itself.

As they continued chatting, the maid named Biga entered the side hall. Her gaze lingered briefly on the two of them before she bowed and said, “Lord Ayi, the Queen summons you.”

Boyi nodded and rose. To the young girl beside him, he said, “I am going to see the Queen.”

After a brief pause, he added, “I notice that Lady Fufu often enjoys wearing long skirts and antique jewelry. It gives her a very dignified appearance.”

Anaka had not yet understood why the subject had suddenly leaped in such a strange direction. Biga, however, paused briefly before bowing again. “Thank you for your guidance, Lord Ayi.”

Anaka looked at her, then at Boyi, wondering why she understood nothing at all.

Biga arranged for another maid to escort Boyi to the Queen’s palace.

This was Boyi’s second visit to Bastet, and his second meeting with Queen Merite.

Compared with their previous meeting, Queen Merite looked somewhat more haggard. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes were difficult to conceal even beneath makeup, while Lady Fufu knelt before the couch and waved a fan for her.

“Ayi greets the Queen.” Boyi placed his left hand against his shoulder and bowed. “The Queen is as beautiful and enchanting as ever.”

Queen Merite tilted her catlike eyes and asked languidly, “What brings you here?”

“I went to the temple today.” Boyi recounted the morning’s events without the slightest concealment. “The pharaoh assigned me to the inner sanctum, and afterward High Priest Nofis summoned me.”

The summons had taken place in the inner sanctum, where everyone belonged to the temple. Yet Queen Merite showed no surprise at all. She merely raised her brows, signaling him to continue.

“The High Priest asked me many trivial questions about my daily life,” Boyi continued. “He did not seem to expect me to bring him any information of value.”

“And then you asked him what he wanted you to do?” Queen Merite seemed to take a faint interest only at that point.

Boyi paused, then acknowledged it. “He told me to sound out your opinion. The temple wishes to establish a priestly order.”

Queen Merite gave an indifferent smile. “Nofis is always so dull, so timid in everything he does.”

The temple was being suppressed severely. Even its branch temples scattered throughout the land had been hollowed out one by one by her people, rendering them useless. Its desire to establish a priestly order now was nothing more than an attempt to use traveling sermons and ceremonies to restore the temple’s influence among the people.

Boyi lowered his eyes and asked cautiously, “How should I respond?”

Queen Merite raised a hand, and Lady Fufu immediately withdrew to one side.

“Then tell him this.” She propped her head up with one hand, her luxuriant black hair—far too youthful for her age—spilling across the couch. “I do not agree.”

After a pause, she smiled and added, “Whoever dares bring it up, I will kill.”

A smile remained on the woman’s face. Her words were light and airy, almost weightless. Yet the palace suddenly fell silent, as though even the sound of breathing had vanished.

Everyone lowered their heads, reducing their presence as much as possible.

Page (2/3)

Page (3/3)

Boyi bent forward in a bow. “Yes. Ayi will convey the Queen’s words without omitting a single one.”

Merite lowered her eyes to him, her manner casual and languid. “It seems Raheris treats you somewhat differently.”

At this, Boyi revealed a faintly smug smile. “When I accompanied His Majesty outside the palace last time, we unexpectedly encountered commoners driven mad. His Majesty probably thought that I had saved him, so he came to regard me with a little more favor.”

“However…” He paused before continuing, “I think the fact that those commoners were so fanatical about the pharaoh may have some influence on the Queen.”

Merite’s lashes fluttered once. Her tone was flat and unconcerned. “They are merely a group of wretched commoners. They are no threat. Or do you believe Raheris can rally the entire populace?”

“Of course not,” Boyi said without hesitation. “Only Lord Amun could accomplish something so unbelievable. The greatest person in all Egypt can only be Your Majesty, the Queen.”

Merite heard such words often enough in her daily life, yet this time, for some inexplicable reason, the center of her brow twitched uncontrollably.

“When you met Nofis, was he alone?”

Boyi nodded. “He was alone. Lord Akhris took me to the palace.”

Merite’s brows drew together ever so slightly.

“You may go back,” she said. “If the temple says anything else, come to me again.”

“Yes. May the Queen possess both health and beauty.” With that, Boyi bowed and withdrew.

After leaving the palace, Boyi found a moment to relay Queen Merite’s words to Bal.

Bal had not accompanied him inside. When he heard that the Queen had threatened to kill anyone who dared mention the matter, his heart jolted. It was entirely believable that Queen Merite would do such a thing.

He immediately prepared to leave for the temple.

“Wait.” Boyi stopped him and lowered his voice as he described everything that had taken place in the palace. “Be sure to repeat all of this to the High Priest.”

Bal did not understand why he needed to tell the High Priest such trivial details, but he assumed that there had to be a reason if Lord Ayi had instructed him so carefully.

It was already dusk when Boyi returned to Menew.

The moment he stepped through the palace doors, he saw Amante looking like a vengeful spirit. When Boyi had left, the boy had been scrubbing the floor. He was still scrubbing it now.

The floor was so clean that one almost felt reluctant to step on it.

“Tanaro, prepare a bath for me,” Boyi instructed.

Tanaro acknowledged him, glanced at Amante, who was radiating gloom, and turned away.

At the sound of Boyi’s voice, Amante raised his head. His expression was mournful and pitiful. “My lord, you have returned.”

Boyi found it somewhat amusing. Like Anaka, this boy was incapable of concealing even the slightest thought.

“What is this? Are you angry with me?” he asked.

Amante had still been brooding, but now he hurriedly denied it. “How could I be? Lord Ayi, please do not misunderstand me. I only feel that I am useless, and so…”

He would never complain about Lord Ayi. If Lord Ayi had not taken him to see Queen Merite, there must have been a reason. Yet because the lord had not brought him along, Amante could not help feeling that he had not done well enough and was not worthy of the lord’s trust.

Boyi smiled and sighed. “The Queen does not yet know that I wish to keep you by my side. You are still young and lack experience in many matters, so I thought it best to wait until you are more mature. Otherwise, the Queen might have reservations.”

He paused, then continued, “Look at you now. If the Queen were to see…”

Amante was startled. He hurriedly rubbed his face several times with the back of his hand. “You are right, my lord. Amante has been too immature.”

Boyi took out his own handkerchief and passed it to him. “Wipe your face. I have a task for you.”

Amante waved both hands, unwilling to soil the lord’s spotless handkerchief. Instead, he lifted the hem of his robe and wiped his face clean. “Tell me what it is, my lord. I will certainly complete it.”

Boyi smiled faintly, leaned forward, and whispered a few words into his ear.

Amante was first astonished. Then he threw himself face-down onto the ground, moved to tears. “Heavens! This is the most wonderful news in the world!”

“That is right,” Boyi said with a smile. “Your task is to spread this wonderful news. Make sure everyone hears it.”

Seeing that Amante seemed ready to set off that very instant, Boyi added a word of advice. “You may ask some slaves to help.”

Every day, slaves had to travel to the pyramids, obelisks, and other structures under construction. They were the city’s most mobile population, and news traveled fastest through them.

Amante felt that he had been entrusted with a sacred mission. For the lord to have chosen him to deliver such important news was proof of absolute trust. He knocked his head firmly against the floor twice, then immediately left the palace.

Four days later.

As usual, Boyi was teaching Raheris in the Hall of the Gods. Naturally, the lesson still consisted of copying texts.

At first, Raheris had thought Boyi was merely fobbing him off. But after copying for several days, he discovered that he seemed to have grown much calmer.

Things that had once seemed tedious and dull now brought him a serenity he had never experienced before.

“Could it be that he is cultivating my patience in this way?” Raheris secretly speculated, feeling that he had finally understood the painstaking intentions behind Boyi’s methods.

When half the time had passed, Raheris took his completed work to Boyi for inspection.

Compared with the abstract drawings that had previously been almost impossible to read, the little pharaoh’s writing had at least begun to take recognizable shape. Yet Boyi merely glanced at it before pressing his fingers to his temples.

“I think my headache is coming back.”

Raheris: “…”

How infuriating.

“Your Majesty.” Toth hurried into the palace and bowed. “Queen Merite requests that you attend the royal council.”

Raheris froze slightly. “The royal council?”

The council existed to discuss matters concerning the kingdom and the nation, allowing the ministers to use their knowledge and experience to assist the pharaoh in making decisions. In truth, however, from the moment Raheris had ascended the throne, he had never once attended a council session.

“What happened?” Raheris furrowed his brows slightly.

Toth spoke quickly. “Priest Tayi pleaded for the people at the council and implored Your Majesty to establish a priestly order and hold a procession for Lord Amun, to comfort the people of Egypt.”

“The Queen agreed?” Raheris narrowed his long eyes.

“She did not.” Though he tried hard to conceal it, Toth’s face still revealed a trace of delight. “But I hear that more than a thousand commoners have surrounded the palace, wishing to express their gratitude to the pharaoh.”

The corners of Toth’s mouth could barely contain his amusement. “I wonder where those commoners heard such news.”

That was what he said, but he suspected that the temple must have spread it. Establishing a priestly order while also causing His Majesty to attend the council for the first time—a masterful stroke that accomplished two aims at once.

He had never imagined that those commoners could prove so useful.

At these words, Raheris abruptly turned his head and looked at Boyi.

The young man wore a white robe. The splendid ornaments adorning him did not appear excessive; beside his own coloring, they seemed almost subdued.

His brows and eyes were relaxed, his lips curved in a smile, as though the news did not surprise him in the least.

Page (3/3)