5 Meet the pharaoh

"Before that, what happened right now? Could you give me a hint or something that can make me understand my current situation? "

"I am afraid that I can't tell you the details. Please hurry and change your clothes. You need to wear something properly. " That girl keeps insisting on me.

"Who are you? Could you introduce yourself? " She keeps herself silent. "If you don't want to say anything, just give me your nickname or code. If not, I can't communicate with you well." I asked her. I changed my clothes with the change that she gave me. That clothing looks like normal military clothing to me, and it's from the present era. Also, the colour of this clothing is purple.

"Okay. I am an officer that needs to keep an eye on you. You can't escape from me. " It looks like I have a bodyguard here. "Where do you look at? Hurry up, we need to go. "

"Okay, okay." I followed her to go somewhere. My memory is quite blurred after that incident. Why am I outside the prison and where am I? Is this here the same place that I went to? All the questions in my head I can't answer yet.

As I followed her, we entered a dark alley in the city. I could see many people were there. It looks like a dark market to me. Did they sell anything illegal here? I should not ask her. From what I see, she is quite strict. She looks like a veteran soldier to me. Ah, I can't keep quiet for too long. I need to ask her. "Where are we right now?"

She stopped for a moment and looked at me, feeling a bit weird, and then she calmed a few seconds after looking at my face. "You are new here, so you should know about this. This is the black bazaar. Any kind of device is sold here, and you could call it a merchant paradise. That is all I can tell you. " After that, we proceed to the place that she wants me to go to.

It took a moment to arrive at the place. As we arrived, that officer told me something. "Here, we have arrived at the registration centre. When you are in, mind your manners. Do what I said. Okay? " I nodded when I heard she said that.

As we entered the registration centre, which looked like a shop in the mediaeval age, the officer went to the counter and said something to the girl who was in charge there. "Could I know where he is? I have made an appointment with him."

"Oh, please wait a minute. I will call him. " The officer went to the waiting area to wait for the person that she wanted to meet. We haven't talked about anything in a long time. With her, I felt some kind of awkwardness. I want to start the conversation, but I think she doesn't want to answer anything regarding the topic I asked about. As there was nothing to do, I just sat silently, not doing anything.

After a minute of waiting, the person she was hoping to meet arrived. That guy, with a height of about 178 cm, blonde hair, a hair bun style, and an age of about 40, entered the room and shook her hand. Then, he started to ask questions. "So, you want me to make an identity card (IC) for him? Did he become a citizen of this country? "

"Hey, don't ask too many questions, it's the order from the pharaoh. Do you want to get executed? " That guy looked at her quite nervously, and he calmed after a second.

"Hahaha... Just a bit of my curiosity. I like the information from people. That is me. Rudy, the data broker. " That guy, who called himself Rudy, stood in front of me and started to ask. "What is your name kid and where are you coming from?"

"My name is Hulaif and I am sorry because I can't recall where I came from. " I have to do so. If I said I live in Malaysia, he would ask me more, and I'm not pretty good at answering questions. So, finding a safe word can help me save more time and explanation here.

"Okay, so, Hulaif. Please follow me; we need to enter the registration room. " We entered the room that Rudy mentioned. This room is quite normal for a shop, and there is some crystal at the centre of this room. I am quite curious about it. "Hulaif, do you see that crystal ball?" I nodded. "Then, you need to touch it with both hands and then close your eyes. It's just a scan, so you will be fine about it. " He gave me a bit of a tutorial on how to use the crystal ball. "Are you clear?"

"Yes, I am clear."

"Awesome, that is the spirit. Now do what I said. "

Then, I put both of my hands on the crystal ball. I just realised that the crystal ball started to resonate with my touch. I felt something is scanning me, but I needed to focus until Rudy said stop. A few seconds later, I asked to stop by Rudy's. "So, what should I do right now?"

"Oh, wait a minute. It took some time to print the IC for you. You can wait outside first."

"Oh, what is your result?" The officer asked me.

"Rudy said that I had to wait for the IC to finish printing."

"Okay." We waited until Rudy came. When he came, he was quite shocked by the result.

"Hulaif! You need to look at your IC. " He was kind of hurried.

"What is it?"

"Here, look at this." As I see it, I don't think anything. Then, the officer said to me as he looked at my IC.

"You have quite pretty stats there."

"Oh, is it real?" Rudy nodded.

When Rudy gave it to me, I saw that there was nothing to worry about.

[Identification Card for Sigma Citizenship]

[Name: Hulaif]

[Age: 20]

[Species: Human]

[Side: Sigma]

[Occupation: (automatically written when you have a job)]

[Stats: There is no relevant status].

"Rudy, what does this mean with no relevant status?"

"That is why I am a bit clueless. Sorry, I can't help with it. I need to go first. " Rudy disappeared from our sight.

"If you want to know, every person in this country has their status. Even babies and monsters have it. You are quite worse than they are. "

"Sorry, because I don't have any status."

"Ah, don't worry! It is not the crystal ball's fault, but yours. " She looked down at me. "Now, let us go meet his highness, the Pharaoh." Oh, I see, this country was ruled by the pharaoh. I think this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to look at what kind of pharaoh it is. I can't hold my curiosity. "Hey! What are you waiting for? Let's go. "

"Okay. I'm coming. " As we were leaving the registration centre, the officer smelt something weird. It was from me.

"I want you to take a bath. There is a bathroom there. Please follow me there. " We arrived at the bathroom, and she said to me before I entered, "Use this, I just realised that she has the toiletries." She gave me some soap and a towel. "You have 10 minutes. If you are late, I will pull you out. " It scares me when a woman has this bravery. "Now the 10-minute start." I hurried to the bathroom and took a shower quickly.

After taking a bath, when I am in the changing room. I heard one conversation outside.

"Do you know that all prisoners have been executed lately?" Guy A talked.

"Wait, is it? Is there a survivor? " Guy B replied.

"I don't know about it if there is a survivor. That person might be strong. "

"Why do you say so?"

"Do you know, after the pyramid is completely constructed? A few days later, one by one, prisoners were executed by a monster, or could I say a man-eater. "

"Woah, I just really know about it. Thanks though for giving me such information. "

"We are buddies. This is what buddies do."

"Great." Then, the conversation stopped there. When I looked outside, no one was there. As I realise now, I am quite late right now. I hurried to the outside as soon as possible.

"Ugh..." When I looked at the officer, she was sitting on the bench, falling asleep with the posture of someone sitting while both her hands supported her chin. I could not stop seeing her like that. It kind of made me realise that she is adorable. Did I need to wake her up? I think I need to do so.

"Officer, please wake up," I asked her with a low tone of my voice. It did not work, I think I need to shake her a bit. As my hand, a bit more to touch her, she wake up and see me with a weird look.

"Hey, don't tell me that you want to take advantage of a woman when she sleeps?"

"No. Why should I do that? I'm just want to wake you up. You must be tired of working."

"Oh, yeah. I don't get enough sleep. Too much work need to do. Okay, let's go." Then I just followed the way that she send me. Actually, I am a bit excited because meeting with the pharaoh was on the list of people that I want to meet. It's not a long journey, but I am quite exhausted with walking right now. Is it me or does the sun really looks like about a meter from this city?

"What is that sun?"

"You might be pretty hot right now, it just a bit hot and it does not kill the people. It can help people remove fatigue. That sun is the magical thing that pharaoh can do."

"So, you want to say that we were in a sauna?"

"Ah, what is that?" She asked me.

"Never mind about it. Where is he? "

I could see the pyramid, but there was a gate in front of me. "Here, we are almost arriving. From here, you are on your own. " She sends me to the gate. In front of me was a sandstorm. How could I enter this place? Suddenly, my watch gave me a notification. It said I needed to look at the phone.

'A sand storm is like an illusion. Don't feel it, just abandon it. Also, you need protective gear to enter the sand storm, like goggles at least. Make sure it is tight around your face. Have a safe journey. '

That is all that this thing can do. It does not give me any advantages. I tried to check the clothing I was wearing. In the pocket of the upper cloth, I found a pair of goggles. Okay, I need to protect my head. I am sure I do not want sand to enter my ears and nose. I used a towel given to me to wrap my head.

The sand storm is quite fast. I need to balance myself. How many times I have stumbled on the sand, I can't tell. The current wind is too strong. I am quite frustrated at first, but if I'm giving up right now, there is nothing I can do. I don't want to be a useless corpse in this desert. No one will remember me. Because of that, I am not going to give up. It took me a few hours to manage to get out of this sand storm.

I am quite happy with the result. As I was emerging from the sand storm, I saw that officer in front of me. "It takes 4 hours for you to escape that sand storm. That is why you don't have any stats. You are pretty weak. A little girl. " She really makes me want to hate her. But I can't. When I remember she sleeps, it makes me feel relieved.

"At least I can get out of that place."

"If you want to know, the child can manage to get out in around a minute." Shit, why are people here too powerful or am I really useless? "

"How do you know that?"

"The kid always comes here to play hide and seek."

"Wait!!! Pharaoh is not mad?"

"Why would he? He likes to play in the sand storm."

"How old is he? 8 years old? "

"Actually, I am 10 years old." I heard one child's voice from behind.

"Hah! Your highness, sorry, we didn't know about your presence here. "

"Ah, don't worry about it. I am just walking around my palace. Too bored to stay too long on that throne. " That little guy is around 149 cm, has brown hair, has white skin, and has thin hair.

"Do you want to be accompanied by me?" The officer tried to ask that little pharaoh.

"Thank you for your help, but I want a private space and some time alone." I laughed a bit at her. Then, that little pharaoh looked at me with a focused eye. "Are you a survivor of the man-eater in the prison?"I nodded to him. He looks excited when looking at me.

Then, he asked the officer to take me to the palace. Actually, I don't really know what happened, but right now is quite the thing I don't like.