Aftermath: The Story of a Persevering Pharaoh (Conclusion)

Naturally, this was the only fitting end to this pharaoh's tale...

But it's still great to finally come out on top!

I am so glad we made it to the final page without dying.

I wonder if it's okay to take this as a sign...

...that I've become a more proper pharaoh... Hehe.

...Phew.

I've managed to lay claim to the victor's cup...but now comes the real problem.

How do I report this to Pharaoh Ozymandias without seeming either too excited or too disinterested?

Something tells me that it would be inappropriate for a pharaoh to be too happy about a victory that should have been a certainty anyway...

But at the same time, acting like it was no big deal would belie how difficult it actually was to win, and make me a small-minded liar...

Hmm... Mmm...

So, you have returned, Nitocris.

Ph-Pharaoh Ozymandias!

(...I guess I'll just have to go with the flow!)

That's right. I, Nitocris, have returned as the victor!

Of course you have. That is hardly surprising or interesting. But I suppose I will ask you this.

What were your thoughts...your feelings upon winning?

W-well, uh... I suppose first and foremost...

I am relieved that I did not fail to live up to your expectations of me, Pharaoh Ozymandias.

...

(Oh no, he's displeased! I knew it! I really am a failure as a pharaoh!)

...Why do you not rejoice?

Huh? W-well...as you said, Pharaoh Ozymandias, a pharaoh's victory should have been a certainty!

And yet, I had to struggle till the very end.

A struggle, hmm? Indeed, as pharaohs, our victories ARE certain.

But in your case...I knew all along how you would struggle to accomplish yours.

However, that has nothing to do with this.

If a pharaoh could truly win merely by virtue of being a pharaoh, there would have been no need for you to enter this race to begin with.

Th-then...why DID you allow me to enter it, Pharaoh Ozymandias?

If you knew what would happen all along, then...

Yes, of course I knew how it would end. That is precisely why I let you enter.

I wanted you to claim the glory of victory with your own hands, and see how thrilled you were upon doing so.

Huh...?

The victory itself was not what interested me. That was indeed inevitable. Boring.

Instead...I was expecting you to return with something else worth seeing.

And yet you did not. This should have been quite the spectacle, interesting at the very least, but it bores me. There is only one problem here, Pharaoh Nitocris.

You have disrespected me by failing to live up to my imagination. Do not make me sigh in disappointment.

...Hmph. This is what comes of thinking too shallowly.

...!

I shall pardon this mistake of yours only once. Try again.

Y-yes, sir! In that case...

I won, Pharaoh Ozymandias! I, a pharaoh, went out there and claimed my victory!

Good. Well done, Nitocris! That is how the pharaoh of the heavens ought to look! THAT is truly an expression worthy of the sun itself!

Even if this is what we agreed on, I still feel bad about keeping the reward all to myself, so I thought I would at least come and thank her once again.

...But it seems it would be best if I came back later.

That man is the kind of king I dislike dealing with the most...

Even if I can act to be certain of not dying at his hand, you never know what he might do next...

Besides, I could never face her if I ended up losing this talisman she made for me on the very first day...

At any rate, it seems that the Singularity in question has been dealt with successfully.

I hope that our racing helped to make things easier for Master, if only a little...

...Though I suppose whether that was enough to atone for my sins will have to be a story for another night.

For the moment, I should just make certain that this story wraps up neatly.

So on that note... This concludes the summer tale of the fierce, yet kind, pharaoh.

If you wish to hear the next tale, then I beg you: please don't kill me...