Chapter 510: On the Move
Chapter 510: On the Move (Request for Subscriptions, Favorites, and Votes)
After deciding to form a group to head to Hamunaptra, a very practical question arose: where would they get the funds for the expedition?
"We need camels, horses, supplies, weapons, and tents. In short, a whole lot of things. But my sister and I don't have that much money", Jonathan said bluntly. "Without enough funds, we might have to bring in others, like the museum curator or some wealthy acquaintances of mine. But that would significantly reduce our share of the spoils and increase the danger."
"Money, that's no problem", Liam said, pulling out several gold bars from his Spatial Bag. "We don't have local pounds, but will gold do? Take this to prepare everything, and the rest can be a tip for you. My only request is that you buy the best equipment as quickly as possible."
"Of course, no problem. I know Cairo very well, and I'll make sure everything is taken care of properly." Jonathan kissed the gold bars, then waved goodbye to his sister and left to make the preparations.
"Oh, you're too generous, there's no need to give so much money", Evelyn said, looking at Liam and the others. "That amount of gold is enough to fully equip a luxurious expedition team of a dozen people."
"It's no big deal. More money means faster preparations. Besides, money isn't that important to us. What truly matters is the ancient knowledge of Egypt's magic left in the ruins", Liam replied.
In the following time, Liam and Hermione helped Evelyn quickly tidy up the Library using magic, which had been left in disarray. They then went to a nice hotel with her to wait for Jonathan to finish the preparations. As expected, Hermione and Evelyn quickly found common ground and began chatting. Evelyn started teaching Hermione some archaeological knowledge about ancient Egypt, which was easier for Hermione to grasp thanks to her foundation in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
By the afternoon, Jonathan arrived at the hotel to call them for departure. Contrary to their expectations of a camel ride, Jonathan had arranged a steamboat journey on the Nile.
"Remember, the ancient Egyptian civilization developed around the Nile, so their important cities are all along its banks, and our destination is no exception", Jonathan explained, seeing the puzzled look on Liam's face. "After reviewing the map, I think we should take the boat first and then ride horses to reach our destination. This way, it will be faster and more comfortable."
"Sure, do whatever you think is best." In reality, if it were just Liam and Hermione, they would have chosen to fly directly. However, considering their lack of understanding of ancient Egyptian culture, they wanted to avoid potential troubles in the ruins. Bringing Evelyn along became a good option, and as a result, Jonathan, concerned for his sister's safety, insisted on joining them. Fortunately, as someone well-connected in Cairo, he could provide a lot of help on the journey.
The boat they boarded, though an inland river vessel, was not small. After settling their luggage, Liam and Hermione went up to the deck to enjoy the scenery along the river.
"It feels like we're in an old movie", Hermione said, leaning on the ship's railing. "An ancient steamboat sailing on the beautiful Nile, which glows golden in the sunlight."
"Isn't that movie called 'Death on the Nile'?" Liam thought for a moment, recalling the film Hermione was referring to. "But don't you think it's a bit ominous to think of that movie while we're on a Nile passenger boat?"
Hermione laughed, and at that moment, a young white man who looked European approached them. "Miss, would you like to join me for a drink at the bar?"
"Excuse me, my fiancé and I have something to discuss here", Hermione said to the man, clearly annoyed by his lack of tact. However, instead of leaving, the man began to spout racist remarks. "Get lost, Chink, and stay away from this white lady."
Liam clenched the wand hidden in his pocket, feeling a surge of anger. This was the first time in his life he had faced such blatant racism. His elementary school had been a high-end private school where racial discrimination was at most subtly expressed. After that, he attended Hogwarts, where, in the Wizarding World, neither Black Africa nor East Asia were considered inferior to the West, and the only form of discrimination was based on blood purity.
Hermione was furious at the man’s remarks. She immediately cast a petrification spell on him, and then, with a look of disgust, pointed her wand at his face.
"Legilimency." Hermione’s expression grew increasingly angry, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in her eyes.
"What’s going on? Are you okay?" Liam asked, placing a hand on Hermione’s shoulder.
"This man is a member of the Ku Klux Klan and has been involved in five to six murders of innocent people of color", Hermione turned to Liam, her voice filled with disdain. "He has also been involved in numerous other assaults on people of color. He and a group of similar Ku Klux Klan scum are working as bodyguards for a scholar searching for Hamunaptra."
Liam immediately recognized these Americans as the ones from the original story who had taken the Canopic Jars of Ankh Su Namun. It made sense; in this era, few good people would voluntarily venture into such dangerous places, and the Ku Klux Klan was at its most rampant. Liam felt a righteous anger and decided to take matters into his own hands, eliminating these scum who were competing for the same opportunities as his group.
After discussing a plan with Hermione, they launched a magical attack on the Ku Klux Klan members and threw them into the Nile to feed the crocodiles. They also used Obliviate to erase Benny, the guide, of all his memories of Hamunaptra.
Shortly after they returned to their cabin, the boat shook and slowed down, eventually coming to a stop.
"What’s happening?" Evelyn asked curiously. Jonathan soon returned with the news. "Apparently, several Americans have gone missing, so we need to dock at the nearest pier. This means we’ll have to walk a longer distance."
The boat soon docked at a small pier, and the passengers were briefly questioned by the police before being allowed to leave. As Liam and the others disembarked, they saw the American scholar being led by Benny and a group of local laborers in the wrong direction. It seemed that the cunning Benny, realizing he no longer remembered the location of Hamunaptra, had decided to take the American professor on a detour through the desert to swindle some money.
The rest of the journey involved riding horses through the desert. Technically, it was a desert, so horses were still usable. After leaving the human settlements along the Nile, Liam revealed Rose Crystal to the group and introduced her as another member of the expedition.
"This magic is truly amazing", Evelyn marveled as the puppet flew high into the sky to scout the surroundings. "Now we don’t have to worry about being attacked at night."
Although the place where they disembarked was farther from Hamunaptra than where the protagonists in the movie jumped off the burning ship, the distance wasn’t significantly greater. In this era, ships lacked sufficient navigation lights and radar, so they generally avoided night travel to prevent running aground or hitting rocks.
This explained why the Pharaoh’s Guards could silently infiltrate the ship in such numbers in the movie: the ship was stationary, and otherwise, the guards would have had to use rowboats, which would be too slow, or motorboats, which would create too much noise.
(End of Chapter)
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