Hero's Lust (4)
"Um, Pharaoh."
"Call me Karmine."
Karmine?
I blinked twice, and the Pharaoh sis—now looking at me—spoke up.
"'Tis my name. Ka Nabna Ra Metu Waf Uses Napta Karmine Narmer. All those before are names bestowed upon me when I became Pharaoh, and the last is the name given at my birth as royalty of Narmer. The only name my father gave me upon my birth is Karmine alone, so thou may call me thus!"
"Uh, yeah..."
Her name's fucking long.
I can't even remember past Ka Nabna.
Anyway, she told me to call her Karmine, so I would.
"Um, Karmine."
"Aye, speak!"
Just moments ago, this Pharaoh sis had been sucking my dick.
Not once, but five times in a row, milking me dry. Now Karmine was adorning herself with gold-embroidered clothes handed over by her maids, all sorts of finery draping her body.
Unlike her usual scraps of cloth, this was flowing fabric, giving a different vibe.
Her everyday barely-there outfits were already insanely hot, but with that golden pussy-cover that was basically panties—no, whatever you call it—Karmine looked fucking scorching.
And it wasn't just her; Karura was dressed in something similar.
Both of them were fucking hot.
But getting hard right now would be a disaster, so I held back desperately.
If I popped a boner now, it'd be a total catastrophe.
I was already changed into something similar—super luxurious Narmer Kingdom-style clothes, though mine was a bit different.
Anyway, I had no clue why I was standing here watching Karmine and Karura change, so I asked.
"Mind if I ask what we're doing?"
"Preparing for the festival."
Festival...?
What the hell was there to celebrate?
From the news we'd gotten after everything wrapped up, washing off, and finally facing the subjects of Narmer Kingdom again:
That pedo skull bastard's raid had killed eighty-nine people this time.
Excluding the twelve unlucky dispensers who got caught up while getting laid, the rest were all Karmine's subjects, citizens of Narmer Kingdom.
Even accounting for the bare bones left behind, hit by a dragon's surprise breath and swarmed by tens of thousands of skulls by rough estimate, fewer than a hundred dead was impressive.
Still, that didn't bring the dead back.
And a festival in the midst of that?
But Karmine was accepting the clothes with a gravely solemn expression, no joy or excitement—just utmost seriousness. I couldn't say shit.
At least, it was clear an outsider like me had no business chiming in.
"Pharaoh, preparations are complete."
"Aye, mine shall be soon; we depart at once."
Saying that, she took a golden crown from the women flanking her—ones I'd seen before—and placed it on her head.
"...'Tis done. Karura, art thou ready?"
"Yes, Pharaoh."
"And thou... aye, it suits thee well. If thy skin were a shade darker, thou could pass for one of Narmer Kingdom! Quite dashing!"
That's a compliment, right?
She called it dashing, so yeah.
The outfit was flashy but felt awkward on me.
And like the women's—no underwear—the men's left my junk dangling loose.
Unlike theirs, the wide fabric wrapped around my waist hid it well.
But it still dangled.
"All prepared; let us go!"
"Open the doors."
At Karmine's command, massive doors swung open left and right.
She strode through, followed by the maids who'd dressed her, Karura, and me.
"Light the fires!"
Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh...!
White flames ignited, flickering to illuminate our path.
With each step, new fires blazed ahead.
We walked between the pale, roaring flames.
Before long, we emerged from the palace.
And there, we saw them.
Below the palace.
The endless stairs—already felt climbing up—stretched down to the gathered subjects of Narmer Kingdom.
Just a day after that shitshow, barely anyone looked unscathed.
Yet thousands—short of ten thousand—Narmer's entire populace had assembled.
Karmine halted at the overlook, slamming her staff into the ground.
Holy shit?
No.
It wasn't divine.
Just her voice infused with ki, booming across the kingdom.
Her words revealed the meaning behind this "festival" amid grief.
Ah.
That kind of festival.
A requiem rite.
Aaaaaah—
Aaaaaah—
And the song began.
Aaaaaaaaah—
Thousands of Narmer subjects sang at Karmine's command.
Aaaaaaaaaah—
Laughing as they sang.
Aaaaaaaaaaaah—
Crying as they sang.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaah—
"The mood is lacking, sound the revelry! Heroes!"
Pillars of light descended.
The army Karmine had summoned before rose again.
"Sing! As loudly as can be, that it reaches their path, even to the farthest realm!"
Thud!
Stomping feet.
Thud!
Striking chests.
I thought she'd bring out instruments for "revelry," but no.
Karmine's summoned forces just stomped, pounded their armored chests—thud, thud.
Aaaaaah—
Thud...!
Aaaaaaaaah—
Thud......!
Song and stomping.
Song and chest-thumps.
This was...
No matter how you sliced it...
Not singing.
Not revelry.
Pure wailing.
Not sobbing outright.
Just clutching hearts, squeezing out cries, pounding chests, stomping—wringing it all out.
That raw outpouring was nothing but lamentation.
"Still lacking? No help for it! Kings, ye must join!"
At her cry, more forces rose.
Golden-armored... troops, fewer than a few hundred, so not quite an army.
Karmine commanded them.
Dance?
In that armor?
But they drew swords and spears, beginning a dance.
Ah, that dance.
If you call it dance, sure.
Song, stomps, thumps.
Golden forces dancing to the rhythm.
Gorgeous, beautiful.
But so heartbreakingly sad—this requiem left me speechless.
"Come, my hero. Dance with me."
"Huh?"
I can't dance for shit.
Before I could say it, Karmine grabbed my hand, tossed her staff, and spun.
Twirl, twirl.
Whirling around.
"Thy steps are sluggish, hero! Move swifter! Like so...!"
Plip, plip.
Tears brushed my cheek.
"And smile, too! 'Tis a festival!"
Her wide smile, tears streaming from her eyes as she spun holding my hand.
"Come, smile! Hero!"
Smile?
But she beamed, tears flowing, urging me—so I did.
"Ha."
"Wider!"
"Haha, hahaha."
Not funny at all.
But I laughed, holding her hand, dancing.
Twirl.
Whirling.
"Karura! Join us!"
"Me? But..."
"Come now!"
"...Yes, Pharaoh."
With Karura joining midway, the three of us held hands, twirling amiably.
And then.
White orbs of light rose from everywhere.
"At last, the children have let go."
Karmine said, still dancing.
Let go...
"Sudden death brings grief, all the more so. Lingering regrets, unaware of their passing, they clung on. But they must not."
Beaming wide.
Tears from smiling eyes, she continued.
"Grief and regrets keep the dead among the living—harmful to both. They poison each other."
Her words conjured memories.
Past wraiths clinging to a white-haired woman for revenge, turned slimy.
And those around the pedo skull, cursing him to die.
Dead with grudges, obsessions, regrets.
Losing form, twisted into monsters.
"But if we grieve, how can they depart? Endless tears only worry them, halting their steps. Thus, the living must smile."
So they see us joyful and let go.
She released our hands, arms wide.
Enveloped in light, beaming impossibly wide.
Last tears falling, declaring no more weeping, she shone.
I thought it breathtakingly beautiful.
Truly.
From the heart.
The festival ended.
The requiem called festival.
Less than an hour, brief.
"Now... time for the next festival!"
"Huh?"
Next one?
What now?
Karmine, eyes puffy and red, grabbed mine and Karura's hands, shouting.
Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh...!
As if pre-arranged, Narmer lit up instantly.
And?
No.
Hold up?
"I never heard about..."
Before I could protest, Karmine pressed against me.
"Dost thou mean to say, after ravishing my virgin body so, thou shan't take responsibility? Thy seed still fills me!"
No...
...Not that, but.
I didn't expect a public announcement.
And not just subjects—surviving dispensers in disguise, world gov reps too.
In front of them...
"...Alas, no child took root this time, but with thee, no worry. I have no family left—henceforth, care for us well."
But.
Leaning into me, she said that.
"Ah...! Ph-Pharaoh...! S-Sorry. Hero."
"No need to apologize, Karura! A woman must coquettishly cling to her man! The more she does, the more loved! Embrace the hero tighter, Karura."
"A-Ah... Yes, Pharaoh."
Gripped by Karmine's hand, Karura ended up hugging me from the other side.
"My hero. I think much family is good! Alone is lonely... so... cherish me and Karura plenty henceforth."
Seeing Karmine slyly grope my now-hard dick—trapped between their bodies, hidden from cheering subjects.
Fuck, my line was set.
"...Leave it to me."
I hugged them both with my arms.
As Narmer's cheers erupted—waaah!—I figured how to explain this to the moms later.