Chapter 16: My Brother Might Be Fake
Hikigaya landed northwest of Kadesh.
This was where the Hittite army was stationed.
As he entered the Hittite camp, he saw a group of highly motivated warriors and the brutal reality of the world's earliest militaristic system.
The soldiers trained in lethal combat shifts. Those who performed poorly were whipped, and even the warhorses provided by allies were not spared; if deemed unfit by the Hittites, they were killed.
Apparently, the Hittites considered unfit warhorses no different from ordinary livestock, fit only for cooking.
There were no merchants here either, unlike other camps. In fact, without approval from the Hittite upper class, no merchant dared to approach.
In this era, merchants following armies was common.
As a result, while allies wasted time boasting or fooling around, the Hittites continued their training relentlessly.
In this regard, the Hittites truly were Egypt's formidable adversaries—the nightmare of nations.
Even intimate moments with wives were scheduled for them.
Hikigaya thought to himself: if he were a Hittite, he'd probably rebel.
How could they not get daily intimacy with their wives? Do they have no conscience?
After watching for a while, Hikigaya quickly felt that mere observation was no longer enough.
He moved to a hidden spot and happened to see a Hittite officer pulling down his pants to pee.
Without hesitation, Hikigaya immediately administered punishment in the name of the Great Hittite law.
This incident proved how dangerous it was to pee openly, especially in "hidden" spots.
The unlucky Hittite didn't even have time to react before being engulfed in flames; his life ended in an instant.
As the flames consumed him, Hikigaya's form transformed in a glow into that of the Hittite.
As a solar figure, Kuafu's power was essentially simulation. Initially, Hikigaya could only simulate the enemy's solar power. Now, he could leverage solar energy to slightly simulate other things.
The Hittite's memories also became his own.
Sorting through them, Hikigaya was delighted.
The Hittite was a high-ranking officer, of royal blood, from a prestigious family, and a participant in high-level military meetings. Excellent—that was useful. Apologies for not noticing earlier; people in this era dressed so lowly.
Emerging from the hidden spot, Hikigaya followed the memories to an open ground where over a hundred Hittite soldiers were arrayed in formation. Seeing the "Hazz" he was disguised as, they straightened their chests.
Following the memories, Hikigaya began organizing their training and, according to Hittite tradition, punished soldiers he deemed unfit.
There was one small problem: Hikigaya used the Yomi's standards. All the soldiers were beaten, and the one who disappointed him most was suspended and flogged, becoming the "star" of punishment for the day.
"What's going on? Hazz, why are all your soldiers punished?"
A deep voice approached, interrupting Hikigaya.
He was so immersed that he almost cast a continuous Fireball…
Fortunately, he regained his senses.
Turning, he saw his powerful relative.
For reference, his powerful relative was Muwatalli, king of the Hittites and supreme commander of the allied forces.
In short, this man was the most powerful on this land, obsessed since birth with conquering the stars and seas (since he couldn't reach the stars, Egypt sufficed). A great monarch acknowledged by all Hittites, loyal to the royal family alliance.
The alias Hikigaya wore, "Hazz," had a father named Hattusilis, Muwatalli's uncle. By tradition, the royal family united tightly under the king to establish Hittite supremacy.
However, Hattusilis and Muwatalli had conflicts: Muwatalli resented Hattusilis' prestige from the Battle of Kadesh and stripped his power. Hattusilis then attempted a coup. This marked the Hittite Empire's decline: the collapse of bloodline alliances led to internal strife.
At this moment, Hazz and Muwatalli were still close brothers, blood allies.
But this was Hazz, not Hikigaya.
Still, Hikigaya, fully immersed in the role, had no intention of giving up easily.
"Brother, these soldiers are far too weak. I'm punishing them," Hikigaya began to babble nonsense.
In reality, as the king's brother, his soldiers were elite. But using Yomi standards in the ancient era, they were all weaklings.
Muwatalli didn't know this; he only thought his younger brother was about to cause trouble.
Right, trouble. Both Muwatalli and Hattusilis were Hittite royalty elites, but Hazz was mediocre, overconfident, and almost useless. If not for family considerations, Muwatalli would never have brought Hazz to Kadesh. This battle mattered greatly to Egypt and even more to the Hittites.
In short: Egypt could lose, Hittites could not.
Muwatalli thought he had arranged things properly: Hazz wasn't commanding a regiment but was given over a hundred elite infantry, enough for him to gain some minor merits. He never imagined Hazz was actually a disguise.
But it didn't stop him from pretending to frown while secretly laughing.
"Brother, your soldiers are our elite. By punishing them, you insult them," Muwatalli ordered the suspended soldier released and began increasing his reputation in the soldiers' grateful eyes.
Even small gains matter. Ancient or not, Muwatalli understood this.
Hikigaya didn't care for his lecture. He turned and threw a stone—no, lifted a boulder over two people high with one hand and hurled it far away. Then, seeing everyone's dumbfounded faces, he punched a larger stone beside him in half.
Silence fell across the camp.
Muwatalli's eyes nearly popped out.
By the gods! This creature is my brother? Could he be fake!?
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting