Amid the square formations of Egyptian warriors clad in armor and gripping sharp blades, there existed such a unit.
Not a single person in this force wore armor, nor did they carry any lethal weapons.
Unlike the other soldiers, they were all dressed in soft, loose robes.
In their hands were ornate staffs that appeared magnificent yet seemed to possess no combat capability whatsoever.
They carried no quivers. Instead, each held scrolls made of papyrus. The only unusual detail was that the quality of these scrolls far surpassed ordinary papyrus.
Though small in number, these figures, so out of place among ordinary soldiers, stood openly within the ranks. Judging by their position, their status was anything but low.
They were not scribes, nor supervisors, nor logistical personnel.
They were true frontline combatants. In Nitocris's vision, they would become the decisive force upon the battlefield, the true source of her confidence in launching the war of unification.
They were all mages who had studied Egyptian runic sorcery.
This unit of only a few dozen was the War Mage Corps under Nitocris's command, the only mage corps in all of Egypt.
Yes. At last, Egypt possessed systematically trained mages with a clear lineage and structured body of knowledge.
And their magic originated from Alaric.
As a mage who had journeyed across great distances to Egypt in order to collect its unique spells, Alaric had not forgotten his original purpose after helping Nitocris reclaim power.
Thus, once the situation had stabilized, he devoted himself to researching Egyptian runic sorcery, or rather, runic divine arts, focusing on transforming divine runes into true magical runes.
Of course, this was a lengthy process, not something that could be accomplished in a mere year or two.
Egypt's principal deities were the Ennead. Through their priests, Alaric obtained sufficient material to convert a large number of magical runes.
Many were flashy but impractical, yet they provided him with invaluable inspiration.
And Egypt's gods were not limited to the Ennead alone.
In truth, beyond the Ennead's faith that spread across the land, every city and every nome had its own native patron deity.
In the future, the god who would replace the Ennead and become the new ruler of Heliopolis, Amun, was originally the native god of Thebes, then Egypt's capital.
With so many deities and divine runes scattered across Egypt, all waiting to be gathered and organized, the unification of Egypt was clearly necessary even for that purpose alone.
But before that, Alaric began cultivating assistants.
Relying solely on himself to organize countless runes, convert magical runes, and establish Egypt's magical system was an enormous and tedious task.
He felt it necessary to find help.
Nitocris would have been an excellent candidate. The Pharaoh possessed extraordinary magical talent. Yet there was one problem, she was far too busy.
Though Nitocris herself was a powerful mage, her primary role was Pharaoh. Being able to spare time to study magic was already her limit.
Alaric naturally could not distract her by involving her in magical research.
Thus, following Nitocris's example, Alaric began searching throughout the temples of Memphis for those with magical aptitude, training them in Egyptian runic magic to become his future assistants.
It is worth mentioning that during the Great Judgment, besides officials, many priests of the Ennead's temples in Memphis were also judged.
They had abused their authority as representatives of the gods, colluded with officials, intimidated and deceived believers, and amassed considerable wealth.
Now, those holding power in the temples of Memphis were formerly overlooked devout priests and newcomers.
In their eyes, Alaric and Nitocris were figures of terrifying authority, the horrific fate of their predecessors sacrificed to Sobek remained vivid in memory.
So when Alaric selected candidates among them, refusal was not an option.
However, while Nitocris, an exceptional runic prodigy, could quickly master runic magic, not every priest capable of divine runes could do the same.
Divine arts and magic demanded different kinds of talent.
Divine arts required devotion. While divine runes also required intelligence, a mage demanded true high intellect without exception. If one possessed well-developed innate magic circuits, all the better.
Clearly, not every priest met Alaric's standards.
But one thing was certain, the temples indeed concentrated many of Egypt's most intelligent individuals. From them, Alaric selected over a hundred who could become magical apprentices.
Among them, only a dozen or so were original temple priests. The majority were orphans adopted by the temples and raised to serve them.
These people gathered in the underground palace beneath the royal palace, studying runic magic under Alaric's guidance.
Yes, the very underground palace Nitocris had once built for revenge. But with Alaric's help, she no longer needed to pursue a path of mutual destruction.
The palace lost its original purpose, and she entrusted it to him.
"Since you saved me and saved my future, then this ominous palace that once symbolized my tragic fate shall be yours.
Use it well. Let it serve a true purpose, just as you changed my destiny."
And so, Alaric became its master. It became his magical workshop, his laboratory, and his classroom.
These people became his apprentices, studying magical theory and Egyptian runes under him each day.
Those who had originally been priests served as assistant instructors.
With their foundation in divine runes, they progressed much faster in learning runic magic. Most were adults and capable of caring for others.
With their help, the talented youths grew rapidly, becoming qualified magical apprentices.
Once, they had been orphans gathered from across Egypt by the temples, reserve candidates for priesthood. They truly possessed the talent.
And the War Mage Corps of Egypt was built upon these very people.