Chapter 62: Knights of the Sun
"I didn’t steal! I didn’t steal!"
In front of a small wooden stall, a man wailed loudly, his body pinned to the ground by several muscular guards.
A few feet away stood a short man in business attire. His gaze was fixed on the man’s clenched hands.
Or rather, what lay inside of them.
"Bullshit!"
"A beggar like you possessing a Relic? Who are you trying to fool?"
"If you didn’t steal it, where did it come from? Do you expect anyone to believe that you found it lying on the ground?"
The short man’s tone was full of disbelief.
The moment he spoke, the pinned man felt the guards’ grip tighten even further.
One of the guards forcefully pried open his hands, causing the small golden shield within them to drop to the ground.
Watching his treasure spin away, the pinned man nearly burst into tears.
Damn it! Was this game created to torture him?
It was bad enough that he had started as a beggar, but just when he thought his luck had turned around, his situation had taken a turn for the worse.
The cause of all this was the small golden shield he had found in one of the alleys.
Using Insight Eye, he had confirmed it was a Relic!
An item exclusive to Awakeners!
When he had gotten his hands on it, he was filled with excitement. With this Relic, he believed getting ahead of the other Beta Players was practically guaranteed.
Before he could even take the first step toward those dreams, however, this shameless merchant happened to see the Relic.
Under the pretext that he had stolen it from him, he requested that the guards apprehend him.
FamousIdol had to doubt his own life.
Since when did NPCs learn to frame Players?
Had game technology advanced this far already?
Just when FamousIdol was getting increasingly furious, intending to curse both the shameless man and these useless guards, the sound of footsteps suddenly echoed.
The crowd around them parted.
A blond man walked in.
"Young man, please don’t interfere with the official business!" A guard standing nearby spoke up.
Although his voice was solemn, his tone was polite.
Looking at the blond man’s clothes and the demeanor with which he carried himself, the guard realized the young man was almost certainly a noble.
Although guards held a high status, there was no reason to offend a noble.
Unfortunately, despite his good intentions, the young man ignored him, as though he had not heard his words.
He stepped closer casually, stopping before the crime scene.
He glanced at the man on the ground and then at the short merchant.
"What happened here? Why are you causing such a commotion?" Aurelius questioned, his voice unhurried and authoritative.
Hearing his words, the guard who had tried to remind him frowned. He was about to say something when his companion suddenly cut him off.
"My Lord, this is what happened..."
Under Aurelius’ watchful gaze, the leading guard started narrating what had happened.
It was pretty much the same as what the Player had experienced. The only difference was that the guards had never seen the Player pick up the Relic.
Hearing the merchant accuse him of stealing, they immediately tied him up.
After all, the man’s explanation was absolutely reasonable. How could a mere beggar possibly own a Relic?
It was obvious he had stolen it from somewhere!
"He’s lying! I’m innocent!"
"He’s framing me! This damn dwarf is framing me!"
As the guard finished his explanation, the pinned Player struggled, screaming his complaints at the top of his lungs.
It was only when he noticed the cold, murderous gaze of the guard beside him that he shut up. The Player strongly suspected that these people might actually kill him if he continued.
Aurelius didn’t rush to speak. He inspected the scene, then motioned at one of the guards.
"May I have a look at the Relic?"
The guard hesitated. After glancing at his leader and receiving approval, he grabbed the golden token and handed it to Aurelius.
Alchemist’s Touch was activated the moment he touched it. He immediately confirmed that this was an authentic Relic.
From his own experience, Aurelius was even able to judge its rank.
A Common Relic—the same rank as the Red Hare Armor he once possessed.
The description further confirmed this.
...
[Dawn Shield (Common): A common Relic carried by the Knights of the Sun. It can call upon the power of the Sun to resist incoming attacks.]
...
’A mass-produced Relic,’ Aurelius judged.
From the description and the circumstances, he had already confirmed the truth.
Playing with the little shield in his palm, he looked toward the short merchant, much to the other party’s inner unease.
"You claim this Relic is yours?" Aurelius questioned, his voice emotionless.
His cold gaze made the merchant flinch.
From the guards’ reactions, he knew this young man might have an extraordinary status.
But since things had reached this point, he could only nod.
"Yes, my Lord! This Relic is mine!"
"This little thief stole my Relic! I pawned my house to purchase it! If he had succeeded, I would have to live in the streets!"
"My Lord, please administer justice!" Tears welled up in the merchant’s eyes, and he looked ready to kneel and beg for his assistance.
Silence shrouded the scene. The spectators looked at Aurelius and the guards expectantly, eager to see how the thief would be punished.
But to their surprise, Aurelius shook his head.
His gaze turned sharp.
"Then you’re admitting that you stole a Relic belonging to the Knights of the Sun?"
"You... You’re speaking nonsense!" The merchant’s respectful demeanor vanished.
His face turned pale, full of fear.
Knights of the Sun—this was a name everyone in Dawn Kingdom was familiar with. They represented the Sun Church and, as an extension, the God of Sun!
The accusation of stealing such a Relic was no longer a simple matter of thievery.
If found guilty, it could very well result in his execution!
"Whether I’m speaking nonsense or not, everyone can see with their own eyes."
The moment he finished speaking, Aurelius poured a wisp of his Spirit into the Dawn Shield.
Instantly, the hand-sized Relic expanded, transforming into a giant golden shield, taller than an ordinary man.
Gasps echoed from the crowd as they witnessed its transformation.
The sun-shaped pattern engraved on the Relic, which everyone immediately recognized, confirmed Aurelius’ words.
This Relic belonged to the Knights of the Sun! More precisely, to the Sun Church and the God of Sun!
The moment that realization dawned upon everyone, the expressions of several people changed.
The merchant made a quick decision. He spun around and fled, disregarding the valuable items left in his stall.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t go very far. A cold voice soon echoed.
"Lock him up!"