BXBX NOVEL Chapter 118: An Unavoidable Crisis
As he arrived back at the hotel, he was taken aback to find the members of the caravan, who were also staying there, gathered together in a seemingly intense discussion.
Bonnie was the first to spot Jeremy.
She quickly waved in his direction, signaling him to come over.
"You're finally back, we've all been waiting for you." she exclaimed, a hint of relief in her voice.
Jeremy couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern at her words.
"What's going on? Why are all of you gathered here?"
Master Bard emerged from the crowd, weaving his way toward Jeremy.
He glanced at Jeremy, then cast a look behind him. "Where's Heber? Why didn't he come back with you?"
"Heber went to see an old friend of his, that gemstone merchant. What exactly is going on?"
Jeremy pressed for more information.
His question hung in the air, unanswered by anyone.
It was Bonnie who eventually broke the silence and responded.
"The Sun Knights have sealed off all the gates of Nocturne City. They've also summoned all recent arrivals to their headquarters."
At this juncture, Master Bard interjected, his tone laden with urgency.
"Indeed, as a caravan, we possess the necessary credentials, which Heber holds. Without him, we can't present ourselves at the Sun Knights' headquarters."
Jeremy's mind raced as he absorbed the gravity of the situation.
If we continue to delay, the Sun Knights will inevitably come knocking on our door. When that happens, those rigid Sun Knights might even mistake us for wrongdoers."
Jeremy couldn't help but inwardly retort.
"In reality, we are wrongdoers! I am an enemy of the Sun, Master Bard is an alchemist who sneaked out of Dawn City, and Heber is a merchant who routinely bribes the guards of Nocturne City."
As they conversed, Heber had already returned to the hotel.
He had obtained similar information from his friend. Upon seeing everyone gathered together, Heber's earlier anxiety seemed to dissipate.
"It seems you already have an idea of what's happening, so there's no need for me to elaborate further. Just accompany me to the headquarters of the Sun Knights."
Heber said swiftly. With that, he promptly retreated to his room to retrieve his merchant credentials.
Jeremy, however, felt a growing sense of unease.
The prospect of going to the Sun Knights' headquarters meant facing the Sun directly. The Sun had already noticed his presence in Nocturne City, confronting it head-on could lead to a significant crisis.
After pondering for a moment, Jeremy turned to Master Bard and asked.
"Is there any way I can avoid going to the Sun Knights' headquarters with you? I have a strong feeling that I will be targeted there."
Master Bard did not fully grasp Jeremy's underlying concern.
With a hint of impatience, he remarked, "You don't need to worry. The Sun Knights may be rigid, but they would never intentionally frame you."
Having said this, Master Bard also retreated to his room, apparently in search of something.
Bonnie then leaned in close to Jeremy.
Lowering her voice to a whisper. "Are you worried we might encounter the Sun?"
Bonnie's question struck Jeremy as somewhat naive. The Sun Knights are, after all, the Sun's minions. If they went to the Sun Knights' headquarters, they were bound to encounter the Sun.
"The headquarters of the Sun Knights undoubtedly possesses the divine power of the Sun. Even if we're not discovered immediately, the Sun will eventually find clues and track us all down." Jeremy explained.
"So, what should we do? Should the two of us hide?" Bonnie inquired, anxiety creeping into her voice.
"I'm not sure. We'll have to take it one step at a time."
Jeremy responded, choosing not to disclose that the Sun had already noticed him. He wanted to keep Bonnie from becoming overly anxious.
Should Bonnie learn of this information, she might very well become extremely alarmed. Consequently, the situation Jeremy faces would deteriorate further.
No sooner had Jeremy and Bonnie finished their conversation than Master Bard and Heber emerged from their respective rooms.
"You should be ready by now. If there are no further questions, let's head to the Sun Knights' headquarters."
Heber announced, leading the caravan members downstairs.
As they descended, Jeremy inadvertently used his Divine Consciousness and sensed that a follower of the Sun seemed to be lurking nearby.
"The person hiding must be the legendary Eternal Light, right? It seems I really underestimated their capabilities. They managed to locate me this quickly."
Jeremy thought to himself upon discovering the Eternal Light. At that moment, he realized he was already marked by the Sun.
However, this realization wasn't entirely negative for Jeremy. It meant he no longer needed to ponder ways to evade this crisis.
Since the crisis couldn't be avoided, he had no choice but to confront it head-on.
Rather than feeling discouraged, the necessity to face the crisis actually steeled Jeremy's resolve. He meticulously checked his weapons and assessed his condition.
Once he was certain he was in peak form, he boarded the carriage and closed his eyes to rest.
During the journey to the Sun Knights' headquarters, Jeremy's Divine Consciousness detected one Eternal Light after another.
These Eternal Lights appeared to be monitoring the group's progress.
Yet, they didn't seem intent on eliminating Jeremy en route.
Perhaps they hadn't fully determined that Jeremy was indeed an enemy of the Sun.
After about half an hour, Jeremy and his companions finally arrived outside the Sun Knights' headquarters.
Heber was the first to disembark from the carriage.
He presented his merchant credentials to the guards at the entrance.
"You're a bit late, aren't you? The other merchants have already arrived."
The guard cast a glance at Heber's merchant credentials and remarked coldly.
"We were negotiating a deal with the gemstone merchants in Nocturne City, which delayed us." Heber explained.
"Since you're already late, don't waste any more time! Get inside quickly!" the guard snapped.
With that, Heber led the entire caravan into the Sun Knights' headquarters. Before entering, Jeremy had inquired about the architectural style of the headquarters.
He learned it resembled a grand cathedral.
At its pinnacle stood a radiant disc, symbolizing the great Sun.
Upon seeing the radiant disc, Jeremy felt a tinge of disdain.
In his view, the Sun wasn't nearly as formidable as it appeared.
It lacked the ability to traverse different instances like the Magician, nor could it manipulate everything from behind the scenes like the Fool.
The Sun could only maintain an illusion of supreme power within this instance.
"What are you standing there for? Why aren't you going inside?"
Just as Jeremy was lost in thought, staring at the radiant disc, the cold voice of a Sun Knight snapped him back to reality.
Glancing at the speaker, Jeremy promptly followed the others into the headquarters of the Sun Knights.
The interior was adorned with numerous symbols of the Sun.
Furthermore, although the entire building had scarcely any windows, the interior was brilliantly illuminated.
It seemed as though the place was enveloped by the formidable power of the sun.
Once Heber and the group reached the main hall, they were promptly left in the center.
They watched as other merchants' caravans gradually exited the headquarters, one by one.
Initially, no one thought much of it, assuming those who arrived earlier were simply leaving sooner. However, as time passed, nearly all other merchants had left.
Leaving only Heber's group behind.
In their anxious wait, a formation of Sun Knights appeared before them, marching in an orderly line. Jeremy's hand was already gripping his weapon, prepared for a potential confrontation, but the Sun Knights merely passed by them.
He relaxed his grip slightly.
"You finally arrived. I thought you might hide forever. As enemies of the deity, you certainly overestimate yourselves."
A gruff voice echoed from nearby.
Everyone turned to see a tall, imposing figure clad in golden armor approaching them slowly.
This was Betak, the Vice-Captain of the Sun Knights.
"Jeremy, that's how you pronounce it, right? I must admit, I didn't expect an enemy of the deity to have the audacity to come here."
Betak said, his eyes locked onto Jeremy.
Expressions of shock spread across everyone's faces. Bonnie clenched her hands, her face pale. Jeremy, however, remained remarkably calm.
Having anticipated this turn of events.
"Since I am already deemed an enemy of your deity, why should I fear you? If I can stand against the Sun itself, you are hardly worthy of speaking to me." Jeremy retorted coolly.
His words successfully provoked Betak.
The Vice-Captain raised his Sun Spear, pointing its gleaming tip directly at Jeremy.
"You insolent follower of the dark! As a mighty Sun Knight and a loyal follower of the Sun, I will obliterate you today!"
No sooner had Betak's words fallen than a scorching sunlight enveloped Jeremy and his companions.