"...Hehe."

When someone looks at you and gives you an awkward smile, you know they're definitely up to something shady.

"Come on, what bad thing did you do?"

"The scepter you mentioned, is it golden with a ruby at the top?"

"Little Potatoes."

Ethan put on a stern face, "Did you steal someone else's belongings?"

"Don't put it so harshly. They provoked me first, plus I found it. It fell to the ground and I just picked it up!"

Little Potatoes' cheeks flushed red as she argued.

She is of the earth element, meaning the earth is her domain, so anything that falls to the ground could be hers.

So strictly speaking, this doesn't count as theft at all!

"Show it to me."

"You have to believe I picked it up first!"

Little Potatoes stiffened her neck, bargaining.

"Fine, I believe you picked it up."

Only then did she nod in satisfaction. In the next moment, the soil at Ethan's feet stirred, and a golden scepter emerged from the ground. Despite being buried for a long time, it wasn't covered in any dust.

The ruby emitted a faint glow, seemingly calling to Ethan, tempting him to hold the scepter that symbolizes supreme power.

'Golden Law.'

This is the name Cynthia mentioned. Ethan was certain the moment he saw the scepter, that it was one of the Divine Artifacts Cynthia spoke of.

All along, Charman had used this scepter to enact the will of the King of Gold, spreading his intent across various realms.

The only question is, can such a Divine Artifact really just be picked up casually from the ground?

Ethan cast a doubtful glance at Little Potatoes, somehow feeling that beneath her harmless appearance, she was essentially no less than a literary criminal.

"Explain in detail how you picked it up?"

"It fell to the ground and I picked it up, what's there to explain?"

"Then why did it fall to the ground?"

"Because, because..."

Little Potatoes turned red and forced an argument, "Because the person holding it tripped, and the thing in his hand naturally fell to the ground, right?"

Eleven chimes of the clock provided Little Potatoes a reprieve, indicating the arrival of time.

It was already eleven at night; outside the window, it remained bright as ever, the golden glow stealing Siwalant's night, causing those living there to lose their sense of time.

On the other side of the city, a man in a sorrowful mask donned a red cloak, descending the steps of the mansion.

The figure downstairs made him stop.

The figure with an angry mask sized him up, or to be more precise, his empty right hand.

On the eve of the purification ritual, he didn't hold the scepter that symbolized his identity.

"Charman."

Through the mask, he could hear his companion's cold greeting; he also knew why the other had come.

Just last night, a rumor spread unexpectedly.

A thief broke into his mansion and stole his scepter.

Their eyes met, and under the perception through the golden mask, their true thoughts were laid bare.

Just as the laws of the Golden Kingdom dictate, there should be no lies between them.

"It seems you've already made a decision."

The voice pierced through his eardrum, reaching directly into Charman's mind.

After leaving these words, the figure with an angry mask turned swiftly, disappearing into the shadows, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.