King Larus III, the 'Fire-Leaper,' arrived precisely with the seven o'clock chimes. The King was busy with a myriad of affairs, and everyone understood.
Ten minutes before the King's arrival, his attendant found Xia De and informed him that he would be conferred a knightly title in ten minutes, so he needed urgent training on the upcoming procedures and etiquette.
"No need, I've already learned it once."
Xia De quickly waved his hand to decline. The attendant didn't ask further, only telling Xia De not to return to the banquet hall but to wait by his side to ensure he wouldn't be hard to find later.
Thus, the entire process proceeded in an orderly fashion. The King's arrival brought the atmosphere to its peak. Under the crystal chandelier, which looked like it could be worth thousands of Mia, the King and Queen attended together and delivered speeches.
Xia De listened from the side. The general gist of the speech was that Queen Diana was safe and sound, all conspiracies would be thwarted, and the Royal Family once again condemned Carson Rick.
It wasn't until the summoned reporters lit their magnesium flashlights, filling the area with dazzling white light and drifting smoke, that the King briefly touched upon the recent unsettling child disappearance cases.
He only spoke a few sentences before temporarily departing, leaving a representative from Leedweich Field to report the follow-up situation to the banquet guests. The specially invited reporters had already received their speaking drafts and were looking for suitable angles for their photographs.
Tomorrow's front-page headline would undoubtedly be a joint photo of the King and the safe and sound Queen Diana, while Leedweich Field and the child disappearance cases could be relegated to page three.
As for the protagonist who had already reserved page two, he was looking around the banquet hall. This was a very formal banquet, with gentlemen and ladies dressed in their most appropriate attire, and even the maids and servants wore uniform outfits.
Xia De still didn't understand whether what he had just seen of Miss Bei Ya Si was an illusion or something else, but after twenty minutes, he still hadn't seen that figure again.
The speeches of the King and the Chief of Police echoed in his ears, but Xia De was distracted and couldn't listen at all. What they were saying was either something Xia De already knew or simply not true. Boring speeches were the same in any world, making people drowsy.
He even thought that these speeches were not as interesting as the rhode cards that would be played later.
He suddenly snapped back to attention when he heard his name, realizing it was already the summary stage of the case:
"Therefore, the enthusiastic citizen Mr. Hamilton and the loyal Captain Lades together assisted Leedweich Field in thwarting the child disappearance cases in Tobesk City during the Summer of 1053. Mr. Hamilton even demonstrated his loyalty to the Royal Family and his own bravery by protecting Queen Diana from an assassin during this period."
He nodded slightly in Xia De's direction, and people nearby also looked over. Xia De immediately stood up and returned the bow, then sat back down to wait for his turn.
However, after this, more people quietly observed Xia De. The young Detective's good looks and relaxed posture easily made people feel favorably towards him. Xia De himself was not aware of this; his entire focus was on the question of "Was Miss Bei Ya Si an illusion?"
The final segment was the awarding of merits, with the King's attendant reading out the commendation list. Xia De thought to himself that putting this segment last was to prevent the award recipients from no longer paying attention to the preceding official speeches after receiving their awards.
There was no alphabetical order rule here; the first name mentioned was directly "Xia De Hamilton." The attendant loudly read out the resolution, and Xia De also stood up:
"In view of Mr. Xia De · Su Lun · Han Mi Er Dun's demonstrated valor and integrity, as well as his immense loyalty to the Royal Family, after discussions by the Council and the Royal Family—"
There was a very deliberate pause, but it also effectively built up the anticipation.
"Mr. Hamilton is hereby specially granted the title of 'Knight of Thunder Jeed.'"
As the words fell, there was a few seconds of silence in the banquet hall, and then the sound wave spread from the very front throughout the entire hall.
This matter had obviously not been leaked before the banquet, so when a knightly title, which had not been awarded for several centuries, was mentioned, even the most disciplined people couldn't help but whisper to each other.
People all looked at the young man who had stood up. Xia De nodded to everyone he made eye contact with, and people returned his greetings. Especially the young ladies, those eager gazes from all directions made Xia De feel his body temperature rising.
"How does it feel?"
She asked softly in his ear.
"Pretty good. Good thing I didn't bring Mia out, otherwise that timid cat would definitely be scared by this scene."
He joked inwardly, actually feeling quite good.
And as the discussions arose, the already prepared band began to play. The King and Queen, leading dozens of people including Miss Jialinna, appeared to confer the knighthood upon Xia De.
Generally, the awarding of a noble title does not require so many people, but this time it was for protecting the Queen, so the Royal Family naturally put on a grand display.
When the King, whose hairline was somewhat concerning, called Xia De's name, a pair of servants laid out another layer of red carpet over the original one, extending from the elevated position where the King stood towards the main entrance of the banquet hall.
Xia De straightened his clothes before stepping onto the red carpet, then, under the gaze of the banquet guests, he walked along the red carpet to stand before the King.
Everyone present was looking at Xia De, but the Outsider inexplicably felt no tension at all:
"This isn't even as many people as when I received my degree back then."
He said to himself, then bowed according to the etiquette he had just learned. The attendant pressed his hands down to quiet the people, and the trombones and French horns of the band simultaneously produced a deep, majestic sound.
Flashlights continuously flickered. King Larus III took a longsword from an attendant beside him and rested it on Xia De's shoulder. This action was paused for three seconds, allowing reporters to take photos for tomorrow's page two.
The subsequent process seemed quite boring to Xia De. The King read out the Royal Family's decision to bestow the knightly title and encouraged Xia De to continue demonstrating his loyalty and bravery.
He then handed the knight's medal and saber to Xia De, and the two stood together for reporters to photograph.
Xia De noticed that the middle-aged King beside him was certainly not as tall as himself, but he wore a pair of high-heeled boots, which also had sapphire buttons.
With the current black-and-white photography and newspaper printing technology, tomorrow's newspaper photos would certainly not reveal the secret of the King's boots to the public. This way, Larus III, wearing his crown, would appear slightly taller than Xia De, who was not wearing a hat.
"So, Miss Servite repeatedly reminded me not to wear a hat for this reason," Xia De thought, then heard the old photographer, hidden behind the camera's dark cloth, loudly remind them to look at the camera.
Thinking of Mia running to the door on time every morning to remind him to get goat milk, a natural smile appeared on Xia De's lips.
Flashlights flared, and burning smoke drifted upwards. The banquet hall was brightly lit, and the so-called upper-class nobles applauded in congratulation.
Xia De stood side by side with the King, maintaining a fixed smile. Light shone on them, shadows swayed at their feet, smoke drifted over their heads, and waves of sound surged, bringing the fervent atmosphere to its peak.
Everything in the banquet hall seemed to be moving, but only they, in the interplay of light and shadow, remained still.
This scene would be remembered for many years.
