The coronation celebration lasted all day, from noon all the way through to the evening.
The central square was saturated with the warm aroma of savory soup as it simmered in pots above the fire. Within the pots, a thick layer of spicy oils glazed the surface displaying the richness of the soup. It was made so that anyone could add the food they wanted and eat as they pleased. As spices were still considered as luxuries in this era, the party attracted many civilians. Some people even brought jars and barrels, hoping that to bring some soup home to savor every drop of it later.
City Hall was in charge of continuously adding water and broth into the pots. With each addition of chopped beef bones and sausages, the crowd would burst into loud cheers.
This would have been an incredible scene during the Months of Demons in the past.
People used to breathe gingerly during a long winter season, for cold represented death. But now, they could appreciate the snow drifting down from the sky and express their love for life without such fear.
Because they knew there would be enough food to keep them warm.
Everybody raised their cups in celebration of the new king while sending him their blessings.
Sylvie turned around and watched the bustling castle hall.
People here were also having a good time.
There was plenty of delicious food, wine, music and laughter.
The party became even more boisterous when Roland and Anna presented themselves in their wedding gowns.
It was Sylvie"s first time to see such a unique wedding gown. Completely different from the white dress the bride had worn on the Chief Knight"s wedding, the new one designed by Roland was actually nothing like a nightgown. The dress was mainly in red and gold, with long sleeves and a full skirt. Its shoulder parts were ornamented with two patterned ribbons of intricate and elegant designs.
Not many people could pull off such a bright color, but the dress was perfect for Anna. She was a genius fire controller and one of the most outstanding witches of this era. The bright red outfit made her look even more stunning whilst also making her display a gracious and queenly aura.
Everybody raised their gla.s.ses, to which Roland and Anna returned a smile. It was a perfect party.
But Sylvie was all tensed up.
She had noticed something strange at the ceremony.
As she had the Eye of Magic, she was obligated to detect anything out of character before anyone else and promptly notify the other guards. For things like a coronation ceremony, she had to make sure Roland was absolutely safe, not only because he was Princess Tilly"s brother but also because it was her responsibility as a guard. Therefore, Sylvie had been extremely cautious, making sure that she did not miss anything.
Each incident seemed insignificant if she looked at them separately. However, once she pieced them together, she found something suggestive.
This reminded Sylvie of a song Roland often hummed.
The lyrics were quite interesting, which read "a walking stick blackened, a strong floral scent softened ... many jigsaw puzzles that might not make sense to you, would eventually lead you to the discovery of a truth well hidden."
It was worth noting that after Mystery Moon heard the tune, she made it the song of the Detective Group.
The situation this time had been exactly as the lyrics described.
Sylvie did not know what the problem was. Normally, she would have warned Nightingale and Ashes by now.
But this time, she kept silent.
Because she suddenly remembered what Anna had told her two days ago.
"The person who keeps the secret is always the one that knows it. I need your help, Sylvie."
At that time, she had not understood the meaning behind it, so she had not given it much thought.
But now, as if struck by a sudden enlightenment, Sylvie saw the full picture. Anna"s words were the last piece of the puzzle that had just been slotted into place.
She discovered a secret.
Sylvie did not take delight in it. Instead, she felt a huge burden being laid upon her shoulders.
Because now she had to not only keep the secret but also stop others from noticing it.
Someone else had probably also noticed those subtle signs!
Sylvie surveyed the entire hall. Her eyes rested on three people.
"Achoo!"
Lorgar rubbed her nose, glancing about suspiciously.
"What"s the matter?" Andrea asked. "Wolves can also catch a cold?"
"I"m not sure if it"s my nose. I"ve been feeling something wrong since this morning." Lorgar made a sniff. "The odors I smell seemed inconsistent with the number of people here..."
"Inconsistent?" Ashes cut in. "Can you actually tell people apart by their smells?"
"I can as long as they aren"t too far apart and there"s no interference of a strong scent," said Lorgar with a nod.
"There are nearly 100 people in the hall," said Andrea with an incredulous look. "Even if you do have an acute sense of smell, you can"t remember all the odors people are giving off. Besides, many of them are wearing perfumes. They also tend to touch others, like this." With these words, Andrea touched the back of Ashes" hand with the hand she had just used to eat a chicken drumstick. "I"ll also have her odor on me now. Can you still tell us apart?"
"It"s difficult... but still, I can tell whether a certain individual is present or not." Lorgar dropped her ears in confusion. "n.o.body is moving about, but I notice some scents are on and off. Why is that?"
"Ahem." Sylvie appeared behind the three witches and said, "You"re probably sick."
"Sylvie?" Andrea raised her brow. "How come you"re here?"
"I"m just walking around and overheard your conversation." She shrugged and looked at the wolf girl. "The weather on the desert in the south is quite different from that in the Western Region. It"s easy to catch a cold. Plus, this is your first winter here, so it"s normal that you are feeling under the weather. If you feel there"s something wrong with your nose, you might as well drink some Lily"s Cleansing Water. I was like that too when I first came here."
"Really?" Lorgar seemed to suddenly understand the reason. "I see."
Sylvie walked off, feeling a bit relieved.
Because of her ability, Lorgar Burnflame possessed far better hearing and a much more acute sense of smell than ordinary people. As she had an animal intuition, Sylvie needed to watch out for her all the time.
Fortunately, she had successfully prevented her from discovering the secret.
Now, her next target was —
"Coo, coo, coo, coo coo coo coo... coo!" Perched on Lightning"s head, Maggie was talking to Joan in excitement.
"Ya, ya ya, yaa — ya!" Joan returned as if the two people were discussing a very interesting topic.
"Oh well, whatever..." Sylvie clapped her hand over her forehead. Even if they did find out something, they would not understand it.
Likewise, n.o.body would be able to read something out of their conversation either.
At this thought, Sylvie locked her Eye of Magic on her third target.
This was probably the person who was most likely to discover the secret and also the most difficult one to deal with out of the three.
It was Honey.