Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

King "Fire Jumper" Larus III arrived at seven o'clock, and since the King managed countless affairs daily, everyone understood and showed lenience for his schedule.

Ten minutes before the King's arrival, the King's attendant officer had found Shard and notified him that he would be knighted in ten minutes, which is why he now needed an urgent training session for the upcoming procedure and etiquette.

"No need, I've already learned it once,"

Shard quickly waved his hand to refuse, and the attendant officer didn't ask further, only instructing Shard not to go back to the banquet hall, but to wait on the side with the attendant officer to prevent Shard from being unfindable later.

So, the entire process went smoothly, and His Majesty the King's arrival brought the atmosphere to its peak. Under the crystal chandelier that might be valued at several hundred Mias, the King and Queen both appeared and delivered their speeches.

Shard listened from the side; the gist of the speeches was that Queen Diana was safe and sound, all conspiracies would be thwarted, and the Royal Family issued another condemnation of Carsonrick.

Only after the journalists summoned to the event ignited their magnesium flashbulbs, filling the place with dazzling white light and drifting smoke, did His Majesty the King briefly address the recent child disappearance cases that had alarmed the public.

He spoke only a few words before temporarily stepping aside, leaving a representative from Riddlevitch Field to report the follow-up situation to the banquet attendees, while specially invited journalists, already holding their press releases, were looking for the best angles for their shots.

Tomorrow's front-page headline will undoubtedly feature a photo of His Majesty the King and Queen Diana, safe and sound, while Riddlevitch Field and the series of child disappearance cases might be pushed to page three.

As for the protagonist already reserved for the second page, he was surveying the banquet hall. This was a very formal affair, with gentlemen and ladies dressed in their most appropriate attire, and even the maids and servants wore uniform costumes.

Shard still didn't understand whether what he had just seen of Miss Beyas was a trick of the eyes or something else, but after twenty minutes, he still hadn't seen her figure again.

The speeches of the King and the Chief of Police echoed in his ears, but Shard's mind was elsewhere and he simply couldn't pay attention. Whether the topics were something Shard already knew or just not true at all, tedious lectures were the same in every world, simply sleep-inducing.

He even thought these speeches were less interesting than a round of Roder Card coming up.

It was only when he heard his own name that he snapped back to reality; the summary phase of the case had arrived:

"Thus, the devoted citizen Mr. Hamilton and the loyal Captain Lades, together with the help of Riddlevitch Field, have thwarted the Tobesk City child disappearance case of summer 1053, with Mr. Hamilton even demonstrating his loyalty to the Royal Family and personal bravery by protecting Queen Diana from an assassin."

He nodded slightly towards Shard's direction as a sign of respect, and the nearby people also looked over. Shard immediately stood up to return the gesture, then sat back down to wait for his segment to come.

Suddenly, the number of people stealthily watching Shard increased. The young detective's good looks and relaxed demeanor easily drew people's favor, but Shard himself was not aware of this, his thoughts wholly fixated on whether "Miss Beyas" was an illusion.

The last segment was the awards presentation, announced by the King's attendant officer. Shard thought to himself that placing this segment last was to prevent the awardees from losing interest in the earlier official speeches once they received their awards.

There was no alphabetical order here, and the first name mentioned was directly "Shard Hamilton." The attendant officer loudly read the resolution, and Shard also stood up:

"In recognition of Mr. Shard Suren Hamilton's displayed valor and integrity as well as his significant loyalty to the Royal Family, upon deliberation by the Council and negotiations with the Royal Family—"

A deliberate pause, but one that aptly stirred emotions.

"—hereby confers upon Mr. Hamilton the title of 'Rejed's Knight.'"

As the voice settled, the banquet hall fell silent for a few seconds before the sound waves spread from the front to the whole hall.

This matter had obviously not been leaked before the banquet, so when the knight title, which had not been awarded for centuries, was mentioned, even the most reserved people couldn't help but whisper excitedly to one another.

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People turned their attention to the young man who was rising to his feet; Shard nodded to each person who made eye contact, and they all responded in kind. Especially the young ladies—those eager eyes from all directions made Shard feel as if his body temperature was rising.

"How do you feel?"

She whispered in his ear.

"Quite nice. I'm glad I didn't bring Mia along; otherwise, that timid cat would surely be terrified by this scene," he replied jokingly in his mind, actually feeling quite good about everything.

At the same time as the murmurings started, the orchestra, already prepared, began to play. The King and Queen, leading dozens of people including Miss Galina, appeared to confer the knighthood upon Shard.

A standard title conferment would not require so many people, but this time, since it involved defending the Queen, the Royal Family naturally made a grand gesture.

When the King, whose receding hairline was a bit of a concern, called out Shard's name, a pair of attendants laid another layer of red carpet on top of the original, extending from the elevated position where the King stood to the main entrance of the banquet hall.

Shard straightened his clothes before stepping onto the red carpet, and then walked towards the King under the gaze of the banquet attendees.

Everyone present was looking at Shard, but the Outlander mysteriously felt no nervousness at all:

"There weren't even this many people when I graduated."

He thought to himself, then gave the formal bow he had learned not long ago. The attendant officer gestured with both hands to quiet the crowd a bit more, as the trombones and French horns of the orchestra emitted a low and majestic sound at that moment.

The flashes of cameras flickered nonstop. King Larus III took a longsword from an attendant at his side and rested the flat of the blade on Shard's shoulders. The action was deliberately paused for three seconds to give the journalists time to take pictures, destined to be the second-page photo for tomorrow's newspaper.

The subsequent proceedings seemed rather dull to Shard as the King read the Royal decree granting the title of Knight and encouraged Shard to continue demonstrating his loyalty and valor.

The King then presented Shard with the Knight Medal and sword, and the two stood together for photos by the press.

Shard noticed that the middle-aged King beside him was definitely shorter than himself, but he was wearing a pair of boots with heels, adorned with sapphire buttons.

With the black-and-white photography and newspaper printing technology of the time, the secret of the King's boots would surely not be discerned by the public from tomorrow's newspaper photos—making King Larus III with his Crown appear taller than the bareheaded Shard. Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire

"So that's why Miss Servit kept reminding me not to wear a hat—it was for this reason," Shard realized. Then he heard the elderly photographer, who was hidden behind the camera's cloth, loudly reminding him to look at the lens.

Thinking of Mia, who punctually ran to the door every morning to remind him to fetch the sheep milk, Shard's lips formed a natural smile.

The flashbulbs burst with light, and clouds of smoke drifted upwards. The banquet hall was brightly lit as the so-called upper class of nobility applauded and congratulated him.

Shard stood shoulder to shoulder with the King, maintaining a fixed smile while the light shone on them, their shadows flickered beneath their feet, the smoke drifted over their heads, and waves of sound surged towards them—the atmosphere was at its peak of warmth.

Inside the banquet hall, it seemed like everything was in motion, yet only they, amidst the interplay of light and shadow, remained still.

This moment would be remembered by people for many years to come.

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