Lord: I can see loyalty.

The lights came on again very quickly.

Instead of relighting the candles one by one, the giant candlesticks in the four corners of the hall simultaneously burst into flames, illuminating the entire space as if it were daytime. This was clearly a backup plan prepared by the host.

When Vance saw the scene before him, he couldn't help but gasp.

Seven corpses lay gleaming on the ground.

To be precise, there were eight bodies, with one lying in a corner, its body covered by an overturned tablecloth.

Blood meandered across the stone slab, pooling into a small, dark red puddle. The dead were all knights who had attended the banquet; their armor still gleamed with blood, but they were already lifeless.

The screams continued, but were quickly drowned out.

"Quiet!"

A loud shout came from the area of ​​the large family. The old man with white hair and beard stood on the steps, his eyes quickly scanning the entire area.

Behind him, the knights of the main family had already drawn their swords and were protecting the old man in the middle.

"Everyone stay where you are!" another voice rang out. "Anyone who dares to move will be killed on sight!"

The one who spoke was none other than the patrol knight Hadroch, who had previously helped Sir Risson and the others. He had arrived at the scene at some point and was leading several guards to maintain order.

The crowd gradually quieted down, but the atmosphere of fear continued to spread. Everyone stared at the corpse on the ground and at the people around them, their eyes filled with vigilance and suspicion.

Vance quickly scanned the area.

The deceased were all knights of lower or middle ranks; he had seen some of them in the crowd just now, and there were also several completely unfamiliar faces.

In the area inhabited by the major families, the Golden Saddle Horse family, the Black Snake family, and representatives from several other major families he didn't recognize were all safe and sound, their clothes perfectly intact.

"Damn it..." Sir Leeson said in a low voice, exchanging a glance with Vance, both of them sensing that something was wrong.

The female knight Ellie was pale, but remained relatively calm. The two ranger knights beside her had already gripped their sword hilts and were warily surveying their surroundings.

Leon stood to the side, his face equally grim.

"Where are Sloan and the others?" Vance suddenly remembered the two fraternity members.

As soon as he finished speaking, the two men squeezed through the crowd. One was deathly pale, and the other had a faint scratch on his arm.

"What are you doing here?"

"It's nothing, just a scrape," the injured man said in a low voice. "It was too chaotic just now, I don't know who pushed me."

Vance nodded, somewhat relieved.

Just then, a voice rang out.

"The murderers! The murderers are definitely them!"

Vance looked in the direction of the sound and saw a middle-aged knight pointing at several figures in the crowd, his voice trembling with anger.

He was surrounded by several people, all wearing similar armor, clearly members of a certain family.

The individuals identified were brought forward.

The first one is that wandering knight, Stern.

He still had that nonchalant look, but now he had a bloodstained short sword in his hand, whether he had picked it up or it was already in his possession was unclear.

As he was pushed out, he glanced at the sword in his hand, frowned slightly, and then twitched his lips without offering any explanation.

The second was a middle-aged knight in dark armor, with a gloomy face, who remained silent.

The third and fourth were faces Vance didn't recognize. They all had some blood on them or were carrying weapons.

"He, they all have connections to the dead!" the middle-aged knight continued shouting. "Except for this Stern, who was already suspicious and notorious! The others all had grudges against the dead!"

The crowd stirred.

"Kill them!"

"How dare they kill the Hamman brothers!"

"Let's do it!"

Several hot-tempered knights who were close to the deceased had already drawn their swords and surrounded the group. A new massacre seemed imminent.

"Stop it, all of you!"

A voice rang out, somewhat aged, yet carrying an undeniable authority.

The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, just like the old man's technique at the beginning of the party.

Everyone was stunned.

Then, the crowd automatically parted to both sides, making way for a passage.

A young girl and a burly old man behind her were walking slowly towards them.

The girl wore a long, glossy black satin dress, the cut of which perfectly accentuated her slender figure.

Her skin was so white it was almost translucent, and her eyes held a natural aloofness that made people hesitant to approach her.

Those eyes were calm and undisturbed. As she swept her gaze across the crowd, the previously restless knights all lowered their heads.

She walked to the center of the crowd, stopped, and no one spoke.

"Miss Daphne!"

Someone shouted it out first, and then a chorus of exclamations arose from the crowd.

"This is the young lady of the Golden-Maned Griffin family!?"

"Could the host family of this so-called knight's party be the Golden-Maned Griffin family?"

Vance was startled.

He vaguely remembered that the last time Count Vio came to the capital, he was followed by this Golden-Maned Griffin family.

Sir Leeson's voice rang in my ears, low and discreet: "Daphne Villar, the only daughter of the Golden Griffin family in this generation. I've heard that her abilities are no less than those of her brothers, and perhaps even stronger."

Vance didn't speak, he just stared at the black figure.

Daphne walked up to the bodies, glanced down at them, then looked up, her gaze sweeping over the identified suspects.

"Put the sword down."

Her voice was soft, but the knights obediently released their weapons.

Daphne turned her head slightly, and several guards in light armor immediately stepped out from behind her, including a man dressed as a mage. They quickly stepped forward and began to examine the body and the scene.

The movements were swift and the techniques professional, clearly indicating that the person was well-trained.

A moment later, a guard stood up, walked to Daphne's side, and whispered a few words.

Daphne nodded.

She turned around and looked at the suspects, but not just them; she looked at the middle-aged knight and the group of people behind him.

"You're right," she said, her voice still calm. "These people are indeed connected to the deceased."

A murmur arose from the crowd.

"But," Daphne changed the subject, "the killer isn't them."

The middle-aged knight's expression changed: "What do you mean?!"

Daphne ignored him, merely raising her chin slightly. The guards immediately stepped forward and dragged three figures out of the crowd. They were all well-dressed knights who looked like members of a certain family.

“These people,” Daphne said, “have signs of magic on them, and what just happened could only have been done by magic.”

The three men's expressions changed drastically.

"You're lying!" one of them shouted, struggling. "I'm innocent! I may know magic..."

"Shut up," Daphne said calmly. "Most importantly, your family has recently had disputes with several families to which the deceased belonged, and these people," she pointed to the suspects, "although they are also related to the deceased, it is clear that they could not have done it."

The crowd erupted in uproar.

The suspects identified, including the wandering knight Stern, also raised their eyebrows slightly.

He looked down at the short sword in his hand, then at Daphne, and sneered.

"Take her away," Daphne said.

The guards stepped forward and took the three men away. Their family members tried to stop them, but seeing the knights behind Daphne, they could only slowly retreat.

She quelled the chaos with just a few words.

The crowd gradually dispersed, the body was carried away, the bloodstains were cleaned up, and the party seemed to be going to continue, but the atmosphere was completely different.

Vance took a deep breath and exchanged a glance with Sir Leeson, eager to finish the deal they had just started.

"Mr. Gilbert."

A voice rang behind him.

Vance froze. He turned around and saw that Daphne was already standing in front of him, no more than three steps away.

Those calm eyes were looking at him, revealing no emotion.

Sir Leeson and the others were also stunned, and unconsciously took a few steps back.

"Miss...do you know me?" Vance tried his best to keep his voice steady.

Daphne didn't answer. She just looked at him, and after a moment, a slight smile appeared on her lips, so faint as to be almost imperceptible.

"Please pass on a message to Count Vio."

Vance's pupils contracted slightly.

The other party knew their identity after all! Or rather, their clumsy disguise was too easily exposed.

Daphne took a small step forward, lowering her voice so that only Vance could hear her.

"Next, Rovia will be plunged into war once again."

She paused.

"Let him prepare."

After saying that, she turned and left, her long black dress disappearing into the passageway.

Vance stood there, speechless for a long time.