Chapter 454

Chapter 355: Preparation

Time flew by, and with the winter sun setting early, Tiwyan welcomed its last night of the year amidst a peaceful atmosphere.

As the darkness gradually enveloped the city, lights flickered on in the streets, dispelling the darkness and illuminating every street.

On the street in South Tiwyan, inside a restaurant that remained open even during the holiday, Dorothy, wearing a black cotton coat and dress with a fur hat, sat at a table. On the other side of the table, Gregor, dressed in a brownish-yellow windbreaker, was there as well, sharing a rich turkey feast with Dorothy.

“Mmm… It’s really good… We haven’t had a chance to celebrate together in a long time. I remember the last time we celebrated together was several years ago at Aunt Hannah’s place. At that time, we never imagined we would be spending New Year’s Eve in Tiwyan,” Gregor said while munching on a chicken leg, and Dorothy nodded in response, eating a piece of potato cake with a fork.

“Yes, ever since you went to work in Igewent, we haven’t been able to celebrate together. Although the food wasn’t as good at Aunt Hannah’s, there were many people, and everyone was very happy.”

“Haha, of course, now it’s just the two of us here, but over there with so many people… it must have been even more lively.”

“I recently sent some money to Aunt Hannah’s place. If they’re willing, they can move to Igewent. In the future, if we have time, we can also visit Igewent County to see them.”

While saying this, Gregor finished his chicken leg, and at this moment, Dorothy changed the subject, asking him:

“Speaking of which, Gregor, tonight there are many activities in the city. I see many places have hired security services to ensure safety. Why aren’t you working overtime?”

“Ahh… Yeah, during holidays, our company receives quite a few security requests, but since I just completed a big task and need rest, I don’t have to work overtime.”

Gregor replied, and after hearing his answer, Dorothy silently took a sip of tea and nodded.

‘Although the situation is somewhat delicate now, Gregor hasn’t been called to execute any tasks. Neither the An Yin Bureau nor the Eight-pointed have any tasks for him. It seems the spy incident made both sides a bit cautious.’

Dorothy thought to herself, ever since Misha identified the spy Wei Han within the investigation team based on Dorothy’s intelligence, she became more cautious about continuing to use the remaining members of the investigation team. On the other side, after Wei Han was exposed, the Eight-pointed temporarily stopped Adeline’s activities to protect him, leaving them both inactive. Therefore, Gregor, who usually has no tasks, unexpectedly had free time to spend dinner with Dorothy.

‘Well… While it’s good that Gregor isn’t working tonight and we can have dinner together, if he doesn’t have any tasks, I won’t know what’s happening on the An Yin Bureau’s end. Those native inhabitants who came to Tiwyan for revenge haven’t made any moves yet. I wonder if they were caught by the An Yin Bureau or are still preparing for something big.’

Continuing her thoughts, Dorothy was concerned about what Kapak had mentioned—the native inhabitants coming to Tiwyan for revenge. According to Kapak, those individuals set out for Tiwyan over half a month ago. The usual travel time across the Starfall Ocean between the Main Continent and the New World is around ten days, so they should have arrived already. Now, either they were caught by the An Yin Bureau or are still preparing a significant move. However, due to Gregor’s break, Dorothy lacked information from the An Yin Bureau, making it hard to confirm.

‘I’ve already warned Misha in my role as a detective to be wary of similar incidents. I don’t know if she listened, but it seems likely she did. Not only have there been more police on the streets recently, but Vania has also been temporarily reassigned to enhance medical resources for the An Yin Bureau. This shows the An Yin Bureau is borrowing manpower from the Church to strengthen security.’

Recalling when Vania explained the situation to her, Dorothy thought, and her worries slightly eased. With enhanced security forces from the An Yin Bureau, this group of native inhabitants shouldn’t cause much trouble. Of course, this is assuming they act alone; however, the reality is that there might be hidden hands manipulating them behind the scenes.

In their heavy-heartedness, Dorothy and Gregor finished their dinner. Since the evening event started around eight o’clock, they didn’t rush to the venue immediately but stayed longer in the restaurant to chat before heading out.

On the cold street, Dorothy and Gregor walked briskly towards the nearby square. As they got closer to their destination, more and more people gathered, mostly families in groups of three or five, including adults, elders, and children. Many citizens of Tiwyan chose to take their families out to watch the evening event after dinner.

After all, this era lacked televisions, and various entertainment activities were scarce, so many people preferred going out to watch the event. Such free public performances were rare, especially organized by a royal princess. No one wanted to miss such a rare opportunity.

In the increasingly dense crowd, Dorothy and Gregor finally reached their destination—the Bishop Square where the event was being held. The vast square was already filled with many people. On one side, a large wooden stage was set up, covered with exquisite carpets and various decorations.

In the open area in front of the stage, the crowd was bustling and noisy. From a distance, Dorothy could barely see the stage due to the moving heads, but fortunately, Gregor noticed this and pulled her forward, using the strength of a “Cup” Extraordinary Being to make a path through the crowd. They eventually reached a close-up viewing spot in front of the stage, where a line of guards kept the audience at a safe distance.

Thus, in a fairly good position, Dorothy and Gregor began waiting for the event to start. As time passed, more and more people crowded into the square, making it even more packed. Dorothy felt surrounded by the noise.

Finally, after some time, music began to play in the square. Behind the stage, an orchestra that had been prepared in advance started playing. The symphony of countless instruments echoed in the cold night sky. The originally noisy crowd gradually quieted down as the music played.

Next, under the bright lights on the stage, a young man dressed in a suit and tie, handsome and with neatly combed hair, slowly walked up. When he arrived at the front of the stage, the band behind him stopped playing. Facing the crowd, he spread his arms and loudly declared:

“Good evening, citizens of Tiwyan! It’s a great pleasure to gather with you all at this important moment. Another year is about to pass. Since the Glimmer descended upon our world, we have been saved from darkness for 1,359 years. Tonight, we will express our gratitude to the Three Saints and welcome the arrival of the new year!”