The lately appointed "Eight-Character Beard" was dispatched to serve under the Crown Prince, unaware of the happenings in the capital, let alone the figures and events within literary circles. He recognized no one.
The reason "Eight-Character Beard" won the Crown Prince's favor and was put in charge of investigating the Witch Clan was because during the last capture of Witch Clan members, he happened upon the right person purely by luck. Later, when the Crown Prince asked how he knew that person was from the Witch Clan, "Eight-Character Beard" couldn't simply claim it was purely instinct.
This was a rare opportunity for a promotion, the likes of which were hard to come by. How could he let it slip through his fingers? So, he lied, saying he had a special nose that could identify the unique scent the Witch Clan carried.
