"Attorney Qiang, the use of Elemental Power against the audience is prohibited in this court."
"Understood, Chief Justice."
With that, Attorney Qiang ceased his manipulation of Anemo Energy, and the gale that had been raging through the Opera Epiclese abruptly subsided.
"No! I didn't kill him! I'm being framed!" the Eyewitness cried, his composure crumbling.
"These are just your speculations! You have no evidence to prove I killed him!"
"Is this how the Archon absolves herself of guilt—by shifting blame onto innocent citizens?!"
"Well done, Attorney Qiang," Furina praised, then stepped forward.
"Innocent? Where is your innocence?"
"Do not slander the Archon so lightly, or your crimes may include this accusation as well."
"I merely lost track of time that day! This so-called 'evidence' is meaningless!"
"Ahem, you want evidence, do you?" Furina retreated slightly.
"A failure like you isn't even worth my personal attention."
"Attorney Qiang, obliterate his last shred of hope!"
"Understood, Lady Furina."
"Monsieur Witness, you claim to have lost track of time that day. Do you recall what you said to the Maison Gardiennage officer during questioning?"
"Precisely! You accurately stated the victim's time of death!"
"You've already dug your own grave!"
Hearing this, the witness deflated like a punctured balloon, his face drenched in sweat. He needed the support of Maison Gardiennage officers to barely stand.
"If you still harbor any doubts," Attorney Qiang continued, "just days before the incident, another animal rescue organization adopted the vast majority of stray cats and dogs in Fontaine."
"Your neighborhood happened to be one of the areas they covered. That means there might have been a few strays they missed, but certainly not many."
"You can describe the physical characteristics of the stray cats and dogs you fed that day. The Maison Gardiennage can then capture the strays in that area and see if any match your descriptions."
As Attorney Qiang finished speaking, the witness's face turned deathly pale once again.
"Now, I will summarize the case for you all."
With Neuvillette's permission, Attorney Qiang began to re-examine the case.
"On the day of the incident, you were preparing to go to work as usual."
"However, en route, you happened to spot the victim, completely drunk and unconscious in a secluded corner."
"Having a grudge against him, you quickly conceived a cruel idea. Since you frequently took this route, you knew that the buildings along the way were dilapidated."
"Using food as bait, you lured a black cat that was lingering nearby to follow a path you had set."
"Perhaps because you had fed these cats and dogs before, it wasn't particularly wary of you. Eventually, following the food's trail, it jumped onto a heavy decorative ornament. Unable to bear the cat's weight, the ornament crashed down, killing the victim."
"You must have added some weight to the black cat, which is why you were so determined to catch it. Otherwise, if the cat were seen elsewhere, it would easily arouse suspicion."
"Just as you were about to leave, someone happened to pass by and saw the victim. Their startled scream attracted more people."
"Unable to leave the scene, you had no choice but to stay and act as a witness, hoping to clear yourself of suspicion."
"Am I right, Monsieur Perpetrator?"
"I... confess..."
The witness finally cracked under pressure and confessed.
"They finally got him!"
"See? I told you! You can't run once you're on the witness stand!"
"Hey Attorney Qiang, when are you going to send your old rival in too? It's not fun enough yet!"
"Alright, alright, place your bets! Let's see who sends the other to jail first!"
The case seemed to have reached its conclusion, and the audience buzzed with excitement.
"So you're the real murderer of my husband!"
"What did my husband ever do to deserve such hatred from you?!"
The victim's wife erupted in fury, relentlessly berating the true culprit.
The murderer, unable to meet her gaze, turned to Neuvillette and confessed, "Chief Justice, I am guilty. I killed him!"
"What was your grudge against the deceased?" Furina interjected, seizing the moment to assert her presence now that the situation was clear.
"He often abused the abandoned animals left by their owners," the murderer explained. "I couldn't stand it. One time, I confronted him, and he beat me severely. That day, when I saw him drunk and unconscious on the ground, I lost control for a moment and..."
Though the motive for murder seemed flimsy, the audience had long grown accustomed to such cases.
"It's over, Chief Justice," Furina declared. "You may now pronounce the verdict."
Neuvillette nodded, maintaining his composure despite his surprise at the unexpected resolution.
"If the prosecution has no further objections, I will now deliver the final judgment in this case."
Seeing this, the victim's wife breathed a small sigh of relief.
"Wait, objection!"
"There's a flaw in Qiang's testimony!"
Attorney Li Haotian slammed his fist on the armrest before him, raised his arm to point at Attorney Qiang in the distance, and erupted in a dazzling burst of light.
The prepared audience members swiftly pulled out their sunglasses, and some even began hawking shades to the newcomers nearby.
Seeing the Maison Gardiennage officers already equipped with sunglasses, Neuvillette felt his blood pressure rising.
"Attorney Li Haotian, the use of blinding lights is strictly prohibited in court."
"Understood, Chief Justice."
Li Haotian withdrew his control over the Electro Elemental Power, and the light around him dissipated.
The sunglasses vendors looked disappointed; if Attorney Li Haotian had kept the light going a little longer, they would have sold out!
"Now it's my turn!"
"Your logic is as flimsy as a dog's hide!"
"Defendant, there are clearly two accomplices!"
"The second accomplice is standing right beside me!"
Hearing Attorney Li Haotian's words, the audience erupted in a frenzy. A plot twist?!
This performance—no, this Judgment—was worth every penny!
Meanwhile, the victim's wife was completely numb.
"Attorney Li Haotian, whose side are you even on?!"
"I stand on the side of justice!"
As the audience heard these words, they cast admiring glances at Attorney Li Haotian.
"Next, let Attorney Li Haotian explain the juicy details of this case..."
"Attorney Li Haotian," Neuvillette announced. "Please share your reasoning with the Maison Gardiennage officer, who will then relay it to everyone."
Attorney Li Haotian agreed to Neuvillette's arrangement. A Maison Gardiennage officer, who had swiftly translated Attorney Li Haotian's words in his mind, spoke up.
"Attorney Li Haotian alleges that the murderer not only knew the victim's wife but was also having an affair with her."
"This case was actually a joint plot orchestrated by the two. The victim's wife introduced him to a bar near the crime scene, deliberately encouraging him to drink excessively."
"Their plan hinged on the victim getting completely drunk at least once and being witnessed in that state by a passerby during their commute. That would mark the start of their scheme."
"Attorney Li Haotian further claims that if the woman needs evidence, it's highly likely they haven't been meeting secretly since the previous trial concluded. Simply questioning people in the area should yield results."
As the Maison Gardiennage officer finished speaking, the victim's wife collapsed onto the floor, her body limp and lifeless.
"Damn! Attorney Li Haotian couldn't get her convicted, so he's sending the accuser to jail first?"
"Attorney Li Haotian, you're in danger!"
"Hahaha! When will we see a case where the Justice gets put on trial?"
The audience erupted in laughter at the dramatic conclusion.
Today's Judgment had been incredibly satisfying to watch!
"So that's how it was?" Attorney Qiang murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Even after selling out her lover, she couldn't escape the law's judgment."
"Their biggest mistake was involving Lady Furina in this case. Otherwise, they might have slipped through the cracks of Fontaine Law."
Hearing this, Furina's face lit up with smug satisfaction.
See? They still had to rely on me!
"Ha ha ha! Attorney Qiang, you performed admirably! And Attorney Li Haotian as well."
"I saw through the truth of this case long ago, but your duel made this Judgment even more dramatic and far more entertaining!"
"Thank you for your praise, Lady Furina," Attorney Li Haotian declared, hands on his hips, brimming with self-importance.
"See? This time, I won!"
"But you still lost the Judgment," Attorney Qiang reminded him.
"Don't forget, that woman was your client."
"So what if I didn't win? What matters is that I showed you what's what!"
Neuvillette took a deep breath, relief washing over him as the ordeal finally ended. This farcical Judgment had left him utterly exhausted.
"If the prosecution has no further objections, I will now pronounce the final verdict."
-
At the conclusion of the Judgment, both Neuvillette and the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale simultaneously declared Furina not guilty.
The Maison Gardiennage would now bring murder charges against the original witnesses and the victim's wife, but by this point, few people were interested in the outcome of this Judgment.
As Neuvillette had anticipated, while Furina had secured a brilliant victory, the public would inevitably begin to doubt the authority of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale.
Fortunately, Neuvillette had already devised a countermeasure. He immediately arranged for the dissemination of the information that the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale could not convict its creator.
Both verdicts delivered by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale were based on Furina's own judgments, derived from her on-site analysis.
In other words, Furina had essentially sent herself to prison the previous time. When the public learned this, the resulting wave of emotion would be enough to quell any lingering doubts about the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale's authority.
Moreover, the information Neuvillette released was not a lie—at least, his own analysis of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale had led him to the same conclusion.
Having concluded the Judgment and dispatched officers to handle the aftermath, Neuvillette hadn't even had time to take a sip of hot tea in his chambers when Furina swaggered through the door.
"Hahaha, Neuvillette, you're quite the rare sight!"
"Is this the first time you've ever made a wrong judgment?"
The moment Furina spoke, Neuvillette understood her intentions and frowned slightly.
He had always believed that Furina had deliberately avoided delving deeper into the previous case to conceal some secret. Otherwise, he would have certainly dispatched the Marechaussee Phantom to conduct a thorough investigation.
Not only did she fail to appreciate his restraint in not pursuing her secret, but she actually came to mock him?
After a moment's contemplation, Neuvillette nodded calmly at Furina and said, "Lady Furina, you're right."
"This case wasn't particularly complex, yet I overlooked the obvious. It seems my age is catching up with me. It's time to pass this responsibility on to the younger generation."
"Lady Furina, I intend to resign from my position as Chief Justice and retire to my homeland."
Furina: "???"
Upon hearing Neuvillette's words, Furina froze instantly, her previously buoyant mood vanishing completely.
"Neuvillette, your joke isn't funny at all."
"If you resign as Chief Justice, who will handle your duties?"
Faced with Furina's question, Neuvillette simply met her gaze and said calmly, "Lady Furina, as the Hydro Archon of Fontaine, I have no doubt you'll be able to handle your duties with exceptional competence."
Cornered by Neuvillette's challenge, Furina naturally couldn't admit she was incapable.
"W-what's there to even say? Such a simple task is child's play for me, the Hydro Archon Focalors!"
"But I'm still imprisoned in the Fortress of Meropide, serving my sentence. We'll discuss your retirement after I get back!"
Furina had barely taken a few steps into the lounge when Neuvillette's words startled her so much that she spun around and fled, closing the door gently behind her.
"You've worked hard this time, Neuvillette. Get some rest!" she called out in an unusually gentle tone before her footsteps faded into the distance.
Neuvillette shook his head, his expression softening considerably.
He couldn't deny that seeing Furina flustered always lifted his spirits.
But running away won't change anything. This time, he was determined to return the responsibilities that rightfully belonged to her!
At that moment, Neuvillette envisioned Furina clutching a mountain of documents, sobbing in despair.
Perhaps I should assign more skilled personnel to assist her later, he mused.
But had he overlooked something crucial in Furina's earlier words?
Wait... Furina intends to return to the Fortress of Meropide to serve her prison sentence?!
Recalling her earlier statement, even the normally composed Neuvillette struggled to maintain his composure.