Captain Elton sat in Café Lutece, his gaze fixed on the steaming coffee before him, his expression somewhat dazed.
Beside him sat a teenage girl, radiating a charming innocence.
"Dad, why did you bring me here?" the girl asked, her voice tinged with curiosity. "And you haven't said a word since we sat down."
Hearing her words, Captain Elton snapped out of his reverie and glanced at the empty seat across from them. He sighed softly.
"It's nothing, dear. I just realized I've been neglecting you lately because of work. I thought a little outing would do us both some good."
"Then can you tell me about the cases you've been investigating lately, Dad?!"
The girl gazed at Captain Elton with eyes full of anticipation. Seeing that look, Captain Elton couldn't help but recall that familiar figure. His mouth opened slightly, but ultimately, he said nothing.
"What's wrong, Dad?"
"Just tell me! I heard your investigation is connected to that sensational No. 6."
"You must have had a thrilling battle with the villainous No. 6!"
A hint of admiration flickered in the girl's eyes, but Captain Elton chuckled and shook his head.
"Your dad was just a minor character who got knocked out by the murderer early on and had to leave the stage early."
Captain Elton reached out and patted the girl's head.
Her face contorted with disbelief. In her eyes, her father was the strongest person she knew; how could he possibly be just a "background extra"?
Convinced he was simply trying to avoid telling her, the girl puffed out her cheeks in indignation.
Seeing this, Captain Elton merely smiled. He beckoned the waiter and ordered a delicate little cake. Instantly, a bright smile returned to the girl's face.
"You're the best, Dad!"
"Hahahaha, so easily bribed, you little rascal..."
Suddenly, Captain Elton caught a glimpse of a Maison Gardiennage officer hurrying toward them from the corner of his eye. His smile gradually faded.
The officer finally spotted Captain Elton and immediately quickened his pace, arriving before him.
"Captain Elton, we have a mission—"
The officer stopped mid-sentence when he noticed the girl beside Captain Elton.
Captain Elton sighed softly, then turned to the girl.
"I'm sorry, Dad has work to attend to. Remember to head home early after you finish your pastry."
"Okay."
The girl poked moodily at the small cake in front of her with her fork. Though she was reluctant, she didn't throw a tantrum or insist that Captain Elton stay with her.
Captain Elton gave her one last affectionate, apologetic look before leaving Café Lutece with the Maison Gardiennage officer.
"What's going on? Weren't we supposed to be on leave?"
After the previous incident, Captain Elton and his team were still nursing injuries. Combined with the emotional toll of losing a comrade, the higher-ups granted them a period of paid leave.
Captain Elton never expected his vacation to end so abruptly, but at that moment, he was more concerned about what had happened.
Their leave wouldn't have been canceled unless it was an extremely urgent matter.
"Captain Elton, there's been a murder."
Hearing this, Captain Elton felt a slight sense of puzzlement.
While a murder was undoubtedly a serious matter, he didn't understand the urgency. Every officer in the Maison Gardiennage had seen multiple murder scenes before.
Noticing the expression on Captain Elton's face, the officer immediately guessed his thoughts and elaborated.
"It's not just one murder—there are eight!"
"And that's only in our district. Rumor has it that countless murders have occurred simultaneously throughout Fontaine—no, across all of Fontaine."
Upon hearing this, Captain Elton's eyelids twitched violently.
Eight homicides? That was likely the total number of homicides in their jurisdiction for the previous two months combined.
"Could this be their retaliation?" Captain Elton speculated, his hand clenching into a fist without him even realizing it.
"Probably not," the officer replied. "I heard they've managed to identify suspects in most of the cases."
Hearing this, Captain Elton relaxed his grip, though his mood only grew heavier.
If it wasn't the malevolent organization's retaliation, then Fontaine's crime rate had skyrocketed—a truly dire situation for the city's residents.
It must be the fallout from the last incident, Captain Elton thought. He had long anticipated this; madness is contagious. No. 6's actions had taken root in the hearts of Fontaine's people, likely awakening the dark impulses in many.
However, Captain Elton never imagined the number of those affected would be so terrifyingly high. Could it be that the people of Fontaine were living under such suffocating repression all this time?
Captain Elton had visited other impoverished areas before, but the people there seemed more open-minded than the superficially polished residents of Fontaine. They didn't appear to have been suppressing themselves for long periods.
"And these cases are incredibly absurd, keeping the investigators and Justices tearing their hair out."
Intrigued, Captain Elton asked, "How absurd?"
The Maison Gardiennage officer paused to think, then his face took on an odd expression before he replied, "Take the case we're assigned to, for example. The murderer and victim had an argument. In a fit of anger, the murderer grabbed a weapon and injured the victim. But when he saw the victim unconscious, he regretted his actions, picked him up to rush him to the hospital, only to trip over the doorstep and fall, killing the victim on the spot..."
Even halfway through the explanation, Captain Elton's head was starting to ache. He couldn't help but feel deep sympathy for the Justice handling this case. He then asked, "Anything else?"
"Yes..."
The Maison Gardiennage officer's expression grew even stranger, as if struck by a sudden thought.
"I heard about a case in another district. A man stalked a woman, eventually cornering her in an alley and assaulting her. At first, she struggled fiercely, but midway through, she began to enjoy it, even reversing the roles and straddling him. In the end, she exerted so much force that she crushed his internal organs, causing his death."
Captain Elton: "..."
"Got anything more normal?"
"Probably."
"There's another case elsewhere. A couple quarreled violently at home, smashing things in a rage. A wrench thrown out the window struck and killed an innocent passerby..."
"The Maison Gardiennage officers from that district say the couple is still arguing at headquarters as we speak."
By now, Captain Elton was completely stunned. Was this still Fontaine? he wondered.
Thinking about the cases he would be handling in the coming days, Captain Elton felt a chill run down his spine...
Fontaine's crime rate had skyrocketed, causing widespread concern among its citizens. The bizarre and increasingly outlandish nature of these cases, each one more shocking than the last and challenging the very foundations of Fontaine Law, only intensified public scrutiny.
Neuvillette immediately assigned the Court of Justice to share the Maison Gardiennage's workload. Even with this reinforcement, they could barely manage, frequently facing severe manpower shortages.
The Experts initially attempted to analyze the recent spate of crimes in Fontaine for connections to the No. 6 Incident. However, the cases were so bizarre that the Experts, uncharacteristically, remained largely silent.
Some speculated that the surge in crime was the work of the evil forces associated with No. 6, but no direct evidence could be found to support this claim.
This hypothesis was terrifyingly plausible. It suggested that their adversaries possessed the means to manipulate the minds of ordinary citizens across an entire nation—a feat even the Archons would struggle to accomplish.
In the end, Fontaine's high command could only treat the recent incidents as ordinary cases while remaining vigilant for the terrorist group's next move. Some even sent their children to Sumeru's Academy for safety.
Against this tense backdrop, Clorinde approached Furina, who was enjoying tea in her room.
"Lady Furina, here is your schedule for tomorrow."
"You have a 'Judgment' to attend from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM, another from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM, and a third from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM."
"In the afternoon, you have four more 'Judgments,' and two in the evening."
"By the way, your schedules for the day after tomorrow and the day after that are essentially the same."
"During your 'Judgment' sessions, I will arrange for your favorite Blueberry Cake to be delivered. You needn't worry about that."
Hearing Clorinde's words, Furina already felt a slight sweat breaking out on her back.
"Clorinde, you're truly so considerate."
"But could I ask... why are there so many 'Judgments' to attend?"
"I heard that wretched No. 6 was completely eradicated, wasn't he?"
The mere mention of No. 6's name made Furina grit her teeth. He had utterly tarnished her radiant image in the eyes of the people!
"It's too good for him that No. 6 died so easily. Otherwise, I would have personally brought him to Judgment!"
Furina's voice lacked conviction as she spoke. She had also heard tales of No. 6 from others, and even second-hand accounts sent chills down her spine and iced her heart.
If she ever came face-to-face with No. 6, her first instinct would be to flee immediately. The talk of bringing him to Judgment was just bluster—she lacked the capability to actually do so.
Clorinde harbored no doubts about Furina's words. However, her words inadvertently reminded Clorinde of another matter, causing her to instinctively step back, maintaining a safe distance from Furina. As expected, I still can't reciprocate Lady Furina's affection.
Her counterpart was an Archon, while she was merely a mortal. Such overwhelming affection was a burden she could scarcely bear.
After completing these arrangements, Clorinde faced Furina's puzzled gaze and explained, "Due to the fallout from the recent criminal live stream incident, Fontaine's crime rate has surged tenfold, hence the increased number of Judgments."
"I've heard that with the Justice's staff stretched thin, Neuvillette plans to introduce the position of Lawyers from Liyue to share some of the Justice's duties and alleviate the staffing shortage."
Clorinde paused before continuing, "Lady Furina, if you find your schedule too demanding, you may cancel some of the Judgments you're scheduled to attend."
Hearing Clorinde's suggestion, Furina immediately shook her head.
"Absolutely not! I won't miss a single Judgment—it's my duty as the Hydro Archon!"
"Arrange it as planned, Clorinde."
"Understood, Lady Furina."
Clorinde nodded and tucked away the schedule.
"Ahem, Clorinde..."
"Don't you dare forget about the cake! After attending so many Judgments, I absolutely need a delicious cake to replenish my energy!"
"Clorinde, you must, must not forget!"
Furina fixed her gaze on Clorinde, her voice unusually earnest.
"Yes, Lady Furina, I won't forget!" Clorinde replied with equal seriousness. To anyone unaware of the truth, their conversation might have seemed to concern matters of Fontaine's very survival.
"Now then, Clorinde, tell me about the details of the Judgments I'll be attending tomorrow."
With that, Furina lifted her cup of red tea from the table, bringing it to her lips for a sip, her movements elegant and regal.
But this grace and nobility vanished the moment Clorinde began recounting the first case:
"The first case involves a man who purchased a toy gun from a merchant, but the merchant mistakenly sold him a real firearm. While testing the gun, the man accidentally shot a woman who had fallen from a great height, hitting her vital organs..."
Pfft!
Furina spat out the red tea she had been drinking. As the tea hurtled toward Clorinde, the latter's body instantly radiated a purple aura, effortlessly deflecting the liquid.
Once the tea had splattered on the ground, Clorinde calmly returned to her original position, standing as if nothing had happened.
"Clorinde, this..." Furina hesitated for a long moment, unsure of what to say. After a long pause, she finally managed to voice her inner thoughts.
"Isn't this case... a bit too dramatic?"
Clorinde sighed silently. Absurd?
Exactly! She found it absurd too!
The problem was that there were many similar cases—so many that Clorinde refused to dismiss them as mere coincidences. Yet, after thorough investigation, she found nothing suspicious about any of the individuals involved.
"Lady Furina, this is just one of many such cases."
_?!"Furina: "Σ( ° △ °|||)
"I think I understand now why Neuvillette specifically chose to establish the profession of lawyers in Fontaine, mimicking Liyue's system..."