Neuvillette frowned as he read Wriothesley's letter.
What does he mean by "Furina is fine now, but that could change soon"?
And why was Wriothesley asking him to investigate Emily, the young girl? Wriothesley was Fontaine's top intelligence operative—if even he couldn't uncover the truth, how was Neuvillette supposed to succeed?
Throughout the letter, Wriothesley seemed eager to dump this "hot potato" onto Neuvillette's plate. Neuvillette felt a headache coming on. His workload was already overwhelming; Wriothesley was only adding to his burdens.
Yet, knowing Wriothesley's character, this didn't seem like something he would typically do. Could there be some hidden reason behind it?
But Neuvillette quickly abandoned further speculation.
The immediate priority was to gather intelligence on the young girl. As for Furina, he faced the same dilemma as Wriothesley. A gentle warning about the girl's possible ulterior motives would likely be dismissed by Furina. But confronting her directly without concrete evidence would lack persuasiveness, and might even backfire, straining their relationship.
Now that things had come to this, all he could do was keep a closer eye on the young woman, hoping no further incidents would occur.
But an even more pressing matter weighed on his mind. He knew Furina was innocent of the charges against her, and suspected she might have manipulated the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale to alter the verdict, aligning it with his own final judgment.
Yet now Furina was suddenly demanding a retrial of her original case. What was going on? Could she no longer endure life in the Fortress of Meropide and had decided to clear her name?
Though Neuvillette felt a flicker of satisfaction at the prospect of Furina revealing what truly happened that night, he was far more concerned about the Oratrice's credibility. How could anyone trust its impartiality if its verdicts could be so easily overturned?
If Furina had indeed manipulated the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale to change its original verdict, others would see it as nothing more than a toy she controlled at will, allowing her to alter the final outcome of any Judgment whenever she pleased.
Although Furina, as the Hydro Archon, often acted whimsically—a trait that aligned with her public image—this Judgment case was different. To minimize its impact, Neuvillette knew he'd have to work tirelessly for quite some time.
Not only had Furina dumped her own responsibilities on him, but she'd also added a mountain of new tasks. Neuvillette had already resolved to delegate some of his existing workload to Furina, insisting she handle it herself.
Neuvillette gazed out the window, letting out a soft sigh after a long silence.
Fontaine's future, once clear in his mind, had now grown hazy and uncertain...
The day of the trial arrived swiftly. Neuvillette took his place on the judge's bench early.
After many days, Furina finally stood before her throne, her face brimming with confidence as she fixed her gaze on the woman in the defendant's seat—the victim's wife.
Thanks to the young girl's meticulous investigation, Furina was now absolutely certain of her victory in this Judgment!
"Lady Furina looks so confident!"
"Could it be that Lady Furina was truly wronged?"
"I knew Lady Furina was innocent all along!"
"Lady Furina, we'll always support you!"
-
Hearing the cheers from the audience, Furina nodded with immense satisfaction.
"Yes, yes, everyone can rest assured! I'm not trying to evade responsibility, I simply want to reveal the truth behind this case!"
"Next, I will deliver a breathtaking and spectacular reversal for you all. Just hold onto your anticipation!"
"Cheer! Applaud! For I will soon show those with malicious intent that an Archon is not so easily manipulated!"
In response to Furina's words, the audience erupted into even more fervent cheers.
In contrast, the victim's wife seemed utterly unprepared for today's Judgment. Unlike her composed demeanor during the previous hearing, she now appeared visibly agitated.
Standing beside the woman was her attorney. His identity was hardly a mystery, as Fontaine only had two certified lawyers who had successfully passed the bar exam.
These two attorneys had clashed repeatedly in court. Due to the highly unique nature of their cases, their verbal sparring was exceptionally intense, and each trial featured unexpected twists and turns, rapidly increasing their fame.
Whenever they appeared in court for a Judgment, the spectator gallery was invariably packed to capacity.
Today, they were set to clash again in a case involving the Hydro Archon Furina, and the audience was already bracing themselves for a spectacle.
The spectator gallery was overflowing, the crowd buzzing with anticipation for the events about to unfold before them.
No matter the outcome of this Judgment, they were guaranteed to witness a spectacle.
If Furina managed to overturn the verdict, today's case would be remembered as an earth-shattering reversal!
But if she failed again, nothing could be more shocking than an Archon's second defeat—except perhaps a third!
Today, they would witness history firsthand!
For some reason, Neuvillette couldn't shake the feeling that Furina seemed far better than before.
A delusion, perhaps?
Surely her time as a prisoner in the Fortress of Meropide couldn't have been more enjoyable than her life at the Palais Mermonia?
Neuvillette shook his head slightly. Seeing that it was time to begin, he declared in a clear, authoritative voice:
"Court is now in session!"
"We will now proceed with the second hearing of the case involving Lady Furina, the Hydro Archon."
"Attorney Li Haotian, representing the prosecution, will now present the details of the case."
At Neuvillette's words, Attorney Li Haotian stepped forward from beside Furina, his gaze piercing as he fixed his eyes on Attorney Qiang, who stood in the defendant's dock across the room.
"Your Honor, Chief Justice, the incident occurred when..."
"Hold on."
Neuvillette's head began to ache as soon as Li Haotian opened his mouth. This was his first time presiding over a case involving this attorney, and he hadn't expected the man's accent to be so thick. Neuvillette immediately abandoned his original plan.
"Let the Maison Gardiennage officers provide the case details instead."
At his command, a Maison Gardiennage officer stepped forward to recount the incident, his demeanor suggesting he had been prepared for this role.
"...And that concludes the full account of the incident."
"Thank you for your service," Neuvillette said, nodding to the Maison Gardiennage officer, who then departed.
"See? Just as the officer said, my husband's death was clearly an accident."
"What's the point of reopening this case? It was just an accident caused by a cat. Does anyone seriously believe someone could control a cat to commit a crime?"
The woman's expression tightened slightly, but she maintained a calm demeanor as she voiced her opinion.
"Just like the wife said, I also believe there's absolutely no need to reopen this case."
"That's not how it is..."
"Bullshit!"
Furina was about to speak when Attorney Qiang slammed his hand on the armrest, cutting her off.
Furina was stunned. Her defense attorney had completely transformed in court, his presence so overwhelming that she felt she couldn't even interject.
"This case has a glaring flaw. Given the remote location, how could the eyewitness have clearly seen the entire accident unfold in real-time?"
"A loophole!"
Attorney Li Haotian slammed his fist on the armrest and pointed a finger at Attorney Qiang, shouting, "Your argument has a flaw!"
"Even if the chicken witness happened to stumble upon the crime scene, you have no evidence to prove this coincidence couldn't have occurred!"
"Is that so? Then let's ask the eyewitness what they were doing that day, shall we?"
With that, Attorney Qiang turned to Neuvillette.
"Chief Justice, I request permission for the eyewitness to enter the court!"
"The request is reasonable. Approved."
At Neuvillette's command, a Maison Gardiennage officer immediately escorted the eyewitness into the courtroom for questioning.
As the eyewitness appeared, the audience erupted into excited chatter.
"Here he comes!"
"Think he can run now that he's on the witness stand?"
"Bold prediction: he's the real murderer!"
The courtroom buzzed with anticipation. Veteran courtroom observers knew all too well that no witness had ever escaped unscathed when these two attorneys took the stage.
Newcomers need not worry about missing any details; the seasoned spectators would naturally fill them in.
The eyewitness who appeared in court was a very young man. His expression was noticeably odd, and anyone with a keen eye could immediately tell he was holding something back.
Meanwhile, Furina was growing slightly anxious.
No, I'm the Hydro Archon! I can't let the Attorney steal all the spotlight!
Just as Furina opened her mouth to speak, Attorney Qiang preempted her.
"Monsieur Witness, can you confirm that you witnessed the entire incident, and even apprehended the black cat responsible at the scene?"
"That's correct," the man replied, his expression returning to calm.
"In that case, please explain why you were at that location on the day of the incident."
Ahhh! Those were the questions I wanted to ask!
Furina glared resentfully at Attorney Qiang's retreating back, her chance to shine once again stolen by him.
Under the young woman's guidance, Furina had already pieced together the truth of the case. She had envisioned this moment as her own triumphant climax, only to have the Attorney snatch the spotlight.
Why does the profession of "attorney" even exist? It's completely unnecessary. Even I could clear my name myself!
Or... if Emily had been my defense attorney, I wouldn't have minded her stealing the spotlight at all.
Unfortunately, Emily ultimately declined, claiming she didn't want to leave the Fortress of Meropide.
So, this whole mess is Neuvillette's fault for introducing the attorney profession! I'll remember this grudge!
As Furina stewed in silent anger, the young man began explaining his whereabouts on the day in question.
"I work at an animal shelter for stray cats and dogs. My workplace is already in a rather remote area, and I just happened to be passing by that day."
"I had work-related documents and some pet food with me at the time, which can prove my statement. The Maison Gardiennage officers who were present that day must still remember!"
Soon enough, the Maison Gardiennage officers who had been present at the scene confirmed the young man's statement, and the shelter also verified his employment.
"See? I told you I was just passing by that day! What happened was purely an accident."
"What a load of bullshit!"
Furina was on the verge of losing her composure.
Aaaaargh, they beat me to it again!
"Loud outbursts are prohibited in court."
"Attorney Qiang, please control your emotions."
"Understood, Chief Justice!"
After acknowledging Neuvillette's admonishment, Attorney Qiang turned back to the witness.
"Perhaps you genuinely happened to be passing by, but this case is inextricably linked to you!"
"As someone who frequently interacts with cats and dogs, you must be intimately familiar with their habits."
"Then you must also know exactly how to make that black cat pass through the area you had meticulously prepared."
"A flaw!"
"There's a flaw in the testimony!"
"As an ordinary person, how could the witness possibly make that cat move according to his instructions?"
"Unless he's a magician."
"No magic is required. Simply use foods cats love, things they detest, or other methods to drive the black cat to the desired location."
Attorney Qiang flashed a triumphant smile at Attorney Li Haotian.
"For Monsieur Witness, who was preparing to go to work at the time, this shouldn't have been a difficult task."
"Y-you... What evidence do you have?!"
"The evidence is quite simple..."
"I'll take it from here!"
Furina couldn't restrain herself any longer, interrupting Attorney Qiang mid-sentence.
"Ahem, ahem... Lady Furina, I am currently your defense attorney."
Attorney Qiang, about to unleash his arguments, was interrupted and couldn't help but remind Furina of her position.
"Even though you're my attorney, I'm still allowed to voice my own opinions, aren't I?!" Furina retorted. "The opposing counsel's defense is so clumsy, I can't bear to watch any longer. From now on, I'll personally crush his last vestiges of hope!"
"Bravo, Lady Furina! Well said!"
"Let Lady Furina handle this! I want to see her in action!"
"Attorney Qiang, you can take a break today!"
Beaming at the audience's support, Furina cheerfully waved back. Attorney Qiang, ever perceptive, stepped back to stand behind her.
"Hmph! Next, I'll leave you speechless!" Furina declared confidently, pointing at the increasingly nervous witness.
"The evidence is this: to lure that cat to the specific location, you must have used some of the items you were carrying at the time."
"As a staff member of a stray animal adoption agency, you would undoubtedly need to purchase such items in bulk. A simple audit of the inventory records would reveal whether the quantities match up, proving whether you used those items to attract the black cat to the place you wanted."
"Just confess already! Don't waste my snack time, or you'll face an additional charge!"
Furina, who had been certain of victory, never anticipated the sudden ease that washed over the witness's face after her explanation.
"That day, I encountered several stray cats on the road. It's true I was carrying less food than usual, but every bit was used to feed those strays."
"Hey, hey, that's completely unfair!" Furina exclaimed, her voice tinged with anger.
"So what, Lady Furina? You claim I used the food to stage an accident, but do you have any proof?"
"Evidence is required in court!"
"This..."
Furina panicked.
This isn't how it's supposed to go! Shouldn't they be breaking down emotionally and confessing their crimes by now?
Oh no, oh no, this is a disaster! Emily never told me what to do in this situation!
In a moment of desperation, Furina cleared her throat with a sharp cough.
"Hmph, I see you're still clinging to futile resistance."
"I won't waste my time answering such trivial questions. Let my defense attorney conclude this case."
Attorney Qiang, save me!
"Of course there's evidence!" Attorney Qiang declared, his voice ringing with unwavering conviction.
"According to my information, you were already late when the accident occurred."
"So, I ask you: why did you waste time feeding stray cats on your way to work, knowing you were already late?"
"Moreover, the organization's penalties for tardiness are quite severe, yet you don't seem worried at all."
"The only possible explanation is that you knew in advance about something that would exempt you from punishment for being late, hence your calm and collected demeanor."
Attorney Qiang paused, then abruptly pointed at the Eyewitness, radiating an overwhelming, sharp aura. A violent gust of wind swept through the Opera Epiclese, forcing many spectators to shield their faces, though their excitement remained undiminished.
"Am I wrong? The true culprit behind this accident—no, this murder—is you!"
"You can't escape, Monsieur Witness!"