The dignified and solemn location of the trial was, in Fontaine's official terminology, the Opera Epiclese.
Today, the Hydro Archon Furina and her loyal Regent Themis had arrived on time for the proceedings.
Upon seeing Furina and Themis, Chief Judge Neuvillette exhaled a visibly audible sigh of relief.
It wasn't that he couldn't make a ruling, but rather that the complexity of this case had vastly exceeded his knowledge and experience.
"Allow the defendants to enter the courtroom!"
With the rhythmic tap of Neuvillette's cane on the ground, the first trial of the day officially began.
"Lord Neuvillette! I'm so terribly wronged!" The victim wailed as soon as he took the stand, startling Furina and sending her a jolt.
The audience below the stage was also caught off guard by this sudden outburst.
"Think about all these years I've been working tirelessly," he continued, "and in business, I've never shortchanged a soul!"
"But mark my words," he added grimly, turning to face someone in the audience, "there's someone jealous of my prosperity. They've even gone so far as to hire a hitman to silence me!"
"Can you let this stand?! Absolutely not!"
"In small terms, this is a contempt for Fontaine's laws! In large terms, this is a contempt for all of Fontaine! An offense against our great God of Justice and her loyal Fontaine! I propose that we sentence them to death!"
Furina looked on with bewilderment at the impassioned speech of the victim. It seemed more like a political campaigning speech.
The entertained Fontaine audience: Contract killing, sounds like something interesting might happen!
The pessimistic Fontaine audience: Now even the city has hitmen, will I one day become a victim too?
The bewildered Fontaine audience: What's going on? Did I wake up wrong? I heard a victim say someone hired a hitman to kill him.
The chattering below the stage was somewhat irritating. Neuvillette, exasperated, tapped his cane.
"Silence! Silence!"
"Please have the victim state the course of the incident!"
The victim hurriedly nodded, he was a true-born Fontainian.
"I'm called Moldel, and I'm the owner of a pastry shop. Just three days ago, someone suddenly came to find me and told me they were a hitman, that someone had hired them to kill me."
"By the great Lady Furina above, you cannot knows how terrified I was when I first heard this news."
"I found myself bound in the desolate wilderness, utterly helpless."
"Then, in a twist I never anticipated, the killer said his employer had offered only a hundred thousand mora—too paltry a sum to justify taking a life. So, he proposed a charade: I'd play dead, and he'd collect the fee."
"To preserve my wretched existence, I had no choice but to swallow my pride and collaborate. We staged a murder scene before I went into hiding, lying low until it blew over."
Fontaine's spectators murmured among themselves: "Oh, so that's how it went. A classic case of the plan backfiring spectacularly."
"Sorrowful indeed," another lamented. "How utterly helpless and pitiful our dear one must have felt in that moment."
"So, did they successfully swindle the money?" a third chimed in, eager.
"How utterly reprehensible!" cried a fourth, their voice ringing with indignation. "These scoundrels should be sentenced to eternity within the Fortress of Meropide—never to see the light of day again!"
As Furina listened to the victim's impassioned testimony, she felt utterly bewildered. In this day and age, contract killings can be conducted... like this? How bizarre, she mused.
Even Themis found it rather astonishing. But come to think of it, she conceded, the killer's quite shrewd—he knows when to cut his losses.
"Mr. John, do you have any objection to Mr. Moldel's statements? Are they true?"
The speaker turned to look at the hitman John, a drunkard from the Port of Lumidouce.
"That's all true, Lord Neuvillette," John said, lifting his head. His bearded face was full of regret.
Lord Neuvillette nodded and added, "According to the guards' investigations and testimonies, after you spared Mr. Moldel, you took him to your home to let him hide.
"Then while you were drunk, Mr. Moldel secretly left and used the letter you exchanged with your employer to file a lawsuit against you."
"Mr. John, under the watch of myself, Lady Furina, and Regent Themis, please truthfully recount the events. Otherwise, we will take compulsory measures!"
The guards placed the letter, serving as evidence, before the Oratrice.
(TL Note: Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale...Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale...Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale...)
The scales of Justice began to tilt toward John's guilt. It was a foregone conclusion.
"That's right. Before the God of Justice, your concealment is futile. Every word you speak will be recorded as courtroom evidence!"
"For the sake of your remaining years, I, the God of Justice, advise you to think carefully!"
"Tell us who your employer truly is!"
Furina straightened her posture, speaking in an exaggerated tone.
The audience cheered: "As expected of Lady Furina! How magnificent!"
Furina declared: "Indeed! Before the Archon of Justice, all sins shall be laid bare!"
Under the unrelenting stares of the crowd, John saw no reason to resist any longer.
After all, the Archon Furina herself was watching. He confessed without hesitation.
John: "I'll talk! I'll talk! My employer is Mr. Jones. He provided the funds, and the mora was withdrawn from his Fontaine Bank account."
Moldel exclaimed: "Oh, my most exalted Lady Furina! Jones—I knew it was him! He must have envied me after Your Ladyship praised my desserts! This jealousy drove him to hire a drunkard like you to kill me!"
"Your Honors Neuvillette, Themis, and Lady Furina! You must deliver justice for this outrage!"
Themis sat beside Furina, her face a mask of bewilderment. Is this how it went down? she wondered. Why does it differ from the investigation report I read?
"Uh..." John began, his voice laden with hesitation. "I'm not entirely sure about the specifics of your arrangement with Mr. Jones. However, I can confirm that he did hire me."
"Well then, let's extend an invitation to Mr. Jones to grace the Opera Epiclese with his presence!" Neuvillette commanded, his voice curt and decisive.
In response, the Maison Gardiennage sprang into action, swiftly bringing Jones to the Opera Epiclese.
Jones readily admitted to his involvement. "Indeed, I hired him, but I must clarify that I was under someone else's employ! Cielle contracted me, offering three hundred thousand mora to carry out the assassination. Yet, in my wisdom, I recognized the inopportune timing—I had already decided to retire! So, I subcontracted the job to John."
John's gaze locked onto Jones's unwavering expression, his voice filled with indignation. "What?! Three hundred thousand mora, and you only passed me a hundred thousand? Isn't your conscience even slightly troubled by that?"
"What?" Moldel's voice was a mixture of surprise and accusation. "So it wasn't jealousy driving your actions?!"
Jones's response was a dismissive wave. "Envy you? Perhaps for making your dish so unpalatable you made Furina weep!"
"Bullshit!" Moldel retorted, his tone flaring with indignant heat. "I'll have you know, I crafted the dish with utmost care, infusing each bite with love and respect for our esteemed Furina! Her tears were those of profound gratitude, not sorrow!"
After his claim, Moldel looked expectantly at Furina who was seated on the elevated platform. His remark inadvertently shifted all attention to Furina.
Themis' face remained cold as she said, "Please forgive my bluntness, Mr. Moldel, but I fail to see why adding slime concentrate along with a host of peculiar ingredients such as jellyfish mucus and octopus ink to pastries is a good idea. To me, it seems more like you're attempting to assassinate Lady Furina!"
"Ridiculous!" Moldel protested. "Those are my latest pastries! Lady Furina herself praised my culinary skills as unparalleled in all the land of Watts! It was this compliment that prompted me to open a pastry shop, entrusting its management to others while I dedicated myself to researching new recipes—all for your enjoyment!"
The spectators sought entertainment: Wow, how intriguing! This case is truly captivating today.
The observers were sympathetic: Well done, Lady Furina.
Those bewildered by the situation, their expressions complex, wondered aloud, "Could it be that Lady Furina merely offered words of encouragement? Perhaps a white lie to spare feelings?"
"Impossible!" Moldel insisted. "It absolutely couldn't be! Lady Furina, tell them I'm right!"
Furina, caught under Moldel's gaze, remained silent.
In any case, the new dish left Furina utterly speechless. It was a revelation—a culinary creation that redefined her understanding of pastries, akin to a biological weapon causing a devastating impact on her senses.
She desperately didn't want to relive this memory.
Furina's mind was engulfed by resistance to the recollection, but for the sake of her people, she mustered the strength to face it.
"My dear subjects, your culinary skills are truly unparalleled and indisputably unmatched. There is no need for doubt - I speak nothing but the truth!"
Tears welled up in Moldel's eyes, touched. "I always knew it! Lady Furina, you will forever be my Archon!"
Themis looked at Furina with pity and whispered, "You've endured so much, Lady Furina. Surviving until now must have been truly difficult."
All Furina wished for was some peace; she had no more words to spare.
Neuvillette coughed twice, steering the conversation back to the main topic. "Mr. Jones, can you provide any evidence that Mr. Cielle hired you?"
"Of course," Jones replied. "I received the job from his home, and we even signed a contract."
He produced a piece of paper from his pocket, its appearance eliciting a mix of emotions from those present.
What a clever fool, Themis thought. To avoid getting stiffed, they'd actually gone to the lengths of signing a written agreement!
"Bring in Mr. Cielle!"
The Security Team once again sprang into action. They apprehended Cielle, who was clinging tightly to the mora, and after a friendly chat, successfully escorted him to the Opera Epiclese.
Cielle declared, "I admit to my guilt, but I am innocent! Miles hired me! He gave me one million three hundred thousand mora to commit the crime! But with such a sum, why couldn't I choose something better?! You tell me, Chief Justice!"
He produced evidence—a photograph of the payer along with their contact address.
Neuvillette drew a deep breath. "Guards, summon Mr. Miles!"
The captured Miles howled, "I've been framed! Chief Justice, Lady Furina, Lady Themis!"
This time, the observers were far more experienced. The citizens of Fontaine even bluntly asked aloud, "What's this? You're saying you were also hired?"
Miles, now bewildered, stared with wide, confused eyes. "Huh? How do you know about that?"
"Spit it out—how much mora did they pay you?"
Neuvillette's face remained expressionless, completely numb.
"They offered me three million mora," Miles said defensively, "but think about it—I'm not a fool. This is the land of the God of Justice! As a citizen of Fontaine, I couldn't possibly break the law in my own country, could I?!"
Themis observed this scene and could only comment, "There's a shred of morality here, but far more lacking in virtue."
Furina nodded vigorously in agreement.
The victim, Mr. Moldel, had already taken his seat, as this trial was still a distant prospect.
By the time all the accused were ushered to the dock, this highly dramatic and entertaining case had amassed ten individuals.
The tenth man, Mr. Cabell.
"Tsk! I coughed up ten million, and this is the mess you've made of it! Does your conscience not ache? You're nothing but a bunch of lying scoundrels!"
Upon arrival, the resplendently dressed Mr. Cabell launched into a torrent of abuse.
What a waste of his mora.
"Mr. Cabell, what was your motive for hiring a hit man?"
"As far as I know, you had no communication or conflicts with Mr. Moldel," Neuvillette observed, genuinely puzzled. "Why would you commit such an act?"
"Motive?" Cabell scoffed, turning towards Furina and Themis's positions. "Is it not obvious? I did all this to see you, Lady Themis! And as a criminal, I could reach you the fastest! I couldn't bear this longing for you any longer! Three years! A full three years! According to Lady Furina's appointment schedule, I would have to wait another three years just to be in your presence! My love for you was too great to endure such a wait!"
Neuvillette, Furina, and Themis: "What?"
Audience: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ!!!
Moldel: o_O???
"What's this? So you're saying I'm just an innocent bystander who got dragged into this?!"
Moldel shouted angrily!
Cabell: "Not exactly innocent. Lady Themis was quite upset about the poison you gave Lady Furina. I merely took it upon myself to handle you for her."
"You bastard!" Moldel roared. "That was dessert! How could it be poison? Apologize to my life's work!"
Cabell sneered, "Life's work? Was that your lifelong project to assassinate Lady Furina?!"
"Damn you!" Moldel growled. "Don't you dare tarnish my desserts! Lady Furina herself enjoys them!"
The audience whispered among themselves, So Lady Furina actually does have a thing for this sort of... stuff?
Before things could get even stranger, Furina hastily explained, "I'm deeply moved by the lifetime's work of Mr. Moldel, but as food, it might be a bit too avant-garde for a divine being like myself."
Even now, Lady Furina thinks to comfort him—truly a kind soul, everyone thought. They gazed upon Furina with newfound admiration.
Themis remained cold, showing no reaction to Cabell's words—she only found him terribly annoying.
"Mr. Neuvillette, if you'll allow me," Themis cut in, "the case appears to be concluded. Why has the judgment not yet been announced?"
Neuvillette met Themis's expectant gaze. He understood that the counsel had been momentarily stunned by the testimony and the truth—they'd simply forgotten to proceed.
He cleared his throat. "Very well! With both witnesses and evidence now presented, I invite the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale to begin the judicial process forthwith."
The Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale collected testimonies and conducted a fair judgment based on the evidence.
"The verdict of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale is... all of you are guilty!"
"Although the murders were not carried out, employing assassins and paying for killings still constitute attempted murder."
Leaning her head back, Furina sat in the red-hupped chair and let out a sigh of relief. This theatrical trial is finally over!
Even the God of Justice would be left speechless by this outcome.
But she never could have imagined that this dramatic trial would ultimately be for Themis.
Furina looked at Themis beside her, who remained silent with a blank expression, head bowed as she pondered something. Furina's feelings were incredibly mixed.
Spending too much time with Themis has almost made me forget—she's actually quite popular in Fontaine, on par with me.
What should I do? The Regent is so beloved that people are willing to commit crimes just to catch a glimpse of her.
Furina felt a sense of impending danger. What if someone decides to get close to Themis and directly threatens her?
Having observed Themis closely for so long, Furina had noticed that aside from her ability to live forever, the Regent didn't seem to possess any other supernatural powers!
Furina decided firmly to keep watch over Themis and ensure no overzealous fans disturbed her ever again!
The chastity of Regent Themis shall be protected by me, Furina!
I shall defend the world's best Regent, Themis!
If Themis were to disappear, who would bake me treats, tell bedtime stories, sing lullabies, hold me when I sleep, or comfort me?!