As the first trial since the new Hydro Archon took office, and with the defendants being high-ranking officials guilty of heinous crimes, the public flocked to the Opera House to witness the proceedings.
"Look, look! Isn't that Bellerne, the Deputy Captain of the Gardes? And those ones down there in handcuffs—so many of them are officials from the Gardes, the Maison Cardinalice, and the Palais Mermonia! There are even several members of the Council!"
"Yes, exactly! Look at how arrogant they usually are, especially that Bellerne. He constantly sent subordinates to demand protection money from us. Now they're finally getting punished."
"I heard that these officials were all involved in this incident. It looks like the catastrophe truly was man-made."
"That's terrifying! An incident this big must have been engineered by those nobles, right?"
"I think so. Haven't you noticed how quiet the nobles have been these past two days? Lady Furina must have dealt with them."
"Long live Lady Furina! Those nobles are finally facing retribution for constantly oppressing us."
"Oh, and look—that particularly solemn-looking person, is he our new Chief Justice? He looks difficult to approach."
The early arrivals among the audience were discussing in hushed tones... Contrary to the public's expectation, the prosecution for this trial was not the Hydro Archon Furina, but several civil servants from the Court of Justice. Naturally, none of these individuals were members of the Public Prosecution Office.
The idea of having official personnel replace the Hydro Archon as the prosecutor was something Furina discussed with Black Furina while she was bored handling documents that morning... Morning, Hydro Archon's Office.
"Furina, who are you planning to choose as the prosecutor for the afternoon trial?" Black Furina asked with interest.
"Hmm? That would be me, of course. Is something wrong?" Furina replied, slightly puzzled.
"No, but as the Hydro Archon, wouldn't it seem a bit beneath you to personally step in and prosecute those few people?"
Furina thought about it carefully; it did make sense.
"In that case, I'll select a few members from the Court of Justice and give them some training. Since the evidence is so abundant this time, the trial will essentially be a formality."
"Hmm, alright. But for the sake of fairness in the trial, it would be best to choose members of the Court of Justice who are not part of the Public Prosecution Office. Although they may not be legal experts, having been there for a while, they will naturally have absorbed some knowledge—at least more than you." Black Furina didn't forget to tease Furina while discussing serious matters.
"Yes, fine. Wait a minute, how am I completely clueless about the law, huh?!" She had been relatively calm, but upon hearing the last sentence, Furina immediately jumped up from her chair, her cheeks puffed out in anger, shouting at Black Furina...
A moment later, all the audience members had arrived, and both the prosecution and the defendants were present.
The first person to stand trial was Bellerne, the Deputy Captain of the Gardes.
He wore a dark expression, kept his head bowed, and remained completely silent.
Knowing that his patron had fallen, he understood his fate and hadn't even bothered to hire a representative.
Neuvillette looked at the prosecution, then the defendant, and finally glanced up to see Furina sitting cross-legged in the Hydro Archon's exclusive seat, striking what she clearly thought was her most dashing pose while looking at him.
Black Furina was too embarrassed to look at Furina and silently went to sleep in the inner space.
After ensuring everyone was present, Neuvillette spoke:
"Since both parties are present, the 'Trial' concerning the case of former Fontainian Gardes Deputy Captain Bellerne, who is suspected of severe violations of discipline and law, officially begins."
"First, I will introduce Fontaine's entirely new trial procedure, which will be officially released to the public by the Palais Mermonia after today's hearing concludes."
"Once the trial commences, the 'Prosecution' will present charges against the 'Defendant,' state their demands, submit evidence, and clarify their reasoning."
"Following this, the 'Prosecution' and the 'Defendant' will engage in free debate and submit their respective evidence. The 'Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale' will then shift based on the situation in the court."
"The 'Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale' is a machine created by Lady Furina, the Hydro Archon. During trials, it generates 'Indemnitium,' which is used by all citizens of Fontaine and maintains the energy supply throughout the region."
After speaking, Neuvillette looked up at Furina.
Furina also wore an expression of immense pride, gazing toward the audience and waving hello to everyone.
"Lady Furina! Lady Furina!" A burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the audience seats.
Once the noise subsided, Neuvillette continued: "During this period, both parties have one opportunity to request an adjournment, lasting between 30 minutes and 2 hours, depending on the specific circumstances."
"After the debate segment concludes, both parties will have one opportunity for a closing statement, with the 'Defendant' speaking first."
"Once the statements are finished, the presiding Judge will thoroughly review the entire case, render a judgment, and submit it to the 'Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale' for the final decision."
"If the Judge's result is inconsistent with that of the 'Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale,' the result provided by the 'Oratrice' shall be considered the final verdict."
"If the defendant disputes the trial result, they have one opportunity to challenge a 'Dueling Agent' to a duel to defend their honor."
"That concludes the introduction. I now invite the Prosecution to speak."
"Very well, Chief Justice Neuvillette." The young man, dressed in the blue attire of the Court of Justice, slowly began, "The subject of our accusation is Bellerne, the former Deputy Captain of the Fontainian Gardes. The charges include bribery, embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds, accepting bribes, intentional disclosure of state secrets, abuse of power, and dereliction of duty, among other crimes."
"The following is the evidence provided by our side, along with detailed explanations."
"On Teyvat Calendar XXXX year, X month, X day, X hour, Bellerne..."
... "Our statement concludes here."
"Now, Defendant, do you have any objections or rebuttals?"
"I have no objections, Chief Justice." Bellerne looked even more haggard. His mood was already low, but the barrage of accusations from the Court of Justice civil servants—who laid out all the evidence and spoke for an hour, unearthing every major and minor crime he had ever committed—had made him even more depressed.
"The facts of the crime are clear, the case is well-structured, and based on the evidence, Bellerne is rightfully guilty." Neuvillette's icy tone was like a sword plunging into Bellerne's back once more.
"The case is now submitted to the 'Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale' for the final verdict."
Neuvillette inserted a card into the 'Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale.' The entire machine instantly emitted a blue light that gradually spread, covering the whole device. The brightness in the Opera House immediately intensified by a level. After the entire hall was illuminated, a flash of white light occurred, and the 'Oratrice' delivered its judgment.
Neuvillette took the card, glanced at it, put it down, and raised his voice:
"Therefore, I formally announce:
Former Fontainian Gardes Deputy Captain Bellerne is guilty of bribery, embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds, accepting bribes, intentional disclosure of state secrets, abuse of power, and dereliction of duty, among other crimes.
He is sentenced to dismissal from public office, life imprisonment, permanent deprivation of political rights, and confiscation of all personal assets; all proceeds from bribery shall be recovered and submitted to the national treasury."
"You have one opportunity to defend your honor through a duel. Do you wish to exercise this right?" Neuvillette asked.
"I waive that right, Chief Justice." Bellerne no longer wished to speak.
Subsequently, he was escorted away by the Gardes, destined for a long life in the Fortress of Meropide.
The subsequent trials were unsurprising. Over a dozen officials were successively brought to the defendant's position and then sent off to the Fortress of Meropide, with sentences generally starting at 20 years and going up to life imprisonment.
Furina found the proceedings amusing at first, but as time dragged on, she grew bored. She could only chat with Black Furina, who wasn't very talkative, leaving Furina with nothing to do and causing her to nearly fall asleep in public.
By the time the trials concluded and the audience dispersed, it was late into the night when she emerged from the Opera House.
Sitting in the Hydro Archon's exclusive carriage, Furina was genuinely tired and kept yawning.
"Let me warn you now, if you fall asleep, I won't wake you up!"
"When people try to wake you and you don't stir, let's see where the Hydro Archon's dignity lands!"
...