Court of Fontaine.
Neuvillette slowly exhaled.
"Thank goodness… thank goodness."
As Fontaine's Chief Justice, he had never felt tension like this before.
He had always upheld the law impartially, never fearing power or authority.
But when facing a being like Aerin, whose very existence defied comprehension, no one would believe that stubborn adherence to principle was a virtue.
If such a being chose to erase an entire nation—or even an entire world—over the fate of a single individual, it would still feel… reasonable.
No one dared to provoke the authority of an existence like that.
"This truly surprised me," Neuvillette murmured as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
"I never expected that, at the critical moment, Furina would display such sharp insight."
She had clearly misunderstood Aerin's intentions.
Yet it was precisely because of that misunderstanding—and her accidental brilliance—that a catastrophe had been avoided.
"If it had been the usual Furina… and she truly put that being on trial…"
Neuvillette didn't dare imagine what kind of calamity Fontaine would have faced.
Palais Mermonia.
Clorinde and Sigewinne were so excited they practically threw themselves onto Furina, hugging her from both sides.
They nearly kissed her on the spot.
Who cared whether she was a real god or not?
At the very least—without knowing Aerin's identity—she had offered him tea and pastries.
What use was a god?
Could a god calm Aerin down?
Even Furina herself was dumbfounded.
She had already prepared herself to be judged by the people.
Who could have imagined that her future self would suddenly slam the brakes and pull off a reversal that exceeded everyone's expectations?
A huge weight lifted from Furina's heart.
At the very least, her foolishness hadn't dragged the entire nation of Fontaine down with her.
Inside the Office.
[Even Clorinde—who usually showed no expression at all—stared in horror at the trembling Furina.]
["L-Lady Furina… what you just said…"]
[Her gaze slowly shifted to Aerin.]
[Only then did she realize that he was already sitting casually on the sofa, calmly sampling the tea and pastries of Palais Mermonia.]
["He's… the one everyone's talking about…"]
["The one who made entire nations vanish… and reappear…"]
[Fear surged uncontrollably in Clorinde's heart.]
[The way Aerin had casually reached into a shattered space to retrieve an item had shaken her to the core.]
[She had never seen such an absurd method of taking objects.]
["Rather than worrying about who I am,"]
[Aerin said calmly, placing his teacup down,]
["Shouldn't you first look at what I brought you?"]
[Only then did Furina react, her hands trembling violently as she reached for the notebook on the table.]
["Let your Duelist read it instead,"]
[Aerin added lightly.]
["You're shaking so badly—can you even read what's written?"]
[Though spoken casually, the words terrified Furina.]
[She immediately shoved the notebook into Clorinde's hands.]
["L-Lady Furina?"]
[Clorinde called out instinctively.]
[Furina shot her a look, signaling her to comply.]
[Her own heart, meanwhile, sank straight to the abyss.]
[She had thought she'd caught someone with insider knowledge.]
[Who could've guessed her luck was this cursed—she had seized someone from above?]
[This was completely over.]
[No one could understand the fear gripping Furina's heart at that moment.]
[She was a false god.]
[Others might not know—but the gods above certainly would.]
Clorinde carefully read through the notebook as instructed.
The further she read, the more terrifying it became.
["Experiments…"]
["Those missing girls… they were taken for experiments…"]
["The final signature belongs to someone named Vacher."]
Clorinde's head buzzed violently.
The notebook recorded the experimental process in meticulous detail.
Each girl had been assigned a number.
They were exposed to varying concentrations of Primordial Seawater, and their reactions were observed.
When the concentration exceeded a certain threshold—
["…They dissolved."]
Clorinde repeated the conclusion aloud.
Furina's eyes widened in disbelief.
"D-Dis… dissolved?"
The prophecy… was real.
Fontaine's people truly would dissolve into the sea.
["Fontainians are special,"]
[Aerin said calmly.]
["When you come into contact with Primordial Seawater, the reaction described in the report occurs."]
["But for now, what you need to do is capture this man—Vacher."]
["His current name is Marcel."]
"Marcel?!"
Clorinde and Furina froze simultaneously.
"Isn't he a famous tycoon in Fontaine—the chairman of the Brié Trading Company?"
Aerin nodded.
"When he was young, he fell in love with a Fontainian girl named Vigneire."
"She accidentally touched Primordial Seawater and dissolved before his eyes."
"After that, he changed his name to Marcel."
"He conducted business in Poisson while secretly experimenting on Fontainian girls."
"All to find a way to revive Vigneire."
Furina's face drained of color.
Clorinde frowned deeply.
"That means… Marcel knew long ago that Fontainians would—"
This truth was far too horrifying.
If all of Fontaine learned they would dissolve upon contact with Primordial Seawater—
The nation would collapse into chaos.
"Wait," Clorinde said urgently, looking at Aerin almost pleadingly.
"If he knew this twenty years ago, then…"
Aerin chuckled softly.
"Indeed. A nation of laws—yet it committed a grave miscarriage of justice."
"Navia's father never shot anyone."
"Marcel clashed with the Spina di Rosula during business dealings."
"He had someone assassinate Callas's friend."
"Then dissolved the assassin in the rain."
"That left Callas as the sole suspect."
Aerin sighed.
"A nation of law… yet it allows something called a duelist."
"If someone is guilty, they're guilty."
"Why should refusing to confess allow them to duel for innocence?"
"Is your Duelist truly unbeatable?"
His gaze flicked briefly toward Clorinde.
The verbal onslaught left both Clorinde and Furina lowering their heads in silence.
Court of Fontaine.
Neuvillette could no longer sit still.
He transformed into a streak of blue light and rushed toward the Brié Trading Company.
He had to personally apprehend Marcel—alive—and prevent suicide.
He had to wait for Aerin to arrive and decide the final punishment himself.
An innocent man had died in the dueling arena.
The real culprit had lived freely for decades—experimenting on innocent girls.
This was the greatest disgrace in Fontaine's history.
A nation built on law… exposed as a farce.
Spina di Rosula Headquarters.
Navia collapsed onto the sofa once more.
Aerin's words had been calm, almost casual.
But to her—
They meant everything.
"My father… my father was innocent…"
"He never killed his friend…"
Navia wept openly.
Without the future-revealing light screen, she didn't know how long her father's injustice would have remained buried.
Opera Epiclese.
Before the massive Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, the trial commenced.
The audience buzzed excitedly.
"Did you hear? Lady Furina apprehended a suspect linked to the serial disappearances."
"She took him away herself!"
"Another trial to watch!"
"She's judging him personally!"
The crowd assumed the defendant would be the man arrested at the harbor—
But when the accused took the stand—
It was Marcel, chairman of the Brié Trading Company.
With overwhelming evidence, Furina encountered no resistance.
The moment she mentioned Vigneire, Marcel broke down.
Before the interrogation even ended, he confessed everything.
The courtroom fell dead silent.
The prophecy… was real.
Fontainians truly could dissolve.
Neuvillette steadied himself and reconstructed the case step by step.
"Marcel—originally Vacher—was an adventurer partnered with his lover Vigneire."
"She dissolved after touching Primordial Seawater."
"He abducted girls for experiments, seeking to revive her."
"To hide his crimes, he adopted a new identity and began trading."
"He discovered diluted seawater caused euphoria and sold a drink called Lus."
"Later, during a conflict with the Spina di Rosula, he orchestrated an assassination."
"By dissolving the assassin, he framed Callas—leading to Callas's death in a duel."
"The truth of the serial disappearances is now clear."
Neuvillette input the findings into the Oratrice.
Blue light flooded the theater.
When it faded—
The verdict appeared.
"According to the Oratrice…"
"Vacher is guilty."
No one was surprised.
But Neuvillette's brows knit tightly.
"…Sentence: Death."
The Opera Epiclese plunged into absolute silence.
For the first time in Fontaine's history—
A death sentence had been issued.
"That's impossible!" Vacher screamed.
"Fontaine has never executed anyone!"
"This is unfair! You tampered with the verdict!"
Neuvillette replied calmly:
"The Oratrice's judgment stands."
"Examine it yourself if you doubt its fairness."
When Vacher saw the verdict—
His face drained of all color.
At the same moment—
His roar echoed through Indemnitium, reaching a strange space.
A woman with blue-white hair and a white dress blinked in shock.
"…What just happened?"
"I never issued a death sentence."
"Where did this command come from?"
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