Chapter 113: Neuvillette Appears
Behind the God of Justice stood a tall, white-haired man. His lips were pressed into a thin, severe line, and his entire bearing was one of solemn gravity.
As the children's curious gazes fell upon him, he glanced over. His stern expression softened almost imperceptibly, and he offered them a slight, formal nod.
Mitsuhiko leaned in and whispered to the others, "Do you think that's him? The Chief Justice everyone talks about, Monsieur Neuvillette?"
"It has to be," Genta mumbled, scratching his head. "But… why does it feel like the Gardes around us respect him more than the God of Justice? Is that just me?"
"It's not your imagination," Haibara murmured, her eyes narrowed in cool analysis. "To be frank, Monsieur Neuvillette feels more like a divine authority than Lady Furina does."
Conan found himself nodding in agreement. "Exactly. He seems far more reliable than the God of Justice."
Listening to their lively discussion, Natsume decided to share the tidbit of information she'd picked up earlier but hadn't had a chance to mention. "I'll let you in on a little secret," she said, her voice low. "This Monsieur Neuvillette… he isn't human, either."
Seeing their astonished faces, Natsume continued with a faintly smug smile. "I couldn't find out the exact details of his origin, but word is that the Chief Justice of Fontaine has been Neuvillette for the last five hundred years. So, he's definitely not human!" she finished, nodding decisively to affirm her point.
Conan was speechless. 'While that's almost certainly true,'he thought,'the way Sister Natsume said it sounded a bit like an insult.'
Utterly oblivious to the hushed conspiracy unfolding before her, Furina struck a theatrical pose and said with a grand smile, "My, you're all quite well-informed, aren't you? To learn of the case here so quickly and rush over to investigate. Not bad at all! Only a little less impressive than me, a god. Haha…"
The children exchanged weary looks.
Ayumi whispered, "This God of Justice… really does seem a little unreliable."
The others all nodded in silent agreement.
"However, you are too late!" Furina declared with a flourish. "I have already identified the culprit in the case of the missing young woman. It is that Magician! Unless you possess a differing opinion and the evidence to support it, you likely won't need to appear at the trial two days from now."
She puffed out her chest. "Of course, such a situation is impossible. I am the God of Justice of Fontaine, the Queen of all waters, all lands, all peoples, and all laws! How could my judgment possibly be in error? So, you needn't worry about the trial. Nor do you need to worry about the prophecy I mentioned earlier. With me, the God of Justice of Fontaine, at the helm, everything will be fine."
She waved a dismissive hand. "Naturally, you are welcome to use these next few days to explore the city of Fontaine and enjoy the scenery."
Conan's brow furrowed. "No," he interjected, his voice sharp with conviction. "We can't be sure the Magician is the culprit yet."
Furina's eyes widened. "Are you questioning a god? Besides, all the evidence currently points directly to that Magician."
"But there's no direct evidence proving he did it," Conan shot back.
Believing in Conan's instincts, the Detective Boys began to chime in, arguing with logical points, while Furina stubbornly held her ground. The difference in their views quickly escalated into a heated debate.
Natsume hung back, a complex, almost wistful look on her face as she watched the AI-driven drama unfold. She was still in awe of Noah's Ark's power. Though the characters' appearances had been specially adjusted, the fact that their personalities could be constructed with such startling accuracy was deeply impressive. Of course, she knew Nahida's assistance had been a major factor, but to restore the scenery of Fontaine so perfectly within a game… it was truly amazing.
She wondered if, after she gained full ownership of Noah's Ark and the Cocoon, she might have the chance to create the landscapes of the other nations in a holographic game. Wouldn't that be like playing a fully immersive version of Genshin? The very thought sent a spark of excitement through her.
The voices of the argument grew louder, eventually attracting the attention of Neuvillette, who had been speaking with some Gardes personnel not far away.
He turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the scene. A slight frown creased his brow before he began to walk over.
"Lady Furina, what is the meaning of this?" Neuvillette's voice was calm but carried an obvious authority.
"Cough, cough!" Furina coughed awkwardly, startled by his arrival. She quickly straightened her slightly disheveled clothes. "I wasn't doing anything. Merely… defending justice," she replied, avoiding his gaze.
"Is that so? Then…"
"Lord Neuvillette, we have a new discovery! The missing young woman has been found!"
Neuvillette was about to say more, but a Garde who came running over cut him off, his words tumbling out in a rush.
Hearing the timely interruption, Furina subtly breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, Neuvillette, since the missing woman has been found, let's be off! We must go and get a full report on the case."
Knowing there was a new lead, Neuvillette did not object to her suggestion. He gave a curt nod, ready to proceed. When he learned that it was Natsume and her group who intended to face Lady Furina in court, he motioned for them to be brought along as well.
As the group hurried to the location, the children huddled behind the two adults, Natsume and Ran Mouri, whispering amongst themselves.
"See? The Gardes definitely respect the Chief Justice way more than the God of Justice," Conan pointed out.
Mitsuhiko nodded. "Yes, Conan is right. The first person they reported the new lead to was Monsieur Neuvillette."
"And I feel like Lady Furina's attitude toward him is a bit strange," Haibara added, her analytical gaze fixed on the two figures ahead. "It's not how one would treat a subordinate. If they've both lived for five hundred years, that means they've been together for at least that long, yet their interactions seem somewhat distant. It doesn't feel like they've worked together for five centuries."
"I didn't notice that," Mitsuhiko admitted, "but I just feel that the Chief Justice's whole demeanor is more like what you'd expect from the God of Justice of Fontaine."
Ayumi and Genta nodded vigorously, agreeing with Mitsuhiko's assessment.
After a few minutes of walking and hushed conversation, the group arrived to see the missing young woman standing with a contingent of Gardes.
Through a round of questioning, everyone came to understand the situation. They also learned a crucial fact: the young woman, who had been chosen as a "lucky audience member" for the magic show, was not actually from Fontaine.
This new information, however, only seemed to deepen the suspicion surrounding the Magician.
After learning the details, Furina's expression turned smug. She looked at Conan. "Well now, little brother, was my accusation not correct? As the God of Justice of Fontaine, how could I possibly make a wrong judgment? You simply need to believe in me, a god."
Although all the clues now pointed to the Magician, Conan still felt a knot of unease in his stomach. Something was amiss. The culprit was being exposed far too easily. He couldn't shake the suspicion that someone was being framed.
, the fact that the "lucky audience member" was a foreigner must have been an unexpected complication for the true culprit, which would explain why the young woman was left unharmed. This, in turn, made the Magician's assistant, who was also involved in the performance, seem incredibly suspicious.
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