"Ah, so boring. My shoulders are so sore… Is there nothing that truly interests me?" Furina sighed, rubbing her temples as she stared at the mountain of documents piled on her desk.
She didn't want to work—but these were matters that genuinely required her attention.
For example… the various salinity values of seawater.
Furina could no longer delegate these responsibilities to Fu Ning or Neuvillette. These were her own affairs. She had to handle them personally.
She turned her head and looked at Fu Ning, who was resting with his eyes closed.
"Fu Ning, rub my shoulders. Let me think about something else," Furina leaned back slightly and ordered.
Fu Ning, who had been standing beside her, immediately opened his eyes—and they lit up.
Lady Furina was going to reward him again!
How wonderful!
In truth, Fu Ning hadn't been resting his eyes at all. He had been secretly admiring Lady Furina's exquisite beauty.
Ah… what a perfect side profile. I want to touch it so badly.
The moment Furina turned to glance at him, Fu Ning hurriedly shut his eyes and resumed pretending to rest.
But upon hearing her order, his heart nearly leapt out of his chest with joy.
He could give Lady Furina a shoulder massage!
Ah! What an honor!
"Yes, Lady Furina. I would be delighted to assist you," he said enthusiastically.
In an instant, Fu Ning was behind her, his hands reaching toward her shoulders.
A gentle pressure flowed through his fingers, and Furina immediately felt a wave of relief wash over her.
"Auxiliary Talent: Sequence Five."
Fu Ning activated his best supportive ability, releasing waves of refreshing energy that calmed her nerves.
His eyes couldn't help but be drawn to Furina's flawless white neck.
Ah! So beautiful. Every part of Lady Furina is perfect…
Carefully, he parted her twin braids to better admire the graceful line of her neck.
Furina felt a level of relaxation she hadn't experienced in a hundred years. She closed her eyes, leaned further back into the sofa, and let herself enjoy this rare moment of peace.
The afternoon sun filtered in through the window, bathing the room in a lazy golden glow.
How wonderful it would be if time could freeze like this.
Both Furina and Fu Ning thought the same thing.
Furina, for her part, was thinking about how she was no longer burdened by prophecies or the pain of performing as a god. Now, she could just enjoy herself.
But suddenly, this tranquil moment was broken by the sound of a door creaking open.
"Mr. Fu Ning, I believe you are in some serious trouble." Neuvillette entered, speaking bluntly as he stepped inside.
He glanced at Fu Ning, who was in the middle of massaging Furina's shoulders, and raised an eyebrow in a disapproving way.
Fu Ning froze mid-motion and turned toward Neuvillette, though his eyes were still fixated on Furina's neck.
He stared at Neuvillette in confusion, his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Melee Talent: Sequence Three."
"Why? You want to fight?"
Furina opened her eyes as well, curiosity dancing in them as she glanced between Fu Ning and Neuvillette.
"Fight! Fight!" she whispered excitedly.
Neuvillette sighed. "…Not really. Let me get to the point. Do you know about the serial disappearances of young girls that began around three years ago?"
Fu Ning's interest faded instantly. He deactivated his talent and resumed massaging Furina's shoulders lazily. "Of course I know. So what? What's that got to do with me?"
Furina, too, turned her head slightly with a bored expression and closed her eyes again.
Fu Ning's gaze inevitably returned to the back of Furina's neck.
He inched closer, mesmerized by the faint scent of her fragrance.
Furina, of course, was unaware of this.
Otherwise, Fu Ning would have truly been doomed.
Neuvillette looked at Fu Ning, whose face was dangerously close to the Hydro Archon's neck, and his eye twitched.
"You have been accused of being the perpetrator behind the serial disappearances. The charges are formal. The trial begins tomorrow. I came to inform you—don't forget to attend."
Fu Ning: "…?"
Furina: "…?"
Fu Ning's hands froze. He turned sharply to stare at Neuvillette, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Me? Murder someone? That's impossible!"
"Hey! Hey, hey! What are you saying, Neuvillette?" Furina spun around in her seat, frowning. "How could Fu Ning be the murderer in a case like that? You've made a mistake somewhere!"
Neuvillette had expected such a reaction and responded calmly, "Normally, I refrain from personal judgment before the Cardinal of the Encyclical Decree renders a verdict, but…"
"This time, I believe Mr. Fu Ning is innocent—partly due to certain personal reasons, and partly due to my position, which offers me… insight."
Fu Ning rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Forget your insights for a moment. Who exactly accused me?"
Neuvillette: "…You're making it sound like I'm the one framing you."
"Still, I'll answer. Over four hundred years ago, I became embroiled in a political conflict due to my identity and was forced to relinquish part of my authority."
"Now, you—a demon god—have arrived in Fontaine. Naturally, this has stirred up ambition in those with ulterior motives."
"The accuser is a noble named Moklin. I trust you understand the implications."
Fu Ning let out a long breath. This was such a pain…
He had never been good at politics.
"Give me the case files on the missing girls. I need to at least understand what I'm being accused of."
"Understood, Mr. Fu Ning."
Fu Ning sighed again. "Tsk. Nobles are such a headache. Can't we just… kill them all?"
Neuvillette narrowed his eyes slightly at those words.
He recalled that Fu Ning had previously claimed he wouldn't harm anyone…
But more importantly—
Why had Fu Ning said "nobles have always been a nuisance"?
Hadn't he only been in Fontaine for three years?
Isn't it strange to draw such a sweeping conclusion in such a short time?
Neuvillette felt that Fu Ning wasn't the type to make surface-level judgments.
Even if he had memories of his past life during the Archon War… that was an era of chaos, low productivity, and war between demon gods. There hadn't even been a structured aristocracy yet.
That inconsistency nagged at Neuvillette.
Unfortunately, there was still too little information about Fu Ning's true identity.
He decided to shelve the thought for now.
Being overly suspicious of his colleagues would only harm Fontaine as a whole.
And, for now, Fu Ning didn't seem to pose any real danger to their nation.
***
The next day, at the Opéra Épiclese.
Although Furina believed Fu Ning was innocent, a trial in which a demon was the accused was bound to be thrilling.
Furina sat in her seat, eyeing Moklin with interest.
Neuvillette glanced at Moklin in the accuser's seat, then at Fu Ning in the defendant's seat.
"Given the special status of Mr. Fu Ning, the accused in this case, this trial shall not permit the invocation of a duel to prove innocence," Neuvillette declared calmly.
"I wonder if Mr. Fu Ning has any objections to this?"
Fu Ning nodded slightly. "Of course not. In fact, I'm quite curious to hear what reasons he has for accusing me."
"Very well," Neuvillette nodded. "Now that both parties are present, I declare the trial in session."
"First, Mr. Moklin will explain why Mr. Fu Ning stands accused of being the perpetrator behind the serial disappearances of young girls."
Whispers stirred from the audience below.
"How could it be Master Fu Ning?"
"Yes, yes—Master Fu Ning has been loyally protecting Lady Furina and Fontaine. There's no way he would do such a thing."
Moklin wore a proud expression. He stood tall, letting his voice carry with quiet confidence.
"Everyone in Fontaine knows that three years ago, young girls began vanishing under mysterious circumstances."
"And it just so happens that our so-called Master Fu Ning was brought to Fontaine by Lady Furina… three years ago."
"I believe this is no coincidence."
"These girls vanished without a trace. No ordinary human could accomplish such a feat, nor could they do so without leaving behind evidence."
"Only someone like Fu Ning—whose identity is that of the Dark Demon God—could possess the power to do such a thing."
"Furthermore, Fu Ning claims to patrol Fontaine every night. That must be when he seeks out his victims."
"And if he is patrolling every night, how could he have failed to detect the disappearances? Unless… he is the one responsible."
"…"
"So, Mr. Fu Ning, do you object to Mr. Moklin's claims?" Neuvillette's gaze did not waver as he addressed Fu Ning.
Fu Ning stood silently for a moment in the accused's seat, his face drawn with tension.
"Yes. I absolutely object."
"All of his arguments hinge on the assumption that I am the one behind the serial disappearances."
"First: the timing. For the first six months to a year after arriving in Fontaine, I was not patrolling—I was learning to cook."
"Other than fulfilling my duty to protect Lady Furina, I never once stepped outside the Palais Mermonia. Yet, during that time, a girl still went missing."
"That fact, I believe, can be confirmed by none other than the Chief Justice of Fontaine—Monsieur Neuvillette himself."
"Second: making someone disappear without a trace. Yes, as the Dark Demon God, I possess great power. But I cannot make someone vanish quietly."
"Third: I am Lady Furina's retainer. I serve as her bodyguard and duel agent—not as an enforcer of law. I am not a detective, nor is criminal investigation within my domain of expertise."
"Frankly, I must admit—it is not unreasonable to imagine that a cunning mortal, skilled in deception, could pull of such crimes."
The gallery erupted with murmurs:
"He's right. There's no way Master Fu Ning did this."
"His reasoning is sound."
"Moklin must have some hidden motive for going after Lord Ning!"
Fu Ning cast a glance toward the Cardinals of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, who judged with divine authority.
He could tell—they, too, were leaning toward his innocence.
"Even the Cardinals of the Oratrice favor me, Moklin," Fu Ning said calmly.
Moklin chuckled.
"Haha. Fu Ning, you make a compelling case. But do you remember the case involving Venti stealing wine?"
Fu Ning frowned. "Of course. I personally apprehended him. Why bring that up?"
Moklin smirked. "It seems your memory fails you. Allow me to quote your own words from that day."
Tilting his head back, Moklin mimicked Fu Ning's tone mockingly:
'As it turns out, Mr. Venti had entered the wine cellar. I'm not sure what method he used to knock out the two guards, but he got in.'
"Venti holds a Vision. With that alone, he was able to render two adult men unconscious without a sound. So as a demon god, are you saying you couldn't subdue a young girl?"
Fu Ning scowled. The urge to crush the man where he stood was strong.
This Moklin had clearly come prepared.
"And more! You claim you never left the Palais Mermonia," Moklin continued, "but as a demon god, your control over elemental energy is beyond comparison."
"With that kind of power, you could accomplish things mere mortals couldn't even dream of! Killing someone would be child's play!"
"Third point—your motive! Simple. To satisfy your twisted desire to kill!"
Fu Ning narrowed his eyes.
"…As far as I'm aware, these girls are classified as missing, not dead."
"Are you so certain they're dead, Moklin?"
"Even Lady Furina, Neuvillette, and I haven't reached such a conclusion. And yet you are certain?"
Moklin hesitated. "Is this supposed to be a weak excuse, Fu Ning?"
Fu Ning shook his head.
"No, Moklin. Venti's circumstances are unique—I can't elaborate here. But Lady Furina and Chief Justice Neuvillette can both testify to that."
…
After a lengthy debate, the mood within the Oratrice shifted. The judgment of the Cardinal Mechanism began to sway.
At last, Neuvillette raised a hand to pause the proceedings.
Turning to Moklin, he said, "According to the laws of Fontaine, the burden of proof lies with the accuser."
"As the saying goes, he who asserts must prove. So, Mr. Moklin—do you have any evidence to support your claims?"
Moklin fell silent. He had no evidence. His goal had never been to convict Fu Ning—only to damage his reputation and sow suspicion among the people of Fontaine.
But now, it seemed… the plan had backfired.
"Answer the question, Mr. Moklin," Neuvillette said, his voice carrying the weight of law. The crowd murmured louder.
"He has no proof! Lord Neuvillette caught him off guard!"
"This is shameful! Moklin should be sent to Morte Region right away!"
"Silence!" Neuvillette ordered. "Mr. Moklin. Your answer?"
"…No," Moklin admitted, bowing his head. "There is no evidence, Lord Neuvillette."
The Oratrice glowed faintly as the Cardinals reached their conclusion.
The scales had tipped fully in Fu Ning's favor.
"Then," Neuvillette announced, "since Mr. Moklin has presented no evidence to support his claim, Mr. Fu Ning shall be considered innocent."
"The final ruling shall now be delivered by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale."
The golden judgment card was inserted into the Oratrice. In an instant, the divine machine emitted a blinding blue light.
Neuvillette stepped forward and read the decree aloud.
"By the authority of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, I hereby declare—"
"Mr. Fu Ning: Not guilty."
Fu Ning narrowed his eyes.
It seems… those nobles will have to pay the price.