Everyone knew the truth. Fontaine lived and breathed the Trial.
It boasted Neuvillette, the most impartial Chief Justice in all of Teyvat. It relied on the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, a machine that had not made a single error in five hundred years.
Even the lights in the streets and the machines in the workshops ran on Indemnitium, the energy harvested from the very scales of justice.
But in the memories of the Reincarnation... things were different.
Wriothesley was moving to arrest Dugier. There was no evidence presented, no long-winded debate, and no jury. Clorinde simply stated that the Pope had declared him guilty.
That was enough.
In a nation governed by strict, unyielding laws, such a scene was beyond comprehension.
"It's so strange..." Navia murmured, her brow furrowing. "I remember Clorinde and Wriothesley being so cold and distant. Yet, they're condemning Dugier based on a single word from Mr. Kael?"
Clorinde tightened her grip on her cloak. "It is... unsettling to watch."
"I remember investigating the Hat-Cap Association with the Duke," Lumine added, her eyes fixed on the screen. "Dugier was exactly as Kael described. He played the philanthropist, but behind the scenes, he used brainwashing and torture to control his members."
Wriothesley leaned back, a faint, dangerous smile playing on his lips. "Hmm... this version of events is becoming much more interesting than what actually happened."
[ "The Pope..." ]
[ "Is this an order from His Holiness?" ]
[ "This is..." ]
[ The members of the Hat-Cap Association erupted. The mention of the 'Pope' acted like a spark in a powder keg. ]
[ Their terror vanished. Faces once twisted in fear now beamed with a strange, ecstatic joy. It was the look of the condemned finding salvation. ]
[ "Enough!" ]
[ Dugier's brow furrowed as he screamed. "Even if the Pope says I am guilty, I deserve a Trial! Lord Neuvillette must judge me!" ]
[ "This is nothing but a lynching!" ]
[ Wriothesley and Clorinde ignored his frantic shouting. ]
[ Clorinde stepped beside the Duke, her expression a mask of indifference. "Do you want to announce the sentence, or should I?" ]
[ Wriothesley shrugged. "You've been looking forward to delivering His Holiness's word more than I have, haven't you?" ]
[ "Hmph. You talk too much." Clorinde let out a cold snort. A tiny, almost imperceptible curve of her lips betrayed her. ]
[ 'As if I would let anyone else proclaim his will.' ]
[ "Fine. I shall be the one to read it." ]
[ She turned her gaze to Dugier. It was the look a human gives an insect beneath their boot. "By the order of the Pope... Dugier has been found guilty of using vile methods to establish a private militia within the Fortress of Meropide for his own selfish desires." ]
[ "The sentence is the Death Penalty." ]
[ "To be carried out immediately." ]
The citizens of Fontaine watched the screen, paralyzed. They couldn't believe their eyes.
The Clorinde and Wriothesley they knew were pillars of stoicism. Seeing them act with such religious fervor was jarring.
But more than that, the sentence itself was a thunderclap.
Fontaine had not seen a Death Penalty in hundreds of years.
The only time the word had even been uttered was during the Trial of Furina, the supposed Hydro Archon. Even then, she had survived. Most people assumed the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale had malfunctioned due to the flood and the Narwhal.
In modern Fontaine, the concept of execution was an abstraction. Now, they were watching a man lose his life because Kael willed it.
In that past life, Kael didn't just lead the church.
He held the entire nation in his palm.
Neuvillette remained silent, his eyes fixed on the display.
"This... are they really going to kill him?" Clorinde asked, her voice tight.
"I don't know," Paimon chirped, rubbing her head. "When we caught Dugier, it was a huge mess. He'd taken control of most of the Meka in the Fortress of Meropide. Even then, the Duke didn't kill him."
Wriothesley leaned back. "So, in this world, Mr. Kael says the word and Dugier's life ends? That's quite the promotion."
"This is..." Furina's voice trailed off.
"I see it now," Yae Miko said, a playful yet sharp glint in her eyes. "In that life, Mr. Kael was the Pope, but his authority eclipsed the Hydro Archon herself."
"Even Lord Neuvillette, the Chief Justice, seems to have..." Lynette started.
"Lord Neuvillette wouldn't be controlled by Kael," Navia interrupted. "But I never expected Clorinde to be so... devoted."
"Don't jump to conclusions," Clorinde snapped. "Kael hasn't even shown his face yet."
[ The sentence hung in the air. ]
[ Clorinde looked at the stunned Dugier. ]
[ She offered a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Congratulations. You are the first person in the history of Fontaine to receive the Death Penalty. And it was personally signed by the Pope." ]
[ "Take him away." ]
[ She waved a hand dismissively. Guards stepped forward, hoisting Dugier up by his armpits as his legs turned to jelly. ]
[ "No..." ]
[ "I protest!" ]
[ Dugier thrashed against his captors. "This doesn't follow the legal procedures of Fontaine! This judgment is a sham!" ]
[ "Hmph." Wriothesley let out a dry laugh. "You're just a criminal who got greedy in my prison." ]
[ "The people here are sinners, yes, but they are not tools for your petty ambitions." ]
[ "No!" Dugier's scream turned into a jagged howl of rage. ]
[ "Greedy for power?" ]
[ "Hahaha! If I'm greedy, then what is that damned Pope?" ]
[ "He's worse than I could ever be!" ]
[ "Wriothesley, you're a disgrace to the title of Duke! And you, Clorinde... you've spat on the honor of the Champion Duelist!" ]
[ "You're nothing but Kael's loyal dogs!" ]
[ The insults echoed down the hallway. Wriothesley and Clorinde shared a look, shrugging in unison. ]
[ "Pathetic," Clorinde muttered, her lip curling. "To think he would compare himself to His Holiness. He truly has no idea how close he is to the end." ]
[ Then, one last shout drifted back from the corner. ]
[ "The one person in Fontaine who deserves to die is Kael!" ]
[ "He is the true sinner of this nation!" ]
[ The air in the corridor suddenly dropped ten degrees. The disdain on Clorinde's face vanished, replaced by a mask of freezing, murderous intent. ]
The Executioner's Wrath
[She strode out of the room, her boots clicking sharply against the cold stone floor.]
[A moment later, two gunshots echoed from around the corner.]
[Dugier would never speak again.]
Dead.
Dugier was actually gone.
The executioner was Clorinde... and she had looked absolutely livid.
The citizens of Fontaine stared at the screen, their collective breath catching in their throats. They couldn't understand what they were seeing.
Was the Fontaine of that past life truly under Kael's absolute control? Was Dugier right?
Clorinde had personally carried out the Death Penalty. She hadn't waited for a formal gallows or a firing squad. She had done it herself, simply because Dugier dared to curse Kael's name.
It wasn't just duty. It was a release. Anyone watching could see the raw, simmering frustration she was venting with every pull of the trigger.
Navia: "My god... Clorinde... you actually..."
Clorinde: "What is going on? Why would I...?"
Aether: "Hey, @Kael. Be honest. You don't actually have some kind of mind control ability, do you?"
Kael: "Don't talk nonsense. I prefer to win people over with my sparkling personality and undeniable virtue."
'Virtue? Right. More like a silver tongue and a terrifying amount of leverage,' Aether thought, his brow furrowing as he watched the playback. 'He's definitely hiding something.'
Wriothesley: "It is a rare sight. I have never seen Clorinde let her emotions drive her to such an extreme."
Paimon: "Is it really that extreme? Dugier was already sentenced to the Death Penalty. Clorinde was just... being efficient!"
**The Knave's Shadow**
"Wait... does this mean Clorinde is the leading lady for this Cycle?" Lumine asked, her eyes widening as she watched the screen.
"Lumine, darling," Lisa teased, her voice dripping with playful mischief. "Aren't you even a little bit jealous? A love rival just appeared, and you're not even breaking a sweat?"
Lumine let out a dry cough, crossing her arms.
"Hardly a rival. And don't think you can bait me into a fight with Kael that easily."
"That's my girl," Kael chimed in, a grin tugging at his lips. "Thirty-two thumbs up for my dear."
"Hold on just a second," Aether interrupted, stepping between them with a protective scowl. "As her brother, I haven't given anyone my blessing yet."
Lynette tilted her head, her expression as unreadable as ever. "I honestly expected it to be Lady Furina."
"Uh..." Lyney trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
Furina's head snapped toward him, her eyes flashing with indignation. "Hey! Lyney! What is that supposed to mean?"
"As a Fatui Harbinger, I have had the... pleasure... of meeting the Hydro Archon Furina on several occasions."
Arlecchino's voice was like ice scraping against silk, cutting through the chatter.
"If I may be so bold, considering her particular brand of 'strength,' the Fontaine of that past life likely fell into the hands of the Reincarnator Mr. Kael quite some time ago."
Furina blinked, her bravado flickering like a dying candle. She stared at the woman on the screen, a cold shiver racing down her spine.
"And you are?"
"You may call me The Knave," Arlecchino replied, her gaze piercing. "Have you forgotten me so soon?"
Furina went rigid.
'Oh. It's her. No wonder I blocked it out. Remembering someone that terrifying is a one-way ticket to a lifetime of nightmares.'
~✦~ End of Chapter ~✦~
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