"Monsieur Tartaglia, do you have any rebuttals to these accusations?"
"Of course I do! What does any of this have to do with me?!"
"I only arrived in Fontaine yesterday morning for the first time! How dare you try to convict me based on a case from half a year ago?! This is outrageous!"
Tartaglia was furious. If he hadn't known he stood no chance against Neuvillette, he would have already caused a major scene. But for the sake of his own life, he decided to hold back—for now.
"Is that so? Then how do you propose to prove this claim that you've never been to Fontaine before?" Navia pressed.
Tartaglia was speechless. "I've already said it wasn't me! What more do you want me to do to prove it? Should I ask the Fatui to produce my whereabouts report?"
"Hmph! You're all in cahoots! They could easily fabricate a false report!"
Hearing Tartaglia's words, Navia's group chimed in:
"We'd never trust such evidence! You'd be better off calling a personal witness!"
"Half a year ago? How am I supposed to remember that far back?! Besides, I definitely wasn't in Fontaine back then!"
"Monsieur Tartaglia, your defense is utterly unconvincing."
Navia glared coldly at Tartaglia as she spoke, while Melus and Silver also eyed him with hostility.
"You wore a mask that night, but your build, voice, and martial skills—all of us dozens of witnesses can testify: the person that night was you!"
"It wasn't me! You must have mistaken me for someone else!"
"Or... someone's framing me!"
Tartaglia felt utterly wronged. Ever since arriving in Fontaine, he'd been the scapegoat for everything. Was this some kind of joke?!
"Wait a minute! It could be that woman Arlecchino! She's always had it in for me, so she probably hired someone to impersonate me and set me up!"
A sudden flash of insight struck Tartaglia, and the more he thought about it, the more plausible the theory seemed.
"Yes, yes, yes! It must be 'The Knave' Arlecchino! I suggest you arrest her too and interrogate her thoroughly!"
"Monsieur Tartaglia, if you suspect 'The Knave' Miss Arlecchino is behind this, you must provide evidence to support your claims," Neuvillette said calmly.
"I never imagined you'd throw your own colleagues under the bus like this, Monsieur Tartaglia."
Hearing Tartaglia's words, Navia's gaze grew even colder.
"The Knave provided significant assistance to Fontaine during its crisis. Your attempt to cast suspicion on her is likely to fail," Navia declared.
As soon as Navia finished speaking, a chorus of denunciation erupted from the audience.
"Exactly! The Knave may be a Fatui Harbinger, but she's nothing like a lunatic like you!"
"Right! The Knave is such a good person. She sacrificed many of her own people for Fontaine, while you only seek to unleash an god's seal and destroy a nation!"
"You're not even worthy of being a Fatui Harbinger alongside The Knave!"
The audience, who had initially been enjoying the spectacle, erupted in fury at Tartaglia's words. They had witnessed firsthand Arlecchino and her subordinates' actions in Fontaine.
Take the recent No. 6 Incident, for example. That staged massacre had subjected Fatui soldiers to unspeakable brutality.
Earlier, Fatui soldiers had also transported supplies to disaster-stricken areas and cooperated with the Maison Gardiennage and the Court of Justice in searching for the mysterious organization's bases.
These actions had been observed by nearly everyone, fundamentally changing their perception of the Fatui.
Though some prejudice and fear lingered, at least the Fatui agents under Arlecchino's command no longer faced icy glares.
If Arlecchino walked down the streets of Fontaine, many would greet her warmly, even though she never responded. Ironically, this only enhanced the allure of her enigmatic demeanor.
Now, hearing that Tartaglia had stooped to framing his own colleague—and none other than Miss Arlecchino herself—to clear his name, they could no longer contain their fury.
"How could 'The Knave' Arlecchino possibly share the title of 'Harbinger' with someone like you? You're a disgrace to the Fatui Harbingers!"
Tartaglia was utterly stunned.
What? Arlecchino? A good person? I framed her?
Damn it, I'm the one who's been wronged here!
Easy for you to say—you're not the one who got set up!
Tartaglia felt like throwing up. As a fellow Harbinger, he knew Arlecchino's true nature all too well.
Though she appeared perfectly normal on the surface, a beast lurked beneath her composed facade. If she ever fully unleashed her inner self, she would become a complete and utter madwoman!
But her disguise was impeccable! How could she have cultivated such a sterling reputation in Fontaine?!
I underestimated her!
Tartaglia felt he had fallen fairly into the trap, completely outmaneuvered on his opponent's home turf.
He couldn't imagine anyone but Arlecchino being so bored as to impersonate him and cause trouble all over the place.
Therefore, it had to be Arlecchino, and only Arlecchino!
"Monsieur Tartaglia, do you have any further rebuttals?" Neuvillette asked.
Hearing Neuvillette's question, Tartaglia took a deep breath and replied, "I'm innocent! Believe me or not, it's your choice!"
"Ultimately, you're just going on gut feelings, assuming that person was me. You didn't even see their face!"
"So don't you lack definitive evidence as well?"
"Monsieur Tartaglia, if you find my witnesses insufficient, then put on this mask."
As Navia finished speaking, a Maison Gardiennage officer standing beside Tartaglia stepped forward and handed him a jester's mask.
"What's this?" Tartaglia asked as he put the mask on.
The moment the audience saw Tartaglia wearing the mask, a collective gasp erupted.
"That's him! No mistake!"
"That damned murderer!"
"Sentence him to death immediately!"
-
Hearing the commotion in the courtroom, Tartaglia was completely dumbfounded.
Wait, do I really look that much like him?!
"Monsieur Tartaglia, why don't you take a look for yourself?"
A Maison Gardiennage officer handed him a photograph, and Tartaglia's attention was immediately drawn to its contents.
The background of the photo appeared to be a hotel room, and the subject was a man wearing a clown mask.
Though there was no mirror nearby, Tartaglia felt as if he were staring at his own reflection.
"After seeing this, do you still have any excuses to make?"
Tartaglia was stunned.
"That's not me! I'm being framed!"
"Someone else is impersonating me! It's not me at all!"
"I've never even been to that place!"
"Then, Monsieur Tartaglia, how do you explain the fact that you use the same fighting techniques as this man?" Navia pressed, her voice sharp.
Tartaglia's confusion deepened.
"Same fighting techniques?"
"You mean this man's techniques are the same as mine?!"
"But that's impossible! My master told me she only ever took me as her sole disciple!"
"Then the case is clear," Navia declared.
"Techniques like that aren't learned overnight. And since you yourself said your master only had one disciple—you—if your master's physique doesn't match the man in the photo, then it can only be you!"
"Could it really be me?"
Even Tartaglia was beginning to doubt himself. If he weren't the accused, he would have believed everyone's deductions were sound. After all, based on the descriptions, the culprit was undeniably him behind a mask.
But this was truly his first time in Fontaine!
And he knew better than anyone whether he had committed these crimes!
"No! I'm being framed!"
"Confess, Monsieur Tartaglia!"
Navia shook her head at Tartaglia's feeble denials. "You've run out of chances. Do you still cling to the delusion that you can escape responsibility even now? Haven't you felt even a shred of remorse for what you did to my Teacher? If you have even an ounce of conscience, confess!"
As Navia finished speaking, the audience rose to their feet, joining her in denouncing Tartaglia.
"Confess, you murderer!"
"I knew it! Aside from Miss Arlecchino, the Fatui are all scum!"
"Monsieur Neuvillette, this man tried to destroy Fontaine! We must not let him go!"
"Exactly! Liyue nearly suffered the same fate because of this madman! We can't simply forgive his crimes!"
"And Monsieur Grett! He sacrificed so much for the innocent people of Fleuve Cendre, only to die under such vile accusations. This man is the root of it all! We must avenge him!"
-
Hearing the clamor from the audience, Neuvillette couldn't help but turn his gaze to Navia. The young woman had lost both her father and her teacher, each dying under a cloud of infamy. He could scarcely imagine the weight she carried on her shoulders.
Neuvillette sighed softly. Such was the nature of reality: the living must shoulder the dreams of the dead and continue their arduous journey forward.
What many didn't realize was that Grett's influence extended far beyond what was visible on the surface. The Fleuve Cendre organization he had been involved with had consistently sought out talented children from impoverished backgrounds, sending them to study in various domains. The initial results were already promising, with the children demonstrating remarkable aptitude and possessing unique charm and independent thinking.
Neuvillette knew that with the collective efforts of everyone striving for hope, Fontaine's future would undoubtedly grow brighter with each passing day.
Raising his cane, Neuvillette struck the ground twice.
"Silence."
"If Monsieur Tartaglia has no evidence to refute Miss Navia's accusations, then I believe the Judgment can proceed to its final stage."
"Wait, I remember now!"
Tartaglia suddenly shouted, interrupting Neuvillette's next words.
"Six months ago, right? I remember now. I was training a batch of new recruits around that time. We even took a group photo together. It seems that was around the same time Miss Navia said they encountered the imposter."
"I have the photo with me. Let me find it."
At the last critical moment, Tartaglia finally recalled what he had been doing half a year prior.
He was now immensely grateful that a persistent recruit had insisted on taking a group photo, even after his initial refusal. The recruit hadn't given up, and eventually, Tartaglia reluctantly agreed to pose.
To be honest, after that incident, he had developed a certain admiration for the recruit. At least this recruit wasn't as intimidated by him, a Harbinger, as the others.
However, just as he was about to recruit the recruit as his lackey, the newcomer flatly refused him and instead defected to Pantalone.
The reason? "Pantalone has more money..."
Damn it! Tartaglia fumed inwardly. Is money everything? Does having wealth mean you can do whatever you want?!
"Monsieur Tartaglia, have you found the photograph yet?" Neuvillette asked.
"Almost there," Tartaglia replied, snapping back to attention. He resumed searching for the photo he had taken back then, all the while cursing Arlecchino and Pantalone in his mind.
"Found it! Take a look!"
The Maison Gardiennage officer quickly delivered the photograph to Neuvillette. As it was their final memento, the time of the photo was also recorded.
"The evidence is valid. Miss Navia's accusation is dismissed."
Neuvillette's pronouncement sent a shockwave through the crowd.
"How is that possible? How could it not be him?"
"It's clearly him! How could anyone impersonate him so perfectly?!"
"I told you all along that wasn't me!"
"Well, you've been proven wrong now!"
Hearing the incredulous murmurs from the audience, Tartaglia couldn't help but feel a peculiar sense of satisfaction.
It wasn't the exhilarating rush of a hard-fought battle against a formidable foe, but it was just as satisfying!
Navia was equally stunned, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Miss Navia," Melus and Silver called out.
Navia turned to them, nodded briefly, then addressed Neuvillette.
"Chief Justice, even if this man isn't Monsieur Tartaglia, their fighting styles originate from the same master. They must have a significant connection!"
Neuvillette nodded and declared, "Since Monsieur Tartaglia has presented new evidence, Miss Navia's accusations cannot be sustained."
"The Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale will now render its judgment on this case."
Following protocol, Neuvillette activated the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, which promptly issued its verdict.
Upon reading the verdict, Neuvillette froze in shock.
"Alright, alright, stop stalling! Just declare me innocent and let me go already!" Tartaglia snapped impatiently.
"Honestly, I came to Fontaine for a vacation, and for two whole days, I've either been stuck in a cell or dragged into this ridiculous 'Judgment'! Fontaine isn't exactly welcoming to foreigners, is it?"
"My vacation time is limited, so stop pinning the blame on me in the future!"
"Monsieur Tartaglia... is guilty."
"Alright, alright, everyone disperse now. I'm leaving too."
"I don't think I've even had lunch yet. I need to take care of this rumbling stomach first."
Just as Tartaglia was about to leave, he heard a click beside him.
Puzzled, he turned toward the sound and found handcuffs clamped around his wrists.