Yes, Lady Funina!

It's a favor if someone helps you, and it's their right not to.

Now that the other party is willing to lend a hand, and has even given a specific time, their sincerity is truly evident. No matter what, the young master cannot find any fault with them.

He had only one thought in his mind: Richard was such a loyal friend!

What does it mean to be righteous and loyal? This is it!

"Then I thank you in advance, Mr. Richard. Rest assured, I will remember this favor and will definitely repay you in the future."

“Oh, it’s nothing, no need for any sentimentality. It’s just a small favor. I just hope you don’t mind that it took me so long to give you the answer,” Richard said, waving his hand.

"Don't worry, whatever the outcome, I can accept it and will not have any complaints about you, Mr. Richard." [Young Master] felt that Richard had already helped him so much, so how could he blame him? What kind of person would he be?

Upon hearing this, Richard gave a strange smile. "You said it yourself. Now that you know the truth, you'd better not have any complaints about me."

Liars should swallow a thousand needles.

The young master left satisfied. With Richard's assurance, he could now head to the Opikley Opera House without any burden to see what those guys were planning to do.

I heard that before the trial begins, I will have one more chance for an honor duel to protect my reputation. If that's the case, I hope the other party can arrange a worthy opponent for me.

Shortly after D'Artagnan left, Lynette came to Richard's side. The catgirl had a strange expression. Perhaps because she was seeing things from God's perspective, this "young master" gave her a kind of clear yet foolish beauty in both his eyes and his mannerisms.

He was betrayed by Richard, yet he's still counting the money for Richard.

"Are you really going to tell him who the mastermind is?" Lynette asked curiously.

“Why not?” Richard smiled.

"Although Lord [Young Master] did engage in illegal debt collection practices involving violence, surely that alone shouldn't be enough to keep him locked up for long?"

Linette knew that of the many crimes the nobles had accused the "Young Master" of, only the charge of violent debt collection could actually be substantiated.

Based on this one charge alone, at most the young master can only be imprisoned for three years. Moreover, given the young master's skills, even if the Petersburg of Mello is located in the deep sea, it would be impossible to trap him.

I reckon he'll be able to come out on his own soon after he's been locked up.

“He doesn’t need to be locked up for too long; just get him into Mello Petersburg,” Richard said.

Richard knew perfectly well that there was a seal on the primordial seawater deep within Mero Petersburg. In a sense, the deepest part of Mero Petersburg should be the place closest to the primordial seawater's alternate dimension.

If the "Young Master" truly has some connection with the whale in the Sea of ​​Embryo, then the time when their connection is closest will be in Mero Petersburg.

Whether the whale comes to find the "Young Master" or the "Young Master" goes to the alternate dimension to find the whale, Richard will have the opportunity to enter the Primordial Fetal Sea alternate dimension together to replenish himself and, incidentally, completely resolve the crisis of the Fontaine prophecy.

"In that case, why not just invite him to visit Mero Petersburg?" Lynette asked, puzzled.

"If it's just a visit, there might not be enough time. To be on the safe side, it would be better to just lock him up. Besides, [Young Master] is here in Fontainebleau for vacation. Taking him to visit the Mero Petersburg prison is a bit inappropriate, isn't it?"

“But I heard that Lord [Young Master] is fond of fighting, and there happens to be a boxing ring in Mello Petersburg. I think that would allow him to stay underwater for a longer period of time…” Lynette replied after thinking for a moment.

Li realized that Lynette had a point, and immediately told her to stop talking. After all, he had already put the "Young Master" in there halfway, and it was too late to back out now.

We can only let the young master suffer for now; he can bear the infamy.

Richard believed that in the end, the "Young Master" would understand him, and even if he didn't, it didn't matter, since the Young Master couldn't beat him anyway.

However, it wasn't just Lynette who was concerned about the "Young Master"; even Funina came to Richard's office shortly after the "Young Master" left.

"Have you heard about that debt collection case that's been making headlines lately? The trial is tomorrow at the Opizley Opera House. Do you want to come along?" Furnessa asked.

She had no interest in the nobles' antics, but this time was different. She heard that the nobles had suffered a great loss, so many of them were bullied by one person and couldn't fight back, so they could only hope that the Supreme Court could give them justice.

The fact that nobles, who are usually the oppressors, could one day become the oppressed is dramatic enough. Fulina couldn't even imagine how much of a farce she would witness when she got there.

Just thinking about it makes me want to watch it.

With the idea that happiness should be shared, Furness approached Richard and asked if he wanted to go with her to the Opiclie Opera House to watch the trial.

After all, if Richard went by himself, he might not be able to get a seat, but if he went with her, he could just watch the farce from the VIP seats in the Water God's area, which would be very convenient.

“Alright, Lady Funina,” Richard replied with a smile.

“Then I’ll tell the staff to get you a chair. I feel this farce is going to go on for a long time, and it’ll be better to watch it sitting down.” Furnessa was overjoyed when Richard agreed to go to the trial with her and hurried to tell the staff at the Opiclie Opera House to get a seat.

But just before she excitedly set off, she suddenly remembered that she hadn't asked Lynette's opinion yet.

"Linette, do you want to come along?" Furnessa turned her head and asked. Her private viewing area for the Water God was quite spacious, with enough room for four or five chairs.

"I'll pass, since tomorrow is a workday. If you and Richard aren't here, someone has to stay at the city hall."

“That’s true. It seems like Clorinde also wants to go and see. How about… I ask her to stay and keep you company?” Funina asked after thinking for a moment.

In other words, Claude wasn't in Richard's office; if she were, there would be a lot of questions on the spot.

Clarinde: Are you being polite?

“No need, Lady Frinna. Since Clorinde wants to go, let her go. I can handle the office alone.” Linette shook her head and refused Frinna’s suggestion.

Her decision not to go was partly to avoid suspicion, although it probably made little difference whether she did avoid it or not.

As Richard's secretary, regardless of whether Lynette knew about Richard's scheme against "Young Master," she would definitely be implicated once the matter came to light.

In addition, Lynette's identity is special; besides being Richard's secretary, she is also a member of the House of Hearths.

Richard was able to persuade a group of nobles, both high and low, to sue the "Prince" thanks in no small part to the help of Lynette and the House of Hearths behind her.

Actually, these nobles were originally Richard's reserve supplies. When he needed to be promoted or needed to perform well, he would sacrifice one of them to earn merit.

Sustainable overfishing is a form of exploitation.

Now, the young master has finally caught up with the trend. Richard's original plan was to use some obscure legal knowledge from Fontainebleau to send the young master to Petersburg, Mello to work on a sewing machine for a couple of days.

Unexpectedly, the "Young Master" delivered himself to my door, and I happily received a three-year gift package.

With such self-awareness, Richard decided that as long as the "Young Master" cooperated well and found the location of the original fetal sea alien space, he would use his connections to let the "Young Master" experience what it means to be at home in Mero Petersburg.

After all, he was quite familiar with Duke Leosley there.

Releasing them ahead of time is definitely impossible. Every country has its laws, and every family has its rules. Fontaine is not Richard's Fontaine. In Fontaine, even gods cannot be above the law.

The next day of the trial arrived quickly, and Richard accompanied Furness to the water goddess's reserved seat at the Opiclie Opera House.

Because of Funina's special arrangement, two extra chairs were temporarily added next to the Water God's reserved seat. Richard and Clarinde sat on either side of Funina, like her protectors.

From the high stands, the entire Opicclay Opera House is on full display.

The audience below the stage was a diverse mix of social classes, including people from the lower classes of Grey River who wanted to see the nobles die, ordinary residents from the upper city who wanted the nobles to wait until the farce was over before they died, and the middle class of Fontaine who wanted to see the nobles die along with the "Prince".

As for the higher-ups at Fontaine, they clearly understood that no one would die in this farce.

At most, the sentence would be a few years, so basically, apart from the nobles involved and their relatives, there were hardly any important figures at the Opiclie Opera House to watch the trial.

After all, the outcome was already predetermined, so what difference does it make whether we watch or not?

The only thing that puzzled these people was why these nobles had suddenly become so brave, daring to file a joint appeal. In the past, shouldn't these people have always swallowed their pride and endured their grievances?

In their words, porcelain cannot compete with earthenware jars.

However, little did they know that these nobles truly did not want to fight against the "Young Master," not because of any personal feelings or differences, but because they knew that the Fools were genuinely capable of destroying them.

The problem now is not whether they want to fight the "Young Master," but that someone has a knife to their throats, forcing them to fight the "Young Master."

If an ordinary person dared to do this, these nobles would have to teach those who threatened them a lesson. After all, if I can't deal with the "Young Master," can't I deal with you?

The problem is that they really can't deal with this knife-wielder. His background is too powerful, and his knife is extremely sharp. So sharp that a gentle push would send them tumbling into an abyss from which they could never rise again.

Furthermore, that person was present at the scene today, and even sat next to the Water God, chatting and laughing with the Water God. Anyone could see that their relationship was extraordinary.

What kind of iron-fisted supervisor?

Now we can't even release water!

Earl Biss looked at his top lawyer, whom he had hired at great expense, with a bitter expression, and sighed, "Turn on maximum power, full output, and crush that...that esteemed executive officer over there."

The Count ultimately dared not speak disrespectfully to the Executor of the Fools. He knew that even if the case was decided, the Executor would only be sentenced to a few years. Considering the other party's status, the city of Mello Petersburg might not even be able to hold him for a month.

When the enemy comes out, it will be the day they, the vanguard, are dealt with. They might not even have to wait for the enemy to come out; the Fools might just take care of them to maintain their deterrent power.

The only way out for the box is to hope that their performance will satisfy the gentleman in the highest stand. Only if he is satisfied will they have a chance of survival.

Richard knew exactly what these nobles were thinking, but they were probably overthinking things.

Even if things go perfectly, Richard will not protect these people. Oh, if sending them to Mello Petersburg counts as protection, then Richard has indeed protected them.

Wait a minute, we'll just say that only in Mero Petersburg can their absolute safety be guaranteed. That way, these people will have no choice but to obediently enter Mero Petersburg, and they might even thank us.

Thinking of this, Richard couldn't help but sigh to himself: I am such a kind person.

As more and more people poured in, the audience below the stage began to become noisy, a situation that continued until the Supreme Judge Navilette entered and was brought under control.

The Supreme Judge placed his hands on his cane and struck the ground heavily with it, the dull sound echoing throughout the Opiclie Opera House.

With a solemn and authoritative "Silence!", the entire Opiclie Opera House immediately fell silent.

"Mr. D'Addaría, do you accept the charges against you regarding violent debt collection, trespassing, robbery, and assault?"

"To be honest, I really don't understand why you would make such a ridiculous accusation against me, but if this is what you want, then I accept it."

"Very well, Mr. D'Artagnan has accepted the joint accusations from Earl Biss, Viscount Kurt... (a long list of noble names omitted here), and so, what follows is..."

"Wait a moment, Your Excellency Grand Inquisitor. I've heard that those accused can choose to prove their innocence through a duel, is that right?"

“That’s right.” Navelette nodded, indicating that such a rule did exist.

"So, Mr. Dadalia, do you intend to exercise this right?"

“Of course, but could you please find your strongest dueling agent? I’m afraid I won’t have enough fun fighting.” Datalia said.

The audience erupted in uproar upon hearing Datalia's words. They had seen honor duels before, but this was the first time they had ever seen someone like Datalia demand the highest possible strength from their opponent.

Normally, shouldn't it be better to have a weaker opponent? That way, you might actually win and avoid being judged.

"I'm sorry, it's not up to you to decide which opponent you'll be paired with in the honor duel."

"So we're discussing this, aren't we?"

“Mr. Winston is currently the strongest dueling agent, but he seems to be having some health issues lately…” As Navelette said this, a staff member hurriedly ran to Navelette’s side and whispered a few words.

It's said that Mr. Winston, the duel's agent, became physically disabled because he was beaten by the "young master" on the stage. On that day, Mr. Winston had just been hired by a minor nobleman, and it happened to be the day the "young master" came to collect a debt...

Upon receiving this information, Navelette nodded, knowing that if Clorind didn't intervene, given the current strength of the dueling agents active in the market, probably none of them would be a match for "Young Master".

"I've heard that Fontaine's strongest dueling agent is a lady named Clarinde. Your Excellency, High Inquisitor, would you mind having her spar with me?" [Young Master] was there for the fight; for him, nothing was more exhilarating than a brawl.

If he had to choose between a vacation and a fight, he would choose the latter without hesitation.

“I need to obtain the consent of the person involved.” Navilette did not respond immediately, because Clorind was no longer the duel agent, but Frynn’s private secretary, so in principle she had the right to refuse the duel.

"How long do I have to wait?" D'Artagnan had heard that the information exchange between the administrative agencies of Fontaine was quite slow. If he had to wait several days to get a reply, he might as well start the trial right away.

“It won’t be long, Ms. Clorinde will be here today.” Navelette looked up at the VIP seats of the Water God.

Claude also stood up. To be honest, she was a little numb. She thought she was just there to watch the fun, but she didn't expect to have to do it herself. This overtime work came so suddenly that it caught her off guard.

[Young Master] D'Artagnan followed Navelette's gaze and looked up at the highest seat in the theater, where he saw Frynn, Richard, and Claurind.

The moment their eyes met, [Young Master] knew that the other party must be a formidable opponent.

However, before Clarinde could leave, Richard suddenly spoke up: "Mr. Dadtaglia, I think it would be best to begin this trial as soon as possible. The duel can wait until after the trial."

Richard's sudden request startled D'Artagnan, but after a moment's thought, she agreed.

After all, Richard had promised to help him find the mastermind. Since the other party said so, it must be related to that mastermind. Rather than fighting, he now wanted to know who was plotting against him.

Besides, didn't Richard say that they could arrange a fight after the trial? He saw that Richard and Claude had a close relationship, so arranging a fight shouldn't be a problem.

Since that's the case, we might as well listen to Richard first...

The audience had expected to witness a thrilling duel in addition to the farce, but the event ended abruptly, prompting some boos from the crowd.

"Silence." Navilette tapped her cane again to maintain order in the solemn execution ground.

"Since Mr. Tartaglia has waived his right to a duel of honor, I hereby declare the trial officially open. Accusers and your representatives, please take your places."

Upon hearing Navelette's words, the Count and his entourage, along with the top lawyer he had hired at great expense, went to the accuser's platform.

If he could, he would have preferred to win the honor duel with the "Young Master" directly, but unfortunately that did not happen. He didn't know why the Fool's Enforcer in front of him would give Richard face.

Shouldn't they be enemies?

The count was puzzled, but now was clearly not the time to think about that; the focus should be on dealing with the trial at hand.

Now that they have completely offended the Fools' Enforcers, they must do what Richard has asked of them properly in order to have any chance of survival.

Moreover, if they do well and gain Mr. Richard's appreciation, it could be an opportunity for them to take a further step forward.

With this in mind, the count completely abandoned the idea of ​​smoothing things over. He not only prepared to have his lawyer go all out, but also the lawyers hired by the other nobles. He couldn't let him attract all of Datalia's hatred by himself, could he?