The elderly Envoy of Inazuma's face turned ashen; he took a deep breath and stepped out from the crowd.
He first bowed deeply—nearly a full ninety degrees—toward Furina on the high platform and Mr. King at the entrance, his voice dry and heavy:
"Lord King, Lady Furina, Monsieur Neuvillette."
"On behalf of the Inazuma Delegation, I offer my most sincere apologies for the despicable actions of this Inazuma Merchant and the trouble and potential harm he has brought to Fontaine!"
"This man's crimes are his own doing and were by no means authorized by the Inazuma government. However, he has tarnished Inazuma's reputation, violated Fontaine's laws, and further offended the divine majesty of Lord King."
"Inazuma will never shield such scum!"
He straightened up and looked at Neuvillette, his tone resolute: "This man, along with all the illicit goods and accounts involved, the Inazuma Delegation is willing to hand over entirely to the Supreme Court of Fontaine for disposal according to the law! We are willing to cooperate fully with the investigation and promise to pay double compensation for any losses this may have caused!"
"I only hope... that this will not affect the friendship between Fontaine and Inazuma."
He uttered those last words with great difficulty, not even daring to look at King.
The Envoy of Inazuma's decisive capitulation allowed the guests of Fontaine to straighten their backs, their faces filled with a sense of vindication.
As for Neuvillette, his face had been as gloomy as the sea before a storm ever since the Inazuma Merchant confessed.
Hearing the Envoy of Inazuma's words, his fingers gripping his cane turned slightly white from the force, and the aura around him became cold and murderous.
As the Iudex and the administrator who essentially kept Fontaine running, he could not tolerate such behavior that brought calamity and deception into Fontaine, endangering the safety of its citizens!
Especially on such an important occasion and in the presence of Mr. King!
This was a blatant provocation against Mr. King, himself, and even the majesty of Fontaine's laws!
Neuvillette slowly raised his head, his deep blue pupils now seemingly condensing the ice of the far north.
He did not respond to the Envoy of Inazuma, but instead cast his cold gaze first upon that Inazuma Merchant, who was already scared witless.
An invisible pressure spread out like a tide, making the merchant forget even to cry; he just gaped in terror, looking like a stunned frog.
Then, Neuvillette's voice rang out—not loud, yet clearly reaching every corner of the silent hall, each word striking the ground like an icicle:
"Pursuant to Chapter 3, Article 7 of the 'Fontaine Foreign Trade Security Act' and the maximum penalty clauses of the 'Fontaine Foreign Substance Entry Control Regulations.'"
"You have smuggled and carried the resentment of a God, 'tatarigami' pollution, and high-risk items, endangering Fontaine's public safety through fraudulent means. The evidence is conclusive, and the circumstances are extremely heinous."
"In the name of the Iudex of Fontaine, I declare that you will receive the severest punishment under Fontaine's law—life imprisonment in the deepest 'Gloom' solitary confinement cell of the Meropide Hold, never to see the light of day again!!"
"All involved items, vessels, and funds are hereby confiscated."
"The Inazuma Chamber of Commerce associated with you is placed on Fontaine's trade blacklist, and all its commercial activities are permanently prohibited."
The cold and ruthless sentencing caused the Inazuma Merchant to go completely limp, his eyes rolling back as he fainted on the spot.
Two Palais Mermonia Guards clad in blue armor immediately stepped forward and dragged him away like a dead dog.
Having dealt with the Sinner, Neuvillette then slowly shifted his gaze to the sweating Envoy of Inazuma.
His voice was steady, but anyone could hear the anger contained within:
"As for the 'friendship' between our two nations you mentioned..."
Neuvillette paused, and under everyone's tense gaze, he slowly uttered words that sent a massive shock through the Inazuma Delegation and all the foreign guests present:
"Until the Inazuma authorities provide a comprehensive investigation report satisfactory to Fontaine regarding this malicious incident, thoroughly eradicate the relevant illegal industry chains, and issue a public apology and compensation sufficient to warn all of Teyvat—"
"Fontaine will suspend all diplomatic relations and trade with Inazuma."
"Effective immediately!"
Whoosh—!!!
Despite having a premonition, the hall still erupted in an uproar when Neuvillette actually spoke the words "suspend diplomatic relations"!
This was almost equivalent to a complete severance of ties!
The Envoy of Inazuma's face turned as pale as paper, and his body swayed, nearly losing his footing.
The other Inazumans behind him all showed looks of despair.
Severing ties?
For Inazuma, which was resource-poor and heavily dependent on foreign trade, this was a catastrophic blow!
Especially since Fontaine was one of Teyvat's important technological and commercial centers!
The noble merchants of Fontaine, after a brief moment of shock, all showed expressions of relief and approval, and some even couldn't help but whisper: "Well judged!"
"Monsieur Neuvillette is wise!"
"That's how it should be! Let those foreigners with ill intentions know that Fontaine is not a place where they can run wild!"
"Such a heavy sentence is the only way to deter those with wicked hearts!"
"Lord King sees through everything! Monsieur Neuvillette enforces the law like a mountain! This is our Fontaine law; we are the nation of judgment after all!"
"With these two lords here, let's see who else dares to treat Fontaine as a place where they can deceive and dump trash at will!"
The sounds of praise and support almost blew the roof off the Starry Hall.
Every Fontainian's face beamed with pride.
They looked at Neuvillette with respect, and when they turned to King, it transformed into near-fanatical worship.
If not for Lord King's "Eye of justice" that sees through everything and his "Heartbeat of Judgment," who knows how many Fontainian lives this tumor hidden beneath the prosperity would have endangered!
The envoys and representatives of other nations, after experiencing initial shock and bewilderment, quickly adjusted their expressions and began to clap vigorously.
The Snezhnayan envoys clapped particularly hard, their faces covered in smiles, but their hearts were filled with lingering fear—fortunately, the one who messed up was that Inazuman fool, not one of their own from Snezhnaya.
The trouble caused by Lord Childe was already enough of a headache; if they were caught red-handed by this Lord King... they simply couldn't imagine how the Tsaritsa would punish them upon their return to Snezhnaya!
The representatives from Liyue, Sumeru, and other nations were secretly solemn, their assessment of Fontaine's new "Guardian" rising once again.
An experienced Liyue merchant stroked his beard and whispered to his companion: "What a powerful nation. With such a peerless hero presiding over Fontaine now, the strictness of its laws is likely no less than the perfection of our Liyue contracts. Future trade and diplomacy with Fontaine must be more cautious, especially regarding those merchants of ours who like to exploit loopholes; they must never pull any tricks under this one's nose."
A young scholar from Sumeru pushed up his glasses and recorded rapidly in his notebook: "A single public banquet, a single display of aura, actually led to a serious international trade fraud and security case, becoming a perfect opportunity to demonstrate national will and strengthen internal cohesion..."
"The very existence of this Mr. King has constituted a 'rule' that profoundly affects Fontaine's political ecology and social psychology."
"A topic, a brand new topic! My graduation thesis is sorted!!"
The members of the Inazuma Delegation, meanwhile, looked deathly pale, feeling as if they were in an ice cellar amidst the warm applause and discussions around them.
The elderly Envoy of Inazuma's lips trembled as he wanted to say something more, but Neuvillette's cold gaze swept over him, causing all his words to stick in his throat. In the end, he could only bow deeply again and lead his delegation members away in a sorry state, like stray dogs under the strange looks of the crowd.
Inside the Starry Hall, the atmosphere had completely changed.
From the initial restraint and fear of the strong, to worship of the guardian!
At this moment, King was no longer just a legendary "Strongest of Fontaine," but had truly become the partner of justice, the incarnation of law, and Fontaine's—Great Guardian!!