『 The scene shifts, returning to Stelle and Dan Heng.
[ We have arrived. ]
[ The judges have not yet arrived. Please wait here for a moment. ]
The guide leads Stelle and Dan Heng to a designated area, gesturing for them to wait.
Stelle nods and turns her gaze toward Dan Heng.
[ This place… is still as cold as it used to be. ]
Dan Heng's expression is somewhat melancholic.
[ Are you alright, Dan Heng? ]
Seeing Dan Heng in this state again, Stelle asks with concern.
[ Apologies, I just remembered some unpleasant memories. ]
Dan Heng shakes his head.
[ Don't dwell on it. Even if you can't escape the past, you have us. ]
Stelle comforts Dan Heng.
[ Thank you, Stelle. ]
[ It is because of me that you all got dragged into this series of events on the Xianzhou. ]
[ You shouldn't have had to see the inside of the Shackling Prison… I am truly sorry. ]
[ If there is a chance, I hope to show you the sights of the Luofu in a much better way. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "I didn't expect Dan Heng to have a side like this…"
March 7th: "This is really quite rare to see."
Stelle: "Dan Heng, you're being too polite."
Stelle: "We are family on the Astral Express!"
Stelle: "We are like siblings, you don't need to feel guilty about anything!"
Stelle: "Besides, the reason we got dragged into the Xianzhou events wasn't because of you!"
Silver Wolf: "Correct, it was actually because of us."
Silver Wolf: "It was we, the Stellaron Hunters, who guided all of this. No need to thank us."
March 7th: "Oh, even though we got dragged into some trouble, I don't regret it at all!"
March 7th: "After all, along the way, I've made quite a few good friends and seen plenty of beautiful sights on the Xianzhou!"
March 7th: "Dan Heng, don't go blaming yourself for everything!"
Dan Heng: "Yes, apologies, that was my fault."
Dan Heng: "Returning to that dark, sunless prison inevitably brings some unrest to my heart."
Stelle: "To be fair, probably because I'm not familiar with this place, I actually find it quite novel."
Stelle: "It's not as suffocating as you think."
Feixiao: "It seems I really did play the villain for a bit, causing the two of you some discomfort."
Feixiao: "My apologies. I'll treat you to a meal another day, with Jiaoqiu cooking, and I'll penalize myself with three drinks!"
Feixiao: "No! Three drinks per person, so six drinks in total!"
Jiaoqiu: "…"
Jiaoqiu: "General, if you want to drink, just say so. Why beat around the bush?"
....
『 [ By the way, why aren't we being questioned outside the Shackling Prison? ]
Stelle asks, slightly puzzled.
[ In other places on the Xianzhou, the Six Charioteers might hold more authority. ]
[ But within the Shackling Prison, the judges of the Ten-Lords Commission are supreme. ]
[ When judges try a case, they utilize complex interrogation systems like the KarmicMirror. ]
[ That device acts like a lens during every question and answer, reading and recording the physical changes and signals of the accused as evidence. ]
[ A judgment passed here is enough to convince the authorities of other Xianzhou ships… at least, they won't lightly overturn it. ]
[ This is likely why Feixiao insisted we come here. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Paimon: "Oh… I get it now…"
Paimon: "This Karmic Mirror thing is basically a lie detector, right?"
Hanya: "Yes, you can look at it that way."
Navia Caspar: "It feels a bit like the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale?"
Navia Caspar: "The Oratrice can also discern the truth of a case."
Stelle: "What on earth is that?"
Stelle: "Sounds incredibly impressive."
Charlotte: "It's a super invention by our Hydro Archon, Lady Furina of Fontaine!"
Charlotte: "It has the power to accurately judge criminal cases!"
Charlotte: "It can even generate a form of energy from the trials to power the entire city!"
March 7th: "Eh? There's such a magical thing?"
March 7th: "Isn't that basically sci-fi technology?"
Qingque: "Miss Furina is actually a great inventor?"
Qingque: "Impressive!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Ah… hahaha…"
Furina de Fontaine: "You flatter me… It's really nothing much."
Furina de Fontaine: "Just some minor gadgets!"
Furina de Fontaine: "They're only useful in Teyvat…"
Neuvillette: "Lady Furina has indeed become much more modest after watching the broadcast."
Furina de Fontaine: "Uh… well… modesty helps one progress!"
....
『 [ Hey Dan Heng, since the judge hasn't arrived yet, I'm going to look around. ]
Seeing Dan Heng's expression return to normal, Stelle can't sit still and wants to explore.
[ Alright, but don't wander off. This place is different from others. ]
Dan Heng nods, giving a few words of caution.
Afterward, Stelle curiously walks to the edge of the railing and looks down.
Immediately, she sees countless densely packed prison cells, like a honeycomb, extending endlessly into the dark depths. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Hu Tao: "Are those tiny rooms all prison cells?"
Hu Tao: "My goodness, isn't that a bit too many?"
Lumine: "You can't even see the bottom. Just how deep is this prison?"
Stelle: "I'm more curious about how many people it can hold."
Stelle: "I bet hundreds of thousands wouldn't be a problem."
Hanya: "Strictly speaking, what you are seeing is just the tip of the iceberg of the Shackling Prison…"
Hanya: "The Shackling Prison spans several delve spaces; its area is far more than just this."
Wriothesley: "Ho!"
Wriothesley: "Compared to this place, the Fortress of Meropide is practically cozy."
Wriothesley: "If those prisoners exiled to Meropide had the privilege of seeing the icy face of this Shackling Prison, they'd probably be even more grateful to me, the Duke."
Neuvillette: "Yes, I strongly agree with that point."
....
『 Stelle gazes at the densely packed cells, feeling a sense of awe. After her initial shock, she turns around and approaches a large jade abacus in the center, looking at it curiously.
Just then, the judge arrives.
[ Welcome, dear guests from the Express. Judge Hanya of the Interrogation Division, we've met before. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "???"
Stelle: "No way, in this massive Shackling Prison, could it be that Hanya and Xueyi are the only two judges?"
Guinaifen: "How could that be!"
Guinaifen: "Isn't there also Huohuo!"
Huohuo: "No, no!"
Huohuo: "I'm just a judge-in-training; I can't be compared to Lady Hanya and Lady Xueyi!"
Hanya: "Ahem… it should just be a coincidence."
Hanya: "After all, I'm usually on duty with my sister."
Li Sushang: "Judge Hanya's dark circles are still so heavy!"
Li Sushang: "Being a judge must be so exhausting, even more exhausting than being a Cloud Knight!"
Hanya: "Are my dark circles really that heavy?"
Hanya: "I feel fine…"
Furina de Fontaine: "I didn't expect to see Judge Xueyi just a moment ago, and in the blink of an eye, we see Judge Hanya."
Furina de Fontaine: "Now we've seen what both of you sisters look like."
Hu Tao: "Are you biological sisters?"
Hu Tao: "I'm more curious about how you two sisters both ended up wanting to be judges."
Lumine: "Mr. Dan Heng just said that in this Shackling Prison, judges hold supreme authority!"
Lumine: "That must mean the position of judge is very difficult to obtain, right?"
Lumine: "Yet both Miss Hanya and Miss Xueyi managed to become judges, and even in different departments. That's truly impressive!"
Hanya: "You flatter us."
Hanya: "The position of judge is indeed not easy to obtain; it requires rigorous selection."
Hanya: "And fundamentally, it still relies on talent."
Stelle: "Just like Huohuo, who was chosen entirely because of her talent, right?"
Stelle: "I wonder when Huohuo will become a full-fledged judge?"
Stelle: "By then, she'll be Lady Judge Huohuo!"
Huohuo: "Eh… Miss Stelle, please don't tease me…"
Huohuo: "I… I'm still far from being a real judge…"
....
『 [ Miss Hanya? It's you?! Are you two sisters the only judges? ]
Hearing the familiar voice, Stelle immediately turns around and sees Hanya, with her prominent dark circles, walking over.
This catches her by surprise.
[ Why, does Stelle not wish to see me? ]
[ Very well, I can summon a judge skilled in acupuncture, one proficient with axes and saws, or perhaps one adept with whips to conduct the questioning… ]
[ With so many options, there is bound to be one that suits you. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "Acupuncture, axes, saws, whips?"
March 7th: "How terrifying, is that even questioning?"
March 7th: "That's straight-up torture!"
Hanya: "Haha, it was merely a joke."
Hanya: "I believe Miss Stelle wouldn't have the heart to send me, an acquaintance, away just to replace me with a stranger."
Stelle: "Of course not!"
Stelle: "I couldn't be happier to run into an acquaintance!"
Stelle: "After all, it's always easier to get things done with someone you know!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Miss Stelle's connections are truly remarkable."
Furina de Fontaine: "It seems no matter where she goes, there are always friends she knows who can help her."
Mualani: "Having many friends makes things easier, so we should definitely make as many friends as possible!"
Hu Tao: "This is great, now we don't have to worry about Mr. Dan Heng and Miss Stelle being given a hard time."
....
『 [ Just a small joke. ]
[ Judges rotate duties, so it is merely a coincidence that Stelle ran into me. It seems there is some fated connection between us. ]
[ Regarding the prior exorcism at Fyxestroll Garden, I must thank you once again for your hard work. ]
Hanya smiles, expressing her gratitude once more for Stelle's previous help.
[ It seems while March 7th and I weren't paying attention, you've already become quite popular on the Xianzhou Luofu. ]
Seeing how familiar Stelle and Hanya are, Dan Heng can't help but tease.
[ Of course, after all, at home we rely on Pam, and outside we rely on friends! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Pam: "Eh? At home you rely on me?"
Pam: "I didn't expect that I, the Conductor, would be so important to passenger Stelle!"
Stelle: "When on the Express, without the Conductor's care, my life would be a total mess!"
March 7th: "Mm-hmm, I completely agree with Stelle!"
March 7th: "But Stelle, you rascal, how do you always manage to meet so many other friends behind our backs?"
March 7th: "I clearly wander around trying my best whenever we reach a new place, so how come I don't make this many friends?"
Stelle: "Probably because I have an innate friend-making constitution!"
Stelle: "I just need to walk down the street normally, and I'll trigger a series of hidden quests, leading to making all sorts of random friends."
Paimon: "Uh… innate friend-making constitution?"
Paimon: "Why does it feel like Lumine and I also fit Miss Stelle's description?"
Lumine: "We certainly do…"
....
『 [ Though Stelle and I have met before, under the Ten-Lords, no personal favors are permitted. ]
[ When we head to the Scrivener Hall to leave your testimonies, and for all subsequent procedures, you must follow my commands and not act on your own. ]
[ This is no place for mortals of the living world to linger. ]
[ Mr. Dan Heng, Stelle, follow me. ]
Hanya turns, preparing to lead the way.
[ Please lead the way, Judge. ]
Dan Heng nods, following behind Hanya.
[ Once I activate the mechanism, you may proceed. Please watch your step. ]
With that, Hanya presses a mechanism. Instantly, the entire Shackling Prison trembles slightly, and a path begins to rotate and reveal itself.
[ As we walk, you must pay close attention to where you step. ]
[ The terrain inside the Shackling Prison is treacherous. A single misstep could send you plunging into the depths. ]
[ If you're particularly unlucky, you might freeze in the deep abyssal ice or be burned to ashes by searing flames before rescue can arrive. ]
Hanya describes the consequences of accidentally slipping.
[ Gee... ]
Stelle shivers slightly at the description.
[ But with your skills, I don't think you need to worry about that.] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "No one told me that falling inside the Shackling Prison would be this dangerous when we came!"
Stelle: "If I accidentally fall later, I'll really lose my life, won't I?"
March 7th: "That's why Judge Hanya solemnly warned you!"
March 7th: "You must be careful, careful, and extra careful!"
Venti: "As expected of a place holding high-profile criminals, it really is a treacherous location!"
Hanya: "So generally speaking, ordinary people are not allowed in here."
Hanya: "Because to them, this place is extremely dangerous!"
Hanya: "Of course, neither Stelle nor Mr. Dan Heng are ordinary people."
Hanya: "It shouldn't be a big issue."
Furina de Fontaine: "I think so too. After all, both of them are experts capable of trading blows with Emanators."
Furina de Fontaine: "How could they possibly slip up here?"
....
『 [ There aren't eighteen levels here, are there? ]
Stelle shivers slightly and can't help but ask.
[ Stelle jokes. The Shackling Prison is a maze of mountains and rivers, layered upon each other. ]
[ We even invited Vidyadhara geomancers to employ the ingenious arts of delve creation. ]
[ What you see with your naked eyes is but a fraction of the Shackling Prison. ]
Hanya explains with a smile.
[ Is that true, Dan Heng? ]
Stelle looks toward Dan Heng.
[ Perhaps. From the appearance, many structures in this Shackling Prison bear the design of the Vidyadhara… ]
[ Perhaps in ancient times, the Vidyadhara did indeed participate in constructing this place. ]
Dan Heng says after some contemplation.
[ If you ask exactly how many levels there are here? ]
[ I must disappoint you; even as a judge, I do not know. ]
[ However, a rumor circulates among the judges that a short-life species prisoner attempted to escape but accidentally fell… ]
[ By the time we found him, he was already an extremely old man… ]
[ Thinking about it, did he spend his entire life falling, or did some long-life species prisoners drain his life essence, causing him to age? ]
[ That remains unknown. ]
[ Anyway, please don't try anything like that. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Qingque: "Spent his entire life falling???"
Qingque: "Even for a short-life species, they can live to be around a hundred, right?"
Qingque: "Is the Shackling Prison really so bottomless that someone could fall for decades?!"
Xiangling: "That's too exaggerated!"
Xiangling: "I can't even imagine it!"
Stelle: "Sounds like something Hanya made up to scare me."
Stelle: "I don't think the Shackling Prison could possibly be that deep…"
Hanya: "This legend truly exists; I am not lying to you."
Furina de Fontaine: "Then I'd prefer to believe… that person had his life essence drained…"
....