The Pope did not know exactly what Jeanne needed to do inside, whether she required any specific materials, or if they needed to coordinate some kind of formal ritual. However, Jeanne had turned down such offers, stating that all she needed to do was go inside, close her eyes, and pray. The rest, she said, would be handled.
But not long after she entered, there was indeed a brief, fleeting moment where he clearly felt his own Empathy weaken significantly. Even his precision and control over his firearms felt less than perfect compared to before. It was as if, in that single instant, the machine that maintained the power of the Sankta had suddenly stalled, causing the strength of many Sankta to diminish to a certain degree.
"No wonder that child said before that rewriting the Law is something that should be done as rarely as possible. So, is this the reason?"
The Pope stroked his beard, talking to himself. It was fortunate that she had previously told the others that no matter what happened today, it shouldn't be considered strange. Otherwise, at this very moment, the doorframe of his office would surely have been trampled into splinters by subordinates who had noticed the abnormality and come to report it.
And just as he thought, many Sankta had keenly noticed that something was wrong in that instant, though many simply didn't take it to heart. Many civilians just assumed they were feeling under the weather today; after all, Sankta have similar reactions when they catch a cold.
However, many combat personnel noticed the change while they were training. Fortunately, the feeling disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, or it might have actually sparked a panic.
"I've succeeded. I've carried out my mission—though, is that the right phrase for this situation?"
While the Pope was still lost in his own thoughts, Jeanne appeared before his eyes, carrying an object that looked anything but light. Her face was full of joy. It seemed she was quite happy with her success; even though she knew she could succeed, the feeling of the actual operation was still different.
"From now on, this thing will be the symbol of the Law. After you hang it on the wall of the court, that machine will be able to pass judgment on cases."
Upon hearing Jeanne's words, the Pope turned his gaze toward the item that looked as if it had been directly cast from metal. The object looked almost identical to the scales—the symbol of fairness—that had been in the courtroom before, making it indeed very suitable to be hung in a court of law.
However, on a more specific level, there were some differences. The two trays were not hanging from the beam of a scale, but were instead suspended from a Cross.
The Pope took a liking to this design at first sight. He even planned to hang this pattern in every location related to the judiciary. This was because the item truly highlighted the characteristics of Laterano while implying the fairness of Laterano's Law. Compared to the previous continent-wide generic pattern, this was indeed much better.
"I just need to hang this in the courtroom? What an incredible thing. To look at it, it seems no different from something cast from pure metal."
The Pope scrutinized the metal emblem. Whether observing its weight or its surface, he couldn't see even a hint of a possibility that this thing was a machine. He couldn't even find a single seam! It looked entirely like a metal decoration, with nothing strange about it at all.
"As for the specific principles, I'm not sure either. Just after I finished praying, that machine inside suddenly started operating, and then it spat this thing out."
Jeanne scratched her head. Actually, even after she got her hands on it, if it weren't for the guidance of her Revelation, she wouldn't have understood what the purpose of this thing was either. For this kind of high-tech stuff, if you asked her to use it, that was fine, but if you asked her to explain the working principles, that was truly asking too much.
"Hahaha, well, it's not like I understand it either. But since it can serve its purpose, then we don't need to dwell on these minor details."
The Pope laughed as well, then placed the large object onto his desk. He turned and said to Jeanne:
"I truly thank you for the things you have done for Laterano this time. The first case regarding Falling is estimated to begin in these next few days; at that time, we can see how the results turn out."
After this, the Pope did not keep Jeanne for long. After all, he had many things to attend to next; he truly couldn't spare the time! Just the establishment of this court alone was no small matter. From the selection of personnel to the method of proceeding, everything required the old man to think it through himself.
And everyone took this matter very seriously. After all, even if Falling was a relatively rare occurrence, over so many years there were still a few Sankta who felt they had been profoundly wronged.
But then again, for the Fallen Sankta who applied for such a thing, it was estimated that the vast majority of outcomes would be the cancellation of the punishment regarding Falling, replaced by other punishments instead. After all, only a Sankta who truly felt they were wronged would have such a lingering sense of grievance and would walk into that courtroom to accept judgment.
As for those guys who truly harbored ill intent and harmed people, they likely wouldn't have the courage to come to Laterano. If they actually did that, what would be the difference between that and walking straight into a trap? After all, if the judgment this time still ruled for Falling, it would prove that the person was truly guilty—and of the kind of sin that could not be forgiven. By that time, before the person could even walk out of the court to eat their first donut, the people from the Notarial Hall would have already taken them away.
Jeanne did not stay there for long either. After bidding the Pope farewell, she left. Of course, she didn't forget to leave her gift for him—that one-year tasting pass.
It was obvious that the Pope, upon receiving this item, was significantly happier than before. In this way, he could make up for some of the losses to his afternoon tea. Although it might seem a bit inappropriate for him, the Pope, to take this thing to someone's shop to eat and drink for free—it felt a bit like losing face for a Pope. But compared to the food, face was something that could be ignored a little. No matter what was said, how could face be more important than eating?
After leaving, Jeanne just walked aimlessly through the streets. She was also looking forward to it now: who exactly would be the first person to change from a Fallen Sankta back into a Sankta? She didn't know if the old man had forgotten or what, but he hadn't mentioned it to her. And at the time, she had completely forgotten to ask.
However, she would soon know. That Fallen Sankta who was enough to be recorded in the history books was actually someone she was very familiar with—Mostima.
No wonder she hadn't seen the figures of her or the Liberi by her side these past few days! So they were preparing for this matter?
"Do you have all the things with you? When you get inside, don't suddenly forget what to say! If all else fails, I have the draft I prepared for you..."
Outside the First Court of Laterano, Jeanne watched as Fiammetta worried incessantly over Mostima, giving instructions to the Mostima who was about to go inside. This scene gave Jeanne the feeling that Mostima was about to take the college entrance exam, with Fiammetta—acting like a mother—constantly worrying that her child would forget something.
"Is her personality usually like this? How do I remember her being a woman of few words?"
Jeanne glanced at Lemuen beside her. As Mostima's good friend, she would naturally come to this place to wait and see what the result would be. Compared to Mostima, who had an expression of total indifference, it seemed these two were more worried about the outcome of this trial than the person themselves.
"Alright, alright, you don't need to be so worried. Didn't I tell you before? This time isn't even that serious; it's just going through the motions."
Mostima, the person actually involved, appeared quite calm at this time. She even turned around to persuade the worried Fiammetta to calm down a bit. Looking at her expression, it was either that she was completely certain of the outcome, or she simply hadn't placed this matter in a very important position in her heart.
"If you were reliable, I wouldn't be worrying like this! It makes it feel like I'm the one about to be interrogated!"
Upon hearing Mostima's words, Fiammetta only threw her a white eye. If she wasn't worried about this person being unreliable, why would she have busied herself like this? Ever since she heard the news from her family's old man, she had been busy for several days, helping Mostima prepare her things, fearing that she would have some kind of problem due to carelessness.
If this continued, she was going to end up becoming her mother!