In accordance to his role as the Chief Justice, Neuvillette takes the court and trials very seriously, handing out verdicts with impartiality. He is notably perceptive, being able to hear Paimon’s whispers and is able to deduce the additional details from the evidence provided to him during a trial. He utilizes the Oratrice Mecanique d’Analyse Cardinale to make the final decision, honoring its request regardless of his own feelings on the matter as per protocol.
Due to his position and ties to the Hydro Archon, he is popular among Fontaine’s people as a symbol of justice and honor. As a member of the Seven Sovereigns, Neuvillette is unfamiliar with human customs and feelings, using the court to help him process and understand them. He rarely spends his time out in public, as he does not enjoy unwanted attention, and in the few times he speaks to humans, he appears to be aloof, though honest in his words.
However, when interacting with Melusines, he is extremely friendly, seen as the ideal father by them; likewise, he is fiercely protective of them, considering them the pride of Fontaine and investigating matters himself should he hear of a Melusine being bullied or threatened. This stems from his failure to protect his friend and subordinate, Carole, when she was driven to death due to Fontainian’s prejudice, and Neuvillette being forced to sentence his other friend, Vautrin, for carrying out a revenge killing for Carole, he had since resolved to prevent such tragedy from happening ever again.
When he was initially reincarnated, Neuvillette was left with many questions about himself, leading to him accepting a position as the Iudex. His time overseeing trials led him to experience a plethora of human experiences and emotions, which was secretly prepared by Focalors in the hopes that his newfound perception would save the people of Fontaine from a looming prophecy that would exterminate them. Upon learning the full extent of Focalors’ deception, he admitted that she was devious and was both saddened and shocked by her self-sacrifice. Indeed, having seen humanity positively, Neuvillette used his fully restored powers to save the people and left aside fragments of his power in the form of Visions for those worthy of them.
Neuvillette opposes the Heavenly Principles, and by extension The Seven, as they usurped the authority of the Dragons that once ruled Teyvat. This appears to be more of a professional standpoint than a personal matter, as he expresses surprise at the current status of some Archons, like Barbatos, while respecting Lesser Lord Kusanali for her duties.
Despite his appearance, Neuvillette enjoys water and is an avid taster, being able to discern the properties of where the water came from and how it’s prepared; as a result, this also extends to him liking food with plenty of sauce. He does not like deep fried food and grilled food with no sauce, especially taking great offence to Charcoal-Baked Ajilenakh Cakes.
Neuvillette is not known for his personal desires.
Curious members of the public and journalists are wont to seek high and low for him all across Fontaine when he is not sitting in the Chief Justice’s seat of judgment. He may sit at a seat for specially invited guests during performances, appear by the shore when the skies are just on the cusp of weeping, or be standing within the shadows cast by the afternoon sun.
There was once a time when all believed that he was some kind of demon who existed solely to preside over trials and judge, forcing him to clarify that… Well, the gist of it was “to bear witness and judge is my great honor, but I am not a trial aficionado. Iudex is simply one of the hats I wear, and my time as a judge is but one phase of my life.”
This successful clarification led him out of the frying pan, and into the fire, as they say — “Shocking News! Neuvillette Claims ‘Iudex’ to be ‘Springboard’ Post! Unspeakable Plans Next; Where Will His Ambition End?” As for the new rumors, Neuvillette paid them no heed. Perhaps they were, in fact, right on the Mora, and he simply did not correct them out of principle? No one knows.
Neuvillette is also not much of a drinker, nor does he like Fonta — indeed, he has never even been known to have given any sincere praise to the local chefs’ most renowned dishes. This has led people to suspect that his lack of consumptive desire might come down to him simply not having a sense of taste. His response was to organize a water-tasting salon party, at which all were gobsmacked by the wide variety of flavors water from different regions could possess and floored by the Iudex’s most refined tastes. Of course, the amount of authenticity present in such interactions cannot be known.
But whatever the case, Neuvillette really is devoid of selfish want.
Neuvillette is a just person.
If not for that quality, he probably would not have been qualified to serve as the Iudex in the first place.
To the children, the job of the man in the judge’s seat is nothing more than wearing a wig, maintaining order in the court, and being the Oratrice’s messenger pigeon. In truth, however, there are many administrative affairs that he must handle in private to keep the justice system up and running.
Due to certain historical and traditional legacies in Fontaine, the Iudex also has the right to prosecute, as well as the power to enforce the law in person. This was originally intended to make it easier to maintain law and order during chaotic times, but as the system became further refined, this rule, which represented the spirit of the pioneer far more than that of the law, became maintained only symbolically. When the Iudex investigates a case or serves as the prosecutor, they must recuse themselves as judge, and have someone else take the seat. And in the few instances where he has personally investigated cases, Neuvillette has unerringly followed this rule.
One thing to note is that he has been the only Iudex in the land for a very long time, so much so that people often speculate that he must have been given an unimaginably long life due to divine favor. As such, it is well that he is nothing if not fair-minded, or such an extensive term would surely lead to problems someday.
As to what he is precisely — a familiar of the Hydro Archon, or a mysterious Hydro elemental creature, perhaps — there are a great many opinions, though Neuvillette has never once commented on such talk.
Indeed, he is a person most impartial.
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