Uh, how did that happen?
I don’t know what’s going on. Please explain. The man in the High Priest’s clothes bows to me once more.
My name is Blasius Isak Reppe. I’ve never met the Viscount, who has served in the defense of Finoi.
“Thank you for your kind attention. My name is Werner van Zierfeldt. Your eminence, please address me normally.
I’m a nobleman. He’s always used honorifics. So his apology wasn’t to me… but to Lily. This is going to be a problem.
Incidentally, just as you used to address the Pope or a cardinal as your eminence in your previous life, in this world, your eminence is the title of honor for the High Priest and the High Priestess. Though it is rarely used. Traditionally, in order to make the religious side more familiar with us, the Church has said that “sama” is fine unless it’s a very formal occasion, and we follow suit.
So, let me see what’s going on.
“Do you want me to start with an overview, or should I go into detail?”
“… Start with an overview, please.”
Since General Seyfert has said so, I’ll start with a general explanation. I mean, the details are likely to be quite complicated, so we need to make sure that we understand only the problems.
“Well… To put it simply, our neighbor Delitzdamer blew the whistle on the hero Mazel and some of our people danced to it. As a result, the Kingdom and the Church are currently discussing how to deal with the problem. This is a summary.”
Delitzdam. It’s a country east of the Triots, I believe. If they blew the whistle…
“Uh, is this, uh, a Triot situation, by any chance?”
“It’s not your fault, my lord, but you’re right. Delitzdomme is greedy for the old Triots.
“I’d like to extend the border westward if I could, but I’m afraid to send in the army. But they’re too scared to send in the army.”
They’ve heard rumors of our plan to defeat the Demon Lord Gesarius. But the demon army hasn’t disappeared from both the Triots and the Delitzdomme… we run the risk of getting ourselves into trouble if we respond half-heartedly.
“We want to send out a large army at once to expand the area we control but we are afraid of the demons in the country. That’s why he wanted to keep the heroes in the country while he mobilized his army.
“In the form of a defendant in a court of law.”
“I’m not very close to him, but even as a defendant in a wrongful trial, I’m sure he’ll help with the affairs of the demon army if he hears that his people are in trouble.”
It’s possible. If it’s true that Mazel’s character would try to act openly against the false accusation and if he hears about the people who are suffering in the meantime, he’ll put aside his unfair treatment and cooperate with the demon slayers. In fact, there’s a good chance of that.
He knows he’s been falsely accused, so he’s stalling the trial and trying to use Mazel to get out of it. In other words, the whole purpose of this suit was to buy time.
I know what the person who blew the whistle was trying to do.
“A complaint was made to the temple. The accused, Mazel the Brave, has been intemperate and insolent towards the Lady Laura. The trial can be held in any temple in any land on the continent, and if the case had gone forward it would have been held in the temple at Delitzdal, where the accused is.”
Now High Priestess Reppe has spoken. What is insolence?
“Touching each other needlessly, sleeping under the same roof despite being unmarried…”
“I suppose that’s to be expected when you’re on the road together.”
“I agree. But the case has been accepted on paper.”
I wondered why, but when I heard the reason, I was really angry.
Nobleman A who sued Mazel said, “Even though he is a brave man, he is a commoner and cannot write. So I’ve received a letter from his agent saying that he understands the contents of the suit and agrees to go to court. He said. Mazel is one of the top students in the school.
Where’s the nobleman from?
“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to explain that to you later. Let me first explain the problem with the appeal being accepted.”
“… I understand.”
A trial usually doesn’t open unless the defendant agrees to be sued. It’s a common practice even in this medieval world. But on paper, the defendant says, “I can’t read, but I understood the explanation given by the agent.” and a witness certificate to prove that the explanation was given properly.
“The documents I was briefed on in Delitzdam have been submitted to the Temple of the Kingdom of Vine, and if there are no problems with the paperwork, they will be accepted. High Priestess Malavova has taken the necessary steps.”
“High Priestess Malavova’s intentions…”
The man being sued is a brave man. There must be a reason why they didn’t check.
“The High Priestess Maravois is a relative of a nobleman I sued in the Kingdom of Vine. It seems there’s money and goods in play here.”
I’m so embarrassed. I didn’t think you had the connections. I thought the temple trials rotated every four weeks. That explains the timing.
“But now we have another problem. Priest Kempel, a subordinate of the High Priest of Malavova, who had been put in charge, wanted to take advantage of this.”
Kempel? I thought I heard that name somewhere… the priest who came to recruit Lily. Oh, you don’t suppose that’s…
“I’m sure you know there’s one seat open for the High Priestess.”
Yes, sir.
“Priest Kempel wanted to use the matter to get himself a seat at the table. Instead of covering up the trial, he wanted to keep Lady Lily on his payroll as an apprentice to serve the Church. To draw the heroes to the temple.”
I’ll dismiss the wrongful accusation against you, and you’ll go work for the church. And now he’s gonna use Lily’s presence in the church as an excuse to drag Mazel into it. I don’t think they’ve made up their minds yet. But it’s starting to look like the Night of the Hundred Demons.
“But Priest Kemper was unable to make contact with Lady Lily.”
She’s been missing on a more general level, with my mother at her door and me working in the archives these days. I guess it was harder to get to Lily after the suit was filed than I thought.
I seem to remember a strange man trying to talk to me a few days ago. Norbert said the Kempfer priest was from a noble family. Maybe he was the messenger who called Lily.
“And then there was an accident in the church. While Priest Kempel was spending all this time being coy, somewhere along the line a mistake was made and someone from another department saw the documents for the trial. That person was a female staff member who told another staff member that a brave man was about to be put on trial in the church for insolence and insolence.”
“Well, I mean…”
“It’s already being talked about everywhere. Mostly complaints about the church.”
High Priestess… you look distressed. I suppose you’re right. and the beautiful boy Mazel is very popular among the common people. Maybe it was a young girl who saw the document.
But if there’s talk like that, if there’s an uproar over what the Church is thinking, you know, an uproar… Maybe.
I was wondering if…
“The Viscount is quick to understand. Some noblemen have sent an open letter to the Church asking what it means to be a reprobate.”
Even I can’t stop thinking about what the Prime Minister said. There may be some of the nobles who are intransigent and favor the heroes who defeated the generals… and those who want to build a good relationship with the Second Princess Laura… such rumors are a big problem. Some of the nobles may have stepped forward to confirm the situation even if it temporarily worsens relations with the Church. But if the nobles come out, it’s only natural that they’ll make a fuss.
“Some people are saying that it’s Zehrfeldt’s fault that we’re in this mess. But I’ll try to keep those voices in check.”
Your Royal Highness. Don’t make it sound like the temperature in the room just dropped below freezing. You’re scaring even me. Let’s get this out of the way for now.
Uh, I thought you said your paperwork was accepted.
“That’s right. There is nothing wrong with at least initiating a trial. In fact, if we don’t reverse the decision here, the very existence of the Temple Tribunals will be called into question.”
The High Priestess responds with a pained expression. But if we accept the case because he’s a special case and put it off because he’s a special person… then what’s the point of the law? It’s true that the meaning of a trial is in jeopardy.
“Can’t you just tell the public that the document is a forgery?”
“The High Priestess will be honored, and the noble families who sue will rebel. If those noble houses start asking if my family forged the documents, it will be troublesome.”
Which noble family are you from?
“The Marquise de Cortolezis.”
The General opened his mouth. That’s a familiar name. I’m tempted to ask if the house is still standing. I don’t even remember if I was on the battlefield at Finoi when the order came through. I made a funny face, but I think you might have misunderstood.
“At your age, it’s not surprising you don’t know. This is the family of the mother of His Grace the King. The head of the family was an excellent man at the time, but the next in line was a man of ill repute.”
The General will explain it to you in a few words and I’ll listen to it. Lily’s never really heard of it because it’s so obscure, even I can barely remember it.
“To put it bluntly, in high society, we’ve been on a losing streak. The Duke of Gründing beat us to the crown, the Dauphin lost to the Marquis of Schlamme, and the Dauphin lost to the Marquess of Schlamme.”
“There’s no room to float for the foreseeable future.”
Unless you use illegal means. But something feels off about it, and you’ve explained at least part of the reason why.
“But even so, this is a family that produced a queen a few generations ago. The family has many blood relatives. The Marquess of Cortolezis is bedridden and ill. The Marquise is the de facto head of the family.”
Considering the age of the head of the house, she must be quite old by now. So the de facto head of the house is a woman whose daughter and granddaughter were both rejected by the royal family. She’s got a twisted personality. Is that…
“Are you saying you’re suing her not so much for Mazel, but to discredit the Second Princess Laura?”
She’s called a saint, but if word got out that she was having an illicit affair with a man, it would at least tarnish the royal family’s reputation. Are they harassing her?
“She may have intended it. But…”
The General now has a look of disgust on his face. huh?
“The eldest of the grandsons of the future prince has declared himself worthy to be the son-in-law of the second princess Laura. In fact, he’s in love with her.”
“Oh. “What’s your personality?”
“He has the administrative skills of an average nobleman but the temperament of an artist. “A beautiful princess should be next to a beautiful me,” he’s said to have said while presenting her with a bouquet of roses.
That doesn’t make you an artist, it just makes you weird. That’s the only way to put it. I mean, that’s the type of thing Laura would hate the most.
The second son, on the other hand, seems to agree with her.
Uh, just out of curiosity, where is she and her son right now?
“The eldest son of the current lord has already died of illness. So the lady has retired to her estate.”
“I didn’t think Mrs. Hartley could be this stupid.”
The Dauphin interrupted me and spat. So the current leader is ill and the Marquises are running amok with no one in command? And the Marquise, the one who should be in command, is holed up in her domain where she can’t get information about King’s Landing fast enough.
Delitzdomme had the means to put the heroes on trial. and a power struggle within the church.
From Delitzdomme’s point of view, it’s a diplomatic complication if they’re on the front lines. Of course, if the saint herself says at the trial that she’s been falsely accused, that’s the end of it. It would leave a lasting grudge, both against Laura and against our country.
So someone in Delitzdam thought… Let the noblemen of the Kingdom of Vine sue the brave Mazel. And so they incited someone from the Marquise of Cortlezis and the fool who was incited filed a complaint against the Church in the Kingdom of Vine saying that Mazel had been disrespectful to the saint Laura. Laura has the blood of a Marquess in her veins as well.
All that remains is to prolong the trial at Delitzdamer so that the Kingdom of Delitzdamer can move its armies and expand its borders in the confusion. We know what’s going on behind the scenes, but ostensibly the Kingdom of Vine has nothing to complain about. The only ones who will be shamed are the Marquesses of Cortolezis who falsely accused the heroes.
I’ve never been there but I don’t think the situation would have been this chaotic if the Marquis hadn’t fallen ill or something.
Anyway, to summarize the current situation,
Neighbouring countries: Delitzdam
→ I want the land, but I also want the power of the brave.
Yes, let’s use the trial as an excuse to use the brave men for a while.
Church: High Priestess Maravois
→ I’ve ingratiated myself with the Marquise and my position as High Priestess is secure.
Church: his subordinate, Priest Kempel.
→ I want to be High Priestess too. Let’s use this to our advantage.
Noble family: The Marquise de Cortolezis
→ I don’t care if it’s true or not. Shame on the crown.
Noble family: grandson of the Marquis of Koltoretsis.
→ I’m the one standing next to Laura. I’m going to get rid of this brave man.
The common people and some of the aristocracy.
→ What do you mean the heroes and saints are tramps? I need an explanation!
Is that what you’re saying?
And from what we’ve heard so far it sounds like the Marquise Cortolezis has a grudge against the royal family but not against Mazel the Brave. She might be thinking of making him a subordinate of the Marquise. I wonder if she’s aware that her eldest grandson sees the hero as Laura’s rival. I wonder if there’s a discrepancy in the information.
Hey, does anyone have any headache medicine and stomach medicine?
Joking aside, it seems to me that the intention is to separate Mazel and Laura. For example, Laura could go back to the Great Temple of Finoi to plead her case. That’s something we have to avoid if Laura’s going to be attacked again. What the… What are we gonna do? I can’t find a way out of this.
So. I’m sorry about Lily, but I need your help.
I’m…
It’s unusual for the Dauphin to say he’s sorry, but Lily looks surprised when he calls out to her.
We’re going to hold a trial on your behalf.
Substitute trial. It’s a way for the defendant’s attorney to represent the defendant in court when the defendant is unable to attend the trial for some reason. As a matter of fact, it’s possible that a defendant gets sick or has an accident and can’t attend the trial, so there is such a way.
But then the defendant would have to be Lily or her parents, not Mazel. Oh, so that’s how it works. So since the defendant is here, the trial will have to be held in this country.
“I will make the arrangements to hold the trial in your stead. I can’t leave it to High Priestess Malavova if she’s suspected of forging documents. I’m sure the people will agree.
High Priestess Lepe will take over the practice of using the voices of the people to make the case. It would be a push but the nobles and the people would demand an explanation and if Mazel the Brave or Laura were to check the documents and find that they are forgeries it would be a disaster.
I’d rather have a trial, a not-guilty verdict, and the Church save face by shoving the documents in the back of their heads. We’d owe Mazel and Laura a big favor, but I don’t know about that.
“If you are to stand trial on behalf of the accused, in this case a brave warrior, you must prove that he is unavailable for trial. I’ll be your witness.
The Prime Minister’s talking like that. Is this some kind of a warning against Derritsdom? A declaration that the whole country will defend the heroes. But what does that mean?
“Wouldn’t the Marquise Cortolezis resent Lily for interfering?”
The Marquesses would be displeased if their goal was to drag Mazel the Brave or Laura the Second to the trial. They could be angry with Lily, a commoner.
“I’ll be honest with you, there’s a danger of that. But I’m responsible for the delay. Therefore, I will step forward in this matter.”
Yes? Your Highness, what did you just say? Just as I was thinking that, the air changed.
“Falkenstein the Vizier, Seifert the General, and Reppe the High Priest, remember that this is my life.”
“Ha ha.”
The three of them bowed in unison. With the Prime Minister’s class as witnesses, no one will be able to argue with them.
“In the name of the Dauphin Hubertus, I command “that the House of Hulting cooperate with the Crown in dismissing the unjust accusation against Mazel the Brave.”
Yes, yes.
You can feel Lily swallow her spit. Yeah, it’s a powerful feeling that no one else can match. I mean, it’s physically intimidating. So that’s what real charisma looks like.
“High Priestess Reppe, the plaintiffs in this trial are no doubt related to the Marquise of Cortolezis.”
“Yes.”
“There is too much difference in legal knowledge between commoners and nobles. Therefore, it is preferable to have a trial by proxy with a duel between the two sides.”
“Your Highness the Dauphin is right, Your Highness. The trial by proxy will be decided by combat.
… Oh, I get it. Could it be… could it be…
“Lily, the substitute defendant, who is this valiant knight thou askest me to be?”
She looked at me. I nodded. I didn’t expect this, but it’s time for my notoriety to live on. Lily nodded back at me, took a breath and finished in one.
“I hereby appoint Mr. Werner van Zierfeldt here to act on my behalf.”
If Lily trusts me and picks me, I’ll do it.
