NOVEL WEB Chapter 15: Objection! (2)
The Agarphe territory was quite large and spacious, befitting a territory directly managed by a Count's family.
It could be said that it had all the necessary facilities, no less than a decent-sized city.
Murmur murmur-.
There was even a plaza large enough to accommodate a sizable crowd.
Judging by the shadow cast by the sundial installed in the plaza, the current time was approximately 2 PM.
Were there around 100 people gathered in this plaza right now?
"What's going on?"
"They're trying to determine whether Lady Psyche is possessed by a ghost or not."
"The Lady is possessed?"
Perhaps because rumors of an interesting spectacle had spread, people started to gather with growing interest. Seeing this large crowd, Count Doban became extremely worried.
"Hyde, what are you trying to do? A public trial? Are you planning to put my daughter on public display for people's entertainment?"
Count Doban seemed to be a man who placed great importance on his dignity as a nobleman. As a father raising a daughter, he must also dislike the idea of his daughter being publicly exposed.
"It seems my daughter is willing to accept you as family, but I'm not yet. Hyde, if this doesn't go well, you'll have to think about how you're going to take responsibility for this."
"Don't worry. All you have to do, Count, is stay calm. No matter how they provoke you, it'll be enough if you don't do anything that could be used against you."
Doban groaned, "Hmm," unsure whether he understood or agreed with my words.
What about Psyche, the protagonist of this trial?
Psyche was wearing a white veil over her head, as ladies attending medieval churches often did. It was probably meant to cover her face, but it also made her look like a bride.
In a way, she was a bride.
If this goes well, she'll be marrying me!
As I was thinking this, Oscar, the Silver Plaque priest of Archibald, appeared with Knight Loras. Loras waved his hands around.
People cheered for him.
"Sir Loras!"
"Congratulations on winning second place in the tournament!"
"You idiot, you should say it's a shame he didn't win first place!"
"Is that so?"
Loras seemed to be the most popular man in this territory.
Of course, there was one man who was angry at the sight, and that was Count Doban.
"That Loras! Sticking so close to Archibald's second son! If his father saw this, he would have grabbed a club and broken his limbs!"
It seemed that Knight Loras of Agarphe had completely decided to join forces with Archibald. It was common for knights to increase their value and move on to better places.
Having seen countless knights surrender and convert to cults until recently, I wasn't surprised by Loras's betrayal.
In fact, it was good that he betrayed us.
It's easier to clean up later if the trash is all gathered in one place.
Soon, Oscar Archibald stood on the elevated platform and shouted,
"Dear residents of the Agarphe territory! Brothers and sisters! The reason why we have gathered people here today is because of a pitiful woman and a man who is trying to scam her by using her…"
Boo-.
Jeers started to rise from here and there.
It was the residents of Agarphe.
Seeing this, Doban, who was sitting in the audience, clenched his fists.
"Public opinion is important in a public trial! The people of our Agarphe territory hate priests and Archibald more than anyone! This is good!"
Doban was right.
However, when soldiers with swords entered the plaza, people started to close their mouths one by one.
They were probably Oscar's escorts dispatched from the Church.
"From now on, anyone who speaks out of turn will be considered to have insulted the Creator of all things and his representative, the Church, and will be personally punished by Baldwin of the Holy Knights!"
Clank-!
A man holding a giant spear slammed the bottom of the spear against the ground with a threatening sound. He was a middle-aged man with graying hair and a scar covering one eye.
Seeing him, Count Doban clicked his tongue.
"One-Eyed Knight Baldwin? That bastard came to our territory too. To think that the man who killed so many of our soldiers is strutting around like that…"
Bronze Plaque Knight Baldwin.
He looked like a formidable man.
As people closed their mouths one by one, several men approached the plaza, escorted by soldiers.
It was Manaan, dressed in a clean priest's robe, and his assistant priests, Gurvan and Ogid.
Seeing them, Doban scolded me with a mixture of worry, lament, and anger.
"Hyde, why did you choose them as witnesses? They're practically spies planted by Archbishop Archibald in the Agarphe territory! Do you think they'll say anything in our favor?"
Indeed.
There was a reason why the Church in the Agarphe territory was declining. Count Doban also realized that they were like agents planted in the Agarphe territory.
He must not be maintaining his position as Count for nothing.
Of course, I had a reason for calling them as witnesses.
Swish-.
I got up from the special audience seat reserved for the Count's family and approached the makeshift courtroom in the plaza.
As people's gazes turned towards me one by one, I said to them,
"I will be my own lawyer. And before I begin my defense, there's something I want to ask the witnesses. Priest Manaan and his subordinates, can you swear to tell only the truth today?"
At my question, everyone's gaze focused on Priest Manaan and his group.
Manaan gave me a smirk that seemed to reek of something fishy, and finally nodded.
"As a clergyman who pursues truth and goodness, I have always sought only the truth. I swear on the Bible that I will tell only the truth here today. Amen."
Soon, the Iron Plaque priests also took the same oath and affirmed it with an "Amen."
Everyone was watching the situation closely.
I asked Manaan,
"Manaan, do you know what the shape of this Earth, created by the Creator of all things, is? No, let me rephrase that. How does the Church teach about the shape of the Earth?"
Priest Manaan.
He looked around and then laughed as if he couldn't believe it.
"The Church teaches that this Earth is shaped like a giant plate. And the stars, moon, and sun, created by God, revolve around our Earth. This is common knowledge."
"That's right. Then what about Archbishop Archibald's claim? Does Archbishop Archibald also say that the Earth is shaped like a plate? Does he also say that the sun revolves around this Earth?"
"…Yes…"
Manaan started to say something but then closed his mouth. He clutched his chest as if in great pain, took a deep breath, and seemed at a loss for what to do.
Perhaps his conscience was pricking him.
Actually, I knew.
That Archbishop Archibald would claim the heliocentric theory and the spherical Earth theory in about three years.
Archbishop Archibald was a clergyman and theologian with quite progressive theological views. According to my memory, the research was already completed ten years ago, and he was just waiting for the right time to announce it.
That's why I liked Archbishop Archibald.
I thought we could have a good conversation!
So, if Priest Manaan was truly Archbishop Archibald's confidant and had a close relationship with him, he would know what Archbishop Archibald was researching.
Perhaps that was really the case, as Manaan was clutching his chest, sweating profusely, and looking utterly lost.
I looked around and said lightly,
"Priest Manaan, you know the Ninth Commandment of the Ten Commandments, 'Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor', right? It's better to not sin and speak honestly."
"Ugh…Haa, that's right. Archbishop Archibald described this Earth as a round sphere and called it 'Earth', and said that the Earth revolves around the sun…"
The people listening to this were greatly surprised.
It was probably because it was such a radical idea.
The most flustered person was Oscar Archibald.
"Priest Manaan! What are you talking about!?"
Oscar had been smiling arrogantly since he brought Manaan in as a witness, but now his expression was like a deer that had encountered a crocodile while drinking water.
The wooden cup in his hand was trembling uncontrollably.
I quickly added a few words while the surroundings were in an uproar.
"According to Lord Oscar Archibald, Archbishop Archibald's claim is also heretical. Priest Manaan, is Archbishop Archibald, who made such a claim, also possessed by a ghost? Is the ghost that possesses him making him say that the Earth is round?"
"Archbishop Archibald…is not possessed by a ghost. He is normal. He is a brilliant theologian, a respected clergyman, and…"
"Then! Can't we say that I, Hyde, who made the same claim as Archbishop Archibald, am also a great theologian and a devout and pious person!?"
I shouted, spreading my arms wide.
Priest Manaan felt like he was dying.
It was because his heart had been aching as if someone was stabbing it with a thick needle.
Did he suddenly develop heart disease?
Manaan realized that this pain manifested whenever he tried to 'bear false witness'.
'Is God really punishing me? How could this be…!'
Punishment.
At that thought, fear spread like black ink in Priest Manaan's heart.
He had never been so afraid in his life.
On the other hand, he felt a sense of awe, as if the 'God' and 'truth' he had longed for were manifesting themselves in his body.
'God truly exists.'
And the young man, whom he had recently wanted to chew up like an enemy, was shouting at him.
"Then! Can't we say that I, Hyde, who made the same claim as Archbishop Archibald, am also a great theologian and a devout and pious person!? Answer me!"
Manaan wanted to close his mouth.
To think he had to speak in this situation, with Oscar Archibald watching.
'But if I lie, the pain in my heart will kill me! I can't die here! I must become a Silver Plaque bishop! And after that, I must become an archbishop!'
Manaan closed his eyes tightly and decided to do his best to survive for now.
"Monk Hyde, I honestly don't know if you're a devout and pious person, but you're definitely making the same claim as Archbishop Archibald."
He felt at ease as he answered truthfully.
The stabbing pain in his heart was gone.
But this was only temporary relief.
'If that damn bastard asks another question, my heart will definitely start hurting again!'
Manaan wanted to jump out of his seat.
Just as he was wishing for this trial to be over, the Wooden Plaque monk shouted,
"Did you all hear that? Saying that the Earth is round is theologically correct! It's absolutely not a reason to claim someone is possessed by a ghost! Therefore, Lady Psyche is not possessed! In fact, she deserves praise for recognizing a devout and pious man and choosing him as her husband!"
He was spouting nonsense.
To brag about himself like that.
'Look at that arrogant bastard! Does he have no shame? Isn't he embarrassed? His face must be as thick as a mask. Truly the worst!'
Priest Manaan thought so and looked at Oscar Archibald's face.
Oscar Archibald's face was flushed red, and he was gripping the wooden cup in his hand so tightly that it seemed like it would crack.
'Monk Hyde, how dare you invoke my father's name?'
As Oscar was burning with anger, Monk Hyde asked him,
"Lord Oscar, are you going to put your father, Archbishop Archibald, on trial for heresy? I can even help you write the indictment. Writing is my hobby."
Grit-.
Oscar clenched his jaw so hard that his molars ached. His vision reddened, and his stomach churned.
He had never felt so humiliated and angry in his life.
'I want to chop off his head right now! I want to seize him and hang him on the rack!'
But he couldn't do that. Oscar was a smart man and knew what to do in this situation.
Oscar smiled and said,
"It seems that I was lacking in my understanding of the Church's doctrines due to my lack of learning. Monk Hyde, your claim is not heretical at all. It's not the answer of a possessed person either."
Oscar felt like he was going to die, his stomach churning and cold sweat dripping down his back. His anger was now directed at Priest Manaan, whom he had believed to be his trusted confidant.
'How does that black-haired idiot know what my father told only a few people?'
Oscar's father, Archbishop Archibald, had said,
'Faith' cannot be established in a relationship between humans.
Remembering those words, Priest Manaan now appeared to Oscar as a traitor who had colluded and betrayed him by siding with the Agarphe family.
'Manaan, that useless bastard must have opened his mouth. I hope he didn't spill everything about Father's plan. Did he collude with Hyde in this trial too?'
Indeed, the situation seemed to be like that. In this trial, Manaan had only testified in Hyde's favor.
Hyde must have requested Priest Manaan as a witness because they were in cahoots.
'They conspired and deceived me. I invited Manaan as a witness, thinking he would testify in my favor as Father's confidant. To think these bastards were working together to make a fool of me.'
Swish-.
Oscar called over Baldwin, the Bronze Plaque Holy Knight, and whispered,
"Sir Baldwin, kill Manaan and his priests as soon as this trial is over. It must be done secretly, without anyone noticing. Let's frame it as the work of the Crescent Moon Sisterhood, like before."
"Understood."
Nod-.
As the man who bowed his head disappeared somewhere, the Wooden Plaque monk stood before Oscar. His black eyes looked at Oscar and said,
"Now, as promised, I've proven my innocence, so please witness the wedding of Hyde and Psyche Agarphe in the name of Archbishop Archibald. Since so many people have gathered, let's proceed right here."
'You son of a bitch, you're going to humiliate me this much?'
But there was nothing he could do.
He couldn't break the promise he had made in the name of Archbishop Archibald. There were too many people present. Count Doban was there too.
Count Doban, whose face had been as dark as a thundercloud all day, brightened up and clapped his hands.
"That's a great idea! Let's have the wedding here! There's no need to fight and get angry on such an auspicious day! Call the musicians and have them play music! Hey, open the storeroom and distribute bread and rice cakes to the gathered people!"
People were delighted with the sudden wedding.
The atmosphere had already shifted completely.
Oscar was furious, but he had no choice but to accept defeat.
'Monk Hyde, you goddamn son of a bitch. I'll remember your name.'