Cazerose brings up an unexpected topic.
I instinctively felt bewildered and said to her,
“What do you mean… does that mean Cazerose will defend Mr. Shylock?”
“Yes… although I don’t have that much confidence, if no one else can defend him, I will try. Despite appearances, I am still serving as a priestess, and I believe I am fully qualified to defend someone in court.”
Indeed, as she mentioned, there was no significant issue with her taking on the role of defender as a Paladin who held the status of a priestess.
Furthermore, considering that Shylock’s indictment was mainly related to a religious aspect, Cazerose, being a priestess, stepping up meant she could bolster the voice of defense.
However, separating that from the issues at hand, I shook my head while looking at Cazerose.
“Still… it’s too dangerous.”
“But…”
“This matter is something I must resolve on my own. I cannot let you, who are unrelated to this, suffer because of it.”
Although Cazerose had the right to stand as a defender, given that Shylock was Jewish, this was not an easy decision.
It was clear that defending a heretic like Shylock would entail significant risks, even for a priestess like Cazerose.
If this fact reached the Holy See or even a senior priest in charge of this area, it could lead to strong backlash, likely resulting in Cazerose’s excommunication.
In other words, whether this endeavor succeeded or failed, the moment Cazerose took it upon herself, she could end up banished from the Church forever, just like me.
Cazerose surely knew this, yet she spoke to me, who was hesitating, with a clear voice.
“I am aware as well. The moment I participate in this, I will become someone who can never return to the path of a priest.”
As she slowly approached me, standing right in front of me, she carefully looked up and met my gaze.
“But as I said before, I have already trusted Mr. Santana and given up everything. From that moment, I can say I have abandoned my status as a priest. If I can use this fading status to clear an innocent person’s grievances, wouldn’t that be a good thing?”
“Ugh…”
Caught by her resolute words, I couldn’t come up with a counterargument.
Indeed, as she said, the moment she left Milano with me, Cazerose had practically abandoned her status as a Paladin.
Simply put, leaving her assigned area and accompanying an excommunicated individual was a punishable offense.
I couldn’t refute the facts she laid out, but at that moment, I wanted to express the feelings I had for her.
“No matter what, I hope you won’t suffer further because of me, Cazerose. Even if it’s just an empty status, depending on the circumstances, it could be your last shield.”
“No… that’s not true.”
“What?”
In response to my words, Cazerose spoke cautiously.
I instantly felt a doubt creeping in…
And seeing my reaction, Cazerose slightly turned her head and, in a faint voice, murmured,
“Didn’t you say before… that you would protect me? That you would believe in me?”
“!… ”
Cazerose suddenly brought up a rather embarrassing topic.
Her words caused my face to redden slightly, and seeing this, Cazerose spoke with a strangely tense voice.
“Even if I lose my status as a priestess, I still have… the shield of Mr. Santana. I’m trusting his promise… so you don’t need to worry about that.”
“…Cazerose…”
Looking at me with a flushed face, Cazerose spoke earnestly.
Seeing her like this, I was overwhelmed with the impulse to embrace this lovely woman who was showing me her full trust at this moment.
However, this was not the time for such actions, especially since there were still butlers watching us with awkward expressions.
So, I forced myself to suppress my emotions and, with the calmest voice I could manage, looked at Cazerose and said,
“…I understand. If that’s the case, I have a request to make.”
“Yes, I will do my best. Mr. Santana.”
Thus, I decided to proceed with Cazerose as my defender, and then I asked the butlers to bring the contract and other relevant materials related to this matter.
“Although this case appears to be centered around a charge of attempted murder… fundamentally, it is rooted in a deep-seated hatred and discriminatory sentiment towards Jews. Meanwhile, Anton and the Sacred Empire are actively exploiting the situation…”
Nonetheless, it was clear that completely erasing the hatred against Jews in such a situation was utterly impossible.
The feelings toward Jews, which had persisted throughout the Church’s history, could not be eliminated in an instant.
“Then ultimately, I must abandon the idea of fundamentally changing perceptions. Of course, I can guide to some extent, but that’s something that can only happen after this trial…”
With that basic understanding set aside, I pondered to resolve this issue and began to carefully examine the contents of the contract Anton had brought.
“It seems… looking at it simply, there’s nothing problematic. However, the phrase at the end… ‘Anton promises to give Shylock his heart’ is the issue…”
That sentence could be considered the premise that led to the occurrence of this incident.
Focusing on that, I began meticulously reviewing the documents I had brought, doing my utmost to plan for this moment.
On the surface, it might seem like loyalty to a friend, but in reality, there was a great deal at stake.
It wasn’t just Cazerose’s Paladin status that was half-confirmed for excommunication from the beginning.
If we failed here and Shylock ended up imprisoned, it would put us in a troublesome situation, as we needed to secure transportation and information.
Essentially, both my and Cazerose’s futures were at stake, so I had no choice but to find a way through.
A little later… a ray of light began to shine through my contemplation.
*
In the heart of Benetsa, a small yet lavish-looking building stood.
Inside, at this very moment…
A woman in priestess attire and a young man faced each other, both wearing bright smiles.
“With this, we can definitely bring Shylock down.”
“Of course. No matter how much of a menace Shylock is, there’s no one willing to defend that Jew. Even if he tried to do something himself, I doubt any judge would listen to him.”
As she cheerfully sipped her tea, the young man, Anton, the owner of the building and the ‘victim’ in the upcoming trial, smiled and said,
“Moreover, you’re the prosecuting attorney in case things go awry. This is clearly a win for us. Right, Potion Prosecutor?”
With a subtle smile, she nodded…
Nerissa, the young Bishop serving as prosecutor for this trial, put her tea down with a broad smile.
“Absolutely. We’ll take care of that wicked Jew and make everything he has ours. That day is not far away.”
Thus, the two of them, confident of a clear victory in what seemed almost finished, began to anticipate the bright future that would unfold after putting an end to Shylock.
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