Chapter 396: Then Let Me Accuse You

The two-hour recess was precious time indeed.

I managed to get a great deal done with it.

"We’ve confirmed that Wiegen made contact with Norman."

"Didn’t he curse Norman out? I know I would have."

"Ugh, don’t even get me started. I couldn’t make out half of what he was saying."

Apparently Wiegen let loose with every curse in the book and threw whatever he could get his hands on, but Norman just glared at him with those cold eyes of his. The reason things blew up this badly in the first place is that Wiegen underestimated Norman far too much.

Wiegen, ranting and raving about how the dog he raised bit its master, is the one who betrayed Norman first. Did he really think Norman would stay his errand boy after doing something so horrific to Norman’s brother’s sweetheart?

"Hans settled things by arresting Wiegen for causing a disturbance, but we’ve confirmed that some of his household have fled. Wiegen’s eldest and second sons vanished without a trace."

"Well, well. Bolting already? Smarter than they looked."

They must have decided that punishment would be hard to avoid no matter how the trial turned out. I didn’t expect them to move this fast, but since Wiegen hadn’t confessed yet, we had no grounds to arrest them.

And now the fools had gone and handed us those grounds themselves.

Anton rubbed his weary eyes and asked for his next orders.

"Shall I issue a wanted notice and contact Sir Falkenheim?"

"Do it. They can run all they want in this winter cold; they won’t get far. We need to catch them before they freeze to death."

"He said he was training near Vintenheim, so I’ll send a messenger."

Hmm, Anton’s eyes have gone as dull as a dead fish’s.

He was on patrol until morning, and he’s still pushing himself.

"If you’re tired, hand it off to your men and go get some sleep."

"I dozed a little this morning. I’m fine."

I’m not the sort to take a man at his word when he insists he’s fine and clearly isn’t. So I scolded Anton’s direct subordinates, asking whether they really meant to keep their sleepless superior on duty, and as if they’d been waiting for the excuse, they hauled him away.

Ferke, who had been waiting his turn, swallowed a wry smile.

"I wish I had a subordinate as diligent and responsible as Anton."

"Anton would be delighted to hear that. So, did you find anything?"

"We combed every forest near Feuzen, but there was nothing."

Since there was testimony about a ritual performed in the forest in the dead of night, I’d sent Ferke and his men to scour the woods in case anything inconvenient was actually out there. Forget an altar; there wasn’t so much as a goat’s head or a pig’s tail.

"Lies thrown together in a hurry always come apart."

"The sin of framing an innocent woman as a witch is no light matter."

"If our would-be inquisitor of a judge backs down, we should be able to drag this into a secular court."

Soon after, the trial resumed.

Hmm, it seems we weren’t the only ones who’d had a busy recess.

Father Nikolaus and Chief Monk Francisco must have quarreled over how this special trial should proceed, because the two of them wouldn’t even look at each other, and Father Andreas was wedged awkwardly between them.

"The trial will now resume."

I’d half expected Nikolaus to come out swinging with a branding iron, declaring that this time the torture would begin, but he was surprisingly subdued. It seems our would-be inquisitor of a judge has agreed, thankfully, to verify the testimony.

Father Andreas shot me a look.

Hmm, the signal at last.

"Honorable judge. Would you permit me to question the first accuser?"

"Why on earth does a man of the secular world insist on trampling the authority of the holy Church?"

"If this were the Bishopric of Lanseh, I would hold my tongue, but this trial is being held in Feuzen, my own domain, and since I am not unconnected to this case, I have no choice but to involve myself."

"Baron of Rosenheim! That is pure sophistry!"

Nikolaus took my request as an outrage. I refused to back down; one way or another, I had to work my way in. Faced with my relentless pressure, Nikolaus sighed and asked:

"What connection could you possibly have to a charge of witchcraft, Baron?"

"This is a matter of great importance, one that concerns the harmony between the settlers from Boeven and the villagers of Feuzen. So please, permit me to question the first accuser, nothing more. I’ll even make the offering you’re hoping for, judge."

"...Ahem. If you insist, then just this once."

Look at him back down the moment offerings come up.

Honestly, nothing’s worse than a fanatic with worldly appetites.

In any case, with permission granted, I let my gaze travel slowly over Dressel and the rest of the accusers. Their mood had turned to fear. Even Dressel, shameless as they come, couldn’t hide his agitation.

The mere absence of Wiegen, their ever-reliable backer, from the witness seats was enough to shake them badly. Thanks to Wiegen losing his head and causing a scene, we’d been able to throw him in jail.

And now the ruler of this land was taking a strangely keen interest in them. If a lord of my standing were glaring daggers at me, I’d probably wet myself too.

"Norman Hennings. Do you have evidence to prove the charge of witchcraft?"

"I do not."

Norman answered evenly.

"I understand you were the first accuser. Why did you file charges without any evidence?"

"As I understand it, under Church law, one may file an accusation whenever there is suspicion of witchcraft."

"Oh? You know the law rather well. Did you attend a seminary, by chance?"

"...I attended the Breisburg seminary, though I never graduated."

At that, Dressel and many others were stunned. They had all assumed Norman had simply gone off to Breisburg to seek his fortune. Even Erich, quietly standing guard at Erika’s side, was astonished.

For the first time, Norman’s steady gaze wavered. I had deliberately steered him into revealing his past; I had plans of my own. Letting a man like him slip away would have been a waste in more ways than one.

Nikolaus had been deeply offended the moment a commoner dared to speak of Church law, but now his anger subsided and he gave a nod. To him, the very idea of ignorant peasants discussing doctrine was an insult.

"Then you must also know the frightening side of that law. If an accusation can be filed on suspicion alone, with no victim at all, then it follows that anyone can be accused of witchcraft the moment someone sets their mind to it."

Then I walked over to the audience, the people who had been treating the trial as mere entertainment, and picked out the one man who seemed to be enjoying it most. Neutral in disposition, but leaning toward wickedness.

"One of my men says he saw you performing a witch’s ritual at a hidden altar in the forest."

"Wh-what are you talking about, all of a sudden?"

"What I’m saying is, I intend to accuse you of witchcraft."

"Th-that’s absurd! Who are you calling a witch?!"

"Guards, drag this man to jail."

"What is the meaning of this! My lord! My lord!"

Only when you’re the one on the chopping block does the fun drain right out of it. He could use a sharp little lesson. He thrashed like he was being hauled off to the slaughterhouse, but no one lifted a finger to help him.

I stopped the guards and had him released.

Then I straightened the man’s clothes myself. His face had gone deathly pale.

"What this means is that even if I accuse an innocent man like you out of nowhere, a trial will still be held."

Hmm, judging by those trembling knees, he hasn’t got a spine to speak of. And a man like that had the nerve to come all the way to Feuzen to gawk at a trial? I asked where he was from. Neudenburg.

Then I addressed the audience.

Every eye in the room was on me.

"Without strength or power, anyone can be branded a witch. Even you, the witnesses to this sacred trial, could be named witches over someone’s grudge. Knowing that, do you still find this trial entertaining?"

"W-wait, with a little bad luck, that could be us?"

"If a trial can be held on slander alone..."

"Then that bastard next door could frame me as a witch!"

"I was planning to teach that son of a bitch a lesson anyway. I can just accuse him of witchcraft!"

"Damn it, I need to get home and file charges right now!"

Only then did the audience seem to look squarely at how terrifying and twisted this law was. In an instant, the room grew as noisy as a market square. It was a law you could use to frame others, and a law that could be used to frame you.