I was excommunicated from the Holy Knights

19 – Merchant of Bennett 9

Humans are complex yet simple organisms.

Each of them thinks that they act with their own standard of being right, and they have the belief that it is ‘good’ and ‘justice’.

According to this standard, they can easily raise their voices, criticize others, and even cheer for someone’s unfair treatment.

however..

Many people were unaware.

The reference point that they consider to be the insomniac truth and justice is…

The fact that it can be changed very easily than you think.

*

“… All right. If so.. it can’t be helped.”

Cazeros calms down and speaks.

While hearing her words, Anton and Potion were convinced that their victory was right around the corner.

‘Even though I felt a bit dangerous along the way, it ended well.’

‘Well… no matter how hard I struggle, there’s no way I can turn this situation around. It’s not that easy to overturn the people’s sentiment toward heretics…’

Even though the pendulum of balance was slightly tipped compared to the one-sided situation at first.

Basically, as much as the difference in gaze between the pagans and the followers of the church is too great, the atmosphere is still on this side.

In addition, since the lawyer spoke of giving up, they thought that all that was left was to convict Shylock and put an end to the situation.

That moment..

“I really can’t help it anymore. in this court. Because you made it so clear.”

“!”

A sudden chill felt.

An inexplicable look of bewilderment began to appear on Anton and Porter’s faces at the uncanny thing contained within.

Something ominous that I can’t exactly explain.

In their heads they were convinced that everything was over and that there was no turning back from this situation.

however. That certainty is colorless, at this moment…

This sensation, which they instinctively felt, slowly but surely began to shake these thoughts.

and. Looking away from those two and looking at the judge as it is…

Cazeros said in a cold voice.

“Your Honor, I would like to ask you one thing.”

“What.. what.. is it?”

The judge spoke in a slightly trembling voice in the strange atmosphere of Gap Sagi, and Cazeros, looking at him, spoke in a calm yet clear tone.

“At this moment, who handed over the torn paper in front of you?”

“What?.. what is that… well, isn’t that what you did?”

“Yes, it is. If so, the situation just before… can be expressed in writing like this. Cazeros tore up the paper and presented it to the judge.. Am I right?”

“Yeah… you sure are?”

Cazeros speaks the obvious in a serious voice.

Her incomprehensible behavior.

Nevertheless, there was a strange atmosphere in the courtroom in the unusual atmosphere that was felt.

And then… Cazeros

He looked at the judge and said with a voice full of resoluteness as if he was going down with a sword.

“Thank you, Your Honor. Then, from this time on, I request that the victim Anton be treated as a criminal and not as a victim.”

“?”

“Muh… what…”

Cazeros makes incomprehensible remarks.

As a result, the faces of those in the courthouse began to look embarrassed, and at the same time, there was only one person watching this situation.

Santana Mann began to smile calmly and silently in his heart.

“That… what is that all of a sudden? Are you suddenly a criminal over a victim? Are you playing pranks in the sacred courtroom?”

The judge speaks in a voice that is both embarrassed and displeased by Cazeros’ words.

Seeing him like that, Cazeros said with a confident voice.

“It is neither a joke nor a mockery. Didn’t the previous judge just admit it? The fact that it was I, and no one else, who tore up the paper and presented it to the judge.”

“That…what was that…!”

At that moment, the judge’s expression begins to harden as he reflexively thinks of something.

At the same time, not only the judge, but also some quick-witted people began to show embarrassment on their faces as if they recognized something.

“That phrase in the contract that was submitted as evidence in this case.. Anton said he would offer his heart to Shylock. It is Anton himself, not Shylock, who takes out his heart and offers it to him. What this means… You don’t know, right?”

“Suicide..?”

“… yes. Exactly.”

The judge speaks in a trembling voice and Cazeros affirms it in a quiet tone.

The moment he heard that, not only Anton and Potion, who became the parties, but also the people in the courtroom began to look shocked.

Suicide.

The worst crimes designated as unforgivable no matter what happens within the church.

It was a church that ruled murder, robbery, and even heretics as ‘official’ edification for sinners, and excommunication if it was judged impossible. .

A felony among felony crimes that is worse than murder in the sense of voluntarily cutting off a precious life given by God, and judged that there is no room for salvation anymore.

For this reason, it was the principle that those who attempted suicide should be boiled in a boiling cauldron, which means the flames of hell, after making their lives stick somehow.

Even if he had already died, he was supposed to be decapitated and buried under the gallows, in the sense that he had died blaspheming God and his own soul, let alone burial.

And… the person who takes out the heart on the contract is definitely Anton himself, not someone else.

In other words, this sentence could be interpreted as a story that Anton declared that he would dig out his own heart… that is, commit suicide and give the heart to Shylock.

“Suicide is a grave sin that is never permitted under any circumstances to a faithful member of the church. Even if life is threatened, it is the worst crime that can never be forgiven. This is the final deadly sin committed by that evil Iscariot who betrayed the Lord. And Anton signed the contract with his own hand to commit such a terrible crime. Just because of the desire for a few bucks.”

Cazeros presents a new interpretation of the contract.

Now that it was concluded that it was impossible to determine who wrote the form of this contract, Cazeros pointed out that the important thing was the content, and that it was none other than Anton who executed it no matter what the background.

Of course, in the general case, this too could be said to be a petty fault no less than Anton’s accusation of Shylock.

However, in the first place, this trial itself started with such trivial accusations, and furthermore, just before, Anton and Potion squeezed out tears in the courtroom, making all of these things ‘real’ rather than simple accusations.

Because the punishment for suicide is severe, it was a principle not to recklessly pronounce a sentence unless it was clearly identified.

But at this moment. In the case of Anton, it ended up being a bold declaration in front of a large number of people, especially in a court of law, where every word had legal effect.

Just like what Cazeros said.

It is a declaration that he is a sinner who committed ‘suicide attempt sin’ for a few bucks.

“Ah… no! I… I… never meant to commit suicide!”

“P..The victim is right! Suicide… There’s no way the defendant, a good believer, could have committed such a terrible sin, right? This… this must be a trap set by Shylock.”

Anton and Potion talking in an urgent voice.

However, looking at the two of them, Cazeros spoke in a clear voice.

“Attempting suicide is an unforgivable sin under any circumstances. Even if Shylock used it moderately, if you are a believer, it is a principle that you should have rejected it. The traces of those tears shed in fear of committing the grave sin of tearing out their own hearts remain as undeniable evidence.”

Like that, Cazeros’s behavior of paying back bullsh*t for bullsh*t.

In this way, the atmosphere in the courtroom began to reverse in an instant, and a smile slowly began to spread on Santana’s lips as he watched it.