I will take your silence to be a confirmation."
The pope said that and looked over the listeners.
Then, before anyone could say anything, he raised his voice again.
"Then, the perpetrator of this incident was Madam Claire. Sir Carlyle will share responsibility. I would like to end this with Madam Claire receiving punishment and Sir Carlyle taking responsibility. Are there any objections?"
I get the feeling that something is being distorted.
That the topic was being manipulated.
That the conclusion was decided from the start, and the conversation smoothly flowed towards that.
"No objections!"
The cardinal responded faster than anyone else.
"... No objections!"
"No objections!"
When everyone was nodding in agreement with the cardinal's words, Claire's face became blue, but it didn't lose its primness.
I wonder if she's not going to say anything.
An excuse, or something.
Well, I'd get in a bad mood if she gave some poor excuse, so it's fine.
As for me, as long as Zenith is returned, it's fine.
I'll never approach the Latreia house again. I won't let Zenith, Norn, or Aisha approach it ever again.
That's the end of that.
"Is that okay with you, Rudeus-sama? This incident was caused against our intents. We had no intention of harming Rudeus-sama, or making enemies of Orsted-sama, and would like to maintain an amicable relationship."
I looked at the pope.
His smiling face hasn't changed.
I looked at the cardinal.
When our gazes met, he let out a squeak and started pouring sweat.
"O-, of course we don't desire conflict with Orsted-sama either. No matter how Orsted-sama knows of Laplace's coming return, we have no intentions on sparing our cooperation in defeating him. We would like to put off the matter of the sale of Demon Race figures until a later conference, though..."
After that exchange, I somehow grasped the flow of the situation.
In this case, the mastermind was the pope.
Most likely, the ones who leaked the matter of the miko's kidnapping was the pope's underlings.
Using the Latreia house's name, he manipulated the cardinal's faction into suspecting me of attempting to murder the miko.
Or possibly there are spies from the pope's faction in the Latreia house, and used the fact that I was in fact heard by their servants, it doesn't matter either way.
He couldn't be sure whether the cardinal would move or not.
However, from the cardinal's viewpoint, I must have been a troublesome existance.
I'm friends with the pope's grandson Cliff, and am the subordinate of the Dragon God.
It must have looked that I had an issue with the Latreia house, and the pope used that as a pretext to send me as an assassin and draw close to the miko.
It's no wonder he thought that he had to get rid of me.
That he didn't mobilize the entire Order of the Temple was either because he was underestimating me, or that he predicted things would turn out this way.
The pope knew I wasn't going to kill the miko.
Either that, or he didn't mind even if I did.
Naturally, even if I couldn't win against the Order of the Temple and was killed, there would be no demerit for him.
I may be Cliff's friend, but I'm not part of the pope's faction.
The pope didn't have to dirty his hands, or agree with the kidnapping.
He had confidence that even if he were questioned by the miko and his plan were discovered, in the worst case he could use Cliff as a scapegoat.
Furthermore, if Orsted came, he could proclaim that I fell for the trap of the Demon Race Expulsion faction.
He must have been thinking that if it came to that, he could establish a cooperative relationship with Orsted on his own.
And then, this situation.
The conclusion that he can punish the Latreia house.
I'm sure that both the pope and the cardinal thought that it didn't matter who was sacrificed.
The decision to make an example out of Claire was surely because of the fury I held towards her.
If I can get revenge on Claire then I'm satisfied.
The pope is overjoyed that he can damage the Latreia housecardinal's faction.
Only the cardinal's faction is upset.
I get the feeling that I was dancing on the palm of his hand, but...
Well, that's fine.
I can get Zenith back.
I can get revenge on Claire.
And following this flow, it seems I'll be able to establish a mercenary corps as planned.
"I don't mind."
"Then according to convention, Claire Latreia will be sentenced to 10 years in prison for the crime of treason."
"Fue!?"
I let out a strange sound.
"Do you have any objections, Rudeus-dono?"
"... 10 years?"
"Of course. She abducted the family of Rudeus-dono, who is a close associate of the Dragon God-sama, and incited the attack on the miko."
"But, that's..."
"Not dealing properly with people that possess power invites this kind of disturbance. If Rudeus-dono wasn't someone with such good sense, the miko-sama would have lost her life long ago. Thinking of it that way, 10 years is still too short."
Is that... the case?
But that's right.
It became such a situation that this many people needed to be gathered.
I'm sure there are other people who will be receiving punishment, but Claire gets 10 years of imprisonment.
10 years...
It's by no means short.
10 years ago I had just separated from Eris.
So, it's not short at all.
Be that as it may, there's no helping it.
In the first place, Claire's methods were dirty.
If she hadn't kidnapped Zenith like that, it wouldn't have turned into this.
"..."
"Since you seem to have no objections, by this informal trial with the presence of at least three bishops and at least three Battalion Commanders, Countess Claire Latreia is hereby sentenced to 10 years in prison for the crime of treason. Sir Carlyle's sentence will be decided later in a formal trial."
"No objections."
"No objections."
The cardinal, archbishop, and knights solemnly declared such.
"Then, Belmondo-dono, please have the Latreia couple restrained by the neutral Order of the Church. The other involved parties will be judged later with due form."
The pope exchanged looks with the Order of the Church, and raised his hands.
Besh and the other two immediately stood, and briskly circled the table to where Claire and Carlyle were seated.
When they passed in front of Therese, she furrowed her brow for a moment.
One of the Order of the Church produced something similar to manacles from his breast pocket, and shackled Carlyle.
Carlyle silently complied, and followed the Church Knight to the exit.
Claire didn't move.
As she stood up, her whole body was shaking.
Her facial expression was unchanged, but she was trembling from head to toe.
"Now then, Madam Claire."
"I-, I am..."
The Order of the Church were slowly approaching Claire.
Claire will be arrested, and put in jail.
It has a bad aftertaste to it, but I guess with this the case is closed.
"..."
Suddenly, I met eyes with Cliff.
He was looking at me with a flustered, bewildered expression.
Why are you making that kind of face?
Certainly, even I find it a little hard to stomach.
With this kind of vigilante justice, she's sentenced to 10 years.
I think it's too overbearing.
However, isn't this your society's rule?
I received a similar treatment from the Order of the Temple.
In that case, isn't this due process according to your people's rules?
"Now then, Madam Claire."