Not only Polo, but the priests who were insulted by Carlos’s clearly pointing out they were tied up with the cunning devil, their faces turned red like ripe tomatoes.

Trope came forward on behalf of the priests.

“Seems like there’s a misunderstanding…….”

“I saw it clearly with my own eyes. A misunderstanding?”

When Carlos retorted in a cold tone, Trope closed his mouth. His head bowed politely of its own accord.

He quickly thought about how to overcome this predicament, but no matter how hard he thought, there was only one answer.

“I apologize, Your Grace.”

He immediately prostrated himself, begging for forgiveness.

“I never dreamed that there could be a cunning devil among us.”

“I am not a devil!”

Polo, who had barely escaped the brink of death and was halfdazedly focusing on breathing in fresh air, belatedly snapped to attention and shouted at the word “devil.”

At the same time, his fellow priests looked at Polo with eyes filled with embarrassment.

At the cold treatment of his fellow priests, Polo’s face became rigid. Fear of being labeled a devil and killed without moving overcame him, making his hands and feet tremble.

“I, I am not a devil.”

The one he could rely on now that he was abandoned by his fellow priests was only Carlos. Polo prostrated himself towards Carlos and pleaded with his hands clasped like a prayer.

“I have lived my whole life for the gods. I can’t possibly be a devil. Please, please believe in my innocence.”

Carlos laughed coldly.

“The trial you priests have so much faith in has come to this conclusion, how can you be believed to be innocent?”

“That, that’s…….”

Polo momentarily lost his words and shouted desperately.

“The, the trial is wrong! Something, something is definitely wrong, Your Grace!”

Despite Polo’s desperate cry, Carlos looked back at Trope with a dull expression.

“So he says. What do you think?”

“…….”

Trope couldn’t answer immediately and tightly clasped both hands.

If the trial itself was wrong, it means that the trial result was also wrong, and Polo is innocent.

But that would mean the other priests who prepared for the witch trial, including infusing the lake with sacred power, couldn’t escape blame for preparing a flawed trial.

Especially since Trope was in charge of this trial, he would receive the harshest punishment.

So he hesitated, but the main reason was that he knew this trial was not wrong.

Even if it was wrong, it was impossible for a human whose hands and feet were tied with handcuffs and stones to fall into the water and come back alive.

So Polo was definitely a devil.

“No.”

Trope spoke decisively after putting an end to his tangled thoughts.

“The trial was not wrong. What’s wrong is that man.”

“Brother!”

Polo called out desperately, and Trope scowled.

“Calling me brother as a devil. It’s very unpleasant.”

“I am not a devil!”

“Then explain how you were able to free the handcuffs and stones on your hands and feet.”

“That’s……”

Polo himself didn’t know about that part, so he shut his mouth.

He naturally thought he would die and was resigned to it, but at some point, his hands and feet became free, and the moment he realized that fact, the instinct to live was activated, and he rose to the surface of the water.

When Polo said nothing, Trope laughed scornfully as if to show him. The priests also pointed their fingers at Polo.

Trope then turned to Carlos with a gloomy face and bowed deeply.

“We will severely punish the devil as soon as we return to the temple. I truly apologize for showing you such an ugly sight, Your Grace.”

Carlos replied in a dull voice.

“If you know that, get that wretch out of my sight right now.”

It meant that they had to leave Duke Esper’s territory immediately.

They had come to reveal that Irene was a witch and execute her, but instead of achieving that goal, the reputation of the temple had been tarnished, so the priests’ position became extremely awkward.
First, this matter must not be made known to the world.

Fortunately, in this place, there were only Carlos and his escort knights, and Irene, so as long as Carlos remained silent, it could be thoroughly concealed.

The problem was that the other party was the notorious Duke Esper. There was also a rather bad relationship with the temple.

At times like this, making a deal would be more effective than asking a favor.

The opportunity was one time, a deal that Carlos must accept had to be offered.

What could that be? Trope’s eyes, deep in thought, naturally turned to Irene, standing beside Carlos.

Then Carlos narrowed his eyebrows and removed Irene from his sight.

……This might just work.

Having thought of a good method, Trope took a deep breath, and spoke to Carlos in the most calm tone possible.

“If we withdraw as it is, the suspicion of witchcraft against Your Grace’s lover will not disappear. Therefore, my proposal is, if you bury this matter, I will write a witch trial confirmation certificate.”