What he knows? (2/2)

"We weren't questioning him; we just held this meeting to hear what he had to say."

"Just to listen? I know that when you all meet here, it's to discuss important matters... or to judge someone." Frederic's voice dripped with skepticism.

They came here to hear what a cleric had to say. They seemed surprised when I mentioned Robert, and now they're trying to pretend everything is fine. They probably already know he gave us the papermaking process, so why all this fuss?

"Those are not your concern, Baron Frederic. Now, we don't want to waste more of your precious time, so could you please state why you're here?" The priest sitting at the center clearly wanted to end the discussion and send Frederic away.

"I'm indeed a busy man because I have the most important job here. That's why I'm here asking for Cleric Robert to be freed from his punishment." Frederic, frustrated at not uncovering anything useful about Robert from the priests' reactions, finally stated his primary reason for being there.

He expected a calm response, perhaps a quick "no" or an "We'll think about it." But what happened next was beyond his expectations.

"You knew! You knew and did nothing?!" An old man stood up from his chair, pointing angrily at Frederic.

"Wait, so it's true what Cleric Aaran told us?" another priest asked, shocked.

"I can't believe it's true..." The priests reacted in a mix of disbelief and outrage.

"He was hiding right under our noses!" Some shouted angrily, while others were stunned by the realization. Even the two priests who had been friendlier to Rafael began to reconsider their opinions of him.

What in God's name? Frederic stood there with a neutral expression, listening to the chaos around him. He silently thanked his training and strong nerves for allowing him to maintain his composure.

"I can't believe it! Call the guards!"

"Priests! Calm down." Frederic tried to regain control of the situation, hoping to turn the conversation to his advantage. But before he could continue, another shout interrupted him. "Calm down?! The entire city has been living in fear because of him for days! I can't believe you protected this evil!"

At that moment, Frederic finally connected the dots. Wait, so the criminal the entire city is searching for is him? But how... No, he must have known too, but then, why? What made him protect Robert instead of alerting the guards? The image of Julius the high priest flashed in his mind.

"We must torture him for days! And after that, hang him in front of the entire city!"

"We should burn him instead!"

"Wait, let's not jump to conclusions. He'll be here, and then we'll get the truth." Hecker, the priest who had spoken with Rafael about distillation, tried to approach the situation more calmly. He was the most sympathetic towards Rafael.

"Are you actually saying what I think you're saying?" The priest who had first shouted, still shaken, glared at Hecker. "I don't care what happens to that man! The real problem here is that Baron Frederic protected him!" another priest accused, pointing at Frederic.

"This is a misunderstanding. I swear on my life that I didn't know he was the criminal, and of course, I didn't protect him." The situation was spiraling out of control, and Frederic knew he needed to clear his name quickly.

"Did you just swear on your life?"

"Yes." This declaration seemed to calm the priests somewhat, though some still eyed him with suspicion. A knock at the door drew their attention. The door opened, and Cleric Aaran entered, followed by another cleric and a soldier.

Meanwhile, Rafael, after leaving the mansion, went to the kitchen to grab some fruit before heading to the small church to clean it. After some time, when the place was almost entirely spotless, two men approached him.

"Good afternoon, Cleric Robert. The priests have something important to discuss with you. They're waiting in the clerics' chambers in the mansion."

Wow, has Frederic already spoken to them? He's fast.

"Let's go." He became slightly alert when he noticed the soldier accompanying them. Why is there a soldier with us?

They walked toward the mansion, passing several rooms and corridors until they finally reached the chambers. Rafael saw a servant and another soldier standing by the door. "What's going on?"

He received no answer. Aaran opened the door and walked in, with Rafael hesitating briefly before following.

Frederic is here? Maybe they're discussing the punishment. This was his thought before he noticed the expressions on the priests' faces. Only two of them looked neutral; the others were clearly displeased. One of them commanded him to sit in the chair.

"Cleric Robert, do you swear in the name of God to speak the truth, and only the truth?"

"Yes." Rafael felt a sense of foreboding. The baron stood beside the table, observing.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Robert."

"Have you killed a person?"

"No."

"Liar!"

Fuck, fuck, fuck! They found out! Rafael began to panic.

"The criminal, heretic, and traitor we've been searching for is you!"

"Brother priest, let's not accuse anyone without proof," Hecker intervened.

"Hmph! Take off your robe." The command was issued, and everyone in the room stared at Rafael. Calm down. There are only two soldiers in here, plus the one outside. I can't use the windows to escape...

Rafael quickly assessed the situation and noted the swords the soldiers carried. It'll hurt a lot, but at least I won't be cut open. Still, my chances aren't good. There's no way I'll make it past the gates.

"What are you waiting for? Obey the priest." Aaran's voice was eager, hoping his accusation would be proven true.

"I'm no criminal!" Rafael snapped, "The Father, Creator of everything, chose me to spread His knowledge! During my pilgrimage to this city, a fool and heretic, tempted by the devil, attacked me!" He stood up from the chair.