Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Bennetsa's Merchant 8
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Kazeros Sophia stepped forward to the center of the courtroom.
She then pulled out a large sheet of paper she had prepared in advance, along with the pen she held in her left hand, and began writing something down.
Her act of writing in the middle of the courtroom without even using a desk.
People's attention naturally began to focus on her.
Her actions, meticulously recording notes while surveying the crowd like an inspector proctoring an exam.
This caused the chaotic courtroom atmosphere to momentarily fall silent...
Recognizing this, Kazeros dropped the pen she held in her left hand to the floor.
And...
"Rippppp!"
"!?"
"Huh?"
Right after, she tore up the paper she had been writing on.
At this, a flicker of surprise crossed people's faces, along with growing curiosity about the reason for her actions.
And...
This series of actions...
Just like the ancient savior who once drew letters on the ground to draw the crowd's scattered attention with a similar 'performance'...
Having successfully gathered all eyes on herself, Kazeros slowly held out a fragment of the torn paper—along with the contract presented as evidence in this trial, specifically the copy owned by Shylock—before the judge.
"Before beginning my defense, Your Honor, I kindly ask you to examine these closely."
"Huh? Uh... yeah... alright."
Feeling a bit flustered by Kazeros's actions, the judge approached the situation with slightly more seriousness than before.
True to his inherently weak-willed and spineless nature, he began inspecting the contract placed before him and the arbitrary writing she had done, just as she requested.
And the moment he saw it... he instinctively recognized one fact.
"...? What's this? Why do the handwriting on the contract and your handwriting look so similar?"
"Yes, Your Honor. It's because I wrote just now with my left hand, the same way the contract form was filled out."
A trick reminiscent of one from a famous classic revenge novel.
Writing with the left hand produces letters that differ from one's normal handwriting while giving a standardized feel.
A common method authors use to disguise their script, and Anton had prepared the contract form this way to reliably conceal the evidence.
Of course, now it had backfired spectacularly, turning into his own undoing.
"I... see? Hmm... There are subtle differences, but they do feel quite similar. But what of it? Even if this form was written left-handed, there's no guarantee it wasn't Shylock or one of his men who did it, right?"
"Yes, but at the very least, it opens the possibility that this wasn't written by someone from Mr. Shylock's side 100%."
"Hmm... Well, that's true, but..."
The judge showed a slight retreat in response to Kazeros's words.
Though this alone couldn't completely overturn the situation, her actions at least served to remind the judge and the spectators that this case wasn't as straightforward as it seemed.
'People are creatures easily swept up by emotions, but at the same time, they overthink even the tiniest sliver of doubt... Just as Sir Santana said.'
Kazeros had succeeded in halting the one-sided flow of the atmosphere, if only for a moment.
It wouldn't last long, of course.
But at least she had bought herself some time and mental breathing room for her defense.
Seizing the opportunity, Kazeros turned to Anton right before her eyes and spoke in a voice laced with a chill.
"Then, pending judgment on that point, allow me, as defense counsel, to ask the victim a few questions."
"...Hmm... M-me? Well, fine. Go ahead."
Sensing the atmosphere veering strangely off-script from what he expected, Anton replied with a hint of bewilderment.
Gazing at him, Kazeros asked in a calm voice.
"The victim claims he had no choice but to sign this contract out of desperate need for money. Is that correct?"
"Y-yes. As a merchant running a trading company, sudden needs for large sums arise often. That's why I had no choice but to borrow from the filthy Jew's terms."
Though slightly shaken, Anton recounted the situation while maintaining his fearful demeanor.
In response to his answer, Kazeros pressed on with more questions.
"In other words... the defendant signed the contract, fully aware of the consequences, in a situation where he had no other choice?"
"Yes. That's right."
Anton nodded clearly as he spoke.
Undeterred, Kazeros continued questioning him in the subtly shifted atmosphere.
"Then, defendant... does that mean you were unaware that the phrase in this contract—'offer my heart if I break the promise'—is a common idiom among the Jews?"
"Id... idiom? Something like that? I have no idea. As a devout church follower from the start, why would I know such evil Jews' idioms?"
"Is that so? But it's surprising... For someone going to borrow money from a Jew to be ignorant of even such a basic expression..."
"Wh-what are you implying?! I tell you again, I've never heard of any such expression!"
Anton responded to Kazeros's question with strong emphasis.
Admitting this would mean conceding Shylock had done nothing wrong, so he desperately denied it.
At that moment...
"Counsel! Are you intimidating the victim right now? The victim is suffering mentally from the pressure inflicted by Shylock. No matter that you're a filthy wench stepping up to defend a heretic, cease this rudeness at once!"
Recognizing signs of the situation worsening, Potion spoke up.
In response, Kazeros slowly nodded as if conceding the point, stepped back from Anton, and addressed the judge and spectators.
"This phrase that sparked this trial—'offer my heart'—is simply a idiomatic expression among Jews meaning to devote one's all to keeping a promise, in the Western sense. It's unreasonable to claim from this alone that defendant Shylock intended to kill the victim."
Common knowledge for anyone who had even lightly studied Jews.
Basing her defense on this, Kazeros tried to vindicate Shylock's actions, but Potion—having anticipated this to some degree—responded immediately in a firm tone.
"No, that's not true. Even if such an expression exists, it's used only among Jews. We church followers can't judge it the same way! This is merely Shylock's cunning trick to hide his crime!"
"Where is your evidence? Proof that this phrase truly means the victim Anton pledged his heart to Shylock?"
"The evidence is right here! Look! The victim's tears, feeling his life threatened by that evil Jew... the holy tears of a faithful believer are proof enough!"
Anton was indeed teary-eyed, looking as if he bore the world's every sorrow.
Since Shylock had taken no physical action regarding this phrase, it was nonsense that wouldn't fly in normal circumstances.
Unfortunately, this courtroom was filled with people inherently prejudiced against Jews and biased toward church followers.
Even if full agreement was hard, no one relished seeing the 'evil' Shylock prevail, so despite the overall mood, sympathies leaned toward Anton.
In this world without presumption of innocence, when things grew ambiguous, rulings followed the atmosphere—and if left like this, the trial would end with Shylock guilty by default.
A faint victorious smile crept onto Potion's lips, and Anton, squeezing out tears, smirked inwardly as well.
At that moment...
"...Understood. In that case... no helping it."
Kazeros spoke in a heavy voice.
Shylock's face—and those of his watching attendants—darkened with deep despair.