“What do you mean you won’t help us?” Robyn asked. Her arms dropped in defeat at what she was told. She couldn’t believe her ears. Why today of all days? The trial was scheduled to happen in an hour. The team needed all the help they could get, yet this person was unwilling to help. This news couldn’t have come at a worse time.

“While I do wish to help you, a noble cannot directly interfere with a trial that does not involve them. My title means that I must stand aside.” Countess Marisol said with an apologetic expression. She felt bad about that rule, but she couldn’t do anything about it. The king’s rule was absolute. This law was created explicitly to stop nobles from casually pardoning and assisting potential criminals. Breaking that rule could result in the removal of a noble title and facing the same guilty charges as the person they helped. Even in a world where nobles had great power, this team couldn’t catch a break.

“Don’t worry. I’m still here. Damian will be present as well. Plus, Lady Marisol can help through preparations and even pay the fee if we lose.” Rose said with a smile. Thanks to the aforementioned law, Marisol was only allowed to offer advice and recommend personnel. Rose and Damian were ready to act as witnesses, but they needed some more time to prepare for any question that the accusatory baron could ask. While reflecting on all these parties in play, it wasn’t hard to miss the bigger picture.

“There’s a lot of major players in a simple trial over magical negligence and property damages,” Xander commented. No one could deny that fact. Rose was the hero of the city. Damian was a famous huntsman. Marisol was a countess. The first two were expected. They personally knew the team and could vouch for their feats. The countess and baron, however, were unexpected additions. Neither knew of the team before the week. Most of all, neither had a reason to get involved. Everyone could have gone their separate ways and ignored each other, but there was an issue with that.

“That would be true if you were not the ones that defeated Pride. The public is watching very closely as to how you four are treated.” Marisol said. Everything that happened from this point on was for the preservation of reputation. Public opinion meant everything to a noble. It could be the defining factor between a prosperous nation and a full-blown revolution. At the moment, the baron was falling behind on popularity. His city had been attacked by two separate sins, leaving the people to feel uneasy about their lord’s qualifications. He needed to regain control before another noble stepped in to dethrone him.

“The baron even demanded that we make the trial open to the public. He wants everything to be handled near the central market.” Rose said. It was obvious what was happening. He needed to garner the attention of the masses. Even if they were relatively ignored, word would spread about what happened. Once people heard about what was happening, they’d flock to the trial en masse.

“Guessing the southern plaza is too low income for his golden rear?” Rex asked with a low voice. The city had four plazas in each of the cardinal directions with a large market square at the center. Most of the population was located in these areas with the southern plaza harboring a significant surplus. The smaller buildings held more people for cheaper prices, but they weren’t as lavish as the ones in the northern districts.

“He probably wants to avoid that area since it’s where we’re from and full of adventurers,” Nicholas said. It was obvious why the trial was being held where it was. The central market had the largest amount of people, besides the southern district, and they were from all walks of life. Skewing towards any of the cardinal directions risked bias. Neither party was willing to risk that, so the team accepted the baron’s terms.

“Precisely. The good baron will try to ruin your name to win over the public. That way, he can demand the court find you guilty with little repercussions.” Marisol said with a grim expression. The plan was nefarious, but it was the most logical. Someone needed to pay for the damages done by Robyn’s recent widespread animal attraction. If the baron could pin the blame on her team, he could avoid paying for the damages himself. All of the fees would go to them, he’d win public favor, and the team wouldn’t retain attention from higher nobles potentially wanting to hire them. It was an absolute win.

“We can already assume the judge is in his pocket, so let’s try not to let the public dislike you,” Rose said with a smile. She tried to deliver the news gently, but the team’s spirit was immediately diminished despite the attempt. Sure, direct interference in a trial is against the law, but that was only if a person could prove it. Baron and judges often worked together to establish laws in a land, so it wasn’t hard to see where an intimate relationship could exist.

“Oh for fu-” Rex tried to say. He realized how one-sided the trial could easily become. Unfortunately, that information was a secret until now, and guests had arrived. A knock at the door rang through the room. The countess granted permission to enter, and two guards appeared.

“Countess Marisol, your presence is requested in today’s trial. Unnamed team, we have been assigned to guide you there.” Guardsman Oliver said. He pointed to the team, who prepared to depart. One final nod was given, and everyone steeled themselves for what was about to come.