Aron kept his face carefully neutral, though inside, he felt the pressure mounting. The High Priest was unwavering, as expected, but there was still room to maneuver—he had to make him see reason, or at least convince him that this purge would be more trouble than it was worth.
He took a steady breath and began, his tone respectful yet firm.
"Your Holiness, in the short three months since the settlement was established, something remarkable has taken place." Aron gestured with a slow, deliberate hand. "Many of these unbelievers—men and women who had never before known the grace of the Star—have already seen the light. They have embraced the faith, casting aside their false idols and their empty traditions. And why? Because they were given time. Given the chance to work the land, to build homes, to live under the watchful eye of the faithful, and in that time, the truth of our faith reached them."
