Some of the questions from the wise old woman are 1. why is the old woman able to address issues in the village the answer to this is because she possesses their years' worth of knowledge and experience. 2. Why does the young lord choose to spare the mother answer to this is because the elderly person saved the village, deserves respect and honour, and should impart wisdom to others.
More about the wise old woman:
Wise old woman is a gripping Japanese folktale about a ruthless overlord and the elderly mother of a young farmer. If the young lord cannot complete three seemingly impossible tasks, the overlord threatens to demolish the farmer's village.
Hale denounces the proceedings because it is clear that the girls are not telling the truth in their testimony. To denounce something is to explain why you disagree with it.