Maghda has strongly suggested not going for the most dangerous of them all, has said-without-saying that she's really expecting Frederick to benefit from the healing of either the Light of Summer or Adira's magic healing, and that she's trying to keep the waters safe from any major other dangers in Keelhauling. She had explicitly refused to try and tear out the treasury of Ostland, and instead has offered up an opportunity with things that are far more in line with the actual faith, as in 'sacrificing storied ships to Manann are consistently a well-favored sacrifice' as per canon materials, while knowing that doing so is in fact exceedingly cheaper for Ostland's treasury in the long run rather than the insane fines being demanded by others in the Cult. She has explicitly stated she doesn't want this to get into a fight between the Cult and Ostland, and wants this to be concluded swiftly so that the angrier and most violent elements of the Cult quiet the hell down with Frederick definitely still alive and capable of acting and doing things at the end. She did not yell at Frederick out in the open, in front of everyone, and she deliberately sent her bodyguards away so that no one would see the two of them rather casually and frankly discussing matters, accepting the failures of her predecessor and the Cult while frankly pointing out that every Cult has had problems - and that she's still working hard to solve hers. She has ruled out the other methods of Penance that Frederick quite simply could not do, and has come damn near close to outright saying 'hey, man, let's try to keep you as safe as possible and not dead, huh?' without actually saying it.
It could be because I'm the one writing it, author blindness is a thing. But acting like she's demanding Frederick bend over while she pegs him with a narwhal horn strap-on instead of trying to be as straightforward and swift as possible about this matter so that the faithful of Ostland can be reassured so as to bring no harm to Ostland's economy and people, the mobs of Marienburg placated so they won't bother Frederick anymore, and Frederick able to continue on with his life without having to deal with any of this again, possibly even gain an ally against House Rutger while within Marienburg though she doesn't yet know that Frederick is an enemy of House Rutger, I just...I don't see it. I really don't.
