I'm a Immortal Tavernkeeper, But My S-Rank Daughter Doesn't Know That!

"Duque, you may not want to believe this, but my daughter, during her investigations, found unofficial evidence that placed your name as the main suspect in this whole scheme. She gathered clues, testimonies, but couldn’t find any documents linking you directly. So she started planning a sneaky raid on your castle to try and find something in your vault." Victor explained in detail.

At that moment, Victor looked at Steegar.

"In that time, your advisor must have found out that he was being investigated by her and started making moves. He had a lot more influence than she did, so it wasn’t difficult to track her down and he plotted to have my daughter killed before she found any solid leads, because he knew that if Wanda found any clues in the safe, it wouldn’t be against you, Olyno, but against himself. However, his Plan A didn’t work. The assassin he hired failed in her mission. I killed the assassin and now I’m here, in front of all of you, messing up his Plan B, which was to kill everyone far away from your eyes, in the dungeons."

Steegar laughed, but this time nervously. "Hahaha! Again, do you realize how absurd that sounds? Me heading up a human trafficking ring and plotting all this? It even sounds a bit comical, doesn’t it, Your Grace?!"

Olyno still seemed uncertain about the whole thing and more inclined to believe Steegar.

"Duke, I don’t expect you to believe me blindly. However, I have something more important than words. I have evidence that corroborates Miriam’s words and completes Wanda’s investigation. And I think you, Duke Olyno, should see this evidence before you jump to conclusions."

"Evidence?" Steegar stopped laughing and asked in surprise.

"Please, guard..." Victor looked at the soldier on his left, the sub-lieutenant, not Ardann. "Take the papers in the first pocket of my belt."

The man looked at Olyno first, who nodded, and then he took the papers and brought them to the duke.

"There are some records of financial transactions, movements of funds that lead directly to Steegar, from different nobles to him and from him to different names. All their crimes aren’t in there, but there’s evidence of buying and reselling slaves, as well as bribes for castle guards, detectives and hunters." explained Victor. "Since he had to run the city, deal with you and the shady business at the same time, he probably got into the habit of writing down everything, even what he shouldn’t have. Your advisor just forgot to hide the records better."

Olyno examined the papers seriously, his eyes running over the rows of numbers and words. "This is serious... If what you say is true, then Steegar has betrayed not only the people’s trust, but mine too."

Steegar, now visibly shaken, tried desperately to argue:

"That’s a mistake! Those documents must have been forged!"

"If there is still any doubt, duke, please ask some of your men to go to the counselor’s office and search the shelves to the right of the entrance. There is a secret passage which, via a staircase, leads to a hiding place where he not only hides the evidence of these crimes, but also, with his own hands, practices black alchemy."

Upon hearing this, a sigh echoed throughout the throne room, but Olyno refused to look at Steegar. On the other hand, he looked at his guards and said:

"Guards, I want you to check that what this man says is true. Go to the counselor’s office."

"Sir..." Steegar put both hands together and tried to approach Olyno to talk, but he raised an arm and an ice stake formed in the air, frightening the old counselor.

"Don’t come near me... Human trafficking, black alchemy... If all this is really true..."

Finally, after a wait that seemed like an eternity, the guards returned carrying piles of documents and parchments. Their expressions were serious, indicating that they had found something significant. Olyno raised an eyebrow as the guards laid the documents at his feet. There were piles and piles of documents.

The financial records, the movements of funds, the names of those involved in illegal transactions began to be scrutinized by the duke. Olyno may not have been a genius, but he could read and many of the documents were written in Steegar’s handwriting and bore the official seal of the kingdom. His eyes roamed over the lines, his hands pointing to the numbers and words that confirmed Victor’s accusations.

A few minutes later, men carrying vials of monsters and Steegar’s personal assistant, Elena, arrived and she told them everything she knew and what she saw.

"That can’t be true!" protested Steegar, his voice wavering between denial and resignation. "I admit that some transactions may seem suspicious, but it was all done in the name of the city’s progress, of caring for our people! The human guinea pigs were volunteers, people who agreed to help in the search for cures for terrible diseases!"

Olyno looked up from the documents, staring at Steegar with an expression of disappointment and sadness. "You dare call those people who were bought to serve as guinea pigs in your experiments volunteers? For a start, do you think it’s justifiable to create medicines using such questionable methods, putting innocent lives at risk?"

Steegar, realizing that his attempts to defend himself were in vain, changed tactics. "The trade deals I’ve made have strengthened our economy. Your political enemies have been neutralized thanks to the information I obtained through these contacts, Olyno. You can’t ignore the positive side of my actions!"

Olyno sighed, feeling the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. "Good deeds do not justify the cruel and illegal means you used, Steegar. You abused your position, you betrayed my trust. Just imagine if all this had been discovered during the Royal Selection... I could not only lose the chance to be King, but also my title as Duke! Do you realize the gravity of your actions?"

Faced with such evidence, Steegar had no more arguments. He bowed his head in resignation, defeated not only by the material evidence, but by the betrayal of his own unbridled ambition. Olyno, with a mixture of regret and determination, pronounced his sentence:

"Steegar, as duke of this city and guardian of its people, I strip you of all titles, honors and privileges. You will be taken into custody to await trial for your crimes!

Olyno rose from his throne, his eyes reflecting the seriousness of his words, and the guards approached Steegar, who offered no resistance.

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