Chapter 80: The Famous Judgment Of Duke Of Carriers! [2]
"Inspector, please proceed with the interrogation."
"Yes."
After a few formalities, I turned to Corbin Sears.
Typically, the imperial courts and prosecution offices distributed trials randomly.
But this time, it was me beating the drum and the janggu. Moreover, a huge tycoon took the defendant's seat.
Without a hunting dog-level platform, I wouldn't be able to ask proper questions.
But Corbin Sears had been training hard enough.
"Defendant, have you ever mobilized private soldiers within your family to traffic women?"
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about!"
As soon as i hit on a sensitive issue, angry rebuttals erupted.
It's unpleasant enough to be dragged out to this place, and now I'm even asking if he done something like human trafficking.
It seemed like an issue that even a seasoned politician could not control his anger over. However, as expected of a leader of a political party, the Duke of Sierre shook his head firmly.
"I swear on my honor, I have never done that."
A stiffly raised head, an incomprehensible gaze directed at me. I guess the shouting was just an act. The Duke of Sierre's eyes were calm and settled.
'He's sure there's no evidence.'
Of course, he has no reason to engage in human trafficking.
A person who holds everything in his hands except youth. Why would he do something so embarrassing that he'd regret it?
There is no such thing as a perfect secret in this world.
"Are you saying that after seeing this?"
I pulled something out at the perfect time.
There were dozens of pages of documents with dense writing. The Duke of Sierre glared at me as if to tell me not to talk nonsense.
But our hound, Corbin Sears, continued calmly.
"Here is a list of people who received women from the private army of the Duke of Sierre. They are all Sierre nobles. As the leader of the party, do you have anything to say?"
"What the… … ."
That was a remark that hit the nail on the head.
The women kidnapped by the family were only supplied to the relevant noble faction?
What could be more suspicious than this?
The Duke of Sierre was unable to answer properly and was hesitant.
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No matter how much he racked his brain, there was no way to explain it.
Because he probably had no idea that his eldest son was doing such things behind his back. If he had known in advance, he wouldn't have reacted like that.
'I bet he just grabbed it shamelessly.'
But it's already too late for that. Since he reacted like that, it would only be a waste of time to make excuses.
Now the Duke of Corbin Sierre had to make a choice.
Should he pretend to be crazy and embrace Skyler till the end? Or will he just cut off the tail and say it's not related?
'Now you're just biting the vital points well, Corbin Sears.'
I swallowed a pleased smile and stared at the Duke of Sierre.
The expression of deep anguish flashed through his mind only for a moment.
Surprisingly, his face was rather calm. Then he quickly shook his head.
"I don't know. Every name on that list is my colleague. There was no such thing as bribery in the first place."
As expected, he came out as ignorant. In fact, denying it so openly didn't mean much.
Because all of the private soldiers of the Duke of Sierre who had already been mobilized for human trafficking had been arrested. We have also secured both statements and confessions.
But this was a much-needed show.
'They are such big shots, i know.'
I opened my mouth with a big smile. Now it was time to bring the play to a close.
"Defendant."
"Speak."
"Then can you explain why the private soldiers of the Duke of Sierre moved? Surely you, who hold all military power in the family, wouldn't say you didn't know?"
"… … !"
The Duke of Sierre's eyes widened. It was an expression as if what was going to happen had finally come.
A moment of silence followed. Finally, the answer I wanted came out.
"Our family has already begun the process of succession. Most of the authority has already been passed on to the successor."
"So you're saying that Skyler Sierre planned all of this? And why?"
"For my political stability… ."
The Duke of Sierre trailed off.
It seemed he had guessed the consequences of what he had just said.
Because it was an admission of the sins of his children and the tarnishing of the honor of the Sierre aristocracy.
Now Skyler would be ruined by his father's testimony.
I stood up from my seat and looked around the room. Their eyes were all filled with anticipation. If they wished for it so earnestly, I should grant it.
"I hereby pronounce my sentence. Corbin Sierre, who transferred his authority to his successor, is innocent. Therefore, Skyler Sierre, the real culprit, is sentenced to 40 years in prison. In addition, a fine of 5,000 gold is imposed to compensate the victims."
Bam! Bam! Bam!
I swung the gavel more briskly than ever before.
Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I've used this for my own purposes.
I just hit the heads of people and monsters I met. I stood there blankly for a moment, a thought suddenly occurring to me.
Immediately afterward, a tremendous cheer arose and shook the courtroom.
"Wow! Another great decision!"
"His Royal Highness the Duke of Carriers! Long live his Majesty!"
"Hurrah! Hurrah!"
It was the sound of the audience jumping up and down and cheering. But the content is a bit…
'Stop shouting 'Hurrah, Hurrah!' If you do that, you'll end up being beheaded for treason.'
People hugged each other and rejoiced, whether I looked anxious or not.
Those who stood out most were the victims and their families. They shed tears silently.
No matter how prevalent the culture of disregarding life is, everyone has someone precious to them.
How could they not be happy that their family came back safe and sound?
'I don't have to wonder if I made the right choice.'