The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 94

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 94】

 

After Asil joined them as well.

 

They sent out the others and closed the tent.

 

From now on, they needed to discuss how to arrest these fraudsters.

 

“From what we’ve confirmed, it seems certain that Temple personnel are involved in this fraud.”

 

To bring an obscure figure called Saint Oplen to an investment briefing, they would need to have relevant knowledge.

 

“The Saint also seems to be connected.”

 

It’s unclear how deeply the Saint was involved.

 

Given the stories about writing blessing texts and testimony about being invited to the investment briefing, she doesn’t seem completely uninvolved.

 

“If we handle this case well, we might be able to remove the Saint from her Deputy Bureau Director position.”

 

Asil looked strangely pleased.

 

“Did you come here calculating even that far?”

 

“How could I like someone who came to throw dirt on a treasure I’ve cherished and protected for three years?”

 

Asil, who showed obsession over anything related to his master, couldn’t tolerate even the smallest flaw in the Special Tax Bureau.

 

“So what are we going to do about those fraudsters? Should we go and beat them up?”

 

Ersen asked while resting his chin on his hand.

 

“To arrest fraudsters, there’s one thing we need to clearly establish.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“‘Intent to deceive.'”

 

If they had committed robbery instead, the solution itself would have been easier.

 

Robbery is evidence and crime in the act itself.

 

However, in the case of fraud, there were ambiguous aspects since it’s a crime that deceives others into voluntarily giving money.

 

It takes time for the deceived person to realize they’ve been deceived, and fraudsters often make excuses saying they ‘had no intent to deceive.’

 

Moreover.

 

“Investment activities are legal, so it’s difficult to definitively call it fraud just because there were losses.”

 

The act of investing capital in places that seem profitable isn’t prohibited by national law either.

 

“So we need to prove that the fraudsters deceived the victims.”

 

For instance, if only the fraudsters knew in advance that Opleng’s prospects weren’t bright.

 

We need to catch evidence that they intentionally concealed or inflated information.

 

Benny asked a question.

 

“But if they sold something worthless at a high price, isn’t that fraud? To put it bluntly, it’s the same as deceiving someone by selling a stone as gold.”

 

“This case isn’t something we can judge so clearly.”

 

Fraud based on future prospects inevitably lies between possibility and uncertainty.

 

“The core of this fraud lies in the fact that victims who actually received building lots become owners of commercial spaces. Since it appears on the surface that transactions were completed, punishment is difficult.”

 

Because of this, not only is the realization of being victimized delayed, but many cases go unreported as people see themselves not as victims but simply as people who ‘bought commercial space expensively.’

 

“But there must be a way, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

The more complex the case, the simpler the approach needed to be.

 

After hearing Rianel’s explanation, Benny frowned.

 

“That… isn’t that too sloppy?”

 

With a little pressure, the fraudsters would come out with evidence on their own?

 

Even trying not to doubt Rianel, the method she proposed was so crude that doubt was inevitable.

 

“The essence of fraud is enjoying profits from illegally accumulated funds. If they judge they’ve been discovered midway, there’s a high possibility they’ll flee with the secured funds.”

 

“There would be much more money they could get from victims, but already? People who set up such an elaborate scheme don’t seem like they’d fall for such tricks.”

 

Benny was still half-doubtful until then.

 

But this thought would be overturned in just two days.

 

‘Were these guys’ brains also made sloppily?’

 

How could they get caught so carelessly?

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile.

 

“A civil servant came down?”

 

Clom, who heard the rumor, stiffened his body.

 

He thought everything was going smoothly, but suddenly a civil servant?

 

“Did they catch wind of something?”

 

Clom’s subordinate Mollen answered.

 

“They said it’s just a tax civil servant?”

 

“Really? Then did they come because of VAT?”

 

Anyway, you have to acknowledge that Empire civil servants handle work quickly.

 

Thinking lightly, his eyes widened when he learned that civil servant was Rianel.

 

“Re, really that woman came? That woman who exposed the Princess Palace corruption? Why would such a famous person come here?”

 

Hearing that the person who exposed the embezzlement case that recently stirred up the Empire was right in front of him, his throat felt constricted.

 

“She might have just come, right? Since the pretext is VAT, let’s watch the situation.”

 

“Th, that must be it, right?”

 

However, before he could feel relieved, the next news was waiting for Clom.

 

“Arman Bank didn’t approve the loan?”

 

“Recently, other banks also seem to be withholding loans.”

 

Originally, banks are the first to smell financial fraud.

 

Clom sat down heavily, pulling at his hair.

 

“We’ve been found out! Damn! To notice this quickly!”

 

However, he couldn’t disappear immediately.

 

That would be like confessing to being a fraudster himself.

 

“What should we do about the investment briefing this afternoon?”

 

“Proceed as scheduled for now.”

 

Since this fraud straddles the line between legal and illegal, even civil servants couldn’t immediately arrest them.

 

“Buy time, secure more investors by today to pull in as much funding as possible. We’re fleeing tonight.”

 

“Is there a reason to rush like that? Wouldn’t it be better to at least build the commercial building before leaving…”

 

Of course, it would be a building constructed with shoddy work, but wouldn’t having even that make it easier to claim to civil servants that it’s ‘not fraud’?

 

“No, she’s not someone we can think of so lightly.”

 

Since he also knew that his cousin, the maid Lina, had been arrested, Clom was anxious.

 

“Whatever excuses we make, if the receiving side dismisses them, that’s it. We don’t know what evidence they’ve secured, so fleeing is right.”

 

“If you say so… well, understood.”

 

The victims transferred cash to them through loans or bank deposits.

 

Clom planned to send those funds to shell companies and slowly siphon them off, but since there was no time now, he decided to proceed with lightning speed.

 

“First, secure as much funding as we can extract.”

 

Their final goal was to exchange the funds and flee abroad.

 

“What’s the gold exchange rate these days? No, just convert as much as possible to gold first.”

 

“Yes, yes!”

 

At Clom’s anxiety, his subordinate also moved urgently.

 

So Mollen paid a large commission to merchants and gathered gold as much as available.

 

‘Now I just need to return to the boss…’

 

Until then, they thought they would be one step ahead.

 

“Stop right there.”

 

“Wha, what, what!”

 

Clom, who came face to face with Rianel’s group, was startled and stuffed the gold bars into his chest.

 

Ersen was impressed.

 

“How did you know they’d be here?”

 

Benny felt the same.

 

‘How did she really know?’

 

It would be believable even if she had been in cahoots with the fraudsters and then betrayed them.

 

Though she knew it was impossible time-wise, it was still that surprising.

 

Mollen was flustered to see Rianel, but soon straightened his shoulders, pretending to be calm.

 

“Wh-what brings you to see me… Ah, if you happen to be interested in our investment briefing this afternoon…”

 

“Stop talking nonsense and hand over the gold you embezzled!”

 

However, when Benny shouted energetically, he immediately cowered.

 

Having already heard that the boss had caught on, and with ‘that woman’ appearing right before his eyes, his wariness reached its peak.

 

‘Should I surrender now? No, no. What ridiculous talk! How much effort did I put into gathering this gold!’

 

It was gold he had obtained by doing all sorts of dirty work under Clom. He didn’t want to hand it over obediently.

 

‘I already have many fraud convictions. Even if I give up here, I’ll just rot in prison.’

 

Mollen drew his sword from his waist, and simultaneously Ersen’s mercenaries took defensive positions to protect him.

 

Mollen glared at them while tensely on guard.

 

Even excluding Asil who had briefly stepped away, Rianel’s side had numerical superiority, so Mollen tried to find an opening while glaring at them.

 

“How did you know I would come here?”

 

Still, he couldn’t hide his curiosity.

 

“Because of the large cash transaction report.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

When the already frightening woman spoke incomprehensible words with an expressionless face, Mollen’s fear reached even greater heights.

 

“Is, is that a magic spell?!”

 

“…It’s a system to prevent money laundering.”

 

Since money laundering starts with large cash withdrawals, all banks in the Empire were required to report cash withdrawals of 1,000 gold or more to upper management.

 

It was a system created during the Former Empress’s time, and it lost its form when she died.

 

But now, given the current situation, she had asked the Arman Bank manager for help, and thanks to that, they were able to quickly notice that he was trying to flee.

 

Mollen’s expression twisted.

 

“That can’t be the right answer for knowing my location! There are so many bank branches in the Empire where you can withdraw cash.”

 

“Well, we ‘roughly’ knew…”

 

Benny hastily covered Rianel’s mouth.

 

Mentioning ‘roughly’ to someone holding a drawn sword was definitely not a good attitude!

 

“We investigated! We worked very hard to predict and track your escape route before we could finally figure it out! I’m a civil servant too!”

 

“I see!”

 

Mollen accepted this explanation.

 

“Then that means no one else besides you knows my location, so if I just eliminate you, I can escape!”

 

Benny regretted it as she watched him charge forward with his sword.

 

‘If I had known this would happen, I should have said we roughly knew!’

 

She had brought trouble upon herself by doing something she normally wouldn’t do.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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