Oh, so you've caught me? Seen through my lies? Thirty years of nothing destroys my memory but one mistake and I've been exposed? I won't let busybody subalterns determine my fate. I've sat here these thirty years out of respect for the Empire and trust in its institutions. If they won't exonerate me, I must take matters into my own hands. The Empire has no use for me, fine. They will come to regret their decision.

Let's discuss something else, then.

I've already said my piece. Why are you bringing him up again?

It's improbable that I've never met someone with that name. One of my soldiers, probably. But not a Vunnis rich enough to own property in Nibenay.

I remember Casik asking me to pick up some letters from a Pontius Vunnis. Casik was always a little paranoid. He'd send me to retrieve personal letters because he didn't want anyone else opening them.

That name is familiar. I remember we hosted Vunnis and his wife a few times. He and Casik were old friends or business partners or something like that.

You've been expelled. I won't discuss anything with you until you join the Imperial Legion again.

So his name was on the land deed you found? Signing a contract with a known daedric doppelganger certainly isn't a good look for Casik. I wish I knew about any further dealings they had, but I can't remember Casik mentioning Vunnis at all when I was his subordinate.

You've been expelled. We have nothing to discuss until you make amends and join the Imperial Legion again.

Glad we ferreted out another one like him.

The connection was suspicious, but I agree that it was tenuous. The Tharnites made a real mess of Imperial recordkeeping. We'd likely never be able to confirm the deed's legitimacy.

So he claims to not have known Vunnis at all? Without any witnesses, it's your word against his. Your word is worth much more, though.

The identities of many daedric doppelgangers are only known in the highest levels of Imperial government. If the general public knew the full extent of daedric replacement, it'd simply cause more unrest.

Vunnis was one of many doppelganger agents exposed after the Simulacrum.