Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 292: Planning to deal with loose ends

Chapter 292: Planning to deal with loose ends

In the heart of Romelia, the capital of the Empire, the grandeur of the imperial palace loomed over the bustling city. Inside its gilded halls, Lord Lisidor, patriarch of House Veritia, sat in a stately chamber, nursing a goblet of crisp apple cider. Across from him, the regent of the Empire, Marthio of House Achea, reclined in his high-backed chair.

Lord Lisidor's gaze drifted down to the pale amber liquid in his cup, its faint sparkle catching the light streaming through the tall, arched windows. The cider was cool on his lips, sweet and tart, a drink that had become the toast of noble gatherings across the Empire. He swirled the goblet absently, reflecting on the significance of this unassuming beverage.

In recent months, the imperial family had taken the lead in distributing two wonders from the distant southern reaches: the luxurious soap that left skin smooth and fragrant, and the cider that now rested in his cup. From the moment these goods entered the Empire's markets, they had been an overwhelming success, consumed voraciously by the nobility. Their popularity had swiftly turned them into a cornerstone of the imperial economy.

Thanks to the remarkable profits from these commodities, the Empire's coffers had swelled. Where fiscal disaster once loomed in the aftermath of the civil war, drastic measures to cut expenditure had been avoided entirely. It was a lifeline that would not have been possible without the resourcefulness of the regent's son, Keval Achea. His ingenuity in securing and marketing these southern goods before they gain popularity in the Imperial market had been the thing that allowed the ship to stay afloat.

Many noble houses across the Empire, eager to partake in the lucrative trade of soap and cider, had scrambled to gain their own foothold in the market. Envoys were dispatched southward, bearing offers of gold and alliances to the Princess of Yarzat, hoping to bypass the imperial monopoly. Yet every attempt was met with polite but unwavering refusal. The princess, bound by the treaty she had signed with the ruling imperial house, remained steadfast in her agreement: the goods would be supplied exclusively to the Empire's ruling family.