Herald of Steel

"That girl… she looks very much like me!"

At one point during the party, Lady Nanazin took the time to suddenly approach Alexander and chime this next to his ears while pointing at the young girl accompanying Lord John.

Alexander recognized her as the man's wife,

"Hmmm? Why do you say so?" So sensing the bitterness hidden within the words, Alexander decided to engage the lady.

This was the first time she had initiated a conversation after their little row.

"She…. just feels like it. The way she is dressed… feels very similar to how I would dress." Lady Nanazin spoke in a lightly ethereal tone as if she was imagining herself being back at the palace. Enjoy new chapters from empire

Alexander could not help but give a second glance at the lady in question after this was pointed out.

And now that he looked, indeed he found the high collared, full sleeved gown seemed a bit too much.

It was already starting to warm up and many of the ladies attending other ladies wore much more low cut and half sleeved, thinner clothes.

As for it being a personal choice, well Alexander highly doubted that given the thick trails of sweat he could see dripping down the young lady's ears and cheeks and how she frequently tried to air herself by fanning her palms without appearing too inelegant.

She looked visibly very frustrated.

This made Alexander quickly suspect the heavy clothes were worn to hide something much more sinister.

And recalling what he had seen with Lady Nanazin, the conclusion very much rubbed him the wrong way.

This was a young girl hardly twelve or thirteen years and already made pregnant, yet she had to suffer like so.

Alexander swiftly recalled how most people drooled at the thought of being able to work in their respective lord's manor but never thought of the downsides.

They only saw the honor of having access to the place which held life and death over them, where the pay was usually quite good, and where one got to rub shoulders with god's representative on earth.

And if one of those representatives took a liking to them- well they thought that the sky was the limit.

While in reality, such fairy tales were very small outliers.

Most of them ended with heartbreaking tragedies and betrayals, just as he was seeing now.

It was just that the people chose to overlook them.

Alexander did not know what came over him looking at the tender girl.

It was not like he had not seen child brides before- the sight was in fact a dime a dozen.

But somehow, seeing the girl who should have been at the peak happiness of her life appear so forlorn, made him want to act.

So after seeking a bit of advice from Lady Parthia, he approached both Lord Janus and his eldest son together.

"My lords, I would like to once again extend my appreciation for all the help you have given us. Without it, I might not be standing here, hahaha. You have earned the eternal friendship of Zanzan. Let us toast!"

"And as a way to continue this special relationship, I was thinking of marrying a Tibian princess to you. What say you Lord John?"

"!!!" The sudden out of the blue offer made both father and son widen their eyes in shock, as their mouths went a bit slack.

For 'low' born lords like them, such an offer was considered not only fantastical but borderline absurd.

While disregarding the unnatural reaction, Alexander continued his pitch with a smug tone to his voice,

"Yes. She is the granddaughter of the former king of Tibias. And it seems Lord John has caught her grandmother's eyes. Hehehe, congratulations! So do you agree?"

"We…"

"Of course, of course! It would be my honor! Hahaha, of course, of course."

The elder, much more prudent Lord Janus had wanted to be much more cautious, wanting to weigh the benefits of marrying a powerful lady like Lady Miranda against a princess of a defeated nation.

But his much more impulsive son was instantly blinded by the blink of the word 'princess.' and agreed at a speed that surprised even Alexander.

Alexander was confident the man would accept given what he was told about him- greedy and hankering after status, but the alacrity with which he took it still surprised him.

But seeing the fish take the bait, Alexander was more than happy to reel him in, giving no time for the father to intervene,

"Great! Great! Then as a wedding gift, I will ask Lady Miranda to make you a viscount, and give some of my lands!"

This promise basically cemented the union as a smile soon bloomed on Lord John's face.

It refused to dim even when Alexander made a remake about the princess wanting to be monogamous, as Lord John promptly promised to divorce his current wife.

And when Alexander followed this up with being interested in taking his to be divorced as one of his maids, the man put a slightly difficult face, but ultimately remembering the peerage he was being offered, quickly promised her to him.

"Hahaha, Pandria is indeed quite beautiful my lord. No wonder she caught your eye. As a secret between us men… she is even quite the slut in bed! She even lets you take her in the ass. Hehe, and it is quite good. So please enjoy her to the fullest."

The fact that a man made such vulgar words about his own wife made Alexander almost retch, while the disdain he had for him turned to half anger when the heartless man added with a hearty chuckle,

"Oh also my lord, I have heard Zanzan is a great city. Let the child stay there. Maybe he will learn a few new trades."

Alexander was pretty sure the bastard would not be able to do one good thing about Zanzan if he asked.

Clearly, this was just an excuse to prevent his 'illegitimate' child from interfering with his sweet life with the princess.

But Alexander did not argue.

He got what he wanted and who knows, perhaps it would be a blessing in disguise for the unborn child- not having to grow up with such an uncaring father.

"What is your true intention behind this boy?"

Only Lord Janus could sense Alexander's true feelings behind the matter, which was why taking the pasha to a secluded side, he posed this in a sharp tone,

"My son is an idiot who knows only how to swing a sword. You are not. So there is no way he caught the fancy of a princess. And there is no way he deserves to be a viscount."

It seemed that Lord Janus was well aware of his eldest progeny's shortcomings.

In fact, if he was not his eldest son, Lord Janus would have never let him inherit his land.

"Hahaha," And hearing this frank assessment, Alexander could not help but let out a small guffaw.

He did not know whether to taunt Lord Janus for feeling jealous over his son's advancement or praise him for his keen sight.

Alexander ultimately replied with a small wave of his palms, "Lord Janus, you are thinking too much. This is just my way of compensating you. I understand that you are feeling acrid over me breaking the engagement between Lady Miranda and your son. Take this as my apology!"

"....." Lord Janus suddenly turned a bit flushed at this, his bitter, wary face changing to a much mellower tone before he firmed up his voice, "It's good that you are aware. I will forget it this time."

"Great! Then I also hope to hire some of your sailors for my ships. I want them to teach my men how to properly handle the boats."

"....." It did not take a great genius to figure out this was also one of Alexander's payment demands.

He had not just given out a viscount title out of the guilt in his heart.

And finding he was being led to this kind of shadowy, extortion type play visibly angered Lord Janus, who wanted to immediately lash out.

But remembering who he was dealing with and how keeping a good relationship would help him and his family, Lord Janus gritted his teeth and nodded,

"Fine! I will give a thousand men! They can stay in Zanzan for five years and teach your men the basics."

Learning the ropes of being a good sailor took generations to master, which was why Lord Janus made that last comment.

And he even thought he was quite generous here- not haggling and acquiescing to all that was asked instantly.

Who knew this would be far from enough for the ever greedy Alexander.

He opened his maw like none other and greatly demanded,

"I want three thousand! I have nearly a hundred ships and thirty officers is the bare minimum I can accept. Any less and my rowers will learn nothing. They will also have to stay in Zanzan for ten years. I will pay for everything."

"You greedy…." Lord Janus barely managed to keep the word 'swine' inside as his eyes went red with fury.

For a newly appointed lord like him, ruling over quite an improvised land, these numbers were simply impossible.

He felt like reaping all the deals and simply storming off.

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