Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

There was a heavy pause in the council chamber as Alpheo's words settled over the room like a velvet curtain hiding a theater show, smooth but weighted.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Shahab and Jasmine exchanged a quick glance, wondering if they had interpreted the same sentence in the same way.

Across the table, Jarza shifted in his seat. Asag blinked, caught halfway between nodding and frowning.

The stillness was broken, unexpectedly, by Egil.

"Wait, Alph... you mean this?" he asked, dragging his thumb slowly across his throat in a crude gesture. The meaning was unmistakable—and the reaction immediate.

A collective inhale. Shahab's brows shot up in disbelief.

"By the gods, no, he's not meaning that, you oaf," Shahab snapped, half-turning toward his grandson-in-law. He turned to Alpheo then and in a unsure tone asked ''I believe he is implying that we hold them until they agree to surrender hostages?"

Alpheo, who had looked vaguely amused before, now stared at Shahab in genuine confusion.

"What? Why would I want that either?" Alpheo asked, his tone incredulous. "Did you all really think I gathered the lords of a conquered realm here just to kill or imprison them? Gods, I've spent weeks preparing that spectacle with Lechlian; if I just wanted to kill them, I would have made a butcher at Stiltum of their ranks."

Most of them looked away sheepishly. Jasmine, however, crossed her arms, arching a brow.

"Well, to be fair," she said coolly, "you weren't exactly clear. Your words left... ample room for interpretation, and it's not like you wouldn't be capable of that."

"Fair," Alpheo admitted with a sigh, before drawing himself upright. "So let me clarify so there are no misunderstanding from my ample words. What I meant—what I intend—is to use this moment, when all the major lords are gathered under our roof, to begin dismantling the foundations of any united front they might form.

Not by chains or bloodshed, but by politics."

He breathed in for a bit of air before continuing

"For four years, we've been grinding down the old noble factions. Slowly. Patiently. One switch of allegiance at a time. Every family we pulled into our sphere weakened the opposition. We've all but defanged the original bloc of nobles who resisted the crown's authority."

"But with Herculia's fall," Alpheo continued, his tone measured and clear, "we've inherited more than just land and titles. We've inherited a whole new class of nobles—fresh blood. Landed, proud, ambitious. And if left to themselves, they'll look to the old guard still clinging to their autonomy and will want to mimick that"

He swept his gaze across the room, letting the weight of the point land.

"Think back to our early campaigns, how few supported us in the beginning. How many nobles delayed their tributes, feigned loyalty, or simply hid behind their crumbling walls hoping we'd collapse under our own weight? I see no reason they wouldn't try it again now. So yes, we must act quickly and kill the union at its stem."

Shahab stroked his beard thoughtfully."And what kind of deals are you thinking of? It would have to be something that makes going against the crown unprofitable."

Alpheo's lips curled into a thin, knowing smile."Exactly. And the answer is simple: coin. Commerce."

He stood from his chair and walked slowly around the table.

"With Lechlian gone, so too is the embargo he imposed on our goods. For years, Herculia shut its gates to our soap and cider, punishing merchants with fines and confiscations, while Lechlian himself drank from our barrels in private. Hypocrisy aside, it meant lost revenue and isolated markets. But now?"

He gestured broadly."Now, the gates are open. The whole of Herculia is ours to supply—and the capital, long a merchant's haven, is ripe to reclaim its former glory. During the embargo, many traders fled south to Yarzat, following the Romelian roads and made business elsewhere. But now?We can reverse that tide."

He turned back to his council."What I'm saying is this: we now hold the cake. All of it. And there's a great deal of wealth to be had in slicing it. Yes, we could keep it all for ourselves. But hoarding would only breed resentment, and worse , unity among those left out."

He let the silence build for a moment.

"It's far better to share the feast. Selectively. Offer trading rights, allowing them to buy montly a set amount of our products. We will divide the new market in areas, and divide those areas with the strongest noble houses.There will be coin involved, much less that we'd make, but enough to be profitable for the high lords.

And If rebelling means burning their own coffers, then they'll think twice. Maybe thrice before committing on it."

A few quiet nods followed. Jasmine leaned back in her chair, eyes narrowing in interest.

"So we bribe them with wealth, make them complicit in their own submission?"

"Not bribe," Alpheo corrected with a measured smile, "we invite them into prosperity, on our terms. And once they've tasted the gold flowing through our roads, they'll defend those roads as fiercely as we do. Because when we're their only source of those products, they won't dare bite the hand that feeds them. They'll cling to it."

A quiet nod of agreement circled the room. The idea had settled well.

Asag, ever the voice of pragmatic concern, leaned forward."But will there be enough to go around? Enough wealth to satisfy all of them?"

Alpheo shook his head."No. And we will have to make do by such design." He folded his hands behind his back, pacing slowly as he liked to walk when talking.

"We'll offer privileges only to the strongest among them, the most influential high lords. The rest will be left outside the circle of favor. And when envy turns to resentment, those lesser lords may begin to grumble, may even think of joining hands in defiance…" He paused, then looked each of them in the eye.

Divide et Impera, the basis of any military stratagem.

"But a rebellion of weaklings is no rebellion at all. We'll divide them before they even think of uniting. If the strongest stay loyal for profit's sake, then the weakest will stand alone, easy to isolate, easy to crush, if need be."

He let that sit for a moment, then glanced around the room.

"Does anyone object? Any doubts? Counterpoints? ''

The room was still. Not a word. Not a raised hand.

"Good." Alpheo gave a short nod. "Then let us proceed."

He stepped back toward the head of the table, laying a new parchment before him.

"Let's review our expenditures for the year, then. With a treasury holding ninety-three thousand silverii, and a healthy balance expected from both the Herculeian tribute and the opening of new trade routes, we have flexibility. But not extravagance.

Still our situation has never looked better.

I believe the first expenditure we should be making is regarding funds to reconstruct the area damaged by the war, which includes Herculia itself , as if it is to take back his position as a trade center than it must looks the part.

Still at least with the destruction of property, we now have a lot of space for new constructions, but that will be for the future. For now we will pay to reconstruct the homes destroyed and give grain seeds for farmers displaced during Egil's raid.

I'm thinking we start with an investment of twenty-five thousand silverii," Alpheo said, calm and confident as if he was speaking of peanuts and not half the income of an average prince "And we'll expand the amount later, if the need arises."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Shahab."Twenty-five thousand?" he repeated, eyes widening. "Isn't that excessive? The people can rebuild their homes themselves for free, they just need some woods and nails , and those are pretty cheap. And seeds? Grain? That's hardly worth a fraction of that sum."

"I must agree," Jarza chimed in. "That kind of coin could strengthen the army, improve our cavalry.'' Egil's ears perked up at that in interest '' There are better uses for it than to build homes for people that few weeks ago were enemies of ours...."

Alpheo raised a hand, not in dismissal, but in patience.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding," he said, evenly. "This isn't charity. It's not coin tossed into the wind. This is investment in stability and in productivity.''

Noticing he had their attention he continued

"Let's not forget, under Lechlian's reign, Herculia was a prosperous land.

That prosperity only collapsed during the last four years of mismanagement and of course, some foreign intervention'' he coughed'' What I'm proposing isn't throwing money away; it's restarting the engine of wealth that already existed, and positioning ourselves as its irreplaceable axle around which the economy rotates."

He turned to face the room fully.

"Right now, we have a full treasury. Strong borders. Neighbors who will not move against us in the short term. There will never be a better time than now to make bold use of our wealth. Because wealth is not meant to be hoarded—it is meant to be used, to work, to grow.

I will, of course, preserve a strategic reserve for emergencies, but the balance of this year's funds should be spent to strengthen the state at its roots."

A healthy ground after all produces plenty of fruits.

He let the silence sit for just a second, then leaned slightly forward.

"If you still doubt me, I invite you to look at the latest tax records from the crownlands.

Forget trade revenue for a moment, as it will blind your eyes , to the others that are equally positive.

Since my arrival, tax revenue has increased fourfold. Fourfold. Not because we raised the rate, but because we restored circulation. Because we rebuilt roads, supported production, and—yes—spread the coin around."

He looked at each of them in turn.

"That is not loss. That is return. Tangible. Measurable. Undeniably."

One by one, the expressions in the room began to shift. Jarza's furrowed brow relaxed. Shahab crossed his arms, deep in thought. Even Egil gave a slow nod, as if he understood what was being talked about.

Seeing the consensus around the room, Alpheo stood straighter, his gaze scanning the table once more before he spoke.

"Most of this year's budget," he began "will be dedicated to the reconstruction and expansion of the state's infrastructure, roads, canals, storage houses, market squares, and the maintenance of key arteries between our old and new territories."

He gestured subtly toward the opened scrolls in front of him."Not only because the land needs mending, but because these are the bones of any lasting rule. Troops travel faster. Trade flows smoothly. Taxes are easier to collect.

And influence, our most silent weapon, reaches farther."

There were a few nods from the table, cautious but approving.

Alpheo continued."And since this will not be a one-time initiative, but a recurring effort, perhaps one that will define the character of our reign. I believe it is right to add another seat to these councils. Someone with knowledge in this field, who can speak directly on roads, resources, and logistics, and spend their time working on them."

There was a pause before Jasmine arched an eyebrow, folding her hands in front of her, he knew this meant adding a new seat to this council.

"Have you already thought of someone?"

Alpheo nodded once, assuredly.

"I have."