Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 158: Hot topics

The flicker of candlelight bathed the small room in a soft, warm glow along the walls as Jasmine and Alpheo sat across from each other. The faint crackle of the hearth added to the cozy atmosphere, the fire fighting off the cold that pressed against the castle walls.

They sat in plush chairs, their postures relaxed, legs stretched out as they sipped wine from ornate silver goblets.Alpheo swirled his cup idly, eyes fixed on the flames as they flickered and leaped, while Jasmine reclined with one arm resting casually over the chair's armrest.

Alpheo leaned back in his chair, setting his goblet aside as his gaze shifted from the burning fire to Jasmine. The warmth of the room and the ease of their conversation had lowered his guard, and now, curiosity flickered in his eyes .

"So," he began, his voice steady but tinged with interest "did anything worthwhile happen during the month I was away? Any news I should be concerned about?"

Jasmine took a moment, her gaze drifting to the flickering flames before shaking her head lightly. "Nothing pressing," she said with a casual shrug. "The court has been calm, no stirring nobles to deal with for now at least " She paused, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "However, there was one thing—a happy surprise, actually."

Alpheo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? Do tell."

Jasmine leaned forward slightly, her eyes bright with satisfaction as she continued, "It's about the reports from the sale of your products. Well," she continued, "the initial numbers are far better than expected. We're bringing in nearly more than 2,000 coins every month. And that's just from local markets. It doesn't even account for when the products fully penetrate the neighboring princedoms, or—" her eyes gleamed with ambition, "when they reach the markets of the Empire, there we will finally strike gold ."