Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 127: A prince's ransom(1)

As the negotiations came to finally start, Sorza was led toward the door by one of the guards. His gaze, however, never left Alpheo. The simmering resentment in Sorza's eyes was unmistakable—a deep, festering anger at the man. Alpheo, standing relaxed by Jasmine's side, met Sorza's stare without flinching.

Rather than showing any sign of discomfort, he offered a small, infuriating smile. It was calm, almost amused, as if the whole situation was nothing more than a game to him. 

As Sorza stepped out of the room, the door closing softly behind him, everybody stopped as they stared at the young man in question

Jasmine sighed deeply, her patience clearly thinning. "I apologize for his behavior, Sir Marwoit," she said, casting a frustrated glance at Alpheo. "He can be… blunt, but I assure you he means no disrespect."

Sir Marwoit's eyes narrowed, his voice sharp with offense. "In our court, such insolence would never be tolerated. A man who speaks out of turn to a royal would have his tongue removed for such an affront."

Alpheo, lounging casually, smiled as if the comment amused him. He tilted his head slightly, his tone dripping with condescension. "Well, it's a shame, then, that you don't have men like me in your court. Sounds like you'd be left with a room full of quiet, obedient men... who might fail at the first real test of wit or will."

Sir Marwoit stiffened, his eyes flicking to Jasmine to control who he thought was her errand boy , but Alpheo continued before anyone could respond. "You see, sometimes it's not the tongue that's the problem. It's the people who don't know how to deal with a man who can use it well. A sharper mind and a sharper tongue—those can be worth more than any sword or soldier. But I suppose that's a little too much for some to handle."