Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 123

Chapter 123: Sloppy job Chapter 123: Sloppy job Marthio reached for the silver pitcher on the table, his hand steady as he poured himself a generous cup of wine.

The rich, dark liquid swirled inside the goblet as he filled it, the silence between them growing heavier.

He didn’t look at Valeria as he leaned back into his chair, bringing the cup to his lips and taking a long, slow sip.

The bitter taste lingered on his tongue, much like the bitterness in his heart.

“I had hoped,” Marthio began, his voice cold and deliberate, “that for once, you wouldn’t disappoint me.

That you would put aside your petty desires and actually work for the good of our house.” His green eyes flickered toward her, sharp and piercing.

“But I was wrong.” Valeria’s lips parted, her heart racing.

“Father, I-” Marthio slammed the cup down on the table with a force that silenced her immediately.

“No.” His tone was absolute, “I trusted you to guide Mesha and further our interest.

And instead, you’ve turned it into a disaster.

You’ve made a mockery of our name.” Valeria opened her mouth to defend herself, her thoughts racing for something, anything that could lessen the blow.

“I was only trying to-” “I don’t care what you were trying to do!You’ve failed.

You’ve failed as a mother, you’ve failed as a ruler, and most of all, you’ve just failed.There is no side you can watch this and think she did a good job on that or she did not fail miserably here…” The words hit her like a slap.

Her eyes widened, and for a brief moment, she felt as though the floor beneath her might collapse.

“You will step down from the regency,” Marthio commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“Immediately.” Valeria’s breath caught in her throat.

She wanted to protest, to cling to what little power she still had, but Marthio’s expression left no doubt in her mind.

His decision was final, and she was powerless to stop it.

Her father, towering above her like an immovable force, had stripped her of everything in a single stroke.

Valeria stood abruptly, her hands clenching at her sides mustering the strenght she lacked when she was a child.

“No,” she said, her voice tight with emotion.

“I will not step down.” Marthio, for once, didn’t respond with immediate fury.

Instead, his brows lifted in mild surprise.

He leaned back further in his chair, his green eyes narrowing slightly as he regarded her, more curious than angry.

“Excuse me?” His voice was soft, almost a whisper.

“I did not fail!” Valeria shot back, her voice growing louder, her frustration boiling over.

“I put our blood on the imperial throne!

I secured our legacy.

You were off in your territories, managing your trade routes and armies, but it was me-I was the one here, in the capital.

I made sure Mesha ascended.

You talk about disappointment, but you don’t understand the pressure I was under, the decisions I had to make.” Marthio said nothing, simply raising his cup and taking another slow sip of wine.

His silence only spurred her on, the lack of response making her feel as though she was battling not just his judgment, but a ghost of indifference.

“I made the southern nobles swear fealty to your grandson,” she continued, her voice trembling as she tried to hold onto her composure.

“The entire southern block, loyal to Mesha, to our house!

That wasn’t you-it was me!

While you were mustering your armies, while you were handling trade and grain, I was here, holding everything together, organizing the defenses, ensuring that we wouldn’t lose the capital to the factions circling us like vultures.” Marthio remained completely still, his cup resting against his lips, his cold green eyes fixed on her.

He let her rant, let her anger pour out.

It was as though every word she spoke only further deepened his quiet detachment.

His silence was unnerving, but Valeria could feel the pent-up frustration pushing her forward, her voice shaking with both pride and desperation.

“I’ve kept this empire together in your absence,” she declared, her tone thick with bitterness.

“I did what I had to, for the sake of our house.

For you and Mesha.

I did not fail.” Marthio finally spoke, his voice low but laden with disappointment.

“If that is what you truly think, Valeria, then I have failed far more than I ever imagined.” He paused, taking another measured sip of wine, and let out a deep sigh.

His gaze was fixed on her.

“That little achievement of yours,” he continued, his tone now laced with contempt, “the one you boast about as if it were some grand feat-any fool could have done the same, even a damn mongrel.

Mesha was the only imperial prince left in the capital, and you had control of the imperial coffers.

The guards, as we both know, are loyal only to whoever holds the purse strings.

In this case, it was you.” Valeria flinched slightly but remained standing, her fists clenched, listening as her father’s harsh words cut through her.

“You had the capital, the imperial prince, and the loyalty of the military at your command, and yet, instead of ruling with strength, you negotiated with the nobles.” His voice dripped with disdain.

“You could have simply bribed the strongest with land and privilages or arrested them if they refused to pay homage to Mesha.

Instead, you lowered yourself, coming down from your high point and allowing that ‘foolish’ council to reestablish itself.

You handed them power that was once ours-power that would have belonged now to our house, Valeria.” Valeria’s lips parted, but she found herself unable to immediately respond, her mind racing as she tried to keep up with the torrent of accusations.

Marthio leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing further.

“Do you know,” he continued, “that the council you so graciously reinstated has been dealing with the city’s matters in your name?

They’ve granted trade rights to numerous merchants, rights that were once monopolized by our family.” At this, Valeria’s eyes flashed with disbelief.

“I didn’t allow anything of the sort!” she shot back, her voice rising in frustration.

“I never gave them permission-” Marthio cut her off with a cold, mocking laugh.

“Of course you didn’t.

I’m not surprised you were unaware.

That is precisely one of the powers you handed back to them when you so foolishly reformed that damned council.

The emperor control the military and foreign policy, while the council deals with administration.

That fell in there…” Valeria, trying to regain some footing, lifted her chin and spoke quickly, almost defensively.

“But now you have the army with you, Father.

You can destroy it” Marthio paused mid-drink, his eyes narrowing as he slowly turned his full attention to her.

He placed the cup down carefully “Privileges, Valeria, are only ever given-never taken back.

If we try to rip power from them now, the pass through the Golden Finger will magically open to Mavius.

Do you not see?

The moment we try to close that council, the southern nobles will turn on us.” He leaned back in his chair, the frustration simmering beneath the surface, though he masked it well with a calm, collected facade.

“No, I will have to negotiate.

I’ll come to terms with some of the nobles-bribe a few, threaten others.

I need their support to secure our trading rights, or we risk losing everything we’ve built.” He emptied the rest of his cup, the soft clink of the cup hitting the table punctuating his words. “And your arrest of that bastard boy…that was meaningless.” Valeria, still caught in her defensive stance, scoffed.

“He’s of no matter.” Marthio nodded slightly but his expression was sharp.

“True.

He’s insignificant on his own.

But you’ve made him a problem now.

You had offered pardon to any rebel who switched to our side after the emperor’s fall.

And now, because of you, everyone knows that you’ve imprisoned the bastard of Gratios without cause.How many will trust your words now?” Valeria’s face fell slightly, her bravado crumbling under the weight of her father’s words.

“It was a pointless action, Valeria,” Marthio continued, his tone dropping into the flat, brutal cadence he used when he was truly disappointed.

”And even there the boy escaped” Marthio’s gaze softened as he leaned forward, his voice carrying a note that left no room for debate.

“The matter is settled.

You will step down, and that is the end of it.

Now, leave.” Valeria flinched, a flicker of anger crossing her features as she rose abruptly from her seat.

Her fists clenched at her sides, and for a moment, it looked as though she might argue, but she knew that her father always got what he wanted. Without another word, she turned sharply, her robes swishing against the floor as she stormed out of the room, the door closing behind her with a sharp thud.

Marthio watched her leave, his expression unchanging.

Once she was gone, he let out a quiet scoff, shaking his head slightly in a mixture of disdain.

“Foolish girl,” he muttered under his breath.

With a casual air, he reached for his cup, refilling it with wine before taking a long sip.

His hand moved to the plate in front of him, picking up a piece of sweet cake.  ”Seems like the boy shares my good teeth….”