Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 208: The man behind the machine

Chapter 208: The man behind the machine

It was as busy a day as any other. While men clashed and bled in the mud, where warriors found either their calling or their end, far behind the battle lines, a single man toiled tirelessly to keep the machinery of the empire running.

At a worn wooden desk sat Keval, his fiery red hair catching the dim light in the room's quiet space. One hand held a parchment, eyes scanning the dense lines of text, while his other hand moved swiftly across another page, recording orders, approving requests, and denying others .

Keval worked with an intensity that was almost fierce, his brow knit in concentration as he oversaw every detail, every missive, every decision that kept the empire steady, even amidst the chaos of war

As if managing the empire's affairs wasn't taxing enough, Keval also found himself contending with the relentless interruptions of his sister, Valeria, who seemed to find a new reason each day to barge into his workspace, demanding favors or special permissions. She would arrive with a determined stride and an unyielding list of requests, piling yet more chaos onto his already staggering workload.

After enduring several days of her persistence, Keval finally reached his limit. He had ordered his guards to stop letting her in altogether, instructing them to tell Valeria he was either unwell or simply not in his chambers.