Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 400: A man hard to refuse(1)

Lucius couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to sit down with Marcus and enjoy a drink without the weight of a thousand worries pressing down on him. These past months had been a nightmare—every moment a fresh opportunity to die in some horrible, inventive way. At one point, he'd genuinely started checking his hair in the mornings, convinced it would have turned white overnight. The fact that it hadn't felt like a small miracle.@@novelbin@@

But now? Now, life was sweet. The storm was behind him, and for once, the future didn't look like a grim abyss. He was a married man, and to top it off, his wife had recently shared the best news of his life: they were expecting a child. A child! Him—a father. The thought made him laugh .It hadn't been two years since he was destined to die as a slave, instead now look at him!

And if that wasn't enough, he was rich. Rich! A year ago, he'd been scrounging for enough coin to keep his boots patched, and now he had enough money to buy a home—an actual home with proper walls and a roof that didn't leak. Best of all, he hadn't even dented his savings to do it. "

Of course, he was already dreaming big. With all that coin sitting idle, maybe it was time to dip his toes into the world of business. Start a mercantile enterprise, perhaps. Who knew? Maybe he had a knack for trade. Worst case scenario, if the whole thing went belly-up, he'd still have his land and the tidy bonus waiting for him when he retired from the army next year.

Marcus raised his cup high with a grin that could rival the sun itself. "To Lucius! Soon to be a father! May your kid inherit the mother's side!" He turned, bellowing toward the counter where the innkeeperwas polishing a mug. "Oi, old man! Did you hear? Your son-in-law's going to be a father! Drinks should be on the house!"

The innkeeper shot Marcus a glare"Go fuck yourself, Marcus....'' The innkeeper said before resuming cleaning the mug. Apparently he still hadn't forgiven Marcus for the little group beating he had organized against him, and it was clear even during the marriage ceremony he wasn't happy with him being there.