Vandemir Empire…
The moment Loreno returned, he wasted no time. With a merchant's drive and pride burning in his chest, he began distributing the wine samples across noble districts, offering them as tokens of goodwill and opportunity.
Unfortunately, being a merchant of low standing in the eyes of high-ranking nobles meant doors remained closed. Most didn't even bother uncorking the bottles and some mocked the provincial barrel juice and shooed him away with smug sneers.
Loreno, though humiliated, kept his smile sharp and his head low. He took mental notes of every noble house that turned him away. "One day," he promised himself, "they'll line up and pay tenfold for a sip."
Still, his connections weren't entirely useless. A merchant friend who worked with the wine cellars of Earl Valtor Dravien, a well-known connoisseur and retired warrior, whispered a word on Loreno's behalf.
