Nikolai sat alone, the mist of smoke flowing from his mouth with a puff of the expensive cigars he found in the cabinet. His mind ached from how much he read and planned without sleeping, but this was something he must complete.
"I don't want a huge council."
This thought became the main reason he wanted to research more. 'With Twelve clans managed by just me, it won't work forever.' He noticed that even his grandfather and the previous patriarch before that suffered two betrayals. 'No matter how good they were to the vassals, there was no way to keep everyone happy.'
"But it's not like I can just change everything." With a sigh, he flicked the spent cigar into the ashtray and leaned back on his chair, holding up the people he wanted to recruit. Not just for the council but for his elite force, which he would help reach the Great Elder in the fastest possible time.
He didn't know if it would work, but there was someone he needed to meet.
'Let's go, he should still be awake.'
