Even though he was no longer his father in this life, Aeric was still his father's son, and he had learnt a lot from Mr. Harrison Dagwood. He knew how to get people to agree to do things. He knew how to be deceptive.
First was the deliberate delay. Instead of rushing in and facing a united opposition, Aeric had let the nobles simmer, allowing their frustrations and rivalries to spill out.
This had broken any potential unity against him before he even entered the room.
Doing so, he had then turned his request into an auction. By letting them argue first, he ensured that when he presented his plan, they won't just consider whether to support him — they'll be competing to outbid each other in offering their resources.
But Aeric also knew to understand each family. They all had their own strength, business, and grudge. Even though he had a sliver of an idea before, by letting them voice their grievances first, he had learnt exactly where to press when he made his offer.
