Aiden stepped off the carriage into the palace courtyard as the sun dipped low. Dust from the road still clung to his boots. Servants bowed low, but he waved them off and headed straight for the war room. No feasts, no ceremonies. Just results.
The heavy oak doors shut behind him. He activated Goddess Vision. The room's map table lit up with overlays only he could see. Domain Authority pulsed through the connection, expanding the view north. Red zones marked the rival kingdom's border towns:
corrupt tax collectors skimming too much, neglected noble houses with empty coffers, farmlands gone fallow from poor management. Yellow weak points glowed on specific people.
"Perfect," Aiden muttered.
He summoned the latest seminary graduates—twenty sharp-eyed men and women trained in subtle influence. Each received a custom charm aura tuned by the system.
