The days following the conquest of Annalise were a heady blur of power. Kenji was no longer just a player in the great game; he was a hidden king, moving his pieces across the board of Aethelgard. His nights were a rotation of passion and strategy, spent with three of the most powerful women in the kingdom, each devoted to him in her own unique way. Genevieve stimulated his mind, Annalise soothed his soul, and Seraphina stoked the fire of his ambition.
But the System's final directive echoed in his mind: It is time to move from conquering hearts to conquering the kingdom.
Individual influence was no longer enough. He needed to unify his power.
He arranged a meeting at the one place in the city that was both perfectly secure and symbolically neutral: Genevieve's private vault in the Royal Cartographer's Guild.
The three women arrived separately, cloaked and unannounced. The tension in the room was a palpable force. Seraphina Valerius, the Queen of Commerce, stood with her arms crossed, her sharp eyes assessing the others as rivals. Duchess Annalise Valois, the Queen of Society, offered a polite but distant smile, her grace a shield. And Genevieve Beaumont, the Queen of Knowledge, fidgeted with a loose scroll, clearly uncomfortable with the overt power dynamics. They were three apex predators forced into the same cage, and Kenji was the one who had locked the door.
"Thank you all for coming," Kenji began, stepping into the center of the room. He was the only man, the focal point of their combined attention. "I know this is... unorthodox. But I have brought you here because this city is facing a threat that affects all of you, and I believe that together, we are the only ones who can stop it."
That got their attention.
"Duke Morcant," Kenji stated, letting the name hang in the air. "With the backing of the Royal Chancellor, he is set to propose a new, crippling 'Salt Tax' to the Royal Council."
Seraphina scoffed. "Morcant is a fool and a leech. The tax will cripple my western trade routes and line his own pockets."
"Worse," Genevieve interjected, her academic fury kindled. "His shipping projections, which he's using to justify the tax, are based on outdated and deliberately misinterpreted charts. It's a lie built on bad science."
Annalise completed the trifecta, her voice cool and cutting. "And it will be socially disastrous. The common folk will suffer, the smaller merchant houses will revolt, and the court will blame the King. Morcant isn't trying to raise funds; he's trying to destabilize the throne and consolidate his own power."
They each saw the threat from their own angle. Now, Kenji would teach them to see it as one.
"Exactly," Kenji said, a predatory smile on his face. "And we are going to dismantle him, piece by piece. But we will do it together, as one."
He turned to Genevieve. "My mind," he said, his voice full of warmth and respect. "I need you to prepare an irrefutable, point-by-point refutation of Morcant's proposal. Expose his flawed data so thoroughly that a child could understand his deception."
He then faced Seraphina. "My fist," he declared, his eyes mirroring her own ruthless glint. "Once Genevieve gives us the proof, I want you to use it. Quietly buy up the debt of his key shipping partners. Show them the proof that his venture is doomed. Create a panic. We will cut off his money before he even knows he's bleeding."
Finally, he turned to Annalise. "My face," he said, his tone softening into one of intimate conspiracy. "When the time is right, you will take the academic proof and the financial panic and you will weave it into a story. A whisper campaign in the halls of power. You will paint Morcant not as a political player, but as an incompetent, grasping fool who nearly ruined the kingdom. You will make him a laughingstock."
The three women stared, not at Kenji, but at each other. The rivalry in their eyes was replaced by a dawning, terrifying realization of their combined power. Genevieve's logic, Seraphina's ruthlessness, and Annalise's influence, all directed by a single, brilliant mind. It was an unstoppable force.
Seraphina was the first to smile, a slow, wolfish grin. "A three-pronged attack. I like it."
"The social humiliation will be the most potent blow," Annalise added, a spark of genuine excitement in her eyes. "He will have no allies left."
"And the entire operation will be based on undeniable truth," Genevieve concluded, her voice firm with conviction.
They were no longer three separate queens. They were a council. His council.
A new, platinum-colored panel, grander than any before, materialized in Kenji's vision.
[Harem Synergy: [The Triumvirate] Activated!]
[You have successfully united your primary harem members into a cohesive, goal-oriented council. All operations involving at least two harem members now receive a massive bonus to success.]
[NEW OBJECTIVE UNLOCKED: KINGDOM CONQUEST]
[Phase 1: Dismantle Rival Factions. (Target: Duke Morcant - 0% Complete)]
[The game has changed. The board is set. Your move, Kingmaker.]