Building The Strongest Family

Arthur exhaled deeply, rolling his shoulders as if shedding an invisible burden.

He turned to face the group fully, his expression serious. "It's time."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, swirling his drink lazily. "Time for what, exactly? Because if this is about that yacht you've been eyeing, I'm vetoing the gold trim,tacky."

Arthur didn't smile. "Time for the Noctis Continent."

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Gunnar crossed his arms, his scarred face unreadable. Vex's fingers stilled over his wrist comm. Even Ethan's smirk faded slightly.

Letting the weight of his words linger in the air, Arthur continued, "Varenya was just the first piece. Now we take the rest."

Ethan was quick to recover, leaning forward with elbows on the table and sharp eyes locked onto Arthur's. "You're not satisfied with just one country?"

Arthur's lips curled into a slight smirk. "No."

Vex frowned. "The Noctis continent has over one hundred and thirty sovereign states! Even if sixty percent are at war, that's..."

"Eighty opportunities," Arthur interjected smoothly. "Eighty Varenyas waiting to happen."

Gunnar's voice rumbled lowly. "You want to replicate the Dravik playbook."

Arthur nodded once in agreement. "Exactly."

Ethan let out a slow whistle of realization. "So what? We just pick the next warzone, find some warlord with delusions of grandeur, and prop him up?"

"Not just any warlord," Arthur corrected firmly. "The right ones, the ones who can win but only with our help."

He tapped the table, and a holographic display flickered to life, a map of Noctis filled with red markers blooming across the continent like open wounds: active warzones, rebellions, failing states.

Arthur zoomed in on one marker:

"Kharzin."

The image resolved into a desert nation where oil fields blazed under artillery fire.

"Currently in its seventh year of civil war," he explained calmly. "The sitting government is weak and corrupt; they're running out of money while fractured rebel factions gain ground."

Ethan's eyes gleamed with interest. "And let me guess, you've already picked your horse?"

Arthur smirked again. "Colonel Vassik, former special forces and popular with the troops; pragmatic enough to take a deal."

Vex's cybernetic eye flickered as he scanned through data rapidly. "He's currently losing."

"Because he lacks resources," Arthur replied confidently. "We fix that."

Gunnar grunted thoughtfully. "And when he wins?"

"Then Kharzin becomes another Varenya," Arthur stated simply..."our refineries, our ports… our soldiers."

Ethan chuckled, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "And what if he gets… ungrateful?"

Arthur's expression darkened, the weight of his words heavy in the air. "Then we remind him what happened to the last man who forgot who put him in power."

A tense silence enveloped the room as Arthur shifted his focus to the next marker on their digital map.

"Sylvaris."

The hologram flickered and transformed into a coastal nation, its capital besieged by separatists.

"Their parliament is crumbling," Arthur continued, his voice steady and commanding. "The military is divided. Perfect conditions for a coup."

Vex frowned, concern etching his features. "But Sylvaris has strong ties to the Aurelian Federation. If we move openly..."

"We don't," Arthur interjected sharply. "We let their own people do it. We just… guide the knife."

Ethan grinned widely, excitement bubbling within him. "Ah! My favorite kind of diplomacy!"

Arthur pressed on, highlighting nation after nation:

Maldros (Oil-rich and currently under sanctions, ripe for regime change)

The Iron Pact (Mercenary coalition,buyable with the right contracts)

Eastern Kholod (Famine-stricken,easy to manipulate through aid)

By the time he finished, the entire map pulsed ominously red,a continent waiting to be carved up like a feast at a banquet.

Gunnar finally broke the silence, his voice gravelly yet resolute. "This isn't just expansion; this is conquest."

Arthur met Gunnar's gaze head-on. "It's inevitability."

Ethan stretched lazily, cracking his neck with a smirk. "Alright then! So we've got the vision,now how do we make it happen?"

With a decisive tap on the table, Arthur summoned another set of files,black budgets, shell corporations, encrypted communication channels all materialized before them.

"Phase One: Identify Assets."

Vex's fingers danced over the interface as he pulled up dossiers filled with crucial intel. "We'll need boots on the ground,local contacts who can whisper in all the right ears."

"Already in motion," Arthur replied confidently. "Aegis teams are embedded in six priority zones; more will follow suit."

Ethan whistled appreciatively. "I see you've been busy, Boss!"

Ignoring Ethan's comment, Arthur pressed forward: "Phase Two: Resource Allocation."

Gunnar grunted affirmatively. "Weapons? Vehicles? Cash?"

"And legitimacy," Arthur added firmly. "Media control and propaganda, we shape the narrative before any shots are fired."

Vex nodded vigorously. "I can have our networks prepped within days!"

Arthur turned to Ethan, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Phase Three: Deniable Operations."

Ethan's grin transformed into something predatory. "Ah, the fun part!"

"Think false flags, assassinations, economic sabotage," Arthur enumerated, his tone steady and deliberate. "We ensure our candidates are the only viable options left."

Gunnar crossed his arms, skepticism etched on his face. "And what happens when the other powers catch wind of this? The Aurelians? The Consortium?"

Arthur's smile was as cold as steel. "By the time they figure it out, it'll be far too late."

A thick silence enveloped them for a moment. Then Ethan leaned back in his chair, swirling his bourbon thoughtfully. "Just to clarify, you're talking about taking over an entire continent?"

Arthur didn't flinch. "Yes."

"Through proxy wars?"

"Absolutely."

"And without anyone noticing?"

"Until it's done."

Ethan chuckled softly, shaking his head in disbelief. "You really don't think small, do you, Boss?"

Arthur finally allowed himself a smirk. "Nope."

Vex let out a sharp breath. "The scale… the risk…"

"The reward," Arthur interjected confidently. "Unified control over Noctis' resources,a stranglehold on global trade routes, an empire waiting to be built!"

Gunnar's voice dropped to a whisper. "And if we fail?"

Arthur's gaze remained unwavering. "We won't."

The hologram flickered ominously as red markers spread across the map like bloodstains, each one representing another step towards their audacious goal.

Outside, the sun hang over Zenith City with a hesitant glow, while somewhere in the distance, dark clouds gathered,a storm was brewing.