158 Deciding on Future Alliance!

Bruce was genuinely surprised when he learned that envoys from the distant Payne Empire, far north of the Green Forest, had traveled to Forest seeking an alliance. "I'm not afraid of being famous, but they are afraid of me being strong," he mused. Bruce suspected that the Red Dragon Lord Pedrosa was trying to gather allies against the Osa Empire.

The arrival of envoys from the Osa Empire compounded his dilemma. While the support of these major powers could protect him from the Royal Court Church and the Crimson Mage Association, aligning with either could draw the ire of the other.

"This is a hot potato," Bruce said to himself. "Allying with one means making an enemy of the other. But neutrality could make us a target for both." Understanding the precarious nature of his situation, Bruce arranged for the envoys from both empires to be housed separately to maintain impartiality, then called a council meeting in his hall.