Orc Empire.
Watching the neighboring state flourish while their own was still painfully occupied with civil war, anyone would feel uneasy.
Though both sides were worried, the Four Great Royal Clans were clearly more anxious. Unlike the Seven Tribes Alliance, which had no way out and could only fight to the bitter end, these vested interests had far more concerns.
Plans never kept pace with change. The plan to divide the Seven Tribes Alliance had succeeded, but the attempt to break it apart had failed.
The "six peaches killing seven warriors" scheme could only sow suspicion among the seven tribes, but they were bound by contracts.
Magical contracts were so useful, yet they had not become widespread. On one hand, they were too costly; on the other, everyone feared that someone might tamper with them.
Cases like the Elves and the Alpha Kingdom were different. Both sides had Holy Domain experts who could ensure that neither party tampered with the contract.
None of the Seven Tribes Alliance specialized in magic. If someone truly tampered with a contract, they might not even notice.
Still, this was a standard precaution. Each of the seven tribes prepared its own contract, and they signed seven magical contracts at once.
They might not trust magical contracts supplied by others, but they could not ignore the ones produced by their own people.
The rulers of every tribe were signatories. Even if they harbored doubts about their allies, they could only grit their teeth and continue onward.
Besides, the Four Great Royal Clans' reputation was far from sufficient for a mere promise to convince everyone.
Whenever they hesitated, everyone could not help wondering: What if the Seven Tribes became six tribes, and the Four Great Royal Clans suddenly turned their backs on them?
As long as this