Petne had been quiet for a while, contemplating his next move. Bringing more people into his space seemed risky—after all, the more who knew, the harder it would be to keep it a secret. But he dismissed the thought quickly. There was no harm in it.
What could they possibly do, even if they did betray him? It wasn't like they could kill him or rob him of his space. Such ideas were laughable. Impossible? Of course not. Hmph! Whoever thought otherwise clearly didn't understand the depths of his power.
In fact, gathering these people was beneficial. The more powerhouses he could create, the better for him in the long run. Powerful individuals indebted to him would form a loyal network. He wasn't altruistic—far from it. Petne knew exactly what he was doing: give them power, and earn their trust. It might not be immediate, but eventually, everyone around him would be tied to him in one way or another.
