Chapter 202: Why are you staring at me like that?
"You want to defect to me?"
Ethan blinked, caught off guard. He stared at Draven, puzzled. "Why?"
"It’s actually pretty simple..." Draven gave a bitter smile. "No matter who wins this war, I’m screwed either way. I’ll be stuck in the middle, hated by both sides. So I have to make a choice—either I join you before the final battle, or I betray you before it even starts. Otherwise, I’m dead no matter what."
Before Ethan could respond, Draven pressed on, his tone earnest. "My lord, I may be a pirate, but I, Draven, still have a damn line I won’t cross!"
"Yeah, I’ve raided merchant ships, collected protection money, harassed coastal towns, and warned the Unicorn Duchy not to mess with us—but I’ve never done anything that made me lose sleep at night!"
"And what about the Devils?" Ethan asked coolly. "How do you explain that? You do realize anyone who sides with the Devils can’t be trusted, right?"
It wasn’t that Ethan was some bleeding-heart saint. But if someone was willing to throw in with the Devils, that meant they were either desperate or dangerously unpredictable. Either way, not someone you want close—especially not in your inner circle.
Draven’s face stiffened. He gave a strained laugh. "My lord, to be honest, I didn’t have much of a choice when it came to the Devils."
"They sent ten—ten—Tier 14 Mythic Units. Arch Devils. Just to ’negotiate’ with me. But let’s be real, it wasn’t a negotiation. I never had the option to say no."
Ethan didn’t reply right away. His eyes narrowed, thoughtful.
After a moment, he said flatly, "We’ll see how you perform."