"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?"
