"Naturally, my people will."
As Cain uttered those simple words, a flicker of sharpness passed through the eyes of the assembled super-powerhouses. It was subtle—no more than a glint—but it was enough to reveal the shift in their hearts.
They had accepted the Scarlet King's leadership during the Invasion of the Heart of the Root because he was the most capable among them, the strongest warrior the Alliance could field. On the battlefield, they acknowledged him without hesitation; after all, he had proven time and again that he would push himself to levels none of them could match.
But this gathering was not a battlefield. This was commerce—control, resources, influence, and the future balance of power. Whoever commanded the Empyrean Trade Center would hold a decisive advantage in securing treasures and rare resources, and those gains would inevitably translate into long-term supremacy.
