Murmurs rippled through the assembled summons, though they remained quiet enough for him to continue.
"I'm sure many of you have your own histories. Lives you were living before this moment. Memories of places and people and purposes that feel distant now. I'm not going to pretend that doesn't matter or try to erase who you were."
His tone carried genuine respect rather than dismissive authority.
"But right now, at this moment, you're my summons. That's not a choice I gave you, and I acknowledge that. The summoning system bound you to me without your consent. For that, I apologize."
Several summons looked surprised at the apology, clearly not expecting that level of acknowledgment.
"However," he continued firmly, "I promise you this: no one here will be mistreated. Everyone will be heard. Your skills, your knowledge, your individual worth… all of it matters. I need you to help build something unprecedented, and I can't do that by treating you as disposable tools."
