Divine Sea's choice was driven by greed and self-interest, but Cain did not find that surprising. It was not wrong, nor was it anything new for the Scarlet King. Many who had joined him when he first spread the Scarlet Path throughout the Everstrife Empyrean World had done so for exactly those reasons—self-preservation, ambition, lust for power.
Pation had once stood in that group, following only out of personal desire, yet with time, he had been assimilated fully into the Path. Now he was willing to place her life on the line to defend it.
Cain understood this truth well. Motives mattered less than results. Selfishness could be tempered, greed could be redirected. What was important was loyalty in action. The Flow showed him clearly that Divine Sea was not lying; she truly wished to align with him. That sincerity was one step forward, a large one.
