The words tasted like defeat, but defeat was preferable to extinction!
They had built their power through careful independence, maintaining just enough autonomy to avoid becoming mere puppets while providing sufficient tribute to avoid unwanted attention from their cosmic overlords.
To request active protection would mean surrendering half their territories, reducing themselves to vassals in exchange for survival.
But the alternative was following Edmond into whatever darkness had claimed him.
They did this because they knew their power was well known!
If someone killed Edmond, they knew full well about them and did this regardless!
What did this mean? They either didn't care, or they were already targetting them next.
