After the meal, Ethan had Damien arrange for the Rimekin women to rest. Then he led Goldcrest City's top brass down into the basement.
Having the Rimekin around meant Goldcrest City finally had a layer of security, sure.
But the Rimekin were still outsiders.
If Goldcrest wanted to survive in the long run, they needed their own trump card—something that belonged to them.
And that trump card was obvious:
Creating soulless thralls.
No one could've imagined that the Hale family's "accidental" discovery—an evil method for converting living people into soulless thralls—would end up becoming the key to humanity's survival.
Without that method, forget saving other compounds. Ethan himself would've been dead a long time ago.
Dopey had been the first thrall.
Without Dopey, there wouldn't be an "Ethan" standing here today.
They reached the basement.
