"I don't need you to believe in me," Ludwig said. "I only want you to follow me and believe in your own strength, the strength that allowed you to power through and survive many cycles, and reach this place. You're not obliged to move forward, you're not obliged to climb, you can stay here, for all eternity if you wish, even I don't have the right to take that away from you. And nor does the red King. Only…" Ludwig said.
He made a point of granting them permission to refuse. That sounded counterintuitive, but it was the only way to avoid sounding like the Red King himself. If he demanded loyalty, he would get obedience or rebellion, nothing in between. If he offered choice, he could turn the act of following into pride rather than submission.
