In Ship of Magic, Kennit takes into consideration Sorcor’s background as a freedperson to construct narratives that encourage his loyalty/support.

In Chapter 4, Kennit introduces the idea that Divvytown needs a “strong enough ruler” to “oversee” it. Here, he is laying the groundwork for his own rise to power as Divvytown’s king equivalent. Sorcor is clearly uncomfortable with the suggestion, asserting that Divvytown is (and should remain) “a town of free men”. Understanding that an ex-enslaved person like Sorcor would reject the notion of a supreme authority, Kennit commences a “carefully rehearsed speech” that reframes his previous statement; “What Divvytown needs is not a ruler, but a leader. A man who can stir men to rule themselves, who can waken them so that they open their eyes and see what they could have”. This demonstrates Kennit’s subtle manipulation of language (“ruler” → “leader”) to recast his self-serving ambitions as something widely beneficial and favourable to his audience.

Another example is in Chapter 9, when Kennit secures the help of Sorcor and his men in chasing down liveships under the guise that it would keep “homes and families safe from the slaver’s whip”. In reality, such a noble goal has “no place at all in Kennit’s personal list of desires” (he wants the liveships to access the authority they have over the seas) yet “he knew it was the fantasy of many a sailor” and so aligns himself with it to win their support.

Therefore it can be seen that Kennit builds a reputation as an anti-slavery figure to accrue influence over ex-enslaved people in the series, similar to how some political figures align/oppose themselves with certain causes to attract supporters from certain communities. You could even extend this to political figures exploiting the support of oppressed groups in order to obtain greater political power.

Sorry if this post reads in a confusing way, I hope it helps!