The Mech Touch

"It's too difficult to bring him to the Hegemony if he really doesn't want to go." Gloriana emphasized. "For reasons I've already explained, it is an exceedingly poor decision to force him. It has never worked out to his enemies, and we won't fare any better. Don't think we can use our superiority as Hexers as an advantage. The Fridaymen tried that and learnt first-hand what a disaster they provoked."

Though Ranya and Brutus didn't entirely agree, they agreed to drop any drastic actions. The risk of something going wrong was too great, and that would have devastating consequences.

As long as Gloriana was right, then it was vital to secure this powerful asset for the Wodin Dynasty and the Hexadric Hegemony!

Between the two, Ranya was still on the fence. She couldn't conceive that a low-class boy like Ves was actually a diamond in the rough. It broke all of her prior assumptions of Ves! It was too difficult to reconcile her conflicting views.

Brutus on the other hand was much more willing to accept Gloriana's claims. He knew her sister well enough to know she rarely made a mistake. Their mother raised them to be sure of their choices and decisive in their judgement.

In addition, as an expert pilot, his intuition wasn't weak. He was very sensitive towards Gloriana, so he knew how deeply she believed in her words. Her infatuation towards Ves and her belief in his alleged abilities were completely genuine!

Having met Ves in person, Brutus always got the sense that the Brighter was more than he appeared. Anyone who managed to capture his sister's heart was bound to be exceptional! With her high standards, she would never settle for anything lesser!

It was his faith in his sister that allowed Brutus to set aside his doubts.

"I have a suggestion." He said, attracting the attention of the two women. "Considering Ves' disposition, it is truly difficult to make him see the light. He's not that different from other male foreigners. They keep getting hung up over the disadvantages without recognizing how beneficial it is to live under a new order. You can't force these kinds of people to embrace our way of life, at least not without drastic measures."

"What are you thinking, brother?"

"If you keep trying to drag him to our state, your relationship with him will only get more strained. By his own words, he loves you, but not the Hegemony. If you want to repair your bond with him, then you will just have to accept this reality."

"The Hegemony is my home. I had plans. It was supposed to be perfect." Gloriana looked glum.

"There are more ways to make Ves embrace the truth, sister. Rather than drag him to the Hegemony, why not drag the Hegemony to him? Hexers like us shouldn't be confined to this star sector. Aren't you planning to embark on an adventure to the Red Ocean with him? He'll need a lot of help. Outfitting a full pioneering fleet isn't cheap or easy, especially in a short timeframe."

As Brutus made his point, Gloriana began to see some hope.

"I see.. Ves wants to leave in less than a decade for some reason. No matter how many well he does, he definitely needs our help to outfit his fleet. This is our chance. All of the ships provided by us will have to be crewed by Hexers. With thousands, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of Hexers traveling along, we can found a new colony of Hexers in the Red Ocean. Home will never be far away in this case. It's perfect."

"This entire situation sounds too far-fetched." Ranya spoke. "Isn't the Red Ocean supposed to be accessible to the very best?"

"I believe in Ves. He will succeed in becoming a galactic pioneer. Once that happens, will you finally believe that he is better than all of the boys at home?"

"I.. maybe." Ranya grudgingly said. "It all sounds like a fairy tale. How can you be sure of everything you said? It will take more than this to make me trust your word."

"Just stick around and see what we can accomplish in the next couple of years. I can guarantee you that Ves will definitely impress you all!"

Under Gloriana's persuasion, Ranya seriously considered staying around. It wasn't as if there were any great opportunities at home due to the Komodo War.

In addition, Gloriana had been generous in providing Ranya with some of the funding she needed to further her research. This gave her another incentive to stay, though it was hard for her to get used to the appalling foreign environment.

The Hegemony was a utopia compared to the poor and barren states like the Bright Republic and the Ylvaine Protectorate! Ranya missed all kinds of luxuries back home, and she almost couldn't stand the way that boys in foreign states thought they were equal to women!

Brutus studied the expressions of his sister and his cousin. He had made his own calculations. His first priority was to ensure the wellbeing of his sister. As long as this was assured, he wanted to do what was best for the Wodins, and after that the Hegemony.

Ensuring the expeditionary fleet possessed a strong Hexer influence would definitely be beneficial in multiple ways.

No matter how amazing Ves appeared to be, he was just one person. While he was making a good effort in elevating the LMC and the Larkinson Clan, to Brutus they would never be on par with true Hexer organizations.

The Wodins discussed what they should do. Of the three, Gloriana was the most content of all. Though she had betrayed Ves' trust by revealing some of her secrets, she no longer had to worry about Ranya and Brutus acting against her interests!

Instead, they could become her strongest two helpers!

"I would really like to observe Ves more closely and see whether he is truly as great as you describe, but I won't be stay for long."

"When will you leave, brother?"

"I originally planned to escort Ranya back to Hegemony after she is done with her assignment here. If she wants to stay, then I'll have to return regardless. The Fridaymen are growing bolder every day."

Gloriana hummed and rubbed her chin. "You should go. We might as well take advantage of your departure by letting you pass on Ves' secrets to mother. I'm sure she'll be much more inclined to support our relationship."

"I'll do that, but I don't know what mother will eventually think." Brutus cautioned. "In any case, I'll make the best of our remaining time by facilitating the training of Ves' mech pilots. I've noticed that some of them are trying hard to pilot our class of mechs. I have to turn away each time they take their stolen second-class mechs out for a spin."

"That's great." Gloriana smiled and hugged Clixie against her chest. "It'll be hard to make Ves think better of Hexers, but we can make a start by showing that our Wodin Dynasty can be helpful to him. He's a lot more malleable as long as he gains some benefits."

"What if you're wrong?"

"I can handle Ves. We still love each other. A few disagreements doesn't change that. I don't want any of you doing anything drastic. Ves isn't alone. Aside from the people around him and the allies he can call upon, he also has a partner I haven't told you about. Calabast is a former DIVA agent. We're lucky she's not a mech designer. If she was, she would definitely claim him for herself."

"What? There is a DIVA agent here? You should have mentioned this earlier!" Brutus looked alarmed. "What is her kind doing here?!"

"As far as I know, Calabast is no longer with DIVA. That doesn't mean she lost her competence and her skill. She's very perceptive and guards Ves in the dark, so don't assume our actions won't go unnoticed. However, I've spoken with her and gained an understanding of her. To get her off our backs, we only need to show that we are a boon to Ves."

The revelation that Ves was entangled with a former DIVA agent put credence in Gloriana's claims.

The spies who work for the Hexadric Hegemony were anything but stupid! For an elite operative to resign from DIVA in order to attach herself to a mech designer from a lesser state that there was truly something special about Ves!

Even Ranya came around somewhat.

"Since another Hexer has managed to form a partnership with Ves, why not join hands? It doesn't sound as if she is competing for his affection, so there should be grounds for cooperation."

Gloriana hesitated for a moment. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea. I think Calabast made a different choice from us. From what I inferred, after she participated in a classified mission that caused her to bump into Ves, she not only walked away from DIVA, but also separated from the Vraken Dynasty!"

This caused Brutus to become even more vigilant towards this supposed former spy! The Vraken Matriarchal Dynasty was a lot greater than the Wodin Dynasty! The former was one of the six most powerful rulers of the Hegemony, while the latter was just a vassal. For someone to pay a huge price and separate herself from a powerful backer took an enormous amount of determination!

The greater implication of these moves was that the DIVA agent evidently served her own interests rather than the interests of the Vraken Dynasty or the state.

The existence of Calabast cast an ominous shadow over the Wodins. They were confident that they could manipulate Ves even when they were limited to softer means. Yet with a former DIVA agent looming over their heads, they could not be too blatant in their actions.

"We need to investigate even further." Ranya stated. "We need to find out more and verify the claims you've made. I'm not comfortable with knowing so little about Ves and this alleged spy."

Gloriana nodded in agreement. As long as her cousin and her brother found proof, then they would definitely be onboard with her relationship with Ves!

She still offered a word of caution, though.

"Our movements won't escape Calabast's attention. I'll handle her when she confronts me. We've already formed an understanding between us. As long as we don't trip her alarms, we won't encounter any hindrances."

As the three Wodins plotted to grow closer to Ves, a certain former DIVA agent looked up in the sky as she walked on the streets of Krent.

A slight smirk grew on her face. "Interesting."

She shook her head and restored her original expression. After taking a few steps, she entered an alley, where she promptly disappeared in thin air.

Meanwhile, Ves, who was ignorant of all of this, spent his time tutoring the Larkinson seeds at the LMC's design labs.

All four of them had become a part of the clan. Each of them left their mark on the pages of the Larkinson Mandate. This essentially turned the Larkinson seeds into his own property, causing him to value their development a lot more!

"Maisie, you're the oldest of your group." He addressed one of the seeds. "Your studies have proceeded well and you've already picked up some of the rudimentary knowledge and principles of mech design. Have you considered where you wish to study? This is one of the most important choices you can make. Each mech design university is different."

The young teenager looked uncertain. "You told me that you'd recommend us to the Dorum Center of Technology and Innovation, but.."

Ves grimaced. "If you really want to attend the DCTI, then I'll allow it. Our Larkinson Clan may have left the Bright Republic, but the Larkinson Family will still stand up on your behalf while you are there. However, is this what you want? If you want something better, I'll do my best to get you in another institution. Do you have another choice?"

"Well.." Maisie took a deep breath before voicing her request. "If it's not too much trouble.. can I attend a Hexer University?"

"..."