The Mech Touch

Ves grew a lot more comfortable now that he ascertained that the Inferno Spear Prince had yet to correspond with the Destroyer of Worlds.

This effectively meant that nobody else aside from Ves and the god pilot understood the nature of their relationship.

All the Rubarthans had to go on was the fact that Ves had managed to summon a fraction of Emma's power during the end of the Survivalist conference.

During this dramatic and historic event, the famous flaming cat apparition of the Destroyer of Worlds clearly shared an unusual relationship with Ves, though the event happened too quickly to provide any further details.

However, it was easy for outside observers to conclude that Ves and Divine Irene Mox might have been in contact for many years!

The reason why this speculation had gained an increasing degree of credibility was due to the obvious similarities between companion spirits and Emma.

Emma was an energy cat. Blinky was an energy cat. Alexandra was an energy cat. The Golden Cat was obviously an energy cat as well.

These cats resembled each other so much that it appeared as if they shared a direct family relation!

Given that Emma had emerged centuries before Ves was even born, it was easy to conclude that the modern incarnation of companion spirits had been derived from Divine Mox's iconic manifestation of power.

To put it in different words, without the assistance of the Destroyer of Worlds, Ves would have never been able to develop his companion spirits!

Although there was no confirmation that this theory was true, the evidence all lined up. The apparent timeline made it clear that Emma came first while other companion spirits emerged much later!

The fact that this was actually false did not really cross the minds of any Rubarthans. After all, in order for the order to be reversed, Ves actually had to travel back in time, which was clearly and utterly impossible!

In any case, if the Rubarthans assumed that Ves created companion spirits with the secret of the Destroyer of Worlds, then that gave these people a special relationship with one of his iconic works!

The problem now was that the Rubarthans didn't possess the full story. Without obtaining clarification from one of the key parties, they remained in the dark about Ves' true relationship with one of the two god pilots of the Rubarthan Pact!

This was of great concern to the Rubarthans. Every god pilot's life was of paramount importance to their states or organizations.

Their friends, enemies, history, likes, dislikes and etc. were carefully scrutinized by entire research departments!

The fact that one of their greatest protectors had managed to develop a secret relationship with a seemingly random second-rater for at least decade and never managed to expose any of it produced a considerable shock across Rubarthan high society!

Was this a sign that the Destroyer of Worlds lost confidence in the Rubarthans?

Was this a prelude of severing ties with the Rubarthan superstate?

Or had the Destroyer of Worlds recognized Professor Larkinson's talents early on and sought to convert him into a Rubarthan step-by-step?

The Rubarthan analysts had probably been fretting for days as they sought to study and pick apart any data related to the Larkinsons that could give them the clues they needed to clear up the uncertainty!

In any case, what mattered the most to Ves was that he occupied the rare position of being able to fill up the gaps... with his own version of the story.

He understood how much of an advantage this represented!

If he could spin the right narrative, he could effectively shape his relationship with the Rubarthans!

He could portray himself as a confidante of the Destroyer of Worlds and claim he was under her implicit protection.

He could pretend that he had conducted a transaction with the god pilot that entitled him to huge concessions such as access to restricted Rubarthan technology.

He could even claim that the Destroyer of Worlds had become an honorary member of the Larkinson Clan!

Of course, Ves was well aware that once the infamously destructive god pilot completed her secret mission and came into contact again, she would learn everything that he had done while she was incommunicado.

He could get in a lot of trouble if he abused his relationship with her, especially if he ended up damaging her honor and credibility!

However, based on his understanding of his subtle relationship with the Destroyer of Worlds, Ves bet that she probably wouldn't bother exposing any misdeeds as long as they were not excessive!

She owed him a massive favor, after all. The enormous benefits she gained from having Emma by her side for over two centuries was incalculable!

This meant that he should have a bit of leeway in how he handled these talks. He could manipulate this negotiation in a way that allowed him to extract more concessions.

The important part was that Ves needed to sell his story to the Rubarthans while also keeping Irene's delayed reaction in mind at all times.

Dangerous ideas began to swirl in his mind. These ideas far exceeded the scope of the possible concessions that Ves had discussed with Minister Shederin Purnesse beforehand.

While Ves respected his advisor's analysis and opinion a lot, that did not necessarily mean he agreed with the old man on every point!

For all of his wisdom and experience in diplomatic affairs, Minister Shederin still clung to his identity as an inferior second-rater. The old man could not help but look up to the Rubarthans as powerful first-raters that should never be trifled with! According to the career diplomat's own views, Ves and the Larkinsons were the junior party in their relationship with the Rubarthans.

Ves disagreed with this stance.

His importance and strategic value far exceeded the point where the Rubarthans could dictate terms at will. If they wanted to gain his cooperation on anything, then they needed to treat him as more of an equal!

A switch toggled in his mind.

Ves realized that he could get away with a lot as long as he took a few risks.

He just needed to be bold enough to grasp this fleeting chance.

Should he take advantage of the information asymmetry between him and the Inferno Spear Prince and attempt to hoodwink the Rubarthan Pact?

Or should he stick to his original plan and adopt a cautious and reserved attitude?

Ves did not have much time to make up his mind. His initial words and attitudes would set the tone for the rest of this conversation.

If he adopted a submissive demeanor, then he had no doubt that the Rubarthans would walk all over him and his clan.

If he acted too domineering, then he would likely provoke a backlash and poison any hope of establishing genuine friendship with the Rubarthan Pact.

He needed to decide on an approach that was situated between these two extremes. The only decision that mattered was whether he wanted to lean in one direction or another.

An impulsive streak surged from within. He spontaneously decided to throw away the careful gameplan composed by Minister Shederin and adopt a riskier but also far more rewarding strategy!

"I understand your confusion." Ves gently said as he did his best to prevent his inner thoughts from getting picked up by the highly perceptive ace pilot. "I came into contact with the Destroyer of Worlds before I became a Senior Mech Designer. The difference in status between us is so great that it is difficult to think I can be of any assistance to your god pilot. However, the fact of the matter is that she was incapable of solving a difficult problem with her current means. I just so happened to be in a position to give her what she needed."

The Inferno Spear Prince looked skeptical. "It is difficult to believe that she declined to seek assistance from her fellow Rubarthans? We have many different experts at our disposal, especially during the heyday of the Age of mechs."

"That is true, but I seriously doubt that any Rubarthan mech designer can produce any works that are comparable to mine." Ves smirked. "I think that it is no longer a secret that I have access to obscure ancient heritages that have granted me unique abilities. While I am sure that you Rubarthans have access to similar secret repositories of knowledge, there is a difference between learning and doing."

The Rubarthan prince understood what Ves was trying to convey.

"You claim to possess a unique talent or affinity that has attracted the attention of the Destroyer of Worlds. You inherited these advantages from your parents, but not from the Larkinson side of your family."

Ves responded with an ambiguous smile. "You can say that, but I met the Destroyer of Worlds under different circumstances. I won't say anything further about that as this is her story to tell. Just know that I have provided your god pilot a huge amount of assistance when she was in need of my services. She permitted me to obtain a piece of Emma as a form of repayment."

The Inferno Spear fell silent for a few seconds as he analyzed what he heard.

He was probably not alone in this. There was a high chance that he was connected to an entire team of analysts and researchers that was providing guidance behind the scenes.

While there was no way to verify most of the claims that Ves had made, the fact that he gained access to Emma was an undeniable and irrefutable fact!

So long as Ves kept mentioning it, the Rubarthans had no choice but to accept the conclusion that Ves had established at least some form of friendship with the Destroyer of Worlds!

This indisputable fact was like a rock that stood in the way of the Rubarthans. They could not do anything that might cause one of their greatest protectors to take offense.

The current circumstance doubtlessly frustrated the Rubarthan advisors who urged the Inferno Spear Prince to take an aggressive stance in this negotiation!

Still, Ves was impressed by how the Inferno Spear Prince kept his fiery nature under tight control. He did a good job of representing his colonial superstate, though he was a lot more direct and martial than the typical statesman.

Seeing that Ves made it far too difficult for the Rubarthans to claim a significant share of ownership towards companion spirits, the Inferno Spear Prince shifted the conversation in a different direction.

"We are grateful that you have agreed to speak with me on short notice." Prince Antonius spoke as the both of them started to walk in the direction of the tall and elevated throne. "The Great Severing and the events that took place during the Survivalist conference has made it clear that changes are taking place at a remarkably fast pace. We can no longer afford to take our time and deliberate too much on every decision. We have already begun to recover from our unanticipated separation from our home state by enacting necessary reforms and strategic shifts."

Ves nodded even as he wondered where the Rubarthan prince was going with this story.

"I can imagine that a lot of uncertainty has emerged now that the reach of the Star Emperor has become a lot more distant."

This was a controversial topic. A lot of questions had emerged how the Rubarthan Pact would go from here. Would they try to retain their allegiance to an emperor that was 50 million light-years away, or would they attempt to elevate one of the princes in the Red Ocean as their new sovereign?

Everyone had an opinion about this issue! No matter what the Rubarthans chose to do, they were bound to create a lot of division within their ranks!

The Inferno Spear Prince merely smiled in response. "We have entered into a crisis period. We need to address our acute issues first before we can tackle our less urgent problems. Still, the absence of my father is felt by Rubarthan. We are looking into substitutes that can placate our citizens and keep them united."

Ves already had a good idea what the Rubarthan prince was talking about.

"Are you expressing interest in my kinship networks?"

"Yes."

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