The Mech Touch

　　Though Ves deeply wanted to believe in the Polymath's stellar reputation and noble sentiments, he would be a fool to think that anyone could remain truly selfless.

　　Anything that was related to the Metal Scroll was immensely powerful. Leaving it in the hands of a mere Journeyman was a huge waste when it could do so much more in the hands of a Star Designer.

　　If there was ever a boundary beyond the rank of Star Designer, then humanity as a whole would gain a lot more if the Polymath gained a better chance of breaking through it with the help of a more complete piece of the Metal Scroll!

　　This was all of the justification that the leader of the Survivalist needed to rob Ves of his System and silence him in a permanent fashion.

　　The situation hadn't come to that, though. Ves was 90 percent certain that the Polymath's ring did not yield any fruitful results.

　　Whatever else the ring might have detected in his body and mind were completely trivial compared to the possible presence of another Metal Scroll fragment.

　　Ever since the MTA and CFA secretly rebelled from the Five Scrolls Compact, the Metal Scroll had broken into pieces and became lost.

　　That was what Ves really knew about it. He did not know how many fragments existed and where they were located.

　　Given the immense size of human space, he thought that the odds of actually encountering another fragment of the Metal Scroll was so statistically low that it was practically impossible for him to meet with one in his lifetime.

　　He hadn't accounted for the possibility that another fragment holder would proactively seek him out, though!

　　Ves maintained his nervous smile as he awaited what the Polymath might say next.

　　There was no need to disguise any of his apprehension. Any random person that had just undergone such a violent scanning process would react the same way!

　　Showing weakness and vulnerability was natural. Ves was grateful for that as it made it easier for him to process all of his realizations.

　　Then, the Polymath spoke again.

　　"Let us drop with the pretense, Mr. Larkinson. You are a mech designer, but that is not your sole identity. My scans have detected numerous anomalies that should not be present in normal Journeyman Mech Designers."

　　Uh oh.

　　Had Ves failed to maintain his secret? Had he given himself away by worrying so much about his System?!

　　"You are not only aware of the existence of the secret organization that is known as the Five Scrolls Compact, but you are also making use of its heritage to further your own career."

　　"That…"

　　The look on the Polymath's face showed that she was not receptive to false denials.

　　Ves recalled that Jovy warned him that he should never lie or make excuses about himself in front of this great personality.

　　Though he felt highly conflicted about what he was about to say next, it was a much better alternative than admitting that he was a System holder.

　　"I… yes." Ves lowered his head as he tried his best to exaggerate his defeated reaction. "You are correct, Your Excellency. I don't know any details, but my mother… had relations with the Compact. Over the course of my life, I have also managed to cross paths with agents and members of this cult. These encounters weren't pleasant for me. I barely survived them. One of the reasons why I was so eager to move to the Red Ocean was to get away from those deranged and murderous cultists."

　　He revealed more to one of the most powerful individuals of human space than he had ever done before, and he felt utterly vulnerable because of it. He did not share his secrets easily and being put in a position where he had no choice but to do so was awful.

　　It also made him feel liberated. For too long, he had been dancing around the truth even knowing that the MTA had kept him under observation for a long amount of time.

　　The problem was that Ves couldn't restrain himself. Even knowing that the Simile Halifax had quietly studied him and his clan for several months, he did not stop with creating new design spirits or performing other spiritual shenanigans.

　　Though he made a decent effort to obfuscate his actions, there was no way the MTA was stupid.

　　Right now, one of the smartest humans in existence happened to be sitting on the other side of the table!

　　He knew that if he didn't feed her information that conformed to her own analysis on him, she would continue to press him until he coughed up his secrets anyway.

　　By being forthcoming on his own accord, he could at least massage the information that he exposed on his own accord.

　　Earlier, he chose his words carefully. They put a definite separation between him and the Compact. He made it clear that even if he was using some of the methods and techniques that were commonly associated with the Five Scrolls Compact, he was one of its enemies rather than its allies!

　　The Polymath expressly relaxed her posture to a tiny degree. "Thank you for being honest. We have already made this conclusion since Moira Willix repeatedly came into contact with you, but it is good that you have not resorted to your usual routine of evasions."

　　Ves helplessly chuckled. "I had a feeling that it wouldn't work against someone of your caliber."

　　"You would be surprised by those who believe they can outsmart a Star Designer." She spoke in a bland tone that nonetheless conveyed a lot of pride and arrogance. "What do you know of the Compact, in brief?"

　　"Not much." Ves admitted. "My mother did not pass on much after she died. I… used the advantages that she provided me to help my development as a mech designer. That is all I wanted, actually. I never asked to get entangled by this whole Compact business. I later learned that there are supposedly Five Sacred Scrolls, of which a few are lost and others… have fallen into various hands."

　　The Polymath didn't look surprised at what he knew. "Although this is shallow information, it is nonetheless dangerous. I trust you have not been divulging it any further."

　　"Definitely! I kept my mouth shut even though I sometimes had to make difficult decisions that do not make sense if people are not aware of the full picture."

　　"Good mindset. Letting them know about the cult will not do them any good. Maintain this discipline or bear the consequences of having a loose tongue."

　　"I will never say anything!" Ves promised.

　　The Polymath scrutinized Ves for a moment. "Let us move on. Now that you have admitted your connection to the Compact, we need to hear what mechs mean to you. Please describe your goals and ambitions."

　　Shouldn't the MTA know about this already?

　　Ves didn't hesitate, though. He knew that this was another test, so he made sure to rouse his full passion.

　　"I love mechs." He began. "I grew up with mechs. My entire life has revolved around mechs. Though there were times that I didn't like them, I did my best to dedicate my lives to them in my own way. Even though I really wanted to be a mech pilot like my fellow Larkinson family members, I have grown to embrace my current career path. Mechs are the alpha and the omega to my life. No goal is more important to me than achieving greatness by developing the best and strongest mechs."

　　"What of your increasingly versatile and growing psionic capabilities?" The powerful woman asked. "You say that you wish to dedicate yourself to designing mechs, but your activities do not entirely match up with your assertions. You have not only begun to consort with immensely powerful psionic beings, you have also invested a great amount of energy and thought with creating them by your own hand. These are impressive feats that have much greater potential than what you can ever do as a Journeyman Mech Designer."

　　Ves took a deep breath and placed his hand on his chest. "I am a mech designer. Designing mechs is the basis of my passion and ambitions. While it is true that I have dabbled in fields that my mother has enabled me to pursue, I think it is clear that my efforts have only ever gone on to better my mech design-related work. Living mechs, glows, totems, companion spirits and so on only exist because I want to serve mech pilots better. Given the effectiveness of my mech designs and the great satisfaction of all my users, I believe that I have done a good job at that."

　　The Star Designer remained silent for a moment before she slowly nodded a single time.

　　"Spoken like a true mech designer. We are greatly reassured by your statement. You may possess additional powers, but your unequivocal declaration leaves little doubt where your passion truly lies. The Five Scrolls Compact abhor mechs and do not look at them in favor. In the perspective of the cultists that you rightfully fear, mechs are a perversion of what is right."

　　That was an interesting detail to know about! Ves already had plenty of reasons to dread and hate the Five Scrolls Compact, but this was certainly another one. He would never be able to get along with an organization that wanted to get rid of mechs!

　　The atmosphere between them grew a little warmer. Both of them recognized each other as mech designers at heart. No matter how far they branched out over the course of their lives, they always valued their root in mech design the most!

　　This common bond transcended much of the extreme difference in status between the two. Though Ves still reminded himself that the Polymath was not to be trifled with, as long as they were on good terms with each other, it was unlikely that anything bad would happen.

　　The Polymath briefly closed her eyes. "Mr. Armalon has previously enlightened you about the latest developments in the Red Ocean. What is your opinion?"

　　"There's a chance that the Five Scrolls Compact are the traitors that Armalon referred to. Are they?"

　　"That remains to be seen. We are still investigating. We have only recently made this discovery."

　　Ves adopted a concerned expression. "Should I be worried about the Compact in the Red Ocean, Your Excellency? If the cultists have already extended their presence here, I am wondering whether I should run any further."

　　"We are keeping a greater watch over the conquered territories of the Red Ocean." The powerful woman revealed. "The Milky Way is too old, complex and expansive for us to properly track the members and agents of the Compact, but that is not the case here. We are controlling the rate of migration to make sure that they cannot mingle with the masses so easily. We are determined to never grant the Compact a foothold in another galaxy. Since we hold the only greater beyonder gates that facilitate intergalactic travel, we already hold an immense advantage."

　　He grew more reassured when he heard this. She was completely right. While well-hidden Compact agents could still sneak through in small groups, it was impossible for entire cells and more to migrate to the Red Ocean all at once. Their power base in the new frontier would always be far behind in comparison to the MTA and CFA!

　　"I am glad to hear that, Your Excellency. Without the Compact chasing after my back, I can concentrate on furthering my design philosophy in relative peace."

　　"I would not relax so soon if I were you. The Compact's influence is still far and wide, and there are more immediate threats in the Red Ocean."

　　"Are you… referring to the major alien races?"

　　"No." The Polymath shook her head. "I am referring to the Common Fleet Alliance."

　　"…"