The Mech Touch

Though the proposals presented by Marshal Ariadne Wodin and Patriarch Reginald Cross both sounded good, Ves ultimately sided with the one that came with the least cost.

Risking the lives of a bunch of sneaky women was much less serious to the Golden Skull Alliance than playing with the life of its only ace pilot!

As brutal as it sounded, the DIVA stealth vessels and commandos were expendable. They belonged to the Hex Federation to begin with so Ves had no emotional attachment to their survival.

The overall strength and survival chances of the Golden Skull Alliance also wouldn't drop that much if the DIVA assets suffered a complete defeat.

In contrast, Patriarch Reginald Cross played an indispensable role in the success and safety of the Golden Skull Alliance.

The man's sheer strength and ability to defeat opponents of a much greater caliber than normal conveyed a lot of advantages, both on and off the battlefield.

His effect in battle was obvious, but he also improved the status and negotiating positions of the Cross Clan as well as the Glory Seekers and the Larkinson Clan.

Each of them were able to do business with larger trading partners and receive better treatment than if they weren't covered by an ace pilot!

Aside from all of that, once Patriarch Reginald died or became unable to fight as well as before, the expeditionary fleet would lose a powerful source of deterrence!

This was bad news in ordinary times but it was especially inconvenient when the expeditionary fleet was stuck in the middle of a chaotic, conflict-ridden border region!

As such, the Glory Seekers or more precisely the Hexers finally gained an opportunity to prove their value to the alliance.

"You won't regret this decision." Marshal Ariadne Wodin stated.

It actually felt nice to rely on others to complete an important job. Although Calabast and the Larkinsons offered their assistance to the upcoming sabotage operation, the Glory Seekers politely declined the offer.

"We can complete the job ourselves. More importantly, DIVA must do this without your help, or else this test of our capabilities will become invalid."

The marshal made a good point. Ves had little to say to that. Though his clan possessed a couple of unique technologies that might give DIVA an edge, they probably wouldn't be able to play that big of a role. The Hexer intelligence agency was more than competent and experienced enough to prepare its own solutions for the many challenges ahead.

When Ves met with Calabast an hour later, she expressed the same confidence.

"If the matriarchs of the Hex Federation had any sense, then they wouldn't send run-of-the-mill DIVA units to our fleet." The spymaster said. "It is highly likely that we got the cream of the crop. DIVA has sent its very best to us because we are that important to the future of the Hex Federation. If we fall, it will inflict a heavy blow to the ambitions of the Hexers who have fled to the Red Ocean. The trauma of losing the Komodo War still weighs heavily on them. A second catastrophe will most definitely demoralize them while also emboldening the Friday Colonies."

That sounded logical. The Hexers did not help the Golden Skull Alliance out of the goodness of their hearts. Not entirely, at least. Sending over its crack DIVA troops advanced multiple objectives.

In any case, DIVA was still a large intelligence organization even after the Komodo War. The Hexers could train plenty of replacement agents to make up for the shortfall.

"How long has it been since you were last up to date with DIVA's internal situation?" Ves curiously asked.

"You should already know the answer to that question. I joined you when you were still a silly Apprentice." Calabast smiled wistfully as if she was recalling the good old days. "Once I cut ties to my old life, I officially had nothing to do with DIVA anymore."

That last part sounded a bit suspicious.

"What about unofficially?"

Her smile turned into a smirk. "I may have conversed with a few of my old colleagues from time to time. It's not as significant as it sounds."

"So what have you learned about your former employer? Did you learn anything juicy?"

"Not as such. DIVA has become relatively more important to the Hexers now. This is not just due to the greater need for intelligence services in a new and more dynamic environment. The biggest impetus behind this wave of expansion is the realization that acting without proper intelligence is one of the reasons why the Hexers badly lost the Komodo War."

Ves laughed in front of her face. "A random person off the street could have told you that!"

"I'm being serious here! There is no shortage of Hexers who respect DIVA, but too many of our military leaders overestimated the strength of the Hex Army and underestimated the capabilities of the Fridaymen. The biggest failure was the complete inability to predict the magnitude of foreign assistance that the Friday Coalition was able to obtain."

That sounded like a huge oversight, but that sounded typical of the Hexers.

"Well at least you Hexers have opened up your eyes and possess enough humility to recognize your shortcomings."

Calabast patted her hand at Ves in frustration. "Oh, shut up, Ves. Don't lump me in with the people that I have left behind. The surviving Hexers may have improved a lot as of late, but it is not that easy for them to change their fundamental nature. I would much rather stick to my identity as a Larkinson. At least you and your clan are a lot more sensible."

"Do you truly believe what you have just said?"

"I do. Sure, you occasionally make decisions that seem foolish at first, but as long as you keep winning, they will seem great in hindsight. That is the difference between the Larkinsons and the Hexers. The former are winners while the latter are losers."

"Is it that simple?"

"Well, it helps a lot that I am in a key leadership position within your clan." The former Hexer clarified. "If you or any of your Larkinsons do anything that is exceptionally stupid, I will at least be in a position to stop anything catastrophic from happening. I consider that to be one of my current responsibilities. Someone has to be around to keep you in check, and in the absence of a strong counterweight within your own organization, it is up to me to prevent you from throwing away your clan and everything that you have built."

That sounded rather strange to Ves. "I don't recall any moments you did what you have just said."

Calabast huffed. "I don't need to spell everything out to you. There are subtler methods available. If I can change your mind without letting you know my true agenda, why shouldn't I resort to this option?"

"Have you been manipulating me all this time!?"

"Oh, don't sound so angry, Ves. You knew exactly what you were getting by accepting me as part of your team. Information is power. By curating the intelligence that I have prepared for you, I can effectively influence the decisions that you make. I don't even have to twist the facts most of the time. I just have to present the information in a specific way to nudge you in a specific direction of my choosing. It is even better if I can offer my biased opinion whenever you ask for advice."

Though Ves was at least a bit aware that this had taken place all of this time, he still felt upset when Calabast explained it all without any ambiguity.

It sounded so… manipulative to him. It was as if Calabast prioritized her own agenda over his own interests.

"You know I like honesty, right? How can I trust you when you continue to pull off this crap?"

"Oh, grow up. Everyone around you does this. From Minister Shederin to your chief ministers, each of them are selfish enough to adopt deliberate strategies to manipulate and influence your decision-making. It won't ever stop, so the best way for you to handle this situation is to get better at recognizing that you are being manipulated. Don't worry. If someone truly goes too far in their attempts, I will be sure to step in and prevent you from making a mistake that you will regret."

"Uh huh. Where were you when Gloriana inserted herself into my life?"

"That wasn't a mistake." Calabast claimed with an utterly serious tone and expression.

Ves was tired of talking about himself. He wanted to learn more about Calabast for a change. He hadn't really checked up on her personal life as he was constantly busy with work and other affairs all of the time.

"So what has been going on in your life lately? How are Cassie and Cleo doing?"

Calabast clearly recognized that he was trying to divert from the current topic, and allowed it to happen.

"Nothing much. I love my little girls. They truly help me keep myself sane after everything I have to deal with on a typical day. I wish I could spend more time with them, but my obligations to our clan are more important than my desire to be a mother. I make sure that they are well taken care of. That is one of the aspects that I like about your clan. There is a lot of support for young and growing families."

Ves smiled. "I'm a parent as well, so I made sure that people like us can devote ourselves freely to work."

"The Larkinson Clan is more special than you think. It's not just the plentiful daycare facilities and the cooperatives where elderly and retired Larkinsons volunteer to supervise our children. The biggest and most important factor that is sustaining our families is the Golden Cat."

Ves blinked at this mention. "Goldie is quite helpful in binding so many former strangers together, but what do you mean, exactly?"

"Goldie is… great for children." Calabast said as she looked away and leaned against a nearby bulkhead. "When you 'made' her, you probably only accounted for her influence on the members of the clan who are already adults. However, she is connected to every Larkinson, including the ones that are growing up inside the bellies of pregnant mothers. I should know. I asked her myself one day."

"I… never thought about that. I probably should have. What have you figured out, then? What effect does Goldie have on infants and children?"

"You should probably know better than me, seeing that this is one of your specialties and all." Calabast shrugged. "From my perspective, there is a subtle but profound difference between the children of the Larkinson Clan and other kids. It is… difficult to describe, and it is also a challenge to ascribe the positive changes to Goldie alone. I have not been able to conduct a formal scientific study. I merely have my guesses."

"And what is your biggest guess?"

"Our children are happier, healthier and will have better opportunities when they grow up. I don't know how, but I think the Golden Cat is actively affecting them in various ways, from influencing their opinions to showering them with love when they need it the most. She is like a distant but ever-present nanny to us all. I certainly have to worry less about the wellbeing of my own daughters because I always know in the back of my mind that Goldie will not let anything grievous happen to them. That doesn't stop me from being paranoid and making precautions, but that is more out of habit."

Ves frowned for a moment. He never intended for Goldie to play such an outsized role in the early development and growth of the children of his clan.

He questioned whether it was even desirable for her to play such a role. He feared that many children would become dependent on her help. That would be bad because the next generation of clansmen would need a lot more handholding than their parents!