The Mech Touch

While Ves had been holding an important talk with Melinda and Ark, his wife had quietly slipped away.

She left in order to check up on the children and give the trueblood Larkinsons more freedom to talk about sensitive matters.

It was only after Venerable Ark got what he wanted from Ves and left the garden that Gloriana returned.

"How are the kids?"

"They are having the time of their lives." The young mother smiled as she sat at the table again and poured herself another cup of tea. "They became acquainted with an entirely new set of cousins. I am sure that Aurelia is already thinking about befriending them and encouraging them to develop an adoration towards our clan. That way, these children can help encourage their stubborn parents to leave their decrepit Larkinson Family behind and enter our fold."

He snorted at that. "That's not necessary. I don't want these stubborn Larkinsons infecting my clansmen with their foolish and naive views. I should teach Aurelia that not every Larkinson is equally as valuable."

Gloriana steadily picked up the tea cup with her delicate hand and sipped it in a proper manner, much unlike her uncouth husband.

"Have you managed to get Venerable Ark Larkinson onboard your pirate ship?"

"Why do you have to phrase it that way?" Ves complained. "I don't run a pirate ship! I am leading a proper and upright clan that has engaged in productive pioneering activities. All of the MTA merits we've earned from our expeditions into the frontier proves that we are doing what is best for humanity! That is the opposite of piracy!"

His wife did not even deign to give her response to his argument. "Answer my question, Ves."

"Okay, okay. In truth, the conversation proceeded much better than I expected. Venerable Ark did not play coy with me or follow any convoluted negotiation strategies. He just did what he thought was best for himself and the Larkinson Family and proposed to join my clan right away."

He filled her in on the details that she had missed after her departure. Gloriana looked increasingly more surprised and impressed at the ease in which Ark surrendered himself.

"Your powerful uncle is an expert pilot." She commented. "Even among other expert pilots, he is remarkably honorable, principled and direct. His long service in the Mech Corps doubtlessly caused him to develop this sort of attitude and approach to decision-making."

"The Mech Corps has always been a practical military organization from my experiences." He said as he recalled his own brief service where he spent much of his time among the Flagrant Vandals. "Each mech regiment and mech division is different from each other, but most of them tend to favor efficiency, directness and honesty. You can't afford to play games when the Vesia Kingdom's Mech Legion is constantly trying to take over Bentheim and deprive the Bright Republic of its economic center."

"I see. In any case, you have overcome the most difficult challenge right at the start. You must probably feel incredibly relieved for gaining the services of a loyal and dependable ace pilot candidate. It is not as good as obtaining an ace pilot right away, but I am sure this difference will not hinder you for long."

"Let's not make too many assumptions, honey. There is no guarantee that we will be able to help my uncle become a Saint after designing a new mech for him. We need to be meticulous and thorough in every step of the way."

Ves briefly outlined his plan on how to tackle what may probably be the biggest and most important mech design project in the next decade.

Venerable Ark was one of the most important blood relatives of his life. As his father's brother, Ark had done his best to make up for Ryncol's absence and help Ves grow up in a warm and loving family environment during his teenage and adolescent years.

Though Ark couldn't visit Ves often due to his duties as an expert pilot and mech officer of the Mech Corps, the man had tried his best and cared more than many other Larkinsons.

The strong bond of affection that formed between the two was still as strong and pure as ever.

Even if Ark decided not put his skills at the disposal of the Larkinson Clan, Ves still would have chosen to design a fantastic new expert mech for his favorite uncle!

As Ves mentioned his desire to delay the start of this important design project due to various reasons, his wife surprisingly did not object to his decision.

"I am already swamped with work myself." Gloriana remarked. "The Dullahan Project, the Ghost Project, the Greenaxe Project and the Bloodripper Project all require my input and supervision. I have also needed to provide consultations to the designers over at the Glory Seekers and the Cross Clan. Furthermore, I have to make sure to reserve enough time to raise my children and prevent them from developing too many bad habits like their father."

"Uh huh."

Gloriana's eyes began to gleam. "You know, you could help me lighten my schedule and increase my productivity if you accept my earlier request. I am not asking much from you. I only need you to spend 120 million MTA merits on behalf and exchange the first-class cranial implant that I need to design stronger and better expert mechs!"

"Oh, not this again. My answer remains the same. Don't bring this up again."

"YOU ARE THE MOST AWFUL HUSBAND IN THE RED OCEAN!" She screeched!

Once Ves finally managed to fend off his wife once again, he retired to the opulent main office of the Royal Mansion where he called a bunch of people.

He needed to spread the good word and make sure that every arm of the Larkinson Clan was ready to absorb any member of the Larkinson Family that arrived.

Minister Shederin Purnesse looked particularly impressed when he heard that Ark Larkinson readily decided to join the clan!

"As an expert pilot with aspirations to become an ace pilot, your uncle should not renege on his commitment." The old man remarked. "His entry into the clan is as good as assured. However, did you pay enough attention to the latitude he had given to himself?"

"Uh, what latitude?"

"When Venerable Ark said he would join our clan, he did not say which branch he intended to join. You automatically assumed that he would join our fleet and fight thrilling battles against the enemies we encounter away from civilization. However, depending on his ideas, he could opt to join the Davute Branch instead. This way, he would still be a member of our clan, but become a part of a group that aligns closer to the ideals and preferences of the Larkinson Family."

"Damnit! I missed that!" Ves frowned and admitted. "Still, when I talked to him just now, I did not get the impression that he was trying to pull the wool over my eyes. He sounded quite sincere about serving the clan, and I think that an expert pilot who is eager to break through and grow stronger should seek every opportunity to seek battle."

Minister Shederin's projection directed a disapproving glance at Ves.

"You are overlooking a number of crucial variables. Do you recall what is happening around us, sir? Davute is about to found a colonial state. Shortly after that, Davute will most certainly collide against its archrival Karlach."

Ves widened his eyes as he figured out what the old man was alluding to. The timing of these geopolitical developments was awful!

"War will break out, causing everyone who resides in the spheres of both centers of power to become embroiled in this conflict." Shederin continued. "Our Davute Branch won't be able to escape its responsibilities either. The new colonial administration will most certainly expect our clan to make a contribution on that basis. I can think of no one better to lead our local contingent of mechs and mech pilot than a mech colonel who has abundantly proven his capacity to lead and fight in high-intensity wars in the Bright Republic and the Garlen Empire."

That sounded just like home to a consummate soldier like Ark Larkinson. People tended to gravitate towards what they were familiar with, and the same applied to mech pilots.

Unlike the majority of trueblood Larkinson mech pilots who were predominantly young and hadn't spent much time in the military,

Older mech pilots such as Ark who lived through two different Bright-Vesia Wars would definitely feel an attraction to participating in old-fashioned war as opposed to exploring and fighting the unknown!

Ves groaned and palmed his face. "I really don't hope that Uncle Ark will join the Davute Branch. I mean, joining this side branch is better than nothing, but what I really need is another ace pilot presiding over my fleet!"

"No." Shederin surprisingly said. "I do not agree with you. I may not be as versed in military affairs as General Verle, but from my observations our fleet has been doing well with Patriarch Reginald Cross as our only ace pilot. Now, our ongoing talks with the Adelaide Third Fleet and the Boojay Family will soon bear fruit. This means that Saint Marissa Lewandowski and Saint Kalasandra Boojay shall lend their formidable strength to our fleet. Will adding Venerable Ark truly make a difference, especially when it will take many months before he obtains his new expert mech?"

"You… have a point."

A high-tier expert pilot was nice… if there wasn't already an ace pilot who could overshadow a powerful demigod.

Though Ves could never have too many powerhouses under his command, once three different ace mechs joined the lineup of the expeditionary fleet, he could do without his uncle!

At the very least, the strategic outlook of the expeditionary fleet would not change until Ark advanced to ace pilot, and that would definitely take a lot of time.

Ves no longer felt as distressed at the thought of bringing Uncle Ark into the clan only for the expert pilot to waste his time on a useless planet.

Although Ves did not like the idea of increasing the Larkinson Clan's involvement in a stupid war for regional hegemony, if doing this helped Venerable Ark get into the right mood and increase his chances of advancing to ace pilot, then so be it. A breakthrough was the highest goal. Anything else was secondary.

In any case, Ark Larkinson would become an expert pilot of the Larkinson Clan no matter where he chose to serve. Outsiders wouldn't be able to discern any division and Saint Ark would definitely come and rescue the expeditionary fleet at the greatest speed if Ves ever got in trouble!

This was because Ves was Ryncol's son.

"I think that Melinda Larkinson and many other members of the family will make the decision." Shederin continued to voice his views. "They are too attached to the identity of a Larkinson to go elsewhere, and they will automatically follow Ark into the clan because they are too accustomed to looking up to him. The family will turn into an empty shell if it loses its current patriarch. Turning it into a retirement home for the older generations of Larkinsons who are too opposed to our policies or prideful to admit their fault is not a bad development."

Ves didn't entirely look pleased with that idea. "A retirement home that is funded by a 1 percent stake in the LMC sounds like an exceptionally luxurious clubhouse for a bunch of old coots and lazy slackers who never contributed to my success and the success of my mech company."

Despite his complaints, if it kept his Uncle Ark happy, then he would gladly tolerate the freeloading.

The Larkinson Clan needed its own ace pilot, but they didn't exactly grow on trees.

Venerable Davia Stark was still a decade or so away until her resonance strength grew to the point where she had a faint chance of breaking through with the help of her Amaranto.

The actual Larkinson expert pilots had grown a lot over the years, but most of them were still low-tier expert pilots with only a handful about to mature into mid-tier expert pilots.

With a war between Davute and Karlach about to break out and greater conflicts on the horizon, Ves couldn't wait so many years for the expert pilots who were currently in his mech roster to evolve into Saints.

He needed to acquire an ace pilot in the short term, and only Venerable Ark gave him hope of acquiring one within a two-year timespan!