The Mech Touch

Shederin's diplomatic strategy and advice roughly covered three different time periods.

In the short term, the Larkinson Clan should seek to earn MTA merits as much as possible. Ves agreed with the Purnesser that he shouldn't be the sole provider of merits. If Ketis and anyone else in the clan could pitch in, he would gladly welcome the assistance!

In the medium term, the Larkinsons should immediately join the Red Ocean Union. However, rather than settling for that, it should seek to find strong but trustworthy partners within the Union in order to develop a more personal and intimate faction.

In the long term… well, Ves didn't take Shederin's vague aspirations seriously. Anything could happen in the next century. He had no idea how quickly he would be able to advance to Master and be able to enter into the true upper circle of human civilization. The distant future would look drastically different depending on how many centuries it took for him to reach the coveted rank of Master.

At the end of Shederin's presentation, the office fell silent as Ves mulled over what he heard.

This was a very important moment for the former head of Purnesse Family. This session was a demonstration of his capabilities. While he wasn't able to show off his ability to charm and negotiate with outsiders, his vision and judgement was on full display at the moment.

Though Shederin did not entirely feel comfortable with seeking the patronage of someone who was just a fraction of his age, he did not show any of his misgivings on the surface.

The galaxy wasn't fair, and the old rules no longer applied. Talent, ability, strength and background were far more important than the accumulation of age and wisdom.

Just because Shederin was a century older than Ves didn't mean the older man had the right to look down on the young man!

The difference in status was too great. If the Purnesse Family was still in power, then Shederin might be justified in treating Ves like a youngster, but the current reality no longer allowed him to act as a patronizing elder.

It was good that Shederin was accustomed to adopting different faces and attitudes towards vastly different people. His adaptability was so good that his change of behavior went far beyond acting.

If necessary, he was even able to hypnotize himself to believe in different truths!

Ves wasn't aware of these thoughts. His mind focused on other concerns.

He did not agree with everything that Shederin suggested. The former ambassador wanted to accomplish more than what Ves felt comfortable with. Building up an influence in the Red Ocean, however small, would put the Larkinsons in a position where they had to make more commitments and put their trust in a lot more people.

None of that appealed to Ves, but he recognized that the Purnesser offered him a coherent path to survival in a very dangerous and chaotic region of space.

Yet just because the proposed strategy fell outside his comfort zone did not mean he should dismiss it out of hand.

"Mr. Shederin, in our first meeting, you told me that you gave a very low judgement on the survival odds of the Larkinson Clan. Now that you understand our situation better, do you still stand by the percentages you stated last time?"

The older man smiled. "The numbers may have shifted, but my overall conclusions haven't changed. If the Larkinson Clan continues to develop along its current trajectory, I think there is a 20 percent chance that it will be able to survive the challenges to come."

"That's better than before." Ves decided to look on the bright side of this prediction. "What are the reasons behind this upwards adjustment?"

"Well, I was already aware of some of your potential, but your clan has gathered quite a number of impressive talents. Your expert pilots have plenty of untapped potential. Miss Calabast Arnlend has made a considerable impression on me. Miss Gloria Wodin is a brilliant mech designer whose drive to improve is the highest that I have seen among her kind. The former citizens of the Life Research Association and the Heavensword Association are already becoming the pillars that can share the burden of supporting your clan. Due to the existence of this mysterious kinship network of yours, you have been able to gather and assimilate a diverse population of helpers. This is actually one of our main points of strength."

Shederin was right, in a sense. Ves was far from alone these days. He already tried that in the early days of his career but quickly bumped into many limitations.

These days, the Larkinson Clan had grown to a scale where Ves hardly ever had to address trivial issues anymore. He completely delegated the running of the LMC to Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson and just assumed that General Verle would be able to manage the increasingly stronger and more diverse mech forces.

"Alright, I'm glad that you think so highly of the Larkinson Clan, but a 20 percent survival chance is still too low. What are our chances if we follow your strategy to the letter?"

The Purnesser did not immediately beat his chest. "It is difficult to summarize a difficult prediction in a single number. There are too many variables at play. I also cannot fully account for large, epochal shifts in the society we live in. If I had that ability, I would have never allowed our Purnesse Family to suffer a rapid fall from grace due to the ripple effects of the Crown Uprising. Still, if you insist on hearing my estimate, then I cautiously think that I can double our chances."

"Forty percent?"

"More or less. I do not have the confidence to raise this figure."

Suffice to say, forty percent hardly sounded satisfactory to Ves. Yet there was more to this figure than what was obvious from the surface.

Ves did not feel that Shederin Purnesse exaggerated or massaged the numbers. The old man was being brutally honest because Ves and the Larkinson Clan needed a reality check rather than misleading flattery.

In addition, doubling the Larkinson Clan's chances was already impressive. Shederin had to work under disadvantageous circumstances. Compared to the more impressive pioneers that were already starting to become famed in the Red Ocean, the Larkinsons were still too lacking at the moment!

The only way to close this gap was to bank on the future and do their best to draw out their potential. That was the entire point of seeking more allies. Ves and the clan needed to buy a lot of time to grow powerful enough to be able to survive on their own. The best way to do that was to borrow other people's strength. This was also why Shederin was so eager to partner up with higher caliber organizations.

All of it made sense. The plan was not overly complicated nor did it attempt to steer the Larkinson Clan in a direction that Ves could not tolerate. This was enough for him to conclude this trial.

"Alright, I've made my decision." He spoke in a more imperious tone. "I'll give you a chance to implement this strategy yourself. From today onwards, I'd like you to work as the chief diplomat of our clan. While the final word on matters always stays with me, I am willing to give you a lot of space to realize your own vision. Your family members are already a part of us anyway, so I trust you will work earnestly to keep your bloodline alive."

It was quite crass for Ves to refer to the 'hostages' so directly, but Shederin merely brushed it aside and responded with a formal bow.

"Thank you for this opportunity. I shall endeavor to do my best to provide the best possible service to our clan. My family members will also prove their worth in the next couple of months. As long as you give them a chance, they will definitely give you a surprise."

Last he heard, the Purnessers were just starting to graduate from their so-called training regime. Though Ves and the Larkinsons only hastily set up the indoctrination program, the tender mercies of the Swordmaidens and several other groups that had taken charge of reforming the former Loxians reported a lot of progress.

None of them were snobs anymore. After enduring several weeks of harsh training, basic food, no luxury and constant one-sided lectures, the Purnessers had become a lot more manageable!

The ones that adjusted well to their new circumstances had already been released from the training program. They were already assuming vacant positions in the fast-growing clan administration in order to help with the enormous backlog of bureaucratic work that had been piling up in the last few months.

As for the more stubborn ones, none of them should be able to hold on for much longer. The threat of undergoing extra training from the Swordmaidens would definitely motivate the Purnessers to get their act together!

It didn't take too much work to finalize the appointment. Everyone in the clan already knew that Shederin Purnesse was on trial for this position. As long as he didn't cross any serious lines, he was practically guaranteed to become the highest-ranking diplomat.

The clan didn't have any alternatives. There was little point in settling for one of the younger Purnessers because there was a substantial gap that was difficult to overcome.

Ves signed all of the documents and went through all of the formalities quickly. Once he was done, he issued some instructions to Shederin before he departed from the Foreign Relations Department.

He didn't exhibit any surprise when Calabast quietly appeared by his side as he made his way to the design lab.

"I take it you were watching and listening."

"You know me too well." She threw him a quick grin. "I must say that I am a bit disappointed with your performance, though. You allowed yourself to get caught by his rhythm. Though Mr. Shederin has tried his best to portray himself as your subordinate, there is no question that he seeks to exert his own influence on you. The interests of the Purnesse bloodline surpass that of his new clan."

Ves dismissively waved his hand. "That's fine. In fact, I expected it. He's too old, wiley and experienced to fall for our indoctrination and I doubt that the Golden Cat is able to influence his mentality."

Even though Shederin Purnesse was not a high-ranking mech designer or mech pilot, the two professions weren't the only ones who could produce strong-willed humans!

His lack of concern did not alarm Calabast too much. "Mr. Shederin should be clever enough to work earnestly for the clan. Many of his relatives should make the same conclusion. The problem is the bad apples among the Purnessers. You cannot expect that all of them will be able to accept the fact that their old lives and the continuation of the Purnesse Family have been sacrificed in order to become a part of us and receive our protection. You know how proud people can be about something that is personal."

A brief reminder of Venerable Ghanso Larkinson flashed through his mind. Ves absolutely loathed people like his least favorite cousin.

He released a sigh. "I hope that Mr. Shederin will be able to teach them a lesson."

"What if that doesn't work?"

"If they're harmless, then just leave them be. If they don't keep their opinions to themselves and try to persuade others to deny their new reality…"

Ves didn't need to finish this sentence. Calabast merely responded with a minute nod to signal that she received the message.

The two of them had cooperated long enough to develop a thorough understanding of each other. While they may not fully agree on many points, they were still united by a common cause.

Neither of the two wanted the Larkinson Clan to fracture from within. Even though the Larkinsons enjoyed a lot of rights and were able to express themselves in different ways, as long as they turned into a problem, they had to be taken care of one way or another!