THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 6855  A Different Kind of Struggle

The Minerva Mark II finally completed her extensive battery of tests.

The Design Department collected a huge amount of useful data.

The Saint Commander also gained a much better awareness of what she was capable of with her upgraded machine.

The members of the Premier Fleet and the Bluejay Fleet also understood how much stronger they became after being blessed by Casella's true resonance.

The overall conclusion was that the Minerva Mark II held great promise. She might not be able to defeat powerful champions such as the Wind of Destruction, but she excelled in eliminating large amounts of regular units.

A day after the last tests, Ves met with the Saint Commander in private to discuss the conclusions they had drawn from all of the data.

"We have studied the numbers carefully." He told the ace pilot. "We also inputted the data into our SF-02 and conducted a large amount of simulations. You and your battle partner are most effective at eliminating enemy small craft, followed by enemy warships. Phase lords and phase whales pose a greater challenge to you, but they are so big and clumsy that you can continue to whittle them down at a distance. Only other ace mechs represent a problem to you. The inability for you to concentrate all of your true resonance in a single unit is a major shortcoming."

What he left unspoken was that Casella did not have this flaw in the past.

The precursor to her current Enfeoffment ability enabled her to channel all of her willpower to Venerable Imon Ingvar.

The reason why this worked was because of their close sibling relationship. They trusted each other so much that their willpower did not reject each other.

Unfortunately, there was no way that Casella could replicate this process without bringing back her brother.

Casella looked at him in the eyes while raising her cup of tea to her lips. The steaming cup of lavender tea was not to her taste, but she could appreciate its aromatic scent.

"Are you asking me to address this shortcoming?"

Ves shook his head. "How you wish to develop your career is your choice. I have no right to dictate how you should train your strength. Personally, I have always been a big believer of specialization. It is best if you stick to your current trajectory and give our troops the power to defeat at least 20 times their number. You do not need to worry about trying to kill enemy champions. We have other powerful mechs and mech pilots that are specialized for this role. One notable example is Saint Dise. The two of you working together is a perfect combination."

Casella looked eager. "I agree. After trying and failing to subdue the Wind of Destruction, I fully acknowledge my own weaknesses. I am not destined to become a duelist. It would be ideal if I can delegate this responsibility to Saint Dise. How long will it take to complete the First Sword Mark III?"

"Not too long." Ves smiled. "Ketis is cooperating extensively with the Red Association. This has caused her upgrade project to pick up a huge amount of speed. The First Sword Mark III Project should be complete within a month. If we are lucky, our new ace swordsman mech may be shipped to New Constantinople only shortly after our flagship arrives."

The Premier Fleet was slowly coming together. Key assets were still trickling in from various different places and networks.

Combined with Casella's work of rectifying the armed forces of the Premier Branch and opening up recruitment, it should only take up to 2 months before they could start deploying in the frontlines and fight the aliens up close!

That was a pretty tight timetable, but Ves was confident they could pull it all together.

"Is the prospect of adding the First Sword Mark III to the Premier Fleet enough, or do you want more? We can still recall the Dark Zephyr Mark III and the Amaranto Mark III if necessary."

The Saint Commander shook her head in rejection. "My answer towards this subject remains the same. Gathering 4 ace pilots in a single fleet is… excessive. We will either provoke an overwhelming enemy response, or we continue to deter all of our enemies in the Red Ocean. The latter is not effective due to the fanaticism of the rank-and-file alien soldiers. We can make a much better contribution if we spread out our ace mechs across the frontlines."

"Hm, that is a mature and rational decision." Ves complimented the ace commander. "The Premier Fleet should do fine with you and Saint Dise. The key is to remain mobile. It is not necessary to accept the opportunity to fight. What I cannot accept is to force a needless concentration. I am afraid that having 4 ace pilots around will cause us to develop delusions of grandeur. It may feel tempting for us to raid behind enemy lines, only to get concerned by an ancient phase whale."

Casella nodded in agreement.

The scenario he described may actually come true. The power of an ace pilot was great. Being able to deploy 4 of them was enough to defend a major star system.

"Since our Premier Fleet is getting closer to getting launched, I need to understand your objectives better." The Saint Commander said. "Do you have a more specific goal in mind aside from defeating as many alien forces as possible?"

Ves paused in thought. It was not easy to explain his full intentions, but Casella deserved an honest answer.

"You should already know the surface reasons, Casella. Earning war merits, defending red humanity, harvesting spoils, accelerating the growth of our troops and earning fame and glory on the battlefield are all valid goals. However, one of my highest priorities has always been to promote the growth of my design philosophy. I believe that being active on the frontlines and designing mechs in response to what I have witnessed in action is the fastest way to speed up my development as a mech designer. It is risky, but I think it works well in avoiding complacency. There is no better rush than the threat of death to keep my mind sharp."

The ace commander had no understanding of this, but she was willing to take Ves at his word.

She took another sip as she processed his words.

"Our clan has become less dependent on your support alone over the years." She said. "As far as mech designers are concerned, Gloriana and Ketis have become successful enough to support our clan in your absence. As for mech pilots, our growing collection of ace pilots will not stand by and let us fall. Our position is more secure than ever, but it is not that easy to break into a higher level of society. Your breakthrough will solve many problems. You will truly be accepted among the leadership of red humanity once you have realized your design philosophy."

As much as Ves enjoyed the accolades that he had won as a Senior Mech Designer, the mech industry still did not completely acknowledge his contributions.

His death could erase many of the advantages that he had secured for the mech community

Ves could cut off this possibility so long as he broke through to the rank of Master Mech Designer.

Therefore, anything that could speed up his work was welcome.

"Do you require any aid in your research? Do you need to collect special materials, or fight against specific opponents?"

"No. That will not be necessary, Casella. I already have a plan, and it is not difficult for me to gather the necessary resources."

The two Larkinsons fell into silence as they sipped their tea and thought about what was in store for them in the future.

Ves needed to speed up his journey to Master Mech Designer.

Casella wanted to grow faster in order to become strong enough to revive her brother in full.

Although their goals did not match each other, their agendas aligned just enough for them to cooperate with each other.

"I have a question, Casella. How was the experience of fighting against the Wind of Destruction?"

The ace commander made a sour expression. "I do not like to be reminded of that practice session. The Black Lord… made me feel completely helpless. If Saint Alessandro Devos wanted to, he could have driven his ace mech closer and eliminated me within seconds. That is how strong he is. There was no part in my brain that could tell me a way to escape this predicament."

Since the two were talking in private, Casella reluctantly dropped her guard and revealed her vulnerability.

The feeling of helplessness affected her more than it should.

Ves reached out and patted her palm with his hand. "I have been in similar positions as you in the past. The scenarios are different, but the concept remains the same. We cannot help but feel utterly weak when we meet those who are so much more powerful than us. Yet this is nothing special. How you react to the Wind of Destruction is similar to how other people look at you. This is all one big cycle."

This was how he saw the Red Ocean. From his perspective, it had become a tangled knot of relationships and threats.

"A part of myself still remains unwilling to avoid spending our time on training to become a better duelist." Casella said. "I have sacrificed so much to get this far, but my breakthrough still feels hollow without my brother by my side. He was supposed to be my champion, you know? It would have been fantastic if he broke through as well. He could effectively fight with both of our true resonances acting on his machine at the same time. The combination would have made him as strong as the Gemini Saints working together."

Ves smiled. "Perhaps you may be able to fulfill your wish one day. Nothing is impossible as long as you wield enough power. None of this is attainable in the short term, though."

"..."

A minute of silence passed before Ves carefully chose to ask a delicate question.

"Is there a way for you to lend much of your extraordinary willpower to another high-ranking mech pilot besides your deceased brother?"

"..."

"I have to ask this question, Casella. It has great strategic importance."

"...No." The woman forced herself to answer. "I trust Jannzi, Joshua and so on, but… my friendship with my peers cannot come close to the familial bond with my brother. I am sorry, but I don't think I can develop my current relationships with other powerful mech pilots any further."

Ves grew disappointed, but then he came up with another idea.

"Wait. If family ties are so important to you, then what about a husband? What about children? Do you think your bond with them can grow strong enough for them to bear most of your power?"

Casella looked genuinely taken aback by this suggestion.

"I… have not contemplated marriage, let alone having kids. I have always been preoccupied by work and combat. My social life is nonexistent. The current state of the Red War is too dire for us to relax."

Ves sighed. "You cannot set aside your personal life all of the time, Casella. You need to experience what being human is like in order to better understand the people you are protecting. Wouldn't it be nice to find a life partner to share your most intimate feelings with? Isn't it great for you to experience motherhood and raise your own children? Each of them have the potential to become a powerful carrier of your true resonance. Your brother definitely would not want you to remain depressed and lonely after his demise. I think he wants the opposite from you. The best way to make him happy is to live a real life. Marrying the love of your life and propagating your bloodline is a great way for you to do this. Do you wish to honor your brother's legacy?"

The Saint Commander faintly looked out of her element. For all of her acumen in combat, she was woefully unprepared to tackle a different kind of struggle.

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