The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1992

Chapter 1992 Another “Benny“

Ever since Gavin informed him of the huge shift in worship pattern among the Ylvainans in his fleet, Ves felt more anxious about this group than ever.

Religious fanatics always concerned him a lot. Unlike normal people, fanatics wholeheartedly devoted themselves to whatever cause they idolized!

This compulsion could be used for both innocuous ends and destructive ends! When people turned off the part of their brains that ran on logic, they were capable of doing anything regardless of the harm to their own lives and wellbeing!

This was why Ves hated them so much. To him, reality made much more sense when people solely pursued their rational self-interests. Extremists and fanatics were some of the people who were most prone to ignoring this pattern, which made them very hard to predict and guard against!

It was already bad enough that some of his enemies consisted of fanatics.

It was worse when they counted among his allies!

The two groups that concerned him the most were the Ylvainans and the Hexers.

Even though Ves grew increasingly more close to the Hexers, he wasn't too concerned. As long as he refrained from entering Hegemony space, he didn't have to deal with their man-hating ways aside from the occasional insensitive remark from his girlfriend.

The same could not be said for the Ylvainans.

Though he left the Ylvaine Protectorate far behind, that only separated him from the 'moderate' Ylvainans.

A large portion of his fleet and his other organizations consisted of True Believers! Compared to regular Ylvainans, they were even more devoted to their faith, and they just happened to be indoctrinated in the belief that the clones of the Great Prophet actually represented the original Ylvaine!

The amount of craziness needed to believe in such an absurd premise was astounding. Everyone in the galaxy knew that clones of people did not take over their identities. Far from it. Clowns were essentially bots in human skin! Even if the less flawed clones could pass off as human, it was largely similar to AIs programmed to act like humans.

James Ylvaine was different, however. So much so that Ves demanded a personal meeting with the latest clone of the prophet. This new development obviously came from the top!

When the fleet next exited FTL, a shuttle departed from a light carrier. It crossed a short distance until it docked in the Scarlet Rose's crowded hangar bay.

Only one person exited the shuttle. James Ylvaine wearing his characteristic white robes emerged from the vehicle with a pleasant smile. The guards assigned to fetch him couldn't help but be taken aback by his natural charm!

"Please lead the way." He spoke, his smooth voice flowing like silk!

Wherever he passed, the crew members working in the vicinity all stared at him as if he was a celebrity. His regal-looking robe stood out from the functional uniforms of the Avatars and Battle Criers like a sore thumb. It was as if a pope had stepped onto their humble ship!

The pair of guards eventually ushered him in Ves' stateroom.

Aside from Nitaa and Lucky, no one else was present. Ves did not feel threatened by James as long as he was alone. It was his influence and the devotion of his followers that truly turned him into a formidable player!

"Mr. Larkinson." James greeted Ves as if they were ordinary buddies. "It's good to see you again. I'm aware that you are very busy lately. Just know that failure is a normal process that everyone has to go through. You are not strong enough to be able to fulfill all of your ambitions. That's okay. I'm sure that you will be able to revisit your goal in the future."

Ves stroked Lucky's back as his cat dozed on his desk. His lips curled into a frown. "I did not ask for your advice. Please keep these kinds of comments to yourself. In fact, cut it off with the charade. I believe the future is never set in stone! Whatever you think might happen, there is always the possibility that events will happen outside of your supposed predictions!"

"I never claimed to be omniscient, Ves." James smiled toothily at him as he comfortably sat on the chair placed before the desk. "I think you are misconstruing what a prophet is. Prophets are messengers. Prophets serve as the voice of the people or something greater. I did not wear this robe to enrich myself. I serve a greater cause."

That sounded absurd to Ves. "The records of the original Ylvaine say otherwise. By all accounts, he was fully enjoying the life of a cult leader."

It was indisputable that the Prophet Ylvaine who founded the faith was a very indulgent human. Not only did he travel on the most luxurious ships, he also married a lot of wives and fathered a lot of sons!

Was this the behavior of a humble messenger?

"Again, I am not necessarily great." James calmly retorted as if he already expected the answer. "My current incarnation is just a mortal. Just like my first known incarnation, I am just as vulnerable to the threat of death as any other human. However, even if I die this instant, I will always live on. Life is rather quirky. As someone who embodies this domain, I'm sure you know all about it. Right, Mr. Larkinson?"

How many secrets did this man know?! Ves resisted the urge to restrain him and dig through his mind!

"Stop taunting me, James. I am in no mood to play these games!"

"As you wish, Ves. I'm sure you are curious why my followers have shifted to worshipping you. I can imagine that this is a very abrupt change to those who aren't versed in our faith. I did not intend to alarm you all, but this is the right time to enact this shift."

Would Ves ever be able to hold a normal conversation with James? The Living Prophet acted as if he was answering a question that hadn't even been voiced!

"Don't try to warp my beliefs or hoodwink me into converting to your nonsensical faith! While I tolerate the beliefs of your people, that does not mean I'm a part of your cult! I am not an Ylvainan. I will never be an Ylvainan!" _{freewebnøvel.com}

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