The Mech Touch novel Chapter 3008

Chapter 3008: Dog Food

Ves awkwardly coughed. "I am honored that you have faith in my ability to train expert pilots, but aren't you being a little too optimistic here? The probability of expert pilots emerging from a crowd of mech pilots is somewhere around one to several thousand, if not worse. This means that there is a high chance that the twenty MTA mech pilots you are sending to me simply don't have what it takes to undergo apotheosis! I don't want to waste my time and have my merits deducted from my account for nothing."

The Darkbreak module continued to project Master Willix's body without fail. It was so high tech that Ves could easily mistake the physical projection as real if not for the fact that it could not replicate her powerful spirituality!

Despite this limitation, Ves still sensed an instinctive source of power from her projection. This was an impression that he could never shake no matter how much he reminded himself that he was looking at a tactile illusion.

Right now, he could feel her irritation towards him. He hadn't been behaving very diligently so far. It was hard to blame him as Master Willix essentially roped him into a mission against his will.

Just because he surrendered to her authority didn't mean he liked being browbeat!

"You have already taken on this sort of mission before, have you not?" She raised her eyebrow at him. "Willian of the Urbesh Clan has turned from a cowardly disgrace of a mech pilot to a strong and fearless expert pilot. He's doing quite well for himself last I checked, though he is still mute for some reason. That is not a bad tradeoff if I might say so myself."

Ves twitched his mouth. "Our conventional training programs failed to inject some courage into William. We had to resort to extreme measures in order to kick him into shape. I wouldn't exactly call him a success story. Do you really want me to subject your fancy MTA mech pilots to similar treatment?"

"We must all make some sacrifices in this dire time." She said without any remorse. "That said, no one will benefit if you send back just half of the mech pilots I have given you in a broken state. The better your results, the better it will strengthen my position."

"What are you up to, ma'am?"

Master Willix sighed. "There are many clever people in the Mech Trade Association. I am but one of many Masters in its ranks. If I wish to have my voice heard, I must build up my political capital. I am already pursuing several initiatives that will likely increase my standing within my circle of peers, but I am not the only Master who is trying to rise to a higher position. Many of my rivals are working as hard as they can to assume a leadership position within our great organization."

Ves entered more familiar territory. Though the MTA was unfathomably powerful, it was still an organization comprised of humans. This meant that it was probably rife with factional struggles and selfish power grabs just like any other organization!

"What does it matter if you fall short, Master Willix?" He needled her with a playful grin. "You selfless Masters are all servants of humanity and the MTA, are you not? It shouldn't matter who among you gets to lord it over the rest. You are all on the same side!"

"I wish that were so." Master Willix disappointingly shook her head. "You should already know better, Mr. Larkinson. You have already touched upon the power struggle between the Rim Guardians and the Prime Humans. This is but one of many quarrels that has beset our Association. There is an even higher-level struggle within the upper hierarchy. The one that I am involved in actually goes all the way to the Galactic Mech Council."

"What?!"

The Galactic Mech Council was the supreme decision-making organ of the MTA. If Master Willix was chummy with one of the hundred councilors, then she possessed enough influence to change the course of human development!

"Oh, don't get me wrong. A single Master such as myself cannot possibly approach a Galactic Mech Councilor." She quickly clarified. "However, I am affiliated with someone who can definitely catch the attention of one of the highest leaders."

"…You're talking about the Star Designer that you're friends with, right?"

She nodded. "Correct. Even so, there are only around seventy Star Designers in existence. There are many more Masters currently alive today. Do you think it is easy to attract the attention of one of these great designers? The matters they handle and the problems they are dealing with are a billion times more grand than what is going through your head. Even if I have a solid connection with a Star Designer, there are many more like myself who can say the asme. It is imperative that I get ahead of my rivals and gain a higher standing before the subsequent phases of the enemy plan unfolds. I cannot trust many of my colleagues to act responsibly and do their best to preserve the Association."

Ves understood her position more and more. She was not so different from himself, in a way. Just like him, she was not assured of letting other people be in charge. She would only feel assured that everything would go right if she assumed leadership herself.

Though she painted herself as a noble and selfless servant of the MTA, Ves had serious doubts whether that was entirely true!

If Master Willix wanted to climb to a higher position, then she must surely be motivated by a more direct reason.

It was none of his business, though. The Master did not look willing to elaborate any further, so Ves did not think too much in this direction.

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