The Mech Touch novel Chapter 3077

Chapter 3077: Implicit Understanding

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."

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