The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1786

When Ranya and Gloriana left the compartment, the manifestation of Brutus’ will no longer became constrained.

The protective blankets that his force of will draped around his family turned into a formless field that suffused the entire lounge with his pressure!

His intense protectiveness changed the very nature of the air around them, turning it into a domain where his will prevailed!

Of course, these tricks did not affect Ves the slightest. As a Journeyman, his mind was not as defenseless as other humans, and the oppression radiating from Brutus hardly affected his stability.

Though Ves did not actively fight back against the pressure, the fact that he managed to stay solid earned a rare bout of respect from the expert pilot.

This was enough for Brutus to look at Ves in a different manner.

He decided to be direct. "Let me ask you plainly, Larkinson. Do you love my sister?"

"I do." Ves replied. In order to express his sincerity, he opened his mind and focused towards all of the moments he shared with his girlfriend. "I love Gloriana. I love her company, her enthusiasm, her passion and her smile. I love her so much that I’m willing to become an enemy to the Friday Coalition! I did not hesitate in resisting Lady Curver’s unsolicited advances! In order to return to Gloriana, I killed dozens of the Fridaymen and stole one of their ships! Don’t forget that I did this all by myself! Can you imagine the depths a mech designer like me will go to remain faithful to the love of my life?"

His argument appeared to sway Brutus a bit.

While he took some liberties with the truth, Ves was truly being sincere in his love towards Gloriana! His entire mind and body radiated the earnest feelings he cherished in his heart.

This outward expression made contact with Brutus’ force of will, allowing him to vaguely sense that Ves was being entirely truthful.

Ves truly loved Gloriana! This was not in doubt!

From this, Brutus understood that Ves was not trying to take advantage of Gloriana. Plenty of third-raters tried to marry second-raters in order to improve their station in life. It was such a common occurrence that Brutus had already put Ves in this category beforehand.

Yet now that he met Ves in person, Brutus found out that his sister’s relationship was much more intertwined than he thought.

He cared about his sister. It would have been easy if Ves was just scheming to take advantage of Gloriana and the Wodins. Yet if both Ves and Gloriana were sincere towards each other, then trying to break them apart would harm the later enormously!

Brutus knew his sister pretty well! How could he not know she was absolutely committed to this relationship?!

"I respect what you have accomplished." He conceded towards Ves. "For a third-rater, and a civilian no less, you managed to resist the Fridaymen, and did not show any hesitation in doing so. For that, you are a friend to our state."

Ves proudly straightened his back and patted his chest! "I’m a Larkinson. While our family is not as powerful as the Wodins, there is fire in my blood and honor in my bones! I will do anything to protect Gloriana!"

Surprisingly, this answer did not have the effect that Ves intended. Rather than earn Brutus’ respect, the expert pilot became more grave.

Ves immediately sensed the change became the oppression from Brutus’ force of will increased!

"I worry about your influence on my sister." Brutus said while boring his eyes at Ves. "You aren’t born a Hexer. You are a stranger to our beliefs and our customs. The number six is meaningless to you. You don’t respect women as much as genuine Hexers. Above all, you have never been tamed!"

If proper Hexer boys could be likened to well-behaved dogs, then Ves was a feral mutt who was liable to hit any hand that attempted to feed him! Such a rabid dog ought to be wiped out before he could do more damage!

Ves realized his mistake. Hexers respected ferocity, but only from women!

This was because the Hexers believed in the myth that women were smarter, wiser and more in control of themselves!

A ferocious woman was a good thing, because she could be trusted to channel her energy productively.

A ferocious boy was a bad thing, because boys were too impulsive and immature to take the greater picture into account!

The more Ves portrayed himself as a strong and assertive man, the more Hexers believed he was a deadly beast who could lose control at any time!

Still, now that he had uttered his words, he could hardly take them back. Ves had been largely sincere up to now, so if he became less honest, Brutus would definitely be able to tell the difference somehow!

"Gloriana is a great mech designer, but she can’t design the mechs she wants alone." Ves changed the subject.

"I don’t believe that." Brutus crossed his arms and rejected his assertion. "There are so many mech designers that there are doubtlessly more mech designers who can benefit her as well. Even if it turns out you are the only mech designer in the Komodo Star Sector who compliments her well, she can always find someone better from another star sector! There are a myriad of star sectors to choose from, and I don’t believe there is no one in the entire galaxy who can fit her better than you! Even if there is no one suitable in the Milky Way Galaxy, then I will not hesitate to find a way to bring her to the Red Ocean to continue our search!"

"You Hexers aren’t exactly popular outside your own state. No offense, Venerable Brutus, but many capable male mech designers who come close to meeting her standards will likely turn away once they learn about the Hexadric Hegemony!"

That caused Brutus to scrutinize Ves even more. "It sounds like you are sympathetic to them rather than to us. What is your stance on Hexers?"

Uh oh. Ves dreaded this question. This was a very thorny issue for him, and if he gave out his unvarnished opinion, Brutus would definitely not let this contradiction go! As a true Hexer, the expert pilot fully bought into all of the poisonous beliefs of his culture!

Fortunately, Ves did not come unprepared. He already prepared a countermeasure beforehand.

He quickly concentrated his mind and donned a mask he prepared beforehand.