The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1793

Chapter 1793 Premature Celebration

The fleet of Wodin ships and captured Fridayman ships entered the Kesseling System, only to encounter a grand celebration! _{freewёbnoνel.com}

Even though the Ylvaine Protectorate was still entangled in the later stages of the Sand War, the arrival of the Bright Martyr changed everything!

This was not the Ylvaine Protectorate of the past where the leaders of the three leading dynasties treated Ves with skepticism.

This time, almost every higher up believed in the Bright Martyr! The evidence in the form of the Transcendent Messengers, Holy Soldiers and Deliverers overwhelmingly proved that Ves had definitely been blessed by the Great Prophet!

Only the most bone-headed traditionalists still argued against recognizing Ves as the Bright Martyr. Everyone else, even the staunchest inquisitors of the Poxco Dynasty, fully bought into the myth that Prophet Ylvaine watched out over his flock through the medium of mechs!

Many churches and cathedrals even started adopting his mechs as altars! Compared to cold, unfeeling statues made in the Great Prophet's likeness, a Deliverer mech was fully capable of strengthening the faith of the believers by its ambient glow alone!

In these past several years, the Protectorate had already been inching towards accepting Ves. Yet the outbreak of the Sand War and the pressure exerted towards the state made many Ylvainans yearning for salvation.

While the Kronon Dynasty fought bravely against the sandmen, not a single hero in the war managed to eclipse the Bright Martyr!

While individual heroes won entire battles through their earnest efforts, only Ves managed to swing the war decisively in the Protectorate's favor!

That he managed to do so by releasing a couple of Ylvainan mech designs was incredible!

In less than a year, the lukewarm attitude towards Ves turned into full-throated support! Many Ylvainans, from the grassroots to the very top, believed that Ves was definitely a boon to the faith!

As for minor details such as his foreign origins and his apparent lack of faith, what did it matter? The mechs he designed were so clearly blessed by the Great Prophet himself that he deserved to be recorded into the annals of the Ylvainan Faith!

With such a massive and all-encompassing turnaround, the Ylvainans couldn't possibly treat Ves like a regular foreign guest.

They already prepared a grand parade for his entry!

The moment the Hexer fleet transitioned into the Kesseling System, numerous combat carriers flanked the new arrivals and deployed some of their mechs.

For a moment, the Glory Battalion became perplexed. Had the Hexers succumbed to the pressure exerted by the Fridaymen and switched their support?

"Calm down!" Ves urgently tried to tell the crew. "They're not hostile!"

He didn't need to speak out. The Kronon Dynasty already contacted the commanding officer of the fleet and told them of their upcoming arrangements.

The Hexers soon relaxed, though they still maintained some vigilance. While it was unlikely for the Ylvainans to turn hostile against them, the Glory Battalion still had a duty to uphold! It could never allow third parties to take over its primary mission!

For this reason, the eager Ylvainan honor guard had to escort the fleet to Kesseling VIII from a very healthy distance. In no way were they allowed to get close enough to threaten the Stellar Chaser!

While all of this was going on, celebrations already started to take place on the surface of their destination planet!

Both Ves and Gloriana watched the local news feed with astonishment.

"The sandman invasion hasn't subsided yet." Ves uttered. "Many star systems are still being flooded by sandman fleets. It's too soon to run the victory lap!"

"While the Ylvainans are definitely happy to receive the Bright Martyr, it's partially political theater." Gloriana opined. "The Ylvaine Protectorate is ascendant right now due to the deals it made with other states. However, the gains it made from the Sand War can all go up in smoke once the Komodo War spills over this region."

"I'm already aware of the threat the Protectorate faces from the Coalition and Coalition-aligned states. What does that have to do with this overblown spectacle, though?"

"The Ylvainans are trying to appeal to their prophet by using you as medium."

"What?"

Gloriana spread her arms. "The Protectorate's geopolitical landscape is highly unfavorable, as you already know. While the states closer to the frontier have all been wiped out, the sandmen are still a threat. In almost every other direction, the Protectorate is surrounded by states that all lean towards the Coalition. What if they are encouraged to attack the only state that is friendly towards the Hexers?"

Though Ves already dismissed this possibility as an act that would do more harm than good for the Friday Coalition, what if it grew desperate? What if the Fridaymen made an impulsive decision?

As long as the Friday Coalition put heavy pressure on the Bright Republic and other nearby states, it might be possible for half-a-dozen nearby states to gang up on the Ylvaine Protectorate!

That would certainly spell the end for the religious state! Though the Kronon Dynasty demonstrated its valiance during the Sand War, it was impossible for them to resist the might of several hostile states!

While Ves understood all of this, he was perplexed by the actions of the Ylvainans.

"The Great Prophet isn't omnipotent. Even if I design some fantastic new Ylvainan mech, I doubt it can defeat entire mech divisions."

"That's why it's not only about appealing to Ylvaine." Gloriana added. "It's partially an appeal to us. The Ylvainans are calling for attention and trying to impress our Hegemony that they are worth investing in. As long as our state becomes impressed with their accomplishments, we might move to guarantee its independence."

"Will the Hegemony do so?"

Gloriana chuckled and shook her head. "How can our state spare any effort to a state that is too far away to reinforce easily? Any forces we send have to pass through the territories of numerous states aligned with the Friday Coalition. While that's not a major problem for now, it will definitely be an issue later on when the Komodo War is in full swing!"

"Then.. your people will just leave the Ylvainans to their own devices?" Ves frowned.