Chapter 1009. Clou (1/2)

Ves exited Senator Tovar's magnificent stateroom in confusion. The conversation took a strange direction at the end, and he couldn't quite figure out the old man's intentions.

He did figure out one thing, though. The senator's interest in him had increased, and Ves did not know whether that was good or bad. As much as he benefited from having a powerful backer within the government, he had no illusion that the senator truly valued him more than a useful tool.

As a mech designer, Ves worked with various tools. ”A good tool is hard to find, but I won't cry if it breaks. I'll just get a replacement.”

He witnessed various instances of leaders sacrificing others for their own purposes. From Calabast using up the lives of her operatives to Senator Tovar treating the 6th Flagrant Vandals as a gambling stake to win the jackpot of his life, powerful people did not shy away from sacrificing the lives of their subordinates to get what they wanted.

Even so, the people working under them did not get a raw deal. They remained in service for a reason. Often, they received rich rewards and their families would get taken care of. Loyal service to a powerful individual or organization allowed someone to elevate their own station and build up a path towards a better future.

Having witnessed what really went on among the various rivalling government institutions such as Flashlight and the Ministry of Economic Development, Ves began to think it was unavoidable for him to remain uninvolved in politics.

For now, Ves managed to obtain Flashlight's recognition and backing. Yet Flashlight possessed a substantial if ambiguous connection to Senator Tovar. This basically meant that Ves might have inadvertently joined the camp of the Tovar Family without even realizing it before he actually met with the old man again!

”Damn!”

This might have been one reason why Senator Tovar diverted some of his valuable time to meet with Ves in person. The senator thought he was welcoming someone who aligned with the Tovar Family!

Ves shook his head. ”Well, it's not as if the senator is skimpy on his rewards.”

He patted his chest where two extra ribbons joined his previous collection. It was almost inconceivable for a mech designer to earn these awards. Carrying them certainly impressed the citizens of the Bright Republic, yet would the Vesian delegation feel the same?

He still didn't even receive a clear picture on how he was supposed to act during the peace talks. Obviously, he wouldn't be allowed inside the confidential conference room where Senator Tovar and his equivalent from the royal house conducted their high-stakes horse trading.

Instead, Tovar told him to hang around outside and try to befriend the other Vesians in the same position as him. Apparently, bringing along interesting fellows like Ves to meet with other interesting fellows from the other party happened all the time in these kinds of gatherings.

Shortly after the arrival of Ves and some other key personnel, the Tovar Peace Delegation finally set off to a surprising destination. When Ves asked a crew member where they would be heading, he received a surprising answer.

”The Reinald Republic agreed to host the peace talks. They've set aside a place for the talks at Harksenen II.”

Ves blinked. ”The Harkensen System? Isn't it extremely busy?”

”The brass seem to think that they can hide themselves the best if they're in a crowd. All kinds of shady types visit the Harkensen System on a daily basis, so our disguised fleet won't catch any attention.”

Hearing that they would be visiting the Harkensen System again made Ves feel as if he was revisiting the past. He did not enjoy the best time there, and the chaos on Harkensen I severely damaged the star system's standing as a safe destination to relax and partake in the underground markets.

Even so, the Tovar Peace Delegation would not be cutting straight through hostile territory in order to reach the Reinald Republic. Instead, the fleet would take a very wide detour around the Vesia Kingdom and reach the Reinald Republic from the other side.

The fleet centered around the Felicitous Remembrance intended to expedite their travel by travelling through various port systems. This allowed the fleet to traverse a much greater distance with much greater time savings.

Even so, the extent of their detour still meant that the fleet would only be able to reach the Reinald Republic in one-and-a-half months. That didn't sound very bad as they would mostly be safe by sticking to the major shipping lines, but it left Ves with very little to do except to get to know the crew a bit better.

Due to the high degree of confidentiality surrounding the peace talks, almost no one except Senator Tovar and some other key personnel retained access to the galactic net. Everyone else got their access cut off, leaving them isolated from the greater galaxy!

Fortunately, Ves hadn't been stranded on the Felicitous Remembrance without guidance. Preston Lowe found him again as he whiled away his time in his luxurious cabin aboard the passenger ship.

”Secretary Lowe, is it?”

”Ah, you remember me, Mr. Larkinson.” The diplomatic aide bowed. ”I've been assigned to meet the needs of our various attachés, which includes you. I understand that someone as young as you might be lacking some direction right now. If you have any questions, now would be the time to ask.”

Ves truly wanted to obtain some answers to his questions.

”Alright. Who are the people in charge of conducting the negotiations?”

”Senator Camden Tovar is the principal representative of our government.” Preston smoothly replied. ”However, aside from setting overall policy, the senator will likely leave most of the daily talks to Lieutenant Colonel Xelven from the Bureau of Sector Affairs.”

Ves frowned at that. ”Why a military officer?”

”Forging a peace between the Republic and the Kingdom requires the cessation of military conflict. The thorniest issues and the biggest headaches we expect to encounter all relate to the contradictions that have developed during the war. Therefore, since the bulk of the peace talks will involve military concessions, it is best if we can rely on Colonel Xelven to stay on top of these topics.”