Chapter 7389  Posthumous Bargain

It made sense for the Voice of Liberty to make a request to protect his underlings.

However, despite his controversial stances, the late rogue saint had attracted a large variety of supporters.

The Larkinson Clan wouldn't mind it if it had to accommodate the more sensible and ordinary individuals, but the same could not be said for the more outspoken and radical ones.

[I know what you are concerned about.] The recorded version of the deceased ace pilot spoke. [Not everyone within my orbit belongs in your clan. I do not insist you bring them in. The matter of becoming your clansman must be a completely voluntary process. I will not force you to shelter my men, and I will not force my former subordinates to join your cause. I only ask that you give them a fair chance.]

That sounded a lot more acceptable to Ves, but he wondered how much leeway he had with this condition.

What prevented his clan from rejecting 90 percent of the applicants?

The Voice of Liberty couldn't have overlooked such an obvious loophole. He already found a means to ensure that the Larkinsons made an earnest effort.

His projected face smiled.

[In exchange for protecting my lads, I can transfer the minor favor that the Resonance Smith has bequeathed to me. I am sure a man of your stature understands the value and importance of favors. I have refrained from using up my sole remaining favor to my benefactor precisely because of its irresistibility. I have not informed the Star Designer of this deal, but he will understand what I have done as long as you come forward to him with this recording. His Excellency shall decide whether you have sufficiently complied with my demand. If you have passed his scrutiny, he will not defy my last wish and allow you to make use of the minor favor. That is all. Take care of them for me. Treat them as your own brothers and sisters, and they shall do the same to you. Goodbye.]

Silence ensued after the brief recording had reached its end.

The Voice of Liberty made a completely different impression in this pre-recorded message. He had shed all forms of posturing and did not try to affect his mood with his music.

During the time he recorded this message, he was not a man who had almost touched upon the divine, nor a crusader who fought to uphold the dignity of mech pilots.

He was just a man who worried about his friends and acquaintances.

This was a very human request. It showed that underneath his imposing aura, he still retained a large amount of humanity.

Ves actually suspected that this may be one of the most pivotal factors behind his failure.

While his lack of preparation and accumulation served as the biggest reasons behind his downfall, his strong concerns of what would happen to his followers in the event of failure may have created another crack in his confidence during the moments where he needed it the most.

A truly confident god pilot candidate would not fuss so much about contingencies.

Ves ultimately felt a bit confused about the Voice of Liberty. The late saint exhibited both reckless and cautious traits. He swung from one direction to another, making his true character unclear.

Who was he, really?

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore, does it, Lucky?"

"Meow."

The gem cat did not care for a dead man.

After he made sure that the Voice of Liberty did not hide any other secret messages inside the data file, Ves exited the secure chamber and quickly concluded his visit to the stealth vessel.

He only briefly felt tempted to claim the Voice of Liberty's sparse personal belongings that he stored in his private chambers.

One item that stood out was a guitar. The instrument was clearly just a spare, but because a senior ace pilot had channeled his heart and soul into it for at least several weeks, it had become more than just a tool.

Unfortunately, any lingering remnant of Conrad Morgenstern had disappeared upon his elimination.

This caused the guitar to feel a bit hollow. It had clearly turned into a pseudo-artifact, but it had become almost stillborn.

Perhaps Ves might be able to recover it or convert it into a more useful form, but what was the point?

He was already short on time. He had no time to waste on frivolous projects.

Besides, he had no passion for music, and he did not know anyone who loved to play the guitar.

"Maybe Andraste will like it." He briefly wondered.

He quickly discarded the notion.

Perhaps it might be useful for his second daughter to partake in another hobby, but she already lived a busy and active lifestyle.

He chose to leave the guitar and other belongings behind.

The Red Association and the Red Fleet had already laid claim to the ambush vessels.

Troops and specialists had already boarded them and taken them over. They would all be sent to the nearest RA or RF strongholds so that they could undergo deeper inspections in case anything got overlooked.

The escort fleet finally resumed its journey to Yernstall.

Despite the delay and everything that ensued, no one believed that the fleet would encounter anymore ambushes.

The star systems situated closer to Yernstall were all highly populated and highly monitored.

Their defenses might not always be up to standard, but it would be difficult for human or alien stealth vessels to sneak past without tripping up an alarm.

Just before the escort fleet was finally due to arrive in the Yernstall Central Star Node, Ves briefly discussed the Voice of Liberty's final request with the other leaders of the clan.

"I have spoken with a bunch of the Voice of Liberty's followers." Ves said inside a conference room. "Most of them are alright, I think. They may be a bit more prone to supporting radical actions, but their hearts are in the right place. I see no problem with allowing them to join our clan so long as they are truly sincere about becoming Larkinsons. However, if they cannot meet this demand, we should not make any exceptions to our recruitment policies. Letting go of their old ties and relationships is an essential expectation that we put on our members. We cannot and should not tolerate double-dealing."

The projection of Saint Commander Casella Ingvar nodded in agreement. "I concur. The Voice of Liberty must have done his research on his clan. Our recruitment policies are all public. He has not requested an exception to our rules, so he must have implicitly agreed with our clan rules."

"If Saint Conrad Morgenstern had any problems with the way the Larkinson Clan liked to recruit its members, then he should have decided to approach another group." The projection of Swordmaster Ketis stated. "Our clan may be generous in some ways, but we are not a charity. We are getting flooded with too many applications already. Being selective is necessary if we want to preserve internal harmony."

Gloriana wanted to voice a concern. "I do not think we should be too casual with giving this group of people a chance to join. There is at least one major issue that needs to be brought to your attention. According to my investigation, the Voice of Liberty has recently formed the Pilot Humanist Society along with other radicals. His sudden demise did not cause the PHS to fall. In fact, it is the opposite. He is already being regarded as a martyr. Due to his very public stunt, Saint Morgenstern has not only exposed many more individuals to the PHS, but also galvanized the more actionable among them to join this movement!"

Ves briefly looked up the organization on the galactic net. He skimmed through the database entries as well as the news articles.

They all supported Gloriana's assertions. The Pilot Humanist Society had rapidly risen to become one of the lead voices in opposing the proliferation of stolen resonance technology!

"Ugh." Ves inwardly groaned.

He had feared that this might happen. The Voice of Liberty had made such a dramatic stance and died so tragically that he had moved a lot of people.

While not all of them were willing to become a hardcore supporter of the late saint's cause, if just 0.1 percent of them joined the Pilot Humanist Society, then that was enough to give the nascent organization a lot of momentum!

In other words, even if the Voice of Liberty died, his sacrifice ensured that his cause would live on in other ways!

There was no easy way to stall this movement. Saint Morgenstern's fall was too tragic. People who already felt inclined to support his viewpoints had only become even more committed to his ideals.

"What is the Larkinson Clan's official stance on this matter?" Ves asked an important question.

Everyone in this remote gathering turned their attention to the matriarch of the Larkinson Clan.

The Saint Commander frowned, indicating that even she could not formulate a clear answer on this subject.