The Mech Touch

To be honest, Cynthia's description did not surprise Veronica all that much.

It was enough for her to deduce this layout after absorbing so much information about cultivators, ancient human history and the history of the Five Scrolls Compact.

Ves had learned that cultivators in ancient human history turned out to be a lot more selfish and tyrannical than modern humans.

People rightfully expected the worst from others, particularly if the latter gained a lot more power!

While Ves did not have a full understanding of what these 'immortal gods' were supposed to represent, but if they were similar to other ancient cultivators, then they had to be power-hungry bastards without doubt!

A product reflected the personality of its creator. This was a general truth that rang true in many industries and most particularly the mech industry.

There was no way that the Sacred Scrolls and their associated crowns were benevolent given that they had been created by absolute bastards a long time ago!

Just examining how the Five Scrolls Compact developed as an organization should be enough proof that these objects were not made by angels!

As Veronica continued to listen to her mother, she noticed that Cynthia clearly did not want to divulge information that was unfortunately tightly related to the current subject matter.

"The symbols of authority... all have their own names as well as personalities. At the same time, they also reflect the desire of the Holy Sons and Daughters who bear them. They traditionally come in the form of a crown as that is the most effective shape to convey authority." The True God solemnly revealed. "The Golden Laurel Wreath Crown that is in my possession is a close representation of its creator as well as its last bearer. It generally seeks out a disciple of the Water Scroll that is cruel, bloodthirsty and willing to make great sacrifices for power. Anyone chosen by this particular crown can borrow progressively more power from it. The immortal gods have taken great lengths to ensure that the Holy Sons and Daughters that have earned their approval can dominate other cultivators."

This was true news to Veronica! She had been waiting to learn insider information like this for a long time! She was finally able to gain a lot of useful context on the Five Scrolls Compact that constantly found a way to intersect with her life.

The cyborg cat took in the implications of Cynthia's words.

"The symbols of authority... don't bestow their power for free, do they?"

"That is a crucial observation, and one that you will need to stay alive going forward. This is one of the many insidious elements about these crowns. They seduce their chosen bearers with greater power by making specific decisions and behaving in a certain way. By setting up this constant feedback loop, the goals and personality traits of the Holy Sons and Daughters will gradually become more attuned with the immortal gods who made it all possible. This is the curse that plagues all bearers!"

Veronica's back stiffened as realization dawned on her feline face!

"Myaow! If that is the case, then the Polymath..."

Cynthia looked down on Veronica as if the cyborg cat was a dummy. "It took you long enough to connect the dots. You should have recognized the true implications as soon as the Polymath initially unveiled that crown of hers. The Metal Scroll may have shattered, but it is very much possible for its symbol of authority to remain intact all of this time, with all of the good and ill that comes with it. I cannot say how many years the young Star Designer has possessed and retained the approval of the crown. The greater this time interval, the more severe she has fallen into the grip of an immortal god!"

"What?!"

That... could potentially explain so much about the Polymath. The crown may have corrupted the famed Star Designer over time. The tyrannical side that she exposed when the voting session did not go in her way must have been a consequence of bearing the cursed crown for an indeterminate period of time!

It added an extra motivation for the Polymath's insistence in following the Unity Plan. She secretly held selfish intentions all of this time. By taking over the splinter kingdom, she could effectively regain control over a few more bits and pieces of the shattered Metal Scroll, thereby advancing the interests of the mysterious immortal god!

Taking over red humanity was another objective that fell in line with a supreme cultivator that desired greater power and a total control on all accessible resources.

Perhaps the compromised Polymath secretly plotted to retread the Age of Conquest and establish her own version of the Five Scrolls Compact in the Red Ocean!

Only this time the Polymath would have done a better job at it by taking the splinter kingdom hostage, thereby preventing any god pilot from taking action against her by threatening the core foundation of the mech community!

It was a brilliant plan that wonderfully enabled a Holy Daughter to effectively coopt her greatest enemies, thereby preemptively snuffing any attempted repeat of the Great Betrayal that led to the downfall of the original Compact!

What a deep and profound conspiracy!

Veronica felt even more glad that she had played her part in preventing the Polymath from taking control!

To think that she had always assumed that the Polymath always had the best intentions of red humanity in mind.

Everyone had fallen for her benevolent and rational act for such a long time that they couldn't imagine that this honest and truthful Star Designer had much more in common with the archenemies of the Mech Trade Association!

Veronica shuddered in Cynthia's arms.

Red humanity had come so close to dooming itself, and practically nobody realized the truth!

Ves had strong suspicions that the Xenotechnician and perhaps the other human True Gods might have figured out this truth as well, but declined to divulge it to the others.

It did not serve them well to expose the truth to everyone no matter the outcome of this multi-layered power struggle.

If the Polymath succeeded in her coup, then she still had to depend on mechs to secure her new empire against humanity's external enemies.

She was still a Star Designer after all, so it was unlikely she would do away with mechs.

This granted the Xenotechnician and all of the other existing human True God enough space for survival under the reign of the secret Holy Daughter.

Of course, it was better for most people that this outcome did not happen. Since the crown bearer failed to take over red humanity, there was no need to burden other people with these heavy secrets.

Veronica soon began to frown. "Do you think the Polymath only recently gained the approval of the crown? Her reputation is really good and she made remarkably few enemies as far as I know. She has always been known for her calm and rational decision-making. I find it incredibly difficult to equate her to one of those crazy Compact sorcerers."

Her mother snorted. "Not every cultivator shares the same mold, my child. The same applies to Holy Sons and Daughters. I have already described the associated personality traits of the Golden Laurel Wreath Crown. The symbol of authority of the Metal Scroll is imbued with a different set of traits. Think. What do the elements represent? How do they tie into the Scrolls?"

Veronica had to spend half a minute before she could come up with a possible response to her prompts.

"From what 1 recall, the Water Scroll teaches people how to 'elevate their flesh and blood to be closer to the gods'. It makes sense that a cultivator obsessed with this kind of activity has developed a penchant for bloody sacrifices and rapid empowerment. The Metal Scroll on the other hand teaches people how to 'shape the blessed minerals into the armaments of the gods'. From my own experiences in the mech industry, designers and developers of weapons tend to be more patient and hard-working. A lack of self-control and reckless decision-making will always lead to higher failure rates, not to mention all of the wasted time and resources."

"Do you see now how the Polymath may simultaneously be a Holy Daughter as well as an ideal Star Designer?"

"...I see."

Although Cynthia did not outright say it, she heavily implied that the Polymath may have been corrupted by her fancy crown for many years if not decades!

The female True God shifted her posture. "The ancient creation cultivators who worked with metal do indeed share a lot in common with engineers. The differences between those ancient makers and modern mech designers are smaller than you think. That said, the former are still products of their environment. The ancient blacksmiths and so on are just as capable of hatching schemes and plotting the downfall of their enemies as other cultivators. They are just better at biding their time and masking their true ambitions. The Holy Sons and Daughters of the Metal Scroll have always been known to maintain a low profile so that they can spend ample time on preparation. Once the time is right, they can launch an overwhelming strike that gives the opposition no room for counterattacks!"

Creation cultivators are usually weaker in direct combat, so they couldn't afford to take many blows in return. This was why they developed the habits of an ambush predator.

Veronica looked stunned as she processed her mother's words.

"That description... fit the Polymath disturbingly well. Do you think... she bore the crown as soon as she gained possession of her fragment?"

"It is possible." Cynthia simply said without offering any further clarification. "What is important is that much of it is moot. From what you have regaled to me, she not only lost possession of her symbol of authority, but likely lost her fragment as well."

"Are you sure about that, mother?! I mean, that has been my guess as well, but I cannot say for sure. I don't really know for certain what the shadow of the Seleucid has done to the Polymath. Has she retained her power as a Star Designer, or did the splinter kingdom take that away as well?"

The Lady of the Night had to think carefully about her answer.

"I... am unsure about her current state. You will have to obtain the answer from the Survivalists. What I can say with reasonable certainty is that this 'splinter kingdom' has likely deprived the Polymath of the remnant of the Metal Scroll that was attached to her. Unmaking this bond is... painful and traumatic, but she can gradually recover the wounds of her soul if she is allowed to live. The more relevant development is the accelerated recovery of the kingdom. This is good news to you and all mech designers. The Kingdom of Mechs is made using the pieces of the shattered Metal Scroll as the main ingredients. It is fitting that another piece has been utilized for a similar purpose."

Veronica began to relax again. Everything had gone well, all considered. She had unknowingly saved red humanity from a much darker future.

While it was annoying to learn the most important truths after the fact, at least she was able to shake off all of his lingering doubts and fears about whether the Unity Plan was truly the best way forward for red humanity!

"So... what 1 do with the Polymath's crown?"

"Don't even think about taking advantage of it!" Cynthia immediately warned. "You are far from qualified to work with forces beyond your comprehension. I think it is best if you take your time to verify whether it is under control. Your fragment might not be fully capable of containing it due to its incompleteness and lack of power. If the crown is the original one from over four-hundred years ago, then... you may have exposed yourself to a powerful curse."

That... was really bad news.