The Mech Touch novel Chapter 5237

5237 Conclusion of the Voting Session

Ves' speech had detonated a metaphorical bomb in the crowd!

Neither the Xenotechnician, the Mace of Retaliation or anyone else expected Ves to come out and support the Deep Strike Plan as a specific counter-reaction to the Polymath's attempted coup!

The implications were enormous. Adopting the Deep Strike Plan in a normal voting session would have definitely resulted in large changes across human society, but its context had changed considerably after what just happened.

A lot of people outside of this conference were pissed. They had become incredibly angry and upset at the Survivalists for attempting to pull off a coup without any warning or means to argue their own case.

The Terrans and the Rubarthans would definitely become livid once they learned even a tiny part of what had happened during this voting session!

Red humanity couldn't afford to suffer any further breakdowns in relationships. Growing mistrust towards each other could potentially make their society so dysfunctional that they might actually destroy themselves before the aliens manage to finish the job!

As such, a radical turn towards the Deep Strike Plan might actually be an acceptable way to mend any cracks and partially restore the reputation of the Survivalist Faction.

The biggest problems were that it not only entailed a lot of risk, but would also upend the existing structure of human society!

Was red humanity truly ready to transition to an age where warlords and tunnel-visioned mech pilots held greater sway?

Nobody knew for certain whether Ves was right about putting their trust in the brave rather than the intellectuals.

However, it was hard to argue for the opposite now that the Polymath had single-handedly destroyed a lot of trust towards great thinkers.

As Ves gave his recommendation, he did not add anything extra to his speech. He had shared his personal stance and nothing more.

He knew that if he wanted to, he could have presented a plan of his own. The Survivalists would have likely interpreted his alternative proposal had the implicit backing of the Destroyer of Worlds and potentially other notable third-party figures.

Ves saw no need to muck up this awful voting session even further. He was already happy enough with the Deep Strike Plan and had enough confidence in the Fist of Defiance that he would execute it properly.

"Let us commence the vote once again." The Xenotechnician smoothly spoke.

Procedurally speaking, the current voting session had moved on to the second round. That meant that the 89 proxy votes had become invalid as a new round of voting had commenced.

Unless the delegates granted Ves their proxy votes to him again, he could not single-handedly decide the plan adopted by the Survivalist Faction anymore.

Fortunately, the delegates had better sense than that. The circumstances were different now that they became confronted with a much simpler binary choice.

Much to Ves' relief, the delegates had all made up their minds on how to cast their own votes. They all stood up when the Xenotechnician called them to show their support for their preferred proposal.

It helped a lot that giving Ves their proxy vote would default to another vote in favor of the Deep Strike Plan.

Since that was the case, these delegates might as well go on record and look decisive in the process.

The Xenotechnician formally announced the results of the second round.

"Today, 273 delegates have spoken once again. 121 of them have cast their vote on my Diplomacy Plan. The remaining 152 delegates have cast their vote on the Fist of Defiance's Deep Strike Plan. The outcome is clear. The Deep Strike Plan will be embraced by our faction!"

No sounds of celebration broke out. No one cheered or erupted in jubilation. The Polymath's deeds had cast an undeniable shadow over the proceedings.

The vote seemed like an act of penance. Many of the former supporters of the Unity Plan had opted to throw their weight behind the Deep Strike Plan.

The margin was closer than Ves would have liked. The fact that there was only a 30-vote difference between the two options told him that there were still a lot of delegates who preferred to consort with traitors and aliens rather than put their faith in human heroes!

This was yet another mark against the Survivalist Faction. Even after his speech, these schemers and cowards still preferred to put more emphasis on people's worst traits as opposed to their best!

Nobody knew for certain whether Ves' impromptu speech had actually made the difference. He had the feeling that it might have helped, but no one knew for certain. The delegates certainly wouldn't accept any interviews where they provided a detailed accounting of their leanings throughout the voting session.

"I see. That says much about her and her relationship with her fragment of the Metal Scroll."

Veronica grew suspicious about this circumstance. "Does that mean that the Polymath is... was... the legitimate Holy Daughter of the Metal Scroll?"

"I suppose you are correct."

"But how? The Metal Scroll doesn't really exist anymore. Pieces of it have spread across the galaxies. From the Polymath's interactions with the Kingdom of Mechs, I think it is pretty safe to say that the Progenitors of Mechs have infused a significant amount of fragments in their ultimate creation. Under all of these circumstances, the crown that is associated with the Scroll should have lost most of its functionality."

Cynthia chuckled in response. "Your theory sounds plausible, but it is based on a faulty understanding of the true nature of the Scrolls as well as the crowns. I cannot and will not divulge the whole story to you. I do not even want to share what I know about the crowns. I am forced to reconsider this stance because you have inadvertently obtained one yourself."

"Get on with it, please."

The True God playfully swatted Veronica's head!

"Be patient, my child! Listen to me carefully, Ves. The crowns are not ordinary metal products. They are alive, but not in the same way as your mechs and trinkets. They are composed of the blood of an immortal god. I should not have to explain to you how much power that represents?"

"I can guess as much, mother. I'm not stupid. I have no desire to wear a crown that I haven't earned."

"Good. Very good. Do not change your mind even if the crown appears to accept you as an alternative to the Polymath. You should not trust the crown under any circumstance. Leaving aside your problematic ties to me, the crowns have a will and purpose of their own. Just because the Metal Scroll has shattered does not mean its crown is any less functional."

"I know that already. Can you move on to the part where you explain what a crown actually represents? I need more context."

"Very well." Cynthia let out a small sigh. "Let me frame it this way. The Sacred Scrolls are... tools that are designed to be used by a specific group of cultivators. They are meant to provide guidance and teachings. This is why they are made in this specific shape. Form follows function. Do you follow?"

As a mech designer, Ves could understand this approach quite well. "Okay."

"The crowns on the other hand are shaped in the form of a traditional and universal symbol of authority. Any human who lays eyes on one will know that whoever wears a crown has been bestowed the authority to rule over others. This is intentional. The Scrolls are made to produce an army. The crowns are made to direct this army. In other words, the true Holy Sons and Daughters are the designated surrogates of the immortal gods who shed their own blood to make these relics. No good can come to anyone who bears these cursed artifacts!"