"I can see how they are to your liking."
Perhaps Ves should get her a dog sometime, though not now. On Felixia, the existence of dogs was taboo!
During their visits, the Ingvar siblings also loosened up. Spending months among the Battle Criers and being subjected to daily training and attitude adjustment sessions took their toll.
The jovial atmosphere and friendly cats were exactly what the Ingvars needed to recall happier times and rediscover who they were before they became fugitive mercenaries.
Of the two siblings, Ves thought that Casella was clearly the brighter of the two. During an evening meal where everyone except Nitaa enjoyed a sumptuous dinner in a restaurant served by catgirl waitresses, Casella took him aside for a private meeting.
"I've been thinking about our situation during our assignment." She began with a serious expression. "It has been a few more months since my brother and I embarked on this assignment, and the sting of House Ingvar's fall and the betrayal of our household guards has faded. The time we've spent with the Battle Criers has humbled us a lot. Though I can't speak for my brother, I really need to get this off my chest."
"What's the matter?"
"I think… it's best for us to work for you in a longer-term capacity. Though we aren't Kinners, I still prefer to continue working for you while our one-year contract has run its course."
That surprised Ves a bit. He thought it would take a bit more hardship and humbling to get the noble Ingvar brats to realize their new reality.
"Working for me on a more fixed basis isn't impossible, but the two of you need to convince me that you are willing to follow my orders." He spoke. "I'm not a noble and I didn't grow up in a feudal state. To me, the two of you are simply mercenaries on my payroll right now."
"I'm aware. It has taken some time for me to recognize that we are no different from commoners now that we've lost the backing of our house. A part of me still wishes for us to retain our pride of our upbringing, but without the necessary backing, we are merely empty shells. I'm more than ready to discard it and begin anew as a simple mech pilot."
"What about House Ingvar?"
"I don't know why the Royal House of the Black Poppy attacked our house. Maybe we intended to betray them. Maybe we had something they really wanted. Maybe they wanted to elevate another noble house in our place. Whatever the reason, House Ingvar is no more, and taking revenge will not bring it back."
"You sound different than before." Ves noted. "At the start, didn't you guys express some intentions of getting back at Black Poppy one day?"
She snorted. "Not even a Master Mech Designer can topple a royal house. Black Poppy is too strong! The only way we could ever pose a threat to them is if we raise enough forces to challenge their rule over their territories. Even if Imon and I one day raise such a humongous mech army, the other two royal houses won't sit still and let Black Poppy take the brunt of the assault."
"Because they're afraid they'll be next."
"Right." She closed her eyes. "As much as I want to take Black Poppy to account for wiping out our relatives, we don't have any right to speak. After a long time to think, I think it's best for us to move on with our lives. The Kingdom of the Three Flowers no longer matters to me. They can rot in their corner of the star sector for all I care."
That sounded quite encouraging to Ves, though her story contained a huge caveat. "What does your brother Imon think about your willingness to move on from the tragedy that befell your house?"
"Imon is.. not at this point yet. He's very taken in by the pride and traditions of our fallen house. Getting him to let go is.. difficult."
Ves smiled sardonically at Casella. "The two of you are a package deal. It's all well and good that you've become aware of your new reality, but what if Imon wants to depart on a doomed quest to revive House Ingvar and tear down Black Poppy?"
She looked down to her feet. "I'm still working on that."
"Well, you better work at it harder. The both of you have potential, I can see it. I also understand the attachment the two of you hold for your fallen house. However, life isn't fair. There are winners and losers everywhere. If you find yourself on a losing end, you won't magically turn into an epic hero and become capable of toppling a ruling power of a state with justice and determination."
She let out a deep sigh. "We know that life doesn't resemble the dramas, but deep in our hearts we still hope to redress the injustices that have befallen our house. The difference between Imon and me is that my brother is much more optimistic."
"You've given up while he is still clinging on to hope."
"Yes. It is difficult for proud mech pilots like us to give up. We've been taught not to surrender if there is still a ray of hope."
Casella left after a short while. Ves reflected on their conversation and believed that it was up to Imon whether they would fully be able to start anew. Once they both reached this point in their development, Ves would be more than willing to invite them into the Avatars of Myth and nurture them properly.
He couldn't wait to develop methods that enabled and accelerated the development of expert candidates and expert pilots.
One of the theories he came up with was that spiritual attributes mattered. They reflected the personalities of the mech pilots.
Most mech pilots with a perceptible amount of dormant spiritual energy shared similar attributes. While there was nothing wrong with them as they could still advance to expert pilots and develop strong abilities, Ves suspected that rarer and more peculiar attributes yielded more exotic results.
This was why Ves paid special attention to the Ingvar siblings! Their attributes were different from that of every other mech pilot!
However, drawing out their strength and nurturing the two Ingvars to experts was a very consuming endeavor. Ves did not wish to have another Jannzi situation on his hands, where all of his efforts went to naught!
Having learnt his lesson, this time Ves would ensure he laid the groundwork to obtain the loyal service of any potential expert pilot!
"Don't disappoint me, Casella." He whispered.