The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1226

The high inquisitor was completely serious when he charged Ves with the crimes of sacrilege and blasphemy!

Even if the latter stood on shaky grounds, the former was already serious enough to condemn him to death!

His status as a foreigner and a guest to the state wouldn’t protect him from the death penalty in case the Ylvainan Inquisition found him guilty. Any foreigner and non-believer who voluntarily entered a religious state implicitly or explicitly accepted their house rules! _{ƒrēewebnovel.com}

If foreigners objected to these unfair rules based on religious rather than legal grounds, then they shouldn’t have visited the state in the first place!

Therefore, even if his status as a de facto Journeyman afforded Ves some protection, he could not count on the MTA to bail him out of his own stupidity!

The inquisition didn’t target him this time due to his status as a mech designer. Instead, they approached him as a faithless foreigner who nefariously wanted to damage the religious institutions of the Ylvaine Protectorate!

Ves grimaced as he stared right back at High Inquisitor Poxco’s glowing eyes. He was reminded of the Ylvainan spin of justice, and how it could easily go astray.

He learned enough about the Ylvainan Inquisition that nothing good would happen once they took someone into custody. Almost no one escaped punishment once they fell into their clutches as they were very effective in extracting ’confessions’ out of their captives.

As long as Ves ended up in their dungeons, he would definitely undergo a lot of torture in order to force out all of the secrets he possessed!

This was completely unacceptable to him! Nevermind stealing the holy relic and whatever else the Ylvainans accused him of. If he was forced to reveal his deeper secrets, then that would definitely spell the end of him and his entire family!

Seconds passed as Ves contemplated a way to avoid falling into the custody of the inquisition.

"Does Director Cecily Curin know of this?" He asked.

"She knows." The high inquisitor smirked. "I’m afraid that there is nothing she can do against the magnitude of the charges arrayed against you. The proof we’ve gathered has given us sufficient grounds to take you away. Will you surrender to us peacefully or are you going to launch a last-ditch attempt to escape?"

Ves knew his chances of escaping was extremely miniscule. Xefin Lin Poxco came highly-prepared this time. Not only did he bring five well-prepared junior inquisitors, but he also brought along over thirty guards who were loyal to the inquisition!

It was impossible for him to eliminate them all with a single blast of his Amastendira. The forces of the inquisition weren’t stupid enough to clump together and had already spread out over the entire workshop. Not only did they cover every angle, they also sealed every possible exit.

Even if Ves somehow overcame the entire inquisition, who knew how many infantry and mechs of the inquisition waited outside the mech workshop!

Ves glanced towards the Protector guards. Many of them wore full-face helmets, but those who exposed their faces showed obvious hesitance. They weren’t on the inquisition’s side, but neither did they have the obligation to defend Ves against their persecution.

As for the Avatars of Myth, while they came with a handful of mechs, they would never be able to survive once they opened fire. That would make them enemies of the entire planet, star system and state! There was no way they could get away with helping Ves resist arrest!

The grimace on his face deepened as he realized he possessed very few options to extricate himself from the inquisition. The Sparous Vize and the Rising Red Dragon were still in the hands of the Protector guards, so Ves and Ketis wouldn’t be able to suit up before the Inquisition forces peppered their bodies with rounds and laser beams.

Perhaps the only reasonable way he could escape this predicament was by activating his Full Stealth augment on his System comm. As long as he sneaked out of the mech workshop and entered the city, he’d be able to switch to his Privacy Shield and remain out of sight of electronic surveillance while he escaped further.

Yet this was still not an ideal solution. As long as he resisted arrest, both the Ylvainan Inquisition and the Protectors of the Faith were compelled to hunt him down no matter the cost. Ves would find no safe haven on the planet and trying to smuggle himself out of the star system was incredibly difficult!

More than that, resisting arrest would also invalidate everything he worked for during this business trip!

How could he abandon his goals just when he was so close to making them come into fruition? He already completed the mechs he set out to design and produce! He just needed to hand them over to Madame Cecily or the Curins in order for them to showcase the foreign-designed mechs in public!

The high inquisitor coughed. "As much as it amuses me to see you denying your guilt, we don’t have all day. We have a missing relic to return and you are our primary suspect."

Time was almost up. Just as Ves blinked to Lucky in order to help him with his escape, another group of Ylvainans entered the workshop!

"STOP, Your Excellency!" Calabast shouted in her identity as Madame Cecily! "While it is within your right to charge Mr. Larkinson with sacrilege and blasphemy, the Curins will not allow the inquisition to obtain sole custody of the accused! No matter the proof you’ve gathered, he is an esteemed guest of the Protectorate, and the handling of his case must proceed with utmost fairness!"

"What is the meaning of this interruption?" High Inquisitor Poxco frowned. "Your presence here changes nothing. The law is on our side."

Calabast offered a smile. "That may be true, but the Attendants of Ylvaine have been persuaded to take a lighter hand in this case. I believe you should get in touch with your superiors."

The high inquisitor frowned deeper but followed her suggestion. A minute later, he looked angry.

"Director Cecily! What is the meaning of this!? What bribes did you Curins offer to stay our hand?!"

"It’s not just us who object to the rough treatment you have in store for the accused." She spoke. "The Kronons have expressed an interest in treating Mr. Larkinsons fairly as well."

Ves turned his attention to the Protector guard captain who stood at the side. He seemed to be holding a private comm call with his superiors. After the call ended, the man stepped forward.