Saint Davia Stark had often been told that high-ranking expert pilots tended to be… weird and eccentric. Some had deviated further beyond the realm of normality than others. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺 They did not understand. From the moment a human stepped onto the path of godhood, they started a journey that compelled them to continuously temper their willpower. The difference between a good expert pilot and a bad expert pilot was their degree of commitment and dedication to their cause. How well did they abide by their promises? How much did they follow the spirit of their vows as well as the letter? How extensively did they spend their time on training and pushing their skills to the next level? All of these factors and more determined how far high-ranking mech pilots could go. The worst of them inevitably stalled while those who stayed true to their convictions would be able to reach the very end. However, it was not easy for these champions to stick to their original vows. As willpower cultivators, these people gained power by setting rules on themselves and following them no matter the circumstances. Rules gave them structure. Rules gave them direction. Rules prevented them from becoming the monsters they despised. However, too many rules could be detrimental to their success. They could bind the hands of champions and prevent them from doing what was necessary. The Stewards Siamesia had obviously chosen to follow a far more difficult road than their peers. Their horror towards unjustified violence and bloodshed had scarred them so much that they had made one of the most drastic and impactful vows a mech pilot could make. "We vowed not to kill people anymore." Aloretzi Chevor declared with so much earnesty that it seemed as if he had just made this promise yesterday. "We do not deny that humans will always be entangled with killing and wars for as long as they live, but that does not mean we wish to make things worse. By promising ourselves that we will never stain our blood with the lives of others, we are attempting to change a society that is all-too-obsessed with warfare. By setting an example and spreading our values to those who are willing to listen, we hope to usher in an age where peace becomes more common than war." As Saint Stark continued to bask in the calming and non judgemental presence of the twin saints, she became fascinated by how they were able to cope with such a heavy restriction. "I can understand why you fight so hard to establish peace, Aloretzi." Saint Stark said as her eyes glazed back to her past. "War is horrible business. It is interesting to observe that we have decided to fight back in different ways. You have chosen to change the people around you through restraining your killing edge. I have chosen to usher greater peace by killing the ones responsible for spreading war." They were kindred spirits. Just because they chose to solve the same problem in different ways did not make them ideological opponents. Everyone had their own ideas, and so long as they shared a common cause, they possessed a natural affinity with each other. "You may call me Alo." The male twin said with a smile. "And you may call me Jeri." The female twin echoed. "Our names can be a handful for most people, after all. We agree with your analysis. All three of us bear the scars of warfare unrestrained. The slaughter of civilians and the unjust killing of those who pose no threat to anyone is a phenomenon that must be eradicated from an enlightened civilization. Alas, people who align with our sentiments are far too rare in this day and age. Too many people have grown up in a society that glorifies mech pilots and combat. They have no idea that true warfare is nowhere near as clean and glorious as the unrealistic battles that are depicted in action dramas and virtual reality games." War had become baked into the DNA of human civilization since the Age of Conquest. Humanity struggled when they initially ascended to the stars. The bright-eyed and optimistic people of that early age soon encountered many setbacks as they found themselves to be a young civilization located in a stagnant galaxy that was already divided by many older alien civilizations. Not only did humans fail to expand their power and prosperity, but the unequal treaties and trade agreements imposed by their more powerful neighbors threatened to reduce their territory to a client state! Instead of rolling over and allowing themselves to get trapped in a perpetual cycle of suppression and exploitation, humans under the leadership of the Supreme Marshal rebelled against this malaise and waged war against enemies that enjoyed far greater advantages! It was the unlikely but explosive success of this aggressive approach that forever cemented the human race’s love for war. It had become a matter of belief to many people. They always thought that every problem could be resolved by fighting over it. War had become more than an extension of diplomacy. It had become a cause in itself. Saint Stark narrowed her eyes. "Since you seek to inspire change among the people, why did you join the New Rubarth Empire? It is well-known that the Rubarthans are the originators of the Societal Revival Theory. It has become the go-to excuse for many politicians and leaders to declare war when they couldn’t think of any better reason to throw countless lives and assets into the meat grinder." The mere mention of the infamous social theory was enough to break the serenity of the Stewards Siamesia. Their twin domain fields grew more agitated for a moment. While they exhibited excellent discipline and control by suppressing these fluctuations, they did not hide their contempt towards the theory and the ideology it spawned. "The New Rubarth Empire is not perfect." Jeri plainly admitted. "No state or group is perfect. Its history with the Terrans has indeed anchored the Societal Revival Theory into the heart of their culture and institutions. Yet what makes the Rubarthans tolerable is that they see themselves as better and more enlightened than others. Are their beliefs justified? Everyone has a different answer to that. At the very least, they strongly adhere to the established laws and convention of warfare. They almost never violate the rules of engagement. This has given us greater confidence that the Rubarthans are more open to the kind of change that we wish to make." Enjoy exclusive content from freewebnovel Both Alo and Jeri Chevor were originally citizens of the Phylore Union. They had readily turned their backs on the unremarkable second-rate state after witnessing the deplorable conduct of its armed forces. To be fair, the enemies they were fighting against did not shy away from brutality either. Both sides held deep grievances towards each other. However, it was the vicious cycle of grievances and massacres that had formed between these two rival states that spawned a pair of saints as unique as the Stewards Siamesia. They recognized that the only way to stop the cycle of senseless bloodshed was to push in the opposite direction! Saint Stark simply doubted whether the two had made the right decision by starting to enact change among the Rubarthans first. "How much have you accomplished?" Stark asked. "Have you managed to sway the minds of enough Rubarthans to make a difference?" Alo Chevor shook his head in disappointment. "No. We have not made nearly enough of a difference. The inertia we are fighting against is too strong. As powerful as we may be, the New Rubarth Empire is governed by too many vested interests, from the Star Emperor to the thousands of princes. There are god pilots above our heads whose words and actions are at least a thousand times more impactful than what we have tried to do for multiple decades." The male twin couldn’t help but grow a little depressed due to their lack of impact since they began their lifelong quest, but the female twin tried to soothe him by spreading a calming influence through her domain field. "You are exaggerating, brother. We have made a difference among millions of Rubarthan as well as foreign soldiers who have fought alongside us over the years. Even if this is only a drop in an ocean, change is always slow at the start. We have done the best we could in a society that is set against us in the first place. Everything will change if we are able to cross the road to no return and become god pilots. By that time, our voice will carry exponentially greater weight, especially since we are fighting for the Rubarthan Pact as opposed to the much larger New Rubarth Empire." That was a very important distinction. The New Rubarth Empire was a behemoth that had already accumulated a sizable continent of god pilots. Here in the Red Ocean, everything was smaller! Only two god pilots had dedicated themselves to protecting the Rubarthan Pact. This meant that any ace pilot that broke through in the following decade would be able to wield far greater influence than back in the old galaxy! However, Saint Stark spotted a very glaring flaw in their plan. "Does it make sense to advocate for peace and non-violence when our entire civilization is locked in a war of extinction against the native aliens?" "As we have stated earlier, we do not think that all wars are unjustified." Alo responded. "We can debate on the rights and wrongs of our initial invasion of the Red Ocean. What I do know is that many people who are not involved in the decisions at the top do not deserve to suffer for their missteps and miscalculations. My sister and I would love nothing more for both sides to stop fighting each other and agree to live alongside each other in peace." "That… sounds awfully like what a cosmopolitan might say." Saint Stark tactfully mentioned. "We are not cosmopolitans." Alo responded in a heated tone. "This is not the first time that others have tried to tie us to the Cosmopolitan Movement, but I can clearly state that we value human lives far more than alien lives. While I think that alien civilians do not deserve to get killed when there are clear alternatives available, we have an obligation to defend humanity’s rights and interests over others. You would never hear a cosmopolitan saying that, as they are fundamentally convinced that aliens should be completely equal to humans." Davia Stark relaxed a bit. Alo’s domain field echoed his words, making it clear that he truly meant what he said. There was no ambiguity or deception in his words. "Even so, there are many humans that are so spooked by our enemies that they want to eradicate all alien life from this dwarf galaxy to end their threat forever. If we are able to turn this war around somehow, we may get a chance to do so. Would you condone such actions?" "We would never condone the indiscriminate slaughter of the innocent." Jeri said. "In this rare instance, we are in agreement with the cosmopolitans. That does not mean that we are tyrants who will force others to abide by our personal code. We do not have the right to do so. If people think that weak and powerless alien civilians can still pose a credible threat to them in the future, then they are free to continue their cleansing actions. We merely hope that we can make enough of a difference in society to voluntarily sway the Rubarthans and other people so that they do not have to commit so much bloodshed to achieve their goals." "Killing stains the soul." The male Chevor stated. "Killing invites reprisal." "Too many people have come to revel in warfare and violence. It has become so common that it is nearly impossible to convince these glory hounds that it is wrong to derive enjoyment from gratuitous violence. They are our strongest opposition within our society. There are too many interest groups who wish to see us fail rather than succeed." "That is… a sad state of affairs." Saint Stark frowned. "This is why I can never bring myself to tie my hands by making a vow similar to yours. Sometimes, the only way to enact real change… is to give your adversaries a taste of their own medicine." "..."