บท 5099: Super-Secret Method

"Aren't you scared, great-grandpa?"

"I am." Venerable Benjamin Larkinson gently said as he placed his palm against the solid metal foot of his battle partner. "Every time I deploy onto the battlefield, I do so with the knowledge that I might never come back home again. I am scared that I will never be able to see my sons again. I am scared that I will never be able to witness my grandson lead our family to a greater height. I am scared that I will not live long enough to see children like you grow up and find your own calling in life."

Young Andraste stood next to her great-grandfather and looked up at the old man with a mixture of concern and admiration.

"If you are so scared, why don't you wait until my papa upgrades your Blood Star into a high-tier expert mech? That is what other expert pilots do when they don't have access to a powerful machine. It is not as if you can make much of a difference when you are stuck piloting a standard mech."