After hearing the news Heti had brought, Gawain showed no surprise at all. "A refusal, as expected... Naturally. This concerns Typhon's very foundations."
"It seems that Wolf General will not cooperate," Heti said, standing before Gawain's desk with a stack of documents in hand and a serious expression on her face. "And... I think she was right. This is not a decision a commander can make. Only Rosetta Augustus has the authority to make an exchange of interests on this scale."
"Of course, an open and aboveboard technical exchange would be better," Gawain said with a smile. "But an exchange on this level would be difficult even in peacetime, much less in the current tense situation... Never mind. I was only giving it a try to begin with. Andesa's refusal was an expected outcome."
As he said this, he could not help feeling faintly moved. Choosing Bard as the intermediary to contact Andesa had apparently been the right decision. If anyone else had brought up such a sensitive subject, Wolf General's blood pressure would probably have gone through the roof. Things might even have turned into a fight if it went badly. That was precisely why he had handed the matter to Bard—at least in theory, even if Wolf General's blood pressure hit the roof, she probably would not attack her long-lost father...
A few wildly irrelevant thoughts drifted through his mind. Though Heti had no idea what her ancestor was thinking, she could tell that Gawain had drifted off. She could not help clearing her throat softly. Only after drawing his attention did she continue, "For now, the plan to mass-produce Supernatural Beings has been temporarily shelved. The ongoing plans are mainly focused on two areas. One is to continue optimizing and adjusting the Psionic Singer equipment and training