Chapter 1251
Later that day, Ves was about to leave his office in order to resume the fabrication of his gold label Aurora Titans. He still had a number of outstanding orders to fulfill before he departed to the Centerpoint System.
He took one more look at the other sentimental gifts he received before he left.
A small display had been added near his desk which showcased the gifts he valued. He picked up Lanie's handknit shawl from one of the shelves and contemplated wearing it for his upcoming trip.
"Hm, it's too fragile, but then again, it's meant to be used."
Whenever he designed and produced his mechs, he wanted them to be used for their intended purpose. It was fine for his more impressive mechs to be put on display in a museum or exhibition hall, but that should be the exception, not the rule.
Ves did not want to be regarded as someone who was limited to designing pretty-looking but useless machines.
In the end, he loosely draped the shawl over his neck. Its fabric was dyed in dark blue which was one of the distinctive colors of the Larkinson Family.
"It's kind of comfy."
Ves liked it so much that he planned to see if he could apply some treatments to increase its durability and protect it from degrading when exposed to rough environments.
After that, he picked up the nutrient pack that James claimed to be a replica of the one which the great prophet once consumed.
"This nutrient pack..."
As Ves held the simple packaging, he felt a little odd about its texture. It didn't feel like a brand new nutrient pack to him. It was as if it was just as old as the holy relic.
He frowned. A nutrient pack aficionado like him should have been able to estimate the real age of the nutrient packs he held.
The packaging of a nutrient pack was virtually the same for thousands of years. Humanity spent thousands of years perfecting the most efficient formula for the wrappers.
It needed to be resilient enough to protect its contents from background radiation. However, it also needed to be biodegradable upon tearing it open. Otherwise, the galaxy would have already turned into a giant trash heap of nutrient packs!
The result that humanity came up with was a formula for packaging that promised to protect the integrity of its contents for tens of thousands of years, but no longer.
"Nutrient packs don't need to be stored that long in the first place."
In truth, the packaging already started degrading by the time they rolled off the production lines. The process just took an extremely long time. Only upon tearing open the wrapper would the process truly kick in and decay the leftovers at a rapid pace.
After recalling all of this, Ves viewed the Ylvainan nutrient pack with more suspicion. "If this wrapping is the exact same as the others, then it's several centuries old!"
It could be that the manufacturers of this nutrient pack had tweaked the formula of its packaging in order to give it that holy relic feel.
However, it was not so simple to age the packaging of a nutrient pack. Having owned a lot of vintage nutrient packs before, he learned what it was like to hold a nutrient pack that was aged for thousands of years.
"This pack feels too authentic. It doesn't feel fake."
Ves studied the nutrient pack with his full attention. After brushing his hands all over the rectangular brown-green packaging, his fingers finally identified an irregularity.
"There's a small square of material here that doesn't feel as aged as the rest of the packaging."
After brushing at it with his nail, he managed to peel off a thin layer camouflaged as the same material as the nutrient pack.
A folded piece of synthetic paper hid underneath. When Ves picked it up and unfolded it, he began to read the message handwritten onto its surface.
[Mr, Larkinson, I apologise for the misdirection. I doubted I would have received a normal welcome if I revealed my true identity. Hence why I resorted to this means in order to reveal the truth.
This is something you should really consider doing more yourself. The lies you peddle will continue to corrode your heart. The only way you can cleanse your consciousness is to come clean.
Ah, what am I writing? You are set in your ways. I doubt my advice will ever find purchase in your mind. Your stubbornness is both your greatest strength and your fatal flaw.
I must say that it has been an enlightening experience for me to meet with the designer of the Transcendent Messenger. The Komodo Star Sector is lucky to host a unique mech designer like you who wishes to transform the galactic mech industry.
I am thankful for the changes you've sparked within the Ylvaine Protectorate. While many Ylvainans are comfortable by remaining insular, the rest of the galaxy will not be content to leave them alone. If we are to survive the coming perils, we need to stop digging our heads into the ground.
We will meet again someday. The Bright Republic is about to experience great changes and so will the Ylvaine Protectorate. No matter what difficult circumstances you find yourself in, I hope that you will not refuse my offer to repay the favor that you've bestowed to us. The Ylvaine Dynasty is always willing to assist the Bright Martyr when needed.]
Ves felt like puking blood when he read and reread the message. He'd been fooled!
"Businessman, my butt! James Immel is the next living prophet!"
He didn't realize the Ylvainan's true identity yesterday! Although the man did his best to hide his inherent charisma underneath his robe, Ves already felt as if he was in the company of someone remarkable!
"If the original Prophet Ylvaine was like this guy, then it's no wonder he managed to found a new religion!"
This newer version of the prophet was a lot more charming than the one that came before. The prophet who immolated himself at the end of the tribunal came across as a delusional madman more than anything else.
"Either the new living prophet's genes have been tweaked or he'll eventually degrade over time." Ves guessed.
Still, he really wanted to smack himself with his palm. He should have noticed the clues, from the odd arrival of an Ylvainan to his birthday party to the strange discrepancy he felt from the nutrient pack wrapper.
Ves realized now that the nutrient pack that the new living prophet gifted him was authentic. If his guess was right, the nutrient pack he held right now belonged to the same production batch as the one that the original Prophet Ylvaine used to consume!
The Ylvainans must have preserved the rest of the crate of nutrient packs once Prophet Ylvaine departed from the ship or something.
"Damn. Is this a hot potato?"
Even though Ves managed to get acquitted for ruining a holy relic, he still felt uneasy about owning a precious nutrient pack like this. There shouldn't be that many intact nutrient packs from the same batch left.
"Well.. what's the harm? Nobody will notice."
He briefly considered storing it in his vault, but a small part of him wanted to flaunt this remarkable possession. He eventually decided to put it back on the shelf of the display. Perhaps he could use it to tell a story the next time he entertained a visitor in his office.
When Ves left his office, he began to return to his previous routine of fabricating the remaining gold label Aurora Titans.
While he felt a bit peeved about having to delay his trip to Centerpoint in order to meet this obligation, he knew that it would do a lot of good down the line. His gold label mechs had always been his most impressive works, and putting more of them in the wild helped expand his presence.
"If only every mech of mine is as strong as one of my gold label mechs."
Talking with Charlotte yesterday made him realize why his design philosophy seemed so abnormal to others.
Ves had witnessed the design philosophies of several Seniors. From the Skull Architect to Professor Ventag, all the mechs designed by Seniors possessed roughly the same degree of influence of their designers.
The mechs that Ves designed differed from this pattern. The special strength they carried did not come from Ves alone.
As soon as Ves began to incorporate external spiritual fragments into his designs, the degree of influence he exerted on them had grown out of proportion!
"By relying on borrowed strength, I'm able to punch above my weight!"
This was a very important realization. None of the other mech designers he met did anything like it. They all relied on their design seeds or whatever they turned into when they advanced to Senior to bestow their designs with their metaphysical strength!
"However, even if their designs aren't as flashy as mine, they are a lot more consistent."
Ves noticed that the qualities they managed to impart to their mechs were very contained.
This was different to Ves, because his design philosophy mainly focused on the X-Factor, which was inherently volatile.
As a result, Ves could only display his full potential when he fabricated a mech in person. The mechs fabricated by the LMC or third party manufacturers would always be a pale shell compared to the most authentic copies.
Ves used to think that this wasn't a big deal. The benefit his lesser mechs provided to its mech pilots was already good enough.
"Yet am I really content with this result?"
If he had a choice, then he would rather have every copy exhibit the same degree of X-Factor as his best works.
"I can't see how this can be done." He muttered to himself.
Yet just because he couldn't figure out the answer right now didn't mean it was impossible. As long as he worked hard and experimented a lot, he might be able to solve this huge shortcoming.
"Maybe this is what keeps most higher-ranking mech designers occupied. They're all trying to find a way to strengthen or widen the application of their design philosophies."
Ves knew that he needed to put a huge amount of time and effort in order to even come close to an answer to this profound problem. The amount of research and experiments he needed to perform might take years or decades.
Yet all of that was worth it if he managed to succeed!
"It makes a huge difference if I can equalize this quality to all of my mechs!"
Perhaps achieving such a drastic improvement was the key to advancing to Senior or Master.
"Mech designers are all people who are constantly trying to turn the impossible into the possible. They are all pioneering their own dreams."
Ves already started innovating from the start. His design philosophy was so out of whack that he had been treading his own path since the System first pushed him into studying the X-Factor phenomenon.
His visit to Centerpoint would definitely illuminate his path. Not only did it host the sector headquarters of the MTA, but it was also home to the largest concentration of mech designers in the star sector!
The star system was host to many services catered to mech designers. Not only that, but Centerpoint offered lots of opportunities to mingle and exchange ideas with fellow mech designers.
"It truly is the holy land of mech designers in the Komodo Star Sector!"
Ves felt a bit regretful that Ketis declined to travel with him this time. He was sure that she would be able to learn a lot when exposed to so many mech designers.
"Then again, she's not like the other orthodox mech designers. Maybe she's afraid she'll expose her unconventional origins."
In any case, Ves did not share the same concerns, so he was definitely looking forward to meeting other mech designers from different backgrounds!
"Who knows, maybe I can find a girlfriend there."
Chapter 1252
Ves completed his work at the Mech Nursery in quick order.
Aside from fulfilling all the orders for the gold label Aurora Titans, he fabricated two extra copies. He transferred one copy to the Avatars of Myth and the other one to the LMC to be used as a display model.
This time, Ves would be traveling aboard the Barracuda as always.
Although the Centerpoint System should be safe, the trip to and from the center of the star sector wasn't risk-free.
Considering the low odds of requiring a landbound mech escort, Melkor opted to prioritize spaceborn mechs over landbound mechs for this journey.
The Avatars of Myth were still in the process of raising a spaceborn mech company, so they did not have that many spaceborn mechs on hand. However, Melkor did the best he could to prepare for this trip. He managed to scrounge up eight spaceborn mechs and mech pilots to accompany Ves to Centerpoint.
"We've charted the fastest and safest route from Bentheim to Centerpoint." Captain Silvestra said as Ves boarded his corvette. "A lot of trade flows from Bentheim to Centerpoint, so the most direct port systems and stopover systems have long been cleared of any pirates and other impediments."
That made sense. "How long will it take to reach Centerpoint?"
"Not that long due to all of the port systems allowing us to make huge hops. If the gravitic tides are favorable, we can reach the system in six weeks. If not, two months. Mind you, we can go faster if you decide to leave the Greenfeather behind. Although the light carrier is fairly fast for her class, she's still a snail compared to the Barracuda."
"Acceptable. Please make sure to prepare the Barracuda for the long journeys ahead. We might remain outside the Bright Republic for an extended year of time depending on the commitments I take on at Centerpoint or Leemar."
The Barracuda and the Greenfeather both jumped from Cloudy Curtain to Bentheim without any issue.
Only a handful of companions accompanied him for this journey.
Lucky tagged along because he expected Ves to spoil him with exotics.
Gavin naturally followed Ves along as his executive assistant.
Ketis already notified him of her intention to remain at the Mech Nursery in order to design her first variant.
Leland couldn't do anything in Centerpoint and the Friday Coalition. Instead, he devoted a lot of his attention to rooting out spies and informers within the company.
After all, Flashlight firmly considered the LMC to be their turf. How could they tolerate other spies snooping around in their backyard?
"At least he's useful for something." Ves muttered.
He quickly noticed Ketis' absence. Her enthusiasm, passion and cheer always brightened up his day. Now that he had separated from her, Ves found his days to be bland, as Lucky didn't want to play with him and Gavin was more of a butler than a friend most of the time.
His listless Spirituality didn't help either. His mind only replenished his empty tank a little bit in the past couple of weeks. While he expected his depleted spiritual energy to recover by a third by the time he reached Centerpoint, that was still a distance away from full recovery.
"I really need to find a way to fill up my tank faster."
Once the Barracuda stopped over to Bentheim, Ves spent some days on the busy planet under escort. He took Lucky around some exotic materials markets and visited several exhibition halls to view some noteworthy mechs.
Sadly, his plan to see if he could siphon the spiritual accumulation from the mechs on display faltered. While he identified several mechs that accumulated a significant amount of spiritual accumulation, it was simply too heterogeneous.
When Ves attempted to take the spiritual accumulation and see if he could extract any useful spiritual energy out of it, he hadn't found a single compatible attribute.
"It's like digging up a random clump of dirt and expecting to find a trace of exotics!"
While Ves found it fascinating that certain mechs could accumulate spirituality as well, their degree of heterogeneity essentially meant that all of it was junk to him.
Though experimenting with clumps of spiritual accumulation taken from dozens of impressive display mechs, Ves made an important observation.
It appeared that his spiritual attribute was extremely specific to him. Perhaps every mech designer developed a unique attribute. He guessed that it might be related to the design philosophy locked within the design seed of a mech designer.
"That's a bummer."
It meant that for now, Ves saw no possible way for him to replenish his spiritual energy faster. He couldn't plunder it from external sources because their attributes simply didn't match. He could only rely on the natural regeneration of his mind.
Due to this setback, his trip to Bentheim mostly devolved into a culinary trip for Lucky. The pair visited a bunch of shops and marketplaces which sold a variety of exotics shipped from the frontier or other states.
"Another billion credits down the drain." Ves sighed.
He bought enough exotics to keep Lucky's tummy content for a couple months.
At least his cat stopped treating him as a pariah.
"The way to Lucky's heart is through his stomach, it seems."
"Meow!"
Before he departed to Centerpoint, Ves took the time to stop by the office of one of his business partners.
"I'm sorry I haven't been able to catch up to your birthday." Marcella said as she greeted Ves in her office. "I've been preoccupied with a problem that's becoming an increasingly bigger problem for the LMC."
Ves didn't have to think too long to figure it out. "Copycats."
"Yes. A lot of unscrupulous mech designers see you making a killing by selling expensive mechs. While the margins of the Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord aren't as good as before, they're still hefty enough to attract the attention of dozens of greedy underground mech manufacturers."
The damage these copycats mechs did to the LMC was considerable. While the imitation mechs mostly looked identical to the originals, their quality often fell short. The sloppy production processes also left numerous flaws behind in each copycat Blackbeak, Crystal Lord or Aurora Titan.
Yet despite all these faults, mech buyers who were short on money still bought them anyway because they were considerably cheaper than the authentic versions!
The worst part about this copycat situation was that the black market mechs often retained at least some X-Factor of the original design! As long as the black market manufacturer didn't mess with the original design schematics, they could still replicate some of their distinctive charm!
"We can't eliminate copycats and imitations entirely." Marcella said grimly. "As long as your mechs remain attractive products, there will always be someone with a production facility who wants to cash in on your success."
"What have you done then to mitigate this problem?"
"Most of the copycats originate from the Reinald Republic."
"How come that doesn't surprise me? Of course the Reinaldans are at the center of this operation."
Ves recalled the time he encountered an illicit copy of his own mech in one of the marketplaces in the Harkensen System.
"While it's impossible for us to stop the Reinaldans from producing copycats of your mechs, we can still request the more established players from doing so. That will cut down on the amount of copycat mechs in circulation. The reason why I couldn't make it to your birthday celebration was because I was stuck in the Harkensen System cutting a deal between the LMC and the three largest underground mech manufacturers."
"What does the deal entail?"
"In exchange for paying them a considerable amount of money, they promise not to produce copycat mechs based on our mechs."
Ves felt like puking blood. "What?! They're demanding bribes?!"
"There's no other recourse we can take, Ves. The Reinaldan authorities won't do anything to stop their illicit activities. The only way we can achieve actual change is by giving in. These black market manufacturers have made similar deals with countless other mech designers. It's probably their main source of revenue at this point."
"What a ridiculous extortion racket! Why hasn't the MTA cracked down on this practice?"
Marcella shrugged. "The black market manufacturers are quite elusive. They fabricate the mechs in decommissioned factory ships and logistic ships. Trying to hunt them down is like trying to chase after rats. The problem is too tedious. Even if the MTA succeeds in taking some of them down, more will pop up afterwards."
"The MTA has grown lazier and lazier by the day. There are so many problems in this star sector, but they've been holing up in their strongholds for decades."
"You can't blame them, Ves. On a philosophical level, deviant behavior like this will always take place. It's a force of nature that can't be stopped no matter how hard the MTA enforces their rules. I think they made the conscious decision to let such activities take place as long as they don't displace the legal market for mechs. The existence of copycat mechs also helps to pressure complacent mech designers."
The existence of copycat mechs essentially served as an indirect form of arbitrage. The more copycat mechs that emerged, the greater the pressure for the mech company to reduce its prices.
This fell in line with the aims of the MTA. They always encouraged competition in the mech market whenever possible.
As Marcella explained what she managed to accomplish, Ves didn't feel so repulsive of her actions. While the LMC was on the hook for several hundred million credits a year, the black market manufacturers she negotiated with held a lot of sway in their industry.
Not only did they promise to end their use of LMC's design, but they also promised to exert some pressure onto the smaller illicit manufacturers.
While some of the smaller fish would always continue to produce copycat mechs, at least they wouldn't be as pervasive as before.
"Mind you, the deal only addresses the production of copycats from the Reinald Republic." She cautioned him. "There are other centers of illicit mech production that might also decide to copycat your mechs in the star sector."
"And all of them will want a bribe as well to encourage them to stop imitating our mechs?"
"Yup."
"Scumbags!"
Ves considered these black market manufacturers to be vermin. Instead of investing their resources into developing their own mech designs, they would rather steal them from someone else! They did not deserve to profit from another mech designer's success!
"Stop moping, Ves. If there's one thing I've learned after spending decades building up my mech brokerage, it's that the mech market isn't fair. The MTA isn't doing anything about this practice because mech designers ought to be able to withstand this degree of adversity."
She was right. A mech company that was forced to shutter due to copycats shouldn't exist in the first place.
Once Ves learned all he wanted to know about the deal, he asked one more question.
"As you know, I'm about to depart to the Centerpoint System. Do you have any advice for me?"
"Not much. I haven't visited Centerpoint myself." Marcella replied. "I've heard that it is a central nexus for mech pilots and mech designers. Not only does the star system attract mech insiders from all over the star sector, but it's also home to many people who originate from other star sectors. The only problem is that the standard of living there is extremely high. Even visitors from the Friday Coalition will feel the pinch if they remain there for a couple of years."
As a star system directly controlled by the MTA, Some of the planets and habitats in Centerpoint primarily catered to core internal MTA personnel. The living standard there came close to that of a first-rate superstate, but the downside to that was that even Ves with his flush bank account was nothing more than a pauper in these places!
Fortunately, Centerpoint offered several other places where space peasants still had a chance to live! Ves and Lucky didn't have to worry about starving to death if they stayed in the star system for a couple of weeks!
Chapter 1253
Even though it was extremely expensive to live in the Centerpoint System, plenty of people managed to eke out a living anyway.
Some of the people who lived in the star system were either internal members of the MTA or family members of one. In fact, just like the Common Fleet Alliance, entire families or dynasties emerged who continually brought up descendents to work for the Mech Trade Association.
These were the most privileged residents of the star system. The money they earned from their service to the MTA came in the form of MTA credits.
Often called mech credits, they were almost identical to the CFA's fleet credits. It was as if the two organizations copied each other's homework.
A mech credit possessed an extremely high purchasing power even in the shops of the MTA. According to the current exchange rate, a single mech credit was worth around 3.6 billion bright credits!
"Damn! So high!" Ves cursed when he looked up the figures.
It was a humbling moment for Ves when he realized that his entire net worth only amounted to a handful of mech credits!
A typical internal MTA mech technician earned around 10 mech credits per month! That was a lot more than what most hard-working mech designers earned in their lifetimes!
The difference between the earning power of a citizen from the galactic rim and an internal member of the MTA was simply too vast!
Still, at least the MTA wasn't as insular as the CFA. People like Charlotte received an opportunity to prove themselves in order to enter their ranks. Once she passed her probationary period, she could expect to draw a salary of around 20 mech credits a month.
This was an insane amount of money, enough to make a lot of waves in the Bright Republic!
Naturally, because of their extremely high value, the MTA and CFA regulated their currencies quite strictly. It was a virtual currency that existed only in their central database, which meant that they tracked every transaction.
Overall, they did a pretty good job in preventing the wealthy citizens of the Centerpoint System from throwing the rest of the star sector in chaos.
"It's not completely foolproof, though."
There were means to convert fleet credits and mech credits into other currencies or valuable trade goods. However, doing this introduced a lot of other problems. Pirates loved to hijack shipments of trade goods worth billions of bright credits.
"It isn't worthwhile for them to meddle in the star sector anyway."
While it sounded as if every internal member of the MTA possessed an unimaginable amount of wealth, they could only earn this much because they were a lot more productive and capable than baseline humans.
From genetic optimization treatments to implants and augments, these people had to save thousands of mech credits to afford another upgrade. Accumulating upgrades was one of the prerequisites to earning a promotion that allowed MTA personnel to climb higher in the ranks!
Better upgrades cost vastly more mech credits than ordinary ones, which meant that their upper classes had a much easier time remaining at the top than their rank and file.
In this way, the MTA managed to maintain social stability among their own members. Everyone who entered their ranks had a clear if difficult path to promotion. The rank and file was happy with any opportunity for upward mobility, while the upper ranks were content as well as they could use their abundant wealth to give their descendents a considerable head start.
"Naturally, there are always some who can't keep up and wash out."
The MTA paid a lot to its internal members, but demanded a lot in return as well. They didn't hesitate to kick out members who were slacking off or failed to meet the high standards of the Association.
From what Ves read on the galactic net, most of the internal members that the MTA fired usually left the Centerpoint System. Most migrated to the galactic heartland or other, more prosperous star sectors, while the least capable could only go as far as the Friday Coalition or the Hexadric Hegemony.
"In general, the MTA is pretty fair in this regard." Ves thoughtfully concluded.
The MTA constantly took in lucky new recruits from impoverished regions while kicking out the bums and incompetents from their ranks. This continuous movement of people kept the organization dynamic and more in touch with the people they protected.
This contrasted sharply with what he knew of the CFA. They were a lot more rigid and hierarchical. It was a lot more difficult for someone to obtain a higher class no matter how hard they worked. Space peasants could forget about entering their ranks!
While the CFA didn't exhibit much diversity as a result, they possessed a much stronger common identity. Everyone possessed the same background. They could all count on each other to think and perform in the same way.
Ves found it fascinating how the CFA and the MTA diverged in their thinking of this matter. From a broader perspective, their divergent human resource policies betrayed their stance towards the people they protected.
"While they are both smug and elitist, the CFA is a lot more contemptuous of space peasants than the MTA. At least the latter still consider themselves to be a part of humanity rather than standing above them. Sometimes, I wonder why they still bother to guard over human space."
He never looked that much into how the MTA was run. As part of the Big Two, the Association was unimaginably big and powerful. Ves never thought he could ever enter their vortex.
"It's different now."
The MTA cared a lot about mechs. As long as a mech pilot or mech designer excelled in mechs in any way, they became worthy of consideration.
In practice, that meant that every expert pilot and Journeyman Mech Designer could expect to obtain some benefits from them. Even if they weren't able to become internal members and earn a salary in mech credits, they could still enjoy some services as external members.
It was kind of like his current relationship with the Flashlight, now that Ves thought about it. Remaining in the periphery meant that while Ves wouldn't be able to enjoy a lot of benefits, he wouldn't be forced to follow the whims of these organizations either.
Considering his current situation, Ves preferred to keep a healthy distance from the MTA. While earning mech credits sounded really attractive, he valued his life and his freedom even more!
He also read up on how they regarded design philosophies. While the galactic net didn't offer that much information, he did find out a handy list of all the different classifications they came up with after several hundred years of refinement.
Class I: Whole performance, holistic, encompasses entire mechs.
Class II: Offense-oriented.
Class III: Defense-oriented.
Class IV: Mobility-oriented.
Class V: Endurance and efficiency-oriented.
Class VI: Focus on a narrow range of mech archetypes.
Class VII: Focus on a narrow range of mech designs.
Class VIII: Focus on a narrow range of tech, components or materials.
Class IX: Irregular, unorthodox, unconventional, special.
That last one stood out like a sore thumb. Ves suspected that they called Class IX design philosophies 'special' as a euphemism for something they considered stupid or unrealistic.
"It's like a lottery. Most mech designers with Class IX design philosophies don't make it out of Journeyman or Senior, but those that do often hit the jackpot because they're incredibly valuable at the Master-level!"
Once the MTA adopted this classification scheme, they performed a lot of research on how the different classes of design philosophies fared.
The MTA considered a design philosophy to achieve its culmination when its mech designer advanced to Master. Reaching Journeyman was just the bare minimum to enter into the organization's consideration.
As for Novices and Apprentices? There were so many of them that the MTA simply didn't bother to put them into consideration.
Overall, the most eye-catching observation was that mech designers who possessed Class VII design philosophies were the most likely to advance to Master!
While Ves already knew this fact, it still surprised him how much their odds improved. Mech designers who only designed a single mech and continuously iterated upon them were considered the oddballs of the mech industry.
They only designed a single mech in their entire lives!
Of course, just because they devoted all of their energy on one design didn't mean that mech remained the same. They continually upgraded their sole design with newer tech and finer application of knowledge. Sometimes, they even designed variants that could cope better in specific situations.
Still, the core of their design philosophy still rested in a single, specific mech design. Even if these extreme mech designers possessed the skill to design other mechs, they wholeheartedly refused to do so. For them, it was a matter of principle! The moment they designed another mech was the moment their design philosophy broke!
Therefore, even if Class VII mech designers boasted the most Masters, they also contributed the least to the development of mech design.
"While some of their innovations are universal, most of them are confined to a specific mech design."
Such Masters didn't leave much of a legacy behind. The only way their work remained relevant was if they raised an Apprentice who inherited the exact same design philosophy.
Opposite to Class VII design philosophies, the MTA regarded Class II, Class III, Class IV and Class V in a much better light.
The mech designers who possessed these design philosophies often came up with many useful innovations. Best of all, they were often universal, which meant that they could be applied to countless other mech designs.
"In fact, they are the principal source of many new technologies and techniques introduced in every new mech generation!"
Mech designers who possessed design philosophies that fell into this range enjoyed a greater amount of attention from the MTA.
Compared to Class VII mech designers who only dickered around with a single mech design, a typical Class II mech designer could pass on a lot more widely-applicable innovations!
Ves spared some thought about how Ketis fell into this classification scheme.
"She focuses on both sharpness and swordsman mechs, so her design philosophy can be classified as both Class II and Class VI."
However, the MTA refused to assign multiple classifications to a single design philosophy. In cases where multiple classifications were possible, the narrowest one applied.
In the case of Ketis, that meant her design philosophy primarily fell under Class VI.
"At least Class VI design philosophies aren't treated with contempt."
The innovations developed by a Class VI mech designer could still be applied to many mech designs that shared the same archetype.
Still, if Ves had a say in the matter, he would rather prefer that Ketis shift her design philosophy towards focusing on sharpness. Her obsession with swordsman mechs forced her to split her attention, which meant she might not be able to accomplish anything in either areas.
"Still, she chose this path by herself. I shouldn't meddle with her decision." Ves shook his head.
Just because the MTA thought bad of something didn't mean that Ves should do the same.
"After all, my design philosophy has fallen under the 'special' class, which doesn't exactly enjoy the best reputation."
Class I and Class IX design philosophies were both special in that they were often compatible with many other design philosophies.
Ves already discovered that since his design philosophy focused on an aspect that almost no other mech designer thought about, he could collaborate with practically everyone!
This made it a lot easier for Class I and some Class IX mech designers to collaborate with other mech designers.
The downside was that because their design philosophies were so vague, radical and all-encompassing that their chances of advancing to Master was abysmal!
Too many Seniors who possessed these classes of design philosophies got stuck halfway and never found a way to step further.
Ves wasn't conceited enough to think he enjoyed smooth sailing. The same fate might befall him one day!
"I have to keep improving. I have to keep innovating. I have to keep challenging myself!"
Chapter 1254
Reading up on how the MTA classified and evaluated different design philosophies gave Ves a greater sense of his own worth.
"On one hand, I'm a Class IX mech designer."
Compared to the vast majority of more conventional mech designers, Ves was like the class clown. There was a large chance that he wouldn't amount to anything in the future, but there was always a tiny chance that he would accomplish something extremely remarkable!
"Sort of like what happens when the class clown starts a new company that becomes so successful that they've become a billionaire!"
Naturally, the odds of that happening was quite small that Class IX mech designers rightly deserved to be treated as clowns.
Even so, many Class IX mech designers still managed to advance to Senior. At that height, they were capable of providing a lot of modest enhancements to any mech design they contributed to. Class IX Seniors therefore gained a reputation as the 'best' assistants to Master Mech Designer looking to add some extra 'oomph' to their own work.
"Is that how Master Olson sees me? A future assistant with a very convenient design philosophy?"
Ves had mixed feelings about that. While he was fine with collaborating with other mech designers, he did not see much value in it if he was being relegated to the sides.
Only by being the lead designer of a design project would he be able to harvest the most gains! Not only would the finished design carry his vision and his design choices, he would also make a much greater impact on the lives of his customers!
Therefore, Ves did not accept this stereotype of Class IX mech designers! It completely went against his ambitions! Senior was not the end of the road for him! He was absolutely confident that he could make his design philosophy bloom and reach even greater heights!
Charlotte mentioned something very important during his birthday celebration.
She informed him that the MTA's resident mech designers in the Bright Republic paid a lot more attention to him than normal. The reason was because he expressed his design philosophy a lot stronger than others.
It was rather strange that the expression of his design philosophy fluctuated so strongly between different mechs and mech designs!
Ves knew that this was because he focused on the X-Factor, which was inherently volatile. However, a bigger factor was that he relied on external sources of strength to enhance his mech designs.
"The MTA will probably have a lot of questions in store for me when I arrive at Centerpoint. Questions that I really don't want to answer."
Yet would the MTA accept no for an answer? Likely not! They were one of the two most powerful organizations in human space! They wielded so much power that they could easily crush Ves like a bug! You didn't just say no to their requests!
Ves began to sweat a little as he began to see his upcoming visit to Centerpoint in another light.
Instead of seeing it as a supreme honor to get into closer contact with one of the core powers of the galaxy, he was actually entering the belly of a very dangerous beast!
He had various secrets that he really didn't want the MTA to find out. From possessing the Mech Designer System, his insights and applications of spirituality and the secret behind the X-Factor, each of them could land him in hot water if exposed!
Although it sounded nice to become a galactic citizen and obtain recognition of his recent advancement, Ves preferred to pass over them entirely if it meant that he had an interrogation in store!
"There's no way the MTA is clueless! They have a copy of all of my design files and logs! Surely they've recognized something fishy about my designs!"
If Ves suddenly ordered the Barracuda and the Greenfeather to turn around and return to the Bright Republic, the MTA would certainly grow impatient with him. While the Association didn't set a firm time limit to their invitation, they nonetheless expected mech designers to answer their summons as promptly as possible!
For an intriguing case like Ves, that meant the MTA would definitely be willing to drag Ves to Centerpoint if he was being too tardy!
"Damnit! I can't delay this visit!" He cursed.
What did the MTA know? What did they suspect? Some of the smartest and most ingenious people in the galaxy work for them! With all of the tech and augmentations at their disposal, they were much sharper than the average baseline human.
To Ves, entering the sector headquarters was the same as entering a den filled with Calabasts!
Paranoia and worry began to plague his imagination as he envisioned himself being dragged into a high-tech interrogation chamber before being prodded to spill every little secret!
Even though it should have been unlikely for the MTA to treat a Journeyman so badly, Ves nonetheless couldn't rule out the possibility of this happening! He only needed to slip up a single time before the MTA brought out the manacles!
"I can't let this happen!"
What could he do?
As soon as he calmed down a bit, he realized that he wasn't as hopeless as he thought. His earlier experiences in the Ylvaine Protectorate gave him several ideas on how to tackle this potential problem.
He grinned. If Class IX mech designers were seen as clowns, then he should do his best to reinforce this stereotype!
As the Barracuda and Greenfeather crossed through territories on their way to Centerpoint, Ves slowly refined his strategy towards any possible inquiries he might face upon arrival.
Perhaps Ves was being too paranoid. Perhaps he was worrying too much. Yet the prospect of facing difficult questions haunted him so much that he wasn't content unless he accounted for every possibility!
The MTA may be the holy land for mech designers, but as far as Ves was concerned, it was a pit of darkness that could swallow him up as long as he took a single wrong step!
Still, as long as he managed to make it out of their sector headquarters, he should be in the clear. Depending on how well the MTA received him, he might even be able to spare some time to explore the many sights of the Centerpoint System.
"I might even be able to find a girlfriend there." He shrugged.
A Journeyman was supposed to broaden their vision and experience new sights. While the Centerpoint System was still part of the Komodo Star Sector, it was so different that it pretty much qualified as a de facto first-rate state!
"Meow!"
Lucky floated down on the desk next to his terminal and leisurely flitted his tail.
When Ves attempted to pet his cat, Lucky jerked back with a wary expression.
"Meow! Meow!"
"Fine. I'll prepare your meal."
Ves stood up and walked over to a vault in his stateroom. He grabbed a small box and opened it up before serving it to Lucky.
"Meow!"
The cat immediately dove in, eagerly crunching the expensive exotics between its rock-hard teeth.
Although Lucky could have phased through the vault with his abilities, he insisted that Ves serve him in person!
It was as if Lucky enjoyed treating Ves as his butler!
"You spoiled cat! It's not enough that you're forcing me to spend a fortune for your meals! You haven't even pooped out any gems lately!"
Lucky kept on munching at his meal while completely ignoring Ves. It was as if his role no longer mattered at this stage!
Since he couldn't find any companionship with his pet, Ves opted to talk to Gavin instead.
"Have you noted any remarkable destinations and activities on Centerpoint?" He asked.
"I have. In fact, there's simply too much to do. You could spend decades on Centerpoint and still not run out of stuff to do. While a lot of planets and habitats are closed to anyone who isn't an internal member, there are still way too many settlements that cater to visitors. The treatment and level of access that you receive depends on your wealth and your rank. Apparently, a lot of venues are closed if you aren't a galactic citizen. Space peasants like me aren't allowed to mingle with your kind."
"Knock it off, Benny." Ves gently slapped his assistant. "Even if I'm about to become a galactic citizen, I'm still a space peasant at heart."
"I've read up a bit on what it means to be a galactic citizen. It means you are essentially equal to an average citizen of a first-rate superstate. The Big Two and all the other huge organizations actually take your rights seriously. As for those like me, we're considered completely expendable!"
The implication was that space peasants didn't matter. They were numbers in a database. What individuality and inherent value they possessed was so trivial that the major powers in human space found it much more convenient to group them up under the simple if derogatory label of space peasant!
The worst part about it was that Ves couldn't entirely dispute this approach. The Big Two and the first-rate superstates were right. The vast majority of humans living outside of their jurisdiction really didn't matter in the grander scheme of things.
To the MTA, the only exceptions to the rule were mech pilots, mech designers and academics pushing the forefront of science. These people received a chance to shed their space peasant beginnings and enter the ranks of true humanity!
"Do you think it's impossible for you to become a galactic citizen?" Ves asked.
"How could I?" Gavin looked morose. "I'm not a mech designer or mech pilot. I don't have any ties to the spaceborn. There's nothing about me that merits the attention of the the Big Two and the first-rate superstates."
"If you really care about it so much, I could probably elevate you to this height one day. Perhaps I'll grow powerful enough to turn everyone I know into a galactic citizen!"
Gavin looked at him oddly. "You'd have to be a Master or a Star Designer to wield that much clout."
"Heh. Sounds doable." Ves grinned while casually stretching his arms. "Seriously though, don't obsess too much about what it means to be a galactic citizen. It's mostly a way to make those elites feel smug in front of the rest of humanity."
While it sounded like galactic citizens received a lot more rights and privileges in human space, that didn't mean that space peasants were deprived.
You couldn't miss what you didn't know you lost out on. Most space peasants ignorantly lived their lives as if there was nothing wrong. Galactic citizenship was so far out of their reach that they didn't bother pining over what they could never have.
"It's largely superfluous anyway." Ves pointed out. "The only reason I'm eligible to become one is because I've become remarkable. Even without this label, I would still be someone worthy of notice."
"Yeah, but there are plenty of citizens in the first-rate superstates who don't deserve all the benefits they get to enjoy for being born in the right state."
Ves sighed. "Benny, it's pointless to envy the Terrans and the Rubarthans. Sure, it's nice to be born in the most prosperous places in human space, but will anything change just because of your complaints? Instead of moping about the unfairness of it all, just accept it exists and work hard to close the gap. You're right that a lot of galactic citizens don't deserve the benefits they've been given. That just means that space peasants like you have a chance to catch up and exceed them in the future."
That put Gavin in a thoughtful mood. Ves was happy that he managed to pull his assistant away from his nihility.
"Okay, I get it, boss. I really hate being called a space peasant, but complaining about it won't get me anyway."
A small fiery passion lit up in Gavin's mind. While he might not be able to earn galactic citizenship himself, he could still do his utmost to assist Ves in his career!
Only then would space peasants like Gavin be able to climb above their station!
Chapter 1255
During the two months of travel, Ves spent most of his time puzzling over the Skull Architect's designs.
Wary of traps, Ves approached them with caution, causing him to take a bit longer than he liked to achieve significant progress.
With his Spirituality still in recovery, Ves keenly felt the difference between his current state and his optimal state.
His passion, energy and drive suffered a lot, forcing him to push through his work even if he would rather do something else.
"A mech designer must be dedicated to his craft." Ves whispered to himself. "How can I call myself a lover of mechs when I can't sustain my interest through tougher times?"
He considered his difficulties to be a test of his perseverance. It was easy to get caught up in designing mechs when he enjoyed the experience. Yet Ves couldn't always keep delaying until he entered in the right mood.
Instead of treating his debilitated state as a disadvantage, he instead saw it as an opportunity to train himself. Only by pushing through adversity would he be able to make the most gains!
Therefore, despite his low energy, Ves managed to summon up enough motivation to keep working on the designs.
He didn't linger too long on the Caskar Pike. After studying it over and over again, Ves concluded that the spaceborn missileer mech didn't possess any hidden traits.
The Skull Architect tasked him with designing a variant, so that was what he did. Aside from tweaking the design and its programming to make it easier to pilot, Ves also imparted it with a pale image to add some life to his variant.
While Ves didn't infuse his image with his precious spiritual energy, he figured that the X-Factor of his design would not be any less than that of the Blackbeak.
"That should be sufficient to give the mech pilots of my variant a modest push. I don't have to pull out all the stops."
It was rather refreshing to Ves to design a variant. While he became accustomed to designing original mechs, he felt like he had gone back in time to the start of his career.
"It's like I'm getting back to basics."
When he designed an original mech, he entered a completely different mindset. He controlled every aspect of a mech design, but bore all the responsibility of its success and failure.
With variants, Ves merely had to look for opportunities to improve or change the configuration of the base model to fall more in line with his own vision.
Aside from finishing up his variant for the Caskar Pike, Ves also started to tinker with the Toroz Ruby, a spaceborn striker mech, and the Jinven, an aerial marksman mech.
The latter two mechs possessed a bit more depth, but not too much. Through careful and meticulous study, Ves found areas in which he could make worthwhile tradeoffs that vastly improved the overall piloting experience of his variants.
While he couldn't maintain the same level of performance, the various tricks he employed significantly lowered the burden on the mech pilots of his variants.
"Mech pilots should always prefer my variants over the base models unless they're elites."
Elite mech pilots such as Taon Melin from the Ylvaine Protectorate or Lord Javier from the Vesia Kingdom were already rare in civilized space.
In a barren, undeveloped region like the frontier, it was simply too difficult to train true elites that could pilot the Skull Architect's mechs to their full potential.
Therefore, Ves immediately knew without a doubt that if the Skull Architect started to produce his variants, his sales would instantly double or triple.
"I really hope he doesn't. I don't want my mechs to be used by thousands of pirates."
The Skull Architect was a very principled mech designer. He refused to compromise the performance of his original designs even if the market demanded change.
Such a mech designer would definitely struggle with the decision to publish his variants.
"Well, it's not like I can influence his decision." Ves shrugged. "I'll just see what he does with my work. Perhaps he only needs my variants for research purposes."
He chugged along inside his stateroom for the rest of the journey to Centerpoint. He took no notice of the destinations he passed along the way. Even when the Barracuda entered the territory of the Friday Coalition, Ves did not express any interest in visiting them despite their various attractions.
Despite his dread towards his upcoming visit to the sector headquarters, Ves saw no point in trying to delay his journey. He already developed numerous contingency plans where he prepared a number of strategies to deflect suspicion.
While the MTA posed a threat to him, they weren't enemies. The concerns of the Association went far beyond figuring out the eccentricities of a single oddball mech designer.
They possessed much greater priorities, such as ensuring their dominance over human space, suppressing the Five Scrolls Compact, keeping recalcitrant states subservient, maintaining parity with the CFA, guarding against alien threats and most importantly propping up the galactic mech industry.
"Lately, the Big Two seem to be preoccupied with other matters."
Ves observed various situations where the CFA and the MTA should have intervened, but chose not to. That was very unusual as the Big Two loved to throw around their weight.
While the CFA eventually mobilized to the frontier in order to fend off the wave of sandmen aggression, the MTA hardly moved out at all in the last couple of decades. The more he witnessed their inaction, the more he suspected that they were gathering their strength.
"What are they guarding against?"
Well, whatever they feared, it shouldn't be any of his concern. He merely went back to his work while the Barracuda and the Greenfeather continued to close the distance to the Centerpoint System.
Both ships encountered a fair amount of resistance during FTL travel. The gravitic tides hadn't been favorable, causing them to progress several weeks slower than their most optimistic projections.
Even so, after almost two months of constant travel and FTL transitions, the pair of ships finally transitioned out of FTL at the edge of the Centerpoint System.
"What a magnificent sight!" Ves gasped as he stood next to Captain Silvestra.
Through the augmented visual projection of the local star system, Ves beheld over a dozen populated planets as well as five stars of varying sizes and luminosity!
"Centerpoint is one of the few quintuple star systems of the Komodo Star Sector." Captain Silvestra explained. "We should have been blasted by radiation by now if the MTA hadn't come in and built Dyson spheres around them to siphon away much of their energy."
When the Komodo Star Sector first opened up for sanctioned colonization, the MTA immediately claimed the Centerpoint System as their own due to its powerful suns and mineral-rich planets.
While the five suns orbiting in a weird fashion around each other made the star system practically unlivable at first, the MTA did not let that stop them. They embarked on a huge construction project and enveloped all of the stars in immense artificial megastructures. Stars were the most convenient sources of heat and energy, so how could the MTA let them all go to waste?
The Dyson spheres they built around the suns only partially captured all of the energy they generated. They left open enough gaps to release a healthy amount of light and heat to sustain life on the nearby planets.
The MTA expended quite a bit of effort to shift the orbits of all of the terrestrial planets and gas giants in the system so that they all fell within the goldilocks zone. Ves even encountered a rumor on the galactic net that the MTA imported additional planets to the Centerpoint System to provide more space for themselves!
"The entire Centerpoint System is an enduring marvel of human ingenuity!" Ves softly admired.
Aside from the partially-sphered suns and the densely-populated planet, the sheer amount of traffic in-system also boggled his mind. Millions of ships of varying sizes, roles and ownership flew back and forth.
Humongous trade convoys that began their journey from distant star sectors arrived at Centerpoint after months or years of constant travel. Robust passenger liners offering passage to the galactic heartland picked up their latest batch of hopeful immigrants looking for a better life.
Most of those immigrants would doubtlessly fail, but exceptions always existed.
These ships only formed a small part of the total ship traffic in the system. Some consisted of in-system transit between different planets and space stations.
A significant amount of these vessels traveled a lot faster than Barracuda as they incorporated advanced propulsion technologies that put the modern corvette to shame!
Only a modest amount of ships traveled this fast. The majority of traffic within the system consisted of vessels that conveyed trade goods and passengers to and from the rest of the star sector.
Captain Silvestra shared some of her thoughts while the Barracuda communicated with traffic control.
"The amount of trade and transit passing through Centerpoint can definitely put Bentheim to shame. The two aren't in the same league. It's central location and its abundant facilities and production centers makes it the premier trading hub of the star sector. Anyone looking to export goods to other star sectors will always start from Centerpoint."
Ves had already read up on these facts, but witnessing the sheer scale of industry and trade up close made him feel very small!
Despite the humongous amount of ships entering and exiting the system, traffic control efficiently handled their entry in the star system. As a highly-populated star system that saw an immense amount of traffic, the Barracuda and the Greenfeather were not allowed to fly independently.
Each time they wanted to fly to a different planet or space station, they needed to submit their flight plans ahead of time. Traffic control would then issue them a specific route that they needed to follow very strictly.
If not for this precaution, ships would definitely crash into each other despite the immensity of space! This problem was especially acute when the ships neared their destination as thousands of them converged in close proximity at the end!
It only took a few minutes for traffic control to approve their flight plans and issue their routes.
"Setting course for Halcyon Citadel." The helmswoman said as she keyed in the new route. "We'll arrive at our destination within a week!"
The Barracuda and the Greenfeather transitioned out of FTL very far away from the center of the star system. Not only did the five suns force ships to emerge further away, but the MTA also installed twenty-four immense gravitic anchors in an extended sphere around the Centerpoint System to force them to exit FTL even further away!
While this introduced a lot of inconveniences to people looking to travel to the inner system, it enhanced the security of this strategically-important star system.
"We're being subjected to over a thousand long-ranged scans." The captain reported as the sensor console lit up with a deluge of alerts. "The MTA and many other parties in the system are constantly keeping tabs on who goes in and out."
"Will they be able to scan the insides of our ships, captain?"
"Definitely. At the very least, you can assume that we can't hide any goods from the MTA's scanners. As for the spotters in the star system, their scanners are probably much less capable. The Barracuda is quite well-shielded against most probing scans, but I can't say the same for the Greenfeather."
Ves nodded. "That's fine. It's not like we are carrying any contraband."
The assets that he truly wanted to hide were safely stowed away in his Inventory. Perhaps the only point of concern to Ves was Lucky. The mechanical cat was too damn remarkable for his own good.
Fortunately, Lucky also assimilated CFA-grade ECM technology. That should be enough to fend off any powerful sweeps. If that wasn't enough, he could still employ his Miniaturized Stealth Generator to escape targeted scans.
"Inform me when our ships are being subjected to penetrating scans." He ordered. "Even if we can't do anything about them, I would still like to know if we are being watched."
Chapter 1256
It took a week for the Barracuda and the Greenfeather to approach Halcyon Citadel.
During this time, the two ships were constantly bombarded with scans. Only a small proportion originated from the patrol mechs and vessels of the MTA.
The majority of scans came from observer ships placed throughout the star system. Captain Silvestra guessed that most of those vessels worked for different factions of the Friday Coalition and the Hexadric Hegemony.
"The two second-rate states are constantly locked in a struggle over the star sector. Centerpoint plays a special role in their rivalry because it is the most important nexus of trade in the region. Even if they have no hopes of taking it over, they can't ignore what's going on here."
"The MTA allows them to take snapshots of all of the traffic going through this system?" Ves frowned.
Nobody enjoyed being stared at so blatantly every second of the day! The Barracuda already logged millions of active scans, and that was only what her sensors managed to detect!
"Humans are curious creatures." She replied. "The MTA is often forced to pick and choose their battles. It's especially difficult to fight against human instinct. I think they don't mind these scans because the observers know better than to pry into their own ships and assets."
Any ship that attempted to actively scan an MTA ship or vessel would quickly be blown into bits regardless of the reason! No one was crazy enough to put the Association's patience to the test in their core territory!
Even though they might have been slacking off elsewhere, Centerpoint remained firmly under their control!
As the Barracuda and the Greenfeather neared Halcyon Citadel, the latter ship diverted to another route.
The MTA didn't allow any mechs other than their own to approach the headquarters. Ves wasn't even allowed to bring a bodyguard or pet!
"You'll have to remain behind as well, Lucky." Ves told his cat as the critter blissfully munched one of the last batches of exotics that he bought at Bentheim. "Make sure to keep your ECM up and shielded around your body. I don't know what kind of tech is stuffed inside your body, but it will definitely attract the attention of the MTA if they catch a glimpse!"
"Meow."
After issuing his warning to Lucky, Ves took a deep breath and prepared himself for his upcoming visit.
The Barracuda soon came within orbit of Halcyon Citadel.
To call it a space station would put every other space station to shame. It was actually as large as a moon!
As the MTA's premier center of power in the star sector, Halcyon Citadel brilliantly encapsulated their might. If their Dyson spheres hadn't impressed their guests, then this immense space fortification never failed to turn everyone speechless!
First-time visitors such as Ves and the crew of the Barracuda sat in stunned silence as they observed the immense mass of Halcyon Citadel. It was a moon-sized hive of industry, administration and defense!
Halcyon Citadel was the MTA's seat of power! The supreme sector associate directed the MTA's branch in this star sector from this very space fortification! The Sector Mech Council that consisted of a mix of high-ranking officials, mech pilots and mech designers occasionally convened to decide on matters that impacted the region!
A chill ran through Ves as the Barracuda came closer and closer until she parked at her designated orbit.
"Halcyon Citadel has already dispatched a shuttle to pick you up." The captain notified him. "We can go no further from here. Only ships, mechs and shuttles from the MTA are allowed to approach the surface."
Ves nodded. "Understood."
As the sector headquarters of the MTA, security was very stringent here. Not only did the citadel itself possess immense defenses, it also boasted a huge amount of mechs and orbital fortifications that could fend off the entire Mech Corps of the Bright Republic without breaking a sweat!
Viewing all of the wonders of Centerpoint System really hit home how little the Bright Republic and the other third-rate states of the star sector mattered.
As the MTA shuttle approached the Barracuda's starboard side, Ves waited in front of the hatch alongside Gavin.
"This is it, Ves." Gavin said. "This must be an exciting moment for you, right? The MTA is rolling out the red carpet for you! It must be a dream come true!"
Ves awkwardly smiled. It was more of a nightmare than a dream to him! "Let's not get too excited, Gavin. A lot of Journeymen across the star sector get invited to Halcyon Citadel every year. I'm nothing special."
Journeymen may enjoy an honored status in the Bright Republic, but the MTA hardly noticed their existence at all!
The two of them chatted a bit as they waited for the CFA shuttle to form an airtight seal with the Barracuda's starboard hatch. Once the two vessels formed a solid connection, Ves entered through the hatches and entered into the shuttle's stylish passenger compartment.
Aside from a few empty seats, a single android greeted him upon arrival.
[Mr. Ves Larkinson, the Mech Trade Association welcomes you to Centerpoint System.] An elegant-looking feminine android greeted him with a slightly-robotic voice. [I am Delta-Gina, your personally designated service android. My role is to guide you through the halls of Halcyon Citadel. I am also capable of answering your questions.]
It figured that the MTA would assign a bot instead of a human as his chaperone. Ves eyed the bot with mild interest as he seated himself. Delta-Gina's design immediately sparked his interest.
The android had been designed by a very capable mech designer! One who understood the human form extremely well!
There was so much he could observe from the android's design that Ves spent several minutes just staring at the remarkable creation!
As the shuttle began to detach from the Barracuda and descend to Halcyon Citadel, Ves finally collected himself a bit. "Who will I meet once I enter Halcyon Citadel?"
[I am not allowed to answer this question.]
"How many Journeymen are invited to Halcyon Citadel per day?"
[I am not allowed to answer this question.]
"Who designed your model?"
[I am not allowed to answer this question.]
"Can you even answer any question at all?!"
[I am Delta-Gina, your personally designated service android. My role is to guide you through the halls of Halcyon Citadel. I am also capable of answering your questions.]
Ves shook his head and gave up on the stupid android. While the CFA dedicated a lot of research into developing more advanced AIs and automated systems, the MTA was much more reluctant to follow suit.
Many mech pilots and mech designers feared that automation would replace their roles entirely one day. As the main patron of these professions, the MTA would never do anything to threaten their core interests!
Still, Ves couldn't help but feel disappointed that a stupid bot like Delta-Gina was the best that the MTA could spare for their guests.
While the shuttle swiftly descended to the artificial moon and entered one of its gaping crevasses, Ves paid no further mind to the android.
Instead, he prepared one of his precautions.
During the trip to Centerpoint, Ves came up with a plan to deflect the MTA's attention. The first step of doing so was to construct an altered image of himself as a foolproof mask.
He developed several masks, in fact.
These masks helped him adjust his personality, his thinking pattern, his body language and his other tells into a desired direction. His earlier experiences with masks had taught him what to expect.
Perhaps the most important lesson that he needed to keep in mind was that his masks weren't foolproof! Even if his facade was incredibly convincing, it didn't stop others from gathering other clues!
Calabast already taught him this lesson when she figured out that Ves was responsible for stealing the holy relic on Kesseling VIII!
Therefore, Ves put a lot of thought on how to portray himself to the MTA. Obviously, he couldn't adopt a completely different personality. There were lots of rumors that the MTA had eyes and ears everywhere, so they would have been able to determine his actual personality.
If he tried to act too differently from how he used to convey himself, then he would quickly attract their attention, which was exactly what he didn't want to see!
Therefore, most of the masks he constructed during the trip didn't diverge too much from his actual personality. Ves merely opted to exaggerate some of his traits and put a different spin on some of his attitudes.
His goal today was to fool the MTA without letting them realize that they were being fooled.
Easy, right?
Well, Ves was about to find out, as the shuttle had just slipped into a massive hangar bay devoted solely to transit shuttles like the one he rode. Once the shuttle parked at its designated landing zone, Ves and the android stepped out, only to step upon a lifter platform that rapidly conveyed the two deeper inside the citadel!
Ves took a moment to marvel at the immense construction around him. He noted that Halcyon Citadel was built for war. Its metallic blue interior walls consisted of some kind of super-advanced alloy that could probably withstand a crashing starship without suffering a single dent.
As the floater platform accelerated to an unreal speed, neither Ves nor the android worried about being thrown off, as neither of them were subjected to drag.
His floater platform entered into a series of tunnels and joined the line of many transportation vehicles. Ves could see thousands of people and goods being ferried all over the massive citadel. While he didn't know what exactly went on inside the headquarters, it functioned more than just an administrative center.
Even as the floater platform accelerated to a ludicrous speed, it still took around half an hour for it to reach its destination. It passed through a number of security checkpoints before entering into a nicer section of the citadel.
Once the floater platform touched down at a very expansive landing zone, the android introduced him to the area.
[Welcome to the Design Center of Halcyon Citadel. Many mech designers in the direct employ of the Mech Trade Association work here. Please do not disturb our internal members you see along the way.]
Ves could see that he wasn't the only new Journeyman present. Several other floater platforms landed, depositing fresh Journeymen along with their accompanying androids.
Each of them headed into the Design Center but split off to different areas. Ves passed through several remarkable displays and projections showing off various impressive accomplishments.
They walked through the corridors for a while. Ves believed this was a deliberate part on the MTA because they could have brought him to his destination directly with a smaller floater platform.
Instead, they forced their guests to traverse the remaining distance on foot.
It was a humbling moment to Ves. Everything he saw so far reinforced the might of the MTA while making him feel smaller.
Fortunately, the trip only lasted for twenty minutes or so. Before his patience started to thin, the android guided him through a strict security checkpoint before guiding him to a grand hall.
A single middle-aged man stood in front of a first-class mech on display. Ves could hardly keep his eyes off the impressive-looking multipurpose mech.
Delta-Gina quietly stepped back while Ves arrived in front of the man.
"Mr. Larkinson. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Professor Kastel Oodiv, a Senior Mech Designer in the service of the MTA. It is my role to verify your advancement and to induct you into the ranks of Journeyman."
The two shook hands, upon which Ves immediately felt something wrong from his design seed.
It encountered a probe!
"As expected." Professor Oodiv smiled. "I would hate to waste my time with a fraud. However, my judgement is not enough to confirm you as a Journeyman. Please come this way. We will need to perform a more thorough examination."
Ves confidently smiled as if he didn't have anything to fear. In fact, his insides were shaking! If not for the mask he wore, he would have looked like a nervous wreck by now!
Chapter 1257
Fortunately for Ves, the examination wasn't as extensive as he thought. Professor Oodiv merely guided him into some sort of medical facility and directed him to enter an all-round examination chamber.
Ves remained standing while tons of scans suffused throughout his entire body. He felt as if a thousand fingers massaged his insides!
The uncomfortable experience ended after a dozen seconds. The highly-advanced scanners didn't require any additional time to record the internal makeup of his entire body.
The professor directed an intrigued glance at him when he came out of the examination chamber. "The results have shown a lot of remarkable abnormalities. Although I've already read about it in your record, it is still very notable to see that your body has been subjected to very extensive augmentations."
Ves brashly smiled. "I went through three rounds of gene optimization treatments, courtesy of the CFA! Although they're not exactly up to date, they are some of the best you can get in the galaxy!"
That caused the professor to falter a bit in his smile. "Ah, yes. I have to admit the CFA does good work. The MTA is better, though. The CFA's gene optimization treatments are primarily geared towards optimizing a human's long-term survival aboard ships. Our organization on the other hand has developed very specialized gene treatments that cater specifically to mech designers!"
"That sounds great, but a mech designer like me can never afford them. I'm very grateful to the CFA for allowing me the opportunity to optimize my genes and improve my lifespan for free!"
He spoke his words with utmost sincerity, at least as much as his mask could convey.
While Professor Oodiv looked simple and unassuming, Ves bet that the Senior was receiving tons of information through an implant or some other means at this very moment. Lie detectors and other monitors were probably monitoring him closely nonstop!
The professor and the android slowly guided Ves out of the medical facility. While they were walking towards their next destination, the professor began to lecture him about the MTA.
"I'm sure you know what the Mech Trade Association stands for. Everything you've learned is true, but that is only what the public is allowed to know. Now that you have taken your first real step into mech design, it is time for you to become inducted into some of our secrets."
"If I may ask, professor, does every new Journeyman get to enjoy the treatment of a Senior of the MTA?"
"Heavens, no! Usually, one of our internal Journeyman will do. The reason why you merit a different treatment is because of how quickly you've advanced. Your nominal Master likewise received an impressive reception when she advanced to her current at her young age. While age does not necessarily correlate to ability, we are very hopeful to talents who advance faster through the ranks."
That made a lot of sense. An internal Senior should be an extremely powerful person. Their time was very valuable! If they were forced to meet every new Journeyman who arrived at Halcyon Citadel, they wouldn't have any time left to design their mechs or continue their research!
Ves had already anticipated something like this. His mental preparation along with his mask allowed him to maintain his composure even if he walked right alongside a Senior who was vastly more capable than the Seniors of the rest of the star sector!
"What is your specialty?"
"I specialize in pressure tolerance. To elaborate, I primarily design aerial mechs that are capable of operating in the upper layers of gas giants."
"Wow!"
That caused Ves to look very impressed. He couldn't even imagine designing such a mech! At the very least, no third-class mech would be capable of surviving the extreme circumstances of gas giants!
The professor eventually led Ves to an office. As the two of them took their seats, Ves figured that the interrogation began in earnest. He tried his best to project confidence and assurance in his own strength.
The professor activated his desk terminal and began to peruse some files. "Before we move on to the induction ritual, I'd like for you to answer some questions to fill out the gaps in our record of you. Is that alright with you, Mr. Larkinson?"
"Feel free to ask."
Ves was sure that the MTA would get its answers regardless of what he said. Saying no was just stupid.
"Alright, let us start with the greatest point of ambiguity. In your application to be recognized as a Journeyman, you described your design philosophy as 'metaphysical man-machine symbiosis'. While I know the meaning of the individual words, what exactly do they mean in combination?"
Ves looked a little hesitant. "I don't really like to elaborate my design philosophy."
"Do not be concerned, Mr. Larkinson. We are very well aware that design philosophies are deeply personal to mech designers like you. They form part of your trade secrets and are an essential component to your competitive advantage."
"Then why ask?"
"Because the MTA endeavors to elevate mechs further. Think about it. If every mech designer hoards all of their secrets, how can the standard of mechs improve as a whole? It can't! The MTA exists to manage the many innovations that mech designers develop in their pursuit to realize their design philosophies."
Ves wanted to scratch his head at this explanation. "Why would a mech designer allow the MTA to spread their trade secrets to others?"
"There are many reasons to do so, some of which you'll learn if you advance to Master." Professor Oodiv grinned. "However, the main reason to do so is because turning in your exclusive innovations and allowing other mech designers to make use of them is one of the most effective ways to earn our exclusive MTA merits. Our merits can be exchanged for several exclusive goods, the most significant of which is high-grade life-prolonging treatment!"
Ves widened his eyes. So this was where mech designers could go if they wanted to prolong their lives beyond two-hundred years or three-hundred years of life!
A mech designer's design philosophy and the innovations derived from them were incredibly valuable! No mech designer would voluntarily give away their exclusive tricks, techniques and knowledge! How could they maintain their competitive advantage if thousands of other mech designers could design something similar to their work?
Yet as much as mech designers valued the sanctity of their design philosophies, they valued their lives even more!
What was the use of hoarding all of their knowledge if they couldn't leverage them into improving their lives?
Everyone knew that the Big Two and the first-rate superstates held an oligopoly on high-grade life-prolonging treatments. While it was easy enough for someone wealthy to extend their lives by a hundred years, any step further than that could only be exchanged from one of those four powerful entities!
"Secrets are valuable, Mr. Larkinson." The professor continued. "The MTA recognizes that fact. Therefore, we have a very sophisticated remuneration scheme in place. The greater your contribution, the more merits you receive. You are doing every mech designer in the galaxy a huge favor if you illuminate a better way to design a mech. Many of the older generation see it as a way to leave a legacy behind."
"I see."
The MTA essentially established a market for trade secrets. As long as the price was right, mech designers were more than willing to give away their secrets for an opportunity to extend their lives!
"As a newly-advanced Journeyman, we won't ask you to reveal your methods or anything too sensitive. For now, we merely want you to describe your design philosophy in more detail so that we can develop a more precise understanding of your specialty. We will maintain utmost confidentiality of everything you reveal in this office."
The professor didn't phrase his words as a request, which was a very clever wordplay on his part. It sounded as if it was already a given that Ves would comply!
Ves smiled at the professor. "Okay. I trust the MTA. I haven't revealed the premise of my design philosophy to anyone, not even my subordinate mech designer. It's very controversial."
"The MTA has encountered many different design philosophies, some of which are really unusual. Regardless of how eccentric your design philosophy sounds, we will never judge you for that. Plenty of mech designers with unusual design philosophies have gone on to advance to Master and made the impossible into the possible!"
"Alright.. here goes then." Ves sighed and took a deep breath. "As you already know, I describe my specialization as metaphysical man-machine symbiosis. The central premise of my design philosophy is that I believe there is more to mechs than mechs. They are different from bots in that they are intricately tied to their human mech pilots!"
"That is true. Is that where the symbiosis comes from?"
"Yes!" Ves adopted an impassioned expression. "Humans are powerful! When they combine their strengths with mechs, they contribute much more than their thoughts and their decision-making! What happens on a technical level is not the extent of what happens when a mech pilot interfaces with a mech! Instead, they empower each other!"
The professor frowned a little. "In what way?"
"Ah, that's where the metaphysical part of my design philosophy comes in! While most mech designers focus on the technical performance of their mechs, I believe that there is much more to improve! It is an attribute that is intricately tied to the mech pilots of the mechs!"
"And that is?"
"Divinity!"
"...Divinity?" The professor questioned.
"Yes! Divinity! Godhood!" Ves raved. "It wasn't until I visited the Ylvaine Protectorate and experienced their wonderful faith that I finally realized the truth! The metaphysical component of my design philosophy stands for divinity!"
The professor remained silent while Ves elaborated on his point.
"When I founded my company, I decided to call it the Living mech Corporation. This name expresses my belief that mechs can be more than lifeless objects! They're different from a hammer or a pistol! Although they are built rather than grown, I believe the man-machine connection facilitates a symbiotic relationship between the mech and the mech pilot that allow the both of them to acquire each other's traits!"
"That is.. a remarkable assumption." The professor frowned. "While it is proven that the minds of mech pilots gradually adjusts the longer they interface with a mech, I have never heard of mechs adjusting in response to being piloted."
"That is because it can't be measured! It all happens on a metaphysical level! Don't you see, professor? Mechs are capable of coming alive because they receive the worship of their mech pilots! This is the secret to Ylvainan transcendence! Although ordinary worship isn't very effective because of all the barriers in the way, the man-machine connection skips most of that! By connecting the mind of a mech pilot directly with the systems of a mech, they share an extremely close connection! My design philosophy believes that as long as mechs are designed in a certain fashion, they can capture the worship of the mech pilots and come alive under their control as gods!"
"This.."
"Just think of the potential!" Ves exuberantly yelled. "As long as I succeed, mech design will undergo a pivotal transformation! No longer will I be regarded as someone who designs mechs! Instead, I'll become known as a designer of gods! My creations may look like machines, but hidden inside is beating the metaphysical hearts of gods! This is my ultimate aspiration! This is the future of mech design! Countless people will worship my new gods! In exchange, my gods will fight on behalf of their worshippers! No ordinary mech will be able to withstand the might of my gods! Not even god pilots will be able to withstand the flood of mass-produced gods!"
The professor didn't bother to hide his astonishment.
This was exactly what Ves wanted to see! Even if he was releasing a torrent of nonsense from his mouth, he sincerely believed in this vision due to donning a mask!
Ves deliberately chose to describe his design philosophy in this manner because he wanted to exploit the MTA's biases.
While the Association may claim to be open-minded, as a very science and research-focused organization, they did not take well to religion and superstition!
One of the most surefire ways to drive a mech designer crazy was to invoke unverifiable beliefs!
Chapter 1258
The Big Two possessed a mixed relationship with religion. A huge chunk of humanity earnestly believed in something greater.
The Mech Trade Association frequently grappled with religion due to their recruitment policies. If they wanted to recruit promising mech pilots, mech designers and other capable people, they couldn't afford to snub the religious side of humanity.
As the self-proclaimed protectors of humanity, they derived their legitimacy from how their internal members partially reflected the people they protected. If they completely eschewed believers in their ranks, religious states across human space would rebel at being ruled by overbearing secularists!
While the Common Fleet Alliance suffered less from this problem, they too had to take religion into account as many powerful spaceborn clans believed in space gods and the like!
However, even though the Big Two accommodated the beliefs of their internal personnel to an extent, their default stance was that they shouldn't be expressed when on duty.
Countless different faiths existed. Many of them imposed idiosyncratic rules on their adherents.
Some proscribed that men should not be in the same room with women. Others forced their believers to spit on the face of men with facial hair. One religion even stated that those with lighter skin tones unquestionably needed to obey the commands of those with darker skin tones!
The big problem with religion in modern humanity was that many of them started off as insincere attempts to control people. These cults advanced the personal and political interests of their founders.
Because human space was big enough to offer room to countless cults and religions, many of them still existed even though they really shouldn't! Some even evolved from a personal cult solely into a huge movement that became rock solid.
The Big Two couldn't do anything about them. The only stance they could realistically adopt was to impose neutrality among their own ranks.
Beliefs needed to be respected, but beliefs should not supercede the rules and regulations of the organization.
This essentially meant that while the MTA lightly accommodated the beliefs of their internal members, it really didn't want to deal with the headache of juggling with billions if not trillions of beliefs at once!
Therefore, an internal bias against religion still ran rife within the organization. Secularists ran much of the Association, and those who were openly devout received much less opportunities.
While many religious members objected to this discrimination, they tolerated each other even less. Many beliefs clashed against each other, which meant that they could never form a united power bloc to stand up for their collective interests.
While secularists formed their own rivaling power blocs, they all joined hands against the constant encroachment of religion in the workplace.
When Ves met with Professor Kastel Oodiv, he could immediately tell that the Senior was a secularist. The professor enjoyed an esteemed position within Halcyon Citadel, which meant that at the very least he played by the MTA rules.
Even if Professor Oodiv was a believer, Ves could still work with that as faiths often clashed!
Time went on as Ves became increasingly more unhinged as he continued to ramble about his design philosophy.
"...The power of belief transcends the power of technology! With all the strange metaphysical phenomena that is taking place in the galaxy, I'm convinced that there is a greater power out there that humanity has sorely neglected! As mech designers, we have the unique opportunity to harness this strange power and to bend them to our will in order to create a new form of life, something that is greater than a man or machine!..."
In order to annoy the MTA even more, Ves even injected some generous praise towards the CFA! There was nothing worse to the MTA than witnessing mech designers praise the CFA!
"...I'm sure the MTA knows what has transpired on Aeon Corona VII. The existence of Sacred Gods firmly proves that my assumptions have merit! The CFA researchers who were stranded on the heavy gravity planet are geniuses for coming up with these species! They went a step ahead of me and turned wild exobeasts into god-like entities! The CFA is such an innovative organization that I couldn't help but study their work and take some notes! By following their example, I can pick up where they left off and turn their dreams into reality someday!..."
Naturally, Ves also made sure not to present himself as a threat to mankind.
"...Mark my words, professor. A day will come when mechs come alive and demand the same rights as humans in my society! It scares me a bit when I think that living mechs wielding the power of gods might subvert humanity one day, but I don't believe that will come true! Whenever mechs become more powerful than the mech pilot, the latter will be able to grow through the man-machine connection, thereby equalizing their power balance! As one side grows, the other one grows as well! That is the meaning behind symbiosis!..."
Design philosophies were deeply personal to mech designers. They encapsulated the core of their beliefs, attitudes, assumptions and perspectives on how mechs should be designed!
As Ves spewed his mouth with all the nonsense that he prepared beforehand, he always expressed his full sincerity!
No matter how well the monitoring systems in Professor Oodiv's office were able to read his subconscious ticks and body language, Ves did not appear to be telling any lies!
The professor looked increasingly more dazed as Ves rambled on and on about his supposed design philosophy.
So far, Ves hardly invoked any scientific principles or assumptions grounded by reality. It all leaned heavily towards fantasy and wishful thinking, exactly matching the stereotype associated with Class IX design philosophies!
In fact, the stigma against Class IX design philosophies was so pervasive that some secularists outright referred to the entire lot as superstition!
The Senior finally held up his hand. "Enough, Mr. Larkinson! I've heard more than enough to annotate your record in our database. We firmly understand what you mean now with metaphysical man-machine symbiosis!"
"Ah, my apologies, professor. I got caught up for a little bit." Ves reined himself in and offered the professor a modest smile. "It's liberating to express my design philosophy without reserve to an open-minded organization like the MTA."
"Ah, yes. Your design philosophy is certainly bold and forward-thinking. I wish you all the luck in trying to realize your vision!"
Ves could practically feel the skepticism oozing out of the professor. The Senior probably made up his mind about the odd and eccentric Journeyman.
The impression that Ves left today would definitely help mark his record with descriptors such as 'superstitious', 'irrational' and 'CFA sympathiser'.
Perhaps if Ves was lucky, the professor would even include the phrase 'religious nut' in his record, which was the most ideal outcome!
Each additional descriptor worsened the MTA's regards towards Ves! Even though he would doubtlessly receive much less care and attention from the Association, Ves didn't need their help anyway!
After Ves extensively described his supposed design philosophy, the professor quickly moved on. After asking a few other questions, the man quickly wrapped up the meeting.
"Congratulations, Mr. Larkinson. We're very satisfied with how forthcoming you've been with us. We've heard enough to fill out the missing gaps in your record. You are now cleared to be inducted as a Journeyman Mech Designer and a galactic citizen. Please follow your assigned android as it will guide you to the Master Hall to conduct the ceremony."
While Ves was all smiles as he followed Delta-Gina out of the design center, he strongly suspected that this wasn't part of his original treatment. Due to the awful impression that he left behind, the professor couldn't wait to shoo Ves away from his office!
From what Ves had guessed, the induction ritual should have been a solemn occasion where newly-advanced Journeymen developed the beginnings of an intimate bond with the MTA.
For the professor to skip his involvement in this ceremony and let a worthless android take it over was the strongest sign that Ves had succeeded in his plan!
This was why he freely smiled as he obediently followed after Delta-Gina as they stepped on a floater platform and traveled deeper into the bowels of Halcyon Citadel.
The space fortification's monitoring systems may believe that Ves was happy because he was about to be confirmed as a Journeyman and a galactic citizen. In truth, he felt relieved that the MTA regarded him with the same fondness as a spoiled nutrient pack!
"The smellier, the better." He muttered, probably making himself appear more unhinged in Delta-Gina's company.
Ves quite enjoyed this experience, actually. Even though he did not express his true thoughts, this was the first time he described the essence of his design philosophy to someone else.
Regardless if he distorted his explanation by dialing up the crazy, Ves truly felt sublime by releasing some of his repressed thoughts.
This must be what the new living prophet meant. He did indeed feel cleansed by coming clean!
Of course, part of this was because he still wore the mask of a superstitious mech designer. Ves did not plan to shed his mask until he left Halcyon Citadel!
Only until he left the inner sanctum of the MTA would Ves feel relieved to drop his act. Until then, Ves needed to make sure to exhibit as little loopholes as possible!
After around twenty minutes of travel, the floater platform departed from the stream of traffic and descended next to a highly-secured section that was close to the core of Halcyon Citadel.
They waited a short moment in front of the huge double doors before a pair of mech designers and an android exited the hall.
The internal Journeyman guiding the newly-ascended mech designer looked oddly at Ves and his sole company before turning away dismissively.
[Please enter the Master Hall, Mr. Larkinson.] Delta-Gina beckoned. [The induction ritual will begin when you reach the end of the hall.]
Ves stepped inside, followed demurredly by his android. He dropped his smile as soon as the double doors closed.
The Master Hall exhibited a number of mechs. Each stood to either side of Ves as he slowly walked forward. Ves instantly recognized that all of the mechs had been designed by Masters.
While they encompassed a wide variety of mech types and production dates, the mechs each exhibited a strong sense of power. All of them were first-class mechs that showcased the pinnacle of what mech design could offer at their respective mech generations.
The oldest mechs were placed at the front of the hall. As Ves walked further and further, he encountered newer mechs. Each new pair of mechs to his left and right seemed to showcase the advancements that mech designers achieved over their predecessors.
Ves felt touched by this experience. These mechs had been placed here to inspire the Journeymen who were about to undergo the induction ritual. Perhaps one day their own mechs would grace the Master Halls of the MTA!
As Ves stepped to the other end of the hall, he was flanked by modern mechs that could definitely put Axelar's Ouroboros to shame.
At the end of the hall was a well-like pit that plunged through the floor and led to a seemingly bottomless abyss.
Floating in the middle was a contained ball of antimatter.
This was a highly potent amount of mass and energy! If handled improperly, the entire Master Hall would probably blow up, with him inside!
The android that accompanied him took no notice of this highly-energetic mass that hovered a stone's throw away from the pair.
[Mr. Larkinson, the induction ritual will now begin. In order to be inducted as a Journeyman Mech Designer and a galactic citizen, you must repeat the Mech Designer's Oath. Only by abiding by the principles of the Mech Trade Association will you be able to practice your profession responsibly and earn the trust of your clients.]
"Understood." Ves nodded.
He was familiar with the MTA's principles and he agreed with them. Mostly. Sometimes.
Chapter 1259
Ves swore the Mech Designer's Oath in front of the bottomless well and uncomfortably close to a contained mass of antimatter.
He was sure there was a lot of symbolism behind this arrangement, but the meaning of it escaped him at the moment.
The android recited the oath for Ves to repeat. To his credit, he swore the oath as sincerely as possible. Overall, the oath was rather plain and condensed many of the MTA's core principles.
"...I swear to put my mech design abilities at the disposal of mech pilots, and never attempt to place myself above them. I will do my best to reward their trust in me by designing sound mechs that mech pilots can entrust their lives to in battle. I will never steal or claim credit for any achievements made by mech pilots who pilot my mechs..."
"...I swear to present my mechs to mech pilots and other clients in a truthful manner. I will not employ deceptive practices that obfuscate or exaggerate the actual performance of my works. I will always explain my mechs in a manner which mech pilots can understand, and avoid confusing them with an excessive amount of technical jargon..."
"...I swear that I will respect the contributions of my fellow mech designers. I will not steal, borrow or make use of their methods unless I properly credit their sources. If my work is a derivative of another mech designer's work, I will accept any arrangements made by the MTA to properly remunerate the original mech designer or developer. In no circumstance will I ever plagiarize the works of others..."
"...I swear to abide by the rights and responsibilities of galactic citizenship. As a responsible galactic citizen, I will respect the rights and responsibilities of other galactic citizens..."
That last part was very peculiar to Ves. While he swore to abide by a bunch of rules whenever he interacted with a galactic citizen, his oath did not obligate him to do anything special towards those who didn't enjoy this status.
What this basically meant was that Ves could kill a bunch of space peasants and the MTA probably wouldn't care!
Ves couldn't help but think back to the Aeon Corona Mission. Back then, Major Verle, Captain Byrd and all the other mech officers explicitly warned them all that they should carefully respect the lives of the descendents of the original crew of the Starlight Megalodon.
Now he knew why the Vandals were so insistent. Without exception, every CFA serviceman was a galactic citizen! Their children were galactic citizens as well!
As space peasants, the Vandals enjoyed a much lower status than the crew of the Starlight Megalodon. While they were allowed to defend themselves against hostile galactic citizens, they were not allowed to encroach on the rights of galactic citizens without a good reason!
Ves knew that he hadn't treated some of the descendents of the original crew very well. Still, he took comfort with the knowledge that the dwarves were so far removed from the original crew of the Starlight Megalodon that the CFA probably didn't regard them as galactic citizens anymore.
How could the elitist CFA ever bring themselves to recognize savage, stinking dwarves as their equals?!
At the end of the swearing ceremony, Delta-Gina symbolically held a projected badge of galactic citizenship which flew into his heart.
[At this moment, you are officially registered as a galactic citizen. As a tier 12 galactic citizen, you enjoy the most basic recognition of every major human organization in the galaxy. Your spouse, children, apprentices, heirs and other people will not be conveyed with galactic citizenship. Please study the full rules at your discretion.]
Ves nodded in understanding. There were twelve tiers of galactic citizenship, and he had been bestowed with the most basic one. He would have to become one of the higher leaders of the MTA or become a Star Designer in order to become a tier 1 galactic citizen!
That was way too far away!
Delta-Gina gestured towards the floating ball of anti-matter. [Now that you have gone through the induction process, you are now cleared to learn confidential information that the Mech Trade Association has made available to Journeymen.]
The android sounded a bit more solemn, as if she had been programmed to convey the gravity of the information that she was about to reveal.
[The Mech Trade Association desires you to keep everything you are about to learn to yourselves. Do not discuss these matters with anyone except mech designers directly in our service. You will be stripped of galactic citizenship and be subject to strict punishment if you violate our confidentiality demands.]
"I promise to keep what I've learned here confidential." Ves replied seriously.
Delta-Gina wasn't satisfied with a verbal promise, and served him a very strict-looking projected non-disclosure agreement. After skimming through the document, Ves found out that the MTA would make his life absolutely miserable if he spilled their secrets!
Naturally, he still signed the NDA.
Once Delta-Gina found everything in order, she began to reveal the first secret.
[You are cleared to learn two pieces of confidential information, Mr. Larkinson. First, I will briefly describe the origin of extraordinary power of Journeymen, Seniors, Masters and Star Designers.]
This definitely attracted his attention!
Delta-Gina waved a hand, summoning a projection of various remarkable mech designs performing faintly above their apparent technical parameters.
[Throughout the history of mech design, the division between mech designers was not as apparent. Knowledge, experience, application and creativity were the determining factors to judge whether a mech designer is regarded as an Apprentice or a Senior. That has changed when the MTA discovered that certain mech designers are able to imbue their mechs and mech designs with metaphysical properties that enhance the performance of their work without a logical explanation.]
[This has led to a landmark transformation within the MTA. After much study and research, we have studied the phenomenon that is the source of these metaphysical manifestations. We have determined that it is a discipline that is uniquely tied to human mentality. We call it psionics. Each human possesses a small degree of psionic power, but only few are capable of developing it to a degree that is significant enough to effect real change. While mech pilots are the most apparent practitioners of psionic powers, mech designers are just as capable of bending reality.]
Ves looked stunned. While he shouldn't be surprised that the MTA weren't blind enough to discount the existence of spirituality, he was still surprised at how much they knew!
Psionics! That was how the MTA regarded spirituality!
[The study of psionics within the MTA is highly classified. At your current rank, you are only allowed to know a limited amount of our findings.]
[First, psionics is uniquely human. No alien species has ever demonstrated comparable powers.]
As if Ves believed those words. Exobeasts like Qilanxo already disproved that spirituality was the exclusive domain of humans. Whether the MTA truly believed in their assertion or merely wanted to convey human superiority, Ves couldn't tell.
It was still a sign that Ves should not take the MTA at their word!
[Second, only an extremely small proportion of humanity possesses the potential to express their psionic powers. You have not been cleared to learn the exact proportion and other relevant figures. For now, all you are allowed to know is that the occurrence of psionic potential is very random and infrequent. While children and offspring of high-ranking mech designers and mech pilots enjoy a slightly higher chance of exhibiting psionic potential, it is far from a guarantee.]
This fell in line with what the Larkinson Family learned after nurturing numerous expert pilots in every generation. So many Larkinson mech pilots aspired to advance to experts, only to be doomed from the beginning. No matter how hard they worked, they would never be able to shed their mortality!
[Third, psionic power is not stable and can be gained or lost through various circumstances. It is also highly elusive because it does not exist in a tangible form in the material dimensions. Therefore, the mechanics behind psionic power are not completely defined. As a mech designer, the best way to ensure a stable growth of psionic power is to follow the advice and instructions of the Mech Trade Association. Following our principles minimizes the risk of adverse reactions from your psionic power.]
Naturally, the MTA would say something like that. To their credit, the MTA was probably right. By acting in a proper and responsible fashion, a mech designer's spirituality wouldn't undergo any extreme shifts.
After Delta-Gina finished summoning up the pertinents points on the revelation of psionic power, she began to explain how this crucial information tied to Journeyman.
[Reaching the rank of Journeyman proves that you are one of the few humans in the galaxy who possesses ability to grow and express your psionic potential. This is a pivotal development, as your achievement opens the way for you to advance to Master. In order to progress to that height, you must continually develop the design philosophy that your psionic power has merged with. The more potent, applicable and rigorous your design philosophy becomes, the closer you are to advancing to the rank of Senior Mech Designer!]
"What distinguishes a Journeyman from a Senior?" Ves asked.
[A Senior is distinct from a Journeyman by the range in which the metaphysical properties of their mechs are still in effect. A mech designed by a Journeyman can only maintain its full potential within several star sectors from the lead designers. Mechs designed by Seniors can encompass a much wider territory and are able to retain their full strength even when they are deployed a hundred star sectors away from the lead designers.]
"What about a Master?"
[Mechs designed by Masters are effective anywhere in the galaxy. Their metaphysical properties remain intact even if they are deployed hundreds of thousands of light-years away.]
All of this made a lot of sense to Ves! This was probably one of the biggest reasons why mech markets were so highly bound to their regions!
Delta-Gina began to instruct Ves more specifically on what he should do to advance to Senior. While her advice still remained rather vague and broad, it still fell in line with his own understanding of spirituality.
In short, he needed to work out stronger and more diverse applications of his design philosophy. The most common way that mech designers accomplished this was by finding compatible exotics that complimented the effects of their design philosophies.
Incorporating these exotics into his mech designs was only the most basic way of taking advantage of them. In order to advance for real, he needed to study the exotics through the perspective of his design philosophy and derive how these extraordinary materials worked. Only in this way would Ves be able to replicate their effects without incorporating the expensive materials in his own design.
"Ah."
That also fell in line with what he guessed. Exotics contained many profound and inexplicable effects. While it was hard to understand their operation, mech designers were unique in that they could derive their workings as long as their design philosophies matched with their properties.
[Exotic materials do not possess any psionic properties. However, the rules that make them extraordinary can also be applied to a mech design through the medium of psionics.]
Ves understood the way forward now, at least with regards to how the MTA saw it. Mech designers who advanced to Journeymen may have been able to manifest their psionic powers, but their application of it was very rough and sloppy.
Reaching Journeyman meant that they had only scratched the surface of what they were capable of. In order to unearth the possibilities that their design philosophies offered, they needed to develop a broader and more systematic understanding of what they were dealing with whenever they designed a mech.
At the beginning, newly-advanced Journeymen mostly applied their design philosophies on autopilot. How could they harness the powers they wielded if they were incapable of taking direct control?
Chapter 1260
Spirituality and Psionics were basically two sides of the same coin. Ves called it spirituality. The MTA called it psionics. Yet no matter what name it carried, the MTA was aware of the existence of this metaphysical phenomenon.
Delta-Gina only offered a very basic explanation of the MTA's understanding of psionics. The android did not reveal anything more than needed to put Ves on the right path to working towards Senior.
Ves could tell that the MTA was very touchy about their research on psionic power. Delta-Gina flatly rejected all of his questions for greater clarifications. Unless he was a Master or a very highly-placed internal member of the MTA, he could forget about learning anything more.
Suffice to say, the MTA definitely knew more, but to what extent, Ves wasn't sure. It could be that Ves figured out a lot more than their own research teams assigned to study the phenomenon. He couldn't tell.
Privately, Ves figured that their understanding of psionics or spirituality had not reached a very advanced stage. Otherwise, the System wouldn't value it so much and they would have already figured out what he did to his mech designs.
Perhaps a single top research team figured out more, but they were so prized by the MTA that they were probably under heavy guard and isolation. The chances that Ves would ever come in touch with them was very low.
Overall, Ves fully understood why the MTA invited newly-advanced Journeymen to their sector headquarters. Not only did they want to impress the power of the MTA into the minds of these promising mech designers, but they also wanted to ensure they were trustworthy enough to learn these secrets!
Ves had the idea that he might have been eligible to learn more secrets. If he hadn't tried his best to portray himself as a religious nut in front Professor Oodiv, he might have learned a couple more details about psionics!
What he learned so far was very basic and generalized! Aside from telling him to study exotics, the MTA did not teach him any other methods of advancing his rank!
Ves even doubted whether this method was applicable to him at all. His operation of his Spirituality was very different from that of another mech designer. He already developed a bunch of different techniques without studying any exotic materials.
Was his advancement path different from that of another mech designer?
The induction ceremony nearly came to an end. Delta-Gina offered some additional words to Ves.
[While the existence of psionic power is not an absolute secret, it is a very sensitive subject that must not be divulged. There is no proof that awareness of psionics improves an Apprentice Mech Designer's chance of advancing to Journeyman. On the contrary, it has always proven to be detrimental as Apprentices go through extreme but futile methods to acquire psionic potential.]
Ves was sympathetic to this explanation. Many norms who really wanted to become mech pilots subjected themselves to crazy, untested treatments that promised to improve their genetic aptitude.
None of them worked.
Still, Ves did not entirely agree with Delta-Gina. He already witnessed several cases where mech pilots who did not possess the potential to become expert pilots had nonetheless broken through to expert candidate or expert pilot!
If something like this could happen to mech pilots, then it could also happen to mech designers as well!
All in all, both Ves and the MTA developed their own understanding and weren't in the mood to share.
This was fine, as Ves was sure he would attract a lot of attention from the MTA if they ever suspected that he could contribute a lot in this field!
[Unlike genetic aptitude, psionic potential cannot be measured.] Delta-Gina added. [Its frequency of occurrence is so low that a large quantity of mech designers needs to be raised to increase the number of mech designers with exceptional psionic power. Education, mentorship and apprenticeships are therefore vital. The MTA rewards a small amount of merits to any mech designer who has successfully taught or mentored a mech designer who has advanced to Journeyman.]
Ves nodded in understanding. This already fell in line with some of his suspicions. It explained why there were way too many universities trying to pump out as many mech designers as possible.
It also explained why mech designers freely took in younger generations of mech designers under their wing.
The MTA wanted to elevate as many Masters as possible! While Journeymen and Seniors were already capable of designing remarkable mechs, all of their work was destined to decay into dust one day when they and their design philosophies died out!
Now that Delta-Gina completed his induction ritual, the android led him back to the exit of the Master Hall.
Ves passed by the same mechs he admired before, but he viewed them in a different light than before. These Master mechs possessed a special quality that possessed an exceptional degree of stability, especially in the case of the older mechs.
Perhaps some of their mech designers already died! Yet even if that was the case, they didn't look any weaker!
This observation put him in a thoughtful mood. When Ves was still an Apprentice, he thought that entering Journeyman was a grand achievement.
While that was still true, it was all temporal.
According to Delta-Gina, once a Journeyman or Senior died and failed to find an heir to their design philosophy, their mechs and mech designs lost their psionically-empowered strength.
What this meant was that if a mech designer wanted to leave behind a permanent and enduring legacy, they needed to work hard to advance to Master!
Right now, Ves wasn't qualified to learn how a Senior advanced to Master. He could make a few guesses, but they weren't relevant right now.
First, he needed to advance to Senior. Mech designers like Ves may have stepped into the extraordinary threshold, but they were still at a very preliminary stage. In order to elevate their mech designs to a higher level, they needed to take their design philosophies out of dummy mode and develop their own applications.
In other words, Ves should focus on improving the power and control of his design philosophy's manifestation!
Even if his path to advancement diverged from that of other mech designers, he knew that he couldn't avoid performing lots of research. Time spent on studying exotics and his design seed's operation meant that he had less time to spend on designing mechs.
Mech designers needed to find a balance between deepening their design philosophy and applying it to their mech designs.
Certain people had it easier than others. He now knew the main reason why those with simpler and more straightforward design philosophies had an easier time to advance than others.
Those with Class I and Class IX design philosophies were so ambitious that they needed to perform a lot more research to achieve the same amount of progress as their other peers!
Naturally, if they ever managed to advance, then the amount of knowledge they've generated was far more comprehensive than usual!
All in all, in the perspective of the MTA, becoming a Journeyman only signified that they possessed a non-zero chance of realizing their design philosophies.
In this context, realizing a design philosophy took on a more literal meaning. Accomplishing this difficult endeavor meant that the works of Masters gained permanency, just like the impressive-looking mechs on display in the Master Hall.
As Ves and Delta-Gina left the Master Hall, another pair of mech designers along with an android entered the same place.
The two stepped onto a floater platform and rode it all the way to the upper surface of Halcyon Citadel.
The android remained absolutely still as Ves was still processing what he learned.
Overall, Ves gained a broader understanding of what the MTA stood for and what they worked towards.
While neither Professor Oodiv or Delta-Gina said any word about it, the MTA likely worked towards empowering the standards of mechs to the point where they stood equal to warships.
The MTA stood equal against the CFA only because the current consensus in human civilization heavily leaned towards mechs.
In the Age of Mechs, destructive warships that possessed an immense amount of firepower were relegated to the background! Mechs had been presented as a new and destructive means of waging war to much of humanity.
Overall, the introduction of mechs had indeed succeeded in ending the mass slaughter and genocide that characterized the preceeding era. Yet the MTA was very well aware that the current usage of mechs and the prohibition towards the use of warships was an artificial construct.
Human states only abided by the rules of the Big Two only because they would get punished if they didn't!
In any case, with the CFA assuming primary responsibility towards defending human space against alien civilizations, states don't require the power of warships anymore. As long as their enemies played by the same rules, mechs would continue to become the most predominant tool of warfare inside human space.
Yet how long would this social accord last?
As soon as enough states rebelled against this order, the side that stuck with mechs would inevitably lose. The balance also broke if aliens launched a major offensive against human space, to the extent that the CFA was no longer able to to halt the aggressors from ravaging human states!
In both cases, the power of warships was too great to withstand! Only weapons comparable to warships could withstand their might!
Mechs, as exceptional as they appeared to be, still fell short of matching the might of a vessel that massed thousands of times more than their piddling little frames!
One of the most popular arguments on the galactic net revolved around whether god pilots who piloted a god mech could defeat a modern human battleship.
Most people voted in favor of battleships. The power to annihilate a planet was so intimidating that hardly anyone could fathom a mech being able to defend against this kind of might!
The only instance where god mechs possessed a realistic chance of winning was if they could sneak up to a battleship and ravage the huge but lumbering vessel from within.
Other than that, there was very little chance that a mech or a formation of mechs could offer a fair fight against a warship!
Ves had already witnessed the might of warships against mechs before. A single destroyer could easily annihilate several mech companies with her shipboard guns before the latter could ever approach into effective range.
Although a destroyer was much more expensive to build compared to a couple of mech companies, she was ultimately more effective and convenient in projecting power.
Ves guessed that the MTA feared becoming irrelevant one day. The Association revolved entirely around mechs.
When mechs enjoyed their heyday, the MTA was at the height of its power.
When the use of mechs declined, the MTA would drastically weaken. There might even come a point where the organization dwindled into a relic of an earlier age!
Therefore, Ves believed that the MTA was racing against time. All of their policies seemed geared towards encouraging as much innovation and advancements as possible. The more Masters that emerged, the narrower the gap between mechs and warships.
Yet the CFA weren't sitting still either. Their research and development was just as potent as that of the MTA, and newer and better classes of warships constantly emerged each year.
For mechs to catch up to the might of warships was an extremely tall order!
Would the MTA succeed in their ambition? Ves wasn't sure. The Age of Mechs had lasted over four centuries. While humanity had firmly adjusted to the new order, some of the cracks were already beginning to show.
Now that much of the stigma against warships had faded with the passage of time, many states must be contemplating a return to their use. They were tired of being treated like kids by the Big Two!
This sentiment was especially strong among the citizens of the first-rate superstates!
Chapter 1261
Ves returned to the Barracuda via a shuttle, leaving Delta-Gina behind to pick up and guide another mech designer.
"How has it been?" Gavin greeted his boss. "Did they force you to slit your palm and shake hands or something?"
"Nothing of the sort." Ves shook his head. "I can't say much about what I've been through, but it's mostly a bunch of formalities mixed with grand displays of the MTA's might."
"Makes sense. The MTA is really adamant about keeping every mech designer under their thumb. It's kind of weird how every mech designer accepts their dominion."
The MTA could hardly tolerate a rival organization that tries to govern mechs, Ves knew. They wanted to control as many mech designers as possible in order to harvest their gains when they advanced to Master.
"You should mind your words, Benny. We're still in MTA territory. Besides, the Association has done a lot more good than bad for the mech community."
"I'm not so sure about that. Why is the mech market the only place which requires such an extensive degree of supervision and regulation? You don't see the market for nutrient packs being governed by a tyrannical Nutrient Trade Association who send out entire warfleets against every manufacturer who rips off someone else's formulas."
"Nutrient packs are products which are inherently useful and always in demand. We both know that mechs aren't nearly as desirable."
The MTA and CFA forced every state to replace their warships with mechs. Those that didn't quickly got demolished. Under such a naked threat, states could only begrudgingly hand over their bigger toys and start playing with smaller ones instead.
Though Ves had never thought about it too much, now that he witnessed the MTA's urgency in encouraging innovation, he had to admit that their nightmare might come to pass one day.
If mechs failed to develop into war machines that could effectively stand toe-to-toe with warships, the latter would inevitably make a return to human society.
While mechs would always have a place in the armed forces of a modern state, they'd be relegated to unimportant auxiliary units. Deprived of glory, attention and funding, mechs would become increasingly more invisible. The thriving mech industry would shrink to a fraction of its height, forcing countless mech designers to abandon their profession and become more mundane engineers.
The MTA wasn't about to let this come to pass. They put all of their hopes on mech designers who advanced and developed psionic powers that enabled them to go beyond the technical limitations of mechs.
Yet if the MTA could harness psionics, what about the CFA? What were they up to with regards to this mysterious force?
Ves knew that the CFA should definitely be aware of its existence. He even witnessed an experiment related to psionics on Aeon Corona VII. That meant that as early as three-hundred years ago, the CFA was already dabbling with this power!
Yet the warships the CFA employed to this day did not appear to possess any exceptional quality. They were huge, brutish vessels that solely relied on quantity and quality to unleash overwhelming might!
No matter what kind of metaphysical tricks were thrown at them, warships always managed to defeat exotic effects through sheer brute force!
Perhaps the CFA tried but failed to replicate the powers of a mech designer onto a shipwright. It could be that they decided to focus on a different application of psionics.
Whatever the case, the CFA was not obliged to imitate the MTA.
Gavin interrupted his musings. "Now that you've got your Journeyman certificate and galactic citizenship badge, are we done here?"
"Yup. I've finished my business with the MTA. We're free to leave the star system, but since we're here, we might as well stick around for a while."
While Ves still had an appointment with Master Olsen at Leemar, it wasn't too urgent. He doubted she cared if he arrived a week or two later.
"Let's enjoy what Centerpoint has to offer. It's not every day I get to visit the most prosperous star system in the Komodo Star Sector."
Centerpoint was truly the biggest nexus of trade in the region. Situated smack dab in the middle of the Friday Coalition and the Hexadric Hegemony, it facilitated trade from all over the star sector and beyond.
Despite the huge costs associated with doing business at Centerpoint, a huge amount of cross-sector trade took place here. Huge trade fleets dumped extremely valuable goods from star sectors closer to the center of the galaxy while loading up their cargo holds with exotics and other specialty goods native to the Komodo Star Sector and the frontier.
This also meant that Centerpoint offered a lot of advanced goods and services that weren't native to the Komodo Star Sector or the galactic rim!
Naturally, not everyone could afford to pay for these goods and services. They were so expensive that only the internal personnel of the MTA and the wealthy citizens of the two second-rate states could afford to spend that much money.
The Centerpoint System was an immense star system that hosted multiple stars, planets, space habitats and space stations. Many of them imposed strict requirements of entry.
For example, Centerpoint III was the exclusive reserve of mech designers working directly for the MTA. A lot of amazing mechs and mech designs emerged from Centerpoint III each day.
Ordinary mech designers from all over the star sector dreamt of being admitted to the planet and becoming an apprentice or assistant to one of the esteemed MTA mech designers who resided on this paradise planet.
Yet for as long as it was settled, Centerpoint III had never opened its doors to anyone but internal members of the MTA!
The same applied to several other planets and habitats in the system. Even settlements with looser requirements still limited entry based on tiers of galactic citizenship.
While Ves had recently been inducted as a galactic citizen himself, his paltry tier only allowed him access to a few additional places.
For all intents and purposes, Ves was barely better off than a space peasant in Centerpoint!
After studying various possible destinations, he decided to visit Centerpoint V first. He recalled that Charlotte gave him an invitation card to a certain club on the planet. He might as well see what it was all about.
"Please set course for Centerpoint V, captain."
"Will do, sir." Captain Silvestra nodded and passed on the orders. "Mr. Larkinson, since the Centerpoint System is strictly regulated, you aren't allowed to bring along a heavy escort. The most the Greenfeather is allowed to dispatch are a number of guards on foot."
Ves shrugged. "That's fine. A star system that's directly under the control of the MTA won't be as insecure as Bentheim."
Certainly, Ves wasn't naive to think that Centerpoint was a bastion of law and order. However, no one should be brazen enough to sow chaos and destruction with mechs under the noses of the MTA.
With their next destination set, the Barracuda reunited with the Greenfeather and leisurely followed their assigned route to Centerpoint V.
In the meantime, Ves read up on the planet. It was a prosperous and densely-populated planet that thrived on tourism, trade and retail. Almost every part of Centerpoint V was open to everyone, giving space peasants a taste of life under the MTA.
Only a handful of cities and city districts limited access to galactic citizens. Ves was curious about some of these areas. He definitely intended to pay a visit to them and see what the fuss was all about.
"Galactic citizens sure hog all of the good stuff to themselves." Gavin commented.
"Most of the good stuff you are referring to is extremely expensive." Ves retorted. "Even if I saved up billions of credits, I can easily squander it within an hour if I go on a shopping spree."
A galactic citizen wasn't just an empty status. It was an acknowledgement that someone was productive and wealthy enough to afford better goods and services.
It took some time for Ves to arrive at Centerpoint V. No ship was allowed to enter within a certain range of the planet. Both the Barracuda and the Greenfeather were forced to park in deep space while a transit shuttle arrived to pick up the passengers.
For this excursion, Ves decided to explore the planet with Lucky and a bunch of guards, though the latter pretty much served as window dressing.
"It's too bad I don't have my own men in place yet." He sighed.
The Avatars of Myth were still in the process of training competent guards. Therefore, his current protection detail consisted of guards dispatched by SASS as usual. While he had no complaints about the security company, he didn't want to rely on them forever.
Ves and his escorts first stopped by a space station acting as a transit hub before obtaining passage to the surface. They soon boarded a large transit shuttle that took them to a very busy spaceport on the ground.
He split up with Gavin here.
"I'm no use to you here." He explained. "Rather than see you hobnobbing with all the rich galactic citizens, I would rather perform some impromptu market research and figure out what attracts all these wealthy ponces and pretenders to this planet."
"Stay safe, Benny, and watch your spending."
"I know. You don't have to warn me. I'll call if I need help."
With Gavin walking off, Ves only had Lucky for companionship. He turned to his cat who padded on the floor of the spaceport like a regular mechanical cat.
"Are you excited, Lucky?"
"Meow."
"Yes, yes, of course I'll buy a batch of exotics for you. Just remember that stuff is vastly more expensive here. Don't think I'll be able to buy as much as I did on Bentheim."
While Lucky still acted standoffish in front of Ves, the cat had mellowed out a bit over the past few months.
Ves hoped to repair his relationship with his pet during this visit.
Ves and his company soon hailed a large aircar that brought them to a downtown district of a highly-populated city. The hustle and bustle of visitors and residents overwhelmed him a bit.
A large majority of visitors came from the Friday Coalition and the Hexadric Hegemony!
While the two states were bitter rivals, neither of their citizens showed any hostility to each other.
A small portion of visitors were accompanied by their own guard details, but all of their weapons had been locked. The MTA maintained a visible security presence in the form of bots, guards and plenty of automated security systems.
With so much visible security, Ves felt kind of stupid for bringing along his own guards. They were really less than useless here. After some contemplation, he ordered his SASS guards to return to the Barracuda.
"Are you sure, Mr. Larkinson?"
"Just go. I really don't need you here, especially when your weapons are locked. Some of the places I want to visit will bar your entry anyway."
Ves felt much more discrete now that he wasn't being accompanied by a number of guards in bulky and eye-catching armor.
Now that he was alone with Lucky, he decided to visit some of the shopping streets first before he headed for Astralis Nightclub.
"There's still plenty of time before evening arrives."
In truth, none of the planets in the Centerpoint System were subject to a normal day-and-night cycle. With five suns orbiting in a very complex relationship to each other, all of the planets regularly enjoyed sunshine from at least one star.
If the MTA hadn't deployed satellites that enveloped each planet with a special energy shield, many surfaces would have been scorched by the sheer amount of heat and radiation radiating from multiple suns!
In fact, the energy shielding was so advanced that they even simulated a true day-and-night cycle!
That made life in Centerpoint much more convenient.
Chapter 1262
Ves leisurely explored a number of shopping streets, many of which catered to the wealthy, at least by the standards of the Komodo Star Sector.
Each store quoted their prices in mech credits, coalition credits and hex credits. A pitiful currency like the bright credit didn't even merit any mention.
Even so, many of the prices privately caused Ves to feel some distress!
[URRSLURF ICE CREAM]: 6.5 million coalition credits
[MTA Mech Souvenir]: 33.7 million coalition credits
[Odon Altis B-315 Mark III Authentic Mech Miniature]: 7.5 billion bright credits
Just a single luxury ice cream cone would already set him back by a fortune!
And this was on Centerpoint V, one of the few planets open to space peasants!
Even though these prices sounded like scams, plenty of people ordered this weirdly-named ice cream without blinking!
Ves wanted to puke. "How can people casually waste so much money?"
He felt more and more disturbed by the profligance of the people who frequented these kinds of shops. While there weren't actually that many of them, they still spent more than what an average citizen of the Bright Republic earned in a thousand years!
Part of the sticker shock he experienced came from his humble background. Even after he became a successful mech designer, he still thought of everything in bright credits.
It was only after he exited the luxury shopping streets and entered the more frequented ones that he started to see more saner prices. While the stores still catered to the citizens of second-rate states, at the very least Ves wouldn't go bankrupt if he ordered a few ice cream cones.
Of course, aside from visiting shops that sold consumer goods, Ves also took a look at stores that sold mechs.
All of the stores offered mechs imported from other star sectors or designed and produced by the MTA themselves. Many of the mechs being sold consisted of high-quality second-class mechs, the cheapest of which were premium mechs.
It cost a lot of money to import a mech to the Komodo Star Sector, so it made sense that the mech stores on Centerpoint V didn't offer anything cheap. Most mech buyers in the star sector would easily be able to find what they needed from locally-produced mechs.
Therefore, the local mech stores all opted to sell distinctive and unique mechs from different locales at very high markup prices.
Ves saw a potential opportunity here.
"My mechs are pretty distinctive as well. What would it be like if I was able to sell a mech in these kinds of stores in other star systems?"
He was pretty sure that no other mech designer possessed a design philosophy like his own. That meant he faced very little direct competition. Perhaps other mech designers may have found a way to make their mechs compelling by employing a different method, but when it came to charming mech pilots and observers with the X-Factor, only Ves could offer such a product!
"It won't be easy to convince these shops to sell my mechs." He judged. "A lot of profits mean there's a lot of competition. Every mech designer wants to enter their distribution network!"
Ves saw that every mech for sale in Centerpoint V consisted of second-class mechs. Third-class mechs weren't valuable or profitable enough for Centerpoint.
If Ves wanted a piece of the action that was taking place in these kinds of shops, then he had to design a second-class mech!
"I've never designed such an advanced and expensive mech before." He muttered and shook his head.
Each mech class was subject to different paradigms. Ves already had a taste of first-class mechs. The Terrans eschewed specialized mechs entirely because they could easily stuff all the toys they wanted on a single mech frame.
The Bright Republic on the other hand religiously adhered to specialized mechs. They needed to, because they could only design and manufacture a mech that was good in only a single area.
Second-class mechs sat somewhere in the middle, though they leaned closer towards specialized mechs. From what Ves knew of the Friday Coalition, they mostly employed specialized mechs but with different enhancements and augmentations.
For example, a swordsman mech could incorporate an energy shield in order to improve its defensive capabilities. The mech designer could also opt to improve its offensive capabilities instead by incorporating the design with an integrated laser weapon hardpoint.
Overall, second-class mechs were still based on distinctive mech archetypes. Their designers just added some extra in order to enhance their strengths, mitigate their weaknesses or add more versatility to their kits.
Could Ves design such a mech? He could, but not without some familiarization. He needed to study the prevailing customs, the higher performance standards, the most commonly deployed materials, the acceptable price ranges and the expectations of customers who buy such mechs.
Since Ves grew up in the Bright Republic, he was very familiar with the sensibilities of the third-class mech market.
While he paid some attention to the second-class mech market over the years, his market judgement with regards to this higher tier of mechs was still very lacking. Ves did not dare to act on his assumptions with regards to second-class mechs.
"I'll have to study the market more in depth or rely on a marketing expert native to the Friday Coalition." He judged.
For now, Ves had no plans to expand the LMC to the second-class mech market. Even though it was a lot more lucrative than selling third-class mechs, Ves did not possess a proper foundation to achieve genuine success.
Why did many Journeymen and Seniors choose to remain in the Bright Republic instead of migrating to the Friday Coalition? There were many reasons to do so, but the most important one was competition!
The Friday Coalition already brought up a huge amount of mech designers every year! Plenty of Journeymen, Seniors and even Masters dominated the existing mech market!
While it wasn't impossible for a mech designer from the Bright Republic to achieve success in the Friday Coalition, the native competition was simply too formidable. The graduates from the Leemar Institute of Technology and other prestigious universities were of a much higher caliber than those who graduated from a place like the Ansel University of Mech Design!
Thinking of how difficult it was to enter the second-class mech market spoiled his mood a bit. He didn't feel like visiting any further mech stores on Centerpoint V. He could hardly afford more than a single mech, and he could forget about offering up his own mechs here!
Instead, he decided to spend the rest of his afternoon visiting a huge indoor marketplace that was only accessible to galactic citizens.
This was because the marketplace only offered exotics for sale!
A significant amount of visitors consisted of Journeymen like Ves. He even spotted a few older people who clearly emenated the air of a Senior!
All of these mech designers gathered here to browse the wide variety of exotics and other extraordinary materials for sale. While the marketplace gathered specialty materials from all over the star sector and the frontier, the bulk of the supply originated from other star sectors!
Ves understood why so many high-ranking mech designers were so eager to shop at this venue. In order to progress their careers, they needed to find materials that were compatible with or reacted to their design philosophies.
Shopping for exotics on the galactic net didn't work. A projection of an exotic would never be able to convey their remarkable qualities to a mech designers.
No. Mech designers needed to be in close proximity to the samples. It was best if they could touch the samples, although that wasn't always possible if the materials were toxic or radioactive.
For this reason, many mech designers inside this exclusive marketplace dropped most of their airs and acted like normal people who were shopping for groceries. The only difference was that they were very picky about the vegetables they bought!
"Naturally, the prices here are high as well."
Some exotics were more expensive than others, but their rarity in the Komodo Star Sector meant that the shops and stalls charged very high markups!
Even if a certain material was a hundred times more expensive than normal, the shoppers had no choice but to grit their teeth and buy them if they believed that their purchase would help them improve!
"How extravagant, Lucky!" Ves said as he gaped at the prices of some of the more extravagant samples. "Not even the Reinald Republic is this greedy!"
"Meow!"
His cat had entered into a daze ever since he entered the marketplace alongside Ves. The cat's senses had been tingling constantly as its mineral sensors went haywire from all the valuable goods within reach!
"Don't think about it, Lucky!" Ves hissed to his pet. "There's no way you can get away with it! This facility is under the direct control of a company related to the MTA!"
From what Ves could tell from the various signs and other clues, the operator of the marketplace was a company owned by an internal member of the MTA. Only such an owner would be able to operate such a lucrative venue that concentrated an incredible variety of high-grade exotics without fear!
If even Seniors bowed their heads when they entered, then Ves would definitely not think about starting any trouble!
"Don't wander off, Lucky. Security is too high here!"
Since Lucky was still drooling over all of the exotics on sale here, Ves saw an opportunity and picked up his cat.
This time Lucky didn't resist!
"Let's go see if we can find anything interesting to buy." He said as he petted Lucky's head.
"Meow!"
The two spent the next couple of hours browsing all the different stores and stalls selling exotics to well-heeled customers.
Ves quickly noticed a difference between the two. Most of the stores were owned by major companies and conglomerates doing business in multiple star sectors at once.
In contrast, those who rented the stalls were mostly prospectors, treasure hunters, independent trade companies and smaller companies.
The goods for sale in the stores were always categorized. Each customer could request an information sheet that explained all there was to know about a particular product. Most of the exotics for sale here were already known to humanity for hundreds if not thousands of years.
This was different for the exotics for sale at the various stalls. Most of them originated from the surrounding regions, and many of them were only recently discovered. Not a lot of data was available about them aside from some vague possibilities.
This always made buying these freshly-prospected exotics something of a gamble. Neither the buyer or seller were able to judge their true worth.
The best the seller could do was to use various clues to come to an estimated price and multiply it by a hundred and hope there was a sucker who was gullible enough to buy them. Since many of their goods were relatively new, they were also very rare, which meant that mech designers wouldn't easily be able to obtain another sample!
Because most of the goods sold in respectable stores far exceeded his budget, Ves decided to try his luck with the stalls instead. While Lucky kept his mineral sensors peeled for something extremely yummy, Ves discreetly extended his spiritual senses in order to detect whether they reacted to his Spirituality.
No dice. While Lucky found several exorbitantly-priced exotics that he really wanted to eat, Ves inspected thousands of samples, only to find nothing that reacted to his senses!
Ves frowned. "Is there really no exotic out there that compliments my specialty?"
After two hours of searching, Ves was just beginning to give up when his weary senses lightly tingled when he brushed past an ugly lump of rock.
"There's something unusual!"
He slowly halted and tried his best not to show his astonishment. The only reason why he didn't stop and turn around in an instant was because he didn't want the stall owner to rip him off!
Chapter 1263
Having roamed the marketplace for several hours, he witnessed many instances of obsessive mech designers forced to pay an exorbitant amount of money because they insisted on buying a specific exotic!
The more interest they showed, the more the shopkeepers ripped them off!
It actually amazed Ves that so many mech designers made the same mistake. Obviously, these mech designers had never operated their own businesses!
For this reason, Ves did not immediately demand to buy the ugly lump of rock that reacted to his senses. Instead, he leisurely browsed the wars of the neighboring stalls, showing a vague amount of interest for random chunks of ore and radioactive fluids contained in protective containers.
"What's this?" Ves asked as he picked up a transparent cube that encapsulated honeycombed rock.
"Ah, we call it the ancient larva hive." The bushy-bearded man behind the stall responded with a grin. "Our company found it on an uninhabited planet in the Independent State of Pillis. It immediately caught our notice when some of our sensors went fritzy as we were establishing a mining operation on the surface. Once we've recovered the samples, we've analyzed them to the best of our abilities and haven't been able to find a match with existing exotics. This is likely because it consists of fossilized residue of an ancient hive that belonged to an extinct insectoid species."
The merchant blabbed on for a bit before Ves raised a hand.
"How much?"
"For that little sample? Seventy million cols."
Ves would have nothing left if he paid that sum!
"Twenty million cols!"
"Haha!" The merchant laughed. "Seventy million and no less. There's nothing else like it! We've scoured the entire planet for additional samples and only found a handful of remnants! You won't find anything similar in the star sector!"
Although the stall operators were open to bargaining, they only did so for well-known materials. They always held their ground when it came to selling rare and extremely unusual exotics! Even if their effects weren't all that strong, their rarity was enough of a reason for them to charge a higher price!
They were not afraid of being unable to sell their merchandise! Eventually, a mech designer desperate to achieve some progress would come and detect something promising in the goods. These unfortunate saps would empty their entire pockets in order to acquire an opportunity to progress their careers!
Naturally, Ves did his best not to appear this desperate. He wasn't even interested in the alien larva hive in the first place. He put the item back after his failed bargaining attempt and turned his gaze towards other items.
After picking up several other samples and inquiring after them, Ves eventually shook his head. "Sorry uncle, but your goods aren't worth it to me. Half of the so-called exotics you're offering is literal space trash!"
The bearded merchant unapologetically shrugged. "One man's trash is another man's treasure. That's enough of a reason to price them all accordingly."
Ves simply waved at the man and hovered over to the next stall.
After performing the same routine several times at three more stalls, he finally strolled over to the stall with the rock that reacted to his senses.
Even then, Ves first picked up a couple of other samples while he chatted with the woman who was seated behind the stall.
"Meow." Lucky made a grabbing motion to a fingernail-sized rock with a bloody red exterior.
"What's this? You want this little exotic?"
"Meow!"
Lucky wasn't putting on an act. He was definitely interested in the blood-red rock.
Even so, Ves only showed a vague amount of interest in the object, as if he saw it as nothing more than a curiosity. "What is this rock?"
"Personally, I call it the scarlet rock. It's proper designation is a serial number that is way too long for me to repeat."
"Where does it come from?"
"In the periphery of the Hegemony. That's all I'm willing to say."
"Any remarkable properties?"
"It can slightly enhance the sensitivity of sensor arrays. I've heard that one mech designer managed to increase the effectiveness of the sensors of his mech by two percent using this material."
"That's not a lot."
"Two percent can make a huge difference. Besides, no one knows what this material is fully capable of. Maybe you can obtain a twenty-percent boost if you manage to crack its secrets."
"That sounds unlikely."
Despite her claims, the merchant didn't really value it all that much. After a quick round of bargaining, Ves managed to obtain it for the modest price of 800,000 cols, which was way too much for a volatile material that could only boost the sensor performance of a mech by a tiny bump!
Still, for something that Lucky really wanted to it, this price was actually a steal! His gem cat never made a mistake when it came to judging the attraction of different materials.
In fact, Lucky was squirming with his grasp as soon as Ves closed the sale. The cat couldn't wait to munch on the blood-red rock!
"Quite a frisky mechanical pet you have there, customer." The woman noted. "Why don't you sell it to me? I can make sure it will make some cute young girl happy! How about a thousand cols?"
Ves smiled at the merchant. "You have a good eye. Sadly, he isn't for sale."
"Shame."
He browsed a few other goods, showing vague interest but not quite enough to open his wallet. Each time he put back a sample, he came tantalizingly closer to the odd grey rock that kept tingling his senses!
The closer he drifted to it, the calmer he acted. Finally, his fingers reached the rock. It was a little too big and unwieldy for him to pick it up with his hand, but that didn't prevent him from touching its surface.
"This looks like a random meteorite." He casually commented. "What makes it exotic?"
The woman shrugged. "We're not quite sure. Aside from a slightly-elevated energy level, the rock also caused a few people to become dizzy when they came into contact with it. It's not dangerous or anything, but we can't explain why some people reacted that way."
"How many people suffered this reaction?"
"A dozen or so."
"Out of how many?"
"I can't say."
"That doesn't sound like a lot."
Ves chit-chatted with the merchant. The woman really couldn't tell him anything more about the odd rock. As far as they could tell, it was a meteorite that crashed into a planet and laid inert for several hundred million years.
"While it's applications aren't much, it's an interesting puzzle. How much are you asking for this rock?"
"100 million cols, on account of its potential." The merchant replied.
"That's a ripoff! A rock that can make one in a thousand people or so feel dizzy for a second is hardly worth that much money! 1 million cols!"
"As I said, the rock may be useless, but who knows what mech designers like you can make of it. Maybe you'll be able to create a new weapon system that can make an entire crowd faint from a distance. 80 million cols!"
"Do I look like a Senior? If your best scientists haven't been able to figure out its secrets, I probably won't be able to figure out anything! 10 million cols!"
"Well, you're asking for it, right? Maybe you can defy the odds. 70 million cols!"
After several minutes of bargaining, the merchant agreed to hand it over for the sumptuous price of 35 million cols. This was almost equivalent to 3.5 billion bright credits, which was a very small price to pay for a material that reacted to his spiritual senses!
While he didn't necessarily have to keep up his act, Ves nonetheless maintained the same pattern. He walked over to a couple of other stalls and curiously perused the exotics on offer as if he hadn't purchased the most valuable item in the marketplace!
"Value is relative anyway. One man's treasure is another man's trash." He muttered.
Once the energy shielding above the sky began to fade to an evening setting, Ves finally emerged from the marketplace. He walked a few streets over and sat at a plaza.
"Here you go, Lucky!" He said as he passed on the scarlet rock.
"Meow!"
Lucky immediately snatched it with his maw and slowly crunched it with its teeth, savoring the taste of the bloody exotic.
Ves smiled as his cat began to purr.
"Do you forgive me now?"
His cat didn't squirm away or tried to jump from his grasp, which was a good sign he guessed.
As Lucky eagerly enjoyed his latest treat, Ves turned his attention to the hovering box that contained the grey rock. This was what he set out to buy in the first place. Although this wasn't the best place to examine it, Ves couldn't contain his curiosity!
"Let's see what makes you special!"
Just as he was about to open the box, someone suddenly coughed.
"Who?"
Ves turned around, only to see that a strange robed figure crept up behind his back!
"Heavens!"
"Mr. Larkinson, I presume?"
"That's me." Ves narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he recognized the man's outfit. "You're a Shadow Courier, right?"
"Correct. I am tasked with conveying a message to you from the Skull Architect."
Ves almost jumped from his seat. "Don't mention that name here! In fact, why the hell did you show up in Centerpoint at all?!"
The shadow courier smirked behind his hood. "Your concerns are ill-founded, Mr. Larkinson. Even underneath the gaze of the MTA, we are still able to maintain discretion."
Indeed. A small and subtle interference field emanated from the Shadow Courier. However, that still didn't ease Ves' concerns!
"Your interference field is way too weak!"
"It is sufficient enough for our purposes. Do not underestimate our technology. The MTA may be powerful, but they aren't in the habit of placing their best sensors on a planet that caters to space peasants. Besides, do you think we don't count the MTA as our customers? We guarantee absolute discretion and reliability in delivering your messages or your money back!"
Ves quietly cursed. In any case, the deed had already been done. Since none of the nearby security bots had approached them, Ves would just assume that the MTA's monitoring system hadn't caught the Shadow Courier mentioning the nickname of one of their fugitives.
"Pass me the message quickly and leave!"
"Very well. The Skull Architect wants to convey a single message to you. Hurry up with your task and send back the work he expects from you as soon as possible!"
"I still have more than half a year before I reach the deadline!" Ves protested.
"That isn't good enough for the Skull Architect! He expects more from you!"
Ves wanted to wring the demanding mech designer's neck. Was the Skull Architect his father or something?!
"Tell him that I'll finish my work within the deadline."
"The Skull Architect has promised to offer you an incentive if you can deliver your work in half that time." The Shadow Courier said. "Of course, the quality of your work cannot be any less!"
"What kind of reward is in store if I meet this demand?"
"You will satisfy the Skull Architect and obtain his appreciation." The Shadow Courier flatly replied.
"GET OUT!"
Ves grumbled as the Shadow Courier faded away and left the plaza. What kind of stupid reward was the Skull Architect's gratitude? The pirate designer was a nutjob! The sooner Ves fulfilled his promises, he would cut ties right away!
"Who the hell hires a Shadow Courier just to convey a few words?!"
Shadow Couriers did not come cheap! For the Skull Architect to make use of them just to tell Ves to turn in his homework early was very weird!
"Is he in a hurry?" Ves speculated.
What could make him feel so urgent? Did the Skull Architect reevaluate his work or something?
Whatever the case, Ves would hand over his work when he finished it, and not before! He still had two more variants to complete, and who knows how long it would take for him to reach the end!
Chapter 1264
After shooing away the random Shadow Courier who popped out of nowhere, Ves turned his attention back to the grey rock. He opened up the box and reached out with his hand.
No reaction.
"What? I was sure there was something here!"
Ves puzzled over the rock he bought, refusing to believe his senses had foiled him. Yet as he continually probed the rock with his hands and his spiritual senses, he actually failed to uncover anything remarkable.
Had he misjudged? Had he been scammed?
He refused to believe so. There must be something special about this rock!
"Many mech designers require years of research in order to decipher some of the secrets behind exotics. It's nothing unusual for me to obtain no results upon a cursory examination."
After several minutes of fruitless examination, Ves closed the box and left the mystery for later. This was not the time and place to perform serious material research.
Instead, he decided to go to Astralis Nightclub.
"Come on, Lucky. Let's go see what Charlotte had in mind when she suggested that I should pay a visit there."
He hailed an aircar that swiftly brought Ves and Lucky to a fairly upscale district on Centerpoint V. Certain areas of the planet favored space peasants, while other areas favored galactic citizens.
This was definitely a city district that favored galactic citizens. Not only was security higher here, but the structures looked fancier as well.
Just like in the Friday Coalition, a lot of structures floated in the air. The architecture of many of the floating buildings incorporated radical three-dimensional designs.
For example, one floating park was shaped like a cube. Whereas old folk leisurely sat on the benches admiring the fading golden horizon, teenagers gleefully partied in a swimming pool on the bottom side of the floating park. The antigrav modules integrated in the park made sure to prevent the water and all the people from falling to their deaths!
Ves still shuddered at the sight. As long as something went wrong, either through disaster, sabotage or faulty maintenance, all of those people standing upside down hundreds of meters above the ground would certainly die!
"Well, maybe it won't come to that." He shook his head. "All of them are doubtlessly wearing smart clothing or other safeguards that can mitigate some of the risks."
The rich possessed numerous means to protect their lives. They had to because they faced equally capable enemies armed with much better weapons.
Therefore, while it seemed that CFA admirals and MTA councilors protected themselves with an array of shielding, teleporters, guards and other safeguards, the threats they protected against were equally as sophisticated!
"It's an arms race." He muttered. "There's never a point where someone is completely safe or completely dominant."
Perhaps the only time in humanity's history where this balance was skewed was during the latter days of the Age of Conquest. The infamous warfleets weren't capable of defending against the superweapons they themselves were armed with. No defensive shielding could withstand against a force that could crack a planet!
For this reason, warfare primarily devolved in a race to strike first and strike the hardest. Attacks against planets and wiping out whole industries and population centers became acceptable practice because the armchair admirals believed it was the only way to shake the foundation of a warfleet!
Yet the only outcome all of this slaughter had accomplished was to completely unmoor the warfleets of the losing side! Having lost the foundation of their support, they went completely bonkers and retaliated with a vengeance!
Ves shook his head. "That's old history. Such a thing won't happen today."
Humanity had made a lot of advancements in technology since then, particularly in the area of planetary shielding. The planetary shielding systems that protected every planet in the Centerpoint System weren't only there to protect the surface from the overlapping heat and radiation of multiple suns.
The planetary shielding systems could actually dial up their strength and withstand direct attacks!
Naturally, the amount of energy the shields expended in this mode was immense. Even with the Dyson spheres harvesting a significant portion of energy pumped out by the local suns, the shields would only be able to last a short time due to their incredible degree of inefficiency.
"In the end, it's much easier to destroy than to protect." He sighed.
Something else he noticed in this district was that a lot less people were on the streets. Ves could already tell that almost everyone here was a galactic citizen, and of a higher tier than that of Ves!
"Everyone here is either an internal member of the MTA or a dependent."
In truth, Ves felt somewhat out of place here. As a tier 12 galactic citizen, he still couldn't enter any of the shops and other venues in this district. Encountering this situation really hit home that receiving galactic citizenship had done little to close the gap between himself and most of the people who worked for the Big Two.
"It's as if tier 12 is only a galactic citizen in name."
Now that he thought about it, all of the expert pilots in the Larkinson Family should be galactic citizens as well. Yet none of them had mentioned a single thing about galactic citizens to their family members.
"It's probably because it doesn't really mean anything to the Larkinsons." He guessed.
There was no point giving other Larkinsons delusions of grandeur when the actual benefit to becoming a tier 12 galactic citizen really wasn't all that much. If galactic citizens were actually people of importance, then the Bright Republic and the other third-rate states would have been ruled by high-ranking mech pilots and mech designers.
Instead, people like Professor Ventag, Professor Velten, Professor Pendleton and so on voluntarily allowed themselves to be governed by an administration that consisted primarily of space peasants.
Ves came to an important conclusion. "Bottom tier galactic citizenship doesn't mean anything."
That was reflected from the attitudes of others in the vicinity.
When other galactic citizens saw him and realized his tier somehow, they didn't regard him as a galactic citizen. Instead, they viewed him as a jumped-up space peasant! Even if he came closer to matching the status of proper galactic citizens, a noticeable gap still existed!
"These people have a way to determine my citizenship tier."
Ves guessed that they had been fed with the information through implants or internal augmentations. Whereas most space peasants rightly eschewed implants due to their propensity to being hacked or tampered with, galactic citizens didn't share the same worry because their faction's security precautions were already some of the best.
That reminded him that he obtained a sophisticated cranial implant himself. Ves still hadn't dared to implant it into his head due to its age and its origin.
"I should really do something about that. I can't let it rot in my vault forever."
He made a mental note to address it when he came back to Cloudy Curtain. Perhaps he could even ask for help from Calabast to find out where he could find a reliable expert that could check over the Archimedes Rubal.
"None of these galactic citizens have to worry about these concerns."
Even if the MTA installed backdoors in their implants, they both belonged to the same side. As long as their own people didn't betray the organization, there was very little harm in letting the Association follow their entire lives.
Ves wouldn't mind it either if he was just an average person. But he was not. He was a mech designer, and one that squirreled away a lot of secrets.
"In that regard, it's better if I wasn't a galactic citizen. At least no one pays attention to space peasants."
At his current state, Ves received the worst of both worlds. Not only did he face increased scrutiny, he also hadn't gained any important benefits that made his life easier.
As he thought over all of this, he flew into the air using his smart clothing and at the entrance of a large, classy three-dimensional palace. The place didn't seem to be highly-frequented, but numerous young and trendy-looking galactic citizens eagerly entered the club after passing a cursory security check.
When it was his time to enter, a distinct beep came from the scanning machine. The nearest guard approached him and reached out with his hand.
"Please present your invitation card, Mr. Larkinson."
Ves did so. The guard dutifully checked the authenticity of the invitation card before handing it back.
"Your card is valid. Please keep hold of it as you will need it to enter the Pit."
"The Pit?"
The guard already dismissed him, leaving Ves clueless of what he meant.
What was this Pit?
Once Ves entered the darkened interior of the club, modern music immediately blanketed his ears. While it was a bit too early before the real party started, plenty of young galactic citizens were already having a good time.
Ves ignored these kids and their mundane activities. Ever since he became a mech designer, he stopped chasing after simpler pleasures. The music, the merriment and the fun activities the club goers engaged in no longer tickled his interest.
How could they ever compete against the sublime pleasure of designing a good mech? Not only was his work a lot more profound, it also contributed to society.
If there was one lesson that Ves had learned from meeting with various Seniors, it was that their time was far too precious to waste on hedonism! Rather than drinking yourself stupid every night, he should instead endeavor to deepen his design philosophy.
Therefore, Ves ignored the sight of college-aged men and women having a good time and walked deeper into the club. A few signs directed him right towards the heart of the building. Eventually, he reached a gate surrounded by several guards.
"Please present your invitation card."
Ves did so quietly.
"Everything checks out. Please enter the Pit."
The gate opened up, revealing an interior so dark that Ves couldn't sense a single thing inside. As Ves curiously stepped inside, Lucky suddenly squirmed in his grasp.
"Meow! Meow!"
"What do you mean? There's an anomaly in front of us? But I don't sense anythIIING!"
As Ves plunged into the darkness, he suddenly felt a very weird suction! Both Ves and Lucky lost control of themselves as they plunged straight through a weird bubble, only to fall onto the floor of a very strange environment!
His floating box that followed behind him almost hit the ground as well, but stabilized in time to prevent a crash.
"Urgh. Why is the air different here?"
Ves quickly gathered his wits. Meanwhile, Lucky shook himself out of his lingering bliss at having eaten the scarlet rock and entered into a high alert.
Both of them immediately noticed that they had entered a huge hall! It was so huge that the entire Astralis Nightclub could comfortably fit inside this empty space!
"What is this place?!"
"Meow meow meow!"
"What? We just entered through a space portal and ended up somewhere underground?!"
A new voice suddenly sounded from behind Ves. "What a very clever pet."
Ves immediately turned around to see someone dressed in a similar uniform to Charlotte when she visited Cloudy Curtain. The newcomer was an officer of the MTA's Compliance Department!
"Welcome to the Pit, Mr Larkinson." The female officer smirked. "From your expression, I take it that you don't realize what that means. Did the mech pilot who issued your invitation card even tell you what's in store for you?"
"No.."
The mech officer grinned. "This is going to be good. Well, come with me. Let's prep you up as best as possible."
Ves reluctantly followed after the woman, uncertain of what was going on here. Now that he thought about it, blindly entering a place referred to as the Pit wasn't exactly wise.
What had Charlotte gotten him into this time?
Chapter 1265
As Ves followed the MTA mech officer to the end of the huge but barren underground hall, the woman started to explain the nature of the Pit.
"I am Lieutenant Rezzie Ferct. You can call me Lieutenant Ferct." She began. "As for the Pit, the simplest way to put it is that you've an informal trial ground." She began.
"What makes it informal?"
"Because the MTA isn't officially involved in the running of this place. It's actually established by the Rim Guardians, which is a fraternity within the Compliance Department. Pilot Hoffmeister who issued your invitation card is a new member. She received a card immediately upon entering our ranks."
Ves scratched his head. All of this was completely new to him. "What's the deal with the teleportation portal? Couldn't you have just allowed people to enter the Pit through an old-fashioned tunnel?"
"We can't do that. You see, the Rim Guardians aren't the only fraternities within the Compliance Department. Our most hated rivals are the Prime Humans. Their beliefs are completely opposed to ours, and we've clashed against each other plenty of times. Keeping the location of the Pit a secret will prevent those snobby brats from crashing the party."
Uh oh. It sounded as if Ves got dumped in the middle of another political dispute.
Every organization was plagued with division. Even the most outwardly cohesive states or companies had to deal with certain levels of opposition.
The MTA was so powerful and so huge that it was impossible for every member to agree on everything!
Even in the Ylvaine Protectorate where every citizen believed in the same religion still exhibited a lot of political infighting!
For an entity that was countless times larger and encompassed all of human space, the MTA must be rife with internal rivalry!
This played an especially huge problem to the MTA due to its more open and diversified recruitment policies.
In contrast, the CFA didn't suffer nearly as much from this problem because every human they recruited all shared similar backgrounds!
Seeing that he might have gotten involved in something, Ves needed to shed his ignorance as quickly as possible!
"What do these fraternities stand for?"
Lieutenant Ferct smiled. "The Rim Guardians of which I'm a part of is a fraternity that stands for equality. I'm sure you're aware that the MTA recruits from all over the galaxy, right? It doesn't matter whether a mech pilot or mech designer is rich or poor, the MTA should stand up for all of humanity. Yet.. in practice I think we've fallen short in practicing our ideals."
"The MTA cares a lot more about the galactic center than the galactic rim. Everyone knows that." Ves bluntly said.
"I agree. It's a sad reality that the MTA pours a lot more funding, resources and manpower into maintaining their standing in the galactic center instead of funneling them towards regions which are deprived of protection. Do you think the Terrans and the Rubarthans even need our protection?"
This must be one of the reasons why the MTA had been rather absent in the Komodo Star Sector. It was so unimportant to them that they didn't allocate sufficient resources to maintain a stronger presence in the local region!
"So I take it the Rim Guardians stands up for deprived areas like this star sector?"
"Correct. Specifically, we stand up for the entire galactic rim from where we originated." Lieutenant Ferct declared. "While some of the members of the MTA abandon their roots as soon as they obtain their new identities, mech pilots like Charlotte and I will never forget our old identities. We do our best to defend the interests of the people living in the galactic rim against those who take a dim view on them. Just because we aren't as prosperous doesn't mean that we deserve to be treated as serfs!"
"Is that what the so-called Prime Humans are advocating?"
The mech lieutenant chuckled. "Sounds obnoxious, right? The problem for us is that their ideology is actually part of the mainstream within the MTA. Our organization has always focused its attention towards the center of the galaxy rather than the periphery."
Ves frowned. He had always heard that the Big Two were stuck-up, but it sounded as if the problem was actually a lot more severe!
"Is it because they see us as a burden or something?"
"That's a good guess, Mr. Larkinson. The Prime Humans mostly consists of old bloods and recruits who originated from the galactic center. They advocate that the MTA shouldn't be wasting so much energy trying to cover the huge but barren galactic rim. The Association is forced to allocate a disproportionate amount of resources to maintain a barely adequate presence in star sectors that could never afford so much protection."
Centerpoint System was a case in point. While Ves marveled at all the vast megastructures and planetary engineering projects, the cost of transforming and maintaining Centerpoint must have been immense!
"There are a lot of star sectors in the galactic rim." Ves noted.
"That's true, and that's what makes this problem so acute. A single MTA branch in the galactic center is effectively forced to subsidize dozens of branches in the galactic rim! Do you think the MTA's Komodo branch can sustain its military might from all of the earnings it makes off the trade taking place in Centerpoint? It's not enough!"
A single star system, no matter how busy it appeared, could never maintain so many expensive mechs, ships and defensive installations!
"What do the Prime Humans want, then?"
"They want to abandon the galactic rim outright. Pull the MTA out and focus their resources on maintaining control over the galactic center and the galactic heartland."
"What?!"
The lieutenant sardonically chuckled. "I reacted the same way when I initially heard that. The Prime Humans consider us parasites and don't want to waste any money on enforcing their rules to a bunch of smelly space peasants."
"Why would they push to cede control? That's a lot of territory they're giving up!"
"A lot of useless territory, you mean. While the galactic rim isn't completely worthless, it isn't valuable enough to merit such a heavy commitment in their eyes. Part of that is because they consider guarding the galactic rim to be a responsibility of the CFA."
"The CFA cares even less about mere mortals." Ves commented.
"True. When the Big Two were originally founded, they divided their responsibilities in two. The MTA was tasked with maintaining order within human space while the CFA took on the burden of defending humanity from external threats. However, the MTA has always been dominated by leaders who came from the galactic center, so most of their attention is directed to the same region. As for the CFA, their primary constituents are the true spaceborn clans that mainly roam in the galactic center."
Ves felt as if the galactic rim was being treated like an unwanted kid. The Big Two were like parents who did their best to neglect the ugly child!
"So if neither of the Big Two cares that much about the galactic rim, what would happen if the Prime Humans had their way?"
"I'm not sure." Lieutenant Ferct cracked her neck. "It's such a huge change that I don't think the Prime Humans even thought it through. My guess is that the galactic rim would eventually turn into frontier space again. Without a forceful MTA presence and with the CFA dithering by themselves, the Komodo Star Sector would quickly descend into the same chaos and anarchy that is common in the frontier."
That was an alarming possibility to Ves! While he enjoyed some of the freedom of living in frontier space, he did not enjoy the constant danger and complete lack of security associated with lawless space!
"If that's true, then these Prime Humans sound like selfish idiots!"
"That's why fraternities like the Rim Guardians exist. If not for us, the MTA would have long withdrawn from the galactic rim."
As the two of them continued to talk, they eventually reached the end of the hall. A plan section of wall plating slid apart, allowing Ves and the mech lieutenant to pass into a plain corridor.
Ves grew more concerned at his surroundings. This place was very odd!
"Where are you taking me?" He asked.
"I'm taking you to the ready room where you'll be prepped for the coming trials. Don't worry, Mr. Larkinson. They aren't lethal most of the time. We just want to push your limits a little to see what you're capable of. We don't want to be involved with someone useless."
"I don't recall accepting any trials."
"You did so as soon as you used your invitation card to enter the portal. Once you're in the Pit, you're committed. We won't let you back out at this stage. Doing so is the same as pulling the MTA out of the galactic rim. It's just cowardly."
"I'm just a mech designer!" Ves protested.
The woman laughed. "Do you think I haven't read up on your record while we've been chatting? You're known to be a man of courage in your home state. Not only did you manage to earn numerous combat honors, but you've also distinguished yourself as a passionate speaker! A mech designer like you is exactly what we need! Charlotte chose well when she passed her invitation card to you! As long as you pass the upcoming trials, she'll receive a hefty bonus."
Ves wanted to puke. Was Charlotte using him? What the hell was this all about?!
"What is the point of participating in these trials?! What's in it for me?"
Lieutenant Ferct eyed him with an intrigued expression. "Quite a lot, actually. While we can't turn you into an internal member of the MTA, we're capable of offering various rewards to you in exchange for certain services."
"What services are you looking for?"
"What else can we want from a mech designer? We're interested in your mech design ability!"
"Don't you have your own mech designers?" Ves furrowed his brows. "You're part of the MTA! You have access to some of the best mech designers in the galaxy!"
The lieutenant stopped and turned around to face him squarely. "We do, but not nearly as much as we like. I won't bore you with the details, but the Rim Guardians are always looking for additional assistance."
"I don't see how I could help." Ves replied while stroking Lucky's back. The cat had been wary ever since they entered the Pit. "I only design third-class mechs. Such machines are worse than useless in your hands."
"For now. Who can tell what happens in the future. Right now, you're just a Journeyman, but in fifty years you might become a Senior. In two-hundred years you might even advance to Master. By then, it shouldn't be too difficult for you to design a first-class mech."
"Is that all?" Ves asked suspiciously. "It sounds way too convoluted that you want to test me out when I'm at least several decades away before becoming remotely useful to your fraternity."
The mech lieutenant sighed. "That's true. There's another reason why we want to establish relationships with notable local mech designers. I can't state it right now. Let's wait until you pass the trials."
"What if I don't want to participate?"
"You die."
Well, that was certainly a compelling reason. As they resumed walking, Ves inwardly grumbled. He really wanted to find Charlotte and punch her in the face! Why did she dump Ves into this stupid place and force him to undergo some dangerous trials?!
As much as Ves objected to being coerced into participating, it wasn't as if anyone here cared about his feelings. He was very much aware that the Rim Guardians were very much a part of the MTA! A nobody like Ves who recently obtained the lowest tier of galactic citizenship could not object to them at all!
"Don't be glum, Mr. Larkinson. Many mech designers would love to be in your place! As long as you pass, all kinds of opportunities will open up to you in the future!"
"Whoopie." Ves said flatly.
Chapter 1266
Lieutenant Ferct deposited Ves and Lucky in the ready room.
When he entered the room, he saw that it was decorated just as plain and drab as the rest of the Pit. Despite the luxury and splendor on display in the rest of Centerpoint, the Rim Guardians deliberately eschewed any comfort.
Was it to introduce some hardships to its visitors? To make the Rim Guardians remember their humble origins? To state what they were fighting for?
Ves couldn't tell. As soon as the lieutenant left, Ves instantly turned his attention to the other occupants in the room.
"Hi."
None of the other people in the room reacted to his entry. They all eyed at him warily.
From their clothing and other signs, Ves could tell that the other people were Journeymen like him. They also seemed to come from various corners of the Komodo Star Sector.
Their ages varied a bit but none of them were too old. The Rim Guardians seemed to invite any mech designer with potential to take part in their trials.
"Hey you!" A friendlier-looking man called. "Come sit next to me. I could use the company."
Ves did so for lack of a better option. He approached the man and sat next to him on the plain metal bench. He was a little annoyed that the bench lacked any backrest. The Rim Guardians really took their Spartan interior design philosophy too far!
"You look like you're lost." The man remarked.
"That's because I am." Ves admitted. "I received an invitation card from someone, but didn't know what it meant. Ever since then, the lady who guided me only gave me some background information about the Rim Guardians before dumping me in this room."
A couple of people in the room sneered and laughed at him. Ves didn't mind this reaction. Considering the way this entire situation was set up, everyone in the room appeared to be his competitors.
The more they looked down on him, the higher the chance he could turn the tables against them in the upcoming trials!
Still, it was rather odd for this fellow to be so friendly to him. Ves made sure to keep his guard up and take everything he heard with a grain of salt.
It seemed the man could tell what Ves was thinking, because he offered a confident smile. "I'm not afraid of you. The others? They see how young you are and how you've been personally accompanied by one of the mech officers of the Rim Guardians. They're scared. They're shaking in their boots. Your entry means it will be that much harder for them to pass the trials!"
Ves frowned while he idly comforted Lucky. "You mean the trials will set us against each other?"
"You guessed it right. While even I'm not sure what kind of trials we're facing as the Rim Guardians always randomize them, in the end they're only looking to pass two of our current company. While I don't want to brag, I'm definitely assured of one of those slots!"
Wow. This guy was really confident! Ves could tell it wasn't a duplicitous act because he kept his spiritual senses peeled.
Ves did not sense any dishonesty from the mech designer, though that was just what he picked up from the surface. He was very leery about intruding on the spirituality of another mech designer!
"Ah, by the way, who are you? You don't appear to come from my state."
"I'm Ves Larkinson. I come from the Bright Republic. I just turned into a Journeyman recently."
"The Bright Republic, eh?" The man raised his eyebrow. "You're quite young for advancing to Journeyman so early. Who is your master or mentor?"
"I'm a nominal disciple of Master Carmin Olson of the Vermeer Group."
The man's eyes lit up. "I see! How fortunate! I met the esteemed Master a few times! She's a role model to me, you know! She's really remarkable for advancing to Master in just a single century!"
"You've met her?"
"Naturally." The man proudly patted his chest. "I am the great Tristan Wesseling! Have you heard of me?"
"No."
"No?" Tristan looked disappointed. "Are you even a real apprentice of Master Olson? How come you've never heard of me? I'm famous in the Friday Coalition!"
"I only visited the Friday Coalition for brief periods of time. I mostly work and live in the Bright Republic."
"Oh. You're one of those mech designers who stick to their homes. That's pretty patriotic of you. Well, since you really haven't heard of me, I guess I can forgive you. The reason why I'm famous is because I'm a direct disciple of Master Katzenberg!"
Ves widened his eyes. This Tristan was an Oleg-like figure! Not only that, but Tristan was already older and seemed to have advanced to Journeyman a while ago. The strength he exuded from his posture and his spirituality was very vigorous! His entire demeanor radiated confidence!
"I see. I've been rather remiss in my greeting."
"It's fine. We're both Journeymen. That already makes us equals. Only pretentious mech designers who haven't accomplished anything will lean on the reputation of their masters."
Becoming a direct disciple to a Master did not guarantee a mech designer's ascension to Journeyman. Aside from the problem of possessing psionic potential, a mech designer needed to put in a lot of effort into their studies and design work in order to crystallize their thoughts!
"If I recall, Master Katzenberg's specialty is exotic material substitution, right?"
Tristan nodded. "Right. Her mechs might not be the best performers, but they're some of the most cost-effective machines for sale in the Friday Coalition. Hardly anyone can beat their price-to-performance ratios!"
This was an extremely valuable strength that propelled Master Katzenberg into one of the most prominent Masters of the Friday Coalition. Even a second-rate state couldn't afford to be too wasteful when they equipped their mech forces!
"Have you inherited her design philosophy?"
"Yes. Although I'm not as nearly as good as her, I've learned a few of her tricks. I've even researched some material substitutions."
Ves found that to be very fascinating. What did it mean if multiple mech designers shared the same design philosophy? Did Tristan ever regret becoming a direct disciple?
In a way, direct disciples paid a heavy price to obtain a Master's personal guidance. Even though they enjoyed the intensive tutelage of some of the best teachers in the industry, they had been stripped of the opportunity to develop their own design philosophies.
Who knew what Tristan could come up with when he formed his own design philosophy. It could have been something completely unrelated to exotic material substitution.
Still, Tristan didn't seem regretful at all. The confident man enjoyed his success without any reserve.
"Have you met Oleg Vorn?" Ves asked.
"Oleg? Sure! He's rising really fast. Did you know he already advanced to Journeyman several years ago? That's too fast! He might even catch up with me. That's why I've never slacked off ever since he appeared on the scene! Do you know he's about to participate in the Rimward Games soon? He'll be off to represent the entire Komodo Star Sector soon!"
"I've heard."
It seemed that even Tristan regarded Oleg as an exceptional talent.
""You're really strange, you know." Tristan suddenly said while eying him in a speculating fashion. "A Journeyman like you shouldn't be unheard of. While you advanced later than Oleg, it's still respectably fast. There are lots of direct disciples who took a lot longer to breakthrough."
Ves modestly smiled. "As I said, I mostly keep to the Bright Republic. I have no plans of moving to the Friday Coalition or expanding my business there. You natives have already cornered the entire market anyway."
"That's right. You'll have to fight an uphill battle if you want to establish a foundation in the Friday Coalition's mech industry. Master Olson won't be able to help you in that regard."
Since Tristan seemed to be so open with answering his questions, Ves might as well take advantage of it. Who knew when he would ever get in touch with such a valuable font of information in the future?
"What exactly does it take for an immigrant mech designer to achieve success in the Friday Coalition's mech market?"
The slightly-older mech designer pursed his lips in thought. "You either have to come from a state that is equal or greater in power, or you have to become one of us. Being good at designing mechs isn't enough. Basically, most immigrants end up seeking a relationship with a local mech designer or businessman. Only by integrating into our society in such a fashion will the mech market treat you as an insider."
"I see."
Ves inadvertently thought back to Patricia Hoffmeister. Was this the driving reason why she was engaged with a mech designer from the Friday Coalition? Once she married a local, she could use her new family connections to gain better access to the Coalition's mech market!
"You know, if you're thinking about getting a piece of the action, I can hook you up with some mech designers." Tristan said with a sleazy grin. "While most mech designers from the Coalition look down on immigrants who come from third-rate states, anything is possible as long as you are talented."
Ves shook his head. "No thanks."
"Shame."
"Can we get back to the trials? What is it about them that makes them so attractive?"
"You don't know?"
"That's why I ask."
Tristan laughed. "You don't even know the main reason! That's funny! Hahaha!"
Ves waited until the mech designer had his fun. "Can you tell me now?"
"Okay, sure! Let me put it this way. The Rim Guardians are primarily composed of mech pilots from all over the galactic rim. Do you know how many star sectors that is? The galaxy is huge, and the galactic rim occupies the most extensive areas!"
"And this is important because...?"
"Just think about it. Forget about the entire galactic rim. Just consider the Komodo Star Sector and our neighboring two star sectors. The Rim Guardians are composed of members who originate in all three star sectors."
The implication suddenly dawned upon him. "The Rim Guardians must be running their own cross-sector distribution network! With members in every star sector, it's easy for them to set up their own collective trade channels between every star sector in the galactic rim!"
"Correct." Tristan nodded and gestured to the other mech designers in the ready room. "This is one of their main sources of revenue. The reason why mech designers like these lot are jumping at the opportunity to pass the trials is because they want access to this vast distribution network! As long as they pass and become an ally of the Rim Guardians, they'll be able to make use of the distribution network!"
"And thereby making it easier to expand their business into other star sectors!" Ves gasped.
To most Journeymen, it wasn't worthwhile to expand their businesses to another star sector. The various costs involved in engaging in inter-sector trade was way too high! Ves would have to be at least a Senior before he could think of expanding into the Vicious Mountain or Majestic Teal Star Sectors!
Yet if he became friends with the Rim Guardians, he could take advantage of their network to obtain more favorable fees or to exert stronger control over distant operations.
"This is just one of several benefits the Rim Guardians has to offer, Ves. Work hard to compete and pass the coming trials. I'll definitely obtain a slot. I don't want anyone else in this room to obtain the other remaining slot, so make sure to work hard and show off your design capabilities!"
Ves nodded perfunctory, but inwardly he was sweating a little. His spiritual energy still hadn't recovered to its peak! Would he be able to bring out his best in the upcoming trials despite lacking some energy?
Whatever the case, Ves needed to work even harder to overcome this handicap!
Chapter 1267
Ves had a very fruitful chat with Tristan. The man may be the direct discipline to an esteemed Master, but he treated Ves no different from a peer.
That was not a coincidence.
Tristan openly disdained the other Journeymen Mech Designers in the ready room. All of the others came from third-rate states just like Ves. So why did Tristan treat the latecomer differently than the other mech designers invited by the Rim Guardians?
The most principal reason was his youth and demeanor. Even if Ves instinctively tried to make himself appear modest and unassuming in the company of unknown mech designers, there was no way he could hide his inherent confidence.
In any case, Ves gave away enough clues for Tristan to figure out there was something different. Hearing that Ves was related to Master Olson was the clincher.
From what Ves figured out from Tristan, a nominal disciple did not advance to Journeyman as fast as direct disciples.
Unlike the latter, Apprentices who only received occasional guidance needed to figure out the bulk of their design philosophies themselves. Although direct disciples needed to work hard as well, they benefited from a perennial guide who would always nudge them in the right direction, thereby preventing them from stalling or running into dead ends.
The fridayman put it in a succinct fashion. "A direct disciple who advanced to Journeyman when they're twenty-five is notable, but not too attention-grabbing. For a nominal disciple to advance to Journeyman just before they turn thirty like you is a much bigger splash! Especially since you advanced when you just completed your fourth original design!"
Compared to Tristan who designed over a dozen original mechs, Ves could only briefly mention five of his own, which made him all the more remarkable.
Even the other mech designers listening silently to the two grew increasingly more alarmed. They began to recognize Ves as a genuine threat, which was exactly what he didn't want!
While Ves was grateful for the information he received, it wasn't for free. The questions that Tristan asked forced him to reveal more aspects about himself than he liked.
Still, it wasn't as if it was all that bad to show off his accomplishments. The other mech designers already looked less assured as they equated Ves as a mech designer who was as formidable as Tristan.
Whether their impressions were accurate or not, Ves didn't know. He knew too little about direct disciples and what advantages they held over other mech designers.
One thing was for sure. Tristan deliberately put on a friendly face and engaged Ves from the start for a reason. Why did the elite mech designer refuse to extend the same treatment to the other mech designers in the room?
It was because they weren't worth befriending. Although all of them were Journeymen, none of them held as much potential as Ves. While advancing early was not a guarantee that they would be able to advance to Senior or Master, it was still a very promising sign!
Enjoying this kind of treatment was exactly why Ves worked so hard to advance to Journeyman. Tristan was just one of the first who deliberately put down his airs in order to grow closer to Ves.
That was a very shrewd decision! Who knew if Tristan would be able to harvest a lot of gains from their friendship later down the line?
A small tone sounded in the ready room all of a sudden.
[The trials will begin in five minutes. Please prepare yourselves, mech designers.]
That caused everyone to sit up and become more alert. No matter if Ves and Tristan were prodigies among Journeymen, the others weren't vegetables! They possessed their own pride and confidence!
"Looks like the winnowing is about to begin." Tristan grinned as he rubbed his hands in anticipation. "I don't know what the Rim Guardians have in store, but I bet that their trials are a lot fancier than the tests I went through at Leemar. With all the amazing tech the fraternity has at their disposal, there's no way they'll put us through something boring!"
That caused some concern in Ves. He hadn't signed up for this in the first place! Even though it sounded nice to obtain access to the inter-sector distribution network of the Rim Guardians, he didn't forget that the fraternity was still a part of the MTA!
The very same organization that Ves wanted to distance from! While it sounded as if the Rim Guardians might be the friendliest of the bunch, growing closer to them also meant opposing the Prime Humans, the most powerful faction within the MTA!
Ves felt very mixed on what he should do in the upcoming trials. Part of him wanted to do his best, but his partially-depleted state would not allow that. Another part of him wanted to drag his feet, but the Rim Guardians might not appreciate such disrespect?
Eventually, he decided to just put whatever effort he could muster in the upcoming trials. With the handicap he suffered and all the arduous conditions required to design his best works, he was not about to produce an Aurora Titan or a Transcendent Messenger on the fly.
Another tone sounded before the door slid open. Lieutenant Ferct strode inside with a strong military stride. "Alright you softies, the trials are about to begin! We've already prepared the first trial ground. Remember, no matter what you're facing, all of us are watching. Let's start!"
Ves suddenly felt as if the bench underneath him disappeared. Before he knew it, he and every other mech designer suddenly fell into a portal that formed underneath their bodies!
Although Ves held on to Lucky, some kind of forcefield wrenched his pet out of his grasp. He only had the time to issue a brief warning before he was brought somewhere else!
"Don't eat my purchase, Lucky!"
"Meow!"
The teleportation happened in an instant. Less than a second passed before he landed roughly on his butt. He quickly sat up and beheld his new surroundings.
"What is this place?"
To his surprise, he emerged in what appeared to be the surface of a terraformed terrestrial planet. A very average sun shone over his head, heating up his dark hair. Wind brushed along his skin and grains of sand and soil fell from his pants as he climbed up to his feet.
Trees surrounded him from every direction. Birds and other wildlife flitted here and there, giving him the illusion that he had actually been teleported to an actual Earth-like planet.
Once he touched the bark of a tree, he could immediately tell that everything he saw was a falsehood. Having touched physical projections before, Ves could immediately tell the difference between real bark and a sophisticated physical resistance emulator that closely imitated the sensation that he should have felt.
Ves guessed that the Rim Guardians teleported him to a huge trial chamber similar to the one he first entered. The only difference was that it had come online now, presenting Ves with a huge simulated environment, the purpose of which still eluded him for the moment.
"I guess there's no point dithering around."
Knowing that this trial had some purpose, Ves just took off in a random direction. With no trails or distinguishing landmarks in sight and with fairly uneven terrain in the way, he did not have a good time in the forest.
He attempted to activate his comm in order to take advantage of some of its functions, but the blasted thing didn't even come online.
"It's blocked!"
In fact, none of his gadgets worked, including his smart clothes and his fancy shield generator! All of them turned inert!
Ves understood that he needed to rely on himself to get through this trial.
"Nothing will happen if I stay here. I better go and see what else this forest has to offer."
He leisurely walked forward and tried to navigate the forest. An hour passed without any significant change in scenery.
While he quickly got the sense that he was walking in a circle, any attempt at marking his passage by scuffing the ground, ripping off leaves or leaving marks on tree bark didn't help.
Upon a hunch, Ves even turned around and tried to retrace his steps, only to find out that his traces had been wiped out!
He was completely lost in the forest!
"This is getting kind of creepy!"
Even as an hour had passed, the environment hadn't changed at all. It seemed as if he would be stuck in the same situation no matter how many hours he spent wandering!
Was this some kind of survival test? But that made no sense! The Rim Guardians weren't looking for a mech pilot or a commando. Mech designers weren't known for their excellence in wilderness survival!
"Really, what is even the point of this stupid test?" Ves scratched his head.
He felt rather indignant about being jerked around without explicitly agreeing to do so. While he could continue to walk for a very long time, Ves no longer saw any point in it. The environment already made it clear that he only had another stretch of endless forest in store for him if he walked forward.
"Maybe I should stop thinking like someone dumped on a random planet and more like a mech designer."
What would a mech designer do when faced with an unknown environment?
"They wouldn't run around at random. Instead, they would focus on solving problems."
Ves had many problems, but the most pertinent one was that he didn't have a clue where he should go. The entire forest was so bland and uniform that he hardly knew which direction he should take.
"I should solve this problem first."
He looked around and began to inspect the trees. Now that he thought about it, some of them possessed a lot of branches. Some even looked sturdy enough to stand upon!
Should he climb one of them and reach the top in order to obtain a better view of the environment?
"It's better than wandering around."
He needed to find the right tree, though. Some weren't tall enough. Others didn't grow enough branches. Those that did often possessed gaps along their length that made it dangerous for him to climb.
However, after spending more than half an hour inspecting hundreds of trees, Ves did not find a single tree that appeared safe enough to climb all the way to the top! All of them featured huge gaps that Ves would not be able to overcome even if he jumped with all of his might!
It was then that he suddenly slapped his forehead. "Ugh! I'm a mech designer! If something isn't possible, I'll just have to build something to make it possible!"
An engineering solution was required. Ves studied one of the trees that looked the most promising and scanned its length.
The tall tree presented three noticeable gaps that Ves could not overcome unless he could climb his way up like a mutant with the power of a spider. While Ves possessed a strong, augmented body, why take the risk when he could engineer a safer solution?
Ves recalled he had seen a documentary once where someone stripped bark off some branches and turned it into rope.
While he hadn't paid that much attention to it back then, Ves figured it didn't hurt to try. The only worry he held was if anything he fashioned would hold up. Were physical projections truly sophisticated enough to hold his own weight?
"We'll, let's test it out."
Ves found some thin branches and broke them off with his bare hands. After that, he attempted to tear away the flexible if somewhat slippery bark before braiding them together into a thicker rope.
While his physical strength made the process easier, he still wished he had some tools. His hands and nails were undergoing a lot of strain as he clumsily fashioned himself some rope.
In order to test whether it was sound, he tied one end of it onto a sturdy tree branch and turned the other end in a loop.
After that, he placed his foot on the loop and tried to put more and more of his weight on this makeshift footrest.
It held. Even when he put his entire weight onto it, the rope which by all rights should have consisted of a physical projection comfortably held his entire weight!
"It works!"
The Starlight Megalodon's physical projection technology hadn't been nearly as strong. However, it was three centuries out of date. Who knew how many advances had been made in the technology since the time of the battleship's disappearance.
The current situation was also different because the trial ground had been specifically designed to simulate a trial environment. It would make sense that it incorporated specialized physical projectors specifically designed for the purpose.
While this made his current plan workable, it also signified that the Rim Guardians could do a lot more with the tech!
Chapter 1268
Once Ves enacted his plan and crudely fashioned a bit more rope, he began to summon up the courage to climb one of the trees. Although they looked like earth-species trees, they still looked taller than any tree on Cloudy Curtain!
Climbing them took a lot of nerve!
Still, if he wanted to find some hope of getting out of this seemingly endless forest, he needed a better view of his surroundings.
"Here goes nothing."
With his body weighed down by several coils of makeshift rope, he began the arduous task of climbing up the most hopeful-looking tree.
It took a long time as he was trying to be careful. He hadn't exactly done anything like this before, but for the most part Ves didn't feel a lot of peril, especially since he stopped looking down.
The riskiest portion came when he needed to overcome the three gaps. Each time, he uncoiled a rope and clumsily tried to throw them around a sturdy branch above.
His technique left much to be desired.
Still, as long as he kept hold of the rope, he could keep trying over and over again.
After twenty-three tries, Ves finally managed to loop the rope successfully around the branch.
With that done, he finagled his way upwards with the help of the rope. Although it was quite intense, he nonetheless felt a small amount of satisfaction for overcoming this challenge.
He chuckled a bit. "Here I am, a mech designer who designs mechs worth millions of credits enjoying the accomplishment of climbing a tree."
It was absurd how low he had fallen that he would feel actual pride for such a trivial solution. Ves shook his head and turned his attention back to his task. He still had to reach the top!
The rest of the climb proceeded without incident. He used the other two ropes he fashioned to bridge over the other gaps. He even held on to a spare coil of rope just in case.
Once he climbed past the tree cover and poked his head over most of the other trees, he beheld his simulated environment properly for the very first time!
A blue sky. An endless forest. An unmoving sun. A couple of birds. A tall and spiralling black tower.
That last one stuck out of the drab environment like a sore thumb!
"It looks a little ominous."
The tower resembled an evil wizard's hideouts like in the fantasy dramas. All sorts of unnecessary spikes and gruesome features had been worked across its surface.
Although it looked a bit intimidating, it was the only landmark in the forest worth investigating.
"Well, I know where I need to go now. The next problem is getting there."
Ves tried to estimate the distance and figured he needed to traverse at least ten kilometers without going astray. Considering that it was hard to maintain a straight path in the forest, he might need to climb a tree again after he walked for a while.
He figured he could use the makeshift ropes he made to help him maintain a straight path. If he weighed down one of the ends and threw them straight in front of him as he walked, he could at least rely on something a bit more solid than his judgement to maintain a single direction.
Shortly after he started climbing down, Ves suddenly felt his entire perspective starting to shift. His vision blurred for a moment before he ended up in a completely new environment!
He had returned to ground level. He stood in a small clearing. To one side was the forest. To the other side was the base of what must be the same tower he initially observed!
"Took you long enough to get here."
Ves turned his gaze towards the voice. Leaning against the side of the obsidian tower was Tristan! The other mech designer looked bored as he idly threw a snapped tree branch in the air.
Aside from Tristan, Ves quickly discerned that a couple of other mech designers arrived as well. In total, Ves was the fifth one to arrive.
Four more had yet to come, which meant they were still stuck in the forest.
Ves sheepishly smiled at himself. He understood that he hadn't exactly performed stellar in the first trial. He wasted an entire hour walking aimlessly when he should have figured out rather quickly that it wouldn't get him anywhere.
Overall, the trial was meant to test a mech designer's judgement in the face of the unknown. It was a good way to approximate someone's decisiveness, ingenuity and willingness to bear some hardship.
Though it hadn't surprised Ves to see that Tristan easily made it out, the presence of the other mech designers showed that they weren't incompetent in the slightest.
A mech designer needed to be at least somewhat resourceful if they wanted to advance to Journeyman while they were still in their prime!
A plodding and indecisive mech designer did not have what it took to swim against the current!
As Ves approached Tristan, the other mech designer said something surprising.
"I'm not the first one to arrive. When I teleported to the tower, that guy over there was already here."
Tristan jerked his head towards a man who wore his dark hair long. His body was lean and thin, but his black ensemble contrasting against his pale skin made him look like a corpse.
"Do you know who he is, Tristan?"
"I didn't realize it earlier, but if my guess isn't wrong, he's a Hexer!"
That caused Ves and the others present in the clearing to widen their eyes at the mech designer in question!
For his part, the Hexer grinned at them before ignoring their astonished glances.
The Hexadric Hegemony had always been a massive presence in the Komodo Star Sector. It stood equal to the Friday Coalition but its policies were completely different.
While the Friday Coalition interacted with the rest of the star sector with varying degrees of openness, the Hegemony was a lot less approachable. It only treated with a limited number of states, causing it to become a mysterious state in the eyes of many people.
Even Ves didn't know much about the Hegemony other than what he learned at school.
Tristan stared seriously at the pale Hexer. "He's mine."
Ves shrugged. "Be my guest."
The rivalry between Hexers and Fridaymen was almost as acrimonious as the rivalry between Brighters and Vesians.
However, whereas the latter was basically the star sector's equivalent of a schoolyard spat, the former had wide implications that could easily change the face of the entire region!
Neither Ves nor Tristan knew the Hexer's name, identity or origin. The man didn't exactly volunteer the information.
The hexer was basically following the plan that Ves would have adopted at first. By putting on an act and denying competitors any useful information, the man silently exerted the pressure of uncertainty on the others.
Even Ves wasn't immune as several doubts sprung up in his mind. The Hexer did not look friendly at all!
"He doesn't appear to be apprenticed to a Master, though." Tristan quietly said. "He would have confronted me directly if that was the case. That doesn't mean he's a pushover. He's a Journeyman, after all, and his foundation is a lot better than the rest."
That was true. If Ves ever faced off against the Hexer in a design duel or something, he would have a real fight on his hands.
Still, it didn't appear as if the Rim Guardians were planning to do something as boring as that, at least not as first.
Ves and Tristan quietly waited for another two hours or so. One more mech designer teleported to the clearing midway, but no one else arrived.
Night suddenly fell.
The shift was so abrupt that everyone became alarmed! Aside from the soft glow emanating from the surface of the tower, the rest of the forest descended into near-complete darkness!
"I think the first trial has ended. The other three won't be taking part in what comes next." Tristan stated as he pushed himself off against the surface of the tower.
As everyone started to calm themselves down and figure out what they should do next, a mechanism at the base of the tower slowly rumbled. A section of the wall sunk below the ground, presenting everyone with an entrance into the ominous tower.
Although the dark and evil-looking tower didn't exactly look inviting, everyone wordlessly entered. Once they walked inside, they emerged in a hollow, dusty chamber that resembled an ancient abandoned dungeon.
The cylindrical chamber was completely empty aside from the torches lining the circular wall and the heap of giant mech parts dumped in the center.
"What is this?" One of the mech designers asked and approached the pile of broken parts.
Ves and the others stood back in case the junk pile was a trap. They were more than content with letting someone else make the first move.
The man who approached inspected the parts for a while before uttering a cry in alarm. "What the hell?! These mech parts aren't based off any paradigms I know of! They're not mechanical!"
That caused the other mech designers to approach the pile of parts themselves. As Ves touched their surface, he sensed that it wasn't metallic at all. Instead, it felt like stone!
As Ves studied one of the cross-sections of a broken mech limb, he found out that its insides consisted of a mix of rock and crystals, which was completely unlike anything that Ves had seen before!
"Is this even a mech?" One of the two female mech designers asked.
"That's an interesting question. The definition of mech doesn't specify the materials it should consist of. Even if a mech is made of flesh and bone, it still matches the definition as long as it can be piloted!"
This philosophical question helped everyone adjust to the fact that they were facing actual mech parts regardless of their weird technological base.
The question was what they should do now that they encountered one.
"I think we should work together to build a functioning mech." Tristan said. "Just look at this chamber. There's no way up, and the entrance has been closed. Considering how we passed the previous test, it's obvious we need to pass a condition in order to advance to the next trial."
Ves nodded in agreement. "We're all mech designers. When confronted with a pile of parts, I think it's a given we should put our skills to use."
"Uh, should we each build our own machines, or should we pool our efforts together to build a single mech?" Someone else asked.
That was a good question. Everyone fell silent as they beheld the pile of parts. Ves circled around it and slowly judged that it was enough to build four complete mechs at most.
"Can we even build a mech at all? Just look at the size of these parts! They're just as heavy as regular mech parts! I don't see any bots, tools or lifter devices around here. There's no way we can use our own strength to lift any of these parts!"
Ves grimaced as he thought about trying to piece together a mech using manual power.
It simply couldn't be done!
However, the Hexer suddenly spoke up. "Why should that be true? This is a simulated environment. Everything around us is a physical projection under the control of someone else. They can decide to make a part as heavy or light as they wish."
In order to prove his point, the Hexer approached a half-broken mech head and gripped its bottom lip. To the astonishment of the others, the Hexer managed to lift the object that was many times larger than his body as if he possessed super strength!
The mech designer quickly let go though as the weight was a bit too much to bear for a single human.
Tristan scratched his chin. "Even if these parts are lighter than they ought to be, they're still too heavy for us to lift by ourselves. We need to work together and even then we'll have to cobble something up to make use of mechanical advantage to move the heaviest parts."
Did that mean they needed to work together? Would one mech do, or did they need to piece together four mechs?
Chapter 1269
After every mech designer examined the pile of parts and shared their observations, they came up with several conclusions.
None of the people present in this simulated chamber were stupid. Each of them were Journeymen with their own distinctive specialties.
"Many of the parts can be lifted by three or four people, but some are just too difficult. At least all six of us need to work together to move some of the heavier parts."
"The technological principles behind this stone tech are completely alien. They don't conform to any orthodox human tech."
"If we can enter the cockpit of these mechs and find a way to activate a system, we might be able to decipher some of the workings and principles behind these broken mechs."
"We don't have any tools on hand. However, the junk pile does contain some extra parts. Maybe we can improvise in order to turn them into something useful."
"I don't think I can reconstruct an alien mech alone. My specialty doesn't cover every aspect that we need to address to piece together a working mech from all of this junk."
This was a very serious problem. After some hesitation, every mech designer shared their specialties with each other.
Tristan began first. "As you know, my specialty is exotic material substitution. Although I'm not used to seeing lithic materials used in mech components, I'm confident I can figure them out to the point where I can repair them and restore some of their functionality."
That immediately turned him into the most vital mech designer in their company. When it came to materials science, there was hardly anyone who could match his prowess in this field!
Not even Ves believed he could outmatch Tristan in this regard even if he knew a thing or two about crystallography. The only way he could outmatch Tristan in some areas was if he upgraded his Skills.
Of course, he would never do such a thing during a trial where everything was under observation!
The hexer spoke next. "My focus lies in miniaturization, particularly when it comes to the internal architecture of a mech. I'm very confident I can figure out the nature of the internal parts and how they can be repaired."
"My specialty is software-hardware integration. Whatever programming these alien mechs run on, I doubt it will take me long to figure them out."
"I'm specialized in laser weapons. Some of the weapons in this junk pile share the same principles as laser cannons. I can fix them up to turn them into usable weapons."
"My specialty is related to mechanics. The parts here are quite different and not a single mech we can build is coherent. I can help adjust the parts so that they can work together in a single frame despite their differences."
Everyone turned to Ves. "What's your specialty?"
"..Metaphysical man-machine symbiosis."
Predictably, everyone looked stumped. Even the Hexer showed some mild incomprehension.
"Does that mean your specialty lies in neural interfaces?"
"Not really. The one way to describe my specialty is that I try to increase the compatibility between the mech and mech pilot through non-technological methods."
"..."
Out of the six mech designers still remaining in the trial, only Ves possessed a specialty that sounded useless! Everyone else possessed valuable expertise that they would doubtlessly have to rely on to turn the stone mech parts into working mechs!
Someone made a very pertinent observation. "There are six of us but only enough parts for four complete mechs."
Did that mean that only four mech designers would pass this trial?
"I think this is a test of our ability to cooperate." One of the women murmured. "There are five useful mech designers and only four potential mechs we can build. We still need the strength of all six of us in order to lift the heaviest parts, even if we make use of levers."
Everyone grimaced, Ves most of all. Compared to the other mech designers, his specialty didn't sound very relevant at all! While he was sure he was good enough to manage regardless, the others didn't believe so! They expressed little confidence in his usefulness! Even Tristan appeared a bit doubtful!
A subtle tension descended in the chamber. Aside from turning everyone dismissive towards Ves, they also eyed each other, trying to determine who should be the other mech designer to miss out on a completed mech.
Ves abruptly clapped his hands, interrupting the staring contest. "Ladies, gentlemen, we're mech designers, are we not? The mechs aren't going to fix themselves anytime soon. Instead of risking a falling out right at the start, why not pool our efforts and put the mechs together first? We can have our pissing match after we complete the mechs. For now, I think giving everyone hope of passing this trial is better to ensure that everyone will do their best."
"I agree." Tristan nodded. "All of us are still needed. Until the mechs are complete, I don't want to see any discord."
The hexer wordlessly nodded. The others had no choice but to go along with this arrangement. It helped that this solution still gave the weaker ones some hope of passing the trials.
All of them spread out and went to work on examining the strange mech parts. The hexer approached a torn-open torso in order to study its internal parts, while Tristan approached a shorn-off arm to examine the stone and crystal materials.
One of the two women entered the cockpit in order to see whether she could summon an interface.
As for Ves? While he was sure he could contribute to the salvaging and repair effort in his own way, no one trusted his competence in areas outside his expertise.
Perhaps they wouldn't mind as much if they were working with normal human mech parts, but that wasn't the case! These lithic mech parts were very weird and operated on completely different technological paradigms!
It was better to leave the unknown to experts who were deeply knowledgeable in their chosen fields.
Since no one trusted him to work on his own, he instead approached each mech designer and see if they could use some help.
At the very least, serving as a sounding board for their ideas enabled mech designers like Tristan to process their thoughts more efficiently.
Ves even approached the hexer after some hesitation. Fortunately, the man seemed awfully engrossed in studying the insides of the alien mech.
"Your caution is amusing." The hexer said with a smile as he studied what appeared to be a stone version of a power reactor. "Are citizens of the Hexadric Hegemony that frightening to outsiders?"
Ves frowned a bit. "You don't know?"
"To be honest, this is the first time I have traveled outside Hegemony space."
The Hexer traveled to Centerpoint for the same reason as Ves. If not for the MTA's summons, the man would have probably remained in his own state.
"What's your name, if I may ask?"
"Goz Zoza. Before you ask, I'm an independent mech designer. I'm not connected to any of the six dynasties."
"We don't hear a lot from the Hegemony. Most of us only know that your state is strong and ruled by matriarchs. It's also the biggest rival to the Friday Coalition."
"Ah. Is the last one a major concern to you because your state and many other states are aligned with the Friday Coalition?"
"I do have to admit I have that inclination."
Goz smirked at Ves. "Perhaps you are right to be wary. We are no friends with the Friday Coalition, and we do not have the best impression of states that suck up to our rivals."
"The Hegemony isn't very approachable."
"True. Regardless, the Coalition and all of its dependents are still our enemies. For now though, hostilities haven't broken out, so I will reluctantly tolerate your presence."
"I'm very grateful." Ves dryly replied.
What a friendly mech designer. He already regretted approaching the hexer.
"Are you surprised that I'm a man? You outsiders all seem to think that I should be a woman."
"Well, the thought has crossed my mind."
"Just because our people believe in the primacy of women doesn't mean we believe that men can be just as good in some areas."
Ves wanted to scratch his head. "Then why do women get to be in charge of your state? For as long as I heard, it's always the matriarchs who are in charge."
"That's because there is a long line of historical proof that male leaders are no good. Men are too prone to making impulsive decisions and listening to their pride rather than their reason. Throughout much of humanity's history, we've been overwhelmingly led by men, and look where that has taken us! We were on the brink of exterminating our own race at the end of the Age of Conquest!"
"Many infamous admirals were female, you know." Ves retorted.
"That's due to their runaway genetic modification! Even so, if you look at the proportion of male and female admirals who have gone rogue or committed major crimes against humanity, you'll find that the women among their ranks were much more restrained!"
"Is that so? I haven't studied that."
"It's true. This is a matter of public record. In any case, we believe that human society can't remain under the thumb of men. Our gender is prone to making decisions that we later regret. It's baked into our very DNA. Since the earlier days of our race, men were hunters and warriors while women took care of the household. While humanity has advanced far beyond our primitive roots, many of its vestiges still remain in our genes! Men are more suitable to fight while women are more suitable to lead!"
The slight fervor in Goz Zoza's voice made it clear that he wasn't parroting what he learned by rote. The hexer truly believed in what he said!
"I don't think most people agree. Haven't we moved beyond gender difference?"
Goz shook his head. "Technology and other societal advancements has narrowed the gap, but that still doesn't resolve the differences at the top. I'd rather answer to a woman than a man! At least the former is much more capable of making wise decisions!"
"Women can be just as irrational as men."
"Yes, but they manifest in different ways. Men can be prideful, greedy and lustful. Women are motherly, protective and empathic! Us men are incapable of caring for ourselves, Brighter. It is better to leave the actual decision-making to women!"
That sounded incredibly biased to Ves! How could Goz be smart enough to advance to Journeyman but be completely off-kilter when it came to gender differences? The opinions he spouted sounded like outright pseudoscience!
"If you believe that women are superior, why hasn't the Hegemony done away with men entirely?" Ves asked.
The other mech designer smiled sardonically. "And leave women alone to shoulder the burden themselves? I think not. All-female societies are even worse than male-dominated societies. For better or worse, humanity functions best when there are multiple genders living in harmony. The same holds true for quite a few alien races as well. Men are still fine in many areas of society. Women are simply better, especially when they are in charge."
Ves didn't know what to say about Goz's strange belief. The Hegemony did a good job in brainwashing their men! If a male Hexer was already this bad, then Ves didn't want to see what their women were like!
A few minutes passed by as Goz quietly kept examining all the internal components. Occasionally, he would describe something, prompting Ves to add his own thoughts.
"You're quite knowledgeable about internal architecture." Goz complimented Ves.
"Thanks."
"However, you're of no use to me here. Why don't you go somewhere else and lend a hand to someone who actually needs help?"
"Okay. I'll go then."
Ves had enough of the hexer anyway. No wonder the Friday Coalition couldn't stand the Hexadric Hegemony!
Chapter 1270
Work proceeded slowly but steadily. While nobody understood the principles behind the lithic mech parts, that didn't stop them from figuring them out step by step.
One of the biggest breakthroughs they accomplished was when a couple of mech designers managed to get the cockpit systems online. While the screens were full of gibberish alien symbols, the interface at least gave the software specialist a lot of areas to explore.
The small amount of gains they obtained from the cockpit interface gave the other mech designers a better idea of what they were dealing with. It turned out that the lithic mechs weren't not so different from human mechs after all.
"It's as if some alien race saw humans playing around with mechs and tried to make their own version of it by using their own tech base." The software specialist said. "They probably obtained some human mechs and plagiarized their design elements to come up with these mechs."
Tristan lit up at that. "So other than the strange materials and unusual tech, they are built just like human mechs!"
Everyone perked up at that. If that was true, then figuring out how this mech worked would be a lot easier!
Ves got the idea that these lithic mechs must have existed for real. The principles they worked on were very sound. He could even imagine human mech designers trying to adapt mechs to lithic technology in case there was a need to deploy mechs in anomalous areas where regular mechs faltered.
Still, even if they shared the same roots with orthodox human mechs, the mech designers still needed to employ all of their smarts in order to come up with various solutions.
Hours passed as they slowly began to come up with a plan of action. They first separated every mech part from the junk pile by lifting them off one by one. After that, they inspected the parts and marked out which ones looked sound enough to be used and which ones should be scrapped.
For the parts destined to be scrapped, Ves and the others turned them into various crude tools.
"It's not much, but this is all we can manage."
After continuous study, Tristan finally made a second breakthrough that vastly increased their chances of restoring the mechs.
"These stone parts can merge and restore themselves in the right conditions!"
That was important, because they didn't possess any tools or machines that could fuse the parts together. Although the organic repair ability of the stone parts weren't very strong, it at least removed the largest stumbling block to their ambition to restore four complete mechs.
Time slowly went by as the mechs began to take shape. With Tristan's help, they started to piece together the parts. The work went slowly though as they all needed to exert their full physical might to move some the parts together.
Ves had the sense that they would have never been able to accomplish this if they faced the real thing instead of physical projections. Not only would the parts be much heavier, but Ves was pretty certain that they didn't originally possess the ability to organically repair themselves.
Still, he wasn't complaining. The artificial conveniences massively sped up their repair efforts. After almost an entire day of working, throughout which they took frequent pauses as food and some other amenities were occasionally made available, the mechs slowly took shape.
Of course, they needed to move a lot of heavy parts around. As the most 'useless' mech designer of the group, Ves had been relegated to a mule. He was involved with moving nearly every part. Even if he didn't want to, the collective pressure from the other mech designers gave him no choice but to go along with this arrangement.
Ves actually didn't exert himself that much, as he had plenty more strength to spare. He still pretended to be winded though, as he suspected that was what the others wanted to see from him. As long as all of the exertions tired him out at the end, he wouldn't have the energy to contest for ownership of the mechs.
The different mech designers already started jostling for ownership of some of the mechs.
For example, Tristan had taken a liking for a machine that appeared to be built as a knight mech. It possessed the most solid structure and gave the most room for his specialty to come into play.
Goz Zoza preferred the only light mech instead. While it seemed smaller and weaker than the other mech frames, it weighed substantially less as well and that made it very fast and agile.
The other two mechs consisted of a frontline mech with energy cannon barrels taking the place of its forearms and a fairly plain rifleman mech.
Ves found the latter two mechs to be fairly interesting because he observed a lot of familiar aspects in the crystal tech at the heart of their weapon systems.
The mech designer who specialized in laser weapons still couldn't get them to work yet. Even though her specialty was quite deep, she never dealt with crystal tech before and had to waste valuable time trying to reinvent the wheel.
Despite this minor snag, the mech frames eventually formed into cohesive mechs. They even manage to activate them all and test whether the mech had connected to all of its parts and limbs. They didn't dare do more than that. None of them had a mech pilot on hand, and even if they did, they were wary of connecting a human to an alien mech.
While everyone still needed to do some work, particularly in getting the laser weapons to work, all six of them slowed down.
The cooperative spirit between them all had slowly faded the closer they neared completion. At this stage, everyone was already starting to jostle for possession of one of the four mechs. They were convinced that the Rim Guardians would only allow four of them to pass this trial, meaning that two among their ranks would have to give up the opportunity to earn the fraternity's friendship!
"I don't care what the rest of you are doing, but this mech is mine." Goz suddenly declared and patted the mostly-complete light mech's frame.
Tristan quickly followed suit. "If you think you can compete with me for this knight mech, feel free to do so if you think you can bear the consequences."
That left three other mech designers and Ves competing over the frontline mech and the rifleman mech. None of them wanted to compete against the two mech designers. Just their background was alone to suppress them. Rather than offend mech designers who already earned at least a hundred times more than themselves, they would rather pick on someone their own size.
Ves found it funny that the three of them automatically dismissed Ves. They put all of their attention on each other, completely missing the fact that Ves stopped pretending that he was exhausted from lifting all of those parts.
As much as he wanted to sit back and let the remaining three mech designers decide who needed to go, their pathetic standoff kept dragging on. None of them had the guts to make a move!
Ves looked at the two women and the sole man before deciding on his target. He didn't want to catch any flack from Goza, so Ves began to approach the man.
The mech designer noticed Ves' approached and frowned. "Why are you coming here? Stay back!"
Ves ignored the man's blabbering as the other mech designers looked on from the sides.
"Hey! I don't like your approach! Can you please back off! You're already out of contention! No one will give you a mech!"
The distance between the two quickly shrank as Ves adopted a slightly faster pace. Although he didn't put on any airs, his confident demeanor already shook the other mech designer's courage.
"Stay back, you loser! Your specialty is garbage! You contributed the least to our restoration efforts!"
Even though the mewling mech designers stepped backwards, his back quickly bumped against the leg of the frontline mech.
With his target's retreat blocked, Ves sped up his pace into a brisk jog that quickly closed the remaining distance!
Once the other mech designer came within reach, Ves quickly overpowered the man's pathetic slaps and punched him in the gut!
Although he didn't put his full strength into it, the punch nevertheless caused the other mech designer to heave!
Ves had thought of multiple ways to incapacitate his target. He didn't want to give his opponent any opportunity to make a comeback, but neither did he want to leave any dangerous or permanent injuries.
For this reason, Ves ruled out knocking out the man by punching his head. If he wasn't careful, he could kill the Journeyman!
"I'll just have to immobilize you, then." Ves whispered as he pushed his opponent onto the ground.
The mech designer still hadn't recovered from the punch from earlier. Despite any enhancements that he might have received, none had augmented his body!
Ves faced no hindrance when he lifted up his leg and firmly stomped the mech designer's knee!
"AAAAHHH!"
The scream that escaped the victim's mouth rang throughout the entire chamber! Everyone else who initially felt dismissive about Ves had never expected that he would resort to such a brutish action!
Was he even a mech designer?!
Ves wasn't sure whether he broke the knee or not, so he stomped a few times more. Each stomp elicited another pained cry from the victim.
When he was sure he broke the limb, he did the same thing with the other knee in order to be certain. Who knew if the mech designer tried to support himself on one leg and tried to fight back! Plenty of mechs continued to fight back even when one of their legs no longer worked!
Sufficed to say, by the time Ves completely incapacitated the other mech designer, the victim turned into a broken mess. It became so bad that the floor underneath his body parted away, revealing a portal that swallowed up the injured man.
That was one mech designer out of contention!
Ves watched his victim disappear and turned back to the others with a gentle smile. "Sorry about that unpleasantness. That guy was in my way. In any case, I'll be claiming this frontline mech, if you don't mind. If you happen to object, I'm certain we can talk it out like civilized mech designers."
The two women who hadn't claimed a mech both shuddered. There was no way they were going to compete against this wolf in mech designer's clothing!
The two of them were the only mech designers left who hadn't claimed a mech. Three lithic mechs had already been claimed, leaving only the rifleman mech to themselves.
To everyone's surprise, the women didn't get into a catfight or anything. Having been cowed by Ves' brutal display, neither of them wanted to lower themselves to his level.
Instead, they calmly if tersely negotiated for ownership of the remaining mech. A lot of heavy concessions were being thrown around. While the opportunity to grow closer to the Rim Guardians was valuable, it was not an indispensable prize.
This was especially the case when both Tristan and Goz appear to be the most likely ones to win the trials! Rather than face near-certain defeat, one of the women looked much more amenable to cash out some of her winnings now rather than risk returning home without any gains.
In order to give the deal more weight, the women solicited both Tristan and Goz as witnesses to their verbal contract.
"Alright. It's agreed. You promise to give me all of these concessions in exchange for my withdrawal."
The two women shook hands and cordially parted. As soon as they concluded their deal, the woman who accepted the concessions fell into a portal that formed underneath her feet.
Only four of them remained.
Suddenly, the entire floor started to shake and rumble! Everyone tried to balance themselves as their footing became unstable!
"Look at the walls! The torches are getting lower!"
"The floor is rising! We're moving up!"
The floor slowly rose from ground level. The ceiling slowly parted to make way for the rising floor.
Complete darkness greeted them above! No one had any idea what was in store in those unknown depths! Tristan, Goz, Ves and the remaining female mech designer all prepared themselves for whatever was to come.
The next trial would likely be their last one!
Chapter 1271
The floor rose slowly from the depths of the tower. It took so long in fact that everyone's apprehension had begun to fade.
"Considering the velocity of our rise and the estimated height of this dark tower, it will probably take half an hour for us to reach the top." Goz muttered. "Let's tidy up the torches and make sure they don't go out. They're our only source of light."
The torches had previously been attached to the circular wall, but the rising floor scraped them off their holders.
Ves and the others went and picked up the torches and placed them closer around themselves and their mechs. The tense air between the four temporarily faded as they were no longer compelled to compete with each other for the moment.
Each of them quietly turned their attention to their own mechs. Whatever was in store for them at the top, they all suspected that their mechs would play a pivotal role. The more they improved their mechs, the higher their chances of passing the next and probably final trial!
"Well, let's see if I can get these cannons to work."
When Ves decided to make his move earlier, he deliberately chose the frontline mech. While its quality was probably the worst out of the four, Ves quite liked it for its simplicity.
The mech may be cheap, but that also made it simpler and easier to restore. The mech possessed fewer points of failure for him to worry about, and most malfunctions were easier to fix.
"In the salvage business, a high maintenance mech is ten times worse than a low maintenance mech."
A more complex mech took a lot more time, effort and money to restore when broken. While the differences between the four lithic mechs weren't all that large, the frontline mech was by far the least complex mech.
With just an estimated half hour of time before the rising floor reached the top, Ves did not have much time to effect much repairs, though.
He spent most of his time trying to get the laser cannons to work. The mech he claimed was nothing more than an ornament if he couldn't restore its primary weapons!
Fortunately, the Rim Guardians hadn't made things too difficult. As Ves crawled over his mech, he found that everything went a little bit better than expected. In reality,
They would have never been able to restore these lithic mechs so easily!
"This is all a test." Ves reminded himself.
The Rim Guardians mainly wanted to see how they dealt with the new and unfamiliar. Dumping them onto a simulated forest environment and forcing them to work with mechs based off a very different tech base served to demonstrate their versatility in different situations.
The second trial was particularly deep due to the social aspect of it. The Rim Guardians probably wanted to see who could assert themselves or managed to convince their rivals to back out of the trials.
Ves probably went completely off-script here by resorting to more forceful persuasion than one would expect from a mech designer.
"Well, they didn't say anything about it, so I guess it's okay." He shrugged.
You could take a mech designer from the frontier, but you couldn't take the frontier from the mech designer! Ves still retained some of the values and principles he acquired from his time outside civilized space.
He was pretty certain that none of the other mech designers who entered the trials had ever experienced anything close as he did!
Although he acted completely outside of the behavior expected from a respected Journeyman, Ves didn't linger over his actions. While he was sure he could use his Devil Tongue to use to exorcist any mech designer in his sights, why bother with that when he could simply resort to something faster?
"I don't even like that name." He muttered.
He would rather be known as a brawling mech designer than a deceitful mech designer! How could he even deceive someone if they all put up their guard against his lies? It was a travesty!
Fortunately, none of the others weren't aware of his moniker as of yet. He could still play this card if the situation ever called for it, though Ves didn't think it would come to that point.
"Now that we built some mechs, they're probably going to be put to use."
Ves was quite interested to see these lithic mechs in action. Even though they looked like products of an ancient human civilization, they contained a lot of small inhuman touches.
Some of these alien elements were very thought provoking. Ves appreciated the opportunity to get in touch with such a strange mech. While he would never design such a strange mech on his own, he nonetheless felt as if he gained a stronger understanding of human-built mechs.
"The MTA has probably seen a lot. This shouldn't be the only attempt of aliens to replicate our mechs."
Humanity was by far the strongest power in the galaxy. Just its territorial expanse alone was mind boggling.
Although flawed and divided, the human race had become the standard to with all alien races needed to surpass in order to stay in contention.
The huge popularity of mechs in human space prompted many aliens to try their hand at developing and designing their own mechs.
Most mech designers who heard of such a thing expressed skepticism at the thought. How could these aliens ever come close to matching the splendor of humanity's mech community? The enormous mech industry and the vigorous mech market were too big!
The only major advantage the aliens enjoyed was that they didn't need to figure out everything themselves. Studying the lithic mechs abundantly made it clear to Ves that whatever race designed these mechs had learned from humanity's advancements!
"They haven't done any of the hard work."
Human mech designers and researchers put so much effort into their work. It was far too cheap of the aliens to plagiarize human innovation. While their lack of original research probably prevented them from surpassing human mechs, it wasn't too difficult to narrow the gap to a single mech generation or less.
Of course, Ves did not think their work mattered all that much. Every conflict between humans and aliens was mostly decided by warships. Even in the Age of Mechs, warships still formed humanity's sharpest weapons against external enemies.
"Right now, mechs aren't meaningful in any serious conflict between the races. Mechs are simply too small and weak to be of any consequence."
Just as infantry could never seriously contend against mechs, mechs could never seriously contend against warships. It was a waste of time for aliens to imitate human mechs. They were better off copying human warships instead!
He chuckled. "That's a lot harder to do, though. It's much easier to plagiarize mechs since they're so accessible."
No other warship ought to exist since the CFA claimed them all. As one of the most powerful human organizations in the galaxy, trying to copy their design schematics was incredibly hard!
Even if they did manage to obtain an old blueprint or something, trying to reproduce these powerful ships was easier said than done! Not only did they consist of incredibly advanced technologies that were difficult to reproduce, they also required an abundance of rare and expensive materials to make them work!
Considering how difficult it was to imitate a modern human warship, Ves could see now why certain aliens decided to imitate mechs instead.
"Even the aliens are rooting for mechs being able to beat warships one day." Ves idly muttered.
He continued to fix up the lithic frontline mech as the floor came nearer to the top. Using his existing knowledge, he managed to get the laser cannons to work fairly quickly. That left him with a little bit of time to tweak the rest of the mech, though the lack of tools and thorough understanding of the mech made it difficult for him to make any significant progress.
In the end, the rising floor rose and rose until it finally reached the top. Ves and the other mech designers beheld the strange nighttime environment of this unknown planet.
At this moment, Lieutenant Ferct finally made a reappearance. Her body faded into view in their midst.
"Nine of you entered the trials. Four of you are left. The previous two trials were merely an attempt at winnowing away the unworthy. As far as I'm concerned, all of you are decent enough to become our friends, but according to the rules, only two can pass the trials."
Every mech designer who made it this far stared at each other. Tristan and Goz seemed to be the favorites to pass, though Ves emerged as an unexpected dark horse. The only woman among them was the weakest of the three, but whether she could make it to the end or not depended on the nature of the following trial.
"You must be curious about what we have in store for you next." The mech lieutenant teased with a grin. "We've already shown you a glimpse of what we can do with the technology at our disposal. My fellow Rim Guardians and I have entered into a long discussion on which trial should come next. Originally, we intended to give you all more time to tweak your mechs and assign random mech pilots to them in order to duke it out with each other, but where is the fun in that?"
Ves frowned for a brief moment. That would have been the most logical test considering their current situation. Why had they worked so hard on these lithic mechs if not to put them into use?
"These mechs that you've restored might look exotic in your eyes, but to us they are no better than toys." The lieutenant contemptuously snarked. "We Rim Guardians may have emerged from the galactic rim, but we are all trained to pilot high-performing first-class mechs. None of us look forward to piloting these primitive machines. To that end, we decided to mix up your last trial!"
Uh oh. Ves knew that tone of hers. It was the kind of tone someone used when they wanted to spring someone with a nasty surprise!
"In our inestimate wisdom, we Rim Guardians have decided to give you the opportunity to win the trials through your own efforts! We'll let you pilot these mechs into battle yourselves!"
WHAT?!
"We're not mech pilots! How can we possibly pilot these mechs?!"
"Doesn't matter!" Ferct grinned. "These mechs aren't real in the first place. They're physical projections. Reality here can be whatever we want in the Pit! You're saying you aren't mech pilots? Well, we can make that happen here! Our tech is more than capable of giving you a taste of what it is like to pilot a mech! It's a pretty realistic simulation!"
There were virtual games out there that gave norms a taste of what it was like to pilot a mech. The experience was heavily dumbed down, though, and the simulation was far from realistic. A normal human mind simply couldn't endure the strain of a genuine man-machine connection.
However, Ves didn't think the Rim Guardians would employ such fake means! With all of the tech they demonstrated so far, Ves did not believe they lacked a means of giving mech designers like him a somewhat realistic approximation of what it was like to pilot an actual mech!
"Well, let's proceed with the show. We'll be giving each of you an hour to enter the cockpit and familiarize yourself with the operation. I hope you won't embarrass yourselves by the time we put you into the ring! Good luck!"
The lieutenant disappeared, leaving every mech designer stumped.
"Maybe it's just a highly-advanced game interface." Tristan remarked.
Whatever the case, they would soon find out. Ves approached his frontline mech and slowly climbed up into its cockpit. After making himself comfortable on the hard stone seat, Ves lifted his finger, but hesitated.
Was it really possible for him to pilot a mech?
"Why do I feel so apprehensive?"
Chapter 1272
The top of the tower morphed into a very different environment after Lieutenant Ferct made her announcement.
The dark tower seemed to magnify in size until its circumference became as large as an extensive practice ground!
The casual manipulation of reality further hit home the fact that everything was under the control of the Rim Guardians. They could turn gravity upside down, they make the dead come to life and they could force Ves to live in a completely simulated galaxy for the rest of his life!
Ves did not feel comfortable about his lack of control over the environment. He could deal with an unfamiliar environment as long as it conformed to logic, but now that the laws of reality had become the playthings of the Rim Guardians, Ves could no longer count on even the most basic assumptions!
"It's like living in a reality with a very meddling god above my head!"
How could he ever live a normal and peaceful life if some nameless, all-powerful entity kept jerking him around? He would rather kill himself than to suffer the whims of such a tyrannical being!
Therefore, even if a tiny part of him looked forward to see how well the Rim Guardians simulated the experience of piloting a mech, he mostly dreaded what he would find.
"Is it really possible for me to pilot a mech?"
Making mechs more accessible to norms had always been a dream to many people. Genetic aptitude limited a huge amount of the population from ever piloting a mech, which was a huge shame since there were probably many exceptional people among them who might excel in battle.
Yet was it really such a good thing to eliminate genetic aptitude as a requirement to pilot a mech?
Every prior implementation of allowing norms to pilot mechs ended in failure. Due to their mental and physical limitations, they couldn't interface with a mech as fully and extensively as a mech pilot.
Therefore, most attempts to make mechs more accessible focused around heavily limiting the amount of data that was being exchanged through the man-machine connection. Automation took over most of the low-level functions of a mech, leaving the 'mech pilot' in control over the higher-level operations.
In theory, the idea was sound. In practice, it was like directing a bot to fight in their stead!
The principal advantage of mechs was that they allowed mech pilots to embody them and control them like their own bodies. While this control wasn't perfect by any means, the man-machine connection was so deep and profound that every mech controlled by a fully-trained mech pilot consistently outperformed the same machine when controlled by an AI!
Trying to increase the accessibility of mechs by neutering the man-machine connection was the wrong way to go about it. The less control the mech pilot exerted, the more the performance of the bot depended on its programming and its AIs.
While AIs programmed to pilot mechs could be decent, they simply lacked the intuition and spontaneity of human minds.
"Of course, one of the biggest reasons against developing these dumbed-down mechs is that there's no way an expert pilot will emerge from piloting them in this manner."
How could anyone reach the extraordinary threshold when they were simply piloting a mech like a kid controlled a miniature toy mech?
There was no comparison between this control mode and the real thing!
While Ves played various simulation games in his youth, the experience always felt fake to him. The games available to norms like him were far from the experiences that potentates get to enjoy when they hopped into a simulator pod.
Everyone generally assumed that norms would never be able to pilot a mech in a serious fashion. This act was the exclusive privilege of those fortunate enough to possess the right genetic aptitude!
"But what if this isn't the case anymore? What if newer tech has emerged that has subverted this assumption?"
Ves refused to believe the upcoming trial was anything more than an unrealistic simulation. Lieutenant Ferct already expressed as much. Perhaps he was making a bigger deal out of this than needed.
Still, he couldn't get it out of his mind that the MTA might be capable of doing more. What if they already cracked the puzzle? Were they holding back the tech that allowed any average human being to pilot a mech as well as a potentate?
If that was true, then the MTA held a powerful card in their hands that could trigger a major shift in human space!
Even if norms weren't capable of reaching apotheosis, the flood of low-level mechs onto the battlefield would massively increase the amount of casualties as every side threw more bodies into the fray!
Most conflicts between human states exhibited a lot of restraint because manpower had always been the most limiting factor. With just a tiny amount of potentates and mech pilots available at any time, it was easy for states to run out of them if they fought too long!
Expending the readily-available reserves of mech pilots happened to be the primary reason why the Bright-Vesia War never dragged on for more than five years or so at a time. Neither the Bright Republic nor the Vesia Kingdom could afford to weaken themselves further by losing more mech pilots.
"Yet all of this will change once a limitless amount of cannon fodder can replace the scarcity of potentates."
Such a massive change would also have major implications to mech designers like Ves. The mech market would definitely balloon, providing every mech designer a lot more opportunities to sell their mechs!
"The premium segment won't be affected, but the lower segments will become a lot more significant!"
For now though, the MTA wouldn't introduce such a pivotal shift concerning the future of mechs. Allowing everyone to pilot a mech would just intensify every war and lead to much greater slaughter. The MTA didn't want to revive the chaos and destruction that forever tarnished the latter days of the Age of Conquest!
"Enough hesitation. Let's see how well the Rim Guardians can simulate the actual experience."
Ves pressed the button and activated the mech. As its systems started booting up, his anticipation continued to build. Whatever means the MTA came up with to simulate mech piloting, it was doubtlessly completely different from the simulations he played when he was young!
As the mech started to issue various error reports in incomprehensible alien script, Ves hovered over the button that another mech designer already identified as the command to activate the neural interface.
Ves was afraid.
He was afraid of what he might encounter. Would the experience be so real and so fantastic that he would continue to yearn for it when it ended? Would he develop a lifelong urge to repeat the experience?
He shuddered in his piloting chair. A part of him became tempted to give up. To keep the simulation unknown. He couldn't become addicted to something he never experienced.
Yet.. that was the coward's way out. A streak of courage lifted him up. Why should he be so afraid? Did he exhibit so little self-control that he wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of piloting a mech?
Ves closed his eyes in a solemn fashion. "I'm a mech designer. I chose my path. No matter what I'll experience today, I will never forget my real identity."
He pressed the button. A few seconds passed as the alien interface began to display a whole slew of alien symbols.
After that, Ves felt as if someone abruptly slammed a pipe into his mind!
"It's starting!"
A gradual stream of data entered his mind, which automatically parsed it before sending back a response.
This exchange began small, but happened in an instant. Mere milliseconds went by before the exchange of data turned from a trickle into a stream!
More and more data began to be exchanged between his mind and whatever was at the other end!
Ves tried his best to maintain his composure. He knew he wasn't interfacing with a real lithic mech, but instead some kind of standalone neural interface that was ostensibly meant to give anyone in the trial ground an opportunity to experience what it was like to pilot a mech.
In essence, no matter how real the sensations felt, they ultimately fell short of the real thing!
"It's still very close, though!"
Ves was not a stranger to what it was like to interface with a mech. He rode in the minds of numerous mech pilots during his Mastery experiences. The one that stood out the most in this case was his third Mastery experience.
He spent a significant time in the mind of Eloise Pelican. During this period, she deployed from her carrier numerous times. Each time she started her shift, she began to interface with her mech.
What Ves was experiencing with his mind right now was almost exactly the same that Eloise experienced whenever she connected with her own mech!
"There are differences, though!"
The exchange of data should have continually ramped up. That didn't happen. At some point, when Ves felt as if he was close to reaching his limit, the stream of data no longer expanded. It maintained its current volume as it tried its best to connect Ves to the mech.
Now that the initial phases had passed, Ves began to experience another change. He began to feel as if he was in control of a second body.
The sensation was extremely weird to him. While he still maintained control of his own body, he felt as if he acquired a second body.
Ves experimentally tried to lift his arm.
Both his physical arm and the arm of the frontline mech began to lift.
He actually moved his mech!
"This.. this is too real!"
Ves was incredibly astonished. Although the simulated interfacing still fell short of what he experienced in the minds of real mech pilots, this was by far the most realistic approximation that he had ever stumbled across!
As long as the implementation took a couple of more steps forward, the gap between real and fake would shrink to the point where every norm could pilot a mech!
He began to experiment more and more with the operation of his mech. Due to his previous Mastery experiences, he already knew most of the knacks when it came to asserting basic control over a mech.
He just hadn't thought about using those tricks himself, so he was awfully clumsy at first. The lithic frontline mech he piloted tipped dangerously back and forth as Ves hadn't been able to balance the mech properly.
Outside his cockpit, the other three mech designers weren't faring any better. The light skirmisher claimed by Goz even tripped on its feet and crashed to the ground face first!
Obviously, the ultra-realistic piloting simulation was too much to bear to unpracticed mech designers! They had always been the ones to make the mechs. Never did they ever think they would be placed in a situation where they had to pilot the machines themselves outside of simplified games!
Ves loosely estimated that the current experience was about seventy to eighty percent similar to a real piloting attempt. While that didn't sound very impressive at first, even the best simulation games that Ves had played only reached ten to twenty percent similarity at best!
Aside from a number of simplified operations, Ves genuinely felt as if he interferfaced with a real mech!
As he slowly began to rein in his apprehension and astonishment, Ves began to exert an increasing amount of control over his frontline mech. He quickly mastered walking and was currently practising his aim, which wasn't very good.
Now he knew why mech pilots needed to be good at marksmanship with their bodies if they wanted to be great shots when they piloted their mechs. Their personal skills partially transferred over to their machines.
While it was possible for mech pilots to become good at mech marksmanship, they would have to develop their skills from scratch, which wasn't all that practical, especially since their proficiency was largely tied to their practice mech.
"In short, personal skills offer a valuable shortcut to mastering the same skills when piloting a mech!"
Unfortunately for Ves, his marksmanship left a lot to be desired. The two heavy laser cannons of his frontline mech often went wide whenever he tried to hit a specific point! Even a third-year mech cadet exhibited better aim than him in a mech!
Chapter 1273
Mech designers weren't supposed to be mech pilots.
For many mech designers, it simply wasn't possible to pilot a mech due to their genetic aptitude. In the rare case a potentate decided to become a mech designer, their piloting skills were often far too poor to be of use on the battlefield.
It took too much time and dedication to become good in one profession. Most people in the mech community only possessed a talent in one or the other. Those who excelled in mech piloting would not possess the traits that helped them become a mech designer.
All in all, it was a matter of efficiency. Rather than train a mech pilot to minor in mech design or vica versa, it was better to dedicate their time to their best profession and see it as far as possible.
Only those who put their entire time to a single profession were the most likeliest to surpass the extraordinary threshold and beyond!
Ves knew this. Yet despite knowing better, the rush of piloting a mech threatened to overtake his passion!
At first, he hardly maintained control over his lithic frontline mech. The body did not belong to his own, and its movement and balancing patterns were too divergent from the human norm, thereby forcing him to learn from scratch.
Yet after he applied all the knacks and tricks as well as his own understanding of mechs to the problems, he slowly managed to assert finer control of the machine.
It was still a work in progress. No matter what he witnessed before, one did not simply overcome ten to fifteen years of dedicated training. Mech cadets spent a long time in training because there were endless nuances to piloting mechs!
"I shouldn't feel proud to manage to walk like a decrepit grandpa." He muttered.
Piloting a mech was like controlling a second body that was way too big and clumsy. Its force exertion and its motions were too off-kilter.
What particularly plagued Ves was the amount of conscious control he needed to exert in order to make a deliberate movement. When he raised his own arm, he didn't need to think about activating the right muscles to do so. His subconscious mind was more than capable of doing that in his stead.
It was different with a mech. His conscious mind was completely unfamiliar with the artificial musculature and the million other details of a mech. It could not exert the amount of intuitive control of the mech through the man-machine connection that mech cadets spent years to refine.
This was the key to piloting a mech in a natural manner. By offloading as many operations to their subconscious mind, the mech pilot would have enough conscious attention left to focus on the aspects that truly mattered.
A good mech pilot would not only have plenty of attention to spare, but also made use of it in the most efficient and effective manner.
For example, a rifleman mech pilot would leave the act of moving to their subconscious mind. Well-trained mech pilots were adeptly able to hook up their subconsciousness with the operating system of a mech and achieve an optimal level of data transmission and decision making.
This allowed the mech pilot to focus their full attention to their marksmanship, improving their judgement and their aim.
Ves fell awfully short on the aspect of unconscious control. He needed to split his attention to numerous tasks that other mech pilots regarded as child's play!
If not for the throttling, compression, automation and all the other means to prevent a norm from getting overwhelmed, Ves would have fried his brains by now!
"The Rim Guardians must be laughing at our pathetic attempts to control our mechs."
His other peers fared worse. All of their mechs tripped on their feet a few times and planted their faces against the floor. The simple act of balancing a mech so that its center of gravity did not sway too much was apparently beyond them at first!
Time slowly lessened these pathetic displays, but the lack of control was very much evident in every mech's movements.
"I doubt everyone is as clumsy as they appear to be right now." He muttered suspiciously as he observed the others through the sensors of his mech.
As a direct disciple to an esteemed Master, Tristan Wesseling ought to have undergone some Mastery sessions. While they were doubtlessly not as elaborate as the System, the mech designer from the Carnegie Group should have learned the same knacks and tricks that Ves employed to gain more control over his machine.
"Any of us may be hiding our true level of skill."
Even Ves defaulted back to his habit of presenting a false facade to his potential adversaries. Knowledge was power. There was no need to give it out for free to his competitors.
He deliberately acted as if he had a lot of difficulty in piloting his frontline mech.
In truth, he was confident enough in his level of control to be able to fare decently in a fight against his peers.
"Even an awful mech pilot can defeat me in my current state, but I'm not facing off against mech pilots."
He was doubtlessly going to put into a duel against one of the three other mech designers. As knowledgeable as they were when it came to designing a mech, they were mere babes when it came to piloting them in a serious simulation.
Ves possessed another advantage. He chose to adopt a frontline mech, which ought to have been the weakest and least versatile among the four restored lithic mechs.
Ordinarily, its simplicity and lower parameters should have been a disadvantage. If the four lithic mechs had been piloted by trained mech pilots such as the Rim Guardians, then the limits to their performance would quickly tell.
Not so in this case. Everyone was so new and unfamiliar with piloting mechs that no one came close to brushing up against the performance limitations of their machines!
In fact, the lower limit, the easier it was to assert meaningful control!
"More powerful mechs aren't necessarily better if the mech pilot can't keep up. It's as if a normal mech pilot is attempting to pilot an expert mech. Even if it is theoretically possible, it's disastrous in every single case!"
Frontline mechs were foremost designed to be simple, expendable war machines. They were meant to be piloted by awful mech pilots who rushed their training or whose genetic aptitudes made them unfit for normal mechs.
For this reason, Ves felt decently confident about his level of control over his mech. A frontline mech was designed to be combat effective even if its mech pilot was a complete idiot!
The quick progress he made loosened his discomfort towards piloting a mech. So much so that its attraction continually grew!
"No wonder so many mech pilots loved their profession! Controlling a mech is exhilerating as long as it isn't too burdensome!"
The more Ves increased his coordination with his mech, the more he felt as if he embodied the mech. This gave him the illusion that his body was truly as tall and strong as that of a mech!
Human bodies seemed so weak in comparison!
The exhilaration of experiencing the same raw emotions as a mech pilot threatened to chip away at his determination. It was so seductive to repeat this experience!
"No! I'm not a mech pilot! I swore off from that ever since I decided to become a mech designer!"
He reasserted himself and ignored the addictive pleasure of piloting a powerful war machine, or at least the simulation of it. No matter how far the MTA had progressed in enabling norms to pilot mechs, it should not be more than a passing research opportunity. He should not give in to the temptation of pursuing anything more!
To Ves, withstanding this temptation was just like the Skull Architect's tests. As long as he held on to his conviction, he could come away with several gains.
"Now that I think about it, all of the trials so far each come with their own gains."
The first trial prompted mech designers to resort to their ingenuity when faced with the unknown.
The second trial exposed those who passed to an alien approach to mechs.
The third trial gave the four remaining competitors an unprecedentedly accurate experience of what it was like to pilot a mech!
Even if Ves or the others failed to win the final trail, they would still be content with the gains they made so far!
Each of them already learned lots of nuances even if they themselves weren't very proficient at executing them. It was similar but slightly different from a conventional Mastery experience, but was all the more valuable for this reason.
Some lessons only truly hit home if learned directly!
[Alright, you pathetic mech designers!] Lieutenant Ferct's voice came over the comm of his lithic mech. [As much as it amuses us to see you fumble around like two-year old children, it gets old rather quickly. You've got five minutes to prepare yourselves for battle! We'll hold a round-robin contest that allows each of you to face off against each other! The two with the most wins or the best performance will pass this trial!]
Ves immediately pulled back from his fascination and grew serious. After nearly an hour of practice, he couldn't claim to have gone anywhere close to mastering the basics, but at least he was good enough not to trip his mech when walking.
"Moving is not the problem, I think. It's my marksmanship that is the key."
A frontline mech was suitable when employed in great numbers in large battles, but fared less well in a dueling environment.
The lack of human limbs meant that Ves would lose as long as any melee mech came into knife fighting range!
With only a pair of laser cannons as his armament, he needed to hit and inflict enough damage to his opponents before they closed the distance!
Each lithic mech could survive a number of blows. If Ves wanted to take out the opposition, then he needed to strike the same section of a mech repeatedly in order to pierce through their exterior layers!
"This isn't too much of a challenge to trained mech pilots, but it's a different story when it comes to me! My accuracy is abysmal, especially against moving targets!"
There was no time for him to refine his control any further. With just an hour of practice, the upcoming mech duel would be unlike anything he had ever witnessed before. Not even fresh cadets would pilot their mechs as bad as the four mech designers abruptly thrust into the cockpits of their lithic mechs!
When five minutes were up, the humongous tower surface split in half. A transparent wall separated the two sections. Two pairs of mechs were forcibly moved to each half.
Ves stared at the mech opposite to his own. It was the rifleman mech piloted by the only woman that remained. Although he never bothered to learn her name, that she made it this far was worthy of respect.
A fair distance separated the two mechs. It would take a minute or more for Ves to close the distance to his opponent!
[First duel, start!] Lieutenant Ferct announced.
Knowing her limits, the female mech designer didn't even bother to move from her place. Moving meant splitting her valuable attention and risking a fall. With the degree of control she had over her mech, she wouldn't be able to move faster than a slow walk anyway, so why bother!
"She made the right choice." Ves muttered as he witnessed the rifleman mech shakily raise its lithic laser rifle and began to take careful aim at his frontline mech.
A sizzle cracked through the air as a bright red beam went wide. The second shot came closer to hitting the frontline mech, but the third shot skewed even harder to the side.
It was not that easy to make a mech hit something when the mech pilot in question was completely unskilled!
Ves smirked. "It's my turn."
His frontline mech didn't bother moving either. He knew better than to bite off more than he could chew. He took his time to aim one of the laser cannon barrels before releasing a powerful beam!
The beam glanced against the rifleman mech's leg, inflicting moderate damage to the lithic armor plating!
"Yes!"
Chapter 1274
Ves belatedly understood that this was his first real mech battle. Although it was just an elaborate simulation, the duel was so lifelike that Ves actually felt it was real!
The slugging match that ensued between his frontline mech and his opponent's rifleman mech could only proceed in a single way. Both of the machines stood in place and traded potshots with each other.
The duel turned into a battle of attrition from the start! The mech that ran out of energy or sustained too much damage first would lose!
In a normal setting where both mechs were under the control of trained mech pilots, the rifleman mech possessed a much greater advantage. The mech possessed a considerable advantage in mobility and could easily close in and circle around the inflexible frontline mech, never presenting a fixed target for the cheaper mech to land a solid hit!
While the frontline mech possessed the edge in firepower and durability, its extreme lack of flexibility meant that even a weak rifleman mech could best it by wrestling it down in melee range!
Yet all of that did not come to pass right now. Neither mech designers were confident about their ability to move and fire their weapons at the same time, so they both opted to stand still!
In such a circumstance, the frontline mech fared better against the rifleman mech because the former did not rely so much on mobility!
Perhaps the female mech designer hoped that her marksmanship with her mech was better than that of Ves with his own machine.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not so feeble."
Ves concentrated on firing one laser cannon at a time, thereby maximizing whatever accuracy he could muster. He calmly alternated his fire, allowing the laser cannons adequate time to accumulate a new charge and shunt away the heat.
Laser beams occasionally marred the frontline mech's exterior, but its frontal armor held like a champ. It might be a different story if his opponent struck the rear armor, but she didn't have the confidence to move her mech during a fight!
For this reason, the battle turned into a slow death for the rifleman mech as it continued to accumulate more damage. Ves was just as poor if not poorer with his aim as the female mech designer, but his laser cannons packed a greater punch than the rifle wielded by his opponent.
Even though the laser rifle possessed a faster firing rate, Ves' frontline mech possessed two laser cannons. Even if they required a longer time to cycle another charge, Ves could just alternate between the two of them to keep up with the firing rate of his opponent!
The outcome was becoming increasingly more certain. If the woman piloting the other mech did not switch things up, her defeat would become assured!
"She's moving!"
Ves expected her to resort to this option. There was no point entering into a static exchange of fire against a mech that excelled in this mode of battle. The only way the female mech designer could turn the tide was to take some risks! The only gambit available to her was to take advantage of her mech's mobility!
"It's a decent attempt, but your control is too awful!"
A rifleman mech could run quite fast when it got going. None of that happened in this duel. The rifleman mech ran as anemically as a shambling wreck. To Ves, trying to compensate for the movement took very little effort.
[Alright, it's about time your pathetic duel has ended. Victory goes to Ves Larkinson!]
Apparently, the duel between Tristan and Goz had finished a while ago. Melee mechs did tend to be more lethal than a battle of attrition between two laser-armed mechs.
As soon as Ves secured his first victory, the mech he piloted instantly refreshed itself. All of its energy cells were replenished and all of the battle damage disappeared.
"That's convenient."
A couple of more movements occurred as the Rim Guardians forcibly manipulated the physically projected reality in the Pit.
[Next duel, start!]
Ves came face-to-face with a lithic light skirmisher armed with a single knife. His second opponent was the Hexer, Goz Zoza!
"Let's see if you've been holding back."
He had always grown a bit suspicious about Zoza. They were similar in some ways, and that meant the facade they adopted did not necessarily represent their true ability.
Goz indeed managed to surprise Ves once the duel had started! He piloted his mech forward at a clipped walk, which was a lot faster than Ves initially expected!
"So you did hold back, Zoza! There's no way you can exert this degree of control if you haven't underwent any Mastery sessions!"
This basically meant that the disparity between Ves and Goza was much less than the disparity between Ves and his previous opponent.
Both of them were piloting different mech types that changed the dynamic as well. Ves possessed an absolute advantage from the start, but it was on a time limit! As long as Goza's skirmisher reached melee range, it was game over for Ves!
"I can't let Zoza's mech get close! I have to finish it off before that happens!"
The only problem was that the light skirmisher moved faster than other mechs. Even if Zoza's control was lacking, the natural advantage of his mech shone through. The skirmisher mech could close the distance within forty seconds, which was not enough time for his frontline mech to fell the deadly mech!
"I need to find a way to delay the interception!"
Just like his previous opponent, Ves decided to take a risk, finding it preferable to surrendering to his inevitable doom.
His frontline mech steadily walked backwards. Although it didn't move very fast, it made it a little harder for the light skirmisher to enter into knife-fighting range.
Ves bought precious time with each step his frontline mech moved back! Although he had to devote a significant amount of attention to the maneuvering, his concentration happened to be one of his strong points!
He devoted half of his concentration to moving his mech backwards while he spent the other half trying to aim and fire at the slowly-approaching light skirmisher.
Zoza's mech suffered numerous heavy hits! Due to the firepower of the laser cannons, the light mech really couldn't afford to get hit again in the same place!
"He's adjusting!"
The light skirmisher couldn't afford to walk in a straight line. That would just make it trivially easy for Ves to hit the mech. By introducing some lateral movement, Zoza made it twice as difficult for Ves to land an accurate hit!
Yet such an adjustment also increased the burden Zoza himself! He had to devote so much attention to moving the legs of his mech that he was one step away from teetering over!
Despite the difficulty of these maneuvers, the light skirmisher never lost its balance!
"It's a good effort, Goz, but not enough!"
Ves did not panic as the light skirmisher slowly closed the distance while juking left and right. The speed employed by Zoza was far too slow to add much challenge to his aim.
Laser beams steadily struck the approaching mech. Although none of them hit in the same place, the damage continued to accumulate. More and more lithic armor plating vaporized or melted as they withstood an incredible amount of heat and energy.
Although Ves was pushing the limits of his concentration by walking and firing at the same time, he unconsciously felt more in tune with his mech as he did so. It was as if he had found his true calling!
The sensation that overcame him while he steadily tried to land the lethal blow onto Zoza's mech was difficult to describe. After so many years of witnessing other mech pilots make use of his carefully-designed mechs, it was a surreal experience for him to enter the cockpit himself!
His mind and body enjoyed the sensation of controlling a mech through the man-machine connection. So much so that Ves even had the illusion that he was made for this! Ves took to piloting a mech like a fish to water!
"Damnit, what am I daydreaming about?" Ves shook his head. "I have a duel to win!"
His frontline mech continued to step backwards while unleashing a steady cadence of heavy laser beams. Since Ves knew that his mech would be completely restored to its old condition at the end, he overloaded the laser cannons of his mech despite the risk he incurred.
Even if the conditions of the weapons rapidly degraded, the increase in firepower was more than worth it as each strike inflicted major damage to Zoza's mech!
Each time a laser beam struck, it not only vaporized the surface layers, but also transferred the remaining damage to the internals!
The light skirmisher began to stutter and slow down. Its internal damage was piling up, hampering the mech's mobility and stability.
The situation became increasingly more dire for Goz as his mech came closer to striking the frontline mech.
The shorter the distance, the larger the target!
The laser beams struck the light skirmisher more often, and even hit a couple of spots that had already been damaged!
First, the light skirmisher lost its arm.
Next, the mech lost half of its speed.
Then, the mech lost the bulk of its energy cells.
Finally, Ves managed to shear off its leg, causing the skirmisher to lose its balance and fall!
The outcome was no longer in question anymore. A few more hits later, and the light skirmisher had completely lost its remaining functionality!
[Ves Larkinson has won his second duel!]
Both mechs instantly restored to normal. Goz and Ves waited for the duel between Tristan and the female mech designer to end.
It took a while before the announcement came.
[Tristan Wesseling has thrashed his second opponent! With that done, the final duels will commence! Keep giving us more laughs, please!]
The dueling ground shifted again in order to bring Ves face-to-face with the knight mech piloted by Tristan.
To call it a knight mech was a bit dubious. When the mech designers restored the lithic mechs, they hadn't found any armaments for the mech, so Tristan decided to pair it with a makeshift club as its weapon and a shield that consisted of partially-fused scrap.
Even so, the mech he piloted was heavier and sturdier than anything that Ves faced before.
[Start!]
Once the duel commenced, the knight mech immediately placed its improvised shield forward and steadily marched forward.
While its advance wasn't as fast as that of the light skirmisher, its steady and solid footsteps was like that of a juggernaut, unstoppable and inevitable!
Ves quietly cursed. Facing off against a knight mech was the worst possible opponent for his frontline mech. A knight mech was designed to absorb damage, and most of them excelled at withstanding a steady barrage of energy fire.
He adopted the same strategy as before. His mech steadily moved backwards while firing its laser cannons at the approaching mech at a steady rhythm.
Ves found it easier to hit his opponent. The knight mech moved slower. It didn't exhibit enough speed to juke or dodge. It also presented a bigger target.
All of these disadvantages were significant, but the knight mech more than made up for it with its stellar durability!
"It's taking way too long to wear away the shield!"
Tristan spent a lot of time on forming the shield. He fused so many pieces of trash together that by the time Ves managed to destroy it, the knight mech had already reached halfway!
The armor of the knight mech was even more resilient than its shield! The only way Ves could win this duel was if he managed to land repeated hits onto one of the knight mech's legs!
Ves tried his best to tighten his aim, yet despite the effort he put into it, he was still too unpracticed. His precision and accuracy left much to be desired and way too many laser beams went wide or struck the thick chest plating of the opposing mech.
The end came slowly but certainly as the knight mech gradually closed the distance and whacked the frontline mech to the ground with a couple of blows!
[Tristan Wesseling wins again! Alright, that's it for this trial! Let's wrap it all up!]
Everything disappeared as soon as the final duels had ended. The cockpit and the rest of the mech faded away as if it never existed. The other mechs disappeared as well now that they served their purpose.
All four mech designers gathered together at once and stood in front of Lieutenant Ferct.
"As much as it amuses us to see you mech designers fumbling around like children inside your cockpits, we don't have all day!"
The end of the trials was at hand!
Chapter 1275
Lieutenant Ferct stared at each of them before announcing the winners of the final trials.
"Each of you showed your strength. However, only two of you are worthy enough to proceed. Tristan Wesseling, you've won all three of your duels. Your performance was very steady. I hope your design work will be just as steady."
"I will try my best to meet your expectations, lieutenant."
The woman then turned to Ves.
"Ves Larkinson, you've won two of your duels, which places you further ahead than the other two. You've passed as well."
"Thank you, lieutenant."
Tristan went undefeated, which meant he defeated Goz. Ves won against Goz as well, so the Hexer had already lost two out of three duels in this round-robin format.
Considering what Ves knew of the only woman among them, her rifleman mech shouldn't have been able to win against the others! Her lithic mech was too weak and unsuited to the circumstances to fare well against the other machines!
Lieutenant Ferct offered some cheap praise to the pair of losers. Goz Zoza did not look pleased at himself, but Ves and Tristan defeated him fair and square. He could only blame his own bad luck for claiming a light skirmisher at the end of the second trial.
As the lieutenant took the time to console the mech designers who failed to secure enough victories, Ves processed his lingering yearning to reenter the cockpit.
It was so exhilarating to pilot a mech! Even though Ves firmly reminded himself that he was first and foremost a mech designer, the allure of piloting a mech continually teased his desires.
It took a bit more effort than he liked to stamp out this temptation!
As much as Ves desired to continue to pilot a mech, he had already made his choice. He already enjoyed far more success in his design career than he could ever hope for. Why squander his gains and his promising future for becoming something he simply wasn't meant to be?
It was fine to envy a mech pilot. Yet his hidden desire must not develop anything more than a passing fancy!
The two losers disappeared after Lieutenant Ferct finished talking to them. The Rim Guardian turned her head to both Tristan and Ves.
"As for the two of you, both of you have shown enough capabilities to associate with us. We've just updated your records to reflect that. I must say, I'm not surprised that Mr. Wesseling has been able to pass, but you, Mr. Larkinson, are a lot more versatile than we thought. Other than your muddled performance during the first trial, you've continually exceeded our expectations."
"I've been through some challenging times." Ves smiled. "Also, I come from a military family. How can I not know what it is like to pilot a mech?"
The lieutenant shook her head. "Whatever. Come with me. I'll explain what it means to be our associate."
A portal formed underneath the three and brought them away to a comfortable lounge. Ves, Tristan and Ferct each sat down after accepting a glass of liquor from a waiting bot.
"Tristan, I think you have a good idea what it means to become our associate, correct?"
The Fridayman nodded. "It means I've become qualified to treat with the Rim Guardians. It doesn't mean I've become a part of your fraternity or enjoy your protection."
"Neither of you have become internal members of the MTA. You'll have to pass completely different trials in order to be eligible. In the beginning, what the two of you earned is merely an opportunity to be heard by us. This essentially means that as long as we require something from an external mech designer, we might ask you to perform a task. It also means that if you've found something interesting or came up with a very valuable transaction, we'll consider your offers seriously."
Ves frowned a bit. He still didn't quite understand what he was getting into. "There must be more than that, right?"
"Correct." Ferct nodded while she took a sip of his drink. "You are only our most peripheral associates for now. If you want to enjoy more benefits from our fraternity, then you will need to work for it. Both of you will have to be proactive and come up with something interesting, valuable or worthwhile enough for us to invest in our relationship with you. If you think you're already in the bank, then you are sadly mistaken."
The Rim Guardians may not be particularly dominant within the MTA, but they were still behemoths on a galactic scale!
The fraternity sought closer relationships with many mech designers throughout the galactic rim, but not too much. In their perspective, it was better to develop closer relations with one good mech designer than a thousand mediocre mech designers.
Considering the immense disparity between the Rim Guardians and the local mech designers from a star sector, the former didn't have to do any of the work in developing the right relations. They counted on the mech designers to be proactive and prove themselves worthy of friendship!
"Look, lieutenant, I've been dumped in the Pit without any explanation. Can you finally tell me what's so great about becoming your associate and why you want to treat with us locals?"
Lieutenant Ferct smiled in an intrigued manner. "I suppose you do deserve an explanation. Let's start from our perspective. There are two additional reasons why the Rim Guardians wish to develop a network of local mech designers. First, let's just say that we want to expand our options. We don't always wish to do business with the MTA's internal mech designers. They've formed their own cliques whose interests don't entirely match ours."
"Does that mean there aren't any mech designers among your fraternity?" Ves curiously asked.
"Some, but not all of them can be trusted with sensitive business. Sometimes, it is better for us if we rely on an associate that isn't closely connected to the MTA, like you two. Naturally, we don't expect too much from locals. We won't hold you to the same standards as those who come from our own ranks."
"What is the second reason?"
"Insurance." Ferct replied seriously. "The MTA is a rock-solid organization and is at the height of its power. Yet who knows whether the current galactic order will shake one day. While human space is very steady for now, we can't guarantee that everything will remain as secure a hundred or a thousand years from now. The seeds we sow today might bloom into a bountiful harvest for us when we most need it in the future."
"Ah. I understand."
The Rim Guardians were the underdogs of the MTA. They faced a herculean task of fighting against the bias against the galactic rim within the Association. Too many leaders and too many highborn members supported the Prime Humans, who wanted to do away with the galactic rim entirely!
If the Prime Humans ever had their way, the Rim Guardians would become completely unmoored from their mother organization. If such a catastrophe ever happened, the ex-MTA members would certainly have to seek refuge from the locals of the star sectors they inhabited.
Forming strong and steady relations with strong, influential and reliable local mech designers at such a time would give the Rim Guardians solid retreat options.
"As for what is in it for mech designers who earnestly seek our favor, I think you already know some of the answers. We can offer some exclusive goods and services to you that's normally only available to internal members of the MTA. It is one of the only ways for many mech designers to obtain extremely rare and restricted exotics. They come at a very high cost, mind you, so it's not often that someone will make this demand."
"Then what do they request instead?"
"To access our distribution network, mostly. We don't mind facilitating trade as long as your goods are valuable enough to be transported across star sectors. We also act as guarantors for any contracts you sign with companies that are distant from you. It's not easy to enforce a contract when the other party is fifteen star sectors away. Once you hear of their betrayal, the other party would have been long gone by the time your response has come through."
Ves looked a bit skeptical. "And the Rim Guardians are willing to intercede once someone breached a contract?"
"Oh yes, but only for the major ones that are worth our attention. It helps if the contract in question involves us as well. No one will dare pervert the contract as long as our name is included."
He knew how valuable this service could be. Every mech designer with ambitions to expand beyond their native star sector would have to set up a presence in other star sectors.
Whether they set up their own subsidiaries there from scratch or joined hands with local partners, the distance between the two was too far. While communication was instant, trying to convey a material response took months or years!
This was far too much of a delay for many mech companies to stomach! If they could not effectively assert control beyond their own star sector, then they were better off with tempering their ambitions!
Therefore, the willingness of the Rim Guardians to serve as guarantors and enforcers of contracts was all the more valuable. It allowed Ves to get away with expanding his business to neighboring star sectors without yet accumulating the necessary clout to do so while keeping distant operations compliant.
Ves still believed that what the mech lieutenant had mentioned so far wasn't entirely complete. He suspected that the Rim Guardians definitely sought out more from local mech designers.
Yet Ves did not have the opportunity to ask for clarification as Lieutenant Ferct moved on to some procedural matters.
She explained how their records had been updated and what they should and shouldn't do with their new status.
"Right now, the two of you have only managed to get a single foot in the door. If you truly want to take another step further, then we expect you to prove yourselves just as you've done in the trials."
The lieutenant assigned two different missions to Ves and Tristan.
"Mr. Larkinson, your family is notable for birthing expert pilots and expert candidates with each generation. One of your works has also acquired a reputation for facilitating the rise of an expert candidate."
Ves reluctantly nodded. "That is true."
"Well, I have a favor that needs fulfilling. An important associate of ours has entered into some difficulties and entrusted his heir to us. The young man in question is a mech pilot who has been trying very hard to advance to expert candidate. We've put him through numerous training programs, but we have seen no hint that he has improved."
"Is this mech pilot an internal member?"
"No. Just the son of a valued friend of ours." Ferct shook her head. "Regardless, with each failed attempt, he's becoming more and more desperate. For his own sake, I believe it's best for him to experience a change in scenery. I'd like him to accompany you for a few years and see if your Larkinson methods are better."
This request frankly stunned Ves a bit. The MTA was one of the most knowledgeable organizations when it came to mech pilots. How could Ferct think of passing over this scion to Ves of all people?
There must be a lot more behind this request that Ferct hadn't mentioned. Ves was very leery about entering into another pit. He already fell into one. He didn't want to make the same mistake!
"Lieutenant Ferct, I'm very honored that you think highly of the track record of the Larkinsons, but our methods aren't as extensive as you think. Our basic formula for pumping out expert pilots is to train our Larkinsons well and throw them into a war that breaks out every generation."
"Ah, yes. About that, Mr. Larkinson. The scion I wish to leave to your hands is not exactly the most courageous mech pilot. He deeply despises battle. Therefore, I hope your family has other means to draw out his potential. Just try it for a few years."
Ves widened his eyes in astonishment. Did the lieutenant know how impossible it was for a craven mech pilot to advance? How could such a coward ever hope to become an expert pilot?
"Impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible, Mr. Larkinson. We just have to find the right solution."
The lieutenant didn't accept no for an answer. No matter how much Ves wanted to avoid this responsibility, Ferct seemed uncommonly eager to offload this cowardly mech pilot into his hands!
There was definitely something fishy about this entire arrangement!
Chapter 1276
While Ves felt enormously put off by his new task, the Rim Guardians didn't take no for an answer. Lieutenant Ferct cared nothing for his objections and was blind to his reluctance.
Her attitude reflected the typical stance of the MTA. Locals not only ought to, but desired to fulfill their whims!
Ves felt enormously put out by this arrogant attitude. Even if the Rim Guardians possessed the strength to back up their assertiveness, they could have shown they actually cared.
At the end of the trials, the Rim Guardians at least gave him something extra before they kicked him out of the Pit. Lieutenant Ferct passed him a data chip before shoving him, Lucky and his previous purchase through a portal.
"A little welcome bonus for passing our trials! I hope you have fun with it! If you want more, I expect you to work for it! We're already sending the mech pilot in question to your ship docked in orbit!"
Ves emerged back onto the surface of Centerpoint V.
"Meow?"
"Yeah. I don't really know what happened either. It seems I've become associated with yet another club."
He decided to take a break and rest at a hotel for the night. His mood to explore the rest of the Centerpoint system had faded now that he had unknowingly entered an initiation session.
Although he resented that he had no choice, Ves did admit that it wasn't all that bad to build up a relationship with the Rim Guardians.
While Ves preferred to keep his distance from the MTA, the powerful organization might not like it. For now, he was just an insignificant Journeyman that was just entering the prime of his career.
Once he advanced to Senior and made strides towards Master, the MTA's interest in him would certainly multiply, especially if he improved rapidly.
If the MTA paid closer and closer attention to him, he would prefer to enjoy some support from within the organization.
This was especially important when Ves became more prominent in the future. With the way his design philosophy worked, he was already attracting a lot of attention with his recent designs.
If Ves continually proceeded to design mechs with X-Factors as strong as that of the Aurora Titan and Transcendent Messenger, then he would surely attract a huge amount of attention!
No matter how much Ves tried to deflect the MTA's attention, they obsessed over all things mechs and would never miss any novelty. His designs would definitely attract the attention of their internal mech designers who would begin to value his design philosophy even if it was unlikely to be realized at the Master-level.
"This is actually a fortuitous encounter." Ves muttered to himself while he idly stroked Lucky's back in his hotel room. "I just wished Charlotte could have told me about what was in store for me if I used her invitation card."
Ves could hardly explain why Charlotte chose to give him the invitation card without explanation. Did Charlotte genuinely think that she was helping him, or did she just decide to invest in him and expect a future payoff?
If it was the former, then she was a friend, if a misguided one at that. If it was the latter, then Ves needed to treat her in the same way he treated his other business partners such as the Tovars or Calabast.
"Well, what do I expect?" Ves shook his head. "As a probationary recruit, Charlotte would have certainly known the value of a mech designer who advanced before reaching thirty. If I were in her place, I would have invested in such a promising mech designer as well."
If Ves truly wanted to avoid attention, then he would have delayed his advancement by at least a decade. A Journeyman who advanced at their forties was incredibly unremarkable.
Although late bloomers existed who rose to greater splendor in the later stages of their lives, there were far too many muddleheaded mech designers who simply weren't diligent enough to reach those heights.
"It's too bad I can't afford to take it slow."
Ves received numerous hints and warnings from various different sources that larger developments were afoot.
War would definitely break out in the future, that was for certain. If Ves wanted to avoid being treated as a disposable mech designer like in the previous war, then he needed to make as many strides as possible.
"It's probably unrealistic to make it to Senior by the time the next big conflict breaks out. It takes too much time to do all the research that's required to develop my design philosophy." Ves shook his head in regret.
He would just aim to become a prominent Journeyman instead.
"It depends on how much time I have."
He already changed his status a bit by becoming a Journeyman, but that was not enough for him. The closer he got to Senior, the more regard he received from the Bright Republic and everyone else. The days of accompanying a task force that went on suicidal missions should be over.
"Let's see what this data chip is all about."
Ves refrained from accessing the data chip immediately. Now that he was alone with nobody else but a dozing Lucky, he finally felt secure enough to see what it contained.
He slotted in the data chip to his comm and began to explore its files.
"These are... lithic mech research reports?"
He already received a glimpse in the workings of lithic mechs. Obtaining these documents and reports provided him lots of data and analyses to make greater sense of them. It opened the door for him to design a lithic mech by himself.
"Still, who would want to buy a lithic mech?" Ves scratched his head.
The application of mechs based around stone materials rather than metallic materials was rather dubious. Perhaps the only instances that stone-based mechs would be useful was if someone ever needed to employ a mech in an environment that was extremely hostile to metal objects.
In every other case, people were better off using standard mechs. The study in the use of lithic materials in mechs was a very obscure research field. Other than mech designers who specialized in using stone-like materials as substitutes for alloys, no one else wanted to waste their time on developing a material that only three or four people would ever make use of in the entire galaxy.
Therefore, the value of the research files on the data chip was very much of limited value to Ves. Certainly, since he already received it, he might as well spend his time studying what he already got. He just wished that the Rim Guardians were more considerate.
"Research on lithic materials in mechs is pretty much trash for them. That's probably the reason why they gave it out so freely."
The Rim Guardians sent an unspoken message with this data chip. If Ves wanted to obtain papers on more valuable tech related to mechs, then he needed to work for it. The files he obtained was just an appetizer compared to all of the knowledge they held in store!
Ves certainly knew that the MTA held back a lot of exclusive tech, but unlike every other mech designer, he wasn't so desperate to beg them for access. Not when the System could take care of most of his needs in this area.
"I'm much better off trying to obtain their protection and to make use of their network to obtain rare exotics."
Hardly any organization could rival the MTA's reach in human space! They probably had access to nearly every exotic material discovered by humanity!
He was already thinking about seeing whether he could obtain some of the exotics needed to fulfill the System's Supply Missions.
"It would be nice if I can do that." He sighed. "But that would mean earning their favor first."
Ves dreaded what he would find once he returned to the Barracuda. The Rim Guardians already intimated to him that the mech pilot they wanted to turn into an extraordinary was a bit of a problem case.
While he hadn't met the mech pilot as of yet, it was clear the Rim Guardians already gave up on him! Why else pass him over to a random mech designer?
He had about three years to shape up this mech pilot into an expert candidate or expert pilot. Lieutenant Ferct mentioned that the latter was more preferable, but unrealistic. Achieving the former was already more than good enough.
"Still, how easy can it be to advance to expert when you don't have the guts to fight?"
The lieutenant plainly mentioned that the mech pilot was a coward. From what Ves knew about how mech pilots advanced into experts, they needed to develop a strong will or conviction!
How could a coward who easily gave up or retreated from a fight ever develop a strong and coherent force of will?
It was impossible!
"Well, I can take my time at least. Three years isn't long, but it isn't short either."
Ves doubted that he would receive any punishment from the Rim Guardians if he failed. If it was so easy to turn someone into an expert pilot, then the entire pilot roster of the MTA would have consisted of experts or higher by now!
If he was really desperate, he could resort to more unorthodox solutions.
Perhaps he could solicit a design spirit like Qilanxo's spiritual fragment to intervene once again.
Perhaps Ves could do the procedure directly with his own spiritual techniques. He knew the theory. He had seen it happen before. How hard would it be to replicate Qilanxo's feat?
Without experimenting with his techniques on some test subjects, Ves wouldn't dream of messing with the mind of an important mech pilot!
"Meow."
"You're right, Lucky. I should meet with the mech pilot first before I cast any judgement. Maybe he's not as bad as Lieutenant Ferct made him out to be."
"Meow."
"Yeah, I still have my other purchase."
Ves grabbed the floating box off his side and opened it up to reveal the grey meteorite. He touched its pitted surface a few times but sensed nothing remarkable.
Had he really felt a reaction from this exotic when he swept it with his spiritual senses back then or was it just an illusion?
He spent a few more minutes studying the rock with his hands and his spiritual vision.
To his fingers, it just felt like any piece of rock. His spiritual vision yielded nothing either. As far as his spiritual senses were concerned, it was completely devoid of spirituality!
"How can that be?"
He frowned at the rock, suspecting there was more to it than met the eye. How could it cause a small number of people to faint when they came in touch with it, yet remain completely inert when it fell into his hands?
Ves became more engrossed in his study. He wanted to crack the secret of the rock. He didn't even want to contemplate that he spent a lot of money on a useless rock that was no different from the ones he could pick up from the streets!
"Maybe the rock only reacts to something more substantial." He guessed.
Having grown a bit desperate to get a reaction out of the rock, Ves reluctantly employed his partially-recovered spiritual energy. He separated a tiny portion of it and moved it closer to the rock to see if it reacted in any way.
A change occurred!
As soon as the mote of spiritual energy came close, the rock suddenly sucked it in! Ves became astonished at how his spiritual energy had been hijacked!
Ves quickly suppressed his excitement. He was still on Centerpoint V, which meant that he shouldn't be acting like he was alone.
Still, a small smile crept up on his face. He no longer regretted his purchase! While he still needed to figure out the full properties and uses of this material, at least he could feel relieved he hadn't bought a useless rock!
Chapter 1277
Ves tried to take back the tiny bit of spiritual energy he lost. It took some exertion, but he eventually managed to pull it away from the hungry rock.
Once he did so, Ves looked at the rock with a speculative expression. What was it? Why did it attract his spiritual energy? What uses did it have?
In any case, Ves already developed a theory of why this exotic initially attracted notice. It must have stored some spiritual energy upon discovery. When certain people came in touch with it, the rock must have discharged it into their bodies which caused them to faint.
He wondered what kind of energy the rock used to contain. Could it be a spiritual remnant of some long-dead alien or something? Whatever it contained, Ves found no traces of its existence.
What interested him more was if this exotic was unique. It would be a bummer if he devoted a lot of research to its potential applications, only to find no other samples to realize them. There were many exotics in the galaxy that did not occur more than once!
"I really hope this rock isn't among this category!"
At the very least, it should be easier for him to find a similar rock once he studied and recorded its parameters. Ves could scour all sorts of databases and marketplaces by matching the density, hardness and other properties of his rock to what other sellers had on offer. It would save him another field trip to a marketplace like the one he visited before.
"Mech designers only need to find a useful exotic once in person. We can leave the search for other samples to others."
Ves had some hopes of finding other samples of this grey exotic because it originated in the Komodo Star Sector. Although the seller refused to reveal where it had been found, Ves was quite sure of this. The seller did not seem like a person who represented an inter-sector trading company!
He closed the box and set it aside. His curiosity had been assuaged by his discovery. He could find out more about the rock when he had access to better lab facilities.
As he prepared himself for bed, he idly wondered if he should still stick around in Centerpoint.
"This star system is far from simple. Who knows whether I'll get entangled into something else tomorrow."
Influential factions like the Rim Guardians ran rife in Centerpoint. The players here were far more powerful than anyone else in the Komodo Star Sector!
Ves shrugged as he laid down on his bed. "I only got in touch with the Rim Guardians by using their invitation card. If not for that, I would have been no different from a regular tourist."
"Meow."
Lucky crawled to the other side of the bed and curled up.
"Yeah. I planned to find a girlfriend here. I can't depart without making a serious attempt."
He sighed. To be honest, after coming out of his previous ordeal, he would rather go back to work. He didn't have the heart to find a suitable girlfriend.
"Besides, why should I find a girlfriend in Centerpoint? I can just as well find one in the Bright Republic instead." He muttered before he went to sleep.
The next day, Ves woke up and did his morning routine. Once he ate a sumptuous breakfast, he passed the box to the receptionists of the hotel he was staying at and instructed them to deliver it to the Barracuda.
After taking care of that errand, Ves turned his attention to girlfriend hunting.
He frowned as he sat down on a sofa in the hotel lobby. "How should I go about it, Lucky?"
His cat clung to his shoulder in a contented manner.
"Meow."
"Yeah, you're right. Someone of my stature shouldn't be so crass to rely on a hook-up app to find a match. I think there ought to be matchmaking services out there for lonely mech designers."
Many mech designers tended to be nerds who didn't know their way around someone of the opposite gender. They might be brilliant when it came to designing mechs, but they were completely inept when it came to picking up girls!
"Am I like that?" He doubted himself.
Ever since he embarked on his career, he devoted himself completely to his profession. He ignored all other distractions and pleasures in pursuit of becoming a better mech designer.
Obviously, all of that effort paid off. Even if he had the System, it didn't do all the work on his behalf. Now that he passed the first milestone by becoming a Journeyman, Ves could finally direct some attention to the other parts of his life that he neglected as of late.
"Meow."
"Yeah, you're right. A girl won't fall into my lap just because I'm available."
The Centerpoint System was completely unfamiliar to him. Ves decided against visiting random bars or clubs. Who knew what kind of people he would bump into. While Centerpoint V was mostly populated by space peasants, a considerable amount of protected galactic citizens lived here as well.
Instead, he activated his comm and searched the galactic net.
"Ah, so matchmaking services do exist! And there's even some that caters specifically to mech designers!"
Ves read up the information they put into their portals. Apparently, many mech designers sought to develop a relationship with other mech designers for several compelling reasons.
First, a mech designer understood another mech designer the best. If his girlfriend was a fellow mech designer, he could talk shop with her. They could bounce off ideas on each other and they could even discuss some of the particulars of their design philosophies to someone they trusted the most.
Second, a mech designer might live for a very long time. A Journeyman already lived a bit over two-hundred years if they worked hard to afford life-prolonging treatment.
While they could work a couple of decades more to earn the right to have their spouses undergo the same treatment, that was a lot of time and money spent on something that didn't directly progress their careers.
"Time and money are very valuable to mech designers." He muttered. "The less time and money spent on their research and their improvement, the less likely they can take the next step."
For this reason, mech designers mostly preferred to marry someone of the same rank. A Journeyman like Ves should start with finding a match among other Journeymen first.
Instances where Apprentices hooked up with Journeymen or Journeymen became lovers of Seniors were very rare. The distance between the two was too big. While pure love sometimes prevailed, most of the time the disparity in status and capability always got in the way.
A problem might still develop even if two Journeymen decided to marry. Once one of them advanced first, a gulf emerged between the two. Ves occasionally heard about divorces where more talented mech designers decided to ditch their slower partners and upgrade to better ones.
However, it was not too bad if the other Journeyman failed to advance to Senior as fast. A Senior possessed so much more earning potential that they could subsidize the research activities of a fellow Journeyman.
"Journeymen have already proven that they have the potential. The same can't be said for Apprentices. No matter how much money is invested in them, they might never break through."
Still, it was best if both mech designers were equally as talented.
To Ves, that meant that he should find a Journeyman who advanced before their thirties just like him. The problem was that not a lot of mech designers like that existed.
Aside from the previous two reasons, there was an additional reason as well why mech designers should seek a peer. It was by far the most relevant motivation to marry a fellow mech designer!
"Mech designers with compatible design philosophies can combine their forces and achieve greater synergy in their collaborative design projects!"
Ves recalled the time he was assigned to inspect the Kadar-Neyvis Group. The two lead designers shared a very close relationship with each other, but their specialties weren't compatible.
"Even then, Mrs. Kadar and Mr. Neyvis did not let that hinder them from growing their mech company. They also raised a wonderful family while they were at it. How much more could they have accomplished if their design philosophies synergized with each other?"
Although the KNG had now become a defunct and tarnished mech company, Ves still admired it when it was at its height. He was envious of the trusting relationship between Kadar and Neyvis. Ever since he witnessed their devotion to each other up close, a part of Ves yearned to enter into a similar relationship.
If Ves ever found a fellow mech designer whose design philosophy complimented perfectly with his own, then both stood to gain many benefits.
"Design philosophies don't necessarily have to work in isolation. Perhaps it's easier to express a design philosophy with the aid of another one."
This allowed their collaborate mech designs to achieve a higher level of performance than if they designed their mechs on their own. This was especially pertinent at the higher levels as diminishing returns ensured that every improvement came at an exorbitant price.
"Collaboration can negate some of this by achieving abrupt jumps in performance."
Not only would their existing works be better and possess higher values, but their future progression became easier as well. When a design philosophy interacted with other design philosophy, they provided their mech designers with several more research directions.
Ves wasn't quite sure whether he could find a partner with a design philosophy that synergized with his own rather than complimenting it. Two unrelated design philosophies would merely exist in the same mech design in isolation, which was not as ideal.
"I guess that's what these matchmaking services are for. They got to earn their keep somehow."
All of these variables complicated the lives of single mech designers enormously. This was where specialized matchmaking services came into play. They took both their personal and professional traits into account when they matched customers with an appropriate partner.
By employing the most sophisticated matching AIs and the most empathic relationship experts, they guaranteed a reasonable degree of satisfaction whenever they matched a mech designer with a compatible peer.
Ves decided it didn't hurt to try and make use of one of these services.
Many different matchmaking services existed that catered to Journeyman and higher. Frankly, Ves couldn't find any differences. All of them boasted good reviews, because the bad ones always went out of business.
"All of these services have ties to the MTA as well."
Either their owners were internal members, or they established a business partnership with one. This allowed these matchmaking services to access some of the MTA's databases or make use of some of their more advanced AIs and algorithms.
This told Ves something very important. "Even the MTA is interested in facilitating relationships between mech designers."
This made sense. According to their own research, mech designers achieved more success if they were partnered with fellow mech designers.
While that didn't mean that Ves was forbidden from marrying a mech pilot or someone who wasn't from the mech community, he would be forgoing a huge advantage.
"Love should trump everything else." Ves muttered. "But if I can enjoy both love and a useful mech design partner, then that is even better!"
After careful study, he contacted a matchmaking service company with a great track record. Although they charged more than everyone else, it was still within the range of his budget.
After a quick exchange of messages, Ves made an appointment to stop by the company's branch on Centerpoint V later in the day.
[We have already pulled the relevant data from your record, Mr. Larkinson. Please be assured that our sophisticated matching system is searching for compatible mech designers right now. We await your arrival at our offices at the appointment time.]
Ves turned off his comm with a smile. "Let's go and hang out until my appointment comes, Lucky."
"Meow."
"Yeah yeah, very funny, Lucky. You're wrong. I'm not married to my work!"
Chapter 1278
Ves was sipping a cool drink on a terrace in a downtown district.
Meanwhile, Lucky perched comfortably on the table. The cat leisurely ate the random minerals that Ves had bought from a nearby exotics marketplace.
"Meow."
"No, Lucky. We're not staying here so that you can have access to every exotic in the galaxy. They're too expensive!"
"Meow!"
"Don't even think about it! Just because I gave you a present back then doesn't mean you can get away with it in MTA territory!"
Lucky resentfully turned around and swung his butt at Ves.
There was no way Ves would let Lucky raid the highly-guarded exotic marketplaces. With the amount of sophisticated security precautions in place, the risks were way too high!
"If you want to grab something, at least do it in a place like Bentheim. Centerpoint is way too secure for you to pull off any of your tricks."
"Meow meow!"
"Pff! When did this conversation suddenly turn to my love life? Of course I'll find a girlfriend! The matchmaking services in Centerpoint are the best in the entire star sector!"
Ves had grounds to make this statement. Centerpoint was one of the most frequented star systems in the entire star sector. It was a holy land for mech design and attracted many mech designers looking to improve or exchange knowledge.
While he could still find a match in Bentheim or Leemar, the range was far less. The Bright Republic didn't host many Journeymen.
The Friday Coalition was a lot better in this regard, but most of them were split up on different planets and different coalition partners.
No single star system concentrated so many mech designers in a single location than Centerpoint!
While Ves did not have any precise figures on hand, it was not a big stretch to estimate that there were at least 10,000 Journeymen present somewhere in Centerpoint!
Of course, not all of them were single and available. All of them also possessed very different backgrounds. Due to the proximity and the high cost of living in Centerpoint, most Journeymen tended to come from the Friday Coalition and the Hexadric Hegemony.
"Many of them probably disdain hooking up with a mech designer from a lesser state." Ves briefly frowned.
Still, some mech designers valued compatibility and other traits over someone's origins. Even mech designers employed directly by the MTA still married with local mech designers if their design philosophies worked well with each other.
"Everything is worth it as long as it helps your design philosophy!"
A good match increased the chance that a mech designer could achieve a breakthrough. For this reason alone, pompous internal mech designers of the MTA wouldn't hesitate to propose to a pauper from a third-rate state! The huge gulf in status between them was of very little concern in comparison!
Even if the matchmaking service failed to find a match within the star system, it could still expand its reach and match him with mech designers who resided elsewhere.
"It will just be a little bit more troublesome to meet with each other." He muttered.
Time passed as Ves and Lucky leisurely finished their drinks and snacks. As the time of the appointment neared, Ves hailed an aircar and rode it to the vicinity of the matchmaking agency.
Like any prestigious company, the office was situated in an upscale district and floated high above the ground. The aircar he rented refused to park directly onto the building, so Ves had to use his smart clothing to ascend into the air.
"This is such an annoying custom. I'm glad the Bright Republic isn't as pretentious."
To the natives, such means kept the rabble out. Ves encountered no one else along the way as he reached his destination.
CALLISTO PROFESSIONAL RELATIONS
"Well, they certainly sound like they know what they are doing, Lucky."
"Meow."
A bubbly-looking representative of the company met him in the lobby of the building.
"Mr. Larkinson! It is such an honor to meet you!" The woman approached and shook his hand with vigor. "We here at Callisto Professional Relations are all devoted to matching you with the best possible partner in Centerpoint or beyond. You have chosen wisely to employ our services as we are one of the most successful agencies when it comes to high-end, upper-level matchmaking! Many Seniors and Masters are among our most satisfied customers!"
Ves politely smiled as he tried to jerk his hand back from the representative's enthusiastic handshake. "I know. I've read the reviews and testimonials."
"Let us head into my office to discuss your possible relationship further! My name is Irene Zircon by the way! Before you ask, I'm already spoken for, so don't get any ideas!"
"I wouldn't dream of it." Ves dryly replied.
Irene led Ves and Lucky to a very open and comfortable office. The entire interior of Callisto exuded a peculiar atmosphere. Projections of happy pairs of mech designers gave every guest a measure of hope that they would be able to enjoy the same kind of relationship.
As Ves and Irene took their seats, the representative resumed her spiel.
"Matching mech designers is one of the hardest jobs in the galaxy." She explained, though Ves doubted her claim. "We are more than aware that your kind are very strong-willed when it comes to your unique design philosophies. This is on top of the other elements that are in play. Any matchmaking service can match two people together. It takes a special service to find a match between two very different mech designers."
Ves nodded in understanding. "But you claim you can always find a good match."
"Our success rate is very high. Much of our tech and methods are borrowed directly from the MTA. Even though we are situated in the galactic rim, we employ some of the most effective means devised to find suitable partners for mech designers like you! Less than 0.1 percent of our customers have applied for a refund!"
The company probably did everything they could to maintain their reputation. Ves figured that the actual number of dissatisfied customers was a lot bigger than Irene hinted.
"Can we move on to my situation?"
"Ah, of course, Mr. Larkinson. All of our systems went to work to search for a suitable partner. I'm very pleased to announce that we have found an exceptionally compatible match!"
Ves raised his eyebrow. That was a very confident claim to make. "How certain are you?"
"According to our finest AIs, the potential partner we've found for you is 87 percent compatible with you!"
"Is that high?"
"It is the highest we've seen in months! While it is true that machines can be wrong, we have passed your case to all of our relationship experts on hand. Each expert is very optimistic that your relationship will work! The only reason why the probably isn't higher is because both of you possess different backgrounds."
"Can you tell me about the match you've found?"
"We here at Callisto think it is best not to reveal too much information. The first impression is the most profound start of any relationship! Rather than describing her entire history and record to you, it is best to share your stories to each other during your dates. Still, there's little harm in telling you some details."
"Okay, let's hear it. I'd like to get at least some idea what I'm getting into."
"Please be assured that your match will definitely be to your liking, Mr. Larkinson. One encouraging sign is that she adores cats!"
Ves blinked. "Okay?"
"Ah, that is very helpful if you wish to seduce the match we've found. The woman we have in store for you has a cat as well. Although her pet is organic rather than a mechanical creation, I'm sure your cute mechanical cat will instantly grow on her. Who knows, perhaps your two pets will go along swimmingly! Whenever that happens, their owners are sure to bond as well!"
"Meow."
Lucky did not appear very impressed. Who was he? A noble gem cat! He was one of the most apex mechanical pets created by humanity! Not only did he possess full sentience, but he also developed a unique spiritual technique!
How could an ordinary blood-and-flesh cat compete against his majesty?!
To compare a supreme gem cat like him to an ordinary housecat was an affront to his esteemed and noble status!
Ves awkwardly laughed. He had never seen Lucky this conceited!
"Sorry about that, Irene. Lucky doesn't think that any other cat can match his splendor."
"Your Lucky is one of the most charming mechanical pets that I have ever seen." Irene complimented with starry eyes. "Forget about your match, hardly any other woman can resist his charm. He's just so cute and lovely!"
"Meow."
"Squeeeee!"
Ves coughed. "Can we get back to business?"
"Ah, my apologies. Ahem. Aside from sharing your love for cats, your match is also a talented mech designer. We are glad to announce that the Journeyman we've found is no less formidable than you. She obtained official recognition when she reached twenty-nine years old. Part of that is due to her background. Despite only receiving some mentoring, her family is quite influential in her home state."
"Where does she come from? From what it sounds like, she's not a Brighter."
"Ah, about that. Her origin is rather delicate. It is not very politic for me to reveal her home state to you. We think it is best to let her reveal that to you during your first date."
Ves furrowed his brows. That didn't sound very encouraging. "Does she come from another star sector or something?"
"Fortunately, no. Your match is very much a native of the Komodo Star Sector." Irene smiled. "Her background is much different from yours, however. While your family has a strong military heritage, her own family is a bit more notable. She comes from a line of politicians and government officials. Still, we don't believe that this will present a problem because your match is much more devoted to mech design to pay too much attention to politics."
Ves still expressed some skepticism. "Politics is very thorny. I don't mind differences in opinions, but I don't like it if it gets in the way."
"Rest assured that the beliefs of our match are highly agreeable with your own. Despite your different backgrounds, the two of you share much more in common than you think!"
The two of them spent a half hour discussing the match and what would happen next. Apparently, Callisto Professional Relations had already summoned his match and were preparing her for their first meeting and date.
When Ves heard this, he almost jumped from his seat. "I'm not prepared for a date!"
Irene critically studied Ves' appearance. "We'll have to give you a modest makeover. The grooming bots from your hotel have done a decent job at freshening you up, but they are programmed to make you look professional. If you want to capture a woman's heart, then you'll have to be more daring in the way you dress and groom yourself."
"I'm not psychologically prepared!"
"Oh, please. I'm sure you will do fine. Trust in our matchmaking. In my personal opinion, we could have hardly found a better woman for you to fall in love with! The two of you are a match made in heaven!"
Callisto Professional Matchmaking was very bold when it came to their boasts. However, the more Irene talked, the more Ves became apprehensive. He was a bit concerned at the speed they wanted to move.
Certainly, their AIs and relationship experts were certainly very sophisticated, but could they truly make an accurate judgement on a complex subject such as love?
He was about to find out. After Irene finished reassuring Ves, she guided him to a makeup room where a bunch of bots and experts quickly surrounded him and guided him deeper.
He was about to meet his match!
Chapter 1279
After an extensive makeover session, Callisto Professional Relations put him onto an aircar and shipped him over to a nearby upscale cafe that floated high above the ground. A mug of strange coffee steamed in front of him as he uncomfortably waited for his so-called date.
"Meow."
"I'm not nervous!" Ves hissed to his cat. "I'm just overwhelmed by how fast Callisto moved into action!"
Ves expected the matching to take a while. There were only so many Journeymen in Centerpoint, and even less who could match his age and design prowess. Of this small group, only a fraction might be looking for a companion.
Yet Callisto not only found a match in less than a day, but also arranged a first date immediately afterwards!
Still, despite his apprehension, Ves refused to interrupt the arrangements. He never lacked the courage to fight if the situation called for it, so why should he be scared at the prospect of meeting a girl?
He calmed down a bit. What was the big deal? He would just see for himself if Callisto's fabled methods truly found the perfect girlfriend for him. The matchmaking service possessed so much experience in this field that they hardly ever failed.
"If she's nice, then great. If she's not compatible, then it's no loss."
It was no different from using a golden lottery ticket from the System. There was a tiny chance of winning the jackpot, a modest chance of winning something nice and a depressingly large chance of winning nothing.
Even if Ves won nothing, he didn't lose anything either. He would have just wasted some time and money.
As Ves calmly drank his exotic coffee, Lucky suddenly sat up from the table.
"Meow!"
Moments later, the door to the private balcony slid open. Irene Zircon entered with a bright smile.
"My apologies for the wait, Mr. Larkinson. Your match was delayed due to some unforeseen circumstances. She has only just arrived and is on her way up. I must say that we've found quite a catch for you. She fits perfectly with you in almost every way! Go get her, tiger!"
Irene quickly left the balcony. A minute later, Ves heard the clack of heels as a young woman slowly approached the open door.
Both of them studied each other's appearances.
A woman in a modest red dress draped over by a larger coat appeared in his view. Her long dark hair fell around her lovely diamond-shape face as straight as an elegant curtain.
The woman was almost as tall as him but her body was graceful and svelte in a way that tantalized his eyes.
Despite her slender stature, her posture and the way she beheld herself presented an image of quiet confidence. Although the woman did not seem aggressive, Ves observed the typical aristocratic arrogance of those born in high station.
The woman reminded him uncomfortably of Vesian nobles, but even Vesians weren't this self-assured!
As first impressions went, Ves was very impressed with his date. Although he couldn't say whether the new arrival fit his type, she was certainly an impressive woman on her own. So much so that Ves even doubted whether he was worthy of her attention!
"Miaow."
His musings were suddenly interrupted by the cat that padded after the woman.
A calico cat as elegant as her owner stopped and stared at Lucky, who became wary of the cat that encroached his space.
The two cats entered into a strange standoff as they both treated each other as intruders.
"Meow."
"Miaow."
"Meow."
"Miaow."
An amused giggle suddenly escaped from the young woman. "Clixie, don't be rude."
"Miaow!"
The cat, apparently called Clixie, still hadn't let down her guard. The woman shrugged her slim shoulders. "Please don't mind my cat."
"It's okay. Cats are like that." Ves almost stammered out.
Her voice instantly attracted him like a fish to water. Unlike the easy, casual accents that was common in the Bright Republic and much of the Friday Coalition, her accent was clipped and classy that was common in some Vesian nobles.
Fortunately, her accent was slightly distinct from that of the Vesians. It was slightly familiar to Ves but he couldn't recall which state it came from. All he knew was that her giggle was so lovely that he could fall in love with that alone!
He interrupted his fascination as the woman slowly approached, her high heels clacking against the tiles of the private balcony.
She extended her hand. Ves hesitated whether he should act like those cheesy romances and kiss her small and slender hand, but he decided to act more like himself and shook it gently.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Ves Larkinson, Journeyman Mech Designer."
The woman gracefully smiled, causing dimples to appear on her cheeks. That was another turn-on for Ves!
"Likewise. I am Gloriana Wodin, also a Journeyman." After a few seconds, she raised her eyebrow. "You don't recognize the Wodin name?"
Ves shook his head. "Should I? I must say that I am not very familiar with all the notable clans, families, houses and dynasties in the star sector."
"Ah, it is my mistake. I forget that the significance of my name eludes many people at Centerpoint."
The woman sat down on the opposite side of the circular table to Ves. While Clixie and Lucky continued to keep their distance from each other, their owners sat comfortably within arm's reach.
Gloriana smiled at the behavior of their pets. "You have a lovely mechanical cat. I can see it's remarkable. Where did you ever find such a remarkable companion?"
"Lucky is a present from my father. I don't know where he obtained it, but what little I can tell is that my pet is probably an import from a first-rate superstate."
"Fascinating!" Gloriana responded as she kept admiring Lucky's distinctive metallic form. "Although Clixie resembles an ordinary calico housecat, she is in fact a purebred Rubarthan Sentinel Cat. Have you heard of this breed?"
Ves idly nodded. "It's a valuable breed that is rare and difficult to multiply due to their extensive genetic modification. They're smarter, gentler but also deadlier than baseline housecats. They're created by the Rubarthans to serve as the perfect companions to girls."
He had to admit that Clixie certainly looked smart enough to be sentient or close enough that the difference didn't matter.
"Meow!"
"Miaow!"
Their two cats didn't seem to be getting along with each other, though. They haunched their backs and looked like they were only two steps away from raking each other with their claws!
Nevertheless, the display only amused Gloriana further. "They're so cute. I bet they'll get along swimmingly soon enough."
"That's quite optimistic of you."
There was just something about Gloriana's smile that attracted him like a moth to flame. Callisto had done a really good job in matching him with a mech designer that he found fetching!
"So, Ves. Can I call you that? What can you tell me about yourself?" She asked while leaning in until her angular cheek pressed against her palm. "Irene hasn't told me much about you, though she did mention that you are a valiant mech designer that comes from a valiant family."
"I'm a Larkinson." Ves smiled back while patting his chest. "You probably haven't heard about my family, but the Larkinsons are one of the notable military lineages in the Bright Republic. Many potentates in our family have entered the military and served with honor. Each generation, several expert pilots emerge from their ranks. Currently, we have several, with a couple more expert candidates with his hopes of reaching this height."
"That's very impressive! The Larkinsons must be very distinguished in the Bright Republic. There is no shame for me to associate with a member of such an honorable stock."
"Ah, we're not as impressive as you think. The Bright Republic is dominated by the founding families, and the Larkinsons are not counted among them. Aside from my family's military focus, we haven't accumulated any power. That's slowly changing though since I became a Journeyman. The military doesn't pay as well as what my company earns by selling mechs."
Ves quickly realized that Gloriana paid special attention to his class and family. Personally, Ves thought it was silly to care about those inconsequential matters because they were both Journeymen.
Still, there was no harm in puffing his family up in front of this attractive young woman. Ves may not know much about her, but he already felt he wanted to do his best to earn her affection!
"What about you, Gloriana? You told me earlier that the Wodins are significant."
"The Wodin is a dynastic house that rules over a planet and is involved in regional politics." She mildly replied. "It is of no big concern to a foreigner like you. Most of my relatives are bureaucrats. Although some Wodins became mech pilots or mech designers over the years, I'm the first Wodin to achieve great success in my career. You could say our circumstances are similar in this regard. We are the future pillars of our respective families."
"I guess so. Our burden will only grow larger as we progress in our careers."
Ves nodded. Although the Wodins sounded as if they had more in common with a Vesian House rather than the Larkinson Family, the status of a Journeyman was quite exceptional in any state.
"I'm curious about your mechs." Gloriana raised, curiosity evident in her eyes. "I was very skeptical at Irene's claim that your design philosophy is a great match to mine. I quickly changed my mind when she showed me projections of your latest works. I'm particularly fascinated by your series of six Transcendent Messengers! Despite sharing a common root, each of them are also unique!"
"Are you aware of my design philosophy?"
"Irene mentioned that it's best if you describe it to me yourself."
"I'm not surprised." Ves smiled and shook his head. "It's not that easy to sum up. My design philosophy can be referred as metaphysical man-machine symbiosis. Rather than focus solely on the mech, I like to focus on the interaction between the mech and mech pilot. One of the most fundamental premises of my design philosophy is that the man-machine connection is more than a data-transfer channel. It connects the mech and mech pilot on multiple levels."
"Is that where this so-called 'metaphysical' component comes in?"
"Correct. Aside from a purely data transmission, there is also a metaphysical transmission that mutually empowers both sides with each other's strengths. Basically, I believe that this channel is often neglected. I've dedicated my entire design philosophy towards bringing out its potential, and I think I'm definitely on to something. Anyone who sees my best mechs up close and in person will be able to feel how the mechs are empowered and appear to come to life!"
While Ves did not mention anything about spirituality or psionics, he nonetheless did not feel like he needed to obfuscate his design philosophy so much.
He wanted to present his true self, or as much as he could afford to reveal. Either Gloriana would be weirded out by his mumbo-jumbo or she would accept it with an open mind.
Fortunately, Gloriana did not express anything impolite. She remained intrigued.
"Your design philosophy is Class IX, is it not?"
"It.. is." Ves said, feeling partially ashamed for some reason. "Regardless of what others think about my future possibilities, I have never doubted my design direction. My design philosophy is worth pursuing even if the entire galaxy has turned against my beliefs!"
"I can relate, Ves. It just so happens that I've developed a Class I design philosophy. I know how difficult it can be to be surrounded by fellow mech designers who don't think highly of my chances of reaching Master. I'm very pleased to meet a mech designer who knows what it is like to develop a radical belief on mech design."
That caused Ves to feel pleasantly surprised. Gloriana shared much more in common with him than he thought! He instantly grew curious about her approach to designing mechs.
"Are you willing to tell me about your design philosophy?"
"I would love to." Gloriana's smile grew wider. "To put it succinctly, I believe that for each mech pilot, a perfect vessel exists to express their full capabilities. Another way to put it is that I specialize in designing custom mechs!"
Interesting! Ves immediately became intrigued.
Chapter 1280
"The perfect vessel, huh? I apologise for asking this, but how can a mech ever be described as perfect? Mechs are constantly getting better."
"The perfect mech and perfect vessel are two different concepts. A vessel is merely a container that accommodates something. I believe that the mech that best fits a mech pilot at present can be called the perfect vessel!" Gloriana proudly replied.
"So you are pursuing the greatest fit between mechs and mech pilots?"
"Indeed, Ves. Theories have been developed about increasing the compatibility between the two by defining a specific shape and other parameters of a mech so that they are highly unified!"
"Does this mean that you don't design any mechs for the market?"
"I do not." Gloriana firmly shook her head. "I have eschewed designing any mechs meant for mass-production. I have no objections to their existence and their purpose but they are designed to fit decently with a large variety of mech pilots. I cannot stand the compromises that mech designers are compelled to make. I would much rather study mech pilots closely and develop a mech that possesses the perfect form for them to express their current and future level of skill!"
Ves was very impressed by her peculiar but bold design philosophy. As part of a Class I design philosophy, her design principles certainly tried to accomplish more than just focusing on a single aspect. Just the confidence she exuded when saying the word 'perfect' already underscored how strongly she believed in her notion!
Mech designers did not use this word lightly! For one to incorporate it into their very design philosophy said a lot about her conviction!
Although Ves privately thought that Gloriana was making it much harder for herself to advance to Master, he also admired her boldness in setting such an impossible goal.
A mech designer should be bold!
"So how do you apply your design philosophy in practice, Gloriana?"
"As I've stated earlier, I exclusively design custom mechs since the very start of my career. While it doesn't earn as much money as designing a regular commercial mech, I feel very fulfilled by designing a mech that is very suitable to a specific mech pilot."
"That must be rather exhausting work." Ves commented. "Your works don't have much impact, especially at first. What if the mech pilot crashes your mech into pieces during their first battle with their new machine?"
"I only claim to design the perfect vessel. Whether the mech pilots are competent enough to use my mechs to their fullest is their concern, not mine." Gloriana nonchalantly shrugged with her slender shoulders.
"How many mech pilots are using your mechs currently?"
"I have not kept track, exactly, but it is around a dozen at most."
That caused Ves to be very astounded. He always believed that mech designers needed to design mechs that needed to leave their mark on society to advance to Journeyman. For Gloriana to achieve this by producing only twelve mechs meant that some of her designs must be very impactful despite only being made once!
"I am very impressed by how you've managed to advance so quickly with such an ambitious design philosophy."
Gloriana kept smiling at Ves. "Too many mech pilots are sent into battle with mechs that don't fit their skills and preferences. Don't you think that's sad? There is a lot of missed potential there. Modern production methods allow us to tailor every mech to a specific mech pilot without too much added burden. Yet in the pursuit of maximum cost efficiency, we would rather reproduce the exact same rigid mech design over and over! It is as absurd as producing the exact same size of shoe for every human in the galaxy!"
"That's a very compelling argument, I admit." Ves responded, already feeling more and more besmitten by her classy voice and her charming expression. "Still, economic realities strongly encourage us to resort to mass market mechs. There aren't enough mech designers to cater to the needs of every mech pilot."
Gloriana smirked. "That's not entirely true. There are many Novices and Apprentices who are doing poorly. If they would stop designing something for the market and instead put their services at the disposal to a small number of mech pilots, I am certain they would be able to satisfy at least some customers rather than none."
"While there are a lot of low-ranking mech designers, not that many customers will want to enlist the services of someone bad."
"True. Nothing can be done about it. Mech designers can't force mech pilots to use their products." Gloriana sighed. "You don't have to be afraid of my disapproval. While it's a shame that many mech pilots are using standardized machines, it's an unfortunate reality. I just want to make life better for those who are willing to invest in the best custom mech."
Both of them started to become engrossed in discussing their professional principles. Ves was glad that she didn't dislike him for designing mass market mechs despite her personal focus on custom mechs. He would hate to spoil their relationship due to such a difference.
"I haven't designed many custom mechs, but it is definitely something that I will dip into occasionally." Ves stated. "According to Callisto, our design philosophies ought to be compatible with each other. Do you think that we could work together?"
"You tell me." Gloriana said. "Personally, I am hopeful. I have been searching for a suitable partner for a long time. Not anyone will do. The vast majority of mech designers specialize in improving or enhancing a single aspect. Some want to design the toughest mechs. Others want to design the best rifleman mechs. To be honest, their design philosophies do not add very much to mine."
"Why do you think that is so?"
"I'm quite competent in my technical design ability. Due to the nature of my design philosophy, I've developed a very solid foundation. I'm an all-rounder in terms of knowledge. While the help of other mech designers can add to my mech design, their roles are nonetheless marginal. Sometimes they even interfere with what I think the perfect vessel should be shaped."
"It must be difficult to find a mech designer to collaborate with, then. Class I design philosophies are quite ambitious in trying to cover everything by themselves."
"It is impossible for mech designers like us to achieve perfection in every aspect." Gloriana shook her head. "But as you said, we try. That does not mean we discount the value that others can bring to our works. More esoteric design philosophies such as yours improve aspects that we've never even heard about. I think your focus on metaphysical man-machine symbiosis is just one such example."
Ves was slightly optimistic as well. So far, it sounded as if Gloriana only focused on the physical form of a mech. He already knew that his design philosophy was compatible with almost any other design philosophy, and this should be no different.
"I'm looking forward to what kind of mech we can design if we pool each other's strength." He cautiously remarked.
That was a little bit daring for him to say, but fortunately Gloriana kept smiling. "I look forward to that as well. Both of our design philosophies try to achieve the same goal via different means. They are practically made for each other!"
"Meow."
"Miaow.."
"Meow meow!"
"Miaow miaow."
Though their design philosophies appear to be in perfect harmony, the same couldn't be said about their pets. Both cats seemed to disdain the other. Lucky even dropped down from the table to approach Clixie in an aggressive fashion!
"Lucky! Don't harm Gloriana's companion!" Ves warned.
"Clixie will be fine. She's a tough kitty."
"Ah, Lucky is not a harmless mechanical cat. He can be quite lethal if threatened. I just want to make sure he doesn't bring out his deadly arsenal."
"Interesting."
The two shared a brief moment of silence as they stared at the antics of their cats.
Both Ves and Gloriana grew more comfortable in each other's presence.
Suddenly, Gloriana spoke up again. "What do you think of me so far?"
"You're very beautiful."
"All women are beautiful." She coyly smiled. "Especially Journeymen. With how much money we earn, we spend a fortune on refining our appearances. Surely you must know that, Ves."
"Everything is artificial if you look into something deep enough. Why quibble over these inconsequential matters? Perhaps a better way to describe it is that I appreciate your aesthetic standards. You're as beautiful as a mastercrafted mech!"
Gloriana giggled. Her voice rang like melodious bells. "What an odd compliment. I like it! You don't look too bad yourself, though I bet that the makeup and fashion help you've received played a large part in that. Not that we should quibble over that, right?"
"Right."
"Nevertheless, you are still different from every other male mech designer I've met. We only know each other for less than an hour and I feel like we are already close. Don't you think so?"
"I agree." Ves happily replied. "I enjoy your company. I did not think I would meet a mech designer as lovely as you. The only way our meeting could be more perfect is if our cats could get along with each other!"
"Oh, you charmer!" She giggled.
"I aim to please."
Once she stopped giggling, Gloriana addressed him again. "To be honest, I was not entirely forthcoming with you earlier. I wanted to see whether you approve of my design philosophy and if we could get along."
"Have I met your expectations?"
The woman directed an intrigued smile at him. "Would I look as happy if you didn't? I'm very content with you so far. The thing is that while I've withheld some information, so have you. I know you haven't revealed the full extent of your design philosophy."
Ves furrowed his brows. How did she know? "My design philosophy is very difficult to describe, but I"ve earnestly tried to explain the basic gist of what I'm trying to achieve."
For the first time since they met, Gloriana dropped her smile in favor of a reproachful expression. "That is not what Irene has said and shown. I've pulled some strings in order to access the information that Irene has obtained about you. Let me show you."
Gloriana raised her smooth and slender wrist and activated her comm. Once the interface came to life, she browsed the menus until her comm projected a recording.
Ves immediately recognized the footage.
"...I believe that there is much more to improve! It is an attribute that is intricately tied to the mech pilots of the mechs!"
"And that is?"
"Divinity!"
"...Divinity?" The professor questioned.
"Yes! Divinity! Godhood!" Ves raved. "It wasn't until..."
"...Don't you see, professor? Mechs are capable of coming alive because they receive the worship of their mech pilots! This is the secret to Ylvainan transcendence!..."
"...My design philosophy believes that as long as mechs are designed in a certain fashion, they can capture the worship of the mech pilots and come alive under their control as gods!"
"...Instead, I'll become known as a designer of gods! My creations may look like machines, but hidden inside is beating the metaphysical hearts of gods! This is my ultimate aspiration! This is the future of mech design! Countless people will worship my new gods! In exchange, my gods will fight on behalf of their worshippers! No ordinary mech will be able to withstand the might of my gods! Not even god pilots will be able to withstand the flood of mass-produced gods!..."
An awkward silence ensued.
Ves felt so embarrassed that he wanted to do nothing more than to find a hole to burrow into! How could Gloriana obtain this footage! She must probably think he was crazy!
"It is a pity..." Gloriana disapprovingly shook her head. "You are great company, and our design philosophies seem to match so well at first, yet..."
Uh oh.
Chapter 1281
"You are great company, and our design philosophies seem to match so well at first, yet..."
Ves hung his head low. The earlier footage was already damning enough. How could his meeting with Professor Oodiv of the MTA be leaked to Gloriana? There should be a law against that!
Still, no matter how much he protested, it wouldn't change the fact that Gloriana had the wrong idea about him! When he spewed all of that nonsense about creating gods to the MTA, he merely wanted to fool them into believing he was a nutjob. He never wanted his date to witness him at his worst!
"...yet it's even better. In fact, it's almost perfect!"
"Please don't misunderstand, Gloriana! I was not entirely myself at that moment." He tried to explain. "I'm not as extreme as I looked like during that meeting! I.. wait what?"
"I said it's perfect!" Gloriana reiterated with a brilliant smile. "You sound so sincere and passionate of your ambitious beliefs that I have no doubt you expressed your true feelings at that moment!"
Ves blinked at the woman. "You are not.. repelled or anything?"
"Repelled? Why should I?" She look genuinely confused.
"Because of the wild stuff I said?"
"Oh, my goodness, Ves! I can see why you would think that way, but I am not like most mech designers. You see, much of the beliefs you express back then happens to resonate with my own."
"Uhh.." Ves became speechless.
"I've looked into the Ylvainan Faith and though I don't agree with many of their tenets, there are some points that it shares in common with my own faith."
"You're a believer?"
"I never told you that I wasn't." Gloriana giggled in a happy manner. Her eyes practically curled with glee! "I suppose it's time to come clean with you. I'm a proud follower of hexism!"
"...Hexism? You mean the not-quite-state religion of the Hexadric Hegemony? But that would mean..." His eyes widened even further. "You're a Hexer!"
"You guessed it! The Wodin Dynasty may not be one of the matriarchal dynasties, but we are loyal vassals to one. To be more precise, we are strongly aligned with the Evern Dynasty, who are the foremost proponents of hexism!"
Ves had heard a bit about hexism. Although the Hexadric Hegemony wasn't entirely religious, many citizens believed in this strange and very eccentric faith.
Perhaps one of their most famous habits was that they worshipped the number six! They liked to be ruled by six matriarchs. They liked to deploy their mechs in half-squads of six, and their larger mech units ultimately consisted of multiples of six!
Their worship of the number six extended to other areas!
For example, they preferred to eat six smaller cookies instead of two bigger bigger. They liked to wear shirts with six buttons. They liked to round out the prices of their products with the number six!
While they didn't insist that everything should conform to the number six, the more, the better!
And this was only the least of what it meant to believe in the religion or philosophy of hexism!
"Since you're familiar with hexism, you should know what we believe about the afterlife." Gloriana remarked. "We believe that life and afterlife are two sides of the same coin! We believe that humans have the potential to become equals to gods, and that gods are nothing different from empowered humans. While we are not as enthusiastic about the Ylvainan notion that the same applies to aliens, other than that there is a lot of overlap between our beliefs! Isn't that great, Bright Martyr?"
Ves felt like puking. "I never approved of that nickname. I'm a Brighter!"
"You don't have to be modest, Ves." Gloriana leaned forward and placed her hand on his arm. "You don't have to hide that you are special and that you carry a great purpose. Ever since I listened to that recording, I became convinced that you are the mech designer that I have long been waiting for. Your design philosophy is so radical and extreme that my heart has never felt any hotter. You are perfect!"
It was only now that Ves realized why he ended up in this absurd situation. It was because of Callisto's sophisticated matchmaking process! Irene claimed that Callisto drew from the records of the MTA to help them find a suitable match.
Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, because no mech designer would be stupid to be dishonest in front of the MTA. Normally, their records on mech designers were very accurate.
The only exception was his own record! Professor Oodiv probably described him as a superstitious, delusional mech designer in his record. Perhaps the Senior had outright judged that he was a religious nut!
Ves thought that would be the end of the matter, but he overlooked a very important detail.
Callisto Professional Relations tried to match him with another mech designer by taking his record into account!
Who paired best with a religious nut?
Another religious nut!
Although their beliefs didn't entirely match with each other, Callisto probably judged that they could reconcile their differences. Obviously, their sophisticated matchmaking AIs and highly-experienced experts all thought highly of their pairing!
Yet it was all a lie! Gloriana was anything but a perfect match to Ves! The cold, hard truth was that she was compatible with a mistaken impression of him! It was all based on a lie!
"I'm not a follower of hexism. I don't think I'll ever convert to your beliefs."
"That's fine, Ves. Hexism isn't as strict as the Ylvainan Faith when it comes to demanding piety! Just acting in the interests of our philosophies is sufficient! Let it not be said that we are narrow-minded!"
This was starting to creep Ves out! He firmly tried to jerk his arm away from Gloriana's grasp, but her fingers began to dig into his skin. She didn't want to let go!
"Could you let go, please?"
She ignored his request! "Your design philosophy is perfect! Although I had to adjust some of my beliefs, I'm fully taken in by your ambition to elevate mechs into gods! In fact, I believe that the mech pilots who use your mechs will be raised into gods as well! Isn't that what symbiosis implies? With my assistance, your design philosophy stands a much greater chance of being realized! The mechs we design together will be so perfect that they will eventually become indistinguishable from real gods!"
"Please, Miss Wodin. This is all a horrible misunderstanding! I'm a secularist. You shouldn't take some of the stuff I've said so seriously."
Gloriana's eyes sparkled at him as if he was her soulmate! "You don't have to pretend with me, Ves. And don't call me Miss Wodin. My name is Gloriana. I love nothing more than to hear you say my name. Only few men ever get to call me that, and you are definitely one of them! You should feel honored!"
Ves tried to lean away but Gloriana firmly kept hold. Although Ves could have used a bit more force to separate himself from the woman, he really didn't want to offend a Hexer!
"Gloriana, you're an esteemed citizen of a second-rate state. Why would you waste your time with a pathetic third-rater like me? The gulf between us is too wide! I could never match your worth!"
The woman briefly frowned. "That's not a problem. The Wodin Dynasty will accept my betrothal to you if I have anything to say about it. As a promising mech designer, my word will be heard. Besides, despite your humble origins, your family isn't too bad either. You don't need to put yourself down. You're a Journeyman! Have some pride!"
"Erm, but you're still a Hexer. Don't you people believe that women should be in charge? I don't think I can feel comfortable in your company."
"Ves, Ves, Ves. While it's true that I'm a Hexer, I think it is you who are misunderstanding something. Just because I agree that women are the superior doesn't mean that men should be treated like dirt! Goodness, no! Like boys, men need our protection! Don't worry, Ves. Once I'm in your life, I will make sure to protect you like any proper woman ought to do! That is what being a Hexer truly means!"
Was Ves some kind of baby who needed to be breastfed or something? This was ridiculous! If nothing else, it should be the men who were required to proclaim they would protect their lovers!
"I don't think we'll be a good couple. Just look at our cats! They're practically about to claw each other's faces!"
Both Ves and Gloriana directed their gazes to their cats.
"Meow~"
"Miaow~"
Different from what Ves expected, Lucky and Clixie hadn't drawn out their claws. Instead of looking like they were about to fight, they were instead pressing against each other! Clixie comfortably purred while Lucky groomed the Rubarthan Sentinel Cat by licking the top of her head!
"...That wasn't according to the script." Ves belatedly said.
"Hihihi! They're so cute!" Gloriana giggled. "Cats always need some time to grow familiar with each other. Both Lucky and Clixie are smart, so it's no surprise that they've come to like each other! In fact, if Lucky wasn't mechanical, I'd even allow him to breed with Clixie!"
"What a shame." Ves replied flatly. "Even if Lucky and Clixie have gotten along, that is no indicator that our relationship can be just as good. We're too different!"
"I don't think so." Gloriana stubbornly shook her head. "I think there's hardly any mech designer who's more compatible to me than you, Ves. The moment Callisto called me up was the moment I knew that I would no longer be alone. Now that I've met you in the flesh, I'm pleasantly surprised. You're charming, handsome, honorable, daring and brilliant! Not only that, but both our pets and our design philosophies go well with each other!"
"I am flattered by your praise, but to be honest I don't identify with your description. I'm not a good person. I've got blood on my hands. I'm a liar, swindler and a cheat! I'm selfish and a coward! I'm one of the most deplorable mech designers in the galaxy!"
"Ves!" Gloriana harshly admonished him. "If this is your attempt to make me pity you, then you should cut it out. There's no need to belittle yourself. I know you're a wonderful mech designer. Everything I've said about you is definitely true! Please believe me when I say that you are perfect as you are right now. If there are any difficulties between us, I'm sure we can work it out!"
Okay, Ves was getting increasingly more disturbed by Gloriana. She was a complete nutjob! The longer he stayed in her presence, the more he feared for his sanity!
Although Ves really didn't want to be too forceful, he no longer cared about that. He gripped her hand which clung tightly on his other hand and pried it away.
"I'm glad you think so well of me, but can you wait for a minute? I need to visit the bathroom for a moment. Can I have some time alone?"
"Oh. Sure. I'll be awaiting your return." Gloriana smiled.
Ves tried to maintain his calm. He casually rose from his seat and maintained a brittle smile on his face. He crept over to Lucky and picked up his contented cat.
The traitor had been cuddling with Clixie!
"Meow?!"
"I'll be taking Lucky with me as well. You don't want him to treat the floor as his litterbox. Not only does his waste products smell, but they're also radioactive!"
"Meow!"
Lucky objected to that description!
Ves didn't care whether Gloriana bought his excuse. He pressed Lucky against his chest and hastily jogged out of the balcony.
Once he went out of sight, he broke out in a run! He passed right by the entrance of the men's restroom and ran straight down the stairs and to the exit of the cafe!
As soon as he emerged outside, he jumped out of the floating building and practically fell to the ground! Only when he fell halfway did he engage his smart clothing's antigrav module.
"I need to get out of here!" He panicked. "The sooner I'm rid of Gloriana, the better!"
Chapter 1282
Minutes passed as Gloriana quietly sat at the cafe table. She idly lifted up Ves' half-empty mug of cooling coffee and savored the taste.
She smiled. "No sweetener. We share the same taste. Perfect."
Her eyes curled up in contentment as she gently stroked Clixie's furry back. Gloriana had waited so long to find a suitable boyfriend who complimented her both personally and professionally.
Very few men met her high standards. Although she dated several men whose company she enjoyed, none of their design philosophies brought anything special to the table.
"They are so uncreative and unoriginal." Her beautiful face briefly scrunched up. "How can they ever amount to anything when they don't dare to think big? Fortunately, Ves is anything but a coward. His design philosophy is so ambitious! Not only is he trying to pioneer something entirely new and unprecedented, he also wants to evolve mechs into literal gods! Only an ambitious man such as him is worthy to be my partner in life! Don't you agree, Clixie?"
"Miaow."
"I'm glad you agree as well! That Lucky is kind of cute. Shame about his mechanical state, but I'm sure Ves could do something about that down the line once his design philosophy progresses. I'm sure we can come up with something."
"Miaow!"
As Gloriana daydreamed about her latest and strongest crush to date, a nervous-looking Irene entered the private balcony.
"Miss Wodin, I have come with bad tidings. Mr. Larkinson has begged off the remainder of your first date due to regrettable circumstances."
Gloriana frowned again. "He left?"
"He left. It may be that he has gotten cold feet."
"Cold feet? But he's perfect for me!" The Journeyman slammed her fist against the table! "We fit so well together! He called me beautiful! I could see the desire in his eyes when he stared at me! How could he run off all of a sudden?!"
"It is not unheard of for both men and women to be overwhelmed even when everything has gone right during their first meeting with their matches." Irene carefully explained. "Humans are fragile creatures. Due to your instructions, we did bring Mr. Larkinson to meet with you before he could mentally adjust to the rapid change in circumstances. If he is socially awkward, it is not too surprising for him to decide he wants more space for the moment."
"Is that so?" Gloriana asked with a quiver on her lip. "Did he truly run because he was overwhelmed? I've never seen anything like this. Shouldn't he be courageous? What if he thinks I'm ugly?!"
Irene quickly shook her head. "Have no fear of that. We've monitored your entire first meeting and all of our indicators suggest that Mr. Larkinson was absolutely smitten with you! It is only when you expressed admiration at the more radical components of his design philosophy that he suddenly panicked. According to our advanced AIs and experienced relationship experts, he has likely suffered an involuntary anxiety attack because you directly confronted him on one of his deepest ambitions that he has never wanted to share with you so soon."
"That.. makes sense." Gloriana calmed down a bit. "It is my mistake. I should have never moved so fast and brought up something so sensitive during our first date. I just got so caught up by the moment that I thought we were already inseparable from that point onwards! How inconsiderate of me! Am I a bad lover?"
"No no no!" Irene swung her hands. "That is absolutely not the case! No relationship starts off with everything going right. Just like designing a difficult mech, you have to overcome all kinds of challenges in order to succeed. Mr. Larkinson's abrupt departure should not reflect badly on your appeal! I'm sure he will want to crawl back to you once he realizes how compatible you are to him! All of our data-driven analyses support that conclusion!"
"I have faith in your agency's judgement." Gloriana nodded. "I have not waited in Centerpoint for so long and let my most perfect boyfriend slip away from my grasp. Now that I have met with Ves, I am absolutely certain that no other man is more ideal than him! I cannot imagine living without having him by my side!"
Gloriana waited so long to find the perfect man. Though Ves did not completely fit the perfect mold that she had imagined, he came closer than any other date she's met so far.
Due to her status and her design talent, she was a very desirably catch to many mech designers. Yet even when she briefly deigned to lower her standards to Apprentices, none of their design philosophies sparked with her own. Either they were completely neutral or they interfered with her methods.
She wouldn't be so smitten with Ves if his design philosophy hadn't excited her this much. His wild ambitions notwithstanding, just its surface concepts already appealed to her in a strong way.
Gloriana pursued the perfect vessels for mech pilots on a purely physical level.
Ves sought the greatest mutual strengthening between mechs and mech pilots on a non-physical level.
Although they had yet to collaborate on a single mech design, Gloriana carefully studied Ves' mech designs. The special qualities they held did not come close to encroaching her own principles.
The Aurora Titan particularly sparked her interest. It was her lover's first formal collaborative mech design. Seeing how Ves effortlessly enabled Professor Coras Ventag to bring out the full strength of his design philosophy gave Gloriana a lot of hope!
"I must have Ves." She declared with utmost conviction. "I will not allow him to slip away from my fingers. Not when we're so perfect together!"
Irene's smile grew a little more nervous. Of all the clients she served, Gloriana had been the thorniest one so far. The Hexer was beautiful, talented, rich and part of an influential family in one of the most powerful states of the star sector.
Yet Callisto Professional Relations was quite aware that mech designers, especially high-ranking ones, tended to be eccentric.
For example, the record she perused on Ves mentioned that he occasionally made reckless decisions. This trait had likely emerged from his illustrious family background.
As for Gloriana, her pursuit of perfection went beyond her philosophy towards mechs. Anything of importance had to be perfect, or at least as close to it as possible.
While she was realistic enough that not every aspect of her life could be perfect, she couldn't stand a situation where perfection was possible but obtained in the areas she cared about. Once she wanted something to be perfect, she would do her very best to come as close to it as possible!
Such a demanding attitude was the secret to her success. Gloriana broke from the Wodin Dynasty's traditions and became a rising star in the mech community because she always pushed herself to be the best!
Advancing to Journeyman when she turned twenty-nine years old was an amazing accomplishment and worthy of recognition.
Although the MTA did not have too much hope for her ambitious Class I design philosophy, she might just be able to realize it due to her constant insistence on demanding perfection from herself!
The MTA's mild favor towards Gloriana showed in how much Callisto Professional Relations bent the rules and accommodated some of her demands. Normally, Irene would never leak parts of someone else's record to another client, but the Hexer was special.
The strongest proof that Gloriana enjoyed the favor of the MTA was that they gifted her with a Rubarthan Sentinel Cat!
While such a cat wasn't hard to obtain in the New Rubarth Empire, for one to emerge in the galactic rim took quite a bit of effort. For all of their intelligence and their long lives, their genetic enhancements also made them difficult to breed. Each Rubarthan Sentinel Cat was quite a prize in any far-flung star sectors!
It is because Gloriana enjoyed the favor of the MTA that Irene did not wish to see her disappointed. She thought carefully on how to mend the growing gap between her two clients.
"While I know you're eager to secure your new lover, I advise you to take it slow. After studying of Mr. Larkinson's record and additional material, I've noticed a very pertinent detail. He never had a girlfriend."
That caused Gloriana to blink. "He's a virgin?"
"Most likely."
"That's… that's perfect!" Gloriana grinned and giggled. "Hihihi! I'll be his first!"
"Miss Wodin, please, if you don't wish to make Mr. Larkinson anxious, I highly recommend you to restrain some of your enthusiasm. For all of Mr. Larkinson's courage in battle and in mech design, he is woefully insecure when it comes to relationships. You will have to win him over gradually in the same manner as boiling a frog alive."
"I see." Gloriana remarked. "Ves is a frog who jumps out of the pan as soon as the water heats up too rapidly. I'll have to heat him up gradually so that he won't escape until he's completely cooked! Yum!"
Irene nodded over and over. "I'm sure Mr. Larkinson will come to appreciate your company in due time. For now, I would advise you to maintain frequent contact with him. I think it will help if you limit yourself with comm calls and messages for now. You can also delight him by sending presents to him if you would like. He will feel compelled to send presents back, and that will force him to think about you more."
That sounded a bit too slow to Gloriana. What if Ves met some other harlot along the way and stole his affection from her? It would be a disaster! Her perfect relationship would be ruined!
"How soon can I meet with him in person again? I ache for his touch!"
"Not too quickly! Both of you will need to calm down. The first impression you've left on Mr. Larkinson is already great. Once his anxiety fades, I am certain that his desire for you will reemerge."
"He is a native of the Bright Republic, right? Perhaps I'll have to pay a visit there sometime. Now that I've met my perfect man, I no longer wish to linger here. Centerpoint has long lost its charm for me. Only Ves can brighten up my life!"
A loving sigh escaped from her delicate lips. Despite the sudden end to their first date, Gloriana did not begrudge Ves too much for running away. How could someone so perfect for her be so easy to catch?
In fact, the challenge only spurred her on. She was more than confident that her beauty, her personality and her design capabilities would win Ves over!
"Where is he right now, Irene?" She asked.
"The planet's monitoring network has observed him entering an aircar. He has set his destination straight towards the nearest spaceport. He has also contacted his personal starship and instructed his crew to prepare the vessel for departure."
Gloriana frowned. "Where is he traveling to? Is he returning to the Bright Republic?"
"Apparently, no. According to the intelligence that we've obtained, Mr. Larkinson is departing for Leemar."
"Leemar? As in the Leemar System in the territory of the Carnegie Group?"
"Correct. Mr. Larkinson is a nominal disciple of Master Carmin Olson of the Vermeer Group."
"Damn!" The mech designer cursed. "I can't enter the Friday Coalition! Ves is getting further and further away from me! What if some floozy from the Coalition sidles up to him and steals his heart? I can't allow that to happen!"
"Considering Mr. Larkinson's love history, I don't think you'll have to be afraid of that. In fact, I think it is best to leave him to his business until he departs again. There are no signs that Mr. Larkinson intends to relocate to the Coalition permanently."
"Good. You won't be able to hide from me forever, Ves. Now that I've caught your scent, you'll never be able to escape no matter how far you run!" Gloriana exulted.
Chapter 1283
Ves practically hurled himself past the airlock and into the familiar confines of the Barracuda. Behind him, the transit shuttle that took him out of one of Centerpoint V's space stations separated from the ship now that it had completed its task.
"It's about time I've returned!"
"Meow!"
"Oh, shut it. You've hardly met Clixie, and now you're already missing her? Newsflash Lucky, she's organic!"
"Meow meow!"
"What do you mean true love transcends all barriers? The two of you are completely different lifeforms!"
Ves ignored his nonsensical cat and ran all the way up to the bridge.
"Captain, get us out of this star system as fast as possible!"
"As you will, sir, but I have to ask, why the hurry? Are you in trouble with the authorities? It is highly inadvisable to run from the MTA if they have a reason to compel you to stay."
"Nothing like that is going on." Ves vigorously shook his head. "I've just met someone scary and I need to get out of her reach. The longer we stay in Centerpoint, the greater the risk of meeting her again!"
Though Captain Silvestra and the rest of the crew looked confused, they nonetheless moved to coordinate with the Greenfeather to leave the Centerpoint System.
The only snag was that traffic control did not allow them to depart with all haste. They needed to follow their assigned route that brought them to the back of a long line of ships waiting to jump out of the system. It took far too long for the Barracuda and Greenfeather to trundle their way to the closest Lagrange point.
Gavin entered the stateroom where Ves had holed himself. "What's got you in such a tizzy, Ves?"
A part of Ves wanted to hide what he experienced earlier. Yet he also felt the need to confide in someone at least.
A sigh escaped from his lips. "A date gone wrong, I guess."
That caused Gavin to become twice as interested. "Did you fall flat on your face or something? Was the woman you met not to your liking?"
"It's complicated, Benny."
"Come on, boss. Tell me what's wrong."
Ves briefly recounted his date with Gloriana, though he left out a lot of sensitive details.
This caused Gavin to develop an incomplete picture. "I don't see what's wrong about this Gloriana. Other than the fact that she's clingy and that she's a Hexer, it sounded as if the two of you got along well."
"You don't understand! Gloriana is.. she's a Hexer! Not only that, but she's also a follower of hexism! Don't you see what that means? She's as fanatical in her beliefs as the Poxcos of the Ylvaine Protectorate!"
"I do admit that the Hexadric Hegemony is weird, but hexism doesn't have that bad of a reputation. Everything I've learned about it is that it's more of a philosophy with some superstition sprinkled on it than a full blown absolute belief system like the Ylvainan Faith. They're much more tolerant to nonbelievers and individual interpretations."
"It's much worse than that! Gloriana is a nutcase!"
How could Ves explain how Gloriana bought into his nonsense story about creating gods? Any mech designer who not only took him at his word, but also supported it entirely should be avoided at all cost!
There was no way Ves could imagine spending the rest of his life with someone so delusional!
Gavin shook his head. In his opinion, Ves was being a scaredy cat. "Alright, whatever you say, boss. It's your life. The reason I came here is to inform you that we are hosting an irate guest aboard the Barracuda. The man has been throwing a temper tantrum ever since some MTA goons forced us to take him in! You wouldn't have anything to do with that, do you?"
Ah. Ves remembered the task the Rim Guardians pushed onto his lap before they booted him out of the Pit.
"Is the guest a danger to himself, the crew or the ship?"
"No. He's mostly whiny, that's all."
"Then leave the guest in his cabin or wherever else you put him in. I'll meet with him later. Right now, I need a moment to myself."
"Okay then. I'll leave you alone. The Barracuda is scheduled to transition into FTL in twelve hours, barring any delays."
Once Gavin left his stateroom, Ves sighed and plopped down on his bed. Lucky sidled up to his head and pressed a paw against his head.
"Come on, Lucky. Didn't you see how suddenly Gloriana went off the deep end when she raved about my supposed design principles? Even if she's lovely and fun to be with, she's too dangerous!"
"Meow."
"What do you mean I'm the same as her? We're nothing alike! I'm a sane, normal mech designer who just wants to make mechs alive! How does that sound crazy?"
"Meow!"
"I don't agree with you!" Ves huffed and turned around.
As he thought back on Gloriana, he had to admit that he still felt a lingering attraction towards her. No other woman excited him as much as her. She'd be perfect for him if she didn't come from the Hegemony!
Yet Ves did not believe that anything perfect could exist. He had always lived his life in the assumption that aiming for perfection only set himself up for disappointment.
"Life and the galaxy are both messy. They're also more exciting because of that. Who wants to live a perfect life?"
Though Ves hadn't interacted with Gloriana too deeply, he could immediately tell that she adopted a very different perspective on the matter.
A part of him admired her for that. He was attracted to her boldness and her courage. She must be a great mech designer as well.
"Did I run away too quickly?"
He really found it regretful to abandon his date with Gloriana so soon. Other than her weird Hexer beliefs, Ves truly felt comfortable in her presence.
Not only did he find her lovely and attractive, but her design philosophy also complimented well with his own.
"How great would it be to design a mech together?" He idly sighed. "Even if she's only limited to designing custom mechs, there are plenty of mech pilots I care about who can use a better machine than what I can provide alone."
For example, he could elevate Melkor and the other Larkinsons in the Avatars of Myth to an untold height if he gifted them with mechs that contained the combined strengths of Ves and Gloriana.
Such machines wouldn't only be great on a spiritual and a technical level, but also lead to synergistic effects that Ves could hardly fathom.
These benefits, while unpredictable, would definitely elevate the quality of their custom mechs to an unseen height!
"What would it be like if I can supply Melinda, Raella and Jannzi with such custom mechs? The achievements they can make with these wonder mechs will definitely surpass anything they could have ever hoped!"
Ves saw a great opportunity in front of him, but he turned away after seeing all the thorns in his path. Did he really make the right decision?
He recalled the Mech Designer's Oath that he had sworn just days ago.
"I did swear to do my best to serve the needs of mech pilots."
Although Ves did not take the Mech Designer's Oath very seriously, he did agree with some of its principles to some degree. Due to his design philosophy, he always tried to accommodate mech pilots whenever he could.
Therefore, the thought of abandoning such a great opportunity to design better mechs pained him a lot.
Ves even had the illusion that his design philosophy was crying in his mind!
"Goddammit, not you to? You're supposed to be a part of me! Since when can you think for yourself?!"
He slapped his head, only to wince in pain.
"Stupid!"
The more he wanted to forget about Gloriana, the more her face emerged from his memories. He couldn't just put his mind off her. He enjoyed such a good time with her that he already started to miss her company!
His comm suddenly beeped. Ves raised his comm to see that he received an official MTA hail.
"What does the MTA want from me?" He frowned, but accepted the call nonetheless. "Maybe it's the Rim Guardians or something."
No MTA officer appeared from the projection in front of him. Instead, a familiar angular face came into view.
"Gloriana!"
"Ves! I've missed you so much!"
Ves immediately tried to activate the command that would end the call, but his comm didn't accept it! It forcibly kept the call going!
Gloriana apparently saw what he was doing and tutted at him. "Don't bother. I've borrowed official MTA channels to make this call. Every comm comes with overrides for the Big Two. You'll have to jam or destroy your comm in order to halt this call."
He was just about to do so, but Gloriana sent him a sharp glare that made him feel that he would regret the action!
"Ves! Are you so cowardly that you can't even face a girl? What are you afraid of? Tell me. I don't bite."
How could he tell her that he was scared of her due to her fanatical beliefs? How could he say that he lied to the MTA about his design philosophy over a communication channel that was directly controlled by that very same organization?
The silence stretched as Gloriana awaited an answer that would never come. Ves simply couldn't think of an acceptable excuse.
Eventually, she sighed. "You're such a boy, Ves. I thought you were supposed to be a daring and fearless mech designer. It's so disappointing to see you cower from a date with me. You think I'm pretty, right?"
Seeing her face over the projection made it unbearable for Ves to say no.
"You are. You're really beautiful. I love it when you smile."
Gloriana did just that. The dimples that emerged instantly made her twice as lovely!
"Irene told me that you were having an anxiety attack or something. Though I'm disappointed, I won't hold it against you. We can still make our relationship work!"
"I'm not so sure." He said. For some reason, all of his courage fled him at this moment. He found it way too hard to say no! "We are very different people. You're a Hexer. I'm a Brighter."
"Didn't we already move on from this? Where we come from doesn't matter to me! Even if you're from the frontier, I would still love you for who you are! Love has no boundaries!"
How could Gloriana say the same thing as Lucky?!
"I really don't think it's a good idea for you to hook up with me. I'm strongly aligned to the Friday Coalition. We're practically enemies in a way! There's no way the Hegemony and the Coalition will approve of our relationship!"
She frowned. "Do you think these are ancient times? Plenty of happy couples between Hexers and Fridaymen have emerged over the years. While the Hegemony doesn't particularly like them, they're willing to let them pass so long as they don't get involved in any strategically-important activities. I could just move in with you in the Bright Republic!"
"I doubt Master Olson would approve!"
"You're just a nominal disciple." Gloriana smirked. "You could renounce your apprenticeship. As a Journeyman, you have many more options available if you are in need of something special. Becoming a Master Mech Designer's lapdog is unbecoming for a mech designer of your ambition."
Ves shook his head. "I'm not going to renounce Master Olson."
"We'll see how long you stick to that stance." Gloriana teased. "My perfect lover shouldn't be so crass to continue to associate with the Coalition. The Hegemony can provide you with much more assistance as long as I use some of my connections! I could even pull some strings and turn you into a full-fledged citizen of the Hegemony! That way, your old citizenship will no longer pose a hindrance to our union! We'll both become a happy pair of Hexers!"
This woman was completely delusional!
Chapter 1284
After rambling for five straight minutes about her fantasies, Gloriana abruptly halted.
"Ah, sorry there Ves. I didn't want to overwhelm you with my aspirations. Irene warned me that I shouldn't get carried away in front of you. I hope I haven't frightened you too much with my forwardness."
That was the least of his problems with Gloriana!
"...It's okay."
"That's great!" She grinned. "I should probably get going now, but know that you will always be in my heart! I'll be in touch again. In the meantime, I hope you keep thinking of me. I'll definitely help you overcome your anxiety. Bye bye!"
The comm call finally ended, leaving Ves behind with two conflicting emotions.
One part of him deeply wanted to grow closer to Gloriana. Another part of him strongly urged him to do the opposite!
Neither side could eliminate the other. Both maintained a tenuous balance.
"Am I overreacting or am I being prudent?"
No matter how much Ves wanted to repress his attraction towards Gloriana, his heart was not that easy to deceive. He still possessed a crush on her. Even her confidence that she could make her relationship work was attractive to him. He felt deeply flattered that she still wanted him after he stiffed her on their first date!
"Yet this woman is really something else."
Her background and her extreme opinions wouldn't have been such a big deal for Ves if she did not believe in them so earnestly.
He wasn't specifically against religion. It was more in how fanatic she became when she expressed her ideals.
Ves met a lot of fanatics in his life. People like Doctor Jutland, the Vesian rebels, the Bentheim rebels, the worshippers of Haatumak, the True Believers and so on all turned into unhinged extremists due to the strength of their beliefs!
"At some point, devotion turns into madness!"
He had many awful experiences with fanatics who believed in their own cause. They couldn't be reasoned with and common sense was dearly in short supply. How could Ves ever be comfortable in their presence when they were one step away from insanity?
Yet... was Gloriana as bad as the others?
"She's smart and not that all close to going out of control." Ves admitted. Sure, she was a little too eager to chase after him, but a part of him felt very happy about that. "I can't put Gloriana in the same box as the likes of the Bentheim Liberation Movement and the New Ylvaine Dynasty. When it comes down to it, she's just a strong-willed mech designer, kind of.. like myself."
Every Journeyman held strong beliefs. It was part of what elevated them from Apprentices. Their design seeds not only solidified their deepest desires and ambitions, but also amplified them in a way that helped them stay on track as they worked to realize their design philosophies.
Ves himself knew that his true beliefs already sounded very odd even to himself. Even if he left out the hyperbole and exaggerations he used to mislead the MTA, the thought of making mechs come alive already sounded very controversial.
Perhaps calling Gloriana crazy was like the pot calling the kettle black.
He turned around on his bed and lazily picked up Lucky.
"Who do you think is crazier, me or Gloriana?"
"Meow."
"Pff! Why me?!"
"Meow!"
"Only a crazy person would run away from a pretty woman who's totally into me? Pff!"
Ves tossed Lucky away, who halted himself in the air after engaging his flight ability.
"Meow!"
Lucky's objections fell on deaf ears as Ves blanked out. Too much had happened today and the emotional rollercoaster he had ridden left him completely put out. He really didn't want to deal with anything else today.
Sadly, duty demanded otherwise. He still needed to meet with the guest that the Rim Guardians had dumped in his lap. Keeping this mech pilot waiting for so long would doubtlessly prove detrimental to his chances of fulfilling this already impossible task.
"By their own account, this mech pilot is a coward. How can they ever expect a wimp to become an expert pilot? It simply can't be done!"
The only way to remedy this fault was to inject the mech pilot in question with a lot of courage. Yet the Rim Guardians had years to do so but completely failed.
Why?
"I bet they can probably turn the biggest coward in the galaxy into a hero as long as they brainwash the individual in question."
Naturally, using forceful methods came with their own costs. Ves even suspected the brainwashing might even hinder the advancement process.
He would meet the mech pilot in person soon enough, so there was no need for him to make any judgements before that. Hopefully, he would at least have something to work with. Every man should at least possess some pride.
After half an hour of relaxing, Ves slowly rose from his bed. The brief break allowed him to regain his composure and put Gloriana out of his mind.
Though the female mech designer still popped up in his thoughts every now and then, Ves no longer as if she had taken over his life.
"I'm a mech designer, not a love-drunk teenager. Even if she's fascinating, I'm better than this! How can I call myself a Journeyman when I constantly allow myself to get distracted?"
The difficulty was that despite all of his protests, he truly felt attracted to Gloriana. Her call earlier invigorated the desire in his heart because he realized he still had a chance with her. Her forgiving attitude towards him was so lovely that the romantic sap in him wanted to turn the Barracuda around!
"I can't do that!"
Ves vigorously shook his head. Once he became sure he scrambled all of his distractions, he stood up and left the stateroom while calling Gavin.
"Benny? Please bring our new guest to the ship's lounge. It's time for me to meet this foreigner."
"I'll bring him in right away, boss."
Once he entered the lounge, he sat down on a sofa while he waited for the arrivals. A few minutes later, the hatch slid open, revealing Gavin dragging in a skinny mech pilot.
"Here you go, boss!"
"Unhand me, you servant! I never gave you permission to touch me! You have no right to treat me as a prisoner on this rickety boat!"
Ves beheld the complaining mech pilot. Although the mech pilot's body appeared lean and fit, he bet that most of the man's fitness came from augmentations and specialized treatments.
The slight hunch in the newcomer's back and his whiny voice as he expressed his dissatisfaction firmly reinforced the notion of a pushover.
"You can go now, Benny." Ves waved his hand in dismissal.
Once Gavin left the lounge, the mech pilot stared at Ves with a frail sneer. "You must be the illustrious owner of this tiny, cramped prison. Ves Larkinson, right? That's what your lackey called you when I asked."
"That's my name, yes."
"As a third-rater, you should stand up and pay your respects towards me. I am an esteemed scion of the Slicer Tribe! I'm fully aware that your tiny Bright Republic is too remote to know what that means, so let me explain! The Slicer Tribe is one of the foremost tribes of the Garlen Empire, a long-established second-rate state that has dominated the Vicious Mountain Star Sector for centuries!"
That caused Ves to raise his eyebrows in mild surprise. This fellow possessed a big background.
Unlike what the Garlener on the ship believed, Ves did know a thing or two about Vicious Mountain. The Garlen Empire was similar to the Friday Coalition in that it wasn't very unified for an empire. The different tribes that held sway over much of the territory of the empire frequently called the shots.
Though that sounded similar to the Vesia Kingdom, there were many differences between the two aside from their scale.
Sadly, Ves did not familiarize himself too much with the history and present attitudes of each individual tribe of the Garlen Empire. He hardly knew anything about the Slicer Tribe aside from its crude name.
"What's your name?" Ves calmly asked.
"You have the great fortune of meeting the great William Urbesh, future patriarch of the Slicer Tribe!"
"Uh huh. That sounds very impressive."
After interacting with the MTA and Gloriana, Ves no longer became impressed with citizens of second-rate states. Aside from their wealth and pomp, they were hardly different from third-raters like himself.
How could this skinny William ever succeed in intimidating Ves with his background?
Besides, this William sounded more like a blowhard than a true heir to a great power within a second-rate state. The Garlener exhibited none of the inherent class and ingrained superiority that Ves had encountered from the likes of Lord Javier or Senator Tovar!
Ves decided to burst William's bubble. "If you're so great, why did the Rim Guardians tossed you aside like discarded trash?"
That caused William to look awkward all of a sudden. The intensifying stare from Ves didn't help his composure any bit!
"Well, you see, my parents sent me to the Rim Guardians in exchange for a heavy favor and some future concessions."
"Why?"
"That's none of your business!"
"Really now?" Ves grinned in a dangerous manner. He performed some cheap spiritual tricks to make himself appear more menacing. "What if I say it is? Tell me. Why. Are. You. Here?"
William squirmed in his place. The Garlener really did not say anything, but the pressure piling up on him eventually caused him to crack.
"Alright! My Urbesh Clan isn't exactly in a great position within our greater tribe! My forefathers used to lead the Slicer Tribe for several generations, but now we've weakened to the point where my clan is on the cusp of being driven away!"
"Why is that?"
"Because I can't step up! Each clan within the tribe only holds power so long as there is at least one expert pilot or higher in charge!"
Ves recalled now that the Garlen Empire revered high-ranking mech pilots. They admired them so much that they even got to rule the entire state!
In general, a state led by mech pilots usually turned into a disaster. It was very similar to states ruled by military leaders.
The biggest difference was that states ruled by generals or admirals at least had the benefit of being ruled by highly-educated leaders. Such states at least maintained some measure of civility.
Not so for states like the Garlen Empire. Mech pilots were required to devote so much time to piloting training that they hardly ever received a rounded education. They were warriors and soldiers to the core even if they advanced to experts.
No matter if expert pilots had transcended the limits of humanity, they still retained everything they were before. Expert pilots might make for fantastic combatants on the battlefield, but putting them in charge of the economy of a state made no sense at all!
Still, the Garlen Empire wasn't blind to these faults. In practice, while high-ranking mech pilots made all of the top-level decisions, the technocrats in the service of their clans and tribes handled all of the actual work.
In this way, the Garlen Empire managed to achieve some semblance of stability.
As Ves mused over these implications, William no longer experienced any pressure.
The mech pilot immediately took advantage of that fact.
"Are you impressed, Larkinson? I am a future leader of the great Garlen Empire! You should kneel in my presence! As long as you snivel before my feet, I might be considerate enough to invite you to serve the Urbesh Clan!"
Ves did not look amused. Now that he recalled the importance of expert pilots to the Garlen Empire, he knew that William would never be able to back up his boasts.
Why?
Because he wasn't an expert pilot! As long as William remained a mortal, he had no say in his clan, his tribe and his empire! He was a nobody!
Chapter 1285
After dealing with Gloriana, Ves disliked his show of weakness. How could his spine turn so soft in front of a girl?
Ves felt the need to reassert his masculinity. How better to do that then to teach William Urbesh a lesson? The Garlaner talked big, but everyone could see that he was no true warrior. The Vandals or the Swordmaidens would have chewed him up and spit him out in a second!
"How many battles have you fought?" He asked.
The simple question took William aback. "Pardon?"
"None, right? I bet you haven't even felled a single mech."
"I resent that accusation! I have beaten plenty of mechs!"
"Have any of those instances occurred outside of simulations and practice sessions?"
William's face began to flush. "I-I-I would have you know that I am a great Urbesh clansman! We have ruled the Slicer Tribe in the past and we shall do so again under my leadership!"
Really now. From what Ves could see, William would never be able to lead a village, let alone a prominent power of a second-rate state! If William thought he stood a real chance, then the Urbesh clan must be in a dire state!
"So you think you're hot stuff, right?"
"I wouldn't call myself that, but I am proud of my skill!"
"Then come prove it to me. Right here. Right now."
"W-What do you mean by that?"
Ves patted his chest. "Come prove your strength. Don't you want me to acknowledge you? Then come show what you're made of in the only way real men communicate!"
The real meaning of his provocation dawned upon the mech pilot. While Ves still stood in a casual posture, William began to enter into a fighting posture by raising his fists, leaning forward and bending his knees.
"That's better. Now come here and throw a punch!"
"You sure? I'm a trained fighter!"
"Then you should definitely be able to beat down a mech designer like me! Come on and fight already! Stop pussyfooting around like a craven—"
"WAAAAH!"
William ran up to Ves in a swift rush. His lean body gifted him with a lot of speed that caught Ves slightly by surprise.
Yet when William's punch landed, Ves merely looked bored as William immediately cried out and shook his pained knuckle.
"You're cheating! You have armor underneath your clothes! Your ship projected an anti-grav field that blocked my fist! There is no way you should be able to withstand my genetically-enhanced strength!"
Ves lazily kicked at the whining figure, causing William to fall flat on his back!
"OUCH! Are you a cyborg or something!? There's no way you're a mech designer!"
Contempt rose up from Ves. Compared to the likes of Tristan Wesseling and Gloriana Wodin, William Urbesh was the most pathetic citizen of a second-rate state he had ever met!
"Stop making excuses. If you can't even defeat someone who designs mechs all day, how can you ever hope to lead a clan or a tribe? I know thousands of third-raters like myself who can whoop your ass, genetic enhancements or no! Even a struggling pirate from the frontier is better than you, because they at least have the guts to keep fighting instead of complaining about unfairness!"
"Don't compare me to a pirate!"
Urbesh could no longer maintain his arrogant facade. If he couldn't even defeat a single mech designer, how could he call himself a warrior?
The mech pilot looked so pathetic that Ves took pity on the fellow. "I'm not like any other mech designer. Nonetheless, even if it isn't fair, so what? Battles are never fair. The galaxy isn't fair. Nothing is fair. If mech pilots are only able to fight when the battle is fair or in their favor, then you might as well say goodbye to your ambitions, because the only courage that's good enough to produce expert pilots is the one that dares to fight against overwhelming odds!"
"T-That's not true! There are many kinds of expert pilots!"
"How many have you actually met? Don't think I'm ignorant about expert pilots. My Larkinson Family currently boasts several expert pilots and expert candidates! We have high-ranking mech pilots in every generation leading all the way back to the founding of our home state! Can your Urbesh clan match my family's pedigree?"
William fell silent.
"The Urbesh Clan isn't in a good shape, am I correct?"
To his credit, William honestly admitted it. "My clan fell from grace in recent times. No expert pilot has emerged from our clan in two generations. Many of my relatives who tried have died or failed. The other clans don't want us to rise again, so they've deliberately cornered them into duels or lead them into accepting dangerous missions."
In a fairly plain society like the Bright Republic, personal honor played an important role among mech pilots. Mech pilots belonged to a distinct martial class that adhered to its own rules and traditions.
Yet from what Ves could recall of the Garlen Empire, the mech pilots there took it to a completely different level.
Honor played a much more important role. Battle feats and trophies served as proof as a mech pilot's valor. Those who impressed others with their battle prowess always got ahead of those who did not show off nearly as much.
Skill wasn't the only factor that determined a mech pilot's worth. The Garlaners wanted to be led by real warriors.
To Ves, the way the Garlen leaders constantly tried to outdo each other led to lots of violence. The Garlen Empire had gained a reputation for being highly militaristic and aggressive. They constantly threatened the other states of the Vicious Mountain Star Sector with the antics of their leaders whenever they felt the need to prove their worth.
A state led by mech pilots meant that it was actually led by the impulses of mech pilots. The state only existed to sustain a robust war industry and to provide an endless supply of cannon fodder to bolster the armies of the aggressive Garlen clans and tribes.
Ves had no idea how a pushover like William Urbesh emerged from such a militaristic state.
In fact, he knew almost nothing about the fellow at all. If Ves wanted to tackle his latest assignment seriously, then he should really study up on William's background and circumstances.
For now, Ves got what he wanted from the mech pilot. He no longer felt as small and weak as he did when he faced Gloriana.
"Alright, for now I'll pack you off to my cousin Melkor Larkinson so he can see what you're made of. Let me call him so that he can send a shuttle to pick you up."
He had no desire to hold William's hand all the time. The way Ves saw it, the Rim Guardians only cared about helping him become an expert candidate. The exact method didn't matter as long as the result was there.
Though William was in no way expert pilot material, nothing was impossible. With all the knowledge that Ves accrued, he knew exactly what was needed to push a mech pilot through the extraordinary threshold.
In fact, now that he thought about it, wasn't William the ideal guinea pig that he asked for? While the Urbesh clansman wasn't as good as a dwarf because Ves still needed to care for his life, at least he could try all sorts of experiments without risking the wellbeing of anyone he truly about!
An ominous glint shone in his eyes, causing William to shudder. Why did he feel like he was a mech about to be disassembled by an enthusiastic mech designer?
"Don't you worry, William. Us Larkinsons will take very good care of you, hehe." Ves grinned.
He sent a few messages to arrange the transfer. The Greenfeather reacted quickly, dispatching a shuttle to the Barracuda. Once Ves escorted William off the corvette, he turned back to his stateroom and called for Gavin.
"You called, boss?"
"I'm sure you looked up our new guest, Benny. What did you find?"
"Well, it's a doozy. I had to read up on the Garlen Empire and how the different tribes and clans are run before I figured out the context of William's circumstances. The first thing you should know is that the tribes of the Empire are similar to the partners of the Friday Coalition. They rule over vast swathes of space and possess a lot of autonomy."
Ves nodded in understanding. "I kind of figured that out already."
"Each tribe gets to be run by a patriarch who emerged from the strongest clan within their ranks. They are almost always ace pilots, but expert pilots will do if no aces have emerged. Sometimes, experts and aces come into prominence from tribesmen that don't belong to one of the premier clans, but they frequently ally themselves to one in order to climb higher."
Ace pilots were extremely rare. So much so that the Bright Republic only had a handful of them while the Friday Coalition was only marginally better off!
"Vicious Mountain is known as a brutal star sector. Its name is certainly apt." Gavin noted. "Part of why the star sector is embroiled in so much conflict is due to the existence of the Garlen Empire. Its martial culture has bled over into other states. It didn't help that states that focused more on peace over war tended to get overrun by their more warlike neighbors. Vicious Mountain is one of the most savage star sectors in our star region!"
"The star sector may be savage, but that does not mean they are primitive." Ves cautioned. "I know it's easy to look down on them because they act no differently from ancient tribes, but there is more to the Garlen Empire and the other states than their martial-oriented society."
Gavin shrugged. "Sure. There are plenty of civilians in the Empire who never experienced the cruelty of war. But the tribes make sure to indoctrinate them into volunteering for every new conflict they provoke."
"So everyone just goes along with the whims of their warmongering leaders." Ves commented.
He knew the power of indoctrination. Anyone could believe in anything as long as their surroundings reinforced the values they were meant to absorb.
"The Urbesh Clan is not in a very good state right now." Gavin continued. "A few generations ago, they lost most of their high-ranking mech pilots after a disastrous campaign. The ones that are left were barely able to keep the clan in existence. The Urbeshes had to concede most of their territory and their assets because they couldn't fend off the challenges from the rival clans within the tribe."
"Since the Urbeshes are so weak, why haven't they been eliminated?"
"The Garlen Empire isn't as bad as the Vesia Kingdom in that regard, boss. There are tons of rules and traditions the Garleners have to abide by. The restrictions they're subjected to make sure that the infighting doesn't devolve into outright slaughter. That would only weaken the tribes and the Empire in the long run, making them vulnerable to outside invasion."
"That makes a lot of sense. So the Urbesh Clan doesn't have any expert pilots, right?"
"No. The ones that remained after the disastrous campaign were already past their prime, and the last one died fairly recently. Currently, the Urbesh Clan is able to field only a hundred or so mech pilots and is one step away from dissolution. No matter how many regular mech pilots they've raised, a clan doesn't have the right to exist if they aren't capable of producing an expert pilot."
It was a sad decline to a once-illustrious clan. Ves found it a little odd that despite being able to field so many mech pilots, none of them had ever succeeded in breaking through to expert candidate or expert pilot.
For a clan with such a glorious history, wasn't that a bit too unnatural? From what he learned so far, the Urbeshes should be just as martial-focused as the Larkinsons!
Chapter 1286
The Komodo Star Sector sat adjacent to the Majestic Teal and Vicious Mountain Star Sectors.
Of the three, the Komodo Star Sector was the youngest among them. Not only that, but it was also designated as a frontier star sector by the Big Two.
A frontier star sector only possessed some of the attributes of a proper star sector. Its borders were fairly porous because the Big Two hadn't come around to plug most of the gaps in higher-dimensional space yet. Its developmental level and investment were fairly low as well.
In turn, frontier star sectors also enjoyed some special rights. The Big Two would not allow Majestic Teal and Vicious Mountain to bully their weaker neighbor. Though conflicts between them still occurred, they did not match the scale of conflicts between older and more developed star sectors.
According to several clues and estimates, it would take a century or two for the Komodo Star Sector to be upgraded to the next tier by the Big Two. Not only would it be designated as a developing star sector, but it would also acquire a proper two-word name.
One of the most favorite pastimes of the people who lived in the star sector was to come up with the most fitting name to describe their home.
Snarling Komodo, Deadly Komodo, Gratuitous Komodo, Naked Komodo, Screaming Komodo, the list went on and on. Ves didn't know who got to decide how the star sector would be called in the future, but he hoped the fellow would at least have some sense and pick a name that exuded class.
In this regard, Majestic Teal and Vicious Mountain were polar opposites in this regard. Whereas the former emphasized civilization, the latter revelled in its barbarism!
Vicious Mountain particularly aroused a bit of dread from the Komodo Star Sector. Their constant warring sometimes spilled over into the neighboring star sectors.
Yet for all of their senseless fighting and killing, the natives of Vicious Mountain attracted admiration from all around! In the Age of Mechs, nothing excited the people more than hearing tales of heroic mech pilots, many of whom originated from the mighty Garlen Empire.
In such a strong and cruel environment where mech pilots constantly forced each other to prove themselves or be eliminated or relegated to a lesser position, how could the Urbesh Clan raise someone as brittle as William?
This was the great mystery which Ves wanted an answer for. How come William spent his time in a boring place like the Komodo Star Sector?
"It turns out that William's parents were exiled to our star sector." Gavin revealed to Ves. "I can't find the reason why, but whatever they did was bad enough that the Urbesh Clan wanted the two to leave Vicious Mountain entirely."
"It could be that the Urbesh Clan exiled the parents for their own protection." Ves noted.
"That is a possibility. Sadly, dirty laundry like that can't be found on the galactic net. All I know is that William was actually born and raised in the Reinald Republic. He never once stepped foot in the Vicious Mountain Star Sector."
"Ah. That explains why he's so spineless."
Sure enough. Only a degenerate, materialistic state like the Reinald Republic could raise such a weak mech pilot.
Gavin noted another important detail. "Despite the fact that his parents were severely punished, they used to enjoy a high status within the clan. They're descended from expert pilots and patriarchs. Since William isn't guilty of the crimes of his parents and the Urbeshes aren't in the habit of forcing the younger generation to bear the sins of the older generation, technically he should be one of their premier scions."
"How impressive." Ves flatly remarked. "He isn't even accompanied by a single retainer or bodyguard. The Urbesh Clan must value him very highly."
"The Urbesh Clan is kind of falling apart." Gavin shrugged.
"Have you found out why the Rim Guardians have taken William under their wing for a time?"
"I really don't know. That's not the sort of information I can find from public sources. You'll have to ask him yourself, boss. It could be that the Urbesh Clan or his parents paid a very high price and promised even more to shape William up. It could be that the MTA doesn't like the clans that are on the rise in the Slicer Tribe. Maybe the Urbeshes used to be solid allies of the Rim Guardians."
Those were reasonable guesses. Ves did not consider the Rim Guardians to be a charitable organization, but neither did they have a strong reason to invest a lot in William.
There must be more behind the Garlaner. Ves was sure of it. "As far as I know, the Rim Guardians entrusted us with William for three years. During that time, we not only have to keep him alive, but we also have to do our best to turn him into an expert candidate."
That caused Gavin to look very critical. "If you ask me, the Rim Guardians are setting you up for an impossible mission. Expert pilots are already rare as it is. Even if the blood of expert pilots run in William's veins, that doesn't mean he has what it takes. If all the training programs the Rim Guardians put him through haven't shaped him up yet, then how can we do any better?"
"I'm not sure whether the Rim Guardians did their utmost to push William to his limits. He looks far too soft to suffer any real hardship." Ves noted. "The way they eagerly passed him on to me suggests that they consider him to be a useless burden, but were somehow forced to put up with him for other reasons."
"So what does that mean for us, boss?"
Ves shrugged. "I think the real focus of the Rim Guardians is not on William, but rather us, or me specifically. The Larkinsons have a very distinguished track record when it comes to raising expert pilots. At least we're better than the current Urbesh Clan in this regard. My design philosophy has also attracted some suspicion, I bet. Perhaps some within the MTA believe that my pilot-focused design philosophy is able to turn a turd into gold."
What would it mean if Ves returned to Centerpoint a few years later with a completely different William? How would the Rim Guardians react when the William they used to know turned from a craven poser into a valiant expert candidate?
It would definitely attract an uncomfortable degree of attention to Ves! Even if he made himself out like a lunatic to the MTA, the organization was clearly able to look past his supposed irrationality! After all, they even extended some favors to Gloriana!
Now that he thought about it, it would be rather counterproductive if Ves somehow succeeded in turning William into an extraordinary. Even if William only got a single foot in the door by becoming an expert candidate, the Rim Guardians and the rest of the MTA would definitely put him under greater scrutiny!
That was not what Ves wished to see!
While Ves saw a lot of advantages in growing closer to the Rim Guardians, it wasn't as if he needed it right now. With how unexceptional William was like, the fraternity shouldn't begrudge Ves too much if he failed to complete this impossible assignment.
That didn't mean he could neglect William entirely. If the Rim Guardian found out that Ves did nothing at all, then Ves would probably not enjoy their reaction!
To that end, he decided to make a half-hearted effort. It would be fine if he messed around a bit by handing William over to the Larkinsons or subject him to some dubious experiments.
As long as Ves appeared to be making an earnest effort, the Rim Guardians shouldn't have any objections.
After dismissing Gavin, Ves called Melkor and passed on what he learned.
"So our guest hasn't grown up in Vicious Mountain?" Melkor questioned. "That changes things."
"For all intents and purposes, he's no different from a Reinaldan. He may talk big, but so do all Reinaldans."
"Understood. How do you wish us to treat him, Ves? From what you just told me, he's been through several training programs but achieved little result."
"Well, the most important aspect that needs to change is his lack of spine. As long as we can stiffen him up, he at least has a minute chance of becoming an expert pilot. Right now, I don't see he has any way to achieve a breakthrough. His mentality is too weak."
Melkor rubbed his chin. "First, we'll have to know what he's capable of. We'll have to test his genetic aptitude, his specialization, his skills, his combat experience and more in order to draw up a training program. I'll probably have to ask some of our uncles and aunts for advice, is that okay?"
"Sure." Ves waved dismissively. "They'll surely have a lot to teach us. Try out their methods and see if William can catch on. If none of them work as well as we hoped, we can always resort to other solutions later on. Just make sure you are working on firming up his courage. We'll definitely have to address that problem first."
This was probably the hardest problem to solve. Ves hoped that Melkor could somehow manage to transform William into someone who was actually useful. If not, Ves did not mind tossing William to Ketis or stepping in himself.
Ves addressed another topic that had come up in his mind recently. "One other thing, Melkor. I'll likely be spending some time in the Friday Coalition for the foreseeable time. So long as I'm in Coalition space, the protection of the Avatars of Myth isn't very useful to me. It might even be detrimental."
"I.. agree. As great as our mechs perform in a place like the Bright Republic, they're not on par to the mechs that are commonly used in the Coalition. We'd be laughed at best by the locals. Our presence will not be able to bestow you with any prestige."
The admission did not come lightly. Melkor obviously incurred a blow to his pride by speaking out the painful truth.
"Don't take it too seriously, Melkor. It should be me who is to blame. The Avatars of Myth is a mech force that is only meant to operate in the Bright Republic and similar states. We don't have the money or foundation to incorporate second-class mechs to its roster."
"At least you have an existing arrangement with SASS. If you are in need of bodyguards in Coalition space, you might be able to solicit their services."
"I'll keep that suggestion in mind." Ves said, though he didn't plan to do so unless absolutely necessary.
It cost way too much money to hire them! He'd have to beg Master Olsen to pay in his stead!
"How long will you be gone from home?"
"I don't know. It depends on what Master Olson wants from me and what I'm allowed to choose. I'll try my best not to stay away for more than a year."
Melkor nodded. "Inform us once you know."
After a brief chat where Ves made some other arrangements, he ended the call. For now, both the Barracuda and the Greenfeather would jump to a border system of the Friday Coalition.
Once there, they would split ways. The Barracuda would move on to Leemar while the Greenfeather made her way back to the Bright Republic, carrying Melkor, the Avatars he brought with them, and William Urbesh.
This basically left him with only Lucky and Gavin as his companions.
"Well, it's best not to bring too many people when I'm in the Friday Coalition." He muttered. "The locals aren't too fond of seeing too many rats at a time."
Novices and Apprentices from lesser states were treated like dirt in the Friday Coalition, but Ves no longer counted among them.
Ever since he became a Journeyman and a galactic citizen, Ves ought to receive better treatment from the Coalition.
"Let's see what opportunities I can find."
Chapter 1287
The Barracuda and the Greenfeather finally departed from the busy Centerpoint System. Once they transitioned into a Coalition star system, the Barracuda went on to jump to the interior of Coalition space.
"It will take a couple of weeks to arrive at Leemar, sir." Captain Silvestra reported. "According to the navigational data we've obtained, our vessel has to pass through some adverse tides to reach our destination. That will delay our journey by a couple of days."
"It's okay. As I've said before, we aren't on a strict time limit. Just make sure we reach our destination safe and sound." Ves said dismissively.
"That shouldn't be any problem. The Barracuda is a Leemar-built space yacht, so it is more than capable of traversing the Friday Coalition's distinctive higher-dimensional turbulence."
"Oh? Is there a difference?"
The captain nodded. "Star systems that are richer in exotics or features more active energy levels such as larger suns are more difficult to travel around. The surrounding regions of higher-dimensional space can sometimes be as calm and mild as in the Bright Republic, but it could also erupt into a storm."
"Does that mean that the Greenfeather would have been under threat if she continued travelling alongside the Barracuda?"
"Not unless a freak accident occurs. She's a modern light carrier, so her FTL drive is still close to optimal. It's the older ships that have seen a couple of decades of constant use that are in danger. When they're fifty years or older, their FTL drives are seriously degraded. Their tolerance to adverse situations won't be as good as before. This problem is much more pronounced with cheaper ships than a Coalition-standard vessel like the Barracuda."
In short, cheap and old starships really shouldn't have any business entering Coalition space. The Friday Coalition occupied a large chunk of the most desirable star systems in the star sector. Most of those systems were filled with exotics which exerted a noticeable influence on their surroundings.
"What's the lifespan of an average starship?" Ves curiously asked.
"Depends. There's no simple answer to this question, sir. It's probably the same with mechs. Good design, sound production, diligent maintenance and prudent use will massively prolong the effective lifespan of a starship. Naturally, even if proper spacers judge that a starship has reached the end of her lifespan, others might not agree."
Ves understood. "Never underestimate humanity's urge to take shortcuts or pick up a bargain despite the risks."
He had seen a lot of forces make use of second-hand or even third-hand starships. Converted carriers, the most often-used mech transport in the galaxy, were almost always adapted from decommissioned cargo haulers and the like.
Mechs were expensive. Ships were expensive. Many outfits could only afford to invest the bulk of their wealth in one, leaving them with very thin purses by the time they addressed the other.
The ramshackle rust buckets employed by impoverished mercenary corps and bottom feeder pirate gangs may fare okay in the frontier or in the outer region of a star sector. While these vessels possessed many faults, their aging FTL drives were unlikely to encounter any dangerous situations during FTL travel.
"How long do you think the Barracuda can last?"
"Easily a century as long as she won't get shot at during this time." The captain replied. "You'll probably upgrade to a better ship by then. With how fast you've shot up, I'm sure you'll be able to afford a grand yacht or something better in a couple of decades."
Ves could very well imagine such a possibility. "Your crew won't be around forever, right?"
She smiled. "All of us want to settle down eventually. While I love my job, I don't see myself as a spaceborn. I don't want my children to grow up entirely in space either. Still, we might serve aboard your ships for a certain duration or work from offices of the Avatars of Myth."
Every employee working for Ves was also a human. They had lives outside of their jobs. Ves would be a very poor boss if he neglected that most of them wished to enjoy a family life as well.
"Are your replacements already in place?"
Silvestra shook her head. "Fleet Commander Rofane, who is pretty irate at you for neglecting to meet with him by the way, has already started to address that matter. He's implementing a rotation of spacers and crew to staff your growing collection of space vessels."
Ah. Ves did neglect to meet with the fleet commander, but strictly speaking he already reported to Melkor. There was no need for Ves to meet with every recent hire in person.
In any case, it sounded as if the fleet commander was already doing good work.
After letting the captain return to her work, Ves retreated to his stateroom.
Days passed by as the Barracuda swiftly traversed through Coalition space. Ves turned back to busying himself by puzzling with the Skull Architect's designs.
He already completed a variant of the Caskar Pike and achieved significant progress in doing the same for the Toroz Ruby and the Jinven. The spaceborn striker and aerial marksman designs both offered useful insights to Ves, mainly because he never designed these archetypes before.
The Toroz Ruby attracted his interest the most. "Most light mechs are hell to fight against up close due to their high mobility. Their opponents will have to deploy light mechs as well or resort to striker mechs."
While the definition of striker mechs weren't quite fixed, they were mostly heavier and tougher than light mechs and possessed superior wide-area armament such as flamethrowers. They were most often used to defend against light mech raids, but they performed decently in a couple of other roles as well.
The Skull Architect opted to pair two weapon systems in his spaceborn take on a striker mech. The Toroz Ruby's primary armament consisted of a ballistic shotgun with a fairly narrow shot pattern.
It needed to be narrow because many battles between two different mech forces in space often turned into tangled clumps where friend and foe intermingled with each other.
If the shotgun sprayed pellets or other projectiles all over the space, they might be liable to hit their allies!
For this reason, the shotgun wielded by the striker mech was particularly suited to take out incoming light mechs from medium range.
However, that did not leave the striker mech with a lot of options if a light mech snuck up into close range.
The Skull Architect chose to address this problem by adding a second weapon system. From what Ves learned about second-class mechs, this ought to be his typical response to these kinds of problems.
"A mech designer from a third-rate state would accept this shortcoming, while a mech designer from a second-rate state would seek to add something that can mitigate it instead."
The problem was that the Skull Architect applied second-rate solutions to a third-rate mech. The result was that his Toroz Ruby possessed a very busy internal architecture due to the addition of integrated heat beams mounts to the striker mech's shoulders.
Though the heat beams were very useful in fending off light mechs by heating them up to dangerous levels when they came closer, they also consumed an enormous amount of power.
Depending on how often a Toroz Ruby had to resort to the heat beams, the effective uptime of the striker mech might be as short as half an hour!
"The Toroz Ruby's flight system is also a bit of a power hog!"
The striker mech needed to possess at least some of the mobility to keep up with all the light mechs flitting about. Although the design wasn't expected to outrace a light mech outright, it should at least be a challenge to bypass.
All in all, the Skull Architect's design choices turned the Toroz Ruby into a very difficult mech to maintain and pilot.
"It's the same with the Caesar Augustus and the Marc Antony. Hybrid mechs are inherently more complicated to work with. Their complexity is well above average." He muttered.
It didn't help that the Skull Architect placed fairly high expectations on its mech pilots, nevermind that most of his customers consisted of badly-trained pirates nowadays.
While Ves could tell that the Skull Architect made some concessions, the vast majority of the Toroz Ruby's design focused way too much on drawing out the maximum possible performance.
Something came up while he worked on his variant of the striker mech.
"Now that I think about it, his design philosophy shares some resemblance to that of Gloriana. Is that why both of them are so extreme?"
His guess made a lot of sense to him. Both mech designers may differ in rank and origin, but their design philosophies both pursued ideals associated with achieving the best possible result.
"The best mech design doesn't exist." Ves shook his head. "Both of them are facing an uphill battle if they seek to realize their design philosophies."
Perhaps that was why mech designers who pursued the best tended to be so radical. They were far more desperate than other mech designers to find a way out of a maze that didn't possess an exit.
Gloriana must be aware of this problem, so sought to obtain a solution early.
"The solution she came up with is borrowing the strength of another mech designer to overcome her problem."
When different mech designers with compatible design philosophies combined their strengths, a result that surpassed the sum of two parts might emerge. Such a qualitative transformation would reveal a lot of aspects about their design philosophies that they didn't know.
Studying the result and figuring out why their design philosophies achieved better results than by themselves should be one of the proven ways to figure out a future direction.
"No wonder mech designers collaborate so often. It's not just to incorporate another mech designer's strength into a design, but also serves as both an experiment and learning opportunity."
Because both Gloriana and the Skull Architect appeared to have adopted Class I design philosophies, they should have a lot of difficulty finding synergistic collaborators. Both of them tried to improve a broad swathe of aspects, which posed a lot of hindrances to many other design philosophies.
"Each of them are desperate for a mech designer who help them exit the maze."
Equating the two made Ves a bit worried. He realized that the same reasons that made Gloriana so obsessed about him also applied to the Skull Architect!
Imagining the Skull Architect inviting Ves to a 'meeting' during a candlelight dinner only to return to a shared hotel room later in the night...
"BLEH!" Ves erupted, startling Lucky who lazily hovered above his head. "That's disgusting!"
Even though this nightmare was so ridiculous that it would never come to pass, Ves nonetheless believed there was a kernel of truth.
The Skull Architect would definitely benefit as much from collaborating with Ves as Gloriana!
If his guess was right, then Ves might not only have to contend with one stalker!
"Goddammit!"
Still, once he calmed down, Ves did not think it was all that bad. The Skull Architect might be crazy, but he was also a force to be reckoned with in the frontier. Developing a cordial or even a friendly business relationship with him should prove very helpful down the line.
"I'll still be playing with fire, though."
The risks needed to be worth it. The man was so unstable that being his friend might not mean anything, but becoming his enemy would definitely lead to awful consequences!
He decided to push the matter aside and focus on finishing his variant for the Toroz Ruby.
In general, Ves did not mess around too much to develop his variant. He decided not to do anything too exciting but merely tuned down some of its excessive performance while instilling it with a weak image.
"That should be enough to keep the fellow happy." He muttered.
Chapter 1288
The quiet journey to Leemar not only allowed Ves to do his homework, but also take care of other matters.
For example, Ves finally judged the Barracuda traveled far enough from Centerpoint to check up on the System. Under Lucky's vigilant ECM shielding, he summoned his System comm from his Inventory and activated his Privacy Shield.
While he did not have total confidence that these countermeasures would be able to jam state-of-the-art MTA surveillance technology, the Friday Coalition was an entirely different matter. He also activated it during FTL travel, so it was extremely unlikely for their spies to be snooping in on him right now.
"It's been a while."
Though the System gave him numerous advantages, he did not wish to become too dependent on it. So far, he figured he did a good job of that, though it left him to abandon many opportunities that he could have pursued earlier.
Ever since he met Gloriana, he somehow felt lacking. Ves found himself unable to resist her forwardness and constantly ceded the initiative to her whenever she took charge.
"It's probably her Hexer background in combination with her current success. Even with her privileged upbringing, she has achieved a lot for a mech designer."
And she did all of that without something similar to the System. Ves couldn't help but admire her deep down in his mind.
Thinking about her and how weak-kneed he acted in her presence still sent him into an ambivalent mood.
A part of him wanted to be more impressive. He previously thought he was doing quite well enough as a mech designer, so he did not feel much pressure to forcibly upgrade his design abilities.
Yet after meeting Gloriana, the urge to improve himself reasserted with a vengeance. How could he ever take the initiative when he always felt inadequate in front of a fellow peer?
"If I don't feel confident enough, I'll just have to improve myself to the point where I can hold my ground when I meet her again!"
Still, another part of Ves wanted nothing to do with Gloriana. He had seen how extreme fanatics could become in order to obtain what they wanted. Falling deeper into her clutches both pleased him and repelled him at the same time!
"What is wrong with me?!" Ves violently shook his head.
If not for her fanaticism, Ves would have wholeheartedly pursued her. She ticked all the right boxes. In her own words, they made for a perfect couple. Yet the way she let herself be controlled by her obsessiveness and compulsions sometimes freaked him out.
"Well, it's not like I'm much better."
The big question that haunted him recently was whether Ves should accept Gloriana's affections or close himself off to her entirely.
"I don't think she'll like it if I ignore her." Ves grimaced. "All manner of bad things might happen if I scorn such a driven woman."
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, particularly one so capable as Gloriana!
On the other hand, accepting her would not only allow Ves to avoid that unpleasantness, but also enjoy the company of someone he genuinely found attractive and complimented him very well on a professional level.
An important question popped up whenever Ves seriously contemplated growing closer to the Hexer.
"Can I trust her?"
Strangely enough, his intuition was strongly in favor of trusting Gloriana. The woman might have a few screws loose in her head, but her abnormal dedication towards him was definitely genuine!
"The main reason why all those faiths and rebel movements cultivate fanaticism and blind devotion is because it's the strongest way to ensure loyalty!"
A fanatic was another word for an unflinching loyalist to a certain cause. It simply wasn't possible to bribe or coerce fanatics to betray their cause.
They were so loyal that most manipulation and interrogation techniques would fail when applied to them. The only way to get them to talk was to employ very harsh or advanced methods, but this usually killed or permanently disabled the fanatic in question.
Although Ves felt a little uncomfortable about it, he did not feel so uncomfortable if he shared some of his secrets with her if their relationship grew deeper.
"It will take a long time before I get to this point. There's little use contemplating it now."
He turned his attention back to the System.
[Design Evaluation: Transcendent Messenger]
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that."
Ves merely skimmed it over before dismissing it. The evaluation didn't tell him anything new. Perhaps the only criteria worth paying attention to was its X-Factor.
X-Factor: A-
"A- huh? That's a little worse than the Aurora Titan, but not out of my expectations."
Any mech design with an A-grade X-Factor was already remarkable. Their only fault was that they were very troublesome to achieve.
He shrugged off the evaluation report and moved on to his Status.
[Status]
Name: Ves Larkinson
Profession: Journeyman Mech Designer
Specializations: Spiritual Man-Machine Symbiosis
Design Points: 276,167
Attributes
Strength: 1.4
Dexterity: 1.0
Endurance: 2.0
Intelligence: 2.2
Creativity: 2.1
Concentration: 2.1
Spirituality: 1.4
Neural Aptitude: F
Skills
[Assembly]: Journeyman - [3D Printer Proficiency IV] - [Assembler Proficiency IV]
[Battle Mechatronics]: Apprentice - [Knight Mech Mastery I] - [Rifleman Mech Mastery I] - [Space Knight Mastery I] - [Hero Mech Mastery I]
[Business]: Apprentice
[Computer Science]: Apprentice - [Mech Hacking II]
[Electrical Engineering]: Journeyman - [Structural Pathway Configuration IV] - [Energy Storage IV] - [Conductors III] - [Ultracompact Energy Storage I]
[Materials Science]: Journeyman - [Crystallography III] - [Crystal Laser Propagation II] - [Lithic Materials I]
[Mathematics]: Journeyman
[Mechanics]: Journeyman - [Jury Rigging IV] - [Speed Tuning IV]
[Metallurgy]: Journeyman - [Alloy Compression III]
[Metaphysics]: Apprentice - [X-Factor IV] - [Spiritual Senses II] - [Spiritual Exploration I] - [Spiritual Projection I] - [Spiritual Empowerment I] - [Spiritual Imprint Manipulation I] - [Spiritual Masking I]
[Interfacing]: Novice
[Physics]: Senior - [Directed Energy Weapon Optimization III] - [Gamma Laser Weapons I] - [Lightweight Armor Optimization II] - [Mediumweight Armor Optimization IV] - [Melee Weapon Optimization IV] - [Polarizing Shielding II] - [Rapid-Fire Laser Weapon Operation II] - [Optics III]
[Propulsion]: Journeyman - [Flight Systems IV]
[Salvaging]: Apprentice - [Field Repairs III]
[Signals and Communications]: Journeyman - [Anti-Stealth Detection II]
[Stealth and Cloaking]: Novice
Abilities
[Superpublish]: Available. Can be activated once a year.
[Inventorize]: Unavailable.
Evaluation: A young Journeyman Mech Designer at the start of developing his unique design philosophy.
"That's odd. My Spirituality increased by 0.1." Ves noted with curiosity.
Aside from this peculiar growth, nothing else of significance had changed. His DP growth was quite respectable. It signified that his company was making very brisk sales.
In particular, the Aurora Titan had attracted a cult following according to Gavin. NORA Consolidated expected sales to slump after it had fulfilled the initial orders, but customers from other states began to appreciate the super-medium space knight.
Outfits learned that the Aurora Titan had a very good effect on morale. While its application was very narrow and inflexible, its presence alone always succeeded in boosting the morale of every friendly.
Not only that, but the Aurora Titan's intimidating aura seriously oppressed any raiders attempting to assault a trade convoy.
Whether this was worth paying 100 million bright credits or more depended on the customer. Most outfits simply couldn't justify the expenditure, but there were always a few outfits in every state that saw the true value of fielding a unique and inspiring mech like the Aurora Titan!
For this reason, Ves expected his DP earnings to continue to grow steadily for the foreseeable future.
"In fact, the DP I've accumulated doesn't reflect the full earnings the LMC has made."
One notable source of income to a mech company was the licensing of its mech designs. The Aurora Titan design was a public mech design that came under an increasing amount of attention.
Many mech designers became very interested in figuring out the secrets behind the remarkable design. They licensed the design in order to obtain the full design schematics and additional documentation so that they might be able to explore it and design a superior mech.
Many of these mech designers usually consisted of greedy Apprentices who were jealous at the LMC's bountiful product margins. What was the difficulty of designing a variant of the Aurora Titan and undercutting the original model by pricing their works a little cheaper?
They mostly failed.
Any mech designer that muddled up the original design with their own additions only spoiled its X-Factor. Without exception, every single variant lost much of the intrinsic value that only someone like Ves would add to his mech design!
Journeymen and Seniors knew better. They probably figured out that the unique strength that Ves bestowed on his mech designs was actually a Class IX design philosophy.
While most mech designers could learn a thing or two from other people's design philosophy, Class IX design philosophies were different.
They were too weird! Therefore, while a couple of Journeymen and Seniors had indeed licenced the Aurora Titan, they did not have any illusions of copying the original designer's trade secrets.
"In fact, I don't even know why they licensed the Aurora Titan design if they don't intend to publish a variant. Are they doing it for research purposes?" Ves scratched his head.
Well, in any case, the LMC was raking in a lot of fees. Each time a mech designer applied for a standard 10-year license, they forked out 6 billion bright credits!
Even if NORA Consolidated pocketed seventy-five percent of that sum, leaving the LMC with only 1.5 billion credits, the dozens of licenses issued in the last couple of months really added a lot of money to the company's coffers.
"Well, the shareholders are probably the happiest. The LMC won't skimp out on dividends this year."
Ves turned his attention back to his Status and evaluated what he should improve. He mainly wanted to gain some confidence, and what better than to pad his Skills?
"Upgrading my Sub-Skills won't have that much effect." Ves shook his head.
He wanted a comprehensive upgrade. For this reason, he decided to upgrade his main Skills. Now that he became Journeyman, the sheer influx of knowledge shouldn't strain his mind as much.
He was also much more equipped to fulfill the Upgrade Missions the Systems decided to send on his way.
[Dexterity Attribute Candy]: 1,000 DP
[Dexterity Attribute Candy]: 1,100 DP
[Dexterity Attribute Candy]: 1,200 DP
[Dexterity Attribute Candy]: 1,300 DP
[Dexterity Attribute Candy]: 1,400 DP
[Dexterity Attribute Candy]: 1,500 DP
[Strength Attribute Candy]: 1,400 DP
[Strength Attribute Candy]: 1,500 DP
[Mechanical Fault Detection I]: 10,000 DP
[Fixed Armor Specialization I]: 10,000 DP
[Flexible Armor Specialization I]: 10,000 DP
[Mechanics - Senior]: 100,000 DP
[Metallurgy - Senior]: 100,000 DP
Before he upgraded his Mechanics and Metallurgy Skills, he decided to upgrade his physical attributes first. While it was tempting to upgrade his Strength and Dexterity straight to 2.0, Ves was wary of changing his body too drastically. Past experience suggested that huge leaps in improvement led to a lot of unforeseen side effects!
"Upgrading both of my lowest physical attributes to 1.6 should be sufficient."
Ves was right to be careful. As soon as he swallowed all the attribute candies, his body felt increasingly more uncomfortable to him. While he didn't feel any pain, his loss of coordination was quite serious!
It was as if he had just undergone a major gene optimization treatment. If not for his lingering familiarity with his body, Ves might not be able to control his body at all for a couple of weeks!
"As it is, I'm barely able to stand and walk!"
Nonetheless, the benefits should be more than worth it. As long as he got used to his new changes, Ves would see numerous benefits in his life. Beating up mech designers and mech pilots out of their mechs in order to assert his dominance would become trivially easy.
Just the thought of doing so in front of an impressed-looking Gloriana made him want to thump his chest!
"Urgh! I'm doing it for myself, not for Gloriana!"
Ves quickly shook his head and proceeded to upgrade his Skills.
Because both Mechanics and Metallurgy did not meet the System's prerequisites concerning Sub-Skills, Ves decided to add in three useful-sounding Sub-Skills. Each of them helped him detect and mitigate flaws in his designs that he would have otherwise overlooked.
"It will save me the trouble of discovering the flaws during tests."
After that, he finally pulled the trigger and upgraded his two Journeyman-level Skills.
As expected, the System presented him with two Upgrade Missions.
Chapter 1289
[Upgrade Mission - Mechanics]
Mission: Design and Fabricate a bestial mech
Difficulty: C-Rank
Prerequisites: [Mechanics - Journeyman]
Description
Humanoid mechs are the predominant standard shape of mechs. Yet they are not the only option available. Humanoid mechs carry distinct strengths and weaknesses. Certain roles are best filled by bestial mechs which adopt shapes that do not conform to the human body.
Study the use and application of bestial mechs without aid and design a classical bestial mech that meets the Mech Designer System's standards. Then fabricate it and sell it to a worthy customer.
Reward:
[Mechanics - Senior]
[Upgrade Mission - Metallurgy]
Mission: Design and Fabricate a smart metal mech
Difficulty: C-Rank
Prerequisites: [Mechanics - Metallurgy]
Description
Mechs are ordinarily plated by fixed, inflexible alloys. This is not the only solution available. Smart metals have been developed that consists of nanomachines or other micro-level substances that can add a certain degree of flexibility to the usage of a mech.
Study the use and applications of smart metal without aid and employ them into a viable mech design that meets the Mech Designer System's standards. Then fabricate it and sell it to a worthy customer.
Reward:
[Metallurgy - Senior]
"Wow. This is.. well, not easy, but quite doable!"
Ves felt a small amount of relief that the System did not put him in a difficult spot this time. When he wanted to upgrade his Physics Skill to Senior-level, the System forced him to develop a gamma laser rifle.
He expected the System to try and screw him over by violating another major taboo or two, but it seems he finally caught a break for once.
"It wouldn't have been necessary anyway." Ves muttered.
He used to revere and respect the Big Two. No longer. The tenets of the MTA were worth as much as a spoiled nutrient pack to him. He wouldn't hesitate if the System commanded him to design a mech that turned the very ground it walked upon into a toxic sludge pool!
As Ves contemplated the nature of his two upgrade missions, he realized two important points.
First, the upgrade missions compelled him to learn more about bestial mechs and smart metal through his own efforts. He wasn't able to gain the required knowledge by acquiring the relevant Sub-Skills in the Skill Tree.
"With my learning speed, it won't take much effort for me to get up to speed." He muttered.
Second, instead of designing two separate mechs to fulfill each mission in sequence, why not try to fulfill both of their demands with just a single mech?
"There's nothing there that says I can't hit two birds with one stone."
A bestial mech with an exterior that consisted of smart metal was not too unusual. Ves could save a lot of time and effort if he opted to design such a machine.
"The sooner I upgrade my main Skills, the more confident I'll be the next time I meet Gloriana!"
This time would definitely come! With how big of a crush she developed towards him, there was no way she could accept being separated from him for so long!
"I can't let her run over me again like last time! How can I call myself a man when Gloriana thinks she should protect me? I'm not a baby!"
Lucky, who lounged in the vicinity, raised his head at Ves. "Meow."
"Pff! You're wrong! I don't have a weakness against strong women!"
"Meow meow!"
"My mother, Master Olson, Calabast and Gloriana are just exceptions! The only reason I'm weak in front of them is because of other factors!"
"Meoooow!"
"I DO NOT HAVE A FETISH FOR STRONG WOMEN BECAUSE MY MOTHER DIED EARLY!"
Ves firmly turned around didn't pay any further attention to the nonsense uttered by his pet.
He instead returned to work. He decided to set aside his studies on smart metals and bestial mechs until after he completed designing the third variant for the Skull Architect. He didn't want his other stalker to send out another Shadow Courier to remind him of his obligations!
His lack of coordination hampered his efforts a bit. However, it also offered a good opportunity for him to retrain his fine control over his motor functions.
He also started to flex the new Sub-Skills he acquired by eliminating some subtle flaws and suboptimal implementations in all of his variants. His variants of the Caskar Pike, the Toroz Ruby and the Jinven became a little more flawless, which should stave off some the Skull Architect's ire.
As the Barracuda was less than a week away from Leemar, Ves received a disturbing call. He was putting the finishing touches of his variant of the Jinven and did not look glad.
However, upon seeing who called him, Ves understood why his mute didn't work. "It's Gloriana again."
Should he accept or not?
"I better not."
Ves rejected the call. For good measure, he turned off his comm entirely.
Yet seconds later, a projection came to life in his stateroom. Ves might have turned off his personal comm, but the Barracuda possessed its own communication system!
The tall, life-like projection of Gloriana appeared in view. This time, she wore a trendy ensemble of smart clothing that made her look both chic and fashionable.
It was a pity that Gloriana did not look happy at the moment! Her fists were pressed against her hips and a cute pout marred her face.
"Ves Larkinson! Did you just reject my call?!"
"Nonono! I err I was just about to take a bath and turned off my comm beforehand!"
"Who would believe such a ridiculous excuse? Comms are waterproof!"
"Not mine. It's a cheaper model! I can't afford anything better!"
Gloriana shook her head in stern disappointment. "Stop making excuses. Regardless of whether you are ready or not, you better not reject my calls again. I'll punish you if you do."
Her words caused Ves to shake a little, especially at the end. Although she didn't specify her 'punishment', he figured it was best not to find out!
"I'll do my best to answer your calls." He said perfunctory.
"Great!" She bloomed into a smile. "It's so nice to see you again! I've held back from calling you for so long, but I couldn't take it any longer! I just had to hear your voice again!"
The speed in which she swung her mood disturbed him a bit. Yet Ves also felt happy for making Gloriana happy. He enjoyed seeing her smile for some reason.
"Let's have a virtual date!" She suggested, and activated a command in her own comm that caused his stateroom to fade away, only to be replaced by a scenic virtual vista.
A gorgeous expanse of alien wilderness stretched out before them. Ves and Gloriana both appeared to float above the air, giving them an uninterrupted view of various species of exobeasts living out their placid, simulated lives.
"Come sit with me!"
Ves hesitantly approached and sat next to Gloriana. The woman noticed his apprehension and frowned for a moment.
"Why are you so glum? Is the prospect of spending time with me so scary to you?"
"No!" Ves reflexively shook his head. "I just.. Aren't we moving a little bit fast?"
Obviously, Gloriana disagreed, but she didn't voice out her opinion directly. Instead, she calmed herself and adopted a caring tone.
"Where's your smooth talk, Ves? You weren't so nervous when we initially met. You called me beautiful, right?"
"I did."
"Say it again."
Gloriana's eyes stared at him with so much hope and anticipation that Ves couldn't bring himself to refuse her request.
"You're beautiful." He whispered.
"See? That's not so hard, isn't it? Hihi!" She giggled with glee. "So what have you been doing lately?"
Design variants of works from a notorious criminal mech designer, but Ves couldn't say that over an insecure channel.
"Just.. studying." He lied. "I have to keep sharpening my skills. Becoming a Journeyman is not enough. There's always more to learn."
"I agree!" Gloriana nodded. "There's so much to learn, but our time is so limited. Even if I got my family to help pay for gene boost elixirs and other gene treatments, I still have to spend too much time on my studies. I have no choice if I want to keep up with the demands of my design philosophy!"
"I hear that once you become a Senior, you spend less time on studying existing knowledge and more time on performing original research."
"That's true." She confirmed. "While there's still more to learn, it's not always a good idea to let yourself be dictated by your knowledge. What you know will shape the development of your design philosophy. At a higher level, most mech designers will want to balance out their acquired knowledge with original knowledge they formulated themselves. No Master has emerged who relied entirely on knowledge learned from others to advance!"
"Oh?" Ves raised his eyebrow. He hadn't heard of this before. "How much original knowledge should they develop?"
"As much as possible, though that's clearly impossible. You need to form at least a solid foundation and a decent spread of proficiencies in order to be able to design mechs without any glaring inadequacies. You also need a broad base of knowledge in order to support and to provide context to your original insights."
In other words, it was a balancing act. Mech designers needed to develop enough ingenuity to be able to make new discoveries, but they also had to keep learning in order to apply their discoveries in actual mech designs.
"How far are you into developing your design philosophy? It hasn't been long since you became a Journeyman, right Ves?"
"I already made some decent progress while I was still an Apprentice. My design philosophy is so unusual that I had no choice but to figure out some stuff myself."
She looked very impressed at him. "As expected of the man I have my eye on! When I studied your mech designs, it's fairly notable how distinct they feel. That's not the strength a fresh Journeyman is capable of expressing. I won't let you take the lead, however! I'll work hard to stay ahead of you! What kind of woman would I be if you advanced to Senior before me? My parents would be ashamed!"
Ves didn't know what to say. Shouldn't he be the one to boast how he would advance first and lend her a hand after he became wealthier and more powerful?
"Ahem, I wouldn't mind if you advanced first, though." She smiled coyly. "Though we'll see if that happens."
"You're on."
Neither of them had an easy path towards becoming a Senior. Ves had to innovate all by himself while Gloriana truly had to study a very broad range of subjects in order to come closer to being able to design the perfect vessels for her clients.
The two chatted a bit longer. Ves found that Gloriana knew a lot more about the circumstances that Journeyman faced, so he gladly listened to her explanations.
"Journeymen ought to be explorers at heart." She stated. "While studying existing knowledge is still vital, they really ought to start doing their own research."
"What if some other mech designer already figured out what you wanted to develop towards?" Ves asked curiously.
"Then you'd instinctively feel it in your design philosophy. For certain reasons that I don't know, if you are researching something that others have already explored, then your design philosophy won't progress as much. Most mech designers with boring design philosophies are forced to grapple with this problem. The best way to solve it is by forking out their specialty in a direction that hasn't been explored yet by any existing mech designer."
"What about direct disciples? From what I heard, they're pretty much inheriting the design philosophies of their Masters."
"That's different." Gloriana shook her head. "The design philosophies of Masters are different. They are permanent. They have transcended from a single mech designer's exclusive preserve and can easily be shared among multiple mech designers. Direct disciples follow a very different means of progression."
All of this was very fascinating for Ves to hear. If Gloriana was right, then Ves ought to be able to tell whether another mech designer had already tread the same ground as him with regards to his specialization.
Chapter 1290
Talking to Gloriana wasn't so bad as long as they didn't stray into crazy territory. As long neither of them discussed their design philosophies in depth, Ves did not have any reason to freak out.
It helped that Gloriana made a serious effort to present a calm facade to Ves. She radiated so much happiness that Ves could not bear to displease such an adoring woman.
Over the course of their 'virtual date', they admired several more virtual sceneries. From untamed planets to bustling cityscapes of highly-advanced planets, Ves enjoyed the backdrop as they mostly talked about professional matters.
Talking about general mech design subjects was safe territory to him. Due to his rapid advancement and quick exit from Centerpoint, he neglected to learn the essential advice that all Journeymen should hear. Gloriana did him a great favor by patiently explaining what he missed.
"So it matters a lot whether a design philosophy has been realized or not?" Ves confirmed.
"Yup! Before a mech designer reaches Master, their design philosophy is largely a property of themselves. They won't share it because it will adversely affect their chances of realizing it. I mentioned earlier that if someone is trying to develop their design philosophy in a direction that has already been taken, that it won't bring as many gains."
"Won't that leave mech designers open to sabotage by newcomers who wish to pursue the same design philosophies as theirs?"
"Not as such." Gloriana refuted. "The design philosophy is mainly a possession of the foremost pioneer. Unless they slack off and some other mech designer puts in a huge amount of effort to catch up, the pioneers don't have much to fear"
So it was basically the mech designers who followed afterwards who suffered most of the disadvantages.
A disturbing possibility came to mind, though.
"However, to Journeymen and Seniors, their design philosophies only last while they are alive, right? Doesn't that mean that someone who is pursuing the same direction can just kill off the mech designers in front?"
"It doesn't work that way, Ves. While it's true that if a Journeyman or Senior dies, their design philosophies will go up in smoke, but there are still consequences, though I'm not too sure about them. From what I've heard, the vacated design philosophy still carries a lingering element of the deceased pioneering mech designer. There are some odd theories out there that claims that those who thwarted the dead designer will encounter many hindrances when they pursue the same design philosophy. I'm not sure whether this is true, but plenty of instances like this have occurred over the years."
Though Gloriana looked a bit skeptical at these claims, Ves could very well see how this could be so. A design philosophy was deeply personal to a mech designer. His own design philosophy was intermingled with his spiritual energy, which meant it also bore his spiritual imprint.
Even if he died, his spiritual imprint would still live on for a time.
It probably exerted a lot of influence if someone he considered his enemy tried to take over his design philosophy.
In contrast, proteges and mech designers who the deceased cared about would probably find it easier to take over the mantle.
"Is this why only Masters get to take on true apprentices and disciples while lesser mech designers are only allowed to mentor proteges?"
"Correct. The differences go beyond commitment and a change of terminology. Mentors are only limited to guiding their proteges. Although they are allowed to guide a protege down a specific path, it cannot be their own unless they are getting old and have given up on realizing their design philosophies. As for Masters, they have two options available. They can mentor their nominal disciples but also impart their design philosophies to their direct disciples."
All of this information broadened his perspective. Ves understood that these patterns of behavior emerged due to the peculiarities of what it meant to 'own' a design philosophy.
What Gloriana described just now only scratched the surface of the murky interactions between mech designers and their design philosophies. Clearly, the distinctive properties of spirituality or psionics was the principle reason why these odd rules were in place.
By the time their date had ended and Gloriana had to go, Ves sincerely thanked her for her assistance.
That caused her to erupt with jubilation. "Anything for you, Ves! I'll call you again!"
The compartment-wide projection faded out, returning his surroundings to his regular old stateroom.
Ves sighed. "Maybe she isn't so bad to hang out with after all."
After a few minutes of adjustment, Ves returned to work. He busied himself with finalizing his variant for the Jinven, and managed to complete it shortly before the Barracuda's arrival at Leemar.
Upon arrival, Ves took a moment to check the local plot as his crew interacted with the system's traffic control.
"This is the third time I've visited Leemar."
While it wasn't as advanced or prosperous as the Centerpoint System, the Leemar System possessed its own charm. As a system which held many universities and educational institutions, a lot of students and researchers frequented Leemar.
What made Leemar a little more special was that it hosted a lot more foreigners than similar star systems in the Coalition. Not every Coalition partner was as open to outsiders as the Carnegie Group.
Even the Vermeer Group, which Master Olson belonged to, did not accept as many foreigners.
As the Barracuda approached Leemar II, she received direct permission from traffic control to land on the surface.
Ves already took this treatment for granted. As an apprentice to a Master who was present on the planet and a Journeyman in his own right, he was far from a typical Leemar student or graduate.
The ship smoothly descended from orbit and landed inside a massive underground hangar meant to accommodate such vessels.
"Sir, the Barracuda originated from the Leemar Institute of Technology. Now that we're here, I'd like to request permission to approach the LIT to service the corvette. While she's only five years old and still works great, a bit of preventative maintenance wouldn't hurt."
As a mech designer, Ves understood the wisdom of preventative maintenance. It was much cheaper and more convenient to service a mech when it was in sound condition then if he waited until the mech wore out and malfunctioned.
However, in some cases, excessive preventative maintenance would end up costing more than a single large overhaul.
It all depended on many factors and it was up to the owner to decide which option was the best.
"Five years is a little short, I think." Ves finally decided. As someone who was in charge of servicing hundreds of mechs at a time, he was familiar with many of the pitfalls when it came to maintenance. "I'll set a budget. Just focus on servicing the thorniest ship components that can't be fixed at home if they break."
"Understood. We've already developed a priority list for that."
The Barracuda was a very nice ship that Ves received for free. That did not mean that using the ship was free. Making a second-class ship meant that Ves needed to pay second-class maintenance costs.
"Another billion bright credits down the drain." Ves muttered as he transferred the required funds to pay the LIT to service the corvette.
Though the LMC and to some extent Ves earned a lot of money these days, it wasn't to the point where he could keep throwing billions of bright credits around.
Nonetheless, paying for proper maintenance on his most often used ship was not a waste of money in his eyes. Once something broke, it probably cost a multitude more money to fix the problem.
Once he disembarked from his ship, he entered a waiting shuttle that brought him straight towards Master Olson's estate on the campus of the LIT.
Along the short journey, Ves looked out of the window and stared at the familiar wreck of the giant Rubarthan juggernaut.
The mega-sized mech still inspired a lot of awe from Ves. In fact, as the shuttle brushed close to the wreck, he even sensed a decent amount of spiritual accumulation had formed inside the wreck!
Ves widened his eyes, though he shouldn't have been surprised. Such an amazing monument should have definitely attracted a huge amount of worship and admiration from all the mech designers who attended the LIT.
"It's too bad it's probably not usable." He sighed.
Once the shuttle passed the juggernaut entirely and landed at the landing zone belonging to the estate, Ves stepped out to greet someone new.
"Welcome to Master Olson's estate." A young woman not much older than him greeted. "I'm Zona Fonseca, a fellow apprentice of our master!"
Ves instantly became intrigued and no longer dismissed the woman as a servant. "You are?"
"Yup! Our Master apprenticed me three years ago! I've been under her care ever since."
"Are you a..."
"Oh, I'm just a nominal disciple like you, so you don't have to bow to me. In fact, I should be looking up to you since you already reached Journeyman! You're an example to all of us ever since we learned the news!"
The two began to walk towards the entrance of the main building while they began to chat.
While Ves had become Master Olson's apprentice for a number of years, he hadn't really interacted with her and her organization. He was too preoccupied with matters at home to interact with Master Olson's other apprentices.
"Master Olson is quite proud of you, in fact!" Zona noted. "Ever since you advanced, she's been exhorting me and the others to take a page out of your book and go out into the galaxy. Studying on Leemar all the time is very comfortable, so many of us don't want to go. What do you think?"
Ves didn't mind giving his own honest insight to a fellow apprentice. "I think mech designers who have everything handed to them on their laps don't have what it takes to become a Journeyman. It requires effort to reach that height, and no one can take you there but yourself."
"So does that mean we all have to go out and fend for ourselves?"
"If you are content with living a normal life, then it's fine if you want to stay in close proximity to our Master. If you want to achieve something great, then you need to depend on yourself, at least when it comes to developing your own design philosophy."
Both of them heard a clapping sound from up ahead.
"Well said, Ves!"
For the first time in years, Ves met with Master Olson in the flesh. Now that he saw her, Ves realized that his increased Spirituality allowed him to sense a hint of the hidden depths in her body.
Her design seed or whatever it turned to after reaching Master was extremely formidable! It was far stronger than the pitiful crystallization that hid in his own mindscape!
Master Olson maintained a tight grip on her spiritual strength, allowing none of it to spill out. Nonetheless, her stature made her appear very extraordinary, particularly to a spiritually sensitive person such as Ves!
Not a single Senior he met came close to reaching this degree of spiritual strength! The gulf between Senior and Master was as wide as the gap between Apprentice and Journeyman.
There was both a quantitative and qualitative difference between the strength of a Senior and the strength of a Master!
"Come inside, Ves." Master Olson calmly said. "Let us catch up and evaluate your progress. We have much to talk about."
Zona separated from Ves as he followed after the Master up the stairs and into a very stately-looking office.
Once they took their seats at the desk, Master Olson eyed him with a piercing glance.
"Congratulations for reaching Journeyman." She started. "To be frank, I expected you to take at least another decade, if longer."
"I experienced a lot of events that gave me a lot of inspiration and insight." Ves offered his pre-prepared excuse.
"You don't have to understate your accomplishments. Your rapid rise can't be done by any mech designer. As far as I know, you haven't enjoyed any intensive tutoring, mentoring or instruction by other mech designers. Your design philosophy is all you. Tell me the truth. How did you advance so quickly?"
Uh oh. It seemed that Master Olson didn't buy his previous answer. Masters weren't easy to fool! At the very least, Ves didn't believe he could deceive her as easily as Professor Oodiv from the MTA!
Chapter 1291
Ves could have worn one of the masks he prepared as a backup, but his intuition advised him against doing so. Masters emerged from the most capable, hardworking and smartest Seniors.
Each Master was an exceptionally grand figure within the mech industry. Though Star Designers still hovered above their heads, a Master wielded enough clout to influence the political direction of an entire state!
Such eminent figures did not get to reach their current rank by being easy to fool.
There was another reason that restrained Ves from resorting to his usual antics. Of every mech designer he met, Master Olson was not a bad person by any means. She never mistreated or exploited any of her Apprentices and subordinates that he knew of. Oleg and Horatio seemed very happy to serve their Master.
Master Olson had already reached a very enviable height in her career by following her own path. Even if she suspected that Ves benefited from some unusual help, which successful mech designer didn't enjoy some advantages?
Ves decided to be a little bit more forthcoming this time. He knew he couldn't hide his secrets completely as he continued to rise up the ranks, especially if it happened quickly. To do so against an eminent Master Mech Designer who devoted her full attention to Ves was folly!
"To be honest, I received a little push. At the start of my career, my father left me.. a little gift of sorts. The gift pointed me in a certain direction and I followed it, hence why I developed such an unusual design philosophy."
All of this was true, but Ves employed as much vagueness and misdirection he thought he could get away with. None of his words hinted that the 'little gift' was the monumental Metal Scroll of the Five Scrolls Compact!
A few seconds of silence ensued as Master Olson's incredible mind started processing and extrapolating his words.
This was what Ves wanted to see. He knew that overly-smart people tended to overthink and come up to conclusions that weren't necessarily true. He himself engaged in this behavior plenty of times when his paranoia got the better of him at times.
Master Olson probably figured that Ves received a dead Senior's legacy or something that gave him a head-start.
Gloriana's patient explanations helped a lot in helping Ves come up with this solution. She helpfully informed him of Seniors who wanted to pass on their unrealized design philosophies to a younger mech designer in order to leave a legacy behind. Ves realized that he could take advantage of an ambiguous explanation to send Master Olson in this direction, thereby avoiding more radical possibilities such as the existence of the System.
As a mech designer, Ves firmly knew that mech designers often applied Occam's razor in terms of probabilities.
What was the chance that Ves received and took advantage of a dead Senior's legacy? Maybe twenty-five percent.
What was the chance he received the presumed-destroyed incarnation of the Metal Scroll in the form of the Mech Designer System? How could his father, a space peasant and a nobody on the galactic level, obtain such a miraculous asset?
The chance was probably less than 0.000000001 percent! With such low odds, any calculating mech designer should never arrive at such an inane conclusion!
Indeed, as the seconds went by, Master Olson calmly nodded. "I see. That explains it. Whatever aid you have received seemed to be very helpful. Even if mech designers receive a formidable amount of assistance, those who reached Journeyman all do so by their own efforts. No mech designer has ever reached this height by riding on the accomplishments of others."
Ves sighed in relief. Though Master Olson hadn't been explicit, it seemed she had indeed come to a less drastic conclusion about the secret behind his rise. As long as her guesses did not stray anywhere near the System, everything else was fine!
"I know. Although I've been given a push that set me on my current specialization, all of the progress I've made since then has always been my own. The help that I've received mainly came in other forms, such as improving some of my mental attributes and to accelerate my learning of the fundamentals of mech design."
Naturally, Ves vastly understated the assistance he drew upon from the System. A Senior may be quite generous when they passed on their legacies, but even that had limits!
Fortunately, Master Olson did not seem to be interested in the specifics.
"Very well. I'm satisfied with your forthcoming. Admitting that your rise is not solely due to your own effort is important for your mentality. I have seen too many mech designers who enjoyed various advantages stall in their rise because they mistakenly believed they are heaven-sent prodigies. Misjudging their own capabilities has left many of my former rivals and peers far behind as they are unwilling to adjust and work harder to do what is necessary to progress."
Ves nodded, accepting the wisdom in her words. "Nothing comes for free. The more you depend on outside help, the less you are capable of climbing up yourself. To reach Journeyman and Master, nobody can help you climb the last steps."
"That is very much true. It's a shame that too many mech designers have yet to realize this truth." She smiled. "Still, mech designers aren't able to get off the ground without at least some assistance. You are a good example of that. While I wanted to give you space to develop your personal design philosophy, in hindsight, I could have done more for you. Now, I feel I have contributed very little to your growth. That is my failing as your Master."
"I disagree." Ves shook his head. "The help you have given me might not be enough, but I already enjoyed plenty of help. Giving me more would only coddle me and make me complacent. I'm very thankful for benefiting from the umbrella of your name and reputation. It probably helped me out of numerous sticky situations."
Master Olson curled her lips downwards. "It is still not proper. To be frank, I estimated that you would take much longer to grow. I planned to leave you to your own devices since you were already doing well enough. I would have confined myself to occasionally giving you the guidance that you needed the most. You upended all of that by advancing to Journeyman before I could even give you your second tutoring session."
Even Masters could be wrong. They may be amazing mech designers, but they were still fallible in many ways.
"This outcome is even better. I don't see any reason to regret how I've turned out." He opined.
"What is your design philosophy, exactly?" Master Olson asked. "I have referenced the MTA's record on you, but the information there.. is not very clear."
Ves looked a little sheepish. Did she actually witness him rave about creating gods and such? That was so embarrassing!
"I may have.. been a little too hyperbolic. If you leave aside my overly-optimistic fantasies, the truth is much less.. exaggerated. At the heart of it, metaphysical man-machine symbiosis is simply a means of leveraging an unheard-of connection between mechs and their mech pilots."
He offered her the basic and limited explanation of his design philosophy. He did not refer to anything sensitive such as the X-Factor or spirituality.
Master Olson took in the explanation with hardly any questioning.
"I have studied your mech designs." She said. Of course she would. "Each of them are quite remarkable, especially since you were still an Apprentice when you designed most of them. Nonetheless, how much of the extreme variation is due to the instability inherent in most Class IX design philosophies?"
"I... my design philosophy is not exactly the easiest to work with." Ves massaged his words. "If I invest a lot in a mech design, I might be able to produce a work equal to my Aurora Titan and Transcendent Messenger. If I'm under a stricter time limit or something, then I'm not going to be able to express my full potential."
"That applies to almost every mech designer." She noted. "Nonetheless, instability is not inherently bad. It at least allows you to design mechs with qualities that are far beyond the reach of a typical Journeyman. However, inconsistency is no recipe for the future. If you want to become a Master, you will need to work towards defining the rules of your design philosophy and increase its universality."
Ves immediately became more attentive. "What exactly do Seniors have to do to become a Master? Why do so few Seniors succeed despite pouring all of their hearts and minds into their research?"
"It is not relevant for you to know that yet." Master Olson softly shook her head. "For now, you should be focused on expanding your design philosophy and developing new applications. Journeymen must adopt a curious, inquisitive and open-minded attitude to become a Senior. A substantially different mindset is needed for Seniors to advance to Master."
In other words, adopting the mindset of a Senior while he was still a Journeyman would affect his rise.
"Fair enough."
"Let us move on." She gestured with her arm. "Now that I've heard you describe your circumstances and your design philosophy, I've come to a number of decisions with regards to our future association."
The meeting arrived at the pivotal moment. Ves had a feeling that something important was about to take place.
"While you are officially registered as my apprentice, the aid that I've given you has never been very substantial. While I've given you some toys and access to the Clifford Society, I believe you would have been able to gain something similar through your own efforts."
"The stuff you've given me has been very useful, ma'am!" Ves refuted. "For example, your shield generator saved my life plenty of times!"
"That is just an insignificant gift." She waved her hand dismissively, as if shield generators were just cabbages that she could pick up from the streets! "Let's not mince words here. You were never really my apprentice in the first place. Someone or something else has already taken that place even before you came to my attention."
"That is.. true." Ves admitted. He never really looked up to Master Olson all that much either. "I still consider you to be a very helpful teacher."
"That is a more appropriate way to describe our relationship. I have taught you, guided you and lent you a hand, but many other professors at your university can boast of doing the same."
Ves silently shook his head. The professors at the Rittersberg University of Technology were nowhere near as impressive as Master Olson!
"For this reason, I've come to a decision." She continued. "The proper course of action is to dispense with the fiction of our current association and declare an end to your apprenticeship."
Her bombshell startled Ves and put him on the backfoot. "I'll.. no longer be your Apprentice?"
"You're a Journeyman. You are more than capable of standing on your own. Don't consider my decision to be a cancellation of your status. It is actually a form of graduation. Concluding an apprenticeship upon reaching Journeyman is a regular occurence in the mech community. It signifies that I no longer believe it is necessary for me to impart you any further knowledge. This has already been the truth for a while, but now that you have reached your current level of success, this is a good time to take this course of action."
Although she explained it in positive terms, Ves still felt as if he was being cut off. It was as if he was a teenager living with his parents, but they decided to kick him out of the house as soon as he turned eighteen and became a legal adult!
Nonetheless, this outcome was very abrupt! Why did Master Olson decide to put an end to his apprenticeship? There must be more behind this decision!
Chapter 1292
"What will this mean for us?" Ves asked after he regained his composure.
"We'll always share an association. Even if you are not my apprentice anymore, the mech community will still regard you as a graduate of mine, so you will still enjoy a certain amount of protection due to your past association with me. That should be enough of a parting gift."
As if Ves cared about that. She already told him that he could stand on his own as a Journeyman.
"What about the stuff I've received? To be honest, I still feel that I owe you a lot. Mech designers ought to be fair to each other, particularly when it comes to these kinds of associations. So far, I haven't paid back your generosity."
Aside from her single tutoring session, Ves substantially benefited from her reputation while also receiving a gene boost elixir and a shield generator. Though she did not seriously register their worth, they were still valuable.
He would not feel comfortable ending his apprenticeship to Master Olson without reciprocating the aid he received.
Master Olson noticed his difficulty and offered a solution. "I've seen that you haven't checked with the Clifford Society lately. You still have some merits in reserve. In order to reinforce the separation between you and I, it is best to end your membership to the Clifford Society as well. You can relinquish your merits to me while you do that. I'll consider that acceptable payment for my past assistance."
Ves frowned. "I don't understand. The Clifford Society is a club founded by the Leemar Institute of Technology, which belongs to the Carnegie Group. Shouldn't it be okay for me to continue to be a member?"
"You are not a Leemar graduate. You have no ties to the Carnegie Group, and we have just put an end to our own connection. While you are interesting enough to remain as a member due to your Journeyman status, you are too different from the other members of the Society. Right now, it is more important for us to cut any ongoing connections to the Friday Coalition."
"Uh, what?" Confusion reigned in his mind. "Why insist on that?"
Though he hadn't made use of the Clifford Society, that did not mean it was useless. Membership to the Society offered him inside access to many of the Coalition's exclusive goods and services.
While he did not care too much for Society's voluminous libraries, Ves was loath to lose access to its extensive marketplace!
An intrigued smile appeared on Master Olson's face. "You don't have to hide it, Ves. I understand why you wish to leave your latest development out of this conversation, but it isn't as awkward as you think."
Ves wanted to scratch his head. What latest development?
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come now, Ves." Master Olson smiled. "My sources on Centerpoint have already relayed the news to me. I'm very happy for your new girlfriend! Although it's a pity that you fell in love with a Hexer, I must say that you have very good taste! The two of you are a great pair!"
WHAT?! Since when was Gloriana his girlfriend?!
"Uh, how did you know that?!"
"Your girlfriend has not been discreet about your new relationship. It's all she talks about whenever she shows up in public. You must have made her very happy when you met her at Centerpoint!"
This news astounded Ves so much that he felt like puking blood. Was this what Gloriana had been up to when he fled her company?!
He had to admit that it was a very devious move on her part. By crowing about her intimate relationship with Ves was a form of staking her claim on him in the public sphere.
If Gloriana was as determined to pursue Ves as she seemed, then she had definitely flaunted her supposed relationship with Ves all over Centerpoint by now!
Ves could hardly find another woman to date if it already became known that he was Gloriana's boyfriend! With this move, she ruthlessly cut off one of the possibilities that he could resort to in order to escape her clutches!
In his mind, he still thought he was merely exploring a relationship with Gloriana. They only shared one abortive first date and a rather tame virtual date so far. They only knew each other for a single month. That was hardly sufficient to call himself her boyfriend and vice versa!
Obviously, Gloriana thought differently. As far as she was concerned, they were already inseparable!
"So the reason why you want to end my membership to the Clifford Society is to avoid any possible conflicts of interests?" He asked after he recovered from the shock. "Is it also the real reason why you are ending my apprenticeship to you? So that it wouldn't look bad on you that one of your apprentices is dating a Hexer?"
Ves wouldn't be the only person to make himself look bad if he pursued a relationship with a Hexer while he remained apprenticed to a Master of the Coalition.
Master Olson herself would suffer a loss as well! The damage to her reputation for allowing one of her Apprentices to grow closer to the enemy reflected quite badly on her if it came out!
"Don't misunderstand. The previous reasons also apply." Master Olson nodded. "But yes, it is for your own good. It is too much of a controversy if a mech designer who maintained close ties to the Coalition is simultaneously growing closer to the Hegemony. You can't have it both ways. Between an insignificant apprenticeship to a Master that hasn't been much help and an intimate relationship to a very wonderful mech designer who is highly compatible to you, it is clear which one you should value more. Your future prospects are more important than your past ties!"
Although Ves knew that Master Mech Designers could be deceived, this was ridiculous! Master Olson truly believed that he and Gloriana had become a solid item! What had his blasted 'girlfriend' done to make her story so convincing?!
"I would not say that we are as committed as you think." Ves carefully replied, trying to tone down her misconception. "We barely met each other and we might break up after a while."
She shook her head. "You don't have to downplay your relationship. The matchmaking agency that has put you together thinks very highly of your pairing. Their conclusions are so optimistic that they are even advertising it as one of their success stories!"
Ves would have definitely spurted out a gout of blood if he had been able to! Callisto Professional Relations based their findings from completely inaccurate data!
Yet despite his protests, the damage had already been done. Even if he disavowed Gloriana, Master Olson probably wouldn't believe his word! Not if it totally went against the predictions of a famed matchmaking service associated with the MTA!
He hung his head. "I guess this is it, then?"
"As I've said, it is for your own good. Don't see it as a setback. You're free now. You can establish closer ties with the Hexadric Hegemony without embarrassing either of us. While I'm not happy that you chose to side with the Hegemony over the Coalition, your happiness is more important."
"Will the Coalition be okay with that?"
"Your allegiance is of no concern to the Coalition." Master Olson said factually. "Even if you are a Master, the fortunes of our state will not be affected."
That was true, to an extent. Master Olson and the Coalition believed that Ves was such a small figure that it didn't matter if he ran to the other side.
They might think differently if they knew about his secrets, but Ves obviously wouldn't volunteer that information.
"I see. I'm glad the Coalition won't hold it against me if I ever do so."
Though a part of him thought it was a huge blow to cut ties with Master Olson and the Friday Coalition, another part of him agreed with her prior reasoning.
Even without the impetus of Gloriana's actions, Ves already considered his apprenticeship to Master Olson to be redundant. Although they could still engage in mutually-beneficial transactions going forward, neither of them really required each other's help.
Still, just because he didn't mind cutting his existing ties didn't mean he was pining to become an ally of the Hegemony! He didn't even make up his mind whether he wanted to develop a serious relationship with Gloriana!
The Hegemony may be a powerful second-rate state, but it was run entirely by people who thought women were better than men! A significant part of the population, which happened to include his supposed girlfriend, also worshipped the number six for arbitrary reasons!
If he had a choice, he would rather continue to associate with the Friday Coalition. Most of the coalition partners such as the Carnegie Group and the Vermeer Group were quite decent and rational.
As Ves progressed his career, it was inevitable for him to dabble with second-class mechs at some point. He would rather do business with rational Fridaymen than crazy Hexers!
Since Master Olson had made her choice, she moved on to formalizing his separation. She pulled out a data pad and loaded it with numerous official virtual documents that legally confirmed his separations.
After skimming them over and signing all of the documents, Master Olson took the data pad back. "I'll file these documents to the relevant authorities. The LIT, the Society, the Coalition and the MTA will all confirm your separation in due time. Once that happens, you are free to pursue Miss Wodin without any worry of conflicting loyalties."
"Won't it still reflect badly on you for a former apprentice of yours to enter into a relationship with a Hexer?" Ves curiously asked.
"It will, but it is only a minor annoyance. It is ordinary for Masters to apprentice mech designers who turned out differently from their expectations."
In other words, Master Olson could diminish the damage to her prestige by regarding Ves as a black sheep.
While that didn't sound very flattering to Ves, it wasn't as if he could do anything about it. His reputation was already mixed, so becoming known for having strong differences of opinions with an esteemed Master who showed him kindness hardly bothered him at this point.
"It is a pity." She sighed. "I had plans for you before you left for Centerpoint. Oleg missed your company as well. Out of all of my Apprentices, he was the happiest when he heard you've advanced to Journeyman. He already made some plans to collaborate with you on a mech design to see if the two of you would make good partners."
"Oleg.."
"He already left to attend the Rimward Games a few months ago. Be sure to cheer for him when he competes. Although it's a longshot, I really do hope he finishes in the top thousand."
So many young mech designers from all over the galactic rim competed in the junior division of the Rimward Games that it was wildly unrealistic to hope for better! Forget about the top 1000, Ves did not think highly of Oleg's chances of finishing in the top ten-thousand!
"I will be sure to wish him success. I still consider him a friend, if only distantly."
Master Olson smiled at Ves. "When you keep progressing, I hope you will keep in mind what you should value more. Mech designers who get too caught up in tribalism will never be able to realize the true purpose of our profession. We do not design mechs to advance the interests of a single state. We do so to advance the interests of the entire human race. Never forget this truth, Ves."
"I will remember your words, ma'am."
Her words carried a tone of finality in them. They had truly done it. They formally separated from each other. From now on, Ves was no longer Master Carmin Olson's nominal disciple!
Chapter 1293
Ves stepped out of Master Olson's estate with a profound sense of loss.
Though he did not value his apprenticeship to Master Olson all that much recently, to formally put an end to it made him realize what else he relied upon.
He keenly felt the absence of the psychological comfort his status as her apprentice provided. As long as he had a powerful Master Mech Designer hovering over his head, he felt he could get away with a lot.
Now that he lost her direct care, Ves did not feel so easily anymore. A former apprentice may possess some lingering informal ties to Master Olson, but formally he was no longer a part of her organization.
Many mech designers who completed their apprenticeships under a Master often moved on to join their company or become a part of their business network.
Not so for Ves. In order to reinforce the impression that Ves no longer had anything to do with the Friday Coalition, Master Olson did not bring up any of those options.
She didn't want to put up any barriers for Ves to pursue a relationship with Gloriana, after all!
Though his supposed girlfriend's antics had pushed Master Olson into cutting ties, Ves did not begrudge Gloriana all too much.
"While it's a shame to turn away from the Friday Coalition, it really is better if I'm no longer under Master Olson's thumb."
He possessed too many secrets. He was always afraid that Master Olson might find out the truth. Though he thought highly of her integrity, what if she was different from what he imagined?
Hardly any mech designer would be able to contain their greed if they knew of the full import of the System!
The more time he spent under Master Olson's supervision, the harder it would be for him to keep his secrets from her hawkish perception.
Even today, Ves never felt as if he completely managed to fool Master Olson.
In hindsight, although he believed that his attempts at misdirection had caught on, it was rather disturbing to him how easily Master Olson bought his nonsense. He expected better from a Master. They were so spiritually powerful that even if they didn't share his unique perception, they should still be able to observe more than a normal human!
A suspicion crept up in his mind. Could it be that Master Olson knew that Ves was being dishonest, but accepted his excuses in order to avoid putting him on the spot?
"That might very well be a possibility."
She might have already leaned towards cutting ties before the meeting even started. Why would she be curious about his circumstances if that was the case?
In the end, Master Olson made a decision that served both of their interests. She would no longer be at risk of getting involved in a potential controversy. Meanwhile, Ves wouldn't have to deal with any conflicts of interests if he grew closer to Gloriana.
"Not that I'm too sure about her yet. She's a real handful." He muttered.
While it was a shame to lose the psychological comfort his apprenticeship provided, he also felt a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Now that Master Olson no longer scrutinized him so closely, he would have a much better time hiding his secrets.
A Master Mech Designer's attention was a double-edged sword! Getting rid of it may leave him on his own again, but he always preferred that from the start.
Perhaps he would still value Master Olson's protective umbrella when he was an Apprentice, but now that he became a Journeyman, he became a lot more assured about himself.
"It's not as if I'm truly alone."
Ves still possessed numerous connections. The Larkinsons, Professor Ventag, Flashlight, the Tovars, the Ylvaine Protectorate and Calabast all backed him up in different ways.
As long as he kept expanding his network, he could replace the protective function of his apprenticeship to Master Olson with ties to other powerful figures.
"Powerful figures like... Gloriana."
He could not deny that Gloriana's status far surpassed him. Even though she did not equal the likes of Master Olson, she was still a prominent scion from the Hexadric Hegemony. She carried a lot of weight by virtue of her lineage. Becoming a promising Journeyman on top of that significantly amplified her clout.
He still felt uncomfortable, though. His stature and prestige was a far cry from hers, and that made him feel profoundly inadequate. How could he face her as a proud man when her very existence diminished his pride?
He was a man! He should stand up to his woman! Whatever nonsense the Hexers believed, Ves could not accept being the lesser partner in any potential relationship!
A fire lit up inside his mind. He needed to work hard to stay ahead of Gloriana! If he was stronger than her, she wouldn't be able to dictate his life to this extent! Not only would he be able to call the shots, but he could also start protecting himself instead of depending on others!
"Ves! Mr. Larkinson!" Zona Fonseca ran up to him. "I just heard that you're parting with Master Olson! Is that true?!"
Ves nodded. "It's true."
"Why!? Did you do anything wrong or something?!"
"You'll find out soon enough, I guess. Make no mistake, we both agreed on ending my apprenticeship. It no longer served a purpose and it is the best course of action if we take the future into account. Our separation is nothing more than closing a chapter in our lives."
Though Zona still looked saddened, she accepted the explanation. "So you won't hang out with us after all? We hardly ever knew you. There are tons more apprentices who would like to meet with you and learn some tips."
Ves sagely smiled. "Master Olson's guidance is sufficient. If she hasn't taught you more, it's because you are better off learning those lessons on your own."
The two began to walk towards his transit shuttle.
"So... I guess this is it. Will this be the last time you visit the Leemar System?" Zona asked.
"Very likely. I won't be as welcome to Leemar as before."
Perhaps the entire Friday Coalition would become rather awkward for him in the future.
That reminded him that he should draw down his ongoing security contracts with SASS in the near future. Sanyal-Ablin Security Services was an enterprise of the Konsu Clan, which happened to be the second-strongest partner of the Coalition!
"Then.. can we still stay in contact through our comms?"
"I don't think that is entirely wise." He responded. "I really don't have that much to offer to you anyway. You should forge relationships with your fellow Fridaymen instead. They'll be much more valuable to you once you step out of Master Olson's shadow."
She didn't look that confident. "I'm just a nominal disciple though. While my chances of advancing to Journeyman is greater than the average Leemar graduate, it is still an uncertain prospect."
Ves chuckled and stretched his hand. Zona widened her eyes as Ves rubbed the top of her head.
He did not do that without a reason. Aside from trying to reassure her, he also wanted to confirm whether he sensed the presence of spirituality within her mind.
Fortunately, she did. Although her spiritual energy was weak and faint, its presence at least signified that she possessed the potential to become a Journeyman. She just needed to apply herself.
"Let me tell you that you will surely be able to become a Journeyman. It's difficult, but it's doable. However, your chances are a lot better if you gain some confidence and stop doubting yourself. Earning Master Olson's regard should be enough proof of your ability!"
"B-But I'm still nothing compared to you!"
"Don't compare yourself to me. Master Olson and I both know that I'm not a typical mech designer. That was one of the reasons why we put an end to my apprenticeship. Rather than comparing yourself to outstanding mech designers for no good reason, I suggest you look inward and set achievable goals for yourself."
They finally arrived at the shuttle parked near the estate. Zona still looked thoughtful, and to her credit she seemed to take his advice seriously.
"I'll think about what you said. I think you're right, though. I should be more confident in myself!"
Ves smiled. "That's the spirit."
The two shook hands before Ves entered the shuttle. As the vehicle lifted off in the air, Ves looked out the window and stared melancholy at the campus stretching out below.
He truly felt a little sad for saying that he might not be able to visit Leemar any longer.
Though he could still decide to visit the public cities and settlement of Leemar II, Ves decided against it. Who knew how far the news of his relationship with Gloriana had spread.
The Fridaymen would probably not be so petty as to make trouble to him over it. After all, Master Olson already told him that he was a nobody in their perspective.
Still, to spare himself of any potential incidents, Ves decided he should get out of Coalition space as soon as possible!
"Thanks for that, Gloriana." He scoffed.
He really needed to confront his 'girlfriend' for her unilateral announcement of their 'relationship'. Preferably, he wanted to teach her a lesson, but he doubted Clixie or her bodyguards would allow him to do so without consequence.
A few fantasies of how he would teach her a lesson flitted through his mind, some more.. unspeakable.. Than others. Yet Ves quickly dispensed with those unrealistic scenarios.
Rather than him teaching Gloriana a lesson, the reverse would probably happen!
"In the end, it all comes down to strength!" He softly cried in frustration.
Ves thought he did quite well for himself in the past few years. His rise had been rapid and brisk and reaching Journeyman at such an early age had already made his life much easier.
Yet now that he came in touch with an existence like Gloriana, his confidence suddenly deflated. How could he ever reverse their current power dynamic?
By advancing faster than her. Ves could think of nothing but the System that could help him the most in achieving this goal. As competent and driven as Gloriana appeared to be, she was still an orthodox mech designer! Whatever assistance she received would never come close to matching the prowess of the System!
"Hehe. I won't be your doormat forever!" Ves grinned.
He began to consider his future plans. Since he exited the Bright Republic, he might as well take the opportunity to travel around the star sector. He never really did explore it entirely. Ves felt he could definitely benefit from broadening his perspective and see how other, more distant states fared.
"A Journeyman is supposed to travel a lot, after all."
The only snag in the plan was that he had already sent Melkor and the Avatars of Myth back to Cloudy Curtain.
Although he could call them up and have them turn around, Ves did not feel the need to do so.
"I can easily contract a security company or a mercenary corps to guarantee my safety."
Ves did not plan on traveling anywhere dangerous for his impromptu space tour, so he could make do with a standard arrangement. He just had to make sure that whoever he contracted didn't have any ties to the Friday Coalition.
"I'll have to exit Coalition space first then." He muttered.
During his travels, he also planned to study up on both bestial mechs and smart metal technology. Once he gained enough proficiency in both fields, he then planned to design a mech that incorporated both.
"If it's good enough, I can even add the design to the LMC's mech catalog!"
Ves recalled that while the Komodo Star Sector mostly made use of humanoid mechs, there were a couple of states where bestial mechs were prevalent.
"They're worth paying a visit."
It was only now that he truly felt he embodied a proper Journeyman Mech Designer.
Chapter 1294
When the shuttle arrived at the underground hangar, Ves returned to the Barracuda. Upon entry, Gavin expressed surprise at his swift arrival.
"It's only been a moment. I thought you would have stayed with Master Olson longer."
Ves smiled ruefully. "The news will go out soon, but I guess you better learn it now. As of today, I am no longer Master Olson's apprentice. I've 'graduated' from her care. I'm no longer a member of the Clifford Society either. I basically have no formal ties to the Friday Coalition anymore."
That stunned his assistant. "Why? I thought you mech designers loved to maintain relations with each other!"
"Let me explain, Benny."
As Ves gave instructions for Captain Silvestra to lift off into orbit, he described the reasons that led to this outcome. His lack of closeness to Master Olson and Gloriana's shenanigans both compelled him to cut ties.
At the end of it, Gavin still looked caught off guard. "This changes things. One of the reasons why you stood out was because you were one of the few mech designers who were apprenticed to a Master. How many mech designers can boast of the same? While your association to a great Master will always remain, it won't be as prominent anymore. Over time, it will merely be a footnote in your record."
"It's fine. Although I'm rather peeved at Gloriana, it truly was for the best for me to distance myself from Master Olson. We are two completely different mech designers."
Ves would just feel suffocated if Master Olson compelled him to work on her behalf. Although many mech designers looked forward to the opportunity to earn the recognition of a Master Mech Designer, he happened to be an exception.
From now on, Ves did not owe anything to Master Olson, but neither would he be able to obtain any further benefits from her either. That suited both of them fine.
The only reason Ves felt a little cross was that he lamented the end of any ongoing relations with the rest of the Friday Coalition. Ves still had plans to engage with the powerful state in the future.
At the very least, the disruption to the LMC would be serious as Ves could no longer trust in SASS with the security of his company's assets!
"We will have to end our contracts with SASS." Ves stated to Gavin. "I don't know how far the news of my 'relationship' with Gloriana has spread, but we should move all of their security forces out of the Mech Nursery and find another security company to plug in the gap."
Ves did not mention the Avatars of Myth taking over the vacancy, as they were still wholly inadequate to fulfill such heavy responsibilities.
"I'll coordinate with Calsie and the other folks back home." Gavin nodded. "We'll have to pay a price, though. I don't have the contracts on hand but they definitely contain clauses that will force us to pay the full costs of security services over the entire terms of the contracts."
"It's fine. The price we pay for this waste is less than the price we pay for letting a potential enemy have deep access to my assets."
The changes would definitely lead to a lot of upheaval regardless. Ves did not envy the managers and executives back home trying to keep the LMC together as the trusted and dependable security force of SASS moved out and an entirely new security force took their place.
Nonetheless, Ves merely had to issue the orders and delegate this headache-inducing issue to his subordinates.
With Gavin running off to pass on the new instructions to headquarters, Ves entered the bridge and walked up to Captain Silvestra.
"You've returned sooner than we expected." She remarked. "The Barracuda hasn't even undergone any servicing yet. I suggest we wait until that's done before we leave."
Ves shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't do that. You'll hear about this later, but for now all you need to know is that I'm no longer Master Olson apprentice and that my relationship with the Friday Coalition will soon go sour. I don't think it is wise to let their engineers crawl all over my ship."
"Oh." The captain rapidly took in the implications. "If the Friday Coalition won't be friendly territory for long, then it is indeed prudent for us to leave. What are your orders, sir?"
"I'm hoping to take a tour through the star sector before I return home to the Bright Republic. Please set course to the Kamon Republic. It's fairly close, right?"
"It will take us less time to reach the Kamon Republic than Centerpoint." The captain confirmed. "While Kamon is rather small, it enjoys decent security since the third-rate state borders the Friday Coalition."
With such a huge neighbor right next door, the Kamon Republic enjoyed a lot of business ties to various Coalition influences. While arriving at Kamon would not completely bring Ves out of the Coalition's sphere of influence, at least he wouldn't be intruding in their direct territories anymore. He would just be strolling through their front yard instead.
Once there, Ves would have probably figured out his next destinations. He needed to do some careful research to see which states had something interesting for him to see.
They didn't necessarily have to offer lots of bestial mechs or smart metal mechs. Ves wanted to make one lengthy trip in order to familiarize himself with the overall state of the Komodo Star Sector and experience some of its diversity.
The captain and the navigator charted a speedy course that would bring them to the Kamon Republic in a couple of weeks.
The Barracuda ascended into the air, leaving the archipelago occupied by the expansive grounds of the Leemar Institute of Technology behind. The giant juggernaut that graced the campus became but a pinprick in the projection of the view outside as the ship rapidly gained altitude.
"Farewell, Leemar." Ves whispered and turned off the projection.
He retired to his stateroom, upon which a curious Lucky emerged from his catnap.
"Meow?"
"A lot has happened today." Ves replied, and quickly summarized what happened.
Not surprisingly, Lucky did not react as strongly as Gavin or the others. He merely gave a single feline look at Ves before returning to his slumber.
"Meowww."
"Yeah. It doesn't really change your circumstances, does it? I'll manage somehow. I just have to readjust some of my future plans."
"Meow meow."
"We won't be going home yet. We'll be going on a sightseeing tour through the entire star sector."
"Meow!"
"Of course I'll bring you along! Don't expect I'll open my wallet as much, though. I need to cut back on my spending."
Before he turned to other matters, Ves decided that he really needed to talk to his supposed 'girlfriend'. Though he hesitated for a few seconds, he eventually went through with his call attempt.
A projection came to life just a few seconds later. Gloriana appeared as beautiful as ever. This time, she wore a tight lab coat that emphasized her slender waist and her feminine curves.
"Ves! I'm so glad you called me!" She gleefully greeted him. "Did you miss me, perhaps?!"
"Ahem, this is not a social call, Gloriana." Ves sternly replied.
Although it was tempting for him to get caught up in her happy bubble, he really needed to show some spine today.
"Then.. what's the matter, Ves?"
"What have you been spreading back on Centerpoint?! I just found out that you've been publicly claiming to be my girlfriend!"
Gloriana blinked. "So?"
"We didn't even go on a single proper date yet!"
"So?"
"I don't think our relationship has developed to this point! You've been way too premature in declaring yourself as my girlfriend! Do you know how much trouble you could have caused for me in the Friday Coalition? Master Olson just washed her hands from me and I'm no longer friends with any organizations in the Coalition!"
"Good."
"Good?" Ves grew frustrated. "Is that all you can say? Don't you have any remorse?!"
"It had to happen. While I didn't intend to spoil your arrangements with your Master or the Friday Coalitions, I don't want you to associate with any Fridaymen any further. When I broke the news to my parents, they expressed a lot of disapproval once they looked into your background. Solving this conflict is the first step towards tying the knot! Hihihi!"
Ves slapped Gloriana's projection. Although his hand flew right through the insubstantial form, the act deeply shocked the giggling woman.
"Gloriana! Be serious for once! I'm really pissed at you for pulling off this stunt!"
It finally dawned upon Gloriana that she may have taken a step too far. Not that she truly felt remorseful.
Tears began to gather in her big, lustrous eyes. "I-I-I was just doing what was best for the both of us! I didn't want any other woman to hold any designs for you! I don't like you hanging out in the Friday Coalition either! What if some floozy on Leemar starts draping herself all over you? I don't want you to be led astray!"
Her possessiveness both disturbed and flattered Ves. If she wasn't so attractive and compatible to him, he would have shown more repulsion.
"Look, let's not move so quickly, okay?" He spoke in a calmer tone. While he was still angry, he somehow didn't wish to show his ugly side towards Gloriana for some reason. "Let's take this one step at a time. For now, I don't want you to blab any further about our relationship, alright?"
She sniffed and nodded. "I promise. I won't tell anyone except my parents and friends."
Though she looked so pitiful that Ves ached to embrace her, he knew better. She must be grinning in her mind. After all, the deed had already been done. If she had been as prolific in flaunting her status as his girlfriend as he suspected, then the news would have spread through most of the Komodo Star Sector by the end of the week.
Although not everyone would be interested in the gossip, all the notable organizations such as the MTA and various intelligence agencies would surely take note!
Though Ves could insist Gloriana to retract her statements, he had a feeling that wouldn't work. He knew better than to issue a request that would never be fulfilled.
"Look, Gloriana. You're really into me. I get that. But let's not put the cart before the horse. Before we make any permanent commitments, we should find out if we are truly comfortable with each other. Mech designers like us live long lives. We have all the time in the galaxy to see if we can get along."
"But Callisto Professional Relations already analyzed our pairing. We're eighty-seven percent compatible! That's extremely high!"
That prediction again! Everyone took it way too seriously! Ves wanted to wring the necks of the AIs and relationship experts that came up with that blasted figure! A calculation derived from dubious input was just as flawed!
Even so, the discrepancy shouldn't be all that much. Otherwise, Ves wouldn't be so interested in Gloriana. The potential of combining his design philosophy with hers was an incredibly tempting prospect!
So much so that even his design seed urged him to grow closer to her!
Though it was a pity that she only worked on custom mechs, his intuition hinted to him that they would definitely be groundbreaking if he combined them with his own specialization.
Perhaps the custom mechs that emerged from their collaboration might even be able to make the Avatars of Myth take on a more literal meaning!
This possibility alone enticed him to continue exploring this admittedly problematic bond.
Just like Gloriana, he was willing to pursue any opportunities to advance his design philosophy. Perhaps it was his recklessness acting up again, but what was the harm of dealing with a little bit of craziness?
Chapter 1295
After setting the record straight with Gloriana, he ended the call before she could entangle him in another virtual date.
"Consider this your punishment." Ves quickly said.
Though Gloriana cutely pouted at him, Ves had enough of dealing with her for a day.
He let out a deep breath as her projection winked out. He turned around and glanced at Lucky, who had been observing the entire conversation.
"I did well, right?"
"Meow."
"I put my foot down."
"Meow."
"Yeah, it will take more than a single rebuke for me to take charge."
During the conversation, Ves had been keenly aware that if he pushed Gloriana harder, she might push back or do something worse. He could only give her a restrained warning because anything else was unenforceable.
The only way to change this unfavorable dynamic was to become more powerful than her. While there were multiple ways to do so, the most straightforward option available to him was to advance to Senior first.
Ves scratched his chin. "Gloriana seems to be a very capable and driven mech designer. Her design philosophy may be difficult to develop because she's chasing after the impossible concept of perfection, but once she makes a breakthrough, it's pretty significant."
To be frank, her passion and drive drew a lot of admiration from him. She was one of the most motivated mech designers he had met so far. Although no high-ranking mech designer was truly lazy, there were only a few who were willing to do everything to accomplish their ambition.
Gloriana had at least that in common with the Skull Architect. Now that he thought about it, should he place himself in their category as well?
It was a disturbing thought.
"Am I being crazy for trying to improve faster just because I don't want a girl to be in charge?" He asked.
"Meow!"
"Heh. Figures you'd see it that way. Humanity may have developed into a thriving galactic civilization, but deep down we aren't too far away from the cavemen who were predominantly ruled by their instincts."
Ves had plans. He wanted to pursue sustained growth, both for his company and for himself. What was the point of pursuing reckless growth only to pay a greater price at a later point?
From everything he learned and all the advice he received from older mech designers, he knew that he should first and foremost prioritize his ability to innovate and to solve problems by himself.
Centuries of mech-focused innovation from countless mech designers resulted in a huge body of readily-available knowledge.
It took a lot of effort to obtain the more advanced and specialized pieces of knowledge, but at least it was available.
In essence, it was easier to obtain other people's knowhow than to discover it by himself. Who wanted to reinvent a specific wheel that had been invented a hundred times before?
Logically, it was better to learn how to build an existing wheel from others than develop it yourself. Yet what many mech designers forgot was that reinventing a wheel that already existed was not completely pointless.
"Learning how to innovate and discover unknown phenomena is vital to advancing to Senior and especially to Master. If a mech designer is only used to studying existing research findings, how well can they fare when it's their turn to enter the lab?"
When Ves met with Gloriana, he saw that she wore a lab coat and some protective gear. This signified that she was definitely performing lab work of some kind.
"She's quite diligent!"
Surpassing her would be quite a challenge. It wasn't enough for Ves to adopt a measured pace of growth. He needed to be more proactive and put more effort into accelerating his progression.
"It will be a disaster if she advanced to Senior faster than me!" He realized with fright. "I'll never be able to keep her in check if she's a Senior while I'm still a Journeyman!"
A number of horror scenarios whirled through his mind. Perhaps her patience would run out. She might decide to swoop in, take Ves away from the Bright Republic and forcibly drag him back to the Hexadric Hegemony without an opportunity to say goodbye to the people he left behind!
"Damnit, I really have to hurry!"
In general, the most talented Seniors still required at least a couple of decades to advance. Ves had a very long road ahead of him regardless of the measures he took to get to his destination faster.
When he thought over his approach, he made a very important point of distinction. "If my progression from Journeyman to Senior is a long and windy path, there are two ways to hurry up. I can either take shortcuts, or I can run faster."
He had to be careful not to take too many shortcuts. Ideally, he wouldn't take any at all. This was because walking the entire path ensured he would have the healthiest foundation to work towards reaching Master.
Instead, the best way to advance quickly while still preserving his ability to innovate and to research the unknown was to sprint over stretches that weren't as important or vital.
One example of this was studying fairly generic Skills and Sub-Skills. Previously, he made a very deliberate choice to begin the process of upgrading his Mechanics and Metallurgy main Skills to Senior-level.
"Studying is one of the more time-consuming activities of a mech designer." He muttered.
Every mech designer needed to meet a certain proficiency in the fundamental sciences related to mech design. Yet the higher a mech designer climbed, the more advanced knowledge they needed to learn.
It would take at least a couple of decades of dedicated study for an average Journeyman to reach Senior-level in a handful of sciences!
"It's necessary, but time-consuming!"
In these instances, Ves faced an easy choice. Rather than spend years behind his desk to read through an entire library of academic literature, it was much better for him to pay a hefty bag of DP and fulfill an Upgrade Mission instead!
Yet even if he upgraded all of his fundamental Skills to Senior-level, that did not mean he was equivalent to a Senior Mech Designer. It merely meant he fulfilled one of the prerequisites.
By far the most important factor was the development of someone's design philosophy! From Apprentice-level onwards, it was up to the mech designers themselves to develop their own design philosophies. Barring direct disciples, nobody could resort to outside help to accelerate their growth.
Ves was very much aware of this, and tried to come up ways to help him reach Senior faster without compromising his future opportunities.
"I see several ways to accelerate my growth."
He began to list out his options.
First, aside from upgrading his fundamental Skills and Sub-Skills, he could also try and find a way to upgrade his mental attributes.
"My Intelligence not only helps me in my mech design, it also improves my learning and memorization abilities. Improving it even further will be hard."
The System listed his mental attributes with a special focus towards mech design. At least that was how he interpreted. The addition of other Attributes such as Strength, Dexterity and so on made him suspect that the System might also be able to accommodate mech pilots as well.
"Too bad I'm not a mech pilot." He shrugged.
He had already surpassed the human limit with regards to Intelligence, Creativity and Concentration, so swallowing any further Attribute Candies served no purpose other than to waste his DP.
Yet that didn't mean he ran out of options to upgrade his mental attributes further. Gloriana already resorted to a lot of genetic modification to improve her learning ability.
Even Ves himself already benefited from various genetic treatments, which proved that he could still resort to solutions outside the ones offered by the System.
He still remembered he possessed an invitation card to the powerful Angel's Wing Foundation. He should really get around to using the card in order to access its rumored marketplace and auctions for biological goods and services.
"I always get caught up in other activities that it's always fallen off my mind."
Perhaps it would be a good opportunity to finally make use of the invitation card this time.
Still, since his three most important mental attributes were already past the human limit, it would be a hundred if not a thousand times harder to upgrade them. Ves needed to do a lot of research and find a trustworthy geneticist or organization to perform the desired treatments.
"I suppose approaching the Rim Guardians is the best option."
However, to do so, he first needed to prove his worth by transforming that Garlener William Urbesh into an expert candidate. If he failed to do so, he would probably be able to earn the MTA fraternity's favor in another way, but that would take way too much time!
"With Gloriana breathing down my neck, I can't afford to wait for another assignment." He muttered. "I have to kick William Urbesh into shape!"
Though he previously wanted to drag his feet in this assignment in order to avoid unwelcome attention, he changed his mind. Surpassing Gloriana was more important!
The second method he thought of to accelerate his advancement was to collaborate with other mech designers.
"It can't be any random collaboration, though. I need to find mech designers whose design philosophies synergize with my own."
If he combined his design philosophy with an unrelated one from another mech designer, then the resulting mech would merely incorporate both without any interaction. While they wouldn't conflict, neither would they reinforce each other either.
Only when his design philosophy reacted favorably in response to a different variable would Ves be able to study and decipher the interaction.
The most obvious candidate to help him accomplish this was Gloriana, but this would not help him get ahead of her at all. He needed to find other mech designers!
"There are many mech designers. I just have to find them and approach them to suggest mutually-beneficial collaborations."
For now, Ves had only recently advanced to Journeyman. He still lacked the reputation and prestige to get others to take him seriously. He would have to return to this option a few years later when he had a couple of more published designs under his belt.
The third option available for him would be to find exotic materials or other phenomena that might be related to his specialty.
"It is by far the most expensive option."
Wealthier mech designers possessed a greater advantage in this area than others. Even if a mech designer wasn't particularly talented, if his powerful family or connections could help him obtain related exotics, they would inevitably progress faster due to all of the research they performed on interesting materials!
"This is one of the biggest reasons why the second-rate states and the MTA have a lot more Seniors and Masters." He grumbled. "They can partially spend their way up with relative ease."
Ves did not have access to that much capital.
Yet Gloriana's situation was better. Not only was she a Hexer, but she was also a member of the Wodin Dynasty, which ought to be a very wealthy side power in the Hegemony.
"Damn, she possesses a huge advantage over me in this area!"
He needed to narrow the disparity as much as possible!
"There are two options available to me. Either I can expand the LMC in order to boost my capital, or I can take matters in my own hands and search for those exotics myself."
He decided to pursue both at the same time. The LMC would definitely grow as it sold more mechs based on his designs, but this growth had limits. The amount of money he would earn would always fall short compared to how much he wanted to spend on valuable exotics.
"It doesn't help that the vendors always seek to rip off mech designers whenever possible." He muttered.
Rather than pay a hundred or a thousand times the actual worth of an exotic, why not seek them out himself? Prospectors and treasure hunters trawled the entire galaxy for interesting exotics to sell. If Ves could cut out the middlemen and do business with them directly, he could obtain a lot more samples without spending more money!
In fact, Ves had already laid the groundwork of this option by forging ties with the Swordmaidens in the frontier. Further ahead, he also intended to raise another force that could search for valuable materials directly on his behalf.
It was easier to do so in the frontier. In civilized space, most planets and star systems already fell under the control of a state. Many valuables had already been discovered, but even if something new popped up, they were bound to fall in the hands of a powerful influence.
Ves sighed. "All in all, there are a lot of options, but none of them are easy."
Perhaps taking advantage of the System might help him out in some areas, but he still needed to do the rest on his own!
Chapter 1296
After listing out and contemplating all of his options, Ves came up with a short-term list of objectives.
"The more objectives I complete, the closer I get towards overtaking Gloriana!"
For the duration of his tour through the Komodo Star Sector, he wanted to fulfill both Upgrade Missions from the System. The sooner he upgraded his main Skills, the sooner he could apply his gains in his subsequent mech designs, thereby achieving a significant jump in performance!
"Increasing the overall performance of my designs will also help me progress in other ways. Better mechs will enable me to earn more money, which I can spend on acquiring more exotics."
Everything was interconnected to a degree.
Improving his design abilities improved his ability to earn money.
Improving his earnings increased his access to beneficial goods and services, which subsequently improved his ability to design mechs.
Aside from upgrading his Mechanics and Metallurgy Skills to Senior-level, Ves also wanted to pursue two other objectives.
"First, I want to befriend other Journeymen with interesting design philosophies. I might not be able to collaborate with them now, but who knows if an opportunity presents itself in the future."
Traveling to parts of the Komodo Star Sector that was out of the way allowed him to get in touch with foreign mech designers who he might never come across.
Spending time in Centerpoint allowed him to do the same, but Ves was very leery about returning to the MTA-controlled system.
"Gloriana might still be there!"
Traveling through the hinterlands of the Komodo Star Sector was a much safer prospect in his eyes.
Naturally, he also wouldn't forget about coming into touch with the local variations of bestial mechs and smart metal mechs along the way.
Aside from those goals, Ves also wanted to browse the local exotic marketplaces. Plenty of discoveries made it to Centerpoint, but not all. Some materials which did not seem promising were mostly sold in the state they were discovered. The prices for them were much lower as well as the vendors didn't have the leverage to rip off their customers too much.
"Centerpoint is a very expensive place to do business, but in turn it attracts a lot of wealthy buyers. The same can't be said for poorer places."
As the Barracuda transitioned into FTL, thereby leaving the Leemar System, Ves began to spend his days on researching his potential destinations.
There were dozens of states in the Komodo Star Sector. Each of them offered something remarkable to Ves, but he could not afford to spend too much time away from the LMC. He only planned to properly visit a handful of them by following a looping route around the Hegemony side of the star sector.
In every standard two-dimensional map of the Komodo Star Sector, the frontier was pointed upwards. In the middle of the star sector, the Friday Coalition occupied the left side while the Hexadric Hegemony occupied the right side.
Considering his deteriorating relationship with the Coalition, Ves chose against passing through the states on the left side of the map.
While he did not feel comfortable at the thought of entering Hegemony space directly, it would be fine for him to pass through states that maintained friendly relations with the Hexers.
Based on the various criteria that Ves had set, he chose out six interesting destinations. Visiting each of them might yield some important gains for him that would help him stay ahead of Gloriana's growth.
"After departing from the Kamon Republic, I'll pay a visit to the Kinner Tribe, the Chuko Republic, the Sentinel Kingdom, the Hertog Dominion and the Tomaris Federation. By then, it's just a short trip back to the Bright Republic."
He still needed to work out his itinerary and determine what he would do in each specific state, but overall he was very satisfied with the diversity of his selection.
"Entering Kinner Tribe space will be very interesting." He grinned.
It was a relatively small state even compared to other third-rate states. It possessed a strong and distinctive culture and had gained a lot of fame for its distinctive mercenary corps.
"Kinner mercenary corps are different from other outfits."
The Kinner Tribe was a poor state and did not offer as many specialties compared to its neighboring states.
What it did have was a very strong martial culture and a very vigorous population. Many mercenary corps consisted of entire families or a very cohesive group of companions.
Every Kinner mech pilot could be relied upon to fulfill their contracts even beyond reasonable circumstances. Although the employer would have to pay a hefty sum to cover the damages on top of higher-than-average fees, a Kinner mercenary corps could be counted upon to fight to the death to fulfill their mission!
This made them very attractive to people who were willing to pay extra to ensure near-complete loyalty and dedication from their hired help.
Naturally, the missions the Kinners tended to perform occasionally demanded high sacrifices, which eventually resulted in the deaths of many Kinner mercenaries.
"It's basically trading blood for money." Ves commented.
The Kinner Tribe encouraged high birth rates in order to supply enough bodies to sustain this radical practice. They also made a lot more use of artificial wombs to replenish battle losses.
Many young Kinners, either born artificially or turned into orphans after the deaths of their parents, grew up in military training camps or other state institutions. Many of them, especially the mech pilots, grew up into warriors who embodied the Kinner warrior culture.
Each of them subsequently joined an existing Kinner mercenary corps or started a new one under the lead of an experienced and more worldly leader.
Compared to a regular mercenary corps, a Kinner mercenary corps was much more dependable. While they were not always well-equipped, the qualities of their mech pilots more than made up for that.
In some cases, clients could even outright buy a Kinner mercenary corps. Their loyalty would never be in question as long as the client did not pit them against the Kinner Tribe.
In essence, it allowed wealthy people or organizations to instantly acquire a ready-made, extremely loyal fighting force!
The bought Kinners only demanded a couple of conditions in exchange for their permanent loyalty.
The Kinners should have the freedom to start their own families and have children who grew up under their distinctive style of parenting. Kinners highly prized procreation, so anyone who attempted to limit that would quickly find themselves crossing one of the few lines the Kinners prized!
These children born after the acquisition of the mercenary corps did not belong to the client. They were free Kinners who had the freedom to choose whether to work for the clients like their parents or leave for the Kinner Tribe for other prospects.
In this way, the Kinners incentivized their buyers to take good care of them. Clients who did so continued to enjoy their services over several generations.
As for clients who neglected or abused their Kinners, they would quickly run out of bodies after a generation had passed.
This along with some other reasonable conditions basically ensured the continued existence of the Kinner Tribe despite its weak geographical foundation.
Ves contemplating turning to this solution as a way to quickly augment the Avatars of Myth. Raising his own mech force keenly made him realize that it took a lot of time and effort to do so properly.
"Buying a Kinner mercenary corps is a convenient shortcut." He muttered. "The only problem is that the price is likely too high for me to afford a decent one."
After centuries of operating in this fashion, the Kinner Tribe developed a very sophisticated market for their mercenaries. Each Kinner mercenary corps volunteered accurate data about their fighting prowess to the Tribe and received a certified valuation of their actual worth.
Therefore, even if a client paid a lot of money, they at least received the assurance that they got what they paid for. In fact, the Mercenary Association established a very strong presence in the state as well to add an extra layer of certainty!
With his current wealth, he could easily buy the poorer and smaller Kinner mercenary corps, but they did not bring too much to the table. He might as well wait for the Avatars of Myth to grow up instead.
The better Kinner outfits were worth billions of credits, and Ves did not easily wish to spend such a huge sum at the start of his tour. He still needed to reserve his money for potential calamities, interesting exotics, access to notable mech designers and so on.
"It's better for my bank accounts if I hire a good mercenary corps first. I can always decide to buy them at the end of my tour if I like them and accumulate the necessary money somehow."
Ves intended this trip to be a working vacation instead of just a sightseeing tour. Not only did he want to experience different cultures, he also wanted to be productive, though he didn't wish to spend too much time in every state.
"I'll just keep a lookout on any jobs and commissions I can fulfill in a short amount of time."
Once he determined his plan, he summoned Gavin and Captain Silvestra to his office and laid out his choices.
Gavin looked intrigued. "I haven't heard much about those places aside from the obvious. They are certainly distinctive in their own ways. It's a great choice if you want to experience something completely different than the Bright Republic. It's just..."
"Not all of those states are safe for travelers." Captain Silvestra grimly noted. "The Kinner Tribe is small and surrounded by aggressive neighbors. The Chuko Republic is close to Komodo's border with Vicious Mountain. The Sentinel Kingdom is a very orderly state, but they have to since they are in close proximity to the chaotic Nyxian Gap. The Hertog Dominion is highly controlled, but only by virtue of their tyrannical rulers. There is widespread discontent beneath the surface. As for the Tomaris Federation, it is an institutionally weak state because it is situated very closely to the border with the frontier."
Ves already read up on the problems the captain mentioned. No state was perfect, let alone one in the Komodo Star Sector. He had already discarded numerous alternative stops due to the unacceptable risks they posed to his safety and freedom.
Still, he did not intend to change his current selection. He shook his head. "I've already contemplated safer destinations, but they tend to be the more boring ones. Hardly any conflict occurs there, which means that their mech culture is not as prominent or accessible to me. I want to experience mech cultures which have withstood numerous tests. There is little point in visiting a soft state akin to the Reinald Republic."
For these reasons, Ves rejected any suggestions to adjust his selection. The five states he listed would be his primary destinations for his trip.
"How long do you want this journey to last?" Gavin asked. "It's all well and good to go on vacation, but the LMC is still waiting for you to return."
Ves shrugged. "Let's say a year. Will that be possible, Captain Silvestra?"
The female captain mentally calculated the estimated travel time. "I'll have to work with navigation to chart the safest and most optimal route, but you'll have to spend a minimum of half a year in FTL travel by my estimate."
That meant that Ves would spend six months in FTL transit and six months on a foreign planet, space station or other locations.
"That sounds fine."
Even in transit, he could still make good use of his time by studying or designing a mech.
Ves clapped. "Alright! Since there are no acute problems about my selection, let's make our preparations. Benny, please research each of the states and see if there are any notable sights see and mech designers to visit. Captain, please work on the route and present it for my approval!"
Chapter 1297
On a standard two-dimensional sector map, heading upwards from Centerpoint eventually led to the Bright Republic after passing through a number of states.
Heading straight downwards immediately led to the Kamon Republic.
The Kamon Republic bordered both the Friday Coalition and the Hexadric Hegemony. Early on, the Friday Coalition managed to influence the Kamon Republic and turned it into a loosely-connected vassal state to the Friday Coalition.
This basically meant that while Kamon was still as poor and underdeveloped as a normal third-rate state, it enjoyed the implicit protection of a very big brother.
In particular, the Kamon Republic developed extensive official and unofficial ties to the Vermeer Group, whose territories directly bordered the state.
Thinking about the Vermeer Group which the Barracuda was passing by put Ves into a turbulent mood.
"This is the Coalition partner from which Master Olson hails from." He stated as he zoomed in on the plot projected in front of him. "The Titanium Garden isn't that far away from here either."
Sadly, he would never get to set foot on the famed artificial satellite.
"There are more places I can visit besides the Titanium Garden." Ves shook his head. "The galaxy is vast and endlessly diverse. Even if limited to human space, there are countless curiosities to discover."
One of the few words of advice that Master Olson gave him was that Journeymen always ought to move beyond their own familiar confines.
Ves deeply understood this truth. If he remained stuck in the Bright Republic for the rest of his life, he would have never seen the diverse ways mechs were being put to use.
Mechs acquired different meanings under different circumstances.
To a Brighter, a mech was a defensive tool, a means to defend the Republic against outside aggression.
To a Vesian, a mech was a tool for earning glory and greater status. In this hypercompetitive feudal society, every commoner could elevate themselves to nobility, and every noble could gain a higher status upon performing well in battle.
To a Reinaldan, a mech was a product. Rather than put them into battle and consume a fortune's worth of assets and manpower, why not focus on exploiting their economic value instead?
To a child of the frontier, a mech was the ultimate tool of survival. Possessing or piloting a mech meant you possessed a measure of strength. Only those who piloted mechs had the grounds to take their lives in their own hands!
To an Ylvainan, a mech was a vessel to express their faith. Mechs not only had to defend their state, they also had to advance their beliefs. If they left their security to machines that contradicted their faith, they could no longer call themselves Ylvainans.
"In short, mechs are more than just war machines. They are also totems that encompass each state and each culture's core values."
As a mech designer, Ves designed a mech from the perspective of a Brighter. He unconsciously approached his work with Brighter values, customs and ideals.
Was there anything wrong with this? Not necessarily. Yet if Ves ever wanted to reach a wider audience, he needed to be more cognizant of how his mechs would be perceived by mech buyers from foreign states.
For example, Ves already personally experienced how sober, functional-looking mechs didn't always cut it in a weird state like the Ylvaine Protectorate. Their propensity to dress up their mechs in religious symbolism and iconography meant that he would have to adjust his mechs according to local tastes in order to achieve enduring success.
Although his elevation as their Bright Martyr partially helped his company bypass this hurdle, Ves still intended to go through with his setting up a means to adjust his future products to local customs in the Protectorate and elsewhere if needed.
Ves smirked. "It's great that the Bright Republic's mech culture is a bit boring and plain. That already saves me a lot of work."
An Ylvainan mech designer would never be able to sell their mechs outside of the Protectorate. Their mechs all looked like walking altars or statues of the Ylvainan Faith, which meant that no non-believer would ever wish to put them into use!
For this reason, if an Ylvainan mech designer ever wanted to export their products elsewhere, they needed to gut the entire outer appearance of their designs!
"That's going to present a really difficult dilemma to these bunch of complacent bums." He scoffed.
The trouble the Ylvainans faced was that they strongly believed that their mechs ought to express their faith in a visually distinctive manner.
Would they be willing to make an exception to this long-standing tradition in order to engage in foreign trade?
"The Curin Dynasty will be in favor, but the Poxco Dynasty will do everything they can to stop this shift."
The greater point was that while the Ylvainans would have to be more aware of the limitations of their design style, so did Ves.
Did this mean he would have to give up the Brighter identity of his mechs? Not necessarily. He just had to be aware of how well his mech would fare in all the markets the LMC chose to prioritize.
"Mech designers exist to develop solutions. Not every solution is optimal in different states. It depends on the circumstances."
Right now, Ves only had a shallow understanding of how mechs were being used in other states. Only by visiting them in person and immersing himself in the local mech community would he be able to develop a deep and authentic understanding of foreign markets.
Ves sighed. "Sadly, there's no way to visit every single state in the Komodo Star Sector in a reasonable amount of time."
It would take years or decades to complete such a journey. Some states were similar to the Ylvaine Protectorate in that they heavily restricted foreign entry. Other states were wracked with conflict and instability and featured very poor security.
Besides, there was little added value in visiting each inconsequential state. While a market was a market, not every state featured an eccentric mech culture. The LMC would not have to make any adjustments to sell its mechs to those markets.
Of course, Ves still missed out on plenty of unique mech cultures which imposed strict demands on any mechs put up for sale. The LMC would just have to accept the reality that its products wouldn't appeal in those weird states that couldn't be accommodated without excessive adjustments.
As the Barracuda crossed into the territory of the Kamon Republic, everyone spent a lot of time fleshing out Ves' travel itinerary.
Gavin and Captain Silvestra made various bookings and reservations and also approached various local mech designers if they were open to professional visits.
Something peculiar occurred that caused Gavin to report to Ves.
"Is there a problem finding mech designers willing to host me or accept a visit, Benny?"
Right now, Ves had barely passed the threshold into Journeyman. Combined with his very short design record, which foreign Journeyman wanted to entertain such an inexperienced mech designer?
Surprisingly, Gavin shook his head. "It's not that, boss. When we started contacting the staff of every mech designer on your list, we did indeed meet with a lot of rejection. Sometimes the receptionists or whatever outright hung up without saying goodbye. Yet when we mentioned your name to some of the people we talked to, they seemed to recognize it and act very friendly all of a sudden."
"Oh?" Ves folded his arms. "These mech designers all live in states that are all quite distant from the Bright Republic. They shouldn't have heard of me, and I doubt the LMC has a strong presence in their markets. What is it about my identity that causes them to take note?"
"Well.. I don't know how you'll take it, but.. it's not you, but Gloriana. Somehow, they're aware that you're her boyfriend. Even if she hasn't made a lot of achievements yet, she is still a scion of the Wodin Dynasty. Many mech designers are very afraid of crossing their ire, so they've been remarkably accommodating when we requested the possibility of accepting a visit from you in the future."
This.. Ves became stumped. How far had the news spread throughout the star sector? At the very least, the states aligned to the Hegemony should have paid close attention to the rumors spread by his supposed 'girlfriend'!
"Goddammit!"
"Look on the bright side, Ves! At least we've been able to secure the commitment of numerous mech designers that you're interested in! The amount of mech designers who accepted has surpassed our estimate! We even had to stop contacting any further mech designers because your itinerary is already filled!"
While that indeed came as welcome news, Ves doubted the sincerity of the mech designers who acquiesced on account of the Wodin Dynasty. It felt as if they were only going through the motions because Ves put a gun on their heads.
How could any sincere exchange take place if none of the mech designers respected him for his own merits? They probably intended to treat him like a nobody who lucked out with a fantastic girlfriend.
Yet.. was that so bad? Maybe Gavin was right. Maybe getting at least some access was better than having a door slam into his face. Even if he took advantage of the power of the Wodin Dynasty, it was the least his girlfriend could offer as compensation for the damages he suffered at her hands!
"Make sure they are sincere or well-behaved enough to treat me seriously, Benny." He instructed. "I don't mind the method we've used to secure those commitments, but they have to be sincere enough for me to accomplish some actual gains."
Gavin nodded. "I've already taken that into account. We prioritized securing the commitments of those who have possible business and personal ties to the Hegemony. They're at risk of suffering a lot of losses if they piss off the wrong person."
That was not what Ves meant, he wanted to complain. Yet he let Gavin's remark be. Being feared was better than being dismissed in this case.
In an ideal reality, Ves preferred to be recognized by his own qualities. Yet without any established reputation in their circles, it was better for him to borrow someone else's. The Wodin Family was the equivalent of a comital house of a feudal state.
To put it simply, Gloriana's status was similar to that of Lord Javier in the Vesia Kingdom.
Such a level of power and authority was more than sufficient to make any mech designer in a third-rate state wary.
Ves did not mind pretending to be an agent of the Wodin Family if that was what it took to command the attention of a foreign mech designer.
Regardless of how willing they wanted to entertain him, Ves was confident he would be able to charm them into a more consensual exchange! He wasn't called the Devil Tongue for nothing!
"By the way, boss, we'll be arriving at the Kamon Republic's port system soon."
"The Zin Alpha System, I'm aware." Ves nodded.
"Do you want to stop by and hang out there for a couple of days? Captain Silvestra wants to load up some supplies and top off the ship's spent energy and fuel reserves before we embark on the lengthy tour."
Ves figured that since he left the Friday Coalition proper, it should be okay for him to enter the Zin Alpha System. Despite Kamon's role as a buffer state to the Friday Coalition, it was still an independent entity.
"Fine." He dismissively waved his hand. "There are curiosities in every port system. I might as well see what Zin Alpha has to offer to its visitors."
The Kamon Republic was a rather soft state due to enjoying the protection of its huge neighbor, so Ves did not hold any interest in its mech culture. Instead, he specifically wanted to see how a third-rate state developed when it came under the continuous influence of a prosperous second-rate state.
Did Kamoners live better than Brighters or Vesians? Or were they actually worse off?
Chapter 1298
During the journey to the Zin Alpha System, Ves spent a decent amount of time on his studies. He caught up on the miscellaneous literature he collected recently and also bought a few textbooks on bestial mechs and smart metal mechs.
Though he already possessed passing familiarity in both subjects, Ves took the time to refresh what he knew and began with the basics.
Bestial mechs encompassed an entire subgenre of mechs. Mostly prominent in landbound mech warfare, mechs shaped like centaurs, spiders, wolves and other animals offered distinct advantages compared to humanoid mechs.
First and foremost was that mechs that relied on four limbs to move possessed superior stability and mobility. Humanoid mechs relied on two powerful legs to move, but it took quite a lot of effort in keeping them upright and in balance.
"Bestial mechs are just better at moving in a fast-paced, chaotic battlefield."
They offered superior mobility in the same weight class in almost every case. Not only that, but four limbs offered a lot of redundancy in case a battle became a drawn-out affair.
A humanoid mech could be rendered combat ineffective with the least amount of effort by dealing a pinpoint strike on one of their legs.
To do the same on a bestial mech required taking out at least two limbs. Even if their limbs were lighter than that of a humanoid mech's leg, destroying just one of them still left a typical bestial mech with a decent amount of mobility, hardly affecting its speed at all.
The only complication was that mech designers initially struggled to come up with the best configurations for bestial mechs. Eventually, some customs had emerged.
First, a bestial melee mech such as a tiger mech fought primarily using their limbs. A lot of mechanical power would be devoted to the limbs in order to facilitate a powerful leap that could quickly and efficiently allow a tiger mech to put a lot of momentum behind its attacks.
Even at a standstill, a bestial mech was incredibly formidable because its powerful limbs enabled the mech pilot to make rapid changes in direction with rapid dashes and leaps.
The only downside to such an active form of battle was that bestial melee mechs needed a lot of individual room to maneuver in order to bring out their best strength.
Such mechs were quite unsuited to fighting in formation or in tight ranks. Mobility formed the key to their offense as they relied heavily on momentum to deal strong, crushing attacks.
This did not mean that bestial mechs were limited to claw or leaping attacks. Plenty of mech designers managed to mount gun barrels to a classic bestial mech, mostly onto its flanks or inside its head.
Gun barrels mounted to the flanks usually weren't fully turreted because such mechanisms took way too much space. Therefore, most bestial ranged mechs mounted them in a limited swivel arrangement that allowed for only limited angle adjustments.
Simply speaking, such mechs could only fire forwards, leaving them heavily vulnerable to sudden flank or rear attacks.
Bestial mechs didn't fare too well in defense either. While such mechs could present a smaller and tighter profile against ranged attacks, they did not have the option to make use of shields. Although their frontal armor would always be better armored, it was still an awkward arrangement unless a force deployed a turtle mech or something that looked similarly ridiculous.
Yet the biggest shortcoming of bestial mechs was their inherent inflexibility. Although specialized humanoid mechs could be rather inflexible as well, at the very least their forms allowed for some ingenuity when necessary.
Not so for bestial mechs.
They were stuck with the weapon loadout baked into their designs. A melee tiger mech could not exchange its claws for a laser rifle when assailed by aerial mechs! At the very least, a humanoid swordsman mech or knight mech could resort to such a solution if they had access to spare laser rifles!
In short, bestial mechs were basically more specialized mechs that fulfilled a particular role better than most humanoid mechs.
Yet they were also not very popular in the Komodo Star Sector, which usually did not look down on specialized mechs.
There was a very basic reason for that.
"Humanoid mechs are easy to learn but hard to master. Bestial mechs are hard to learn and harder to master."
It took additional talent, training or effort to make a mech pilot proficient in piloting such mechs. Because they adopted a form divergent from the human body, mech pilots needed to become accustomed to taking advantage of the bestial form.
"That isn't always easy."
The standard of training in the Komodo Star Sector was fairly low compared to more prosperous star sectors. Many mech academies lacked the time or resources to properly train their mech cadets in the operation of a bestial mech.
The case may be different in more prosperous states and star sectors, but close to the frontier the humanoid supremacy movement reigned supreme by virtue of its ease and convenience.
"Naturally, not every state is blindly sticking to humanoid mechs. Bestial mechs are still interesting to some." He muttered.
Ves wanted to visit those states in person in order to find out first hand why specific organizations decided to make widespread use of bestial mechs.
Naturally, by that he specifically focused on the use of classic bestial mechs such as tiger mechs, wolf mechs and the like.
Mechs that combined the advantages of humanoid arms with a bestial lower body such as centaur mechs or most spider-legged mechs didn't count. They operated much more like humanoid mechs, but incorporated some of the mobility advantages of bestial mechs.
Ves determined an important rule. "A true classical bestial mechs sacrifices humanoid flexibility for raw bestial power."
This was a philosophical principle that many hardcore bestial mech designers abided by. They rejected the ubiquity of humanoid mechs and turned to the animal kingdom to achieve greater mechanical performance.
"Quite a lot of bestial mech designers are purists." He discovered. "They chose one animal shape and specialize in it for the rest of their careers."
There were wolf mech fanatics, tiger mech fanatics, turtle mech fanatics, hawk mech fanatics, space squid mech fanatics and so on. The variety was endless and they showed up in every possible environment.
The mechs these specialized mech designers came up with did indeed offer an impressive level of performance. It was just that most mech pilots unused to bestial mechs needed extensive training before they could become proficient in their use.
"Everything has a price. Bestial mechs offer greater performance, but unless they're piloted by mech pilots familiar with these types of mechs, they're no better than the humanoid mechs they are trying to replace."
To someone like Ves who mostly planned to stick with humanoid mechs, the mech industry advised that he should only dabble in only a single type of bestial mech at most.
"It's like studying a minor." He realized. "It's meant to broaden my perspective and understand what bestial mech designers have to deal with on a daily basis."
Since the System wanted him to design at least one bestial mech, Ves needed to make a selection. Which classical bestial mech shape should he adopt as his customary beast shape?
He quickly turned his head to Lucky, who comfortably lounged on his bed at the moment.
"Meow?"
"Hehe." He grinned. "Out of every possible animal, I'm most familiar with cats!"
"Meow.."
Tiger mechs were basically cat mechs in a sense. They were predominantly melee mechs that greatly emphasized ambushes and leap attacks. They tended to be fairly heavier than most other mech types as they relied greatly on a combination of mass and mobility to power their devastating collisions.
They possessed pronounced downsides as well. Aside from the common disadvantages it shared with all bestial mechs, they also imposed very high demands on their mechanical integrity.
"All of those leaping and collision attacks put an incredible amount of strain on the frame of the mech. The shock it has to endure is of a much greater magnitude than that of a typical swordsman mech or knight mech. The biggest challenge of a tiger mech is not defeating its opponent, its doing so while preventing its frame from falling apart!"
Both the mech and mech pilot needed to step up in this regard. The mech pilot needed to become familiar with the common techniques developed specifically for tiger mechs and needed to avoid pushing the mech's parameters past their limits.
The most frequent mistake an inexperienced mech pilot could make was to make a bad collision or fall, where their tiger might snap off a limb or incur massive impact damage to parts that couldn't absorb that much shock.
As for the tiger mech itself, it needed to be designed with mechanical integrity as its highest priority!
No bestial mech designer neglected their study into mechanics, battle mechatronics and other related fields in order to insure the most robust mechanical structure possible for their designs!
"Maybe this is why I'm tasked with designing a bestial mech. They not only place a higher emphasis on mechanics, but this field is also applied in very different ways."
The System very deliberately pointed him to bestial mechs as a way to improve. Although he did not always like the System's decisions, he had to admit that its lessons had always been poignant and useful.
Still, that left him to shift his mind towards the other field he was studying, which was smart metal technology.
Ves shook his head at what he learned. "Really now. Smart metal may be used here and there, but they are not very common among third-class mechs. Just like polarizing systems, they're mostly not worth it below a certain tech level and budget."
Smart metal technology really started kicking into gear with second-class mechs. The reason why should be clear.
"Smart metal is really just a huge bunch of tiny nanomachines or equivalent."
A bunch of tiny machines tied together on a microscopic level to form a single flexible, morphable piece of armor plating would never be able to match the sheer durability of solid armor plating.
Ves already witnessed this in action during his latest Mastery experience where Axelar witnessed a mech arena match that featured one such mechs. Even the Terrans hadn't been able to make a smart metal mech that overpowered a typical first-class multipurpose mech.
Smart metal technology offered a lot of versatility, no one doubted that. Yet it cost a lot and delivered less performance.
"What is the price of flexibility?"
The ability to change a mech's shape or to repair gaps in the armor on the fly sounded useful. More advanced smart metal mechs could even replace broken limbs or core components by siphoning smart metal away from their less crucial parts.
Yet it became clear to Ves that smart metal tech had yet to reach maturity. It was an expensive, wasteful solution desperately looking for a problem in order to justify its existence.
Aside from abnormal, niche circumstances, smart metal mechs mostly amounted to novelties. Enemies unused to facing smart metal mechs might be startled, but once they became more ubiquitous they would learn to overpower them with brute force.
"That's the biggest downside to smart metal technology." He concluded. "It's very adaptable against light damage, but can't shield a mech from annihilation from a single, powerful burst."
Ves thought back on his intention to design a smart metal bestial mech. The problem was that if he decided to develop a tiger mech, it put such a huge strain on shock absorption and structural resilience that implementing smart metal technology did not make sense!
"Bestial mechs are by nature inflexible mech types that focus on raw performance. Smart metal tech adds flexibility at the cost of a significant amount of performance. Combining the two will negate each other's strengths while amplifying their weaknesses!"
Was it really a good idea for him to design a smart metal tiger mech? All signs so far pointed to no!
Chapter 1299
Just before the Barracuda arrived at Zin Alpha, Ves briefly checked up on everyone else, starting with Melkor.
"Have you taken William Urbesh's measure? How good of a mech pilot is he, really?" Ves asked.
The projection of Melkor shook his head. "William is.. a difficult case. Let me begin with his piloting skill. He's well-trained. That's a given. Though many of his habits would see him killed when placed on an actual battlefield, that can be remedied through rote training. It's his attitude that's the real issue."
"He's a coward, right?"
"Essentially, yes." Melkor sighed. "William received excellent training and his body and mind have both been augmented to a good degree. By all rights, he should be an elite. During simulation battles against AI opponents, he fared quite decently. It's when he faces human opponents that he begins to show his frail mentality."
Ves blinked. "He's scared of fighting mechs piloted by humans? In a simulation?"
"Yes."
It sounded ridiculous! The threat of death in simulations was nonexistent! Barring a short circuit or some freak accident in which the hundreds of safeguards applied to simulator pods all went haywire, a mech pilot ought to be able to fight to their heart's content!
"What's the problem with William, exactly?"
"We put our mind docs on his case, and boy, he's a handful. The short version is that William is fundamentally afraid of fighting. This guy is a natural coward. For someone like him to luck out in becoming a potentate is one of the biggest travesties of the galaxy! While his genetic aptitude is merely graded at C, whenever he faces a human opponent his effective genetic aptitude instantly plunges into the E-range!"
Melkor explained a bit more and pulled out several examples where William Urbesh failed lots of easy scenarios that even a mech cadet could have overcome with ease! The psychological condition that afflicted him was so ingrained into his being that it was almost impossible to treat!
"The human mind is very resilient but also very fragile." Melkor noted. "Our mind docs found traces of modest cranial operations in William's mind. This is very risky considering that he's a mech pilot. Even then, it hadn't worked. In every fight and flight situation, William always chooses to flee, even if he is pumped up with rage stimulants!"
The actual medical explanation was too complicated for Melkor to recite, so he merely transmitted the relevant reports to Ves over the comm channel.
"So what does that leave us with William?"
"We can keep training him all we want, but without a deep and fundamental shift in disposition, William will always fail in stepping up when it really matters. The only way we might be able to achieve this shift is by rejigging his entire brain structure with dubious and extremely risky interventions. Not even the MTA has gone that far, because such procedures will likely permanently impair his ability to pilot a mech or at worst lead to his death! The MTA needs patient consent in order to even suggest such radical treatments, but there's no way a coward like William will ever approve!"
In the end, the main point was that there wasn't an easy fix to William's ingrained fear. Not unless Ves was willing to cross some lines.
After clarifying the situation a bit, Ves did not see any immediate solutions either.
"For now, just hold his hands and polish his skills and combat habits. Let the other Larkinsons have a try with him as well. They might click with him in a way all his other instructors never accomplished." Ves instructed.
"That sounds good, but these suggestions aren't likely to work."
"I know, Melkor, but let's not rock the boat too much. We have three years to achieve some progress. I'll take a look at his condition myself when I return from my tour through the star sector. Perhaps a year of instruction under a Larkinson will set him straight."
After discussing a few other matters related to the Avatars of Myth, Ves closed the call. He called up Calsie next to receive a status update on the LMC.
"The company is doing well enough that it doesn't require your intervention for quite some time." She stated. "There has been one notable incident that needs to be mentioned. Do you remember your old friend Carlos Shaw? He knocked at our doors a week ago."
Ves immediately became more attentive. "He's back?"
"He wanted to talk to you in person before rejoining the LMC. He was disappointed when you weren't here."
"What did you do, then?"
"I sent him on to Ketis, who did her best to make him welcome at the LMC. It's just..." Calsie trailed off.
"What's the matter?"
"News broke out at what happened when you were at Centerpoint. The gossip rags all announced that you manage to ensnare the affections of a wealthy and powerful Hexer Journeyman. According to their reporting, it's yet another instance of the Devil Tongue working his magic onto an innocent victim!"
Ves smiled ruefully at that. Gloriana, innocent? Hardly!
"Has that changed the LMC's circumstances in any way?"
"Not too much, at least for now. While the news hasn't affected the LMC's market perception too drastically since it is simply another story to add to your celebrity life here at home, it has led to some subtler shifts."
"Such as?"
"Well, the Bright Republic as a whole has always leaned towards the Friday Coalition. For the LMC to abruptly enter the camp of the Hexadric Hegemony as your relationships implies has ruffled some people's feathers. Fortunately, the second-rate states are very distant to us normally, so our sales haven't dipped."
Ves knew that not every state would react so nonchalantly. "The LMC's position in foreign states which are more strongly aligned to the Friday Coalition will probably sour."
"We know." Calsie replied. "We had to make a lot of adjustments to our expansion strategy. Scaling back our plans for expansion into Coalition-aligned states and turning towards Hegemony-aligned states for the very first time has led to a considerable amount of flurry in our offices."
"Sorry for that."
"We'll manage. It's your company, after all. We still believe in your leadership." Calsie ruefully smiled.
"So how did Carlos and Ketis react?"
Calsie looked sheepish. "Well... not that good, to be honest. When the news broke out, Carlos abruptly tended his resignation and left the LMC while Ketis locked herself in your lab."
He closed his eyes. Indeed, not everyone took a liking to the new development. Still, he was highly disappointed by Carlos' reaction. How could he ever make it as a mech designer if he let his jealousy?
"I already prepared some contingency plans in case Carlos decided to part with the LMC. Look up the relevant files in the LMC's database and make sure to implement the one that best fits the circumstances."
"I'll do that, boss."
As for Ketis...
"Does Ketis want to leave as well?" He asked.
"No. She was disappointed for a bit, but then she became more determined than ever. She's been working herself ragged these last few days, all in an attempt to catch up to you!" Calsie sighed. "Ves, far be it from me to tell you how to run your life, but you really ought to clear up your feelings with regards to Ketis. She deserves a clear answer."
A discomforting mood settled over Ves as he thought about Ketis. "I don't know the answer myself, to be honest. While I care for her, I always considered her to be my first protege. As a mentor of sorts to her, it's not proper for me to think any further. This is a line I won't allow myself to cross."
Neither of them appeared happy with this answer.
"I think in her heart, the poor girl knows you think that way about her. I'm glad to see that instead of lashing out, she instead resolved to improve herself so that she can be more than your student. I'm only afraid that it might be too late and that all of her efforts will go to naught."
"I think Ketis is strong enough to get over it. She's a tough girl." Ves replied, as if that would make the situation better. "She deserves to be with someone who appreciates all of her facets. It would be best if she encounters a mech designer whose design philosophy synergizes well with her own. Can you.. can you set her on the right path? I'm worried she isn't thinking healthy thoughts right now. I don't want her to follow in the same footsteps as Carlos."
"Really, Ves. You ought to be the one to console the poor girl. Instead, you've decided to go off on a random tour through the Hegemony side of the star sector."
Admittedly, Calsie had a point. Even now, Ves felt extremely reluctant to call Ketis directly. His intuition hinted that he would not enjoy the conversation that would ensue.
"Can you, Calsie?"
"Fine. I'll help clean up your mess. You really ought to have been clearer to her in the first place, you know. Aside from her rough edges, she's a great girl and brings some much-needed levity."
"Thanks for that."
"Tell me seriously, Ves, are you really into the Wodin girl or is this just some kind of stunt that will blow over?"
"I don't know." He shrugged. "We're attempting to make it work. She's a lot more eager than me, but we've barely met each other at this point. It's possible that she'll tire of me once we get to know each other better."
Fat chance. Ves knew better than to expect Gloriana to drop her interest in him. Not when she recognized a great opportunity to elevate her design philosophy to a higher level!
When Ves finally ended his call with Calsie, he let out a tired breath. He truly hoped that Ketis would not stall her progression due to this circumstance. He found it encouraging to hear that she instead drove herself even harder.
"Even if she's disappointed, as long as she becomes a Journeyman or higher, she at least fares well in her career."
If Gloriana became a greater part of his life, Ves did not know if Ketis would still work for him at the LMC. He wouldn't blame her if she wanted to leave like Carlos.
"Hopefully Gloriana and Ketis will find some way to get along." He whispered. "A trusted subordinate mech designer isn't easy to find."
Ves nurtured Ketis from an inadequate pirate designer into a rising Novice with a strong learning ability. He also shaped her principles and her approach to mech design to better align with his own. It would be a great pity if he lost her before he could earn a return on his investment.
"Yet even if she leaves, she's still my student. I should be happy for her success regardless if she works for me or not."
Even though he said that, why did he feel like a rotten bastard who just made an awful mistake? A strong feeling of guilt suffused his mood and he couldn't even figure out where it came from. Should he change his mind?
"...Nah."
Ves always considered himself to be a decisive person. He did not like to display any muddle-headed behavior.
For now, he remained committed to seeing if his relationship with Gloriana would work out. Changing his mind halfway for no good reason except to give in to his doubt would not accomplish anything meaningful. That was not how he managed to advance to Journeyman so quickly.
"Even if it turns out that I've made a mistake, I should at least see it through before that becomes clear." He resolved.
Ves shoved these thorny matters to the back of his mind. Instead of worrying about this or that, he would rather think of something more pleasant, such as his upcoming visit to the Zin Alpha System!
Chapter 1300
"Meow!"
"Yeah, I know Lucky. It's really busy here!"
Ves had barely stepped outside Zin Alpha III's spaceport and already found himself caught in the hustle and bustle of traffic. An ocean of commuters and tourists all headed for the jumbo-sized aircars that constantly went in and out with a full load of passengers.
He held on to Lucky with one hand while adjusting his shawl over his neck. The capital city happened to be situated in a temperate region that was entering into a winter period.
The jostling of people rushing to the exits did not help him in this regard.
"Hey, watch it! Didn't your mother tell you not to bump into strangers?!"
As a Journeyman and a galactic citizen, Ves had access to a special service that would see him deposited at a much calmer VIP terminal where he could ride a personal shuttle to any destination he wanted.
On a whim, he declined to do so. How could he study what life was like in the Kamon Republic if he did not immerse himself among the locals?
While there were some legitimate security concerns about mingling in with the crowd without any guard escort, Ves dismissed those worries.
"Public security is quite high here."
Guards and automated security were present everywhere. A lot of investments had been made to make the planet safe. This was because the Zin Alpha System frequently entertained visitors from the neighboring Friday Coalition. How could the Kamoners ever allow their esteemed guests to come to any harm?
As Ves looked this way and that, he spotted several accommodations for VIPs. A very stark divide existed between second-class and third-class citizens.
Those who spent lavishly according to local standards enjoyed much greater privileges. To Ves, it seemed that a significant part of Zin Alpha's economy ran on entertaining wealthy tourists.
"Even an average Coalition citizen can be treated like a king in Zin Alpha!"
Ves quickly realized that perhaps that was one of the main points of attraction. The lower classes of the Friday Coalition might not be a big deal in their home state, but once they moved out and descended upon a third-rate state, they could momentarily enjoy the illusion of being a person of means who everyone else wanted to fawn upon.
This became very obvious to him when he gazed his eyes upwards. A network of transparent tunnels hung above the main floors of the spaceport. Various guests confidently walked above the masses while being surrounded by attendants acting servilely in their presence.
"They are like gods floating high amidst the clouds."
As Ves boarded a crowded high-capacity airship, he looked out the porthole as the vehicle flew to the center of the capital city.
He spotted numerous floating palaces, office buildings, plazas and other fantastic structures. Suchs sights may be common in a second-rate state, but not in a third-rate state. The influence of the Friday Coalition was quite pervasive at first glance.
Once the airship finally touched down at a transit center, Ves disembarked and entered the main avenue that led to numerous grand shopping centers.
Familiar brands plastered his eyes as he raked in the shops and establishments. Zin Alpha III seemed no different from Bentheim aside from the addition of floating structures above every citizen's head.
Different from Bentheim was the distinct lack of mechs on the streets.
Back there, the sight of Planetary Guard mechs was very common. Mech ownership was quite pervasive there, as even criminal gangs could obtain them without too much effort. Other people and organizations applied for permission to field their own mechs in response, and mostly got them if they were wealthy or important enough.
Not so on Zin Alpha. Although Ves detected a lot of robust security measures along with quite a few law enforcers in plains clothes, the city showed a very distinct lack of mechs available to respond quickly to possible crises.
The sight reminded him of his abortive shore leave on Harkensen I. The Reinaldan paradise planet wanted to offer its guests and tourists a scenery devoid of any notion of war, and what did that get them? War came to them anyway.
Ves sighed. "Zin Alpha is different. Unlike the Reinald Republic, the Kamon Republic is too close to the Friday Coalition. No troublemakers are sane enough to start anything under the Coalition's noses."
Ves flipped his shawl over his neck once again as he began to walk aimlessly through the streets. Fancy shopping streets and entertainment venues attracted many Kamoners and other visitors, yet Ves remained fully unmoved.
Instead of indulging himself in pointless shopping, he instead studied the people that frequented the stores. All of them seemed happy if constantly moving. Hardly anyone took a rest.
All of this seemed normal. Yet compared to the crowd in Bentheim, Ves observed a crucial difference.
"Most of them don't seem to be engaged in mechs at all."
Stores that sold complete mechs or toys and props based around mechs were in short supply. Their frequency was very low for a reason, as hardly any visitors entered these places.
Such a sight would never have taken place in Bentheim! A huge amount of Brighters and foreign visitors were enthused about mechs. Children wanted to buy action figures of the latest mech models. Adults bought merchandise of their favorite mech athletes. Mech insiders bought actual mechs.
Those who wanted absolutely no involvement with mechs consisted of the minority in Bentheim!
The same pattern existed almost everywhere he visited. Even the deprived from a piss-poor region like the frontier worshipped mechs to an almost religious degree!
Yet all of this open enthusiasm towards mechs appeared to be largely absent in some of the most premier shopping avenues in the capital city of Zin Alpha III.
"Is it just this city specifically or is it the same everywhere else?" He wondered.
After a bit more exploration where he strayed into the less frequented areas, he noticed that hardly anyone ever had mechs on their minds. The locals didn't even discuss the latest mech games matches or crowed over a popular mech release!
The Kamoners essentially lived as if they were in a very different age!
It didn't take much thought for Ves to figure out the underlying reasons behind their lackadaisical attitude towards mechs.
"Hardly anyone here has seen conflict."
Kamon resembled Reinald in that both states never entered into a full-blown war for centuries. Their favorable geographic circumstances meant that war was unlikely to erupt in their state.
That has inevitably led to the development of other priorities over mechs.
"Still, at least the Reinald Republic is still engaged with mechs, if mostly for trade and piracy. The same can't be said for the Kamon Republic."
It was as if Kamon had decided that it was pointless to build up a robust military mech branch. The information he found through a quick search on the galactic net revealed that Kamon's mech military was woefully underfunded, undersized and highly neglected. It could never defend the state against an invasion against its neighboring third-rate states.
"Yet such invasions will never happen." Ves summed up the collective assumption of the Kamoners. "Who would dare affront a potency of the Friday Coalition?"
Mechs were very expensive to procure and to maintain. What was the point of wasting all of that money on numerous military mechs that never saw any action? Only so many mechs were needed to patrol the space lanes and ensure public order in the event of disaster.
The Kamon Republic gave up all pretense of being able to defend itself against outside threats. Instead, the state seemed content to trust the Coalition to cover its defensive needs.
For now, the deterrent seemed to work. Kamon truly hadn't seen war since it approached the Coalition.
It felt a bit unreal to him, though. As a Brighter, he found the attitude of the Kamoners to be too optimistic. What if the Coalition retreated one day? Defense should never be farmed out to another entity that would never have their best interests at heart.
"I thought the Reinald Republic was already pathetic, but it turns out that the Kamon Republic is even softer!"
Such a state would fall in a matter of weeks if it lost the protection of the Coalition!
Ves had rather mixed feelings about Zin Alpha III.
On one hand, the citizens here appeared to be more content and less concerned. In Bentheim, hardly anyone truly relaxed, because the Bentheim Liberation Movement might pop up at any time and any place in order to sow chaos.
On the other hand, the Age of Mechs was still a violent time. Conflict and war happened in every corner of the galaxy. If humans weren't fighting against humans, then they were likely fighting against aliens.
The Komodo Star Sector itself bordered the frontier where occasional news about berserk sandmen entering into human space spread rapidly in the region.
Yet to the Kamoners, the problems at the frontier border were someone else's concern. Their sheer disconnect to any of the conflicts raging elsewhere in the star sector made Ves feel profoundly helpless as a mech designer.
"There's hardly any demand for mechs in this state."
Ves hailed an aircar and traveled directly to the capital city's mech district. While Kamon featured its own mech industry, Ves found that its scale and activity was far behind when compared to the mech industry back home.
"There are a lot less native mech designers and mech companies here. Demand is too low to sustain more businesses."
The worst thing about it was that Kamon's open borders and permissive trade policies allowed foreign mech companies to dominate, thereby further depressing native mech designers.
A substantial amount of foreign mech designers operating in the Kamon Republic happened to consist of Fridaymen who hadn't been able to achieve success in Coalition space. Although not all of them managed to adjust to the lower technological standard, it wasn't all that hard to design mechs that were simpler than they were used to in their home state.
Although the Friday Coalition probably didn't pursue a deliberate strategy to neuter the Kamon Republic, their close ties inevitably resulted in this depressing outcome.
Ves shook his head in disappointment. "When times are good, everything is fine. Yet the moment chaos strikes, everyone here will regret their complacency."
Though he privately admitted that such a calamity likely wouldn't come to the Kamon Republic, should its leaders be betting on that outcome?
"If the leaders adhered to the Societal Vitality Theory, then they would have at least done something to remedy this situation." He grumbled.
While Ves did not like the Rubarthan theory, seeing the state of the Kamon Republic made him feel as if it actually had a good point. Conflict or at least the threat of one might kick these complacent Kamoners into shape and force them to invest more in their armed forces.
"How can poor, struggling mech designers like me do business in such a peaceful state? It's a travesty!" Ves shook his head.
"Meow!"
"Oh come on, Lucky. It's not that I'm wishing ill on the Kamoners. It's for their own good! If all of humanity was like the Kamoners, our race would have been extinct by now!"
After seeing first-hand how Kamon's native mech industry had been pushed to the fringes, Ves no longer held any interest in exploring Zin Alpha any further.
"Mech designers thrive off conflict, war and uncertainty." He whispered. "A peaceful state citizens live out their entire lives in peace for centuries is no place for me. Perhaps one day there will come a age where all of humanity no longer has to fear any threats. That age is unfathomably far away."
Right now, the Age of Mechs was at its height. A mech designer like Ves need not fear running out of customers anytime soon.
"The peace that reigns in this state should be the exception rather than rule. I hope my other destinations on my tour will be more exciting."
