The Mech Touch

Although a part of her was very fascinated with the organic sword, she mainly felt repelled by it. Just imagining herself wielding it presented a discordant image to her. The weapon was simply too weird!

"What are the holes for?" Ketis frowned in puzzlement. "Are they meant to siphon the blood of whoever gets stabbed with this weapon?"

"No. Apparently, the biosword is meant to discharge plasma from these cavities. The entire reason why the hilt is so fleshy and elaborate is because it houses the mechanism that generates and releases the plasma energy."

A plasma weapon! Ketis gained a lot more respect for the weapon.

"I don't think this weapon saw much use. It's still in good condition and it's also fairly recent to boot."

The ages of the weapons planted in the Sword Graveyard varied. Some of them were less than a decade old but there were also numerous blades that had gained fame a century ago!

While the older swords were not necessarily the better ones, Ketis felt more drawn to them for some reason. It might have been due to the influence of Ves. Under his tutelage and guidance, she gained a greater appreciation for durable products that grew stronger and more personal over time.

It was a pity that none of the weapons she encountered were alive, especially in the same way as her personal greatsword.

After years of getting spoiled by living mechs and living products, Ketis found it difficult to muster too much enthusiasm for lifeless and unresponsive objects.

Angelique clearly noticed her restrained mood as they inspected various exotic-looking weapons.

"What's the matter? Are the swords here not to your liking? There are more exciting and exclusive ones when we get closer to the center of the Sword Graveyard."

"It's not that. Many of these swords are all respectable in their own way. It's just that they don't quite have what I'm looking for. I sort of expected more given what I've heard from the Heavensword Association."

The swordmasters of the state were truly dedicated to the sword. Ketis thought that translated into taking great care of their weapons. She heard stories of legendary swordsmen trying to develop such a close relationship with their blades that they even carried them into their beds!

According to Ves' teachings, any person was able to inspire some life and develop a bond with a closely-cherished object. In practice, it was a lot harder than it sounded to achieve anything significant.

This was why she tried to sense whether any of the swords felt comparable to the equipment and mechs made by Ves, but none of them stood out in this manner.

After inspecting dozens of personal weapons, Ketis and Angelique finally approached the first sword built for a mech.

The massive metal monstrosity cast a tall shadow over the people who came to admire it. The weapon was merely a shortsword that was meant to be wielded by a knight mech, but its dimensions in comparison to a human were so imposing that no one thought it was too small!

Though the mech sword did not possess any intrinsic life, Ketis nonetheless began to appreciate the weapon from the perspective of a swordsman mech designer.

"This is a traditionally-forged sword!" She said in a mildly impressed tone. "Every step is made with as much manual effort as possible. I can see all of the personal touches that make this weapon unique."

While it was impossible to forge a mech-sized weapon completely with handheld tools, there was a large difference in relying on an automated production line to fabricate a sword and employing a high degree of manual control over specialized forging machines.

The latter was not only more cumbersome and time-consuming, but also exhibited a greater chance of failure. If the end product suffered any severe defects, all of the time and effort spent on making it was pretty much wasted!

The time of highly-skilled craftsmen was very precious. It took a lot of studying, training and practice to forge an entire mech-grade sword in a traditional manner. This meant that even an ordinary artisanal mech weapon was of great value.

While Ketis knew the theory and steps behind forging a comparable weapon, she never truly succeeded on her own as of yet. She still didn't feel ready enough to embark on such a great project.

Harcourt was different though. As a Journeyman from a state that was obsessed with swords, she would never be able to earn respect in her state if she was unable to forge unique weapons for her mechs.

"There are quite a lot of swords like these in our state." She explained. "While custom-forged weapons are not cost-efficient at all, our best sword wielders all prefer to fight with something tailored to their specific styles. Each mech designer or swordsmith that is capable of forging blades like these possess distinct advantages that make their swords stand out from others."

"What is your unique characteristic?" Ketis asked.

Angelique responded with a proud grin. "My blades are lighter and swifter while not sacrificing any structural integrity. While the differences aren't too big as of yet, I am constantly improving my techniques. The blades I am capable of forging pair exceptionally well with my fencing mechs."

"How long does it take for you to forge one of your custom swords?"

"It depends on a lot of factors. As long as you are in a good workshop, it typically takes a day to forge a sword that you can be proud of. It might take longer for larger and more complex weapons, but the chance of something going wrong goes up drastically if you need to spend multiple days making your weapon."

The pair of women continued to talk about the ins and outs of forging mech-grade swords. Angelique might not excel in this aspect, but she still possessed enough ability to make Ketis look up to the older and more experienced mech designer.

Soon enough, they drifted away from the huge shortsword.

Once they ventured closer to the center of the transformed park, they encountered more valuable and significant weapons.

Security was higher around these parts as well. Armed guards constantly patrolled the grounds in order to ensure that no one tried to break the energy screens and take the swords away.

While no one was stupid enough to do so, there were always greedy idiots who thought they could outsmart the sophisticated security measures employed by the Heavensworders.

Each time Ketis inspected a different bladed weapon, whether it was a longsword, a saber or a dagger, she gained a new appreciation for those types of swords.

"We don't adopt a strict definition of a sword." Angelique said after Ketis asked why knives and daggers were included in the Sword Graveyard. "We love all weapons that share the same characteristics. The approach and handling of these different types of weapons are all similar. This is the criteria we use to judge whether a weapon is a sword or not. It might not be the most precise definition, but it is one that works."

Ketis found herself agreeing with her companion's opinion. "The concept of a sword is broad enough to include many different forms. It doesn't make sense to toss them all aside."

In fact, Ketis became attracted to a knife. She spotted a small crowd forming at a wooded location.

The pair of mech designers moved closer and saw that there was some kind of contest in progress.

A hopeful-looking teenager took hold of a composite practice sword and chopped it into a large block of jelly-like material.

The composite sword possessed a broad edge, which made it very hard to make a small cut mark. The broadness of the blade caused the practice sword to dig a thick groove in the jelly.

An old man in the uniform of a mech pilot shook his head. "Fail. Your technique is too crude. You need to cleave through the testing substance, not shove through it. Look at how wide and rough these marks look."

The so-called testing substance slowly restored itself to its old condition. Once it turned back into a straight and even block of jelly, someone else took over with the practice sword.

The result was no better than the last one.

Ketis shook her head at the sight. "Awful. The blade might not be sharp, but they can still adjust their technique so that the cut becomes cleaner."

"If you think you can do better, why not try?" Angelique suggested.

"Alright, but you try as well. I'm curious how good you actually are with wielding a sword. You only told us that you aren't great at swordsmanship."

"I wasn't lying, Ketis. I'm afraid I'll make you laugh."

The two women patiently stood in line. Despite their higher status compared to the other people that had gathered here, neither of them thought about cutting the line.

The presence of the old and likely retired mech pilot who administered the test was enough to deter anyone from acting improperly. Even if his personal strength wasn't great, his bearing and attitude made him a little more special.

Once the two women finally received their turn, Angelique decided to go first. Unlike the others, she opted to perform a sharp and vigorous stab.

From the moment she stepped forward to the moment she retracted the tip of the practice sword, she had momentarily acquired a sharper and more intense demeanor!

All of that quickly faded once she stepped back.

The hole she managed to pierce through the testing substance was quite impressive. Ketis could see that Angelique possessed enough skill to perform a clean and efficient stab.

"Fail. You are supposed to chop the testing substance, not poke holes in them. Get out of the way and let the next young lady make her attempt."

Despite the old man's rudent remark, Angelique merely shrugged and handed over the weapon.

Ketis frowned when she grasped the practice weapon. It was made out of heavy composites, but the feel and weight of it was incomparable to a genuine metal sword.

She looked towards the old man.

"Chop the testing substance while trying to make the cleanest cut possible. I will be evaluating your attempt by looking at the cleanness of the cut, the thickness of the displaced testing substance, the technique you employ and the ease in which you wield your weapon."

"What do I get if I score high enough?"

The old mech pilot grew subdued. "I'll allow you to inherit the personal knife of my closest friend and battle comrade. He loved his combat knife. It accompanied him throughout his military service. In his will, he stated his desire to pass it on to a younger warrior who can wield it to its true potential."

She grew hopeful. Yet when she shifted her gaze to the knife that was half-planted into the soil, her anticipation quickly faded.

The personal weapon that the old man's comrade supposedly cherished over many decades was just a high-quality service weapon without any signs of life. It didn't matter if it had acquired numerous marks of age, or if it showed signs of loving and caring maintenance. Without sensing anything that made it special to her, Ketis didn't really care for the weapon.

She just wanted to see how sharp of a cut she could make with an imitation weapon.

Once she took some deep breaths, Ketis concentrated while lifting the practice blade.

In order to prevent her capabilities from leaking to any potential tournament adversaries, Ketis did not draw upon Sharpie's help, much to the living sword will's disappointment.

Instead, she tried to rely on her base 'superpower', which she considered was sufficient for the job.

"Cut!"

The one-handed weapon chopped straight through the top of the testing subject and smoothly descended further!

While her cut looked simple, the practice blade seemed to glide through the testing subject. The weapon acquired so much sharpness that it was as if she was wielding a thinner sword!

When her practice blade finally reached the table where the testing subject rested upon, the sword finally stopped after colliding against the metal surface.

Once Ketis pulled out the sword, the old mech pilot looked astonished when he saw the clear cut mark on the surface.

A weapon as blunt as the one he handed out should have never made such a mark! It was too weak!

The old man's eyes suddenly turned fiery. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed Ketis' shoulders.

"You are it. You are it! You are the heir that I am looking for! You are the chosen one who I have been looking for! Only a swordsman or swordswoman who can cut this cleanly is qualified to further the legacy of my sword school!"

"Wait, what?!" Ketis brushed away the old man's arms and took a few steps back. "That's not what you said earlier. I just wanted to cut that funny jelly stuff, that's all! I didn't come here to inherit any legacy!"

"Nonsense. From today onwards, you are my heir!"