The Mech Touch

Ketis developed the Monster Slayer concept after vanquishing a transformed cultist during the Nyxian Gap Campaign.

Though her strength and performance back then paled in comparison to what she was capable of after her breakthrough, she vividly remembered the rush of emotions she felt back then. Her desperation, her frustration at her lack of strength, her unwillingness to allow herself and her fellow Swordmaidens to be defeated by a religious weirdo and her supreme exultation after achieving victory had all brought her closer to her swordsmanship.

If not for experiencing this difficult battle, Ketis believed she wouldn't have been able to make as much gains in her trip to the Heavensword Association!

After the Battle of Ulimo Citadel, Ketis fleshed out her initial ideas and developed an elaborate draft of a landbound swordsman mech that could replicate the fight approach that she adopted at the time.

Yet she had always been dissatisfied with what she managed to come up with. As an Apprentice Mech Designer, she was barely able to empower her work with her own charm. The lack of power caused her to feel that she wasn't doing the Monster Slayer justice.

She decided that she would rather shelve this passion project and wait until after she had broken through before coming back.

Now that she had solved her lack of ability, she finally gained the confidence that she could turn the Monster Slayer into a proper mech design that did not lose out that much to other LMC mechs!

"You're designing a landbound mech?" Gloriana frowned as she briefly raked her eyes over the projection that Ketis had activated. "All of those mech pilots you brought back are waiting to pilot a good mech that can help them contribute in the battles to come, which will mostly take place in space. It is not worthwhile to waste too much of the capacity of our carrier vessels on mechs that are solely designed to fight on land."

Ketis held up her hand. "I am not asking for the Swordmaidens or the rest of the Larkinson Clan to adopt my Monster Slayer on a large scale. Its purpose is much simpler. First, it is a trial for me to see how much I can do on my own. I deliberately do not want to involve Ves and turn it into a living mech, because that would make it harder for me to see where I stand. I don't mind if the end result will be weaker and possess less potential because of this. I am firmly convinced that my mech designs have more than enough value to stand on their own."

Ves was glad to hear that Ketis did not insist on forcing the clan to adopt an unsuitable mech design. In any case, it was not up to the mech designer to make this decision. General Verle and the individual mech commanders were in charge of this aspect. They had a responsibility to prepare their mech pilots as best as possible for any battle they might face in the future. They shouldn't be stupid enough to get dazzled by an interesting new mech that nonetheless possessed the wrong configuration for the job.

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"I also want to keep the Monster Slayer pure in order to offer a pure swordsmanship experience to those who value it." The youngest Journeyman added. "The former citizens of the Heavensword Association value this a lot. The trained swordsmen among them are accustomed to fighting duels under relatively simple conditions. They spar against each other every day with their bodies, and they do so with their feet planted on the ground. I think that the potentates among them will highly appreciate the opportunity to exercise their swordsmanship while piloting mechs that can give them a similar kind of experience."

This was something that Ves and Gloriana didn't fully understand. They only heard stories about the Heavensword Association but never immersed in its culture like Ketis. They had no choice but to take her word for it on this matter.

"What are your plans after you finish this project and see the results of your work?" Ves curiously asked.

"What else? I want to design a battle-ready swordsman mech for the Swordmaidens. While the Bright Warrior's swordsman mech configuration is doing a decent job so far, I think I can do much better. This time, I won't refuse your help. I want my sisters to be able to pilot the very best that they can get, and I won't let my selfishness get in the way of that. Once we pool our abilities together, I'm sure we can design a mech that will define the Swordmaidens for years to come!"

Several mech forces already possessed their own signature mech models. The Penitent Sisters had the Valkyrie Redeemer and the Eternal Redemption while the Ylvainans became known for the Transcendent Punisher.

These mechs were tailored exclusively to their respective target groups. While this design choice heavily limited the applicability of the iconic mech models, their degree of utilization became extremely high as a response.

They were like custom mechs, but targeted towards a specific group rather than an individual!

That was just right for the Larkinson Clan. While the Bright Warrior Mark I Version B already served as an excellent versatile mech platform that could cover most of the needs of the mech forces, it was still a bland and boring choice that did not satisfy the needs of more advanced and skilled swordsman mech specialists.

Ves did not have any options at the time. He needed to design a standard Larkinson mech that was as compatible as possible to all kinds of mech pilots. In order to make sure his Bright Warrior was accessible enough to less-skilled mech pilots, he had to limit the complexity and upper potential of the Bright Warrior in order to keep everything as simple as possible.

Ves therefore welcomed this future initiative. As a Swordmaiden herself, Ketis was by far the best person to design a new mech that could fully accommodate the demands of her fellow sisters.

It was hard to say what Ketis should do after that. The situation of the Larkinson Clan might look completely different at the time, so it was pointless to make too many plans.

She did mention a couple of overall goals.

"The Swordmaidens and the other swordsman mech pilots in the clan won't be satisfied with just one specific type of swordsman mech model. There are different sword styles and different piloting styles. A one-size-fits-all approach won't allow most of them to perform at their best, so I intend to continue to design different designs that work well with specific sword styles. On top of that, I also want to publish some of my work on the mech market. It doesn't matter if they are third-class or second-class designs. I feel it is necessary for me to learn how to meet the demands of swordsman mech pilots who haven't been exposed to a rich swordsmanship tradition."

The Heavensword Assocation was an anomaly. Most swordsman mech pilots in the galaxy, including many in the Larkinson Clan, adopted a more modern and sober approach to this specialization. The swordsmanship training passed on to these modern warriors was relatively sober and based on scientific studies. It was relatively devoid of outdated traditions and superstitions that the Heavensworders emphasized to a great degree.

"I don't look down on the modern approach." Ketis clarified. "While it isn't possible for people to become swordmasters by following the modern approach, it doesn't lock them into specific paths that don't completely fit their inclinations. Every expert pilot that emerges among them is completely unique and is completely free to develop his or her own fighting style."

This was something of a common refrain of the Mech Trade Association. As an organization that prized research and innovation, it benefited them a lot because there were a lot of expert pilots trying out different things. If all of them followed the paths laid out by their predecessors, then there wouldn't be as much variety among expert pilots.

Of course, modern swordsmanship training also imposed less demands on those who followed it. Unlike the sword schools which all demanded lifelong commitment from their disciples, modern mech academies were already content if a mech cadet was able to master the basics after a few years of study.

The modern approach was efficient, practical, adjustable and most importantly unpretentious. Though it became harder for anyone who trained under these circumstances to rise above the masses, the majority did just fine.

After their discussion continued on for an hour, all three Journeymen gained a new understanding of each other.

The rise of Ketis had definitely changed the hierarchy of the Larkinson Clan. Though she was ostensibly just a lead designer, the respect she commanded from so many new clansmen could not be ignored.

She definitely earned the right to have a say in the running of the clan. Fortunately, she did not express that much interest in challenging Ves or taking on any greater responsibilities that did not have any relations to her own network of supporters.

She was kind of like a high-profile version of Juliet Stameros. As long as Ves didn't meddle too much and disturbed her own plans, Ketis wouldn't kick up a fuss.

This also caused Gloriana to lower her guard towards the new Journeyman. What Ketis would be doing would not encroach on her own interests too much. Though the Larkinson Clan would inevitably place more weight on the Swordmaidens, this was what they deserved.

Once Gloriana confirmed that Ketis did not pose much of a threat to her, she soon lost interest in the discussion. She already learned what she wanted to know and wasn't interested in hearing what Ketis had in mind for the people she brought back from the Heavensword Association.

She stood up while leaving Clixie next to Ves. "I need to get back to the design lab to finish the preparations of our upcoming design projects. Ketis, I expect to see you tomorrow. You must have a lot of opinions about Venerable Dise's upcoming expert mech. I would be glad to hear your input."

Gloriana subsequently left the lounge. She did not exhibit any concerns about leaving Ves alone with Ketis. She had left her trusted companion behind to make sure that her husband did not do anything funny!

"Miaow." Clixie glanced up at Ves with a guarded expression.

Ves reached down and scratched the Rubarthan Sentinel Cat's head. "Hey, you don't need to look at me like that."

Though Clixie had a good impression of Ves, that did not stop her from performing her duty.

He shrugged and ignored the pet in favor of studying Ketis and her peculiar greatsword.

"Now that she is gone, we can speak more freely now. I guess my wife has already noticed that I wanted to speak to you in private."

"You want to know how I did it, right?"

"Correct. You have to admit that your existence is an anomaly."

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"That's what the MTA said as well. It doesn't change the fact that I am here. To be honest, I owe all of this to you. When you brought Sharpie to life in my mind, I never expected that it could grow to this extent. You've given me a magnificent gift. Without Sharpie's existence, I would have never been able to pursue my ambition of becoming the best swordswoman and swordsman mech designer in existence."

Those were some very big goals. Ves liked that Ketis had a lot of spunk, but it was easier said than done to reach the highest levels in two completely separate professions.

Well, it was fine for her to dream big.

"Will you allow me to take a look at Sharpie? I'd like to study my old work and see how it has changed under your influence. From all of the will that your sword is emanating, I have already developed a theory why you are able to accomplish the impossible."

"Sure." Ketis happily acceded to his request. "I can use your advice as well on how to develop Sharpie further. I'm not sure what to do now that it evolved into this form."